at the
Lady Aria, who seemed to be drinking in all of the attention in the
limelight of her firsthand knowledge of the events. Maybe she
really had meant to kill her, after all, that would have given her
a clear path to Gryffon which was obviously what she wanted.
They were able to make their way to the
stables without being accosted but they waved the three they had
come to see into a more secluded section to talk just in case.
“We’re going to try and sneak out of here
quickly, but we wanted to touch base with you before we go,” Layna
informed them.
“We also just got attacked in the courtyard,”
Gryffon put in with a tone that conveyed that he thought that this
information should have been the conversation-starter.
“What?” exclaimed all three in unison.
“By who?” asked Aileen.
“We don’t know,” Layna shrugged, “I asked him
if he worked for Jezebel seeing as how she has already set up an
elaborate plan to kill me once, but he denied that it was her.” She
explained the attack.
“Did you get rid of him?”
“No, he stopped attacking so I let him go.
I’m not going to just kill a man.” The idea left a bad taste in her
mouth. She was trying to steel herself for the possibility of
needing to kill the King, but until she was forced into that
situation, she didn’t want to do any more killing than was
necessary. In the midst of the attack, her power-high brought her
perilously close to having done just that, but she knew she would
have felt incredibly guilty afterwards. All these attempts on her
life were starting to make her extremely nervous, however, not to
mention confused as to why anyone - besides Jezebel - would want
her dead. She was even a little taken-aback that Jezebel could hate
her that much.
“He would have just killed you, hopefully
your kindness won’t come back to bite you.”
“Layna suddenly has a lot more power than she
did when she’s connected to the Three,” Gryffon told them, speaking
about her as if she wasn’t there and heat rose to her face.
“It’s not that my power is greater, I just
have greater control of it with their advice,” she defended herself
and the Three. Aileen watched their exchange with growing concern
in her eyes and Layna steered the conversation away from that
topic. “So anyway, we know that we need to head towards Gelendan.
Any advice?”
“Don’t get killed,” Charles said. Layna gave
him a thin smile.
“Try not to use power, there are a lot of
mages gathered, especially at the border, who will be actively
watching for it. You won’t be able to put on a show like you did
back there without a hundred mages and soldiers descending on
you.”
- Do you have any thoughts on how you might
get into the palace?- Echo inquired.
“Actually, I do,” Layna answered. She had had
the thought rolling around in her head since this morning and had
decided that it just might work.
But just as she was putting her thoughts in
line to share the idea, Gryffon suddenly gripped his chest, a
grimace of pain appearing on his face.
“Oh no,” Layna said and moved forward to open
his shirt, fearing the worst.
He pushed her hand away roughly. “It’s
nothing,” he growled through gritted teeth.
“It’s not nothing,” Layna argued, “It’s your
life-sucker isn’t it.” She turned to Aileen. “You said it wouldn’t
happen again. Does this mean that Jezebel has finally figured out
what she did?”
Aileen shrugged noncommittally. Layna tried
once again to get Gryffon to let her look at it, but he pushed past
her and walked briskly away, hunched over in pain.
“Fine, don’t let me help. Maybe you should go
crying to the Lady Aria , I’m sure she’d be more than happy
to let you cry on her shoulder!” Layna shouted angrily, tears
forming at the corners of her eyes at his rejection.
“Maybe I will!” Gryffon shot back over his
shoulder and the tears flowed freely down Layna’s cheeks. She ran
into the middle of the field and
Lady Aria, who seemed to be drinking in all of the attention in the
limelight of her firsthand knowledge of the events. Maybe she
really had meant to kill her, after all, that would have given her
a clear path to Gryffon which was obviously what she wanted.
They were able to make their way to the
stables without being accosted but they waved the three they had
come to see into a more secluded section to talk just in case.
“We’re going to try and sneak out of here
quickly, but we wanted to touch base with you before we go,” Layna
informed them.
“We also just got attacked in the courtyard,”
Gryffon put in with a tone that conveyed that he thought that this
information should have been the conversation-starter.
“What?” exclaimed all three in unison.
“By who?” asked Aileen.
“We don’t know,” Layna shrugged, “I asked him
if he worked for Jezebel seeing as how she has already set up an
elaborate plan to kill me once, but he denied that it was her.” She
explained the attack.
“Did you get rid of him?”
“No, he stopped attacking so I let him go.
I’m not going to just kill a man.” The idea left a bad taste in her
mouth. She was trying to steel herself for the possibility of
needing to kill the King, but until she was forced into that
situation, she didn’t want to do any more killing than was
necessary. In the midst of the attack, her power-high brought her
perilously close to having done just that, but she knew she would
have felt incredibly guilty afterwards. All these attempts on her
life were starting to make her extremely nervous, however, not to
mention confused as to why anyone - besides Jezebel - would want
her dead. She was even a little taken-aback that Jezebel could hate
her that much.
“He would have just killed you, hopefully
your kindness won’t come back to bite you.”
“Layna suddenly has a lot more power than she
did when she’s connected to the Three,” Gryffon told them, speaking
about her as if she wasn’t there and heat rose to her face.
“It’s not that my power is greater, I just
have greater control of it with their advice,” she defended herself
and the Three. Aileen watched their exchange with growing concern
in her eyes and Layna steered the conversation away from that
topic. “So anyway, we know that we need to head towards Gelendan.
Any advice?”
“Don’t get killed,” Charles said. Layna gave
him a thin smile.
“Try not to use power, there are a lot of
mages gathered, especially at the border, who will be actively
watching for it. You won’t be able to put on a show like you did
back there without a hundred mages and soldiers descending on
you.”
- Do you have any thoughts on how you might
get into the palace?- Echo inquired.
“Actually, I do,” Layna answered. She had had
the thought rolling around in her head since this morning and had
decided that it just might work.
But just as she was putting her thoughts in
line to share the idea, Gryffon suddenly gripped his chest, a
grimace of pain appearing on his face.
“Oh no,” Layna said and moved forward to open
his shirt, fearing the worst.
He pushed her hand away roughly. “It’s
nothing,” he growled through gritted teeth.
“It’s not nothing,” Layna argued, “It’s your
life-sucker isn’t it.” She turned to Aileen. “You said it wouldn’t
happen again. Does this mean that Jezebel has finally figured out
what she did?”
Aileen shrugged noncommittally. Layna tried
once again to get Gryffon to let her look at it, but he pushed past
her and walked briskly away, hunched over in pain.
“Fine, don’t let me help. Maybe you should go
crying to the Lady Aria , I’m sure she’d be more than happy
to let you cry on her shoulder!” Layna shouted angrily, tears
forming at the corners of her eyes at his rejection.
“Maybe I will!” Gryffon shot back over his
shoulder and the tears flowed freely down Layna’s cheeks. She ran
into the middle of the field and
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