Embrace (The Gryphon Series Book 2)

by Stacey Rourke

  “It would seem canines and middle-aged soccer mums aren’t members of your fan club.” Blondie smirked.

  I soothed down rogue strands of my hair that had broken free of my ponytail as I ran. “I make friends and influence people everywhere I go,” I deadpanned. “It’s a gift.”

  “One of the many, I’m sure,” he said with a throaty chuckle, as he extended his hand to me. “The name’s Rowan.”

  “Celeste.”

  As soon as our palms touched a prickling sensation tracked up my arm and down my spine. I dropped his hand and took a step back. With a roll of my shoulder, I allowed the strap of my purse to slide down my arm. The bag thumped to the ground and I brought my arms up in a defensive stance.

  A lazy smile spread across Rowan’s handsome face. “You’re perceptive, I’ll give ya that. But if you believe it’ll always be that easy to tell, you’re mistaken.”

  “Tell what?” My voice more growl than conversational. “What are you?”

  He cocked his head to the side. “Haven’t ya figured it out, poppet? I’m a member of the Dark Army.” I didn’t think, but reacted. Spinning around, I brought my fist up level with his throat. A millisecond before I could deliver a crushing blow to his trachea, he caught my hand. Then waved a finger, chastising me like a naughty child. “Now, now. I didn’t come to fight. No need for senseless violence, aye?”

  I ripped my hand out of his grasp and glared at him through narrowed eyes. “Senseless violence is what your kind does best.”

  He had the nerve to look hurt by that declaration. “My kind? You’ve met a select few. That seems a rash judgment, doesn’t it?”

  “Your team goal is to kill me. So, no, I don’t think that’s a rash judgment at all.”

  “We don’t all want to kill ya.” He held his hands up in a gesture of truce. “If you drop your hands and stop trying to hit me, we can talk about it. Savy?”

  “Savy? Poppet? Aye? Are you purposely trying to sound like an animatronic pirate on a Disney World ride?”

  His grin bordered on mocking, which made me itch to swing at him again. “The Army has spanned the globe to do its recruiting. I don’t pretend to be anything. Pirate blood indeed runs through me veins.”

  My gaze raked over him. Maybe I’d seen one too many movies, but without a scarf tied around his head, a sword on his hip, and his shirt blowing open in the wind, he didn’t look like a pirate. If anything, he looked like an Abercrombie and Fitch ad in his faded jeans, tight T-shirt, and green khaki jacket.

  If he wanted to make believe he was a pirate that was his business. “Whatever you say, dude. Just tell me why you’re here.”

  Rowan crammed his hands in the pockets of his jeans and peered down at me with an expression that had suddenly gone sober. “I’m here to be the voice of the people, as it were.”

  “People?” I scoffed, but relaxed my battle ready posture. “Don’t you mean demons?”

  “Aye.” He nodded. “But they’re not demons by choice. Not all of them, anyway.”

  “What?”

  As the evening sky darkened, so did Rowan’s eyes. I guessed it was from our current topic of discussion. “For centuries the Army has kidnapped humans—men, women, and children—and infected them with demon blood to transform them into soldiers. They’ve had their entire lives torn away and are being made to fight a war that isn’t theirs.” His chiseled jaw clenched as he stared off into the distance. “It’s not your death we want. It’s our freedom.”

  I folded my arms around myself out of equal parts the chilly night, and the idea of children being held captive in the Underworld for centuries. I didn’t know what went on in the demon dimension, but I assumed it wasn’t bake sales and family friendly soirees. “Are you messing with me? Trying to make me feel guilty about killing friends of yours by playing them off as the victims?”

  His abrupt laugh held no humor as he turned those blue eyes back my way. “You haven’t killed anyone you should harbor any guilt over. Believe me. But they are out there and they need help.”

  “You keep saying ‘they’.” I pointed out. “You weren’t taken against your will?”

  “No,” he said, with a menacing half-grin and a coldness in his eyes that rivaled that of the night. “I chose me path voluntarily. Others didn’t have that luxury.”

  “Why are you telling me this? What am I supposed to do about it?” I asked, turning my palms to the heavens.

  He stepped in closer and brushed his hand down the length of my arm. The intensity of his stare made my knees wobbly—even though I really knew it shouldn’t. “You have to save them.”

  “Like Russel Crow in Gladiator,” I yammered as I gaped up at him.

  His brow furrowed. “Who?”

  “Never mind.” I shook my head and took a few mind clearing steps away from the smokin’ hot demon. With distance I regained my composure. Feelings of doubt and mistrust reared their heads and refused to be ignored. “Why should I believe a word you’re saying right now? You’re on the lying, cheating, murderous side of this war. This whole thing could be part of some big major plot against me.”

  “You can believe me because I have—ahem—ways of making people do what I want.” I could feel the heat of his gaze as he looked me up and down with appreciation. “But I didn’t use them on you. I came to you in a civilized fashion, so you would know you can trust me.”

  “What ways?” I gave myself a mental flogging for how squeaky and breathless the words came out.

