Mated to the Griffin (Elemental Mates 5)

He licked suddenly dry lips.

Later, he promised his griffin. Once we’ve made it to somewhere safe.

“I think we’ll need luck where we’re going.” Once again he reached up, gently touching the pastel rainbow of her hair, admiring the way it shone in the eerie light coming from the crystals.

She tilted her head into his touch, her eyes dark and warm. “I’m glad you’re here with me,” she said softly.

“I’m glad, too.”

Once more he kissed her, this time almost chastely, a brush of his lips against hers. Then there was the distant roar of an angry dragon again.

They took a deep breath, then hurried on.

The maze was huge. It felt like they’d been walking in it for an hour. Jared couldn’t help but feel awed by Chiara, who led them through it as if she knew the labyrinth inside out.

“I was terrified I’d lose the map.” She laughed softly and shook her head. “I guess I was right; I just didn’t think it would get stolen by a dragon. Still, it’s a good thing I spent all these nights studying the map. I didn’t stop until I could draw a picture of it with my eyes closed—ah! Here we are!”

Before them, a wall of crystal had appeared.

It was noticeably thicker than the walls that surrounded them—or maybe it was just that the light shining inside it was stronger.

At first glance, it looked like any other dead end in the maze. If he’d been alone, Jared would have probably just turned back around as soon as he saw that the path had come to an end.

Instead, Chiara impatiently pulled him straight towards it.

“It’s a door,” she said, peering up at the impenetrable wall of crystal. “At least that was the symbol on the map.”

“Did the map say how to open it?”

Chiara bit her lip and shook her head. “There was another symbol drawn on it—the magic one. The triangle with the three lights.”

“Does that mean we need magic to get in?” Jared felt his hopes sink. He might be a shifter—but unlike the elemental dragons, he had no special powers.

He did have his wings... But for once, those were of no use. The giant door before them reached right up to the roof of the cave, just like the surrounding walls.

“Maybe,” Chiara said distractedly. “I was thinking that perhaps, it means that only someone who’s searching for the magical artifact will be let inside.”

“Very Indiana Jones,” Jared murmured, amused. “Or maybe only someone who deserves it?”

“Which is clearly me.” Chiara stepped forward, a determined look on her face. Then she pressed her flat hand against the door.

Nothing happened.

“Open Sesame?” she tried, adding her other hand.

The door didn’t budge.

“Here, let me try.” Jared came up to her side. “Maybe what it needs is two. Maybe what it needs is—”

True Mates, he almost said. He bit the words back at the last moment.

He still had to explain to Chiara about mates, but now probably wasn’t the best of times.

Instead, before she could ask a question, he pressed his hand against the crystal, right next to hers.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened, and he watched as Chiara’s face fell.

Then, slowly, the light intensified. It came from the crystal door before them. The light was pulsing, changing hues from gold to blue to pink and back again, faster and faster.