Sacrifice (The Gryphon Series Book 3)
Page 20
The Grand Councilwoman clasped her hands behind her back and peered around at the mingling guests. “The opportunity was offered to her. She turned it down. Apparently she has decided mortality is a good fit for her. The Council must now gather to discuss who to appoint.”
I wiped my hands on a napkin and flashed my best, most innocent smile. “Could I cast my vote for anyone that is not a creepy, berry-addicted gnome that’s crossed over to the dark side?”
She cleared her throat and tried to look unaffected. Her feathers may have been hidden, but I still managed to ruffle them. “Yes. Well, in case I failed to say it before … ”
“You did,” Terin interjected and shot me a wink.
I pressed my lips together to squash a threatening snicker.
The Grand Councilwoman glared Terin’s way before she continued. “I am deeply sorry the guide I assigned tried to terminate you and therein destroy the world.”
“These things happen, right?” I chucked her shoulder with the inside of my fist. A horrified look crossed her face at the casual nature of my touch. Judge me if you will, but that just made it funnier. “Maybe in the future you could try a more thorough screening process? Google them. I hear that’s really effective.”
“Goo … what? I shall do no such thing to them!” Her chalk white complexion turned a deeper shade of crimson by the second. “Michael, please escort me to my room. This human disguise is becoming increasingly difficult to maintain under these deplorable conditions!”
I gave her a little wave goodbye as Big Mike offered her his arm. His muscles visibly bulged even through his tux. He gave a brief nod in my direction and led Her Grand Snootiness out. Terin lingered behind, her bright red-hair set ablaze—figuratively—by the golden jersey dress that skimmed over the curves of her body.
We exchanged uncomfortable smiles as the wedding guests banged their butter knives against their glasses to prompt the bride and groom to engage in yet another movie screen worthy smooch.
“So … what are you?” I asked in my best attempt at casual.
A curtain of red hair brushed her shoulder when she turned my way; her face an unreadable mask. “I’m your cautionary tale.”
“My what now?”
She plucked a glass of champagne from a passing caterer and raised it to her lips. Even after her sip she paused and ran her finger along the rim of the flute before speaking. “Did they warn you that you could lose your humanity as the Conduit of the Gryphon?”
Alaina told me that shortly after I learned of my calling. Right around the time I learned that the Gryphon could read my mind and that’s how he knew when to zap me with a new power or ability. At one time these things had worried me to no end. I’d all but forgotten about both in the craziness that followed.
“Yes.” The satin ribbon that hung down from the wreath of flowers in my hair tickled my neck as I nodded.
“That’s what happened to me.” Her words hung heavy in the air between us. I half expected them to fall to the ground with a thud.
“You’re a Conduit? Of the Gryphon?” My voice rose with accusation. Sure, it was stupid to feel the Gryphon was somehow cheating on me but still …
“Heavens, no,” she scoffed with an arrogant smirk I found borderline insulting. (All the while being relieved the Gryphon and I remained exclusive.) “I’m the Conduit of the Phoenix. A girl chosen, just as you were. I fought many battles and with each a bit more power was given to me. In the midst of a fight that almost killed me I embraced the powers of the Phoenix completely. A voluntary choice I have regretted every day since. Because that’s the day I gave up my mortality.”
I squinted at her as if the truth would reveal itself in some visible display right then. “But … you look so normal. You know—when you’re not flying through the air on fire.”
Her laugh held more sadness than humor. “I may look it, but the changes I have undergone have made it impossible to live on this plane of existence. My oddities would be too easily noticed among mortals. Since that day, and for every day until the end of time, my home will be the Spirit Plane.”
I snagged a soda from a passing tray and drain it in one gulp as the severe implication of her words registered in my brain. “So to summarize,” I wiped my lips on the back of my hand, “proceed with caution?”
Her gaze locked on mine. A small flame flickered in the center of her pupils. “Proceed with utmost caution.”
I took a deep breath and exhaled through my nose, all the while nodding like an idiot. “In the last twenty four hours you’ve saved my life and then scared the living hell out of me. I think I need to talk to other—less intense—people for a while.”
“Completely justified. I’ll be seeing you, Gryphon girl.”
“Probably sooner than I’d like, Phoenix.”
A flip of her thick red waves and she sashayed off into the crowd, catching the attention of every guy she passed.
“I gotta learn to walk like that,” I muttered, and made my best attempt as I returned to my seat at the bridal table.
Mom caught my arm halfway there. “If you’re looking for the nearest bathroom, sweetie, it’s out the back and across the lawn to the Carriage House. Can’t miss it.”
Shot for sexy saunter, achieved pee-pee dance. Awesome.
Mom squeezed my arm then went back to her conversation with her cousin whose weird name I never remembered. Tazzy? Taffy? Tappy? No matter, they weren’t paying attention to me anymore anyway.
