“What are we going to do?” Sam asked with urgency. “We have to help him!”
“Frankly, I was counting on him to help us,” Dr. Vantana confessed. “We ain’t exactly in the best of strategic positions at the moment.”
“There must be something we can do.”
“Well, I’d been holding out hope for the cavalry, but I reckon this entire place is hidden by an enchantment. Much like how they’re keepin’ Phylassos in that cage,” Vantana explained. “The thing is…I can’t imagine Chase is capable of such magic.”
“Then who is?” Sam asked.
“Very few individuals,” the doctor answered as he considered the possible suspects. “It doesn’t matter now. Chase is the timber rattler that’s starin’ us in the face at present.”
Tashi arrived back at their sides. She appeared distressed and displeased. The scowl on her face was the most pronounced Sam had ever seen it. But he wasn’t about to forgive and forget what she had just done.
“How could you do that to him?” Sam asked angrily.
“Now, now,” Vantana interjected. “Cut the girl some slack. She didn’t exactly have a choice in the matter. It was your hide on the line, remember?”
“That is true,” Tashi agreed. “But my actions were still unacceptable.” Dr. Vantana shot her a confused look.
“You do realize I’m tryin’ to defend ya,” he said.
“That is entirely unnecessary,” Tashi replied. “What is critical at this moment is helping determine how we can save you, Sam, and the gryphon.”
“And you,” Sam added.
“I am expendable. If it means you escape with my sacrifice, then so be it.”
“Now, that is unacceptable,” Dr. Vantana countered. “Any plan we’ve got has to include you getting out of here just as alive as us.”
“That will depend. Please, tell me your proposals for escape,” Tashi whispered. Sam and Vantana exchanged a glance, then turned back to Tashi with blank looks.
“I think I’m speaking for both of us when I say we’re still working on it,” Vantana admitted. The Guardian sighed.
Chase held the claw aloft, and Sam instantly turned his attention to the cynocephalus. What was this villainous creature going to do next? Sam wondered.
“How fitting that the root of the gryphon’s injustice will now become the instrument of his destruction,” Chase announced to the joyous crowd. “Shall we kill Phylassos with his gift to humanity? A gift that cursed us all to hide our true selves…”
Sam focused on one word Chase was repeating: “gift.” He kept talking about Phylassos’s “gift.” Sam recalled that the claw was originally a gift from Alexander. He remembered Carl telling him, “Never give a gift to your enemy, for it can be used against you.” Sam was considering those words when Dr. Vantana whispered to him.
“What we need is one of them big distractions, like we had in that yeti village,” the doctor suggested. “If one of us could get up there and free Phylassos, even in his weakened state he’d be formidable and certainly cause a lot of panic among the attendees.”
“I concur,” Tashi added in a hushed tone. “But how? The cage is enchanted. Even if I could manage to retrieve my shekchen and disrupt the magic that keeps him imprisoned, he will need help, and we are unarmed. Against a horde of this size we would surely die.”
“You got any extra shekchens or hologram devices hidden in that book bag, Sam?” Vantana inquired jokingly.
But Sam’s attention was back on the gryphon. Phylassos stood up in his cage and locked eyes with Sam. It reminded him of the first time he’d seen the creature on that big rock in Death Valley.
“Sam? Are ya listening?” Vance asked.
Sam snapped out of his daze and looked at the doctor.
“My bag? No…,” Sam answered. “All I have is—” he stopped abruptly. A lightbulb switched on in the recesses of Sam’s brain. And it was blindingly bright. “Wait,” he said. “I think I have an idea.” Vantana and Tashi looked at Sam as though they had already heard his idea and concluded it was terrible.
Back onstage, Chase was ranting about what he described as the “macabre manner” in which humans are able to see mythical creatures. “They steal our blood! They steal our magic! And the gryphon lets them. He encourages them!”
The crowd grew angrier. Sam tried focusing on relaying his plan to his friends, the noise nearly drowning him out.
“Tashi, when you healed me, you absorbed my injuries, right?” Sam asked, the gears in his head spinning.
Tashi nodded. “But I cannot absorb the gryphon’s injuries or the doctor’s. Not without the claw in our possession.”
