Of Gryphons and Other Monsters by Shannon McGee

Author:Shannon McGee [McGee, Shannon]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shannon McGee
Published: 2017-11-19T22:00:00+00:00

I covered my lips with my free fingers as more incoherent noises tried to tumble forth. At first it didn’t appear as though Beth was moving at all, but as I stared in abject horror I saw her chest rise and fall in shallow breaths. Or was my vision playing tricks on me? I rubbed my eyes, but it didn’t help. The edges of the alley wiggled like it was made of worms. My legs shook as though they might give out beneath me, and I tore my gaze away to cast a helpless look towards Aella.

“I’ll go,” she said, squeezing my other hand tightly, and then she let go, running at full speed towards the inn.

I was rooted in place, eyes transfixed on my brother, and my friend. I thought of earlier, seeing her with the mercenary and worrying that Corey would see and become upset. “You didn’t…” My throat felt thick, and my voice refused to work. I tried to think of how to ask if Corey had done this. I attempted to speak again. “Michael, you didn’t…”

Michael seemed to misread my unfinished question. His eyes were desperately wide in his pale face. They flashed with ire and then impatience for a moment, before settling on fear. “No! This wasn’t me. I came upon her like this.”

I took a few stumbling steps forward and sank next to Michael. “Of course not. What happened?”

He shook his head helplessly. “You’re guess is as good as mine. I was having a terrible time in there, so I came out here to track you down and to make sure Aella got your cloak to you.” His eyes never left Beth’s pale face as he spoke. “I got to this point and I heard moaning.”

“She didn’t say anything to you?” I reached out to smooth the hair back from Beth’s forehead but let it drop halfway there.

“She was conscious when I got to her, but I couldn’t make her stay that way, and she couldn’t say anything. I think her jaw is broken. The way it’s sitting…” he trailed off, and I rubbed his shoulder roughly. His shoulder was freezing, and his cheeks were flushed red from the cold.

There was the distant sound of several pairs of boots on the gravel and cobblestone. I stood with difficulty, using the wall to help me up, and moved to peer around the corner of the alley. From that position I saw a whole parade of bodies arrowing towards us with Aella at the lead. Laura, Beth’s mother and stepfather, my mother and father, Aella’s mother, as well as the medics Andrew and David, and another mercenary whom I didn’t know. I flagged them down, and when they caught sight of me their pace quickened further still.

Benjamin and Anne pushed past me without a word to kneel by their daughter. Benjamin pulled her into his lap without minding the sticky blood.

“What is this? Who has done this?” He demanded ferociously of Michael, but softly, as though his daughter was asleep and he feared disturbing her.

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