  He crooked one eyebrow as a wide grin spread across his face. “Maybe next time I’ll show you. For now, think about what I said. If you think you could trust the likes of me, I’ll tell you how we could save those poor souls. Until then, lass.” One last leering look, accompanied by a flirty wink, then he vanished in a cloud of black smoke.

  CHAPTER 5

  The lights over the highway whizzed past as I kept the accelerator jammed to the floor. Rowan told me to trust him. No, a demon told me to trust him. And for a split second I considered it. The tragic story he wove, like an elaborate tapestry, was believable enough. The source, on the other hand, was not. But I had let him get in my head—if only for a moment—and infect me with lies that he would undoubtedly use against me. If I let him. And I had no intention of doing that. Gabe, Kendall, and I were going to go up into the mountains with our powers and abilities a blazin’ whether they liked it or not. No demon anywhere around would be able to resist the draw of that. Once the golden boy showed up, I was going to kill him before he could utter one more deceptive word.

  Of course if his shirt happens to get ripped off while we’re fighting that wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world either, I thought, and then immediately reprimanded myself for it.

  I pulled into the driveway and glanced down at the clock. Nine o’clock. The house and the street were dark as the neighborhood settled in for the night, but I doubted Gabe or Keni were asleep yet. I quietly crept across the yard and into the house. Inside, a bathrobe clad Grams was zonked out in her recliner. Apparently, the Kardashians weren’t holding her attention this evening. I clicked off the television, covered her with a blanket, then bolted up the stairs taking them two at a time. As I share a room with my sister, and I needed to change out of my work clothes, she got to be my lucky first recruit for our evening field trip. The bedroom light was on. Keni lay sprawled across her bed. Dressed in her favorite Tinkerbell jammy set, she had her laptop open, her iPod earbuds in, and was texting away.

  “Keni!” I yelled to be heard over the music blaring in her ears, as I peeled off my coffee scented clothing. “We’re going patrolling!”

  Nothing. She didn’t even glance my way. Just kept thumbing away at her phone’s keyboard.

  I yanked on a sweatshirt and pair of jeans. “Kendall! Fate of the world! Come on, let’s go!”

  She slid her electronics extravaganza over on the bed, then rolled away from me.

  I plopped down next to her, flicked one of her earbuds out of her ea
r, and laced up my tennis shoes. “Come on. There are butts to be kicked.”

  “No!” she snapped, as she glared over her shoulder. Her pixie like features set in a deep scowl.

  “What do you mean, no? No isn’t an option. Now, get up and get dressed.”

  My normally sweet-natured sister picked up her stuffed zebra, Mr. Hoofington, and whipped him at my head. “No! There are no butts that need kicking tonight! You got rid of Darious last night! They haven’t had time to call in a new Seeker yet. For tonight the world is safe and we can all pretend to be normal. Now. Go. Away!”

  “There may not be another Seeker yet,” I countered. “But there are other demons after us. I met one tonight. He’s new and the very definition of bad news. I’ve never seen anything like him!”

  Kendall stared up at me like I’d gone bat-poo crazy. “Why are you all weird and giddy over a new kind of demon?”

  “I’m not. Shut up!” Her eyes widened in surprise at the harshness of my rebuttal. I cleared my throat and softened my tone. “It’s just that this guy is obviously up to something and we need to find out what it is. So, come on. Up and at ‘em.”

  “No!” She folded her arms across her chest in a gesture of resolute obstinance. “I am not leaving this bed.”

  “Fine.” I shrugged. The bed squeaked as my weight lifted off of it. I didn’t look back until I got to the door. “Gabe will go with me. I just hope neither of us get some sort of mortal wound and die because you’re not there to heal us.”

  “Take your cell phone.” She shoved her fuchsia earbud back in. Katy Perry could be heard clear across the room as Keni kicked up the volume.

  “Why? So you can be all heroic and come soaring in to save us?” I yelled over the music.

  “No, so you can call 9-1-1.”

  “Oh, that’s nice.”

  From the sliver of light under his door and the murmur of muffled voices, I figured Gabe was watching television. I was optimistic he’d come with me. Maybe it was his lion nature, but he was always up for a demon beat-down. I knocked once, then pushed the door open. I was not prepared for the sight before me. My big brother was locked in a passionate embrace with some random chick. His mammoth frame practically crushed her into the mattress as he rammed his tongue down her throat. Grossed out and insanely uncomfortable, I muttered a quick “um, sorry” that the lovebirds didn’t seem to hear or notice. I fumbled with the door in my retreat. Just before I pulled it shut behind me, Gabe shifted his weight and the girl brought her leg up. He grazed his hand along her trim, feather-covered thigh.

  My eyes snapped open so wide it’s a wonder they didn’t fall right out of my skull. “What are you doing?!” I shrieked and flung the door open so hard it bounced off the wall behind it.

