The Conduit (The Gryphon Series Book 1)

by Stacey Rourke

  “Cool! It’s like a little movie,” Kendall chirped.

  I elbowed her in the ribs. “Shhh. Is that you?” I pointed to an auburn-haired girl of about fourteen that had stepped out from the most modest of the homes.

  “It is,” Alaina said sadly. The Alaina from the fire movie held a beautiful, cherub-faced boy of no more than six in her arms. A raven-haired woman stepped up behind her and hurried them both out of the house. “That is my brother and my mother.”

  Before I could ask what happened to them, a fully dressed man with a sheathed sword slung beneath his big ole Santa belly began to hush the townsfolk. He had a mass of curly, auburn hair that blended right into his bushy beard.

  When the people quieted, he spoke in a thick Irish brogue. “There are roughly two hundred soldiers on horseback headed straight for us. They’re armed with broad swords, axes, and arrows. The few weapons we have will be no match against their armor.”

  An old, grey-haired woman with a long braid down her back and a face that could scare children squeezed her way through the crowd. “What do we do? Can we run?”

  “We’ll ne’er get out of the gorge in time,” the man beside her answered, shaking his head. “They have us cornered.”

  “Adara! Cadence!” the curly-haired man boomed. “Hitch four horses up to the wagon in my barn. Now! Move!”

  Two young women in long, flowing nightgowns darted off. The man then walked over to young Alaina, squeezed her shoulder, and stroked the cheek of her brother.

  Alaina answered the unspoken question. “My father.”

  His strong voice quaked as he laid out his plan. “We will load the children into the wagon and hold off the army so they can escape.”

  With somber resolve the villagers hitched up the horses and began their tearful goodbyes. Heartbroken parents loaded their sobbing and confused children into the wagon, unsure if they would ever see them again. The last child to be loaded was Alaina’s own brother.

  Tears streamed down his pink cheeks as he called out for his mama. His small hands clung to her clothing. Alaina had to pry his hands free and then held her mother tightly to prevent her from scooping him out of the wagon. Her mother collapsed on the ground wailing as the wagon pulled away.

  A lone tear streaked down our Alaina’s face. “That was the last time I saw my brother. Or any of the children for that matter.”

  “This is so awful!” Keni hiccupped and wiped her nose on her sleeve. “It’s worse than watching Titanic!”

  The village men grabbed their swords and positioned themselves at the edge of town as the echo of thundering hoofbeats drew near. The women clung to each other trembling and openly praying. Together they prayed for their loved ones to be spared. For the children to reach safety. For mercy. For…a miracle.

  A flurry of chaotic activity erupted within the village. Fabric ripped. Women shrieked. A burst of feathers. Men crumbling to the ground. The roar of a lion, followed by another, and another.

  “Uh…what the heck just happened?” Gabe asked.

  “Just watch.” Alaina’s eyes were intently fixed on the scene.

  The incoming horde of soldiers trembled in their metal boots when they saw what awaited them within the village—a pride of lions and a flock of winged women. In spite of their fear, the soldiers attacked. Arrows sliced through the air. One hit an ivory wing and bounced right off.

  “That’s the moment we figured out our feathers were impenetrable,” Alaina commented. “We became the lions’ shields.”

  Lions sprang at the soldiers, their monstrous paws knocking them from their horses. An elaborately armored soldier shouted to burn the village. He had to be Barnabus. Torches were cast onto the rooftops, setting the homes ablaze. Busy battling the army, the villagers could do nothing to prevent it. The younger Alaina snatched a soldier right off his horse, flew him high off the ground, and dropped him.

  I looked up at Alaina. “Nice move.”

  She lived through the battle, but still couldn’t tear her eyes off of it. “He did not die. At least not that day or by my hands.”

  Even with their new gifts, the villagers were losing ground. Dozens of soldiers would team up against one lion. They closed in on them in tight circles and blocked any protection the feathered women could offer. I squeezed my eyes shut as one of the mighty cats howled in pain, then crumpled to the ground in a bloody heap.

