Gryphon and His Thief

by Nutt, Karen Michelle

  "If you insist," Darrien said and sat down beside her so he faced her. "You had me worried," he told her.

  Her gaze met his and she could indeed see worry marring his features and his skin had turned dead white. "I'm okay," she reassured him, even if she wasn't all that sure it was the truth. She rubbed her temple where a headache had started to take root. She'd dreamt of Darrien and Callista, but it didn't seem like a dream. It felt so real. "I had flashbacks of Callista and Darrien's life," she told him. "You know, before the curse."

  "You did? Well, of course you did. You wouldn't have said so if you hadn't," he rambled on and she placed a hand on his knee to get his attention. It worked. He immediately stopped talking as he stared at where her hand rested.

  She smiled and patted him once before she placed her hand in her lap. "Callista was pregnant," she announced. "And… Oh, this is ridiculous." Now that she voiced it out loud, she wondered how she could have believed the visions as something real.

  "Callista was pregnant?" he said more to himself, and his brows furrowed. "This would have been my child, then. Yeah?"

  God, she was an insensitive jerk. Real or not, the stories meant something to him. "I'm sorry. It was just a dream." At least she hoped it was, but how would she come up with such stories? "I shouldn't have said anything." She scrambled to her feet and Darrien followed suit.

  "What if it wasn't?" he asked. "I felt the shock between us when we touched. Skin to skin," he verified, "and when we shook hands before too. You said last night my alter ego also shocked you. Maybe it's not so nutty you've had a vision. Maybe the electrical shocks are triggering memories and emotions to resurface from your subconscious."

  She ran a hand over her face, feeling suddenly drained. Any other time she would have said no way, but too much had happened not to consider the possibility. "If that's the case, then I think we have a big problem. Professor Leander, or rather a great look alike was there in my vision too, and she didn't look like she cared for you or Callista." She couldn't wrap her head around being Callista reincarnated, so she'd stick with the separate identity for now.

  "Could Professor Leander possibly be Isa then?" he asked. His gaze met hers as he spoke the question.

  "What? That's she's reincarnated or…" A niggling on the back of her neck put her on edge. "How long do you suppose Gryphons live? Not counting you, since the whole cursed issue may play a part in your longevity."

  "I haven't a clue." He shook his head. "There's not very much written about Gryphons. Scattered through the centuries, there's only a mention of them here and there, but nothing substantial."

  "Hmm… Well then, if Professor Leander is truly Isa… God, this just keeps getting better and better. Why does she want the stone besides the obvious? I know it can control the dead. Even if I want to deny all the reincarnation mumbo jumbo, Professor Leander's involvement can't be a coincidence, and I can't help but think we're missing something vitally important. She's going to use the stone and it must have something to do with all of us and the past."

  Despite all the excitement and the mystery to be solved, she yawned. Her hand flew to her mouth to stifle it. "Excuse me. I'd like to hash this all out right now, but I'm going to be useless if I don't get some shut-eye. I need to go back to the motel for a few hours. I promise I'll return before the sun sets," she added.

  "Of course." He nodded with understanding. "I'll see what else I can find out about Professor Leander. I'll also check out the records we have on Hecate's Stone. There are always documents that arrive with the items. I keep them in a file in the back. The book you glanced at only highlights the items, and as new ones arrive, the curator in charge is responsible for jotting down a brief synopsis." His brows furrowed. "I guess I'm the one responsible for all the information." He shook his head. "Just another thing I didn't realize. My memories tell me I only started working at the museum six months ago. Obviously, another lie to add to the many."

  Her heart went out to him, but she could think of nothing to comfort him. She reached for him and he placed his hand over hers with a pat.

  "Well then," he said and let his hand fall to his side as he turned away. He strode over to the desk and moved items around as if he were looking for something. "I'll ring you if I find anything on the Internet about the professor," he said, "but I'll need a number where I can reach you. Now where is that pen?"

