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hadn’t seen kith of that variety since her last adventure with Terris. With their wings outstretched, the griffins in front of her filled the rooftop with their massive forms. Ciardis had a moment to wonder where they had come from, the kits in the Ameles Forest were as of yet too young to bear riders.
    Atop the back of the black one sat Vana, her hands gripping the reins confidently. Atop the other sat a child. Ciardis took the girl in with surprise. She was small and scruffy. Couldn’t have been more than twelve. Her red hair was cut in a messy bob.
    “Seraphina,” said Jason SaAlgardis in a growl, “you were ordered to stay at the base.”
    The child raised a stubborn chin. “The guards were coming for the woman and the daemoni. We had to go get them.”
    Seraphina hurried to quickly add, “Skar said we could trust them.”
    Jason shifted a sharp glance to the black griffin.
    Ciardis guessed that was Skar.
    Her theory was confirmed when the black griffin opened his beak and spoke. “They are on the side of the prince heir. They are needed. I would not endanger Seraphina.”
    Jason nodded. “We will speak of this later.”
    His tone said they might do more than just speak. Seraphina’s shoulders hunched in a sulk, but she didn’t say anything back.
    Another explosion happened in a distant part of the villa. The golden griffin said, “That is our cue to leave.”
    Vana spoke. “Ciardis, with me. Sebastian with Jason and the girl.”
    Ciardis frowned. “I don’t think that is wise.”
    Jason turned to her with a frown of his own. “I would not harm the prince heir. Particularly not while the same griffin carries my daughter.”
    “Still,” Ciardis said, “I could ride with Jason and Sebastian with Vana.”
    She didn’t bother putting up the idea of her riding with Thanar. Sebastian wouldn’t have heard of it...and besides she wanted to stay far away from Thanar and his mind-controlling abilities as humanly possible. She didn’t need further complications right now.
    This time Sebastian objected. “No.”
    Thanar repeated the same word within half a second. She didn’t take orders from either one of them, but as a second blast rocked their perch, this one much closer, she didn’t see the point in arguing.
    Ciardis rolled her eyes. “Then you ride with Thanar, Sebastian. While I ride with Vana.”
    Both males looked at her in flat-out disappointment.
    Vana swore and dismounted. “Sebastian and Ciardis on Skar. I’ll go with the bat-winged idiot.”
    A smile cracked Sebastian’s face as he fought not to chuckle.
    Embarrassed at the argument, Ciardis hurried to take Vana’s place astride Skar. She saw leather straps tied to a loose collar hanging from his neck.
    “Good day,” Ciardis said quickly.
    Skar looked to her. “Good day to you. Mount up. We must fly fast and quickly to our destination. The straps are to help you.”
    She nodded. Before she mounted him, she quickly gave a neat bow and said, “Thank you for carrying me up from this place, winged brother.”
    Skar gave a nod. “Wind beneath my wings is wind beneath yours.”

Chapter 6
    H umming with satisfaction, Ciardis did her best to climb up on the stiff muscles of Skar’s shoulder carefully and quickly. The feathers felt stiff while the muscles underneath were sinewy. She knew he had powerful muscles in his shoulders and forearms. More than enough to carry her form easily. But no creature liked someone climbing all over them—human or kith . That was just instinctive knowledge. But her awareness of his body and its strength was from her time with Terris and her rescued orphans. She had learned something in her time with the griffins of the Ameles Forest after all. Although this would be her first time riding one.
    Settling between his wings with her legs dangling to either side of his neck, Ciardis held out a hand to Sebastian. He gripped it without hesitation and swung up on to the griffin’s back behind her. Ciardis barely had