Once again walking in my normal gait, I weaved through the crowd until I found my seat and flopped down with my elbows on the table. Despite the mountain of catastrophes that had almost ruined this day, it had somehow gone off without a hitch. On the dance floor, locked in each other’s arms, the bride and groom swayed to a Rascal Flatts song. Alaina wiped a bit of frosting left from them feeding each other the cake from Gabe’s cheek and showed it to him. He laughed and licked it off her finger. Grams and Dr. Allyn were also on the dance floor. Her head rested on his shoulder, his hand lingered on her butt. I groaned and averted my eyes. Gross, horny, old people. By the bar a bunch of the football players tried to coax the bartender into handing over a pitcher of beer. The bartenders stoic, thoroughly unamused expression made it clear even from across the room that the teens would have a sober night.
Suddenly a chill tracked down my spine. I didn’t see Kendall. I rose to my feet and performed another sweep of the room with a fresh sense of urgency. A familiar bad feeling sent icy prickles across the back of my neck and down my arms.
That’s when I saw them. Kendall stood by the entrance. A tall, slender man with a sinister, seductive smile had his arm locked tightly around her shoulders. Alec. No, actually Barnabus. Really, the bad guys needed to start wearing nametags.
He dug into the inside breast pocket of his tailored tuxedo and drew something out. I saw a glint of metal and needed no further provocation. I crossed the tent in a blur of speed that blew napkins from tables and twisted my uncle’s bad toupee around.
Terin made it there a second before I did and positioned her body to block my way. Alec’s full lips twisted up in an amused smirk. “Easy, hot head, this has nothing to do with you.”
Before I made the slightest move to prevent it—he plunged a syringe containing a milky white liquid deep into Kendall’s neck. Her eyes widened. Her black painted lips formed a scream that never escaped. I charged for Alec, fully prepared to rip his throat out in front of all the wedding guests.
Terin caught me and held me back as Alec extracted the needle and pocketed it.
“No! Look!” she demanded in an urgent whisper.
Reluctantly, I paused. The warm peaches and cream hue returned to Kendall’s complexion. The sparkle blinked back into her ocean blue eyes.
Alec released his hold on her and Kendall gave a wide-eyed, toothy grin. “Aw! Cee, look at you! You look so pretty! What are you all dressed up for?” She then noticed her surroundings and did a double take. “Wait ... where are we
?”
My forehead creased in confusion. “Gabe and Alaina’s wedding. You don’t remember?”
“I missed the wedding?! But how … ” Her black painted nails started to flutter up to her mouth. She caught sight of them and froze. “What happened to me and who gave me the manicure from hell?”
“What happened is a great question,” I echoed and turned my attention to my former love interest. “What did you do to her?”
“My minions told you they were trying to give the bride and groom a wedding present from me,” he remarked with a casual lift of his shoulder. “That was it. Your sister was attacked by a Spider Demon at a dress shop and became infected. Her wings couldn’t heal this because it was demonic poison. The venom effects emotion—causes moodiness, impulsive and rash behavior, and in her case bad decisions regarding her hair.”
Kendall’s hand flew to her head. Her voice rose to a high-pitched squeak of alarm. “What’s the matter with my hair?!”
“I just injected her with an elixir that cured her of the venom.” Alec’s lips curled up in a malicious grin. “As you kids would say, you owe me one.”
“Seriously! What the freak happened to my hair?!” Keni squawked. Her eyes darted around for a mirrored surface of any kind.
I kept my gaze locked on Alec/Barnabus. “Terin, why don’t you go get my Grams and the two of you take Kendall to the restroom. Be prepared for a fashionista meltdown.”
Terin hesitated, her own warrior nature kept her rooted where she stood.
“Go ahead, Phoenix,” I encouraged. “He didn’t come here to fight. Did you?”
“Not at all. I ask only for one dance.” He offered his arm to me and gave me what he probably considered a charming grin. It missed the mark and came across as skeevy.
Reluctantly, Terin led Keni away. Gabe pulled away from his bride. His lip curled up in a snarl and his wide back rounded. I refused to let their perfect day suffer even a slight disaster. Even if it meant doing the unspeakable …
I held up a hand to reassure Gabe. “One dance. Then you leave and don’t come back.”
“You have my word,” he vowed with a formal bow, then offered his arm to me once more.
Wrong and unnatural is the only way to describe how it felt to link my arm with his and let him lead me to the dance floor. As soon as I stepped onto the glowing floor he twirled me into a classic ballroom dancing stance and waltzed me around the floor with his hand on the small of my back.
I gave a muddled squeak of protest and tried to keep up.
“There was a time you would’ve loved to get lost in my arms.” He grinned.
“There was a time when you didn’t overuse hair products. Things change.”
His pungent aftershave assaulted my nostrils as he leaned in to whisper, “I’ve always appreciated your sharp tongue, girl.”
“And I appreciated burying one of your own talons deep into your chest.” I pulled back and searched the planes of his face for traces of my long lost friend. “Tell me, how did you weasel your way into Alec’s body anyway?”
Pride straightened his spine and oozed from his smirk. “I told you once that I had tricks, girl. You destroyed my body, but left a perfectly good—if slightly bloody—one lying right outside the door. Settling my spirit into him was easy enough considering you practically gift wrapped him for me.”
I hated to ask this question but had to know. “Is … is he still in there somewhere?”
