Calli lifted her brows. Isa caused the dilemma Darrien found himself in, but she somehow decided she was doing him a favor by reversing it. Her demented expectations of how this night would end astounded her. This woman, who claimed she loved Darrien, didn't know him at all. Calli had spent a day and a night with the man and the Gryphon, and she knew without a doubt that Darrien wouldn't want 'hell on earth' just to save his hide.
If only Darrien could stop Isa, but she had no way of knowing how fast he'd heal from a gunshot wound once the change took place. Would he be up to full strength and able to take on a Gryphon bent on making all her wishes come true, and the rest of the world be damned?
Her throat ached with regret. She most likely wouldn't make it out of this alive even if Darrien could miraculously find her, and those chances were slim. Nerdy Darrien and Beastie Darrien didn't share memories. His nighttime version will most likely believe she'd left town while he was frozen as a statue. He'd have no reason to hunt her down since she left Hecate's Stone behind, and by the time it all became clear, it would be too late. Isa would have already killed her and history would repeat itself.
Dying would really suck big time, but her heart went out to Darrien. He was convinced she'd been his wife in a past life, and with her death tonight, he would believe he failed her again.
Chapter Seventeen
Darrien sputtered to life in his Gryphon state, the pain in his chest causing him to screech, the piping sound descending into a high pitched keen. He clawed at the offensive wound with his talons, expelling the bullet lodged there. Then he shifted to his human existence and fell to his knees, but the magic of the shift was already doing its job, healing the damage the bullet had caused. Tissue mended and the hole knitted together, leaving only a slight discoloration where the bullet had entered.
Still in a crouched position and his muscles tense and ready for anything, he made a quick visual sweep of the museum. Silence rang like the toll of a bell, making it just as deafening in its lack of sound. A gunfight of some sort must have taken place while he stood in his stone-like state. His fingers rubbed the scar on his chest, wondering how a stray bullet came so close to penetrating his heart. Most amazing, how had it affected him when he'd been in his cursed state, a statue and not flesh? Where had Calli been when this all took place? Closing his eyes, he breathed in deeply, hoping to pick up her delicate scent, but instead the metallic coppery smell of violence gagged him.
"Blood," he murmured. Lots of it. Not just from him removing the bullet from his chest. More had been spilled. He ignored the sick twist in his gut and rose to his full height. He spotted the trail of dry blood on the floor and his gaze riveted to the desk. He strode over to it, half expecting to find a body sprawled on the floor. Blood stained the chair and bloody palm prints were pressed on the desk.
His frown deepened as his gaze retraced his steps. There had been a distinct trail of blood leading to the desk, but there was no trail leaving it. So much blood, but where was the body?
He scanned the items laying out on display upon the desktop, and spotted Hecate's Stone Calli had stolen from the museum. Was it her blood then? Panic clawed at him, making him want to shift and hunt down whoever had dared to harm her, but he reined in the beast. He could not lose focus and he needed his human side to make sense of the chaos. Then he realized the bloody prints were large handprints, and not petite ones. It gave him hope the blood wasn't Calli's after all.
He spotted a post-it with his name scrawled on it and a blood-smeared message. "You must see the video Calli filmed and the one I have made. It is vitally important," he read the message out loud. It was signed with his name as if he wrote the damn thing. He grabbed the phone and ripped off the post-it, tossing it on the desk. He hadn't handled one of these contraptions until now, but it seemed his fingers knew what to do. If he wasn't in such a panic, he might have wondered more about his knowledge and the strange message addressed to him, but right now all he could think about was if Calli still lived.
The first video played and he witnessed how he changed from the beastie to… "The gods above…" His voice choked in a hoarse whisper of disbelief. He hadn't known this was what happened to him when the curse turned him into stone. He believed his whole essence lay dormant, but his human side separated like a spirit, leaving for the underworld, but it didn't leave did it? The ghostlike essence became solid…human. Bless Calli's ingenious nature for filming the whole event.
