Kendall, who had spent most of the flight complaining her wings were tired, now seemed to have forgotten her gripe entirely. She spun in a circle, gaping. Grams whistled through her teeth. An enormous, three-headed reptile squawked in response as it swooped overhead, close enough to blow our hair back with the air that whooshed from its massive wings.
“Did I call it?” Gram’s eyes popped open wide enough for her false lashes to tangle in her hairline. “Goodness, I hope that wasn’t a mating call.”
“Don’t know.” Big Mike shook out his wings and retracted them through the slits cut in his black leather vest. “Never heard it make that noise before. But it did have a gleam in its eye, didn’t it?” A hint of a smile threatened to crack the stern set of the winged biker’s mouth.
Gram’s gulped and hid between Gabe and I.
A fluttering of orange and yellow flashed in my peripheral vision. I whipped around in time to see a butterfly in a top hat flap over Gabe’s shoulder.
“Spiffy shirt,” it remarked with a jaunty tip of the hat and flew on.
“You gave this place up to be with me?” Gabe spun on Alaina, his eyes bulging with excitement. “Babe, I’m really not that cool!”
Alaina forced a tight smile at his exuberance. It quickly vanished as she cast a leery glance at the vast forest before us. A green pallor that rivaled the lush landscape tinted her milky white skin. Her hand hovered over her stomach protectively. “I forgot without wings it’s a three mile walk to town.”
Gabe’s chest puffed out in full macho bravado. “No worries, if you get tired you can stroll into your former home on the back of a majestic lion.”
Keni’s head cocked to the side, her pink bangs dangled in her eyes. “Why take the chance of not finding one, Gabe? Why not just let her ride on your back?”
Gabe’s mouth opened, but he quickly clamped it shut. His brow furrowed as he murmured out of the side of his mouth, “She’s not being funny, is she? She seriously didn’t get it?”
“Get what?” Keni chirped.
“There’s a reason you have no memories of Keni being on the honor roll.”
“Hey!”
Our banter was interrupted when Grams wobbled up beside me and clamped a hand on my shoulder to steady herself. She plucked one sparkly four inch stiletto from her foot and scraped out the grass and soil lodged between the heel and sole.
I pressed my lips together and stared at her from under raised brows.
“What? I could run a mile in these if I had to and still maintain my strut,” she muttered and shoved her shoe back on.
I sucked air through my teeth. “Yeah, I’ve seen you try to run in those. That’s not a strut, it’s more of an ogre stomp. Real classy.”
“Oh, you’re all about the class, huh?” She turned on one impossibly high heel and pointed back in the direction we came in. “So, that was the picture of elegance we saw back at the golf course? Because it looked to me like a ticked off honey badger.”
“He left me tied to a table, with gnomes as far as the eye could see!” I waved my arm as if the league of ankle high terrors loomed before me. “You’re darn right I went honey badger on him!”
“Ahem,” Terin interrupted, her lips pinched tight. Annoyance sharpened her tone. “If we’re going to make it in time for the ceremony we need to get moving.” With determined strides, she forged ahead.
“If this is such a long walk why don’t you guys use horses for the commute?” Gabe asked.
Terin, Alaina, and Big Mike simultaneously halted and spun on him. “No horses!”
Their resolute chorus stunned the rest of us into a confused silence.
Big Mike snorted like a ticked off buffalo, then jerked his head for us all to march on.
Obediently, we obliged.
“This is not an equine friendly environment,” I muttered to Grams as I grasped her elbow to help her along.
We trekked north, through a manic forest, encountering more dapper insects, cordial plant life, and creatures that defied description. Each step further into this overgrown wonderland seemed to hold new surprises for us to marvel at.
“Oh my gosh! It’s Tinker Bell!” Keni shrieked and did frantic jazz-hands as a pretty little blonde fairy wisped over her shoulder.
The fairy scowled. Her lip curled back in a hiss that revealed a mouthful of razor sharp teeth.
Terin swooped in front of Kendall. With one arm, she shoved my sister behind her. “Our humblest apologies. She meant it as a compliment.”