“I know that,” Sam replied. “But what would happen if you did it to someone who was perfectly healthy?”
“I do not know,” Tashi admitted, stumped by his question. “I would likely absorb their energy. It wouldn’t make me stronger, if that’s what you mean.”
“That’s not what I mean. Would it put someone to sleep?”
“It could,” Tashi responded.
“Okay,” Sam said, satisfied. “I want you to do it to me.”
“Now, just hold on a moment,” Vantana interjected. “Are you telling us you need a nap?”
“No. Well, not exactly,” Sam replied. Tashi and Vantana eyed him skeptically. “I need to dream. Quick, Tashi. I don’t have time to explain. You’re just going to have to trust me.” Tashi paused a moment and looked at the doctor, who shrugged. She reached out her hands and was about to touch Sam.
“Hang on,” Sam said. He glanced back toward Phylassos, who was now being chided by a group of gargoyles while Chase watched in amusement. Sam shouted, “Just sleep, Phylassos. It won’t hurt…and you might even dream.”
“Interesting advice from the human child,” Chase said. “Though I doubt the gryphon will be able to sleep through what he is about to endure.”
Phylassos caught Sam’s eye and Sam nodded to the gryphon. Almost imperceptibly, Phylassos nodded back. “Now, Tashi,” Sam ordered. The Guardian quickly pressed her hands to Sam’s chest. He smiled at her and then felt himself lose consciousness.
The instant Sam’s eyes closed, he was transported to the place where it all began: Death Valley, California. This was where he and Phylassos had met, albeit briefly, in a dream, and then again in real life. Sam was thrilled—if his plan was going to work, finding himself in this dreamscape was the first critical step. His hand went to his shoulder to find the second critical step: his book bag. Sam launched into a full sprint. His target was the rocky hilltop where it all began. There was more riding on this meeting with the gryphon than he could have ever imagined. Time was of the essence. As he raced toward his destination, he hoped beyond all hope that Phylassos would be waiting for him. He wasn’t sure if his plan would work, but it was their only chance.
Sam reached the bottom of the ridge and began his ascent. He had done this twice before and was prepared for every loose rock, each slippery surface. He finally got to the top and pulled himself over the edge. A plume of dust billowed up as he climbed to his feet. It swirled in the desert wind and then dissipated to reveal the gryphon perched on the summit, waiting for him.
“You made it,” Phylassos said, a sense of relief in his weakened voice. “How did you know this would work?”
“I didn’t. I hoped,” Sam replied. “Are you okay?”
“I have been better,” the gryphon answered. “My apologies for the surprise.”
“Yeah. I didn’t see that coming,” Sam said. “I have a ton of questions, which I’ll ask when we get out of here.”
“You sound confident there will be a pleasant outcome to our predicament,” the gryphon said. And then the creature suddenly lurched to his right side. “Hurry, Sam. I can’t remain here long. If they pierce my heart with the claw, it will mean my demise.”
“They really can kill you?” Sam asked, horrified by the notion. The gryphon nodded.
“I won’t let that happen. I have an id
ea.” Sam pulled off his book bag, unzipped it, and reached inside. A moment later he pulled out the package of NICE biscuits. There was only one left. Sam had been saving it for a special occasion.
“Your idea is cookies?” Phylassos remarked. “This is no time for jokes.”
“This isn’t a joke,” Sam assured him. “I know they look like cookies and they taste as good as cookies, but in England they call them biscuits. It is the way they wound up in my possession that you will be most interested in.” The gryphon narrowed his emerald eyes, intrigued. “They were given to me the morning after I met you,” Sam revealed. “They were a gift from Chase.”
Phylassos’s eyes widened. “Did he say those words? Was it genuinely presented as a gift?”
Sam nodded. “He said, ‘A gift for you, Sam London.’ They’re his favorite.”
“Come closer,” the gryphon requested. “Quickly.” Sam stepped forward, the biscuit package in hand. When he reached Phylassos, he instantly noticed—
“You’re bleeding,” Sam said, eyeing a trickle of blood streaming down the gryphon’s chest.
