Fearless Page 2

  So many secrets.

  They agitated and festered like an untreated wound. Zo hated keeping anything from Gryphon. She would tell him about her blood oath soon enough—once they had some time to enjoy one another’s company without talk of wars and her destructive new abilities.

  “You are welcome here,” Laden said to the Kodiak, snapping Zo’s attention back to the present. “My guard will show you where the few Kodiak Allies make their camp. You’ll be given rations, work, and time on our training fields.”

  “And we will discuss how the Allies plan to help our families at first light tomorrow,” the Kodiak stated with a firm nod.

  Zo held her breath. The Kodiak’s demand crossed a line and Laden wasn’t known to tolerate such disrespect. He surprised Zo by taking one of her hands and absently tracing her fresh scars with his thumb. He didn’t take his eyes off the Kodiak as he dipped his chin. “Until tomorrow.”

  Laden gestured for one of his guards to lead Ikatou and the others from the tent, leaving Gryphon and Joshua to stand alone, their hands clasped in an “at ease” position behind their backs.

  Laden must not have seen them over the massive forms of the Kodiak. One look at Gryphon and all confidence melted from the Commander’s face.

  “Who … ” He checked his tone, reining in his initial shock until his voice took on an almost deadly quality. “Who are you?” He walked over to Gryphon and looked him square in the eyes. They were perfectly matched in height.

  Gryphon didn’t flinch under the commander’s scrutiny—a fact that said a great deal about Gryphon’s character. Not many withstood the intimidating inspection of Commander Laden.

  “You are the Ram Tess and the Raven twins spoke of?” He walked a complete circle around Gryphon and Joshua, studying, calculating. “They say you saved Zo and Tess at Ram’s Gate.”

  “And you are the coward who sent her there.” Gryphon stared at the back wall of the tent, flexing and unflexing his fists.

  Commander Laden reluctantly peeled his gaze from Gryphon and looked to Zo. “Whatever threat this man has given you, you need not fear it, Zo. I can protect you from him and his clan now that you are outside the Gate. So tell me truthfully, can these Ram be trusted? Were you followed? Is your arrival a part of some plot to learn our location?”

  Zo knew it would take some convincing for Laden and the Allies to trust Gryphon and Joshua; still she couldn’t help but feel defensive.

  “They are the reason Tess and I are alive. They have left their home and abandoned their Clan to bring us here. I trust them more than any living person on this earth.” Saying the words out loud confirmed the truth to her very soul. She looked down to her fidgeting hands and focused on not letting tears breech the barriers of her eyes.

  “This boy and his little pup,” Laden stabbed a finger in their direction, “have been trained their entire lives to believe that you are nothing more than an animal. They are a poison. A plague. No matter what lies this boy has fed you, he is our enemy.”

  “You’re wrong,” said Zo. “I’ve been inside the walls of Ram’s Gate. I’ve seen the hatred you speak of, but Gryphon is different.”

  “Gryphon?” Laden rearranged the papers on his desk, seemingly needing to give his hands an occupation. “A very Ram sounding name, isn’t it?” He ran a rough hand through his dark hair.

  “We were careful coming here,” Zo added, doing her best to ease his agitation. “No one followed us.”

  Laden’s mouth formed a thin line as he surveyed Gryphon and Joshua. “I will need some time to consider all our options.”

  Zo noticed Gryphon’s face turning various shades of red. His arms shook with rage. “What’s wrong?” she mouthed.

  Before Zo thought to stand in his way, Gryphon exploded from his position next to Joshua and in one impossibly quick motion, grabbed the commander by the neck with one hand. “How could you send her to the Gate?” he shouted. “How could you do that to her?”

  Four guards converged on Gryphon, wrestling to free their leader. Joshua loyally jumped in to help his mentor.

  Spittle flew from Gryphon’s mouth and he yelled even louder. “You had to know what they’d do to her!”

  The guards finally wrestled Gryphon off Laden and held him face down on the ground, wrenching his injured arms behind his back. Joshua was forced to the ground next to him. Neither continued to fight.

