City of Death by Laurence Yep Page A

said, using the princess’s affectionate nickname. “Welcome home!” And then he was engulfing Scirye in his strong arms and lifting her from the ground.
    Hugging her father was like hugging a tree trunk, and she felt a momentary pride. The griffin master might be part of the court, but he was no soft courtier. Daily flying had kept him fit, though he flew not for the exercise but because it was as necessary to him as breathing.
    When her father had set her back on her feet, Scirye put a solicitous hand on her mother’s arm. “Are you all right, Mother?”
    â€œThat’s what I asked her,” her father grumbled as he stepped aside to let her mother have a turn.
    Lady Sudarshane’s hair fluttered beneath the edges of her leather flying cap as she embraced her daughter. “I’m not going to stay in a hospital like some porcelain doll when my daughter might be in danger.” At the moment, she didn’t seem like the poised, elegant diplomat that Scirye had always known but the hard-flying Pippal she had been before she had married.
    Scirye searched her mother’s face for some sign of pain, but even though there wasn’t any, Scirye knew her mother had an iron will that could cover up any hurt.
    â€œHow did you get here?” Scirye asked.
    â€œI flew home by plane,” her mother said, “with Nishke.”
    Scirye thought of her brave, brilliant sister and felt as if there were a hole in her heart now that would leave her incomplete for the rest of her life. “I miss her so much.”
    â€œSo do your father and I.” Her mother caressed her cheek, comforting her daughter just as she had done when Scirye was small. “But at least we have you.”
    Guilt and grief rose up like a tide within Scirye. “I should have been at Nishke’s funeral.” She almost sobbed with remorse on the last word. “Or at the hospital with you.”
    Her mother squeezed her even tighter. “You were there in spirit.”
    Her father patted her on the shoulder as if soothing a yearling. “You were doing what Nishke would have done if she were alive—chasing after the thieves.” Her father was a man of few words, more comfortable with his griffins than with humans, so this was a great compliment.
    â€œIf half of what Lady Miunai’s telegram said about your adventures is true, you must have been terrified.” Her mother tenderly brushed a strand of hair from Scirye’s eyes.
    â€œI was,” Scirye admitted. When she saw the worry lines furrowing her parent’s foreheads, she realized that while she had been feeling bad for neglecting her mother, Lady Sudarshane had been feeling the same about Scirye.
    Clasping her mother’s hand, Scirye tried to comfort her. “But I wasn’t alone. And … and I also saw such wonderful things.” There were so many marvelous memories to share with her parents that the words came out in a rush. “I rode on a river of lava with Pele the goddess underneath the earth. And I wish I could show you the frozen sea up north with the winter moon shining on it. Or the dancers, oh, the dancers.” She felt her heart ache at the very memory of the ribbons of light gliding to a tune only they could hear.
    But there was only one part of her adventures that concerned her parents the most. “Lady Miunai wrote that you went into a coma after the goddess sent you a vision.” Despite her best efforts, Lady Sudarshane’s voice trembled slightly as she inspected Scirye for more signs of divine damage. “Are you feeling better now?”
    Scirye felt her parents anxiety swell around her like a balloon, and she was sorry to upset them so much. “Yes.”
    Her father cleared his throat. “The Lady Miunai also said the goddess marked you with a sign of her favor.”
    Scirye pulled off her glove. “I guess you could call it that.”
    Her parents stared