Midnight Frost

friends among the mix. All I had to do was look for a splash of head-to-toe pink, and I saw Daphne, with the others standing beside her. I waved, even though I wasn’t sure they could see me.
    Finally, the gryphons glided to the ground right in the center of the main quad. Whispers swirled all around me, but I ignored them as I untied Logan, Vic, and myself from Ran’s net and the gryphon’s back and slid to the ground.
    I pulled off my glove and put my bare hand against the gryphon’s side. “Thank you,” I whispered. “For everything.”
    And then I closed my eyes and concentrated, trying to show the gryphon how much I appreciated his helping me and Logan—and saving our lives.
    The gryphon bowed his head, then nudged me with it. I knew what he wanted, and I laughed and scratched the top of his head. Once more, I felt the creature’s warm feelings of friendship and gratitude wash over me.
    “You know,” I murmured, “if you’re ever out in my mountains, I’d love to take another ride sometime.”
    The gryphon dipped his head, and I knew it was a date.
    Logan touched my shoulder, then jerked his head, and I realized we’d attracted quite a crowd. Students were holding up their phones and snapping photos, but no one dared approach the gryphons—no one but my friends.
    Daphne. Carson. Oliver. Alexei. Ajax. Rory. Rachel. My friends, old and new, stood in a row before me, their eyes moving back and forth between me, Logan, and the gryphons.
    “Hey, guys,” I said.
    No one spoke for a moment.
    Finally, Rory shook her head. “I’ll give you this, Princess. You sure do know how to make an entrance.”
    I just grinned.

Chapter 34
    I said good-bye to the gryphons a final time. Then, as one unit, the creatures spread their wings and soared up into the sky, spiraling higher and higher. A sense of awe rippled off everyone on the quad as they watched the creatures—and disappointment, too, that the creatures weren’t going to hang around longer. I had a feeling the gryphons would be back, though—sooner than anyone thought.
    Once the gryphons were gone, all eyes turned to me and my friends as we left the quad behind. Well, I was trying to leave. Everyone else was still walking slowly and staring up at the sky, hoping to catch one more glimpse of the creatures.
    Daphne finally lowered her gaze and shook her head. “Only you would make friends with a gryphon and have it pay off later.”
    I thought of the silver laurel bracelet Eir had given me. “I don’t know about that.”
    “What was it like?” Rory asked in an eager voice. “Actually getting to ride on one?”
    I sighed. “It was amazing .”
    I told them all about my trek down the mountain with Logan and how the gryphons had saved us from the storm. I didn’t say anything about my visit with Nike and Eir or my argument with the Spartan. But my friends could tell something was going on between me and Logan. More than once, Daphne raised her eyebrows at me, then at him. I shook my head, telling her we’d talk about it later.
    As soon as I finished my story, Ajax pulled out his cell phone and started making arrangements for us to take a plane back to North Carolina as soon as possible. I handed the coach the container with the ambrosia flower, and Ajax tucked it inside his jacket. I didn’t tell him about the bracelet, though. It was still hidden under my snowsuit and layers of clothes. I didn’t know what I was going to do with the bracelet—or when I would do it.
    Daphne used her magic to heal the roc wound in Logan’s side, and she took care of all of my bumps and bruises, as well. Once that was done, we went back to Rachel’s house, while the guys headed up the hill to the empty cottage where they’d been staying. Apparently, my friends had been packing up their gear and getting ready to hike back up the mountain to find me and Logan when the two of us had landed on the quad with the gryphons.
    Daphne and I grabbed our things and went out into the front room. Rachel and Rory were looking at the photos on one of the tables—the photos of Rory’s parents I’d noticed before. From Rachel and Rory’s red eyes and flushed cheeks, it was obvious they’d both been crying.
    Daphne looked back and forth between me, Rory, and Rachel. “I’ll go on up to the other cottage and help the guys,” she said. “It always takes Carson forever to get ready.”
    I wanted to point out that it took her just as long, but she was giving us some time