  Zo’s heart hammered. She looked from Gryphon to Joshua to Commander Laden and back to Gryphon. What was he thinking? It was hard enough to convince the commander to trust them without openly attacking him in his own tent.

  But since when had Gryphon governed his actions with regard to his own safety? His sudden boldness affected her so deeply that she found herself completely and utterly lost for words.

  As the guards lifted him to his feet, Zo rushed over and placed a hand on Gryphon’s chest. With that one desperate action, she hoped to convey all her voice failed to. I’ll take care of everything … and … thank you.

  The guards yanked them away, leaving Zo with her hand stretched to where Gryphon’s warmth had been.

  Commander Laden cleared his throat and massaged the side of his neck. “If nothing else, the boy has some nerve.” A genuine smile spread across his face.

  “He’s just angry. You can’t hold him prisoner. Please, release him.”

  Laden nodded, the weight of his command brought him back to the point. He spoke calmly. “I will do what is right for the Allies. His fate is uncertain, but his service to you will not go unaccounted for.”

  “But, sir!”

  “Enough.” Commander Laden’s voice boomed throughout the tent.

  Zo’s mouth clamped shut. Her nostrils flared as she narrowed her eyes at him.

  Laden waved for her to sit at his desk. “Do you trust me, Zo?”

  Zo glared at him for a prolonged breath. Laden’s liquid dark eyes showed so much more uncertainty and warmth than his posture ever betrayed. Finally, unable to stand it any longer, she relented with an affirmative nod.

  Laden lowered himself into the seat in front of her. “Then know that I will do everything I can for the lad, so long as he’s willing to help us.” He leaned forward. “Now, I want to hear the whole story. Everything that happened from the moment you stepped foot inside the Gate.”

  Zo told him everything. About her slavery to the Ram, her work as a healer, Gryphon sparing Gabe’s life, and how they all parted ways after leaving the Gate. Her time with Boar and Ikatou, and the little she knew about Gryphon’s time with the Raven.

  He swore under his breath then sat staring at the wall of his tent. A minute passed. Then two. Zo knew better than to interrupt his thoughts so she clamped her hands in her lap and waited, thinking how nice it would be to hug Tess.

  “Simmika!” Laden called, startling Zo from her thoughts.

  One of Laden’s guards threw back the tent flap as he entered, then bowed.

  “I need a new scouting team. Send a Wolf detachment this time. Have them monitor all movement at the Gate. I want to know how many mess units enter and exit. Have them report back in three weeks. No later.”

  “Sorin!” Laden yelled.

  Another man appeared, wearing a string of black feathers around his neck. “Alert Captain Eton. Tell him to send his 200 warriors to escort the Raven who are expected to arrive on the south shore. They may need our assistance.”

  The man called Sorin smiled. “We’ll have a difficult time limiting them to only 200, sir. All of the Raven will want to reunite with their families.”

  “Two hundred, Sorin. Not one man more.”

  The dark-skinned Raven nodded. “Yes, sir.”

  “Yates!” A portly man appeared. He was the only man Zo had seen not carrying any sort of weapon. “Send for Millie to attend to Zo. Assemble my lieutenants to gather in the meeting tent in one hour. Also,” he paused, as though considering, “have the Pack leaders arrange some entertainment f
or the men. I think this camp could do with a bit of music and it’s time for our newest recruits to receive a proper Wolf welcome.”

  The man nodded and scurried out of the tent to fulfill his orders.

  When only he and Zo were left in the tent, Commander Laden settled back into his chair, rested his elbows on the desk, and rubbed his face. Zo could only imagine the stress that came with being responsible for so many. After a moment, he looked back up to Zo with a weak smile. “I’m proud of you.” His voice was heavy. “As much as I hate to concede anything to a Ram, that boy was right to be angry with me.”

  “I was going whether you sanctioned the mission or not.”

  He nodded. “Now that I know you’re safe, I honestly can’t say that I regret sending you. You achieved far more than I could have ever dreamed. Hard decisions can yield the greatest results. I just want you to know that … I’m sorry. For everything. Especially what you and your sister had to endure within the Gate.”