He had always felt some part of him was missing, but he couldn't put a finger on what, and now he understood the restlessness, the reason he had difficulty controlling the beast. His human side lay dormant at night. His soul sliced in two and not one.
Once the first video ended, he searched for the other video he apparently left for himself. He slid his thumb over the play button. A man appeared on the screen with his features, but he was not entirely like him. There were distinct differences. Dark rimmed glasses adorned his face and his words were peppered with a British cadence. Darrien couldn't help but notice the blood smeared on this man's forehead and the cardigan and shirt he wore were also soaked with blood.
His hand unconsciously went to his shoulder. Though the wound healed, he felt the ache where the bullet had been lodged.
"If you're playing this video," his daytime self said, "we have survived. I say we because I am you, or rather I'm the version allowed to walk in the sun while you sleep, and you're the version to walk the night— Bollocks," he cursed. "I believe you know what I mean." The video shifted abruptly, making him dizzy as it swung past the items in the museum before it finally focused on the Gryphon statue. Then it abruptly shifted back to his human counterpart. "As you can see we've been injured. The people who hired Calli came after her. The thug must have believed he left me for dead, but we are a stubborn lot. Yeah?"
He harrumphed and seriously wondered how this version of himself hadn't found himself shot way before now just for prattling on and not getting to the point.
"They took Calli," his daytime self said.
"What?" he gripped the phone and shook it as if he could throttle the daytime self for being so stupid as to let such a thing happen to Calli.
"I know you can track where they took her. Hurry!" The video went black.
It was a lot to take in and he would go over every last detail later, but first he must save Calli. If they shot the pathetic excuse of his other half when pity should have been offered, then that meant Calli's life would be forfeited once they realized she didn't have Hecate's Stone. They would show no mercy.
His gaze landed on the item. He would use it as a bargaining tool to see her released. The beastie could track them down later and give them what they truly deserved. His hand snaked out, grabbing the stone.
Now he needed something of Calli's to track her. His eyesight leveled on the phone he still clutched. He raised it to his nose and inhaled. Nothing, but he tried again, inhaling slowly. There… His nostrils flared as it picked up her delicate scent, lingering beneath the more odorous smell of his blood. He would find her.
He hurried toward the front door and was at a full run by the time his feet hit the pavement. He shifted, the magic rippling through his veins as the beast broke free with a ferocious Gryphon's cry. He catapulted into the air with his hind legs, while his wings spread to their full length to catch the wind currents. He flew above the museum and circled once before he picked up Calli's scent. Then he headed in the direction where he would find her.
Chapter Eighteen
Bert shoved Calli into the motel room and she stumbled forward, nearly falling, but she caught herself on the table. "You should really think about changing how you treat a lady," she grumbled.
"When I see one, I'll think about it," he sneered, and let out a chuckle.
She wanted to say more, but she must pick her battles carefully. Her hands weren't tied behind her back any longer. One win for her.
When they were about to leave Isa's office building, she had offered th
e suggestion that dragging a woman through the carport with her hands tied behind her back might draw unwarranted attention. Isa agreed with little convincing, and why wouldn't she when she could easily shift to a Gryphon and rip her throat out? Still she had a smidgen of hope that she'd think of a way out of this mess. With her hands free, she could at least guarantee she'd go down fighting.
Isa followed them inside the motel room and secured the door behind her. Her eyes flickered with different shades of brown and amber as she took in the meager surroundings with little interest before she concentrated on Calli once more.
Calli sensed the beast lurking beneath the surface of Isa's calm exterior, ready to break free if crossed. Her eyes glowed brighter and they didn't appear quite…human.
"Where is it?" Isa demanded.
Calli had her dagger hidden in the nightstand next to the bed, but she highly doubted she'd make it there with Bert stationed beside her, and a dagger would be useless against Isa, who guarded the door to freedom. Her chance for escape proved limited, but there was a window in the bathroom, she might be able to squeeze through. The two other thugs under Isa's command stood guard in the parking lot just outside the room. If she chose the window as her means of escape, she'd have to make a run for it on foot. She wondered how long it would take a Gryphon to spot her from the air? Her guess? Not long.
