Page 107 of Guardians of the Assassins
And failed.
The action exhausted the creature, her hide twitching with anxiety. Morgan hummed softly, and the hippogriff stilled, cocking her head to the side as she listened. Atlas grabbed the back of his shirt by the collar and dragged it over his head. He approached from the side, sneaking up in the blind spot, grimacing when he sank into the muck up to his knees with each step. When close enough, he slipped the shirt over the beast’s head.
The creature tried to buck and toss her head but quickly ran out of steam. Her tail flicked in agitation, splattering Atlas with mud each time. Atlas shot her a look that promised retribution, and Morgan couldn’t resist giving him a cheeky grin. He flashed his fangs at her playfully, then tore his eyes away and secured the sleeves around the beast’s head.
He ran a hand down the creature’s feathery chest, and thehippogriff chirped then leaned into his touch, rubbing against him affectionately.
Morgan sighed at the adorable sight, but it was the reverent look on his face that made stopping worth all the trouble.
“While Faerie might be deadly, there is magic to this place that can’t be found anywhere else,” Caedmon murmured, pulling her back against his chest.
Morgan leaned against him, taking comfort from his nearness, then saw Atlas glance at the beast’s hindquarters and frown. “She’s been injured, probably driven to the river and got stuck.”
Caedmon tightened his grip on her, and they both turned to scan the tree line in the distance. “What kind of injury?”
“Claw marks the size of my hand,” Atlas responded, doing his best to keep the hippogriff calm.
“We need to get her out of the mud. She’s a sitting duck.” Morgan nudged Caedmon, waiting until she had his attention. “Give me a sword…one you don’t care if you lose.”
He didn’t hesitate, reaching behind him and drawing a blade out of midair.
She really needed to learn that damn trick!
Grabbing the weapon, she called up her magic until the metal moved into the shape of a harness, tiny links keeping it flexible. When she walked toward the river bank, Atlas held up his hand to hold her off.
“Don’t.” Atlas grimaced as mud sloughed off him. “Toss it to me. I don’t want you caught in this muck.”
As much as it pained her, Morgan did as instructed, watching him hook the straps around the hippogriff’s legs and shoulders. The creature stood obediently. Atlas had just pulled himself free of the mud when a roar sounded from behind them.
Morgan whirled in time to see a zheng lope out of the trees at the sight of his prey being taken from his grasp. She gawked at the large cat-like creature. He looked like a prehistoric cheetah…if it weren’t for the curved horn on the top of his head and the five fluffy tails that swooshed almost hypnotically behind him. Though massive, his body was sleek and deadly—the perfect predator.
And it was pissed.
Caedmon pushed her toward Atlas. “Get them out of the mud. I’ll deal with the cat.”
Before she even had a chance to protest, hisloup garouburst from him and roared at the zheng in challenge.
Fuck!
The sooner they could get the hippogriff free, the sooner they could get the hell out of dodge.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Heart in her throat, Morgan forced herself to turn away, and it was one of the hardest things that she’d ever done.
She had to trust Caedmon could handle himself.
Atlas was already pulling the hippogriff from the mud, and she joined him, grabbing on to the harness. Magic burned through her muscles, giving her an extra boost of strength. Ignoring the snarls and roars of battle, they strained to pull the creature free, one painful inch at a time.
When the hippogriff was finally able to yank her front feet free of the mud, she used her talons to help drag herself out of the mire. The creature emerged slowly, and Morgan gaped at her sheer size. Once the hippogriff stepped on land, she folded her legs underneath her, her sides heaving in exhaustion.
Atlas remained at her side, running his hands along her neck and shoulders to soothe her fretting, keeping the cloth secured around her head.
Knowing they would be okay, Morgan touched the harness, calling the metal back into the form of a long, sharp spear, then turned toward the fight.
And could only gape, the spear tip lowering to the ground as she watched Caedmon fend off the cat. In hisloup garouform, he was easily able to leap out of the way of the fangs and claws. In fact, the bastard looked like he was playing with the creature, tweaking and pulling at the cat’s tails.
The pissed off cat hissed and roared at the continual pestering. When the beast saw that the hippogriff was free, it snarled at the loss of his meal before he turned and bounded back into the trees.
