Shadow's End by Thea Harrison Page A

shoulders, he could feel the tension gripping her slender body.
    â€œNo,” she responded at last. “Calondir doesn’t know, and he can’t know.” When he didn’t reply, she said stiffly, “There are reasons.”
    Why couldn’t Calondir know? He wanted to ask, but it was evident she was already having difficulty with telling her story, and it wasn’t his place to pry. He also didn’t want to cause her any discomfort so that she shut down and possibly turned him away.
    â€œI believe you,” he told her. His truthsense was highly developed, and he could hear the truth in every word she spoke.
    Finally, as they came to the mouth of an alleyway, he found what he was looking for. Pausing, he checked it. Save for a couple of cats rustling through some rubbish, the alley was empty. It was also large enough to accommodate him in his gryphon form.
    After one quick glance around them, he let his arm slide from her shoulders, stepped into the alley and shapeshifted.

FOUR
    W hen Graydon strode into the alley, Bel thought she knew what to expect. She had been around Wyr many times, and she had seen several in flight before. On occasion, ancient memories of Dragos flying overhead in his Wyr form still gave her nightmares.
    None of that prepared her for the sheer physical impact of watching Graydon’s human form flicker and change, to be replaced by an immense, majestic creature. With a panicked yowl, the two alley cats fled.
    The gryphon standing in front of her melded eagle and lion together so seamlessly, she knew it was the most natural thing in the world, and yet it was so strange, she had to stare.
    She had expected he would be large. She hadn’t realized he would be quite so huge. His gigantic lion’s body was heavy with powerful muscle, the feline shape both masculine and deadly. Immense bronze wings were folded tight against his back, the tips of the great feathers brushing against the brick wall at the end of the alley.
    She glanced down at one of his paws. It was easily twicethe size of a large serving platter. The hidden claws sheathed by that paw had to be as long as her hand.
    Lost in wonder, her feet began to move of their own volition and drew her closer to him. His sleek eagle’s head bent, and he watched her with one immense golden eye. His beak had a deadly curve at the end, as sharp as a scimitar.
    Even though his visage was naturally fierce, he seemed to be watching her with a mild, uncertain expression, almost as if he were . . . self-conscious?
    For some reason, she thought of the indifferent cut of his waistcoat, and the arrangement of his cravat that had managed to achieve a state of adequacy. Again, she felt the urge to pat him.
    Raising one hand, she hesitated. “Is it all right if I touch you?”
    The gryphon nodded in silence.
    Slowly, she let her hand trail along the sleek feathers that cloaked his neck. When she reached the area where the feathers turned to fur, she brushed the thick, tawny fur covering his powerful breastbone.
    It was slightly damp from the light drizzle. Luxuriating in its richness, she sank her fingers into the fur until she touched his skin. His body threw off heat like a furnace.
    â€œI wish I could see you in better lighting,” she told him. “Even here in the shadows, you’re one of the most beautiful creatures I’ve ever seen.”
    The gryphon bent its head even further, until it very gently touched its beak to her shoulder. He could decapitate her with a single snap, yet it never occurred to her to be afraid.
    Graydon’s deep, telepathic voice sounded in her head.
Thank you. Do you think you’ll be able to climb onto my back?
    He was helping her out of the pure goodness of his big, generous heart. She would not scorn such kindness by snorting.
    Instead, she retreated several yards, gathered the skirt of her cloak and gown in one hand, and raced toward him. Even though his