Griffin's Destiny

eyes roam, taking in every last detail so she would remember them later-the intricate murals of woodland scenes adorning the walls, the finely woven mats cushioning the stone floor, the figurine of a mare and foal, carved from a whale’s tooth, resting on her dressing table.

I’ll miss all of this so much!

Her gaze settled on the big bed with its mounds of pillows and sumptuously embroidered coverlets where the king lay unmoving.

Has it really been almost twenty years since Keizo first made love to me in this very bed?

Sonoe sighed, and a bittersweet twinge of desire and loss stirred the place below her belly.

A soft whimper distracted her from her musing. She looked down to see her little dog Jewel sprawled at her feet. The animal squirmed and presented its flank for petting.

In her intense focus on the endgame, Sonoe had forgotten all about Jewel. She scooped the dog into her arms, laughing as it ecstatically licked her face.

“My poor little poppet,” Sonoe murmured. “I wish I could take you with me, I really do.” She cuddled the quivering dog against her breast and stroked its silky fur. “I love you, pet,” she crooned, then with a quick twist of her hands, she snapped the animal’s neck and dropped the carcass to the floor, where it landed in a little heap, twitching.

The time had come. She must leave now, for the others would be waiting. At the bedchamber door, she paused to look back one final time. Despite the ravages of the plague upon his body, Keizo looked remarkably well in death-peaceful, handsome, and above all, kingly.

Sonoe’s heart skipped a beat. “Goodbye, my darling,” she whispered and fled.

The Black Tower

What do you mean, you can’t feel your father?” Ashinji saw fresh distress in his wife’s eyes.

“I can’t sense his mind anymore. It’s as if he’s disappeared! Ashi, I think he’s…he’s…”

Jelena’s face blanched as her voice stuttered to a halt. Ashinji could only hold her as she stared blankly past his shoulder.

“Sonoe should have been here by now,” Taya muttered through clenched teeth. “Whatever is taking her so long?”

“Patience, I beg you, Sister,” Amara soothed. “Sonoe knows what’s at stake. A few moments to say goodbye to her beloved, is not too much to ask for…”

“It is when she puts all of us in jeopardy.” the princess shot back. She glared at Amara for a moment, then abruptly turned away and said, “At last!”

Ashinji heard the sound of rapid footfalls approaching. A heartbeat later, Sonoe rushed into the room, breathing hard as if she had just run a great distance. Instinctively, Ashinji moved to put himself between the red-haired sorceress and Jelena, but his wife pushed past him and went to her friend.

“Sonoe, I can’t feel my father in my mind anymore!” Jelena cried. “Is he…”

Sonoe flung her arms around Jelena, and Ashinji had to resist the urge to pull her away. “My dear friend,” she murmured. “Your father still lives, but he is very weak. Perhaps that’s why you can no longer sense him.”

She’s lying!

Ashinji opened his mouth to speak but the accusation froze on his lips.

She’s afraid if Jelena knows the truth, her grief might jeopardize the Sundering! She’s right, Goddess damn her!

Jelena sighed and nodded. “Yes, of course. That must be it. Thank you for taking such good care of him, Sonoe. I’m truly grateful.” With a final squeeze, she broke their embrace, and added, “I wish now I’d insisted my father marry you.”

“Oh, pet.” Sonoe’s voice caught and as tears filled her jade eyes, Ashinji felt a wave of uneasiness wash over him.

I have no proof she’s anything other than what she seems to be , he thought. All I’ve got is the message of my visions…Sonoe, surrounded by shadows and a cloud of menace. Though if she were truly evil, surely the others would have sensed it and never allowed her so close to Jelena.

“Now that you are finally here, we can go.” Taya snapped. “Give me the ring.” She thrust out her hand. Sonoe froze, and for an instant, Ashinji thought she might refuse, but then, she reached into a pouch at her waist and withdrew the White Griffin. She dropped it onto Taya’s palm without comment.

The princess tucked the ring into a fold of her sash, then turned toward the wall. Ashinji could not see how she did it, but a moment later, the panel swung open to reveal a short passageway of dressed stone and a steep staircase leading down. An exhalation of cold, musty air flowed around them. With a flick of her fingers, Taya conjured an orb of magelight and sent the glowing sphere bobbing ahead. Without looking back, she strode through the door to the staircase and started down.

“Quickly, children,” Amara urged as she followed after the princess.

Jelena clasped Ashinji’s hand and led him forward. “Come, Husband,” she said. “We have work to do.”

Taya, Amara, and the magelight had already disappeared around the first turn of the staircase. Gran and Sonoe stepped through onto the landing and the eldest Kirian closed the panel behind them, plunging the passage into darkness.

Ashinji could feel Sonoe’s presence at his back; while not exactly menacing, nonetheless, an uncomfortable tingle pricked the nape of his neck. He squeezed Jelena’s hand and felt her squeeze back as she started down, pulling him along in her wake.

The stairs spiraled through three turns and ended in another passage, this one made of rough-hewn stone. Taya and Amara already stood at the far end before a plain wooden door. As the others caught up, Taya whispered a single word and tapped the door with a forefinger. It swung open to reveal a small circular chamber. An elaborate pattern of lines had been carved into the hard-packed clay floor. Taya stood aside and indicated with a wave of her hand that they should all enter ahead of her. When everyone had gathered inside the little room, the princess spoke another word and the door shut with a soft thud. She then clapped her hands once and Ashinji started in surprise as a backwash of magical energy blew over him, setting every nerve afire for an instant.

“The door is now sealed against anyone or anything without the proper password,” Taya explained as she looked first at Jelena, then Ashinji. In the silvery glow of the magelight, the planes of her face stood out in sharp relief. “Before we go,” she continued, “I want to describe what we will encounter on the other side. Or, I should say, what I think we will encounter, for none of us here knows for sure.”

She glanced at her fellow Kirians before continuing.

“This portal is linked with at least two others we know of within the Black Tower. The one we seek lies closest to the center of the fortress. Nearby, we hope to find the main Spell Chamber-the place where the ancient Kirians worked their greatest magic-intact. This room is the safest place to perform the Ritual, though if we can’t reach it, or if it’s been destroyed, we can work anywhere within the fortress. Once we reach our destination, there is no turning back. We must either accomplish our task, or die trying.”

“We won’t fail, Aunt,” Jelena stated. She lifted her chin and added, “My daughter’s future depends on us.”

She looks so brave and determined , Ashinji thought. She’s not the least bit afraid, not anymore…Goddess, I’m the one who’s terrified! How am I going to do this? How will I make myself kill the woman I love?