Chapter 4
Four
Captain Harrison led the way to the mews by a circuitous route that kept them far from the distant sounds of the party. Chloe suppressed a sigh, determined to look enraptured by everything he showed her.
And as they approached the double doors of the vast mews, real excitement stirred inside her. She really had read the entire book on griffins in the past two days—turning to it whenever she needed something to distract her mind, which had been all too often—and she really had been fascinated by it.
As the captain pulled open one of the doors, she turned to make a remark to Fletcher, only to find no one behind them. She frowned around the surrounding area. But though she could have sworn he had been only steps behind her, he had disappeared completely from view.
The captain turned to usher her inside, and the quick flick of his eyes, along with his resigned sigh, told her he had also noticed Fletcher’s absence. He didn’t comment on it, however, so Chloe didn’t either.
Instead, she stepped inside the building.
She expected her eyes to need a moment to adjust to more muted lighting, but high windows allowed the spring sunshine to flood in, illuminating an enormous corridor that ran down the middle of the barn-like structure.
Although it felt wrong to compare the mews to a barn, even in her head.
For one, it was much cleaner and far more richly appointed, the wood oiled and polished until it shone.
It smelled a great deal better, too. It did have a smell quite distinct from a human home, but it didn’t assault her senses in the way a large grouping of animals usually did.
But then griffins—like Wynkara’s other creatures of intelligence—weren’t just animals.
Their intelligence varied, but some were more intelligent than humans.
The rustle of feathers told her some at least of the griffin squad were inside the mews, although she expected at least a couple of griffins were showing off among the party guests.
The Duke would want them at his picnic for his own prestige, but from what Chloe had read, griffins themselves weren’t immune to praise and adoration, despite their regal bearing.
Chloe had vaguely expected to see stalls along each side of the central corridor, like in a stable, but most of the building was open.
Large nests ran along each wall instead, with no barrier between them.
Strong branches supported the sturdy bases of the nests, but layers of fresh bracken softened the top.
Chloe could easily imagine climbing into one herself.
The first few near the door sat empty, but further down she caught the flash of eyes and beaks and the rich colors of feathers and fur.
“It’s so lovely in here!” she exclaimed, forgetting her resolution to act interested before her genuine enthusiasm. “The Duke has provided for the squad most handsomely.”
She didn’t add that the Duke’s generous and just management of his domain was the only appealing characteristic she had yet discovered in him.
And she suspected there might be a steward responsible for the actual management.
Although, if so, the Duke got credit for choosing such an excellent steward and allowing him free rein.
“I’m glad you approve,” the captain said with a hint of irony that made her eyes flash to his, her cheeks warming.
She drew in a deep breath, unable to help murmuring, “It smells so warm and appealing.”
His brows rose. “Do you think so? Not everyone likes the smell of griffins.”
She turned genuinely astonished eyes on him. “Really? But what could they find offensive about this?” She wrinkled her nose. “Have they ever smelled a barn?”
He laughed, looking as if he did so in spite of himself. “That’s what I think. But there’s no accounting for taste.”
A griffin emerged from one of the nests and padded down the aisle toward them.
“There certainly isn’t—not if anyone could find fault with these beauties,” Chloe breathed, the captain forgotten as she stared at the griffin.
In essentials, the creature was just as she had always understood griffins to be—the body and back legs of a lion with the head, neck, and front legs of an eagle.
But the two halves blended far more harmoniously than she could have imagined, the creature’s proportions balanced and powerful. And its size took her breath away.
Griffins varied in coloring within a certain range, and the one in front of her had feathers of a rich chestnut, the brown mixed with flashes of dark gold that matched the gold of his fur. His curved beak was far larger than any eagle’s, and the eye he bent on her shone with intelligence.
“Are they all so big?” she squeaked, and Captain Harrison laughed.
“No, Ranger is the largest in the squad.” His voice held pride, and he put his hand on the creature’s shoulder, which stood higher than his own.
“He’s yours?” Chloe asked, looking between them.
The captain chuckled. “Or I’m his. It depends who you ask.”
Naturally you are mine. The voice in her mind spoke in rich, deep tones utterly unlike Amaranth’s soft whispers.
Chloe fell back a step, her eyes widening. The griffin had spoken to her! Her eyes flashed between the creature and the man beside him, who was frowning at her.
She swallowed and tried to pull herself together, curtsying in her best court manner to the griffin. “I’m Miss Chloe, noble sir. It is a great pleasure to meet you.”
“She didn’t think it was a pleasure to meet me,” the captain grumbled to his companion in an undertone that he clearly thought was too quiet to be heard.
A sound echoed through Chloe’s head that made her look at Ranger with wonder once again. Had that been a griffin laugh?
“The lady is interested in griffins,” the captain said more loudly, his tone indicating boredom. “Would any of the others consent to meet her?”
If Ranger responded, Chloe didn’t hear it, but Captain Harrison turned to look over his shoulder, deeper into the mews. Another griffin, only slightly shorter than Ranger, strolled toward them.
“And who is this beauty?” Chloe asked.
The new griffin gave a satisfied rumble that she couldn’t be sure if she heard with her ears or in her mind.
“This is Hunter, Fletcher’s companion,” the captain said, nodding his head at the new griffin.
