A Discovery of Secrets and Fate (Chronicles of the Stone Veil 2)

Carrick agrees, and off we go through the castle. The structure is massive, and there are many rooms that are barren of any furniture and seem to have no real purpose. While I found my initial impression upon entrance to be underwhelming because of all the white and silver, I was pleased to see the rooms that were furnished were done with bright pops of color.

There was no prevailing theme of style. It seemed to be an eclectic hodgepodge of stuff. The bedroom suites were all sumptuous, and the kitchens were bustling with delightful smells. The grounds on the backside of the castle were meticulously landscaped with the strange-colored flora and fauna I’d seen upon arrival.

We passed servants, nobles, and gentry moving through the castle, Pyke sometimes stopping to introduce us while other times moving past without a glance, only to later whisper the reason why he didn’t introduce us.

“Glennyn of the Royal House of Farber hates humans so much, I’m afraid we probably would have had to battle it out right there if we stopped.”

Or…

“I’m sure you’ve figured the fae can be a vapid society, but Melisand is the queen of huge egos and incessant chatter about herself. You’ll thank me later for not introducing you.”

Thankfully, we do not run into the queen nor—even more thankfully—her daughter. I’m grateful I won’t have to watch her seduce him tonight, and there’s no doubt that’s her intention. It drives me batty that I worry a little too much if he would reciprocate in any way, which I can’t say I’ve seen him do on the two interactions I’ve observed.

But that doesn’t mean anything.

Carrick is one who holds his cards close to the vest.

Pyke eventually leads us west of the castle to what looks like a stable, but it’s also made of crystal with silver touches. The end of the barn is open and as we enter, I spot a long row of stalls on each side. I recognize the smell of hay, leather, and horse sweat. When we start moving by the stalls, horses pop their heads out to greet us.

But these aren’t ordinary horses. They’re glorious in their coloring with shiny coats of black, white, and gray with luxuriously long manes. What makes them really stand apart from horses in my realm are their eyes. At first, I didn’t notice it, thinking they were just incredibly dark, but when one sticks its muzzle out far enough I can pat it, I see that their eyes were pitch-black orbs with what looks like an entire galaxy floating within them. Pink, purple, and blue dust trails swirling among a million stars in the background.

For a moment, I wonder… are there realms inside of their eyes that can be traveled to…and I don’t think that is such a crazy thing to question at all these days.

Pyke and Carrick keep up a running chatter as we walk down the long barn until we get near the end where the stalls are a little different. Instead of open-top halves where the horses could stick their heads through, these were full-length doors with bars running vertically.

When we come to a stop in front of the first one, I immediately understand the difference and take several steps back as the creature inside lunges toward us, screeching so loud my ears hurt. It flings itself against the bars, but they hold steady.

“Oh my God,” I murmur in awe as I take in the terrifying but magnificent animal inside the stall.

It’s midnight black, head to toe, but when sun glints through a high window, there’s a purple shimmer to it. It has the body of a lion, the head of an eagle, and massive wings sprouting from each of the shoulder blades, which it currently has tucked into its sides. It prowls back and forth in front of us, one eagle eye shrewdly on us at all times.

It’s huge… as tall and massive as a Clydesdale and while the claws on the padded feet are intimidating, it’s the intelligence in its glaring eyes that makes it so scary.

“I just caught it last week,” Pyke announces proudly. “I’ll start breaking it soon.”

“Breaking it?” I ask, not taking my eyes from the creature and still keeping my distance.

“Taming might be a more suitable word for you,” Pyke replies moving down to the next stall that also has bars. “But these are fierce creatures, so some measure of force is needed to train them to carry riders.”

“Riders?” I gasp, then reach out to grab his arm with excitement. “You actually ride these things?”

Laughing, Pyke glances down at my hand on his arm, seemingly pleased. I jerk it back as he says, “Yes. We ride them. They’re called gryffins.”

“I thought they were a myth,” I murmur as I follow him down to the next stall. Carrick trails quietly behind.