  She strode over to the desk, shaking her head as her fingers nabbed a pen from the pencil holder. She lifted a post-it and jotted down her cell phone number. "There." She tapped the paper.

  His lips curved at the ends as he slipped the note in the pocket of his sweater.

  "I might as well have the number for the museum handy," she said. Her hand slipped into her pocket and produced her cell phone. He rattled off the number and she typed. Once she was finished, she tested the number out.

  A half a second later, the phone rang and Darrien sighed in relief.

  "Looks like the number is legit then," Darrien said and met her gaze with meaning.

  They just stood there staring at each other as if there should be more to say, but she didn't want to cross over any more lines she'd soon regret. The attraction between them still sizzled, but at least after her vision quest, she seemed more in control. She just wished her heart would stop doing handsprings in her chest every time he looked at her.

  He cleared his throat. Maybe he was having the same difficulties. "I should get busy, yeah?" To prove his point, he took a seat and went to work on the computer keyboard, already zoning her out.

  "Darrien?"

  "Hmm?" he said without glancing her way.

  "Thank you."

  This made him look at her above the rim of his glasses. "It is I who should be grateful." His lips curved and she couldn't stop herself from remembering those very lips pressed to hers.

  Just the thought made her stomach flip-flop in anticipation of sampling him again. Then she remembered her vision and the love Darrien had for Callista… for her.

  She squeezed her eyes shut. "I need to sleep." She quickly turned on her heels and strode toward the front door. "Don't forget someone will be by to fix the window,'' she called to him without breaking stride. Nerdy Darrien seemed to get easily distracted and she didn't want him to be startled when the repairman made an appearance.

  "Right-o," he called back.

  Calli smiled at his response as she pushed the front door open and stepped outside. She squinted at the brightness, but she welcomed the sun's rays warm on her face. Her gaze took in the empty parking lot and in the distance the vast vegetation. They were really out in nowhere land. Darrien had it right. How did Professor Leander know about the museum? More, what was her end game with all this?

  A light glinted on something in the distance and she strode toward it to investigate. "I'll be," she murmured as she bent down and retrieved the dagger she'd thrown at the Gryphon… a half chuckle escaped her. "Darrien," she corrected. Lucky for him he could turn to ether and avoid lethal weapons hitting their mark. She slipped it into its sheath attached to her belt.

  After a night like she had, she wondered what the day would throw at her. "Bring it on," she said to the heavens. She had a Gryphon on her side. "What could go wrong?" She frowned as she wondered why in the world she'd voiced those words? Those words were the kiss of death. Things always went wrong when one thought they couldn't. "Crap. Double crap on a stick," she cursed and her hand went to her necklace her father had given her. She lifted it to her lips and kissed it for good luck. She had a hunch they were going to need it. On a sigh, she turned and headed for her vehicle as she tried to shake off the unease of impending doom.

  Chapter Thirteen

  Darrien put in another call for a glass repairman when the first one never showed. It was already past one in the afternoon and he was quite sure they would need more than just a few hours to finish the job. He highly doubted his other more aggressive side would appreciate visitors upon awakening.

  Calli had rel
ayed the story about how the window was shattered, but he still had a difficult time wrapping his mind around the idea that a fight took place inside the museum and she had to jump out the window just to escape. It sounded like a very bad sci-fi movie and he'd somehow been involved.

  Sure, he had the build to do considerable damage, but good heavens he wouldn't intentionally try to harm someone. He shied away from the sight of blood. He'd cut his fingers plenty of times chopping vegetables and nearly passed out. "Dear me, I am a fainter." He pursed his lips, not liking the way he viewed himself.

  He chanced a look at the Gryphon staring down at him. "What are you looking at?" he snarled at the thing. "I bet I'd be a disappointment to you, wouldn't I? And I'm talking to a statue. Bloody terrific." Besides, if he were to believe all Calli had told him, the Gryphon didn't even know about him. "Yeah, I have one up on you. What do you say about that?"

