Page 19 of Radiant Shadows

“Considerthatyour punishment for failure,” Hadrian said, wiping his hands together as if he’d just taken out the trash. He shook his head. “You’re one-of-a-kind, Julian. But you could besomuch more.”

I felt at my pocket, ensuring Alice’s brooch was still there. As much relief as my body had just been through regenerating, it was nothing compared to the comfort I received feeling the outline of the metal through my slacks.

With a glance at the trophies I’d knocked off the wall, I said, “Sorry about your harpy talon collection. I’m afraid I crushed a set.”

Hadrian snorted, lifting a hand in disbelief. “You apologize for breaking replaceable talons but not your inability to bring me my daughter?”

“That was an impossible task,” I said, doing my best to prepare for another punch. Nobody talked back to Hadrian. But I was sick of dancing around him. And again, if he wanted to kill me, I wouldn’t still be breathing.

“Impossible for the incapable, perhaps,” Hadrian said, approaching me again with narrowed eyes. “Quite possible for the capable. Have you ever heard the cliché ‘If I want something done right, I’ll do it myself’? It applies to the mission regarding my daughter. I'll see to her capture personally, which means the task is no longer yours.”

I didn’t know how to respond. Hadrian rarely let his followers justhang aroundthe school, and I was sure that would not be the case for me. I still wasn’t sure exactly what he knew.

“What does that mean for me?” I finally asked as I straightened my black jacket. I wondered if the crushed talons had punctured the back of it. That would just be my damned luck.

Hadrian studied me for a few moments—about three feet away this time. The space between us brought me a modicum of comfort.

“I have another assignment for you,” Hadrian said at last.

Turning to the side, I followed his eyes to the two sets of wide wings mounted above the doorway of the trophy room. Gryphon wings. The smaller set was white feathered, while the larger was a deep, dark brown.

Does he know about my contact with Caesar?

“Back in Chicago?” I asked, hiding my hopefulness. Although I didn’t consider Chicagohome, my greatest hopes were there.

Hadrian chuckled, returning his gaze back to me. “Old friend, you are done with Chicago for a while. Your new mission is something of a more personal nature.”

I kept my gaze steady, but I didn’t like the sound of that.

“We’ve received intelligence about a flock of gryphons that has been spotted.”

“A flock of gryphons?” I asked, raising my eyebrows. “The last sighting of gryphons was on Framboise Island seven years ago. And you killed all but one of them.”

“Indeed, I did,” Hadrian said, looking back up at his precious trophies. “So, you can imagine how badly I’d love to add the wings of an entire flock to my collection.”

Caesar would kill for this information. The wings on the wall belonged to his parents. Throughout our meetings over the years, Caesar had explained everything, and that he was still going out on expeditions during his summers looking for more of his kind. The poor gryphon had never found any and had admitted to me that he was beginning to think he was the last gryphon on earth.

Instead of exuding wonder, I sighed heavily. “How accurate are these reports? Will I be chasing ghosts?”

“They’re accurate enough for me to send you to investigate,” Hadrian replied without hesitation.

“And what do I do if these reports prove to be true? Do I move to engage?”

Again, he laughed wickedly. “If you seek your own death, then by all means.”

I had only ever fought against one gryphon before, and that was Caesar. During the attack on the school at Framboise Island, the young gryphon had entered a store Marguerite and I had camped out at. It had been a trap, but Caesar and his friend managed to escape. And even then, I hadn’t seen the full force of the gryphon’s attacks. But Hadrian had.

“So, whether I find gryphons or not, I should return and report?” I clarified.

Hadrian nodded.

“And where have these sightings been? Where will I be going?”

“Not far, actually,” he replied as he started pacing the room again. “The sightings have been in Yukon, Canada. In the mountains.”

“Sounds cold,” I said, skeptical.

“And snowy, especially this time of year,” Hadrian added. “Yukon is home to the highest-elevated mountain in Canada, called Mount Logan. Our reports indicate that the gryphons have been seen circling it.”

---