Born of Magic: Gargoyle Masters, Book 2 by Missy Jane Page A

a mother’s arms until Wynn carefully pulled him into his own. The branches creaked as if in acknowledgement and smoothed into a more natural position. Wynn didn’t know what magic had caused such a thing but he was grateful. His brother was as bloody as Zephyr had been. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t be able to say why he had reverted to human form until he woke.
    For a moment Wynn considered heading back to Gregori’s castle so he would be with Zephara, but that would be a mistake. Steinn needed to be near the Wizard Stone, in their castle. With a groan he turned away from where his heart desired to be and headed home.

Chapter Seven
    They were past the unmarked Pastel border when Kephas heard a woman’s scream. More outrage than pain sounded in her voice, but he jumped on Triton and spurred him toward the sound. The beating of hooves on packed earth resounded through the shallow forest and warned all of his arrival, but there was nothing for it. Getting to her was more important than stealth. He spied the cloaked figure running away as he approached the woman kneeling on the ground.
    “Are you all right?” he called to her.
    She looked up and at the sight of her familiar face all thought of pursuit disappeared. He reined in Triton and jumped off, landing next to her. She fell back and held up a bloody knife that was almost too small to be seen.
    “Stay back,” she hollered. “They took all I had. Stay back!”
    He held his hands out in a placating gesture. “I mean you no harm. Are you injured?”
    She shook her head and continued to push away from him along the ground. He stopped in his tracks to keep her from injuring herself. She was the exact image of Queen Feshara, though much younger than the Queen should be. This, then, was the Princess.
    “My name is Kephas and I mean you no harm. I’m a protector, not a thief or a man who would harm an innocent. I heard your scream.”
    She stopped moving and watched him a moment before swallowing. “I’m Theda. I was robbed by bandits and my traveling companion chased after them…somehow.”
    So her name had been changed? Her resemblance to the Queen’s portrait couldn’t be denied. He only wondered if she knew her true name, and her true place in their world. Was it the Queen who chased after the bandits?
    “Your companion?” he asked.
    She nodded. “A friend. He moved a lot faster than I expected for his age. He might even catch the bandits…I injured one of them.”
    He wanted to pick her up from the hard ground but the fear still evident in her expression kept him in place. “I see.”
    She stood slowly, lowering her feeble knife. He would’ve laughed at anyone else holding such a weapon against him, but he was too busy being amazed by her courage.
    “Are you injured?” he asked again.
    “Just my pride. I was too distracted to see the three bandits jump from the brush. They took my pack before I realized what had knocked me off my feet. I swiped my knife through one as he ran, but I think I only got his arm. And now everything I own is gone.” Her shoulders slumped as she looked off in the distance. “Everything.”
    He could no longer fight the need to protect and aid her. He turned to Triton and pulled a waterskin from his saddle bags, then slowly approached her.
    Theda watched the huge man walk slowly toward her. The look of wary concern on his face was almost comical. It was that look alone that kept her from bringing her knife back up. Lot of good it would do, though. If it even pierced his thick skin it would probably only make him laugh. His skin was an odd grayish hue that matched his hair and clothes, as well as his mustache and short beard. He stopped an arm’s length away—his arm’s length—and held out the waterskin.
    “Water?”
    Her throat suddenly felt parched and sore. She gave a short nod before accepting his offer with her free hand. His full lips curled up the slightest bit and she almost dropped the water. Damn he was