Gosh Darn Griffins: A Cozy Urban Fantasy Series (Magic and Motherhood Book 2) by A. L. Tippett

Author:A. L. Tippett [Tippett, A. L.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Firefly Books
Published: 2025-02-23T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter fifteen

About forty minutes later we pulled into the sanctuary carpark, leapt out and ran past the office. All seemed quiet, but that wasn’t necessarily a good thing. Swords drawn, Altan and I ran faster. Raised voices near the stable caught our attention and we rushed along the winding paths towards them.

When we rounded the last bend there wasn’t a griffin in sight, but Destiny and Clyde were yelling at each other. Todd was in the middle, apparently trying to separate them.

“This was your fault, Clyde!” Destiny shouted. “That griffin would have never got inside the sanctuary if you’d done a half-decent job with the temporary fence. This wouldn’t have happened if you didn’t spend your days drinking and chasing griffins around trying to steal their feathers. Do us all a favour and go to therapy to sort out your shit!”

“Fuck off,” slurred the gnome. His squeaky voice reduced the impact of his words. “You know, it wouldn’t surprise me if you lit that fire yourself. Everyone knows that firies are pyromaniacs.”

Destiny’s hands curled into claws as she launched herself at him. “How dare you?” she screeched. “You absolute wanker! I’m going to kill you!”

“Hey!” Altan yelled. “What’s going on here?” He ran forward and helped Todd pull them away from each other, then held Destiny’s arms behind her while Todd wrapped his arms around Clyde and lifted the gnome off the ground.

“You can’t do this!” shouted the gnome, windmilling his legs. “This is racist, or ableist, or specieist…or something! Put me down right now, asshole!” Todd lowered the gnome but kept a firm grip around his torso.

Destiny spat and glared daggers at Clyde. “It’s his fault the griffin got inside the sanctuary. It attacked the enclosure with the other griffin in it, and now that’ll need repairs by the druids. Expensive repairs.”

“Where’s the loose griffin now?” I asked.

“Flew away,” grunted Todd as Clyde struggled against him. The gnome was surprisingly strong.

“Anyone hurt?”

Todd shook his head.

“Take him away,” Altan instructed, nodding at the gnome. “Let’s all just focus on calming down.”

Once Todd and Clyde had disappeared in the direction of the office, Altan released Destiny. She stood sullenly, scuffing a shoe against the grass. “All right. We need some honest answers today, Destiny. What did Clyde mean about you being a pyromaniac?” he asked.

Destiny directed her scowl at him. “Don’t you start. I am not a pyro. I used to volunteer with the rural fire brigade on my days off, that’s all.”

“You didn’t think to mention that in our initial interview?”

“I didn’t think it was relevant.”

“There’s been a fire in your place of work, and you didn’t think it was relevant?” Altan’s tone was incredulous.

She folded her arms. “I haven’t been out to a fire with the crew in a few months. And it’s not like I was called in to attend this one. I had nothing to do with it!”

“How do we know you’re not lying?” Altan challenged her. I blinked, surprised at the bluntness of his question. Maybe I needed to work on not being so polite with suspects.

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