  A deafening screech pierced through the night. My eyes snapped open. After a brief moment of panic, I realized the sound came from within the flames. Soldiers and villagers alike froze as a menacing-looking creature flew over the burning town and landed in the heart of the battle. His enormous wings arced up behind him as he glared down his beak at the soldiers. That pull I felt when I touched the statue in the garage returned with a vengeance. I leaned closer to the flames. I wanted to know every nuance and color change of his feathers, the consistency of his fur, the shade of his eyes, whether his scent was feline or avian, everything. However, unless I wanted to stick my head directly into the fire, these precise details would elude me.

  Beside me, Keni crinkled her nose. “What the heck is that thing?”

  Alaina opened her mouth to answer, but I beat her to it. “That’s the Gryphon. The Protector of the Divine.”

  “He’s a badass.” I had to agree with Gabe as the Gryphon tossed soldiers around like ragdolls.

  He towered over the soldiers’ horses. As he stalked toward them the spooked equine reared up and bolted, whether their riders stayed on or not. With his help the villagers finally began to overpower the army. Some of the once indentured soldiers took advantage of a weaker Barnabus and turned on their captors with unexpected vigor.

  Either a steel or feathered shield blocked every blow. The swipe of a flesh-shredding claw or the swing of a blade matched every attack. Some soldiers lost their lives while others surrendered and ran. When it became obvious he couldn’t win, Barnabus ordered his troops to fall back. They gratefully obliged.

  Barnabus himself hesitated before making his escape. He raised one armor clad arm in the air and pointed at the Gryphon. “This isn’t over beast!” He then yanked his horse’s head around and galloped off.

  Except for the snaps and hisses of the burning homes, there was silence. All the villagers turned to the Gryphon. He stared off after Barnabus long after the evil man vanished into the night. Sorrow clouded his eyes. From the cluster of people, a young girl stepped forward. She looked about the same age as Kendall. Her slender frame seemed dwarfed by her long, mahogany locks and the new feathered appendages that fanned out behind her as she walked. The other villagers gaped at her courage as she approached the Gryphon and laid her delicate hand on his shoulder.

  “Thank you for your aid. And for the gifts you bestowed on us.” With a slight nod, she motioned to her wings. The Gryphon craned his head around to see her. She flinched, but didn’t shy away. “May I ask what is troubling you in the wake of our victory?”

  With a deep, resonate voice, the villagers’ champion spoke. “I can feel the obsession that has formed in that man at the discovery of me. He will hunt me down. Of that, I am sure. A war will follow if I am to fulfill my destiny and protect my charges.”

  “And if he captures you?”

  The Gryphon’s feathers ruffled, then smoothed. “If the receptacles of divinity that I guard fall into his hands, the balance of good and evil would tip in favor of darkness.”

  She couldn’t let him fight alone! Not after how he saved them!

  As if my thoughts willed her into action, a look of steely determination overcame her dainty features. “You didn’t let us stand alone, and I will not let you.”

  The Gryphon snapped his beak and shook his enormous head. “No. This war will rage on long after your mortal life has ended. I have foreseen it.”

  “Then my heirs shall take up the cause as well!” The girl lifted her soot-covered nightgown enough to allow herself the movement needed to go down on one knee. She stretched her win
gs out behind her and pressed her fist over her heart. “It is my pledge to you that the O’Garren family will join you in this crusade. My people will be your warriors until we find victory or death.”

  Goosebumps sprang up on my arms. I knew the name O’Garren. I had uncovered it during a genealogy project at school. A few generations later it had been changed to Garrett.

  “The human spirit never ceases to amaze me. You, lass, are a shining example of that.” The Gryphon swung his impressive frame around to face her full on. “My acceptance comes with strict conditions. The first is that I will only call upon your family if all other choices are exhausted. The next—I will choose only three. One will be the Protector, to shield against danger. One will be the Guardian, to fight with raw determination. The third will be my Conduit, the chosen mortal I will channel my powers through. Together they will be warriors on Earth.”

  The girl’s hair fell in a curtain around her as she bowed her head in agreement.