The fairy flipped us a very un-Disney like hand gesture before flapping off with her nose in the air.
“Fairies here can turn your skin to tree bark,” Terin warned over her shoulder. “And they’re incredibly ornery. Keep your distance.”
Keni’s cheeks reddened. She hooked her arm through mine and forcefully yanked me to her side. “Walk with me.”
“You can’t possibly be scared. This place is amazing!” I gushed.
Her bangs fell into her eyes as she shook her head. “It’s not that. If that fairy comes back, I need you to clap a hand over my mouth. I can’t control myself and I cannot pull off the tree bark look.”
“Fair enough,” I giggled and linked my arm with hers.
The tree-line widened around us, until it exploded out into a wide-open floral field. Keni and I paused, awestricken by the marvelous techno-color bouquet that towered over us.
“Watch out for these flowers. They’re fresh,” Alaina, astride her lion chauffer, called out as they ambled passed.
The head of one massive red rose pivoted our way. “Hey, baby, come on over here. I’m feeling thorny.” The bloom leered and winked one indigo eye.
“See,” Alaina gestured with one palm out, “always fresh.”
She threw a judgmental glare at the flower. It raised its leaves in a casual shrug, but the seductive smirk never left its petaled lips.
“Let’s never leave,” Keni gasped.
Chapter 5
Our trek passed quickly as we marveled at the magic that dripped from each drop of dew and sprouted from each flower in this awe inspiring wonderland. Aqua tinted trees broke up ahead, allowing the city to swell before us. It didn’t snuff out the fantastical forest, but interwined with it in an enchanting opus of nature and dwelling, serenity and settlement. Dirt-packed ground peppered with rocks and leaves gave way to a flat stone road that led into a town straight out of a story book. Townspeople clad in ivory robes busily milled about in front of cobblestone shops and cottages. In the center of town one structure rose above all others.
“What is that?” Gabe nodded at the towering structure as he morphed back to human and stepped into the boxer shorts Alaina carried for him.
“That’s the Council Temple.” Big Mike shoved a fresh cigar between his teeth and flicked his stainless steel lighter open to light it. He inhaled a long drag before adding, “All Council business takes place right there.”
Three stark white peaks jutted up toward the sky—the largest in the center with twin crests on either side. Trumpeting angels, carved vines, and embellished crosses, all of polished gold, added their heavenly accent to the doors, window frames, and moldings. The powerful aura of the building was softened slightly by the rich green ivy and lavender climbing flowers that twined their way up the sides, almost reaching the base of the lower peaks.
Kendall leaned in and tightened her grip on my arm. “I don’t want to go in there. They can turn people into lions, without even looking at them.”
Big Mike shrugged off his leather vest and replaced it with a robe he’d retrieved from his satchel. Under less grey circumstances I would’ve found his tattoo and toga combo comical. Today was not that day. “Lucky for you the funeral is around back in the Cloud Garden.”
A jerk of his head was our only cue to follow. Residents smiled warmly as we passed. Most of them appeared human, while some maintained their more avian likeness. A regal looking blonde transformed into a dove as she passed. I swiveled around
to watch her flap to a high branch to roost. Here there was no reason to hide; abilities of any kind could be displayed with pride. Inwardly, I grumbled at how nice that must be for them.
Terin caught up with me as Big Mike led us through the street and across the temple yard. “Only members of the Council stay in the temple. The rest of us live down there.” She jerked her chin down the stone street toward town.
“Which one is yours?”
“See that little apothecary store?” Her milky white arm extended in front of me as she pointed to a two story store front with forest green shutters and a matching awning.
I nodded my confirmation.
“I live in the apartment above it.”
“Oh? And how do they feel about your demon pal, Rowan, visiting you there?” I cringed at the jealous flare that somehow snuck its way into my tone.
Terin flicked her pointed tongue across her teeth. A victorious smile curled across her lips. “Careful, Gryphon girl. You’re feline side is showing.” Her laughter trailed off as she jogged to catch up with Big Mike.
