Mated to the Griffin (Elemental Mates 5)

Chiara tried to light the way for him, but after a moment, it became easier to see, his sharp eyes picking up on a dim light source hidden somewhere.

Maybe it was daylight falling in from a shaft far above them. Or maybe...

Narrowing his eyes, Jared beat his wings, rising up a little.

He couldn’t make out the source of the strange light, but it didn’t feel like daylight.

The light of the sun felt warm and golden. This light felt cool and soothing, silver instead of gold.

There was nowhere for them to go that he could see. On the other side of the precipice, there was a stark wall of rock—no openings or doorways to lead them deeper into the mountain.

He could have flown down—but there was only darkness below.

And something inside him yearned for the light that was coming from somewhere just out of sight. Somewhere above.

He hesitated for a moment. Then he began to rise quickly, his strong eagle’s wings carrying them higher and higher as Chiara’s arms tightened around him in surprise.

“Hey. Isn’t this the wrong way?” she called out. A moment later, she fell silent.

The light was brighter now and had to be visible even to human eyes.

Jared still couldn’t see where it was coming from, and it still didn’t feel like sunlight—but something was drawing him towards it.

He could almost hear it now. It was a strange sensation. He’d never experienced anything like it before.

But the closer he came to the light, the more secure he felt.

He felt warm all over—warm and safe. It was like being held in the arms of someone who loved you. And in his head, he heard a faint memory, a wordless, gentle hum, like a long-forgotten melody.

Higher and higher he rose. He could see the source of the light now. Above him, there was a ledge, large enough for a griffin to land on. And behind it, there was another opening in the stone from which the light spilled out.

“Can you see that?” Chiara asked excitedly, then laughed. “Stupid question, of course you do!”

She relaxed on his back as he brought them closer, shining her flashlight upwards—but there was no need to. The closer they came, the more brilliant the light was.

By the time he was close enough to land, she’d switched off her light, making a sound of awe when he brought them down carefully on the ledge.

“What is this?” she asked softly. “It looks as bright as day here.”

Jared shifted back. Chiara was right: even seen with his human eyes, the strange light filled the area with brilliance. It still didn’t look like sunlight—but it didn’t feel unnatural either. It wasn’t at all like the artificial light from fluorescent lamps that made everything seem dead and cold.

This light was clear and strong.

It didn’t hurt or burn—but there was a strange quality to it, as if it could shine right through flesh and bone, baring all secrets and hidden desires.

Chiara’s hand found his own, and he pressed it in reassurance.

There was nothing they had to hide, after all. They hadn’t come to steal the dragon’s treasure. They were here to help protect the world from Darkness.

And that was a truth Jared was happy to let the eerie light expose.

Together, they stepped forward through the doorway.

And then they stopped dead in their tracks, gasping in surprise.

The light shining out had made it impossible to see what was beyond. Even so, it was not what they had expected.

They were in another cave filled with crystal. And now, at last, Jared realized that he’d seen this light before. It was the same light that had shone from the crystals in the mountain in France—only this time the light seemed even purer, brighter.