“Oh, he’s here.” He nodded and twirled me around like a rag doll. “Buried deep. He rarely fights to the surface like he used to. You know, I think you may have broken his heart that day in the hospital when he pleaded for your help.”
I jerked out of his arms. My hands balled into fists so tightly my nails sliced into my palms. “Shut up. Don’t you dare … ”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.” Barnabus waved his finger side-to-side then caught me by the waist and pulled me back to him. “I didn’t come here to fight. If I had I wouldn’t have saved your sister.”
“Why did you come here?” I asked and fought the urge to close my eyes as he spun me in yet another dizzying turn.
“A demonic war is coming. Surely, you know that.” He gave a nod and a wink to Gabe when we waltzed past him and Alaina. My brother’s chest puffed up and a faint growl rumbled past his lips.
“One you’re starting with all your newly formed minions. How many innocent people have you stolen from their lives to turn into your slaves?”
“I gave their pointless lives meaning!” For a second his cool façade faltered and rage broke through. As quick as it came on, he blinked it away. His smile—as smooth and deadly as the blade of a sword—returned. “I have a score to settle with the Countess. She set me up and got me killed. For that she will pay.”
“She wants you dead, you want her dead, and I want you both dead. You two kill each other and I’m off the hook for this whole Conduit business. That being said, I gotta know, why tell me this? What does any of it have to do with me?”
He peered at me with intensity in his cobalt eyes that bordered on psychotic. “Because I want you to fight by my side.”
I snorted a loud, rather unfeminine laugh. “I’m sorry, what? You’re kidding right?”
“No, my dear. I’m deadly serious.”
"And what makes you think I would ever do that?”
Barnabus stopped dancing and leaned in close enough for his cheek to graze mine. His hot breath warmed my neck as he whispered, “Because … I can give you your boyfriend back.”
Presenting:
The Gryphon Series
Art Gallery
Carved from one solid piece of wood was a creature I had never seen before. Its head and wings were that of a bird, but it had the body of a predatory cat. It stood assertive and proud—chest out, feet planted wide. Its head was thrown back as if in a roar.
-excerpt from The Conduit
Illustrated by Crystal Ord
“We’ve been looking for you, Celeste. Your blood on the carving confirmed your identity. The changes will begin now. Not just for you, but for Gabe and Kendall as well. There is no stopping it. I am here to guide you, to help you.”
-excerpt from The Conduit
Illustrated by Crystal Ord
Our odd trio—the lion, the angel and … me—came together. Cloaked by darkness, we made our way across the sleeping campus with determined strides and steeled nerves … for the most part.
-excerpt from The Conduit
Illustrated by Crystal Ord
Thick scales covered its narrow, reptilian face. Its menacing, yellow-slitted eyes bore down at us. A forked tongue flicked out from between jagged, yardstick-sized teeth.
-excerpt from The Conduit
Illustrated by Robert Immings
The lower half of my professor’s face split down the middle. With a sickening slurp teeth, bone, and flesh pulled away. The insides of his mouth curled back by his ears to release a long, black snake-like tongue with its own set of jagged fangs.
-excerpt from Embrace
Illustrated by Robert Immings
They exchanged determined looks and resolute nods that made my eyes roll. It was Eddie that enthused, “We’re the Dark Army Glee Club!”
-excerpt from Embrace
Illustrated by Robert Immings
If I were to draw an angel of wrath it would look exactly as he did in that moment. His broad and battered chest exposed. Eyes blazing. Strong jaw set. A gust of wind blowing the ebony locks back from his face. “Do these look like the badges of a star pupil?”
-excerpt from Embrace
Illustrated by Crystal Ord
Caleb’s normally pale skin was chalk white. Black veins tracked just below the surface of his skin like a satanic road map. The emerald was gone from his eyes. In its place emanated the haunted black of a Seeker.
-excerpt from Embrace
Illustrated by Crystal Ord
I used to have an irrational fear of garden gnomes. Then I m
et one. Turns out it wasn’t so irrational. They’re evil little jerks.
-excerpt from Sacrifice
Illustrate by Robert Immings
Purple, pink, and gold zigzags decorated the sky. Their image reflected off the water turning it the color of melted gold. “It’s gorgeous.”
“As are you, my love.” He dotted a kiss just below my ear.
I snuggled deeper into his arms and watched as the sun disappeared behind the water’s edge and the sky darkened.
-excerpt from Sacrifice
Illustrated by Crystal Ord
“My best guess is that at some point a bat and a water buffalo got together and had a love child that could miraculously walk on two legs.” With one arm still defensively raised, I pointed with the opposite hand. “That would be their love spawn.”
-excerpt from Sacrifice
Illustrated by Robert Immings
Rowan gazed over his shoulder at his shirt draped over the back of a chair. “So, I wouldn’t have to wear the monkey suit and there’s the possibility of violence?”
“Absolutely. You should put your shirt on!” That came out more of a high-pitched desperate plea than intended.
-excerpt from Sacrifice
Illustrate by Crystal Ord
The bedroom light glistened off olive green scales as the dragon swung his massive head my way. He folded his tiny T-rex arms on the window ledge and leaned in. “Not any more. I ate them.”
-excerpt from Ascension