  The scene faded away, and the fire extinguished itself down to embers.

  CHAPTER 14

  Gabe prowled the length of the clearing in agitation. “So because of some stupid deal an ancestor of ours, about a million times removed made, we have to fight for this half-bird, half-cat thing?”

  “To over simplify a complex matter, yes.” Alaina said with a serene smile.

  Gabe stopped in front of her and planted his feet. “Explain to me why this is our problem? I watched your little fire skit.” He waved his arm at the still smoldering embers. “That Gryphon’s a big, scary dude. Why does he need us to fight for him? Why can’t he fend for himself?”

  Alaina’s smile vanished. Her head twitched to the side in a bird-like manner. “He is not allowed on this plane of existence. He should not have ventured here to save our town, yet he did. Believe me when I say there were repercussions for that above and beyond this matter with Barnabus. Yet he had hoped to eradicate this issue himself. Unfortunately, that was not to be. Barnabus’ obsession led him to seek help. He sought out a mysterious woman with a vast supply of mystical power. Very little is known about her, but we know she goes by the title of Countess. Rumor has it she once held regal stature until her ties to the dark arts were discovered. Children in her village went missing. It was believed she sacrificed them to unholy forces in exchange for greater powers. A torch and pitchfork-wielding horde chased her into exile where Barnabus found her. He told her of the Gryphon, and she agreed to help him. She ordered him to gather all his men and bring them to her. Their Dark Army assembled…then vanished.”

  “Vanished?” I gasped. I hadn’t even noticed I’d been holding my breath.

  With her hands behind her back, Alaina paced in front of us. “We believe the Countess took them all to the Underworld but cannot confirm this. Only demons, devils, and other malevolent beings can venture there. Since then, we have relied on the occasional informant to get whispers of what they are doing. This is how we learned of the impending attack.”

  “We?” Kendall asked, her arms wrapped tightly around herself.

  “Yes, we. My family was massacred that terrible day. I begged the Gryphon to take me with him to the Spirit Plane. My heroism in my village qualified me for a position as a Spirit Guide, and here I am.”

  “Kudos on the promotions and all, but I don’t understand why all this is happening now.” Keni’s voice was rapidly transitioning into a full out whine. “Centuries have passed! Why couldn’t they attack sooner, like before we were born? Or better yet, why can’t they just let it go?”

  “In alternate dimensions such as the Underworld or the Spirit Plane, time passes differently. A rapid succession there takes centuries here. As sorry as I am to say, a battle is imminent.”

  A fire raged in my brother’s eyes. “If it’s the Gryphon that Barnabus wants, then I say let him have him! Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t just walk away?”

  Alaina crossed to Gabe. She didn’t shy away but met his gaze with passionate resolution. “You have been chosen and that cannot be undone. You can accept that and prepare yourself, or you can sit idly by and wait for them to find and kill you. Your powers will emerge and once they do, they will draw the Dark Army to you like a lighthouse beacon. The choice is yours.”

  “Uh, that’s not much of a choice,” Kendall squeaked.

  “And you really believe we can take down an entire army?” A hard lump of disbelief seemed to be lodged in my throat.

  She didn’t hesitate for a second. “If you let me train you, you can.”

  Gabe, Kendall, and I looked from one to the other and back again. Kendall nodded. I nodded. Gabe groaned. “All right. Arm us with knowledge.”

  “As I explained three are chosen: the Protector, the Guardian, and the Conduit. The Protector is the essence of the eagle.” Another bird-like twitch as Alaina looked to Kendall. “She will take the same form the women of my village did—a winged heroine. The Protector is a creature of love that uses their flight, impenetrable wings, and healing feathers to protect those they love.”

  “I’m going to grow wings and fly?”

  “It appears that is your calling, yes.”

  Keni twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “Hmm…I’m going to have to seriously reconsider my wardrobe options.”

  Alaina seemed uncertain of how to respond to that. She opted to ignore it and move on to Gabe. “The Guardian, the sentry to the Conduit, takes the form of the lion. Their brute strength and raw, feline instincts make them a formidable adversary to any that means to harm their charges.”