“They’ve pierced me. But not deep enough. You must listen closely.” Sam nodded, ready for his orders.
* * *
When Sam awoke from his slumber, he found that much had changed since he closed his eyes. The roar of the crowd was now deafening—they had apparently been worked up into a frenzy. When he looked to where Vantana had been, he saw the doctor on the ground, unconscious. Tashi hovered above him, on her knees. She was also wounded. There was a deep gash on her shoulder that was bleeding steadily.
“You are awake,” Tashi said quietly.
“What the heck happened?” Sam asked.
“They attacked the gryphon…and stabbed him,” Tashi explained. Sam looked to Phylassos and found that he was fending off attackers and still bleeding from his chest wound. A mix of creatures stood goading him from outside the iron bars. Chase was now holding the claw; the gryphon’s blood dripped off its tip. Sam spun back to Tashi.
“What did Dr. Vantana do?” Sam inquired.
“He could not sit idly by as they attacked. He lunged forward and attempted to protect Phylassos. So I knocked him unconscious.”
“Wait. You did this?”
“He would have gotten himself killed,” Tashi explained. “And we still had your plan to attempt.”
“Okay,” Sam replied, understanding. “Good call. What about your shoulder?”
“The gargoyle thought I deserved punishment for my action,” Tashi said. “I am fine. What is needed of me?” she asked.
“If you had your shekchen, could it free the gryphon?”
“With enough charge, I believe so, yes.”
“Great,” Sam said. “Here goes nothing.” Sam reached into his bag and retrieved the package of NICE biscuits. He held the last remaining biscuit in his hand and looked at Phylassos. Their eyes met.
Sam broke the cookie into three pieces and handed one to Tashi.
“What is this?” the Guardian asked, studying the treat.
“It’s a cookie. A special cookie. You’re going to eat it when I tell you. Wake him up,” he said, gesturing to Dr. Vantana. “We’re going to need his help.” Tashi nudged the doctor, who slowly came to and focused on the Guardian.
“You hit me,” Vantana said with groggy incredulity.
“It was for your own good,” Tashi replied.
“It didn’t feel good,” the doctor replied, rubbing the back of his head. He noticed Sam. “Glad to see you’re awake. Have a good rest?”
“I wasn’t resting,” Sam responded defensively.
“How’s Phylassos?” Vantana asked, looking toward the iron cage.
“He cannot hold out much longer, I fear,” Tashi said.
“He’ll be fine. We’re going to help him,” Sam assured them. He handed Dr. Vantana the third piece of cookie. “Here.”
“Now we’re eating cookies?” Vantana asked as he took the piece. “Naps, baked goods…is this some kind of ridiculous picnic?” he added with irritation. “Dr. Knox—the gryphon—is dying.”
“I know, but it’s going to be okay,” Sam said. “We need to eat our parts of the cookie at the same time.” Tashi and Dr. Vantana followed Sam’s lead and brought the cookies to their lips. Sam nodded to the two and they all popped the pieces into their mouths. They chewed and exchanged curious glances. One by one they swallowed.
A moment later, Vance was already impatient.
“Is the sugar rush going to save us?” he asked sarcastically.
“I do not feel any different, Sam,” Tashi revealed, disappointed. Sam looked back at the gryphon, who was growing weaker by the second.
“It has to work,” Sam said, almost to himself.
“What has to?” the doctor asked.
Suddenly, the gargoyle that was guarding them squawked that horrible squawk Sam had heard the day he left the hospital in Bakersfield. When Chase looked over, his canine face dropped like a hound dog’s.
“Where are the prisoners?” the cynocephalus bellowed. The gargoyle scrambled and the rest of the magical creatures in attendance began to stir. “Find them!” Chase commanded.
Sam’s face burst into a giant toothy grin. He looked at Tashi and Dr. Vantana, who wore puzzled expressions.
“It worked!” Sam whispered. “We’re invisible to magical creatures. The gryphon cursed the cookie, like he cursed the claw, but in reverse.”
“You mean…they can’t…” Dr. Vantana waved his hand in front of the face of the gargoyle guard, who was now busily scanning the area for a sign of them. The creature didn’t react to the doctor’s gesture.