So the plan had holes in it, but it was all she had right now. She still had time to figure out a better one. Isa wanted the stone and she needed her alive for the ritual. She could bide some time without it costing her too dearly—like having her head severed from her body.
Her gaze shifted to Bert who eyed her as if he hoped she'd try something so he could step in. They needed her alive, she reminded herself. Alive being the key word, but not necessarily unharmed as Bert had mentioned earlier.
She stood tall and folded her arms across her chest and prayed a good plan would pop into her head and soon. "I don't have the stone," she finally voiced.
Isa's eyes glowed brighter, the only indication she was losing her cool. "What do you mean you don't have the stone? Why did you have us bring you back to your motel, if not to retrieve it?"
She lifted a shoulder. "I believe the statement speaks for itself."
"Where is it?" Isa demanded as if her freaky eyes and authoritative voice would make her give up the location.
Calli leaned against the table as a new plan started to take fruit. It wasn't the best plan in the world, but it was probably a smidgen better than the bathroom escape. "It's at the museum," she said smugly. Telling the truth was really the best policy. As long as the stone stayed there, Isa couldn't get to it. However, her goons were another story, but by now Darrien would be the Gryphon and they would have to get past him and she had a very good hunch they wouldn't last the evening with a testy Gryphon shifter.
Isa let out a screech sounding like an eagle, only louder and more menacing. Even she could tell Isa was losing control and fought to keep the beast contained.
She pushed away from the table. If Isa shifted in the room, it wouldn't end well. The wingspread of the beast would do considerable damage. Heads would roll… and she didn't want it to be hers. Calli was about to say something, anything that may keep Isa from exploding into full Gryphon mode, but before she could utter a word, the door to the room crashed opened, leaving it swinging on its hinges.
Darrien stood in the archway wearing his jeans and an I love Rock and Roll T-shirt, but he still managed to appear like a Greek god bent on wreaking havoc. Somehow, he'd been able to track her. Somehow, he knew she needed him too. Damn, that was really hot. A wise woman knew when it was in her best interest to have a man sweep in and save the day. This was it, and her heart did a flip-flop.
"You will let her go," Darrien's voice boomed, and his eyes glimmered with gold light.
Bert made a move, his hand going for the knife strapped to his belt, but Darrien caught sight of his attempt and leveled his gaze in the man's direction.
"I wouldn't advise you to come any closer," Darrien threatened and lifted his hand, shifting just enough to reveal his razor-sharp talons. Bert's weapon looked like a butter knife when compared to a Gryphon's claw.
Bert face paled and he glanced at Isa for guidance. If the thugs outside hadn't stopped Darrien, it was pretty safe to say, Bert wouldn't have a chance against him either.
Isa lifted her hand and gave Bert a slight shake of her head. Bert backed away, but she could tell he still itched for a fight.
Calli's lips curved. You tell them what's what, Darrien. She was glad to see he was whole and healthy just as Isa had predicted he would be, and he was just as bossy and demanding as she remembered. God, she loved that about him.
Darrien glanced her way and gave her a slight nod of reassurance before he turned his attention on Isa once more. "Calli is leaving with me," he told her with no room for negotiation. Any other person may have been intimidated to adhere to such a demand, but Isa wasn't any ordinary woman. She was like Darrien and could make demands of her own. Add she was a bit off-hinged and the danger-meter went up another few notches.
Isa regained her composure as she turned to greet Darrien with a bird-like tilt of her head. "You still protect her. After all this time, a mere human woman. She doesn't even remember being with you."
Of course, she had to bring that up, but it seemed Darrien didn't care. "Isa," Darrien said and narrowed his eyes, "you have not changed in the least." His gaze swept over her with renewed interest as if sizing up a potential adversary. "Why do you do this? Have I not suffered enough from your treachery?"