  “I’m going to turn into a big, hairy lion?” Gabe jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans. One corner of his mouth pulled back in a smirk. “That’s actually kinda cool.”

  “So that means Celeste is the…what did you call it?” Kendall asked.

  Alaina’s avian eyes zeroed in on me. “She is the Conduit.”

  I shifted uncomfortably. “What does that mean? What’s gonna happen to me?”

  Her shoulders and wings shrugged simultaneously. “That I do not know.”

  “What?” Everyone else knew exactly what was in store for them. It seemed cruel and unfair that she couldn’t offer me that same courtesy.

  “Don’t you live with the Gryphon? Didn’t he clue you in on his plans for me before he booted your butt to earth?”

  She held up one finger to correct me. “I live on the Spirit Plane where the Gryphon resides, but we are not roommates. And I do not know what it means for you because you will only be given talents and abilities as the need arises. Your circumstances will decide your path, and that I cannot predict.”

  “Crappy excuse for a guide you are,” I grumbled.

  “Have you not yet received any talents?”

  “You know I have. I’m an empathe. You left me a nifty little note about it, remember?”

  “Note?”

  “Yeah.” I reached into the backpack and pulled out the note I had thrown in on a whim. I handed it to Alaina and watched her eagle eyes flick across the scroll as she read.

  Her brows lowered. Her lips set in a firm line. “I did not give this to you. I have no answers as to who did. But…you can read this?”

  “Of course I can read it. Why wouldn’t I be able to?”

  Kendall jumped up and strode to Alaina. She peaked over her shoulder at my note. “Oh, yeah, that’s not English.”

  I scrambled to my feet. “What? Of course it is!”

  Alaina handed me the paper. “The empathe feels the emotions of others. This power is meant to guide by ‘listening’ to those in need of aid.” I read out-loud. “Seriously, are you guys messing with me?”

  “Celeste.” Alaina’s tone was patient, if slightly bewildered. “That is written in Gaelic.”

  “No it’s not,” I argued and checked the scroll again.

  “An Bhfuil Gaeilige agat on will gale-geh ah-gut?”

  “Gesundheit.”

  She looked at me like she wanted to tie me to a table an
d do experiments on me. “Fascinating. You cannot speak the language, but you can read it.”

  I threw my hands in the air in frustration. “Well, what the heck does that mean? And who left me this note?”

  “It means someone else is attempting to guide and influence you.” Alaina’s delicate jaw tightened as she spoke. “As we do not know who it is or what their motives are, this is a matter of great worry.”

  I held the parchment between two fingers and eyed it like it was a snake about to strike. “Someone that may want me dead left a note on my pillow? Fantastic. Anyway we can tell the Gryphon about this, so he can zap me a method to protect myself?”

  Alaina folded her hands in front of her. “He already knows. He keeps an ongoing link with your thoughts, so he is aware of any situation that may require his attention. When he knows you are in need, he will grant you the power.”

  The Gryphon was in my head? The “Protector of the Divine” rummaged around in my thoughts whenever he felt like it? I tried to think back to where my mind may have wandered since my bump on the cranium. No doubt there had been some unsavory stuff in there.

  Alaina noticed the sweat that broke out across my forehead and my pained expression. She took my hand in hers. Her touch was unbelievably soft, like the whisper of a feather being dragged over my skin.

  “Celeste, he only uses your thoughts and experiences to be his eyes and ears here on earth. He does not pry any further than that or pass any judgments.”

  “But…but…I’m eighteen! Teenagers…as a rule…think dirty stuff!” The hyperventilation portion of my panic attack approached right on schedule.

  With an exasperated sigh, Gabe grabbed the back of my neck and shoved my head between my knees. “Breathe, you dope.”

  “Is she okay?” Kendall tried to brush my hair back off my face. I swatted her hands away. “She turned kind of grey.”

  “She’s fine. She just needs to grow a pair and deal with it.” Gabe joyfully reveled in the opportunity to throw my own words back at me.