Ravyn narrowed her
eyes. “You don’t want me to go in there? Then back off! Turn your beasts around and go back where you came from.”
“They’re
Jeradons,” Rhynon said.
“What?”
“Jeradons. Just
one of the species Enar created for our use. Look at them.” He yanked the
reigns around so his mount turned sideways to her. “Magnificent, isn’t he?”
The black, leather
flesh rippled over masses of muscles. Its ears, tall and turned inward, shot up above a plate-bone mass that partially protected
its long eyes. The whip-like tail twitched wickedly and it punched the ground with massive paws.
“Just look what
you can be a part of, why can’t you see it?” Rhynon said. He leaned toward her in his saddle as if to emphasize
his words.
“Created for
your use?” Ravyn said. She tilted her head to peer up at Rhynon. His shadow shielded her from the red sun. She wondered
if he had become so blind to his own beginnings. “Created for you just as you and I were created for Chione? Her intentions
turned out well, didn’t they?”
“This is different,”
he said.
“Why? That Jeradon
is life, just like you and I are. Why are you so intent or ruling anything? And why can’t you see I’m not?”
Rhynon hissed through
clenched teeth. “Stupid weak woman!”
“Stupid egotistical
man,” she shouted back and almost laughed at the immaturity of it. In some different place, in some different time,
she could see herself arguing with him just as Keelyn and Kian argued with each other.
Rhynon growled an angry
sound and spurred the Jeradon forward. Ravyn dashed into the forest, surprised to find the two boys next to her. Lucan attempted
to pull her back but she reached the dark shadows beneath scarlet leaves large enough to cover her full body. She beat the
foliage aside until she found a place beyond Rhynon’s view but she could still see him and his several friends through
a small space between the plants. He called for her again, his voice strangely strained. His Jeradon screamed its awful sound
and stomped its large paws. It spun around, fighting Rhynon’s heavy hand on the reigns. Two others broke free from the
group and dashed back to the mountains.
A
breathy grunt erupted against Ravyn’s back. The boys screamed.