"You have it all wrong." She approached him, gently placing a hand on his forearm. His gaze followed the action, and he did nothing to stop her. Only the tick at his jaw revealed he did not like her hand on him. "I am here to free you from your curse," she told him. "We can be together then. We could be happy. It's all I ever wanted for us."
"You are why I was cursed in the first place. Did you think I would forget what you did?" His eyes again turned bright gold, all other shades were absorbed by the glow.
Isa let her hand slide away. "It was a mistake to kill Callista. I see that now." She nodded as if she just reasoned it all out. "I should have waited. You would have tired of her, as she grew old and withered. Humans do not age well and she would have eventually perished and turned to dust."
"What you have always failed to understand is that I love her," Darrien said simply. "I love her for always. Young, old, turned to dust… for always."
Calli rolled her eyes. Grand pledges, but really he shouldn't provoke the Gryphon with the grudge against humans, especially one who was also jealous of his affection toward a certain human. She glanced at Isa wondering what she would do next now that Darrien pretty much told her to take a flying leap off the nearest mountain and nose dive to the ground. Yep, not a pretty sight.
"Well, then…" Isa inhaled deeply then let it out again with a sigh. "We shall see if your claim still holds true." Her gaze landed on Calli as she pointed her finger at her. "By the gods, I condemn you..." she began the curse in English then reverted to an ancient language, Calli didn't understand, but it was obvious Darrien did.
"No-o-o!" He lunged for Isa, but she waved her hand at him and he flew against the wall, pinned like a bug on a corkboard. Obviously, Isa picked up a few tricks during the centuries and Darrien wasn't privy to them. "Run, Calli," Darrien ordered and she wasn't going to question him. Whatever Isa was reciting, it obviously wouldn't bode well for her.
She whirled around toward the bathroom. She guessed the 'escape out the window' plan was going to be it.
She'd only taken a few steps, but halted, not because she wanted to, but because her feet seemed to have stopped working. She couldn't move. Her limbs were frozen. Isa's chant was doing something to her. She could still hear Darrien demanding Isa to stop, but then her hearing dimmed and her eyesight faded next. Panic welled inside of her, but she could do nothing, not even cry out for help.
"You will pay for this, Isa," Darrien cried, the threat seeming ridiculous since he was pinned to the wall and unable to reach her. Isa had turned his beloved to stone, and he knew the horrors of enduring such a fate.
Isa glanced his way and with a wave of her hand, she released him. He fell to the floor, landing in a crouched position. It took all his self-control not to lunge at the woman, but he couldn't kill her…not yet. She had to reverse the curse she'd placed on Calli. He refused to let her suffer such a fate. Dead, but not. Just frozen as time ticked by, forgotten and unloved. This was a fate worse than death, a torture no one should ever endure.
"What's wrong, my sweet? You didn't like my trick?" She flashed her hand his way. An intricate ring, still shimmering with magic, adorned her ring finger. "Picked up this lovely piece of jewelry from a wizard. I can turn anything to stone with a few said words. The silly man should have never allowed me to hold it." She let out a long tired sigh. "He still stands guard in my personal collection, along with an angel, but that's another story." She uttered a deep throaty chuckle which made Darrien clench his fist so not to lash out. "Now your beloved can be at your side," she purred. "It's what you always wanted, right?" Isa arched one elegant brow. "Both of you can stand side by side in the Museum of Cursed Antiquities for all eternity, a matching pair of idiots," she snarled the last word to bring home her point. As if he hadn't caught the sarcasm dripping from her speech.
He slowly stood to his full height. "Let her go and I'll do whatever you want," he said slowly and calmly as if he approached an animal ready to lunge. He'd vow to never see Calli again if it meant she would live.
Isa clapped her hands and chortled again. "How noble, but you see what I want is for her to be gone from our lives forever. I want Hecate's Stone, Darrien. I will use her blood, summon Spiro, and have him release you from the curse."
Gryphon and His Thief Page 13