WingSpan (Taken on the Wing Book 1) (8 page)

Stalker regards his son as he eats the rest of the deer. Talon knows he’s completed some task and in his heart he’s sad this time alone with his sire could be coming to an end.

“Do you know how long we’ve been away, Talon?”

Talon fractures one of the long bones, twisting it in his strong hands so he can get a finger in the channel and scoop out some marrow. Then he shakes his head, annoyed with himself for missing something as fundamental as time.

“The full moon has come and gone twice,” Stalker continues, still in the old words. “It has been a long time since you stole the ruby.”

Talon’s thoughts turn to his sister. Would her anger at him be tempered with worry? He pushes the last of the deer aside.

“It is time we part, my son,” Stalker stands. “You will gather from the Earth until your pouch is full then fly west, following the sun. When the Earth calls again you will enter her and find the place she’s chosen for you. She will protect your hoard.”

“Sire,” Talon nods, understanding why he must go on alone. The location of a male’s treasure is something only he will ever know.

“Once inside you will take out Feather’s ruby. Kings of the land and the sky we are; proud gryphons.”

Stalker stands, the epitome of pride. Naked and muscular, his wings widen and his feet dig in as if he alone restrains the Earth and supports the heavens, keeping the two ever separate.

“But you aren’t yet a master of the sky. Your body is still that of a human as is Feather’s. You will get on your hands and knees and ask the Earth to shape her ruby. Ask her to use Feather’s forgiveness to make your bodies those of true gryphons. Feather must also offer something for you both to gain. And she can never know.

“Only when the stone has been reshaped may you return home. When Feather forgives your theft she will accept it and in that moment she will have the stamina to fly true distances and I will be proud to call you
gryphon
.”

Talon remains on the ground as Stalker turns and within a few strides is airborne, his great wings taking him away from his son. As Talon gets on his feet he suppresses his urge to call out in spite of his terror which is worse than his sudden loneliness. He’s beyond lost in the wilderness the humans call Ontario.

Chapter Six

Soft steps a dozen feet above wake Talon. He doesn’t twitch or hold his breath. His heart stays steady; nothing to give away his awareness of the visitor on top of the hotel. He chose the third floor room so he could hear any nosy gryphon on the roof and so they could take flight right off the deck without a run up.

Instantly alert, he assesses the situation: he and Shadow are naked and his only weapon is in the end pocket of his bag. Shadow’s breathing doesn’t change. It’s not training which has kept her from reacting. She’s out cold.

He moves only enough to touch the diamond bracelet on her wrist. Its magic has been spent like when his sister forgave him and accepted the ruby. It was spring when Talon finally filled his pouch. More animal than anything else, it wasn’t until he saw his own reflection in a still lake that he remembered his sire’s instructions. At first he thought the rough terrifying male was his sire and he stood, turning wildly in search of him. Then he remembered Stalker’s words and flew west.

Feather’s shaped ruby was a perfect circle surrounded by some of his gold into a strong armband; a perfect fit just below her elbow. Talon’s crime cost him a month on his hands and knees in the largest cavern in the eyrie.

It was fall when his sister forgave him.

The feet above are bare and the drag of one feathered wing tip on the upward slope of the roof says it’s not human. It’s an invitation. To Talon most likely but if it’s to his mate then it will go through him. At the edge of the roof the sound of the footsteps disappears as his visitor glides away.

Untangling from Shadow is simple, only her diamond covered arm is across his chest though he aches from the loss of contact. Talon can’t resist, he places his tongue in the fold just under her breast and wets it as he brushes his nose over her nipple. The room smells so strongly of them and sex he nearly forgets the gryphon waiting outside and stops himself before he can wake her.

Once on his feet he edges his way toward their heaped clothes and pulls his jeans on commando style then his nearly dry t-shirt. He slides his telescopic baton into one pocket then the card key for the room into the other.

“Talon?” She’s barely awake.

Don’t ask,
he silently pleads.

The bargain with the Earth was simple though he’d been on hands and knees for three full days; Shadow wouldn’t accept the diamond bracelet until she loved him and all he asked is that he knows if she’s in trouble. A give and take like with the ruby but it appears the Earth had other plans. Maybe love wasn’t a big enough trade for what he wanted and the price included truth as well.

She took it. She loves him. Though neither has spoken the words Talon is certain beyond a doubt he feels the same way.

“Running down to get some water or something,” he manages as he decides to do just that when he’s out. Boil water signs all over the place in all the God forsaken rain don’t make much sense but neither do a lot of things these days.

Boots on, wallet in rear pocket, jacket on. He’s really fucking stupid not being a little more prepared and misses his crossbow and his blade. Just because she’s his secret doesn’t mean there aren’t other gryphons around, particularly so close to the Vancouver Island Eyrie.

“Can I have something sweet?”

“Sure.”

But she’s asleep before he’s finished answering.