  Zo wouldn’t gain anything from arguing. It had been her decision. She’d begged for months and months to be allowed to go. Of anyone in camp, a healer had the most chance of being admitted into Ram’s Gate. Her nearly black hair and above average height was so uncommon in Wolves that she could almost pass for a Kodiak. Besides, she’d had a score to settle on behalf of her parents … a hatred that wouldn’t be pacified. “I’m glad to be back, sir.”

  An older woman wearing an apron, her white hair pulled back in a kerchief, entered the tent. “Ah, Millie. Please take Zo to the women’s tent, where she can see her sister and rest until dinner.”

  The woman curtsied and led her from the tent, but before Zo ducked under the tent flap she paused and looked back at Laden, the closest person she had to a guardian in the world. “I care for him, Commander. Please, show him an ounce of the mercy he has shown me.”

  Chapter Three

  Gryphon and Joshua sat on the ground with their hands chained to their feet. The rusted metal of the handcuffs made Gryphon wonder how many men over the years had shared his fate by these chains. The air smelled of venison stew, making his mouth water. The tent glowed amber in the afternoon sun, trapping the heat within.

  Joshua stared at the closed tent flaps as if trying to make out the number of soldiers standing guard outside. “How many are there?” he asked, worried.

  “If they’re thorough, four. If they’re scared, six,” said Gryphon.

  “Can we take them?”

  Gryphon snorted. If his hands were free he might have ruffled the kid’s red hair. “Not while we’re bound.”

  Joshua shivered, despite the warmth of the tent. “My nose itches,” he complained. “And I gulped down the last of my waterskin when we came through the canyon. I could really use a private moment, if you know what I mean.”

  Gryphon’s stomach groaned with hunger. “We’ll be fine. Zo won’t let them keep us here. Not for long.”

  He could only hope she had that kind of sway with Commander Laden.

  “What if Zo can’t convince them to let us go?”

  Gryphon felt himself sigh. “I’m sorry, kid.” He hadn’t thought of Joshua when he attacked the commander. It wasn’t like him not to weigh every outcome of a decision before acting.

  “For what? You did the right thing,” he said, shrugging—a difficult task considering the situation.

  “I lost my composure.”

  “You were angry,” said Joshua.

  “I allowed my anger to control my actions.” He always lost control when it came to Zo. “Hear me now. Just because you feel the urge to act doesn’t always mean you should. It’s called self-control, and losing it can get you killed fast.” He waited a moment then said, “I was wrong to attack the commander.”

  But it hadn’t felt wrong. If anything, closing his fist around that man’s neck had felt like justice. If Laden hadn’t sent Zo to Ram’s Gate, Gryphon would still have a home, a clan, a place where he belonged. Most importantly, he wouldn’t be walking to his death in less than a month.

  But then, he also wouldn’t have met Zo.

  That one sobering thought halted all rage.

  The tent flaps whipped open and, to Gryphon’s surprise, Commander Laden stepped inside. A handful of guards followed, but Laden waved them away. “I will speak to them alone. Give me the keys and leave us.”

  A guard made to protest, but one pointed look from Laden silenced him. The guard handed over the keys, bowed, and walked away. Laden was not a man to question. Absolute authority.

  Joshua chuckled under his breath. “I counted six.”

  Commander Laden stood before them, his dark eyes piercing and determined. He walked a slow circle around Gryphon and Joshua, his hands clasped behind his back. “You, son, are not very bright.”

  Gryphon ground his teeth.

  “You, a Ram, waltz into this camp under the skirt of a woman and assault the commander of the Allies within minutes of arriving.” Laden came full circle and stopped before Gryphon with a penetrating gaze. “Inside Ram’s Gate, the Seer would have contrived a slow death for a man with your nerve.”

  Gryphon wasn’t surprised to hear the Seer’s reputation extended beyond the walls of Ram’s Gate. The beady-eyed woman was known for her creative punishments. Being Chief Barnabas’s right hand, she had authority to exact any pain she wished upon either Ram or Nameless. Gryphon could only imagine the loathing the Seer had for him—the rogue who escaped her “justice.”