“Careful, Phoenix girl. Your flaming witch side is showing,” I muttered under my breath.
Gabe sauntered up beside me and purposely bumped me with his meaty forearm. “Her’s was better.”
My mouth twisted in annoyance. “I hope you get fleas.”
Conversation stilled as we rounded the side of the temple. Jasmine wafted in the air, beckoning us closer with its enchanting allure. Mosaic pavers of Celtic scrolls, crosses, and knots led us to a stone staircase. White wisps teased along the base of a cement staircase that arched up into a small stone bridge. At the other end, it opened to an intricately carved gazebo decorated with twinkling white lights set against a backdrop of flowers and greenery. Normally such a gazebo would be the centerpiece of beauty, but not here. My breath caught at the view over the bridge rail. Waves of fluffy, white clouds rolled, churned, and danced their way around the bridge and gazebo. Pillows of soft, billowing fluff extended as far as the eye could see.
Keni leaned over the rail to hook her finger in a passing cumulus puff. “It’s so cold!” She giggled.
The rough, stone rail scratched across my stomach as I joined my sister and dipped my fingers in the moist, chilly air that brushed against my fingertips.
Big Mike bumped me with his shoulder hard enough that I had to catch hold of the rail before I tumbled off the bridge. “Come on. They’re about to begin.”
“But there’s no one he …” My argument trailed off as a huge flock, containing every kind of bird imaginable, swooped in and landed in the gazebo. Eagles, hawks, cranes, flamingos, doves, cardinals … the list went on and on. In bright flashes of light they morphed to human and took their seats in the white linen covered chairs arranged for the ceremony.
Big Mike ushered the rest of our group to a row of seats in the back, but Terin caught my arm and held me back. “She was your muse. You get to say a special goodbye.”
I glanced up, down, left and right. There was a crucial piece of this puzzle missing. “Is … is she here now? Do I just shout it out?”
Terin’s eyebrow raised quizzically. “Do you see her?”
“Am I supposed to? I’m sorry. I got hit on by a flower today, and I don’t really know what’s happening.”
“Fair enough.” Terin caught my chin between her index finger and thumb and pointed it toward the far side of the gazebo.
Six beautiful, chestnut-haired women—all bearing a striking resemblance to Sophia—floated across the sea of clouds. They were a vision of beauty in their knee length, white togas. Wreaths of flowers encircled their ankles, waists, and wrists, while solitary blooms floated within the waves of their hair. At shoulder height, they carried Sophia on her pedestal. The clouds beneath their feet moved and rolled with them, drawing them to the gazebo with an effortless grace. The clouds billowed onto the gazebo and formed a base that the muse’s gently laid their sleeping sister upon.
Terin’s hand linked with mine. Reluctant as I was, I let her lead me to Sophia’s side. A lump rose in my throat that I struggled to swallow down. This was the third funeral I’d ever attended: my grandfather, my father, and now my friend. They never got easier.
There she was—my beautiful muse—surrounded by flowers. The trendy clothing she adored replaced by a white robe cinched at the waist by a golden cord. White daises had been tucked into the curls that framed her face. Death robbed the cinnamon tint from her flesh, leaving it a soft, creamy mocha.
While everyone else sat, Big Mike stood at the foot of Sophia’s altar, protectively standing guard. His pecks flexed as he clasped his hands behind his back, his jaw locked and tense. For a moment he let his gaze sweep over Sophia. What he saw there prompted a transformation to statue-like stillness and a fixed stare straight ahead. I took Sophia’s cold hand in mine as my thoughts wandered to the night she died. During our last conversation, Sophia had admitted she had feelings for Big Mike. If mutual attraction was to blame for the way he hovered over her, there was no point in asking or bringing it to light. Whatever might have been was snuffed out with Sophia’s final breath. Tears filled my eyes and spilled over down my cheeks.
“It’s time,” Terin whispered. “We don’t do eulogies here, however we do allow the person closest to the deceased to take a piece of their loved one with them.”
“Like break off a toe?” Alarm bolstered my voice to a high-pitched screech only dogs could hear.
