Bringer of Winter- a M/M/M Epic Fantasy Romance

21- Gryphon's Scream

KHIF—

For more than two years, Ryker and I had killed. For more than two years, we have protected each other, fought for each other, and butchered the men Master asked us to kill. For two years, we have been murderers. For Ryker, this is almost nothing. He is a warrior, and these are his enemies. His mission in life is to protect me, and he is doing that with each life he takes.

To me, this is tearing my soul apart.

The ancestors have all but left me. So far from Wal'yah, I cannot hear their voices, cannot join their song. I only hear them now in my dreams, when I dream of home— of my mama, my Paula, my dearest Ally and Grana and baby Naka. Gods, she would be seven now. The age Ally was when she died. Naka was such a strong little girl. She would have made a wonderful je'lyen and a stubborn princess. I always loved the way she never seemed to frown— Naka the Cheerful was what the people began calling her when she was only a few months old.

And poor Ally, who took after our mama more than either me or Naka. She was reserved, quiet, and demure to Naka and my loud, boisterous, and mischievous. She was sweet, gentle, and would cry when she dusted a moth's wings.

Now their voices were gone, except when I dreamed of my family and woke with tears in my eyes and a sob in my chest.

When the Pryn prince, the one we had seen in Uriok, had met my eyes after the fight, there was something in them that scared me. He didn't seem innocent as he had before, and there was no confusion or hesitation as he met my eyes anymore. Now he watched me with a steady warrior's gaze, as if assessing me for weaknesses, and when I caught a glimpse of his right hand and his companion's scars I knew the reason why.

I would know Tela's shay'yah anywhere, and knew they had come up against much worse than me. They had met with Ryker's family, and had come out alive. Did that mean that Ryker's family was dead, or that there was some kind of truce? How had they come out alive— against Tela and Jak'kan, the most powerful je'lyen and terey'oh in Nibea?

When he began to move towards us, his eyes serious and determined, the crowd began to quiet. I could see the king of the Pryn stiffen, but there was pride in his eyes, in his stance. He wanted a strong son. The man I had seen those years ago, smelling more of parchment than of battle, was dead now. I could see that. Something had murdered him and left behind a battle scarred man of whom the king could be proud.

Why were men like that, to want a son who reveled in blood? This king had wanted a bloodthirsty son. And from the look on his face as he jumped into the Courtyard of Blood and veered towards me, I could see he had gotten what he desired.

As the prince stalked closer, Ryker's body covered my vision, along with Tye's lankier form. Both stood before me, as if to keep the man from me. This was what Ryker did; he was protecting me. But Tye, I could see, felt fear for me for a completely different reason. Having been with us for so long, he knew my hatred for the Nelek and he wanted to keep me from killing their prince. I almost chuckled at the thought, but was grateful to him. I had his loyalty, although I didn't know how I had earned it to that extent, and I loved him for it.

Without any form of greeting, I could hear the prince's voice, harsh and curt. "You are not Nibean," he said to Tye, the words more of a statement although I could hear he had truly meant them as a question.

"I am not, your highness," Tye muttered, bowing his head slightly. "I am from Belaqu, a province in the south."

"Can you speak Nibean?"

"Bits and pieces but definitely not enough for a conversation, lord," Tye said, his confusion apparent.

"So you cannot translate if I wanted to speak with the war'rog?"