  Laden said, “You are either a fool or you have no regard for your life. Which is it?”

  Gryphon bolstered as much dignity as he could from his current position on the floor. He didn’t respond, but stared at Laden unafraid.

  To Gryphon’s surprise, the commander dropped to his knees and unlocked the manacles binding his wrists. He moved to do the same for Joshua. Gryphon jumped to his feet and squared his shoulders. “Why?” he asked. He didn’t want any favors from Laden.

  “It’s complicated,” said Laden. He rubbed the side of his face as he spoke. “I never planned to send a spy into the Gate. Too dangerous, with almost no chance for success. Zo is like a daughter to me. She approached me a year ago, blind with revenge. She was determined, and you know once she is determined no one can sway her. She promised she had nothing to live for if she couldn’t serve the Allies. After months of pestering, I relented.

  “I did everything in my power to help her. Coached her in customs and the social structure of the Ram. I hoped her abilities as a healer would save her from the cruelties of life inside, but there was one problem … ”

  Gryphon spat out the words. “She was too pretty.” Heat crawled up his neck and into his face. “You must have known what would become of her.” His voice rose. “That some officer would claim her. Maybe that’s what you hoped for. Officers have information.” Gryphon’s chest heaved as he struggled to regain his calm. He could not afford to attack this man again. For Joshua’s sake.

  Laden waited for Gryphon to finish before he addressed him. His voice sounded heavy, a low song rent with fatigue. “Have you ever led a group of men, Gryphon?”

  Gryphon flinched. “No, sir.”

  “Then you have no idea what it feels like to carry the weight of men’s lives on your shoulders.” He sighed. “The men who fight for me have families, wives and children who depend on them. I am accountable to them. As much as I have grown to care for Zo, as much as I consider her my own daughter, I am not in a position to relinquish a chance to damage my enemy. That’s what war is, a constant string of hard decisions loaded with painful risks.”

  Gryphon found himself nodding and stopped. He would not sympathize with this man! Besides, why would Laden feel the need to justify himself to his enemy? “That doesn’t explain why you’re letting us free. I might have killed you.”

  Joshua cleared his throat, obviously bothered that Gryphon was pressing the issue. But Gryphon was too curious; he needed to know.

  “Killing
you would be a poor reward for all of Zo’s work inside the Gate.” Laden firmly gripped his shoulder. “And I’m familiar enough with your training to know if you wanted to kill me earlier, you easily could have.”

  Laden turned to leave but called over his shoulder. “Clean up. I want you and the boy in my tent for dinner within the hour to discuss my conditions.”

  “Conditions?”

  “The terms you must agree to if you want to save your sorry necks.”

  Gryphon stood, staring at the dusty tent flaps long after the commander left.

  “What just happened?” Joshua asked, rubbing his wrists.

  Gryphon scratched the back of his head. “I honestly have no idea.”

  Chapter Four

  The women’s tent was small, located close to the command station, and situated directly across from the Healer’s Tent. This was mostly due to the fact that all three Allied healers were female. Aside from Zo and Tess, the only other woman allowed to live fulltime in the Allied Camp was Millie, an older healer Laden had commissioned to take care of Tess and Zo for the last five years.

  Zo heard Tess’s laughter even before she opened the flaps of the familiar tent.

  “Again! Again!” she cried.

  Zo ducked into the small room, took in the amber glow of the walls, the familiar row of bedrolls tucked into the tight quarters, and two figures hunched over a down pillow covered in white feathers. The stranger across from Tess wiggled her slim brows, plucked a stray feather from Tess’s hair, cupped it in her hands, and blew to create a high melody that she would have mistaken for a bird were it not for the contrary evidence before her.

  Tess laughed again, throwing her body back onto her bedroll. When she turned her head enough to spot Zo, she sat up with feathers poking out of her braided hair and stared.

  Tess’s bottom lip sucked under. Her eyes welled up with tears. She climbed to her feet, the colorful custom skirts of the Wolf Clan dancing around her in the process, and said, “Zo?” Never had one word wrenched at Zo’s heart with so much agonizing pain.