Leslie Moore: Griffin's Destiny

Jelena slipped her arm around Ashinji’s waist and the two of them started walking again. After a few heartbeats, Jelena spoke.

“You saw our daughter…all grown up! What did she look like?”

Ashinji kissed the top of her head. “A lot like her beautiful mother, thank the One. Curly brown hair, not quite as twisty as yours, though, green eyes like mine, golden skin…”

“Your mother says Hatora’s Talent is nearly as strong as yours. Perhaps she’ll be a great mage someday. If what Magnes says is true about the empress looking for Talented humans to use as weapons against us, we’ll need strong mages as a defense, and we’ll need a strong Kirian Society to lead them.”

Ashinji nodded. “Whatever the future has in store for us and our children, right now, we are all safe and happy,” he said.

Yes, we are , Jelena thought. She skipped out of Ashinji’s embrace. “I’ll race you to the gate!” she cried then sped away.

Laughing, Ashinji ran after her.

Leslie Ann Moore has been a storyteller since childhood. A native of Los Angeles, she received a doctorate in Veterinary Medicine from the University of California. She lives and works in Los Angeles, and in her spare time she practices the art of belly dancing. Moore’s first novel, Griffin’s Daughter won the 2008 IBPA Ben Franklin Award for Best First Fiction.