Angie Fox - ADS 03 - A Tale of Two Demon Slayers

I also learned that Amara had been in the Helios library.

The second book I opened, a large red volume with Greek lettering etched in gold, contained extensive maps of the estate, including one identical to Amara’s—minus her work on the strength of the protective shields. I had to give her points for research and accuracy, even if I didn’t like the idea of her rifling through Dimitri’s things.

Pirate let out a loud doggie yawn. “You know I could go for some popcorn right about now.”

“Pirate,” I warned, turning the page.

“Crunchy. Slathered in butter, with just enough salt to make you think you’ve died and gone to heaven.”

“Pirate.” I’d probably gained five pounds since my dog learned how to talk. He had a habit of talking me into snacks I wouldn’t have even considered before.

“I don’t think they have popcorn downstairs,” I said. Besides, I wasn’t about to go snooping in Dimitri’s kitchen. His library was quite enough.

But Pirate was on a roll. He pawed the bed next to me. “I’ll bet they have crusty bread. Fresh from the oven.”

“No.”

“Cheetos?”

“No.” I reached for the last book.

He tilted his head. “What are you doing, anyway?”

“I’m trying to learn more about the griffin clans,” I said, cracking open the worn volume.

“Ahh.” He sniffed the pages.

I began reading, very much aware of my doggie watching me.

“You know, you could just ask Dimitri,” he said.

“I could.” And I had. “I’m looking for the kinds of things he might not think to tell me”—or that he would refuse to tell me so that I didn’t worry.

Well, I liked to worry.

It made me feel safer.

“Like look at this,” I said, after a few more minutes of reading.

I directed Pirate to a foldout page where some of the family trees intersected. “They know each other. They work with each other. And at first glance, they seem to be one big happy family.”

“Well that’s nice,” he said.

“Is it?” I asked. “Take a look at how the lines cross. A female griffin can marry into another clan, but it’s a single crossing-over. And then she seems to be almost absorbed by her new people.”

“Well, you know,” he said, curling up next to me. “You get busy. You forget to call. It’s hard to write. You lose your pen.”

Yeah, well I had a feeling it was more than that. “And listen to this.” I read some of the entries to Pirate.

Cronos the Conqueror.

Patrikios the Heartless.

“These read like the histories of the Scottish clans.”

“Ohh…I liked Braveheart .”

Television and popcorn. I had to get my dog on a better routine.

“What I mean is that while griffins are intensely loyal, they seem to focus that loyalty on their own clans.”

“So they’re no good at sharing?” Pirate asked.

“Or coming together.”

“But those Dominos people are friends, even if they did bring along a cat.”

“Oh I know that.” And if Amara had her way, she’d be a lot more than friends. “Dimitri seems to trust them. And they did pledge themselves to protect this place.”

I looked up clan oaths. They were rare—and binding.

But I didn’t know exactly what they’d pledged. Or what kind of loopholes a two-thousand-year-old griffin clan might be able to uncover.

I did know enough to keep my eyes open.

By morning, the oppressive sky had dissipated. Only a few scattered clouds held tinges of pea green sludge. I met Dimitri and his sisters at the breakfast table.

“What are we going to do?” I asked, taking a seat next to Dimitri.

“Train,” Diana replied.

She made no mention of the borrowed Skye stone, and after a warning glance from Dimitri, I didn’t bring it up either.

Pirate danced in circles around Christolo as the portly Greek served up an amazing-looking bacon breakfast casserole. “Don’t look so glum, Lizzie. We have bacon!”

“One small slice,” I said, right before Pirate helped himself to a portion the size of his head.

Dimitri hadn’t taken his eyes off his sisters. “Be careful.”

Diana rolled her eyes. “You see how he talks to me?”

Dimitri’s jaw tightened. “If you overdo it, you’ll be no good to anyone.”

“Yes, yes,” Dyonne said with a wave of her fork. “We’ll be careful. But we also need to be aggressive. Now is the time.” She grew serious. “We saw what happened in the sky last night. And Dimitri told us…” Her face fell. “Oh, Lizzie. We will figure this out.”

I wasn’t tracking. “The green sky had nothing to do with your Skye magic. Whatever was out there last night was pure evil.”

“Yes,” Diana said. “But if we had full use of our Skye magic, we’d know instantly what’s on this estate and what is not.”

Hope surged. “So you’d know who—or what—attacked me last night.”

I didn’t realize how tense I’d been until a little of it eased away. If Dyonne and Diana could actually tell me what was after me—or even what had happened—at least I’d know what I was dealing with. And I wouldn’t have to walk outside and wonder if I was about to be attacked at any second.

“Lizzie likes our plan,” Diana said to Dimitri.

He didn’t seem convinced.

Dyonne nudged me. “He’s just worried because he can’t watch over us 24-7.”

“Talos has agreed to patrol the estate with me,” Dimitri said. “After last night, security is even more important.”

“I’ll help with the Skye magic,” I said. “Whatever you need.” If they could help lead us to the woman who’d stolen my magic, I’d be crazy not to do everything I could to assist them.

Besides, I was eager to learn more about their Skye magic. It was such a personal form of power, similar to my own abilities. Maybe I could help them harness their energies, or even learn a trick or two myself. Th e more I understood about what was happening here, the better.

We ate quickly and started off.

Pirate declined to join us.

“I’ll just help Christolo finish up here,” he said, licking his chops at the leftovers.

Okay, so maybe we’d start back with the Healthy Lite dog chow tomorrow.

The trauma of last night had me wanting to appreciate the little things—like giving Pirate a bit of pleasure, or the sweet kiss I gave Dimitri before we headed out. Because what we had faced—and what we had yet to encounter—scared the bejesus out of me.

I touched a hand to my side, remembering the searing pain of last night. I still felt an aching hollowness inside my chest, as if a small part of me had been ripped away.

“Don’t worry Lizzie,” Dyonne said, several steps ahead as we cut across the large lawn at the front of the house. “We will grow stronger and we will find that missing part of you. Then you’ll be safe. I promise.”

“I know,” I said, wanting to believe, as we hurried past the tower that housed Dimitri’s study.

There was no trace of the imp invaders or the slime they’d unleashed. I had to hand it to Dimitri. Griffins sure could do windows, inside and out.

“One question,” I said to the sisters. “When you regain full use of your Skye magic, will you be able to tell us what those creatures were after in Dimitri’s study?”

Diana winced, shaking her head. “No. Our magic works to protect our family and this estate. It doesn’t reveal motives behind attacks. However, once we have the house and the grounds fully protected, any cursed imps will be in for a world of hurt.”

“Griffin-style,” Dyonne added, the twinkle in her eye giving way to sharp pain as she doubled over, clutching at her stomach. “Sorry. Cramp.”

Diana rushed to her. “For goodness sake, slow down.” She helped Dyonne lean against her and glanced at me. “Our power affects our health,” Diana explained, brushing Dyonne’s long, spiky hair back and out of her eyes. “When we feel good, the sky is the limit. Literally. When we don’t—” Diana struggled to hold on to her sister as Dyonne shook off her grip.