Her three mates — powerful males with wings folded tight against their backs — fell in silently behind her. Alex glanced at his own mates; Naga gave a single nod, Leo's golden eyes sharp with readiness, Zale's hand brushing Alex's lower back in quiet support. Granite stayed with the snakelings, massive arms already forming a protective wall around the carriers.
They walked along swaying walkways of woven branch and feather until they reached a sheltered stone cave set deep into the mountainside. The entrance was narrow, carved by wind and talon over centuries. Inside, the air was cooler, quieter, lit only by a single shaft of sunlight from a crack high above.
The first thing Alex noticed was the young eagleman crouched in the far corner.