  "Hello?" a male voice called from the broken window.

  He pushed away from the desk, the chair sliding on its wheels and giving him the space he needed to fly to his feet. His hand went to his tie and pulled on it to loosen it. "What do you want?" he asked and couldn't quite keep the apprehension out of his voice.

  "I'm here about the window?" the man stated, like a question as he pointed to the open space in front of him. "I knocked on the door, but no one answered."

  Darrien's gaze took in the work uniform and tool belt strapped to the man's waist and realized what he said rang true. "Right-o. Go on then. Fix away."

  The guy gave him a nod. "Sure thing, boss." The repairman came around to the door and let himself in. He weaved around a rocking horse, and a table displaying jack-in-the-boxes, all cursed and with one of the boxes housing a ghost.

  "Make sure you don't touch anything," Darrien warned the guy.

  The man turned to look at him again. "No boss, just the window." He shook his head as he strode the remainder of the way to the window without incident.

  Darrien sat down again and glanced at the screen on the computer. He'd found a site dedicated to Gryphon lore with photos of winged-beasties, some hideous and others as majestic as the Gryphon statue standing before him. Most of the articles listed the same information with only a few minor differences. One site told about how Gryphons were like Dragons. They both protected treasures. If a thief tried to steal something, the Gryphon would capture the thief, but it would not kill him – at least, not at first. No, the beastie would ask the thief a question and if the thief answered correctly, he was set free with his prize in hand. However, if the thief answered incorrectly, he would die.

  Darrien swallowed the lump in his throat. He really needed to concentrate on finding information about the woman who hired Calli, but how could he not be curious about what he was supposed to be? He glanced toward the worker and frowned when he found the man eyeing him before he quickly turned away and concentrated on the window once more.

  Darrien shifted in his seat and it creaked beneath his weight. "How's it going then?" he shouted to the repairman.

  "It's coming along," the fellow called back without looking up.

  He'd feel better once the man went on his merry way. His nerves were on edge and he didn't need the distraction of worrying about someone in the museum and accidently touching something they shouldn't. Really, couldn't the man fix the glass from the outside? He was about to suggest it, but the phone rang on his desk. He couldn't remember the last time he'd received a call. Now that Calli opened a whole new world of wonder, he started questioning everything. He believed he had a home in the city, but now the image of the apartment was starting to fade. It was as if Calli had downloaded a virus in his brain by showing him the video of his change. He glanced at the paper on his desk. He'd made two columns. One column was for what was real and the other for what the curse had fabricated.

  Rrrr…ring ring…rrr ringring.

  "Apartment – not real." He jotted it down then glanced at the other column. He had sci-fi movies, books, and different foods he enjoyed listed in the real column. Looked like the curse couldn't take away everything. Those memories remained vivid.

  He was distracted from his thoughts when his stomach grumbled almost as loud as the phone's trill. The morning had slipped into the afternoon without him realizing it. He'd make a sandwich and he had noticed there was a bag of potato chips in the pantry.

  Rrrr…ring ring…rrr ringring. The trill of the phone interrupted his thoughts yet again. "Phone," he said and grabbed for the receiver before the person calling hung up.

  Silence met his ear and he pulled the receiver away and stared at it.

  "Hello? Darrien?" Calli's voice rang through and he placed the phone back to his ear again.

  "I'm here." Guess he should have said hello first, but he'd been too intrigued that someone had phoned to adhere to protocol.

  "I'm on my way back to the museum," she told him, "but I'm stopping off at a drive-thru. Want something to eat?"

  His stomach grumbled again. That would be a yes apparently. "If you don't mind, and I'll have whatever you're having."

  "Sure," she said and he could hear it in her voice how she thought his request peculiar.

  He glanced at the worker, who'd been staring at him again only to look away when he was caught. He whispered into the phone. "I've only eaten what's here in the museum. I think… Well, quite honestly, I can't recall stepping out to have fast food."

