The Kingdom's Crown (Inheritance of Hunger #3) - Kathryn Moon Page 0,103

crossing and tangling. Griffin's arm in my hand tensed and then whipped over my head, making me stumble and spin, my back to her chest and my arms crossed in front of me held tight in her grip.

I stomped my boot onto Griffin's, my teeth gritted as I tried to shake her off, and she rewarded me with a pained grunt.

"Shit. I did think you'd make this easier," Griffin growled.

"Owen's been teaching me to fight," I gritted out.

And then I bent my knees, using my body and Griffin's grip on my hands to toss her over my head and onto the ground. It pulled horribly on my wrists, but the second her back hit the floor, she released me with a great oof of breath, a bright cry of delight rising from our audience.

"Shit!" Griffin exhaled with a little laugh, and I couldn't stop my grin.

This was absurd, but it was strangely fun too. Danger without terror.

"Bryony! Left back pocket!" Aric barked.

Griffin's eyes widened as I dove down, and with a quick twist from her, I landed roughly against her raised knees, bouncing away and then kicked onto my ass. I cried out as Griffin grabbed my ankles, tugging hard and making me slide across my skirts and onto my back.

Aric's shout was helpful and probably more instinctual than intentional. I could see the small hint of something in Griffin's pocket now, but I wasn't meant to win. Not really.

Still, it wasn't a concession on my part when Griffin's fingers snagged around the hilt of my dagger, yanking hard. I tried to tear her hands away, rolling on my side to try to get back onto my feet, but it was too late. Griffin's tug broke the sheath off my belt and she leapt to her feet, face flushed and bright with victory, my lovely dagger in her grip.

"The king is fallen!" Cassius bellowed over the thunder of cheers. "Long live the king."

"Long live the king!"

Griffin laughed and winked at me, towering over my messy, rumpled form. I growled up at her and then before I could think, I twisted and leapt up, tackling Griffin to the floor. Massive orange and white paws pinned her shoulders down as great gasps and screams went up around us.

"Bryony!" one of my men cried out.

I roared into Griffin's face, watched the blood rush away, her eyes going wide and lips parting in shock. And then I sighed, relaxing back into the woman, sitting heavily down on Griffin's thighs.

"I told you I had so much to tell you," I said, catching my breath as Griffin remained flattened, pale and shocked. "Congratulations, Your Majesty. Let me buy you a drink."

I pushed myself up to standing, smiling at the startled quiet of the room, and then I reached down for Griffin's hand.

Behind me, on the stage, Cassius Thatcher released a belly laugh so loud, I thought it shook the rafters.

The festivities didn't take long to pick up again. Griffin recovered quickly from my surprise, taking my hand and letting me pull her up from the floor. Aric and Scrapper ushered us all over to an abandoned table in the far, dark corner of the room, one large enough for the mass of us—Griffin, Sam, Scrapper, my Chosen, and eventually Cassius Thatcher with a massive tray of unusual looking drinks.

"I thought you were about to eat me," Griffin said, eyeing me over the rim of her drink. She'd taken it immediately off the tray without glancing at Cassius, and I expected he'd brought it specifically for her.

"I might've," I said with a shrug. "I'm still getting used to her. I still may if you don't give—" Griffin slid the dagger quickly across the table to me, and I smiled. "Thank you."

"Thank you," Griffin said with a shrug. "You nearly had me."

"You mean I nearly had this?" I asked, twirling the white feather pinched between my fingertips.

Griffin went even paler than she had when I'd roared at her, and I glanced at Sam in the corner, who only smiled. He looked more centered since I'd last seen him and a great deal more solid and healthy. I handed the feather back to Griffin, who pocketed it quickly away. One look at Cassius and I could see the frown on his face and the calculation in his stare as she hid the feather.

I knew it was Sam's. Cassius obviously didn't, and it was clear he wanted the explanation.

Sam, Cassius, Jack McCallum. I counted them in my head, Griffin's odd