A few Guides nearby tittered with laughter.
Terin’s brow creased as her face folded in a judgmental frown. “It’s deeply disturbing that’s the first place your mind went. No, you can carry a bit of her essence with you. If you’d like?”
I peered down at Sophia and let my fingers twirl into the end of one of her curls. My friend. Who refused to lose me to the hermit lifestyle I tried so hard to submerse myself in. Who introduced me to Caleb because she saw past his demonic essence and straight into his heart. And who noticed Rowan’s developing feelings when I had been too blind to see it. I didn’t want to carry on without her, much less ask the question of how I would.
I lowered my chin in a slight nod. “Yes, very much so.”
“The process is simple.” Terin held up two fingers. She pantomimed touching Sophia’s heart, then pressed those same two fingers to her own forehead. “Repeat the words, ‘In my thoughts and’,” her hand curved down to her heart, “‘in my heart forever’. That’s all you have to do.”
I took a deep, cleansing breath and exhaled through pursed lips. My hand visibly trembled as I lowered two fingers to Sophia’s stilled heart. A simple brushed touch was all it took for glittering gold to illuminate the tips of my fingers.
“In my thoughts,” prickles, like pulses of electricity, warmed my forehead, “and in my heart,” my heart gave an abrupt stutter-start as my fingers skimmed over my breast bone, “forever.”
The crowd echoed my words and actions, “In our thoughts and in our hearts forever.”
Light cracked through Sophia’s mocha skin and poured out of her, glaring brighter than the mid-day sun. I raised my arm to shield my eyes. As quickly as it began, the gush of illumination dimmed. By the time I glanced back, Sophia was gone. In the wake of her absence a potent new feeling dawned inside of me. Its intoxicating rush coursed through me, setting urgent fire to all the passions I forced myself to squelch. An abrupt bark of laughter tore from my throat before I could even attempt to stifle it.
Terin’s head cocked. “What did she give you?”
“I wanna go back to school! I wanna draw! I wanna save the world! I wanna kiss a boy, and I want to do it all right now!” The words gushed out with a speed and high-octane excitement that shocked even me.
Big Mike side-stepped further away.
“I’m so giddy, I’m not even going to take that personally!” I clamped my mouth firmly shut at how inappropriate a statement like that was at a funeral. Heat instantly stained my cheeks a glowing crimson.
&nbs
p; Laughter rippled through the crowd. Terin gave me a comforting pat on the back. “We celebrate life here instead of mourning death. There’s no need to feel bad for your reaction. She was your muse and this was her chance to inspire you one last time. Let her influence be your guide.”
The clouds that formed Sophia’s pedestal dissipated, rolling across the gazebo floor to rejoin their kind in soft waves that rose and fell through the building crests of the garden. “I will. I owe her that. So, what happens now?”
There was no mistaking Terin’s nervous energy as she cast a weary glance toward the temple. “Normally, we have a feast of remembrance. Today … the Council has something special planned.” Orange flames flickered to life in the center of Terin’s irises. “We’re heading to the arena.”
Chapter 6
“This is so exciting!” I bubbled as I bounced on the balls of my feet.
“Sense the mood of the room, Cee.” Kendall waved an arm at the throngs of people staring down from the surrounding stands. “We’re in an arena. A structure specifically designed for the infliction of pain … or occasionally host a tiny car full of clowns. But I really don’t think that’s the case!”
At the far end of the arena trained warriors flipped, turned, and twirled in an impressive demonstration. The men, all movie star handsome, wore white cotton drawstring pants that hung low on their hips. The ladies were no slouches in the looks department, either. Their shell tops cinched at the waist and white shorts, that sat about three inches higher than my own comfort zone, matched those Keni and I had been begrudgingly shoved into. A tall, taut blonde with a thick rope braid linked hands with a shirtless hunk. As he spun her in a wide arc, her long legs fanned out in an effective scissor kick. Her target, a specimen of yumminess with rippling muscles and a shaved head, avoided the strike with a quick back hand-spring.
Ascension (The Gryphon Series) Page 3
