Bricrui (The Forgotten: Book 2) Read Free

she hadn’t seemed
to have suffered any lasting damage. The end goal of their actions
was still a mystery, and it was one that Layna and Gryffon were
both eager to solve as soon as possible. The tribe’s plans having
been thwarted, who knew when their next attempt would come. Or what
it might entail.
    One of the aides suddenly came rushing into
the clearing, and bowed before bending to whisper in her ear.
    “King Gryffon requires your presence in the
throne room, Majesty,” he reported, straightening. “I will make
your excuses for you as it seems to be a matter of some
importance.”
    Layna nodded to him and stepped down off the
dais that had been set up for her, walking across the gardens to
pick up Phoenix. Once she had her child, she allowed her entourage
to usher her away from her waiting subjects, who watched her go
with disappointment. She trusted that the man would properly
appease them. Her mind was already racing as to why Gryffon would
have sent for her. Hopefully it was not yet another plot uncovered
from Lord Telvani. They had discovered several already and it
appeared that he had something big that had been in the works for
some time, which they had not yet gotten to the bottom of. Perhaps
there had been a breakthrough. Though if it was a breakthrough that
required both her and Gryffon’s intervention together…
    She forced her racing mind to quiet. She
would find out shortly, and there was no point in worrying herself
until she knew what it was she needed to be worried about. The
doors to the throne room parted at her presence – opened
automatically by the guards stationed there, a fact that had taken
some getting used to – and she glanced around.
    Gryffon was sitting on his throne and a man
stood next to him, speaking into his ear. Layna strolled closer,
forcing herself not to run. As she drew near, she recognized the
man as Charles. He had traveled with her and Gryffon during their
adventures and she felt a closeness to him, though since she and
Gryffon had ascended to the throne, he had chosen not to keep their
company. Layna understood that it wasn’t their company itself that
he avoided, but rather everything else that came along with it. She
oftentimes wished she could go back to being just a maid and not
have her every move watched and dissected by thousands of prying
eyes as well.
    He now ran a children’s home for the
displaced youth from King Nathair’s reign. Last she’d seen him was
during the brief time she’d spent in the ruins of Hardonia with
Natalya. He had brought a group of his charges to help with its
rebuilding. She hadn’t realized that he’d returned already.
    “Charles,” she exclaimed happily, shifting
Phoenix on her hip so that she could embrace the old man.
    He returned the hug with gusto, but wore a
serious expression. “Layna,” he greeted her in his gruff voice,
“It’s been too long.”
    “Indeed,” she replied, stepping back to look
him in the face, “But I don’t think that you’ve come just for a
social call.”
    “No, unfortunately not. I was just tellin’
Gryffon here - sorry - His Majesty,” Charles corrected himself but
both Gryffon and Layna waved off the formality, “That I came across
somethin’ very disturbin’ out in the woods.”
    He took a deep breath, steeling himself to
continue. Layna’s worry grew; Charles had been the one who had told
stories of woodland nymphs, dire bears, and all manner of other
beasts in the woods. What had him shaken so?
    “I missed a rabbit,” he began and Layna
waited patiently, “but somethin’ else got it. An’ that somethin’
else was like nothin’ I could ever of imagined. It had the body of
a man, but horribly disfigured. It was oozin’ pus from sores on
every inch of its body, its fingernails had grown into long
claw-like appendages,” he hooked his hand in threatening motions
and raked at the air, “and worst of all, its eyes were bloody
bright red.” He gulped. “It caught the rabbit