another layer of mud that morning. “I didn’t plan to hurt anyone with the scalpel. I thought you were handing me over to the guard.”
Gryphon fought a smile. “So you planned to fight your way to freedom without hurting anyone?”
“No.”
Gryphon’s calm demeanor was like a giant snake holding perfectly still until its prey became complacent. She knew he would strike eventually, and when he did the bite would kill.
“Why would you carry a knife, if not to fight?”
“To control how I die.” She blurted the words before she could help herself. A Nameless shouldn’t speak so freely. Especially not to the one soldier inside the Gate who had seen her for what she was. A Wolf.
Gryphon nodded. “We all want to control our lives, healer. Few of us get to.”
Zo wanted to hit him. She wanted to scratch out his honest-looking eyes and spit in his face. He knew nothing about losing control in life. Nothing.
They traveled deeper into the woods. The sun filtered through the trees, lighting up patches of earth with brilliant afternoon light. Zo longed to remove the wrap covering her head and neck and let the light breeze finger through her hair. The green season was nearly here. At home she would have been sowing tubers and peas on her family’s plot. Tess should have been out causing trouble with her two best friends. Her little sister’s greatest worry should be winning the relay race at Spring Festival.
Zo hitched up the medical kit on her hip.
“We’re almost there,” said Gryphon.
They reached the entrance to a cave guarded by two heavily armored men. Each wore a fur vest and boots. Like most Ram, they stood as tall as trees, with white battle scars marking their arms and chests. Zo took a half step behind Gryphon so he stood between her and the guards. Two snakes were always worse than one.
“We’ve come to see the prisoner,” said Gryphon.
The size of Zo’s eyes doubled. Gabe. They’d come to see Gabe!
Weeks ago she had kissed Gabe’s cheek and left him forever. He had been buried with the rest of her friends and family in the grave of her heart. She wasn’t supposed to ever see him again.
“Are you coming?” Gryphon’s voice pulled her out of her stupor. His lip pinched in on one side as he looked between Zo and the cave entrance.
“Yeah, sorry.” Zo hitched up her kit again. If Gryphon connected her to Gabe, he’d have no choice but to turn her in. “I guess I’m still a little shaken from my last cave experience,” she lied.
Accusation lifted from Gryphon’s face. “Joshua told me about the Waiting Room.” His brow wrinkled with concern. “Are you going to be all right?”
Gryphon glanced at the guards and quickly added, “Because if you can’t treat the prisoner, I have no use for you.”
Zo swallowed. “I’ll be fine.”
Gryphon held the torch to his side so the healer could share the light. “Be careful of the ledge. It’s a long way to the bottom if you fall.” His voice echoed off the moist rock walls.
The girl didn’t respond. Were it not for the sound of her soft footsteps, he wouldn’t know she was there. Gryphon should have taken the scalpel from her, but part of him felt he deserved a knife to the back. Penance for letting her live last night.
At least today he’d get answers.
The air grew heavy. The thought of walking beneath thousands of pounds of rock always made it a little difficult for Gryphon to breathe. After several minutes, the cave flattened into a large cavern. The flickering light of the torch seemed barely able to combat the persistent darkness.
“The prisoner is this way.” Gryphon took the healer by the arm and led her to the far corner of the cavern where the guards said he was chained.
Faint rustlings echoed high above them. Water dripped from the tall ceiling, landing with heavy plunks at their feet and on their bodies. Gryphon wiped water from his eyes more than once.
The girl shivered under his hand.
Gryphon fought a smile. “So you planned to fight your way to freedom without hurting anyone?”
“No.”
Gryphon’s calm demeanor was like a giant snake holding perfectly still until its prey became complacent. She knew he would strike eventually, and when he did the bite would kill.
“Why would you carry a knife, if not to fight?”
“To control how I die.” She blurted the words before she could help herself. A Nameless shouldn’t speak so freely. Especially not to the one soldier inside the Gate who had seen her for what she was. A Wolf.
Gryphon nodded. “We all want to control our lives, healer. Few of us get to.”
Zo wanted to hit him. She wanted to scratch out his honest-looking eyes and spit in his face. He knew nothing about losing control in life. Nothing.
They traveled deeper into the woods. The sun filtered through the trees, lighting up patches of earth with brilliant afternoon light. Zo longed to remove the wrap covering her head and neck and let the light breeze finger through her hair. The green season was nearly here. At home she would have been sowing tubers and peas on her family’s plot. Tess should have been out causing trouble with her two best friends. Her little sister’s greatest worry should be winning the relay race at Spring Festival.
Zo hitched up the medical kit on her hip.
“We’re almost there,” said Gryphon.
They reached the entrance to a cave guarded by two heavily armored men. Each wore a fur vest and boots. Like most Ram, they stood as tall as trees, with white battle scars marking their arms and chests. Zo took a half step behind Gryphon so he stood between her and the guards. Two snakes were always worse than one.
“We’ve come to see the prisoner,” said Gryphon.
The size of Zo’s eyes doubled. Gabe. They’d come to see Gabe!
Weeks ago she had kissed Gabe’s cheek and left him forever. He had been buried with the rest of her friends and family in the grave of her heart. She wasn’t supposed to ever see him again.
“Are you coming?” Gryphon’s voice pulled her out of her stupor. His lip pinched in on one side as he looked between Zo and the cave entrance.
“Yeah, sorry.” Zo hitched up her kit again. If Gryphon connected her to Gabe, he’d have no choice but to turn her in. “I guess I’m still a little shaken from my last cave experience,” she lied.
Accusation lifted from Gryphon’s face. “Joshua told me about the Waiting Room.” His brow wrinkled with concern. “Are you going to be all right?”
Gryphon glanced at the guards and quickly added, “Because if you can’t treat the prisoner, I have no use for you.”
Zo swallowed. “I’ll be fine.”
Gryphon held the torch to his side so the healer could share the light. “Be careful of the ledge. It’s a long way to the bottom if you fall.” His voice echoed off the moist rock walls.
The girl didn’t respond. Were it not for the sound of her soft footsteps, he wouldn’t know she was there. Gryphon should have taken the scalpel from her, but part of him felt he deserved a knife to the back. Penance for letting her live last night.
At least today he’d get answers.
The air grew heavy. The thought of walking beneath thousands of pounds of rock always made it a little difficult for Gryphon to breathe. After several minutes, the cave flattened into a large cavern. The flickering light of the torch seemed barely able to combat the persistent darkness.
“The prisoner is this way.” Gryphon took the healer by the arm and led her to the far corner of the cavern where the guards said he was chained.
Faint rustlings echoed high above them. Water dripped from the tall ceiling, landing with heavy plunks at their feet and on their bodies. Gryphon wiped water from his eyes more than once.
The girl shivered under his hand.
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