Gryphon's Glenn

Chapter Nineteen

CHAPTER NINETEEN

The wind howled as Raven neared the cave. He could feel danger lurking, but he knew he must continue. He suddenly found the gate which blocked the gryphon's escape. The proud creature looked at him sadly.

Find me, the gryphon begged. Not alone... Bring the girl to heal me.

Raven tried to reach through the gate to touch the gryphon, but flames shot up and burned his flesh.

He awoke with a start. He could still feel the heat from the fire, but it passed quickly. "Holly..." He mumbled. He closed his eyes, reaching out for her, and he knew she was having a nightmare. Quickly, Raven headed to Holly Lynn's room. He let himself in, knowing she was in too deep a sleep to hear him knocking.

Holly Lynn was tossing and turning violently. "My King... My King, please..." She mumbled. The terror in her voice worried Raven.

"Holly... Holly Lynn, wake up," he said, shaking her very gently. When that didn't work, he knew he'd need to go into her dream to wake her. Their connection was strong, but he hated to invade her privacy. Still, he sensed she wasn't safe.

He crawled into bed beside her and wrapped his arms around her. "I'm coming, Holly," he promised before closing his eyes.

Almost instantly, Raven found himself in a dark room. The King had pulled Holly Lynn into his arms, and she was trembling in obvious fear. "Holly, it's just a nightmare," Raven said urgently. "He can't get into your dreams. Sphinx blocked him."

"Sphinx used a labyrinth to shield her mind," the King said with a sadistic grin. "When he locked me inside of a labyrinth, I was able to follow his energy into the one inside of Holly Lynn's mind."

"Stay away from her!" Raven said. He tried to move toward her, but a wall of fire sprang up just like it had in his dream.

"You must return to me, my dear one," the King told Holly Lynn. "You belong with me. Your place is in the castle, at my side."

"My King, please, I cannot return," Holly Lynn said.

"I need you, my darling. You must return..." He tightened his grip as Raven struggled to find a way past the fire to get to her.

"Please, my King-"

"Girard," he corrected her. "For you, I am simply Girard... Remember?"

"Girard, you're hurting me," Holly Lynn said, making Raven even more desperate to reach her.

He seemed to consider this. "You hurt me by staying away, my dear one... Return to me, and all shall be right once more." He bent down and kissed her.

Holly Lynn tensed in terror. The King didn't seem to notice as he deepened the kiss. Holly Lynn started crying as his hands began to roam.

Raven felt sick. He was about to risk stepping into the flames to reach Holly Lynn when someone else appeared.

"My King..." Marcus said. "Not like this."

"Marcus, this is not your concern," the King said sharply.

"You're scaring her, my King... She will never return to you if you frighten her," Marcus pointed out.