Shadow's End by Thea Harrison Page B

shoulders were the same height as her head, she gathered her body into a gracefully powerful leap.
    As she settled into place just behind his neck, he chuckled.
I expect you’re a talented rider, but I need to warn you, this won’t be the same as riding a horse. The beat of my wings has an entirely different rhythm than a horse’s gait. When I launch, I’ll do it from a standstill. Again, it won’t be anything like jumping a fence. You also might experience vertigo, as we’ll be high in the air. If you find you’re having trouble for any reason, be sure to tell me.
    â€œI will.” Her promise came out breathless.
    She was worried about Ferion, and very angry at him, and she felt as if she had come to her wit’s end in trying to figure out how to help him with his problem. Yet suddenly, in the midst of all that, she was more excited than she could remember being in a very long time.
    And more than a little nervous too.
    She thought she would be okay with flight. It seemed like something she might love desperately, but that was a created scenario in her head.
    This was reality. For all she knew, she might be overcome with the vertigo he mentioned and not able to keep her seat. She gripped him tightly with her knees.
    This was . . .
    In a classic feline move she had seen before in hundreds of barn cats, the gryphon crouched, tail lashing. Then he
leapt
.
    The surge of power between her legs was incredible. The world fell away.
    He was too big, too heavy. He shouldn’t have been able to do it, but as he cleared the restriction of the alleyway, his massive wings snapped open and hammered down, once, twice, and then again. Each time, he lunged higher.
    Almost before she realized it, they were soaring over rooftops, and oh my gods, the view of London from the air was utterly breathtaking.
    The sharp wind caught at the edges of her cloak, and moody clouds wreathed the pale smile of a new moon. Sparks of lights lit the night-darkened city. Even from where they were, she could feel the concentration of Power emanating from Vauxhall.
    Incredulous laughter spilled out. She realized she was shaking like a leaf and clamped down harder on him.
    Are you all right?
the gryphon asked.
    â€œI’m absolutely splendid!” she shouted.
    There was a smile in his mental voice.
Not dizzy or nauseated?
    â€œNot in the slightest!” Overcome with delight, she pointed then realized he couldn’t see her. “Look at the Thames. It looks like a huge shining ribbon, or maybe a snake. I wish we could see the stars. Graydon, this is
glorious
!”
    He laughed gently and banked, and the entire panoramic landscape spun below her.
I’m not sure of the exact address, but Malfeasance is somewhere on the street below. We’ll have to walk the length to find it.
    Disappointment pulsed. Their flight had only just begun, and the experience was so joyous, she didn’t want it to end. “We can’t be there already.”
    She had a sudden, passionate desire to forget about all her troubles and leave them behind.
    To tell him to keep flying. Keep flying and never stop.
    Traveling by flight is quite a bit faster than it would be if we had to contend with the traffic in the streets,
he said.
It’s also much more direct. Hold on.
    His prosaic words grounded her back into her body. He wheeled in great circles, so that they descended at a slow, careful pace. She sensed he did so for her sake, not for his. She had seen how eagles could plummet when they were in search of prey, and how cats could pounce with breathtaking speed. He embodied the best qualities of both creatures.
    After coasting a short distance, he landed behind a derelict, dark building, in another alleyway. Her legs shook so badly when she slid to the ground, she had to lean against him before she could stand on her own. He held steady, with no sign of impatience, until she moved away.
    When she turned to face him, he