Free The Griffin's War (Fallen Moon Trilogy) by K. J. Taylor

birthday. Fell to my death. I shouldn’t be here at all. But Skandar was there. He found me; he was the only one there when I died. He used his magic on me. Brought me back. I look the same, I talk the same, but I’m not the same.” He stopped and looked at her. “I don’t have a heart. I don’t have a soul. They’re gone forever.”
    He had been speaking griffish for Skandar’s benefit, and the griffin had been listening “Is true!” he said unexpectedly. “True, truth. Use magic, first time that day. Black magic, like black scream.”
    “Magic the Night God gave him,” said Arenadd. “I didn’t know it at first, not until I came here—neither did Skandar. But on the night of the Blood Moon, when I killed that man—”
    “She came,” Saeddryn rasped. “The Night God came.”
    “Yes. I summoned her without even meaning to. She told me the truth then. Told me what I am. What Skandar is.” Arenadd seemed to age as he said the words. “I am the man without a heart. I am the Master of Death. I am Kraeai kran ae , the Cursed One. I am the Night God’s creature. I don’t have a life any more; the purpose she gave me is all I have left.”
    “What purpose?” said Saeddryn, though she looked as if she already knew.
    “To destroy her enemies. To free the North.” To kill Rannagon’s children .
    “And I see,” said Skandar. “See too. Have dream. White griffin with one eye. She say, never leave dark human. Say, fight by side. Kill all enemy. Fight, and have all you want.”
    “She said the same thing to me,” Arenadd told him. He smiled very slightly. “I never was happy except when I had power. So we’re going to take it now. All of it.” He looked at Saeddryn. “I thought I was cursed, but now I know the truth. It’s not a curse; it’s a blessing. I’m immortal, cousin. Unkillable. They hanged me today at Malvern—I heard my neck break. But here I am.”
    Saeddryn said nothing. She had become very still.
    “So you’ll get your war,” said Arenadd. “And when our people know what I am, they’ll come to us. All of them, every true Northerner in Tara will come. Skandar and I will crush the Southern scum like insects. Anyone who tries to stop me— anyone , even another Northerner—will join me in death.”
    He fell silent, and at last Saeddryn moved. She took a stumbling step back, stopped and knelt at Arenadd’s feet. “Master,” she whispered. “Holy warrior. I’m sorry I didn’t recognise ye, I’m sorry.”
    She looked up to see Arenadd reaching down to her. “Get up.” He pulled her to her feet. “You don’t kneel to anyone, Saeddryn,” he said sternly. “You’re a Northerner. We stand on our own two feet, or we die.”
    She smiled hesitantly. “I always knew the Night God would help us one day. I knew she’d answer our prayers. I should never have doubted.”
    “Everyone doubts,” said Arenadd. “Especially me.” He glanced at Skandar and translated the gist of what had been said. “So, we’re agreed?” he finished.
    “Agree!” Skandar snorted. “I take humans back to mountain. Where Hyrenna is. Know where they nest.”
    Saeddryn nodded. “We’ll go back t’my mother an’ the rest. They’ll have good advice, an’ we can’t abandon them.”
    “Go now.” Skandar walked off, back toward the camp.
    Saeddryn had one more question. “The others—should I tell them? About . . . what ye are?”
    “Not now,” said Arenadd. “They’ll have enough on their minds. And we’d better get back to them now. There’s work to be done.”

6
     
    The Chosen One
     
    E rian and Elkin ate together that night, alone but for Senneck and the Mighty Kraal. The two griffins crouched together by a wall in the massive dining hall and shared a huge ox carcass that nevertheless didn’t look big enough to feed Kraal.
    As for the two humans, they sat at the long table. Elkin ignored the impressively carved chair at the head of the table and sat opposite her guest instead,