  There was a long pause. "But you know of such places?" she asked.

  "Just another thing to add to the pile of how do I know when I never leave the museum." He couldn't quite keep the terseness out of his voice.

  "Well, sit tight," she said. "I'll be there in a jiffy to give you a taste of home from your expert vagabond." He could hear the smile in her voice.

  "I look forward to the experience." After saying goodbye, he replaced the receiver and stared at the phone with what he was sure was a silly grin. Calli would be here soon and his smile slipped. He had nothing to show her.

  He'd been making lists and looking up Gryphon nonsense and not concentrating on Professor Leander. "Bollocks." He scooted the chair closer to the desk before his fingertips grazed the keyboard. He typed in Professor Leander, but forgot to remove Gryphon from his last search. Before he could correct his mistake, he was too quick and his finger hit return. Once the screen refreshed he was about to type in the correct search word, but halted his attempt when something interesting caught his eye.

  Professor Leander spoke at various universities regarding ancient Greece, her expertise and knowledge on the subject extensive, but what caught his attention was the topic she spoke about at a seminar in Arizona a few months ago. The title: Gryphons: Real or Myth? He clicked on the article.

  "Professor Risa Leander," he read and paused. "Risa?" Drop the r and her name would be Isa. It was the first time an article stated her given name. Maybe this article would prove to be the connection they were looking for. Calli may have had a glimpse of the past, or she could have just blacked out and dreamt the whole thing. He glanced at the Gryphon. "Bet you'd know," he grumbled as he spoke, "if this was really the Isa who caused this pickle we're in." Then he rolled his eyes that he once again was talking to the statue. He concentrated on the screen and noticed the video to the right of the article. He clicked on the play button.

  Professor Risa Leander appeared on the screen looking all prim and proper in her suit. Her hair was pulled back in a bun – seemed to be the only way she wore it. Her birdlike features weren't unappealing, but there was something about the woman he didn't like. A funny reaction if he didn't know her.

  "The Gryphon," Professor Leander began, "is considered a legendary creature by most. The creature possesses the body, tail, and back legs of a lion, and with a head, wings, and talons of an eagle. The lion is considered the king of beasts and the eagle the king of the birds. A Gryphon in legends and mythology was a majestic and powerful creature of both land and air. They were the guardians of treasures, priceless artifacts
and possessions, and they were sought after to keep them safe."

  The woman spoke with passion as if she paid reverence to the creatures, and maybe there was a good reason for it, if they could trust Calli's vision. The professor was one such creature.

  "Gryphons are depicted in art and lore of Ancient Greece," Professor Leander continued, "and I am here today to argue the fact these creatures truly existed and were not legends of old, but that they truly walked the earth."

  "What?" he said and sat up straight in his chair. He wasn't the only one surprised by her outright claim. The audience expressed their astonishment as well.

  "Quiet, please. You will all have your chance to voice your questions," she said, trying to silence the room.

  If he didn't know better, he'd say the woman was a nutter, but after what he learned today, he would bet she did have proof. He pointed to the Gryphon statue then to the computer as if the darn thing should pay attention too. "Are you hearing this?"

  "Excuse me—"

  "Bloody hell!" He jumped at the sound of the workman's voice and his heart slammed into his ribcage. He hadn't even heard the man approach, but he stood at the side of the desk peering at him with a smirk. "Don't sneak up on a bloke," he told the repairman.

  Professor Leander's voice droned on in the background and the repairman glanced at the computer screen. Flustered, Darrien tried to turn the video off and ended up hitting the volume before his third attempt did the job. He turned back to the repairman. "What is it then?"

  "Didn't mean to startle you." The man's lips twitched as if he thought it funny he'd scared him half to death.

  "Well?" Darrien asked, hoping the man would say what he wanted and go.

  "I have the window measured and the area cleaned out. I'll be back in about an hour to install the glass. You'll still be here, right?"

  "Well, I'll have to be, now won't I?" he snapped.