Free Keeper of the Flame by Bianca D'Arc

abilities. The weather had changed for the better over the past day. No pelting, freezing rain and more moderate temperatures. Still, it was cold and no leaves graced the spindly vines. In the dark, they looked like massive spider webs staked out between the poles.
    The vineyard was well kept, even in its dormant winter state. No dead leaves stirred with the gusts created by his wings, or crunched underfoot as he came to rest on the ground. Hugh crouched low, allowing his passengers to climb down off his back. As soon as they were clear, he shifted back to his human form.
    He emerged from the black mist clad in his own worn, black leather armor, his sword strapped to his side. It was a gift of his special kind of magic that allowed him and his brothers to take their clothing into the shift with them. Hugh had a bit more magic than his other brothers. So much so that he could influence the color and texture of what came back with him when he regained his human form.
    He didn’t know where the clothing went when he became a dragon, but he was able to leave certain items in the misty space between his two forms, secure there until he needed them. That’s where his armor had been and that’s where the clothes he’d been wearing before he shifted stayed for the moment. Wherever that was. Perhaps one day, if he ever met the wizard Gryffid in person, he could find out. If anyone would know, the last of the mighty wizards would.
    But that was a question for another time. Miss looked up at him with wide eyes as he picked up the pack the lady had carried for him. The gryphlet seemed exhilarated by her first flight and Hugh would have loved to spend a few moments talking to her about it. But not now. Not when the lady could still be in grave danger.
    “Sweetheart, I want you to stay here, among the vines. Find a place to hide and wait. I will go ahead to see if it’s safe for you and the lady.” Hugh looked at the woman who stood quietly at his side, scanning their surroundings intently.
    “I must go with you. My cousin doesn’t know you, nor do her guards. You would be arrested for trespass as soon as they saw you,” she argued in a soft voice.
    “I didn’t plan on being seen,” he quipped, but he understood her point. “Do you know this house well? Would you be able to tell from afar if something was wrong here, as you did at the palace?”
    She nodded once. “I visit here often.”
    “All right, then. Come with me, but stay in my shadow as best you can and if I give you direction, take it without question. Your life could depend on it.”
    “I understand.” She nodded once more as they moved out.
    He glanced back at Miss. “Stay hidden, little one. We’ll be back shortly and I expect to find you here, safe and sound. Understand?”
    The gryphlet nodded gravely and sank down into a crouch, scooting backward until she was partially hidden between the thick base of one of the vines and a fencepost. That would do for now. Her feathers and coloring were mottled enough that they acted like natural camouflage in the dark night.
    “Good girl. See you in a little while.” He patted her head before setting off with the lady walking quietly a step or two behind him.
    She wasn’t the stealthiest person he’d ever worked with, but she was better than he’d expected. She stumbled a few times over the uneven ground, reinforcing the fact that she had to rely on plain old human eyesight, which wasn’t the greatest in the dark. Hugh tried to help her when he could but he had to keep his hands free in case of attack.
    There were beacon lamps lit periodically along the wall of the vast estate. They were more decorative than functional, thankfully for Hugh’s purposes. Guards patrolled at regular intervals, though they weren’t the crisp military professionals of the palace guard. These men showed a bit of laxness when it came to the rigor with which they went about their duties. Hugh supposed they didn’t often see action way