Free Twin Passions: 3 by Lora Leigh

source has visited this place. The spell we have placed on them to block such magick from making them defenseless once again will need to be strengthened.”
    They had worked to return those instincts to the Griffons, aiding the Sorceresses’ teachings each time they visited the Griffons but also laying a shield of invisible magick at their underbellies to aid them should they need to fly.
    Unfortunately, they had been unable to strengthen the babes in such a way, for they had been too young to accept such infusions of magick. Torran hadn’t worried though, believing such little ones would not need it, as they were unable to fly.
    “And we are to find this dark magick now, how?” Rhydan questioned him, the anger still throbbing in his voice. “We are considered villains in this land, Torran. The farce we began here to reveal the darkness plaguing it has now turned to take a bite of our rears.”
    Torran watched as his Twin struggled to sit up, the weakness that assailed him from the amount of magick expended to save the Griffons taking a toll physically as well as magickally.
    This situation was one they had not foreseen. Their own warriors had betrayed them all, then, just before ending their own lives, those Wizards had made it appear their commanders, Torran and Rhydan, had given the order to strike the Princess Serena.
    They were now being hunted as the most vile of creatures, that of dark Wizards.
    “We must leave this place,” Rhydan breathed out roughly. “Take our Consortress and—”
    Torran laughed weakly. “Take our Consortress? Brother, what say you? She would cut our heads from our bodies with the slightest provocation at this moment. Take her? That was never our plan. Our place is now by her side, our responsibilities that of strengthening her power as well as the power of the land she will command.”
    “It was never our plan to be considered dark Wizards either,” Rhydan pointed out with rueful sarcasm. “What choice do we have but to lose our lives, or do we leave her instead? Here? Without us?”
    “I will not leave my Consortress,” Torran informed him coldly.
    “Perhaps you should have thought of that before we allowed ourselves to be drawn into this farce,” Rhydan snarled, weak though he was, a measure of strength entering his tone from the force of his fury. “Bedamned Guardians have placed us in a hell of a position, Torran, and we haven’t even our lands to return to. Our Sentinel Warriors are now in the custody of the Sashtain Twins and declared suspects in our supposed crimes until our Justices can arrive to seer their innocence or their guilt and there’s a bedamned death warrant on our heads.”
    Justices were known well for their talents in Seering. The ability to look into any individual and to see, or “seer” the truths or deceptions within them.
    “Our warriors will be free soon.” Torran placed his forearm over his eyes, allowing himself to sink into a place where the light of the candles did not pierce his brain like daggers sharpened by a Wizard’s stone.
    Never had he known of a time that his magick had been drained to such a point, but then, never before had he tested the healing magick within him to such a point. Repairing the broken stone, piece by piece by speck of dust until the young Griffons were repaired, then reversing the spell of stone, had been no easy task.
    It had taken hours upon hours, more than they had been able to keep track of. Hell, Torran could not even remember that moment when he knew the spell had been reversed and the Griffons were once again whole.
    “Brother, our warriors can fend for themselves against the Justices, we ensured it. Such is not the case for us. Should we be questioned then our plan, as well as that of our Guardians of Cauldaran, will be revealed to Justices who have already had one traitor in their midst. This we cannot risk. We take our Consortress, Torran, and we depart this place. Our Owls await—”
    A flare of