“You took it?” Isabella’s tone was blunt, straddling the line between observation and accusation. “Yes, thank you for summarizing what I just told you,” Nic said, voice dripping with nervous sarcasm. “You took,” Isabella repeated, emphasising each word. “The heir to Harakin Aerie?” “What was I supposed to do!?” Nic snapped. “Let them get kidnapped!?” … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.8 →

Isabella Hemlock was bored. She was not surprised by this, most formal parties lost their lustre quickly, but she’d been hoping that Nic’s presence might help alleviate that inevitability. His appearance had been a welcome surprise and watching him stumble his way through introductions with the Hierarch had been hilarious. It was always a good … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.7 →

Nic turned out to be very bad at Three Fingered Coup. The game itself was simple enough, a spin on poker where players tried to assemble a hand of cards to “coup” their opponent. Mechanically, he picked things up almost immediately but it was the bluffing that kept tripping him up. Nic just could not … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.6 →

The hunt for appetizers was quick and successful. While servers still seemed unwilling to hand things over to Nic, Isabella was always in position to intercept. Working together, they quickly gathered a great bounty of cakes, sweets, and drinks, all of which they carried to a quiet corner to begin feasting. As they ate, they … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.5 →

Either Nic had gotten better at handling crowds, or griffons weren’t the incessant gossips he’d grown to expect from high society. The second he left the vicinity of the throne, the young techne may as well have ceased to exist so far as the room at large was concerned. A few people offered polite greetings … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.4 →

Their craft made a beeline straight for one of the upper docks, encountering no challenge as they came in for a landing. It settled like a feather, barely even a bump rocking the cabin as the door slid open automatically. Instantly, the back of Nic’s neck began to tingle as multiple wards passed over him, … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.3 →

“Do you need help with that?” Nic looked up from his tie to find Master Orlin watching him intently from where he stood on the tower lawns. He had his usual expression, neutral with just the slightest edge of mild annoyance. What was not usual was the outfit he was wearing. While the man would … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.2 →

Autumn had come to Ronteele. A sharp chill had descended some weeks ago, transforming the city overnight. Trees had begun to change their colours, erupting into brilliant hues of red, orange, yellow, silver, purple, and turquoise. Others, those species attuned to the cold, or otherwise magically insulated, bloomed in a matching rainbow of colours, preparing … Continue reading Royal Griffon Ch.1 →

Night had just fallen when they finally returned to the house. The gecko had been kind enough to give them both a lift, demanding only more pets as payment. Geniveve had been more than happy to oblige, earning only the happiest of hisses for her efforts. It had been a struggle to leave him at … Continue reading The Sisters of the Woods Ch.15 →

“Heart sap?” Nic nodded, holding his own under Orlin’s neutral gaze. “We traded the pixies for it. I think she mixed it into the paint.” “That explains a few things,” Orlin said. “Sorry, explains what?” Nic asked. Orlin looked back at Nic, briefly donning his teaching face. “Fae magic is tricky at the best of … Continue reading The Sisters of the Woods Ch.14 →