Page 28 of The Beauty and the Griffin

“If you are willing to help rescue both him and the world, you must follow my directions to the letter.”

I nodded, but anger roared through me. “How could anyone betray the person who’s protected our world for so long?”

Auntie sighed heavily. “Beatrice, the less you know of perfidy, calumny, and pusillanimity, the better.”

When my aunt goes all sesquipedalian (another of her favorite words) on me, I usually roll my eyes and patiently smile. But on that night, I only wished I had the power to lay into those monstrous mages who lacked moral standards or backbones and were, as my aunt had so succinctly nailed them,pusillanimousbullies who followed whatever person or being seemed to be on top.

“Now, listen to me!” Auntie broke through my mental tantrum like a drill sergeant. “You are to escort a teenaged girl and the eggs currently in her care through the mountain to the Forbidden Palace.”

“Eggs?” I thought I’d misheard.

“Yes, griffin eggs. Your first mission is to protect those eggs at all costs. One of them may be either our world’s doom or its deliverance.”

Okay. Right. Eggs. I couldn’t exactly recall what a griffin looked like. Had I ever seen one? “What about the girl?”

“Keep an eye on her. She might not be our ally.”

I donned my jacket. “I’m hearing a lot of ambivalence, Auntie.”

She ignored my comment. “You must protect them until they hatch and can survive on their own. Once you reach the palace, you’ll be safe for a time. I hope.”

“But how do I get to the . . . What palace did you say?”

“Boots.” She pointed at them. “It’s cold where you’re headed.”

While pulling on my boots, I gave her a pleading look.

“Guidance will be provided at the appropriate time. If you really want to save the Gamekeeper, you’ll do whatever he asks of you.” The closed yet intent expression on her wrinkled face was disconcerting, to say the least. I knew without doubt that I could trust her, but how couldeggsbe essential to the future of the world? And what if I messed up?

As my grandaunt shoved a backpack into my hands, her piercing eyes seemed to read my mind. “Dear girl, you must ignore your fears. As a wise man once said, be strong and courageous. Look to the heart, not the outward appearance of man or beast. Use your discernment and your magic—both are God-sent gifts to aid you in making wise choices. Those you love most and those who love you most are depending on you, Beatrice, and I know you are worthy of our trust. Protect those babies and seek the truth!”

“How will I get—” I began, but too late. I was suddenly sitting with my back against a wall and looking up at stars just bright enough to reveal that the ground dropped into nothingness a few feet to my left.

I may or may not have silent-screamed into that void while scrambling away from the edge, clutching my backpack to my chest, and hyperventilating until the cold drove me to action. Wary of cracking my head on a low ceiling, I felt my way up the stone wall with one hand, slowly straightening to my full height.

Once upright and feeling somewhat rational, I saw a warm glow farther away in what had to be a cave. “Hello?” I croaked, then tried again with more volume. “Hello? I was sent here to help you.”

Shuddering with cold and terror, I followed the light into a wider section of the tunnel, like a room with a doorway at each end, and realized I’d just entered some unfamiliar magic. The air was significantly warmer, but it reeked like an unkempt zoo or barnyard. A niche in the tunnel wall, almost like a hearth, contained what looked like a large pile of kindling, or perhaps a bird’s nest formed of sticks, globs of moss, and pine straw. The mass glowed with light.

There was no sign of a teenage girl or eggs.

I tried again: “Hello?”

With a burst of magic, a silvery apparition appeared before me. I gasped but instantly realized it wasn’t a ghost. The girl looked twelve at most, with shabby clothes, an inadequate jacket, and hair like a ratty haystack.

“Who are you?” she snapped.

I cleared my throat. “I was sent here by an enchantress to escort you and some griffin eggs to safety.” Facing her hostile stare, I felt increasingly foolish. “Um, do you have eggs? What’s that light?” The pile of rubbish glowed brighter.

“None of your business!” Her tone was gruff. “How did you get here? No, never mind. I don’t care. Just go back to wherever you came from. You’re trespassing, and I don’t need help from some prissy know-it-all.”

I did my best to overlook her rudeness. “I’m coming with you. Rather, you’re coming with me, and right away,” I told the girl. “You’re in danger. Both of us are, and the eggs.”

When the light flickered again, she raised one brow, folding her arms. “You’re in danger, for sure: Mirka will be back soon, and she doesn’t take kindly to trespassers.”

“You’re held captive here, aren’t you?” I realized.

She rolled her eyes. “Look, Vlad just went out to meet Mirka. They’ll be back any minute now. I’m sure it was kind of you to come and try to ‘help,’ but as you can see, everything is under control. Trust me: youwantto get out of here.”

---