“Well, I’ll be,” Vantana said softly in amazement.
“I don’t know how long this will last, so we need to move quickly,” Sam explained. “I’ll grab the claw. Tashi, you free the gryphon. And Dr. Vantana, do you think you can find the entrance to this place?”
“Not sure I follow,” the doctor replied.
“If there is some kind of enchantment keeping this area hidden, we may have some friends looking for us….”
“And if I can find the hidden passage in, we might have help,” Vantana completed Sam’s thought. “Okay, then. Let’s do this.”
The trio split into different directions under the safety of invisibility. Dr. Vantana snaked his way through the crowd of bewildered creatures to the forested perimeter where Sam and Tashi had entered with Chase and the Beast of Gevaudan. Meanwhile, Tashi climbed onstage to retrieve her shekchen, which was still lying on the stone floor where she had dropped it. No one had dared pick it up, likely knowing that it would deliver quite a jolt. Sam approached Chase, who had grown steadily more paranoid in the last few moments. His eyes darted about nervously as he clutched the claw tightly in his hand like a security blanket.
“What are you up to, gryphon?” Chase asked Phylassos, eyeing him anxiously. Sam reached out for the claw but Chase’s hand moved in the opposite direction. The cynocephalus walked to the cage, glaring at Dr. Knox. Phylassos met his gaze defiantly, which infuriated Chase even more. “Your tricks cannot save you…not anymore.” Chase pulled back the claw, ready to strike with what would likely be the fatal blow.
“Tashi!” Sam cried out. She had already read the situation and let loose with a bolt from her shekchen. It hit Chase in the back and forced his body forward, slamming him into the iron bars. As soon as the effects of the charge subsided, Chase tumbled backward and released the claw. Sam ran and caught it in midair. Tashi then turned her weapon to the iron bars. She held the shekchen to the ground and pumped a continuous stream of energy into the cage. The stage was lit with blue light as it surged across the stone and into the weapon. Sparks sprayed the surrounding area as the bolt hit the iron bars, sending Chase’s allies into a frenzy. Chase rose to his feet, now in a full panic.
“Stop her!” he ordered, pointing toward the blue energy. “Follow the blue light. Follow her shekchen!” The gargoyles and aswangs tried in v
ain to stop the Guardian as she poured Gaia’s energy into the iron cage, but Tashi was simply much too quick for them. Sam watched as she leapt and tumbled and flipped, deftly avoiding her pursuers with superhuman agility. Even when the aswangs had surrounded her, Tashi was able to escape by quickly redirecting the shekchen charge in a circle around herself, hurtling the aswangs back several feet.
Although Tashi was able to elude capture, her ordeal made something suddenly clear: the magical creatures could see the shekchen. So even though Tashi was not visible, her weapon was. Sam came to a swift realization: the claw in his hands was also visible to the creatures. When he glanced upward, his fears were instantly confirmed. All the creatures, including Chase, were staring his way. The gryphon’s claw must have appeared to be floating in midair.
“Based on the claw’s height,” Chase began with a knowing smirk, “Sam London, I presume?” Sam froze. “Clever boy,” Chase continued. “But it is a little late for clever.” Sam started to back away, toward the edge of the stage.
“Sam!” Tashi called out as she dodged a gargoyle. “Cover it up….They won’t see it.” Sam quickly followed Tashi’s suggestion. He cradled the claw in his arms, making sure to use his body to mask it. It must have worked, since Chase’s expression turned angry and he was quickly scanning the stage and sniffing the air.
“I will find you, boy,” Chase declared with a growing fury.
Sam slipped off the stage in an attempt to get some distance from the cynocephalus. The creatures in attendance were clearly agitated by the sudden chaos that had erupted before their eyes. Sam had to simply stay out of the way and wait for Tashi to break through the gryphon’s cage and free Phylassos while Dr. Vantana found the entrance and brought reinforcements. It seemed simple enough. The gryphon’s cage was already glowing from the intense blue charge of Tashi’s shekchen—it was just a matter of moments. But that was when things got complicated.
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