Prologue
A blinding flash of light made Rem hunch over, shielding his eyes. A thunderous boom rent the air, and all sound was swept into a vortex. Rem watched helplessly as a wave of heat fanned out around him, flattening trees and incinerating everything in its path. Griffins let out silent screams, their faces frozen in terror moments before they turned to dust.
He stared dumbfounded at the wand that had discharged the blast. The curse’s terrible power knocked down more trees, clearing a path to the beach, where it spread like a giant, invisible cyclone, pushing a growing wave across the endless blue-green water. He spun a slow circle, crying out when the island’s caves collapsed, one falling on top of another, flattening the thousands of caverns and hills until the landscape resembled a giant pancake with a pointy center.
His breath hitched as the middle of the island smoked and steamed before shooting debris out of its cylindrical top. When a giant, flaming boulder flew in his direction, he turned and ran, screeching when the hot sand and ash scorched his feet. He tried to fly, but the stagnant air pressed down on his wings.
Dear Goddess, what had he done? He had only meant to teach his friends a lesson. He hadn’t meant to destroy the world.
* * *
Gae sailed across the scorched earth, careful not to let her tail drag on the ground. The air was as dense as porridge, and the heat would’ve been unbearable if not for the thick blue scales that shielded her from the elements.
She wracked her brain, trying to remember what had happened, vaguely recalling the siren Maiadra and her dragon-cursed mates chasing her into the pit of the volcano, where she’d formed an impenetrable cocoon of magic and sunk to the bottom of the fiery sea. Fool that she was, she’d made the shell too heavy and couldn’t float back to the surface, so she’d gone into hibernation, fearing she’d never have a chance to escape.
Somehow her shell had found its way to the top, spit out by the fiery beast. Had the volcano grown tired of its unwelcome guest, or had some other force rescued her? Whatever the cause, she was grateful to be free.
As her wings beat on the blackened earth below, she was surprised to see a curious creature in the distance, a strange beast similar to a griffin, though its face was distorted, as if made from a melting ball of wax and the wings were missing most of their feathers, replaced with ugly pink scar tissue. It clutched a smooth, pearl-colored wand and cried like a human.
Gently landing on her feet, she tucked her wings behind her. “You there!” She pointed at it. “Do you speak?”
The creature wiped tears off its jagged and misshapen beak. “Yes, Rem speak.”
His voice was deep, if somewhat whiny, so she assumed he was male. “A talking griffin.” She thoughtfully rubbed her chin, hoping the world, whatever was left of it, hadn’t been taken over by these creatures. “How unusual. We are definitely not in my time,” she mumbled, frowning at the charred and desolate landscape that looked nothing like her island home. “Tell me, what has happened here?”
The ugly creature who called himself Rem let out a piercing wail. “Rem wanted to teach friends lesson.”
She was disgusted by his unsightly appearance as he cried harder. “What friends?”
Rem wrapped himself in his scarred wings. “Friends find mates and fly to island. Rem say go back and friends ignore Rem.”
“I see.” She scanned the skies, magic tingling in her fingers. She’d never trusted griffins and their unpredictable nature and would not hesitate to blast them from the sky if they showed the slightest inkling of hostility. “Where are your friends now?”
“There and there.” He pointed a talon at two piles of ash.
Gae smiled to herself. “Ah, so you incinerated them.” Kneeling beside the griffin, she tried not to choke on the stench of his rotting flesh. “What spell did you use to cause such destruction?” Whatever it was, it was more powerful than any she’d ever seen. Did all the creatures in this new world possess such wands? If so, her life would be in peril until she could obtain one for herself.
His talons tightened protectively around his wand. “Rem no can tell.”
“I see.” Fearing the creature would try to escape, she kept her tone calm, soothing. “What year is it, Rem?”
He puffed up his chest, shaking the few feathers on his wings. His waxy face dragged on one side as he spoke. “Year of griffin.”
“You can talk, but you’re not very smart, are you?” Instinctively, the ruff on her neck opened and rattled as she asserted her dominance. “That is an interesting wand you have.” Holding out her hand, she impatiently waggled her fingers. “May I?” When Rem arched back, she pressed forward. “Please. I’ll give it back.” She worked up what she hoped was a radiant smile. “Promise.”
She inwardly laughed when he gave the wand to her with trembling talons. She read the mistrust in his eyes, but it was overridden by fear. That was good. The creature was naturally subservient and would make a fitting slave.
Turning over the thin, shiny wand in her hand, she was in awe of its design. She’d never felt such material before, sturdy like wood, but smooth as glass, and with its creamy color, it made her think of a unicorn horn without the ridges.
“Master make it special,” Rem said.
“They did.” She softly purred when she felt the vibration of magic within. “Talking griffins and strange, powerful wands. We must be at least a millennium ahead of my time. “Where is your master?”
The beast’s large eyes welled with tears. “Rem master dead.”
“Well, Rem.” She unfolded her wings, the flames in her chest warming her scales. “You have a new master now.”
* * *
For two days Gae and her pet traversed the maze of caverns, following the smells of humans, thinking she’d found their hidden lair only to come upon a dead-end where the tunnel had caved in. She could’ve blasted them open, but she didn’t want to risk the already compromised roof collapsing on her head. The foolish griffin couldn’t remember the spell he’d used.
She’d thought he was lying at first, but after spending enough time with the creature, she believed him to be no smarter than a child, and every bit as annoying as one. They subsisted off small creatures the griffin caught and water that dripped down the cavern walls, collecting in shallow pools on the ground, while delving deeper into the bowels of the island. Once she’d known this labyrinth so well, she could’ve traversed it with her eyes closed. Now everything looked unfamiliar to her. Even worse, she could not smell her precious stores of life water. Though she could keep herself alive for centuries using dark magic, she needed the life water to maintain her youthful appearance and heal injuries, should she get any.
She cast a sideways glare at Rem as he alternated between limping and fluttering beside her. Life water would heal his deformities, but she wouldn’t share any with him. After she found her precious stores, she’d keep it all to herself. The griffin’s hideous outward appearance lowered his self-esteem and made him a humble and obedient servant. It was in her best interest he remained that way.
She paused at the sound of a woman crying and held out a staying hand. “Hush,” she said to Rem. “I hear something.”