Once outside he hangs the bulky coat on the doorknob then scans for humans both by sight and smell before taking his shirt off and tucking it in the waistband of his pants. The rain has stopped but its wetness still soaks the air. Surefooted, he steps onto the railing overlooking the parking lot and with a flex of his shoulders he takes wing. First he feels the weight of the extra muscle and bone required to support them then from the very air his deep golden brown feathers appear, extending down several feet from his wings’ structure. Smaller feathers cover his back, meeting at his spine and another patch replaces the short dark curls on his chest. They form a line down the center of his stomach then turn to lighter golden hair and disappear into his low waistband.

Talon steps from the ledge. His massive eighteen foot wing span bears him to the parking lot below. He waits, wings extended, for the other to make the next move.

“I’m hurt,” a pouty female voice reaches him after only a few moments.

Feather.

Pleased as he is to see his sister, Talon groans on the inside. She rarely displays an understanding of privacy.

It’s been nearly a year since he’s seen his eighty-year-old twin and she hasn’t changed much since their physical aging slowed around twenty-five. They both look about thirty in human years. All she wears is jeans, leaving little to the imagination. Her ruby is displayed proudly on her left arm and several dozen long gold chains adorn her neck. Though he smiles in greeting, Talon shakes his head. Don’t unmated females get it? Any gryphon would be intimidated by the display. Even though her gold is of the human variety a male would worry his adornment, the physical manifestation of his hoard appearing on his female after consummating a bond on the wing, would be sadly lacking. Any gryphon who claims he doesn’t care is a liar.

At least her long brown hair covers her bare breasts. Good thing. If there was another male around Talon would have to waste time kicking his ass for looking.

“Why are you hurt?” Talon asks as he takes her hands and kisses her forehead. As annoying as sisters are he’d do anything for this one.

She pulls her hands back like he should know.

“You’ve taken a mate and didn’t invite me!”

Feather glances at Shadow’s bite. It’s as red now as when it was a few hours old. Her arms cross.

“I didn’t know you developed a taste for watching.”

“I haven’t and you know it,” she pretends she’s offended but at least she doesn’t look so pissed. Then she bounces on her toes. “I meant to make sure I was at the eyrie when you brought her! Which eyrie is she from? What’s her name? Oh my God, how does her adornment look?”

Damn, she’s going to wake Shadow up if she keeps going at full volume.

“I could smell the two of you going at it from blocks away!”

“Feather,” Talon rolls his eyes. “When did my sex life become our sex life?”

She grins at him, trying to look sheepish.

“It isn’t,” but she’s noticed his change of mood and smacks his arm. “You’re always so serious, Talon. Mark isn’t as unbearably stuck up. You get your tail shoved up your ass?”

“Not recently,” he claims setting off peals of laughter from her. A car carrying an older couple pulls through the middle of the parking lot and Talon takes his sister’s hand and drags her clear. They carry on without noticing the winged creatures they nearly ran over.

“Her name is Shadow and I don’t know which eyrie she’s from. She works in town here.”

“A rogue?” Feather gasps, nearly swallowing her fruity gum. Talon knows exactly what she’s thinking. He’s thought the same thing. Something terrible must have driven Shadow from her eyrie.

“She hasn’t spoken of her eyrie or even about being a gryphon,” Talon explains as he glances up to their room. “There’s a deep pain in her, Feather. And she’s so young. I’m not even bringing it up. She’ll talk when she’s ready.”

Feather looks sad for him and turns her attention to the third floor.

“You have a good spirit, Talon,” she places a palm over his clutch of short golden chest feathers. “I hope she sees it.”

“She does,” he says, thinking of her accepting the bracelet. “Anyway, what are you doing on the Island?”

“Shopping!” she exclaims then she takes a step away, pushes her wings up high and wiggles her butt. The jeans are skin tight. Talon vows to see her more to keep the males under control.

“Aren’t they cute?” she finishes her circle. “There are a couple of local jewelers in the area so I picked up something for me and Swift.”

Talon growls. Yeah, it’s really great his ex and his sister are like
this
.

“She’s back in Jasper,” Feather waves dismissively like Swift and her murderous feelings toward him are no big deal. “I flew here in an airplane! Isn’t that hilarious? Anyway I
fly
out of Vancouver first thing tomorrow so I need to get back across the Strait to check out and check my luggage.”

She steps close, demanding contact from him and he obliges, working his fingers around and into the back of her neck making her purr contentedly.

“I’ll be around more. I promise.”

“You’d better, family man,” Feather whispers as she praises him by pushing his chin high.

“Feather, have you ever seen a white gryphon?”

“White?” she pauses her take off run long enough to answer. “No such thing.”

Then she’s gone into the low clouds and heads east to Vancouver. Talon gets the t-shirt over his head as his wings fade and his heart pounds momentarily as his body adjusts to the increased blood volume; fluids his wings were using. He runs to the convenience store down the block for water and a bag of fancy jelly beans for Shadow.

Chapter Seven