Hunter had lighter gold fur than Ranger, and his feathers were a dark brown unalleviated by gold, giving him a distinctive contrast that drew the eye.
“They’re so similar, and yet so different,” Chloe marveled. “I read that girls are smaller in stature?” She gave the captain an inquiring look.
“Generally they are, but the difference isn’t as great as you might expect.” His tone finally warmed slightly. “The largest female I’ve encountered was larger than the smallest male.”
“And both the males and females sleep in nests?” She nodded toward the closest one. “They look more comfortable than I was imagining.”
The captain laughed. “The ones here are far more comfortable than any nest they could put together for themselves. Why do you think they put up with us?”
Chloe grinned, and the captain forgot himself for a moment and grinned back at her. Wanting to hold onto the mood, she quickly asked another question using the knowledge from her book, and the prickly captain unbent even further.
As long as he was talking about his beloved griffins rather than considering the offense of Chloe’s existence, he was perfectly personable.
He showed her around the mews, pointing out more of the griffins, although no more chose to come out of their nests.
He allowed her to feel the polished leather of the simple saddles they used for long flights, and to examine the various tools used for caring for the griffins.
There was no sight of any feed, however, and he confirmed that the humans didn’t feed the griffins, since they preferred to hunt for themselves.
“Except for treats.” He gave Ranger an indulgent smile that the griffin ignored. “Even creatures as magnificent as Ranger are susceptible to their favorite treats.”
Chloe chuckled delightedly. “And what about you?” she asked, forgetting herself for a moment. “What’s your favorite treat? Does the Duke keep you in his service by providing it at every meal?”
The captain instantly stiffened, his disapproving manner returning, and Chloe bit her tongue.
She had relaxed too much during their conversation about the griffins.
She couldn’t allow herself to forget her situation—she hadn’t actually come to see the griffins, however fascinating they might be.
The captain didn’t like her—more than that, he suspected her—and she had a role to sell.
One that would be best served by her swift departure.
She dropped into a shallow curtsy. “I’m grateful for the honor I’ve been afforded today. I won’t take up any more of your time.”
The captain merely nodded, his earlier warmth gone and his face cold.
“I’ll escort you to the hedge.” His tone left no room for protest, so she inclined her head in acceptance.
But she hadn’t expected Ranger to pad along with them, and from Captain Harrison’s brief look of surprise, he hadn’t expected it either. It was a silent journey, and though Chloe wracked her brain, she couldn’t think of anything to say that wouldn’t earn her a cold, disapproving look.
To her disappointment, the captain led her back to the gap in the hedge she had used for entry. Apparently he really didn’t want her anywhere near the Duke or his guests.
She regarded the tight passage with a sigh, her eyes narrowing as she caught a quickly suppressed smile out of the corner of her eye. But when she turned to face the captain, he looked perfectly grave, his hand held out toward her, palm up.
She stared at it blankly, so he spoke.
“You’d better give me your hat. I’ll hand it through the hedge to you once you’re through.” His face remained grave, but his eyes were definitely laughing.
Chloe wanted to take offense and repudiate his offer, but she couldn’t help remembering the disaster of her passage through the hedge in the other direction.
“Very well, Captain.” She quickly removed the hat pins, keeping them in her hand as she gave the hat itself into his keeping. “Make sure you don’t catch it on any branches. I put a great deal of work into that.”
Her breath stopped at her thoughtless lapse, her eyes flashing to his. One of his brows twitched upward briefly, but he accepted the hat without comment.
She turned to Ranger. “Farewell to you, noble sir. You’ve honored me greatly.”
Farewell, Chloe. If you wish to visit again, I will allow it. You made Harrison laugh four times today.
Her eyes widened, and she glanced at the captain. His expression hadn’t changed, however—as if the griffin’s words had been only for her.
She curtsied to the creature. “It would be my honor to see you again, and I hope the day may come soon. Thank you for the invitation.” She had no idea what to do with the griffin’s final sentence, so she ignored it completely.
The captain’s head whipped around, his eyes shifting from his griffin to stare at Chloe. “What was that?” he asked, his voice sharp.
Chloe’s eyes narrowed. “I know you don’t like me, Captain, but not even the king himself would refuse the invitation of a griffin.”
His brows shot up. “Invitation? Ranger spoke to you?”
“You needn’t sound so surprised,” she said sourly, but her words faltered in the face of his expression, her features crumpling in confusion. “Does he not normally do that?”
The captain stared at her in silence for so long that she thought he didn’t mean to answer. But he finally spoke, his words barely more than a whisper. “I’ve never known him to do so before.”
“Never…?” Chloe stared back at him, unable to think of anything to say, Ranger’s final cryptic sentence echoing around her head.
When she felt warmth creeping up her cheeks, she decided it was time to go. Whirling to the hedge, she pushed herself through, making the passage more quickly than was wise.
Reaching the other side and freedom, she turned back and held out her hand for her hat. The captain extended it through the hedge to her, moving quickly, although she noticed that the hat stayed free of any branches.
When it was safely in her hands, she met his eyes through the leaves. “Farewell, Captain.”
Once again she thought he meant to remain silent, but he finally dipped his head in the shallowest of gestures, his voice barely audible and his expression unreadable.
“Farewell…Chloe.”