  In an instant they were both off the bed. They simultaneously shushed me as they pulled me into the room and shut the door. As if my being cool and calm was even remotely a possibility. Alaina could take on various bird-like forms. Right then she was wearing what I considered to be her feathered scuba suit. Bronze and gold feathers covered everything except her hands and head. Her feathers and waist-length auburn hair were both disheveled from their little tryst. Gabe struggled to pull his shirt back on, a fact that made me throw up in my mouth a little bit.

  “Cee, this isn’t what it looks like,” he tried to explain, as he accidentally stuck his head through the armhole of his t-shirt.

  “I should hope not! ‘Cause it looked like you were trying to swallow our Spirit Guide’s face! And that’s gross, icky, and unclean!” Chills ran up and down my spine. I tried to physically shake them off. “Uck! How could this happen? Why would this happen? Gabe, she’s three hundred years old! And not even human! I know this is a small town, but come on!”

  He won the battle with his shirt and yanked it down over his six-pack abs. “Ya gotta admit, she sure doesn’t look three hundred.” He gave her a sly grin and a wink. She giggled and blushed. I worried my brain was going to implode.

  “Stop that! Stop that! Stop that!” I slapped at him to punctuate each of those requests. Sure, Alaina was beautiful. If you liked girls with milky white skin, curves in all the right places and feathers.

  Footfalls pounded up the staircase. A still half-asleep Grams crashed into the room wielding a baseball bat. “Whas’ happenin’? Whas’ goin’ on?”

  Gabe threw his hands in the air. “Way to go, Cee. You woke up Grams.”

  No way he got to play the part of the aggrieved party, not with the shenanigans he was up to. I put my hands on hips and stared him down. “I woke up Grams? Only because of the twisted nocturnal activities you were partaking in! Maybe we should tell her what you were up to, Gabe.”

  He gave me a smug half-grin, his eyes daring me. “Go ahead. Tell her.”

  If he thought I was bluffing he had another thing coming. Our eyes stayed locked like gun fighters waiting to see whose hand would go for their holstered pistol first. Tonight, that first shot would be mine. “Grams, I just walked in on Gabe and Alaina in a full out grope-fest.”

  “Gabe Allen Garrett!” Grams snipped, her lips pressed together in a disapproving line. “I told you two before that I don’t want you doing that kind of stuff under my roof. This is my home. You will respect my rules, boy.”

  My jaw hung slack. Pure glee filled my brother’s face. Slowly, I turned my head in the direction of my usually much-adored grandmother. “You knew about this?” I croaked.

  “Of course, dear.” Grams lifted one bony shoulder. “Grams doesn’t miss much.”

  “And you’re okay with it?”

  She looked stunned that I would suggest otherwise. “Well, yeah. Gabe’s a good boy, Alaina’s a good girl, and they’re in love.”

  “They’re in…” My head swiveled back to the couple. Alaina’s slender arm was around Gabe’s waist. Her other hand rested casually on his broad chest. Both of his overly-muscular arms were wrapped protectively around her. “But she’s a…! And he’s a…! And it’s…ucky!” My ability to articulate had apparently short-circuited. “How long has this been going on?”

  “Since shortly after you killed Barnabus,” Alaina replied softly.

  “That’s like two months! And all this time you kept it from Kendall and I?”

  “Um…I knew too, Cee,” Kendall interjected from our bedroom doorway.

  Oh, sure—she wouldn’t go into the mountains with me, but this she gets off the bed for. “Sometimes Keith and I double date with them.”

  I pinched the bridge of my nose as my head began to pound. “All this time. All the fighting and bickering. I thought you two hated each other, but turns out it was just love play.” My hands fell to my sides limp. With a slight lift of my shoulders I asked, “Why? Why all the secrets and lies? Why didn’t you just tell me?”

  All four of them seemed uncomfortable by that question. Feet shifted, hands fidgeted, looks went anywhere but at me. Alaina finally answered. Even her usually soothing, made for radio voice, faltered as she tried to explain. “Well, it seems that as of late you have been…struggling. We didn’t want to upset you further.”

  Heat rose to my cheeks. “What does that mean?”

  “You haven’t been the same since things with Alec went south, Cee,” Gabe stated, his face somber. I instantly bristled at the mention of Alec’s name. “I know you don’t want to talk about it, but you need to.”

  “There’s nothing to talk about.” I tried to keep my face and posture detached, like this particular topic didn’t eat at me. But for all my squirming I couldn’t conjure up anything that came across as neutral. “Sometimes these things just don’t work out. It’s no big deal. I’ll get over it.” At least the visible signs of my discomfort supported my fictional break-up story. If they knew the truth…

  No. That wasn’t an option.

  Gabe separated himself from Alaina and stepped toward me. “If it was just the Alec thing, yeah you absolutely would. But Grams told us about what happened with your professor today. And that
you wanna quit school. It’s a monumentally bad idea. Whether you realize it or not, you’re turning your back on your human life.”

  “I haven’t quit my job.” Even I knew how weak my argument sounded.

  “Only because of lack of fundage, I’m sure.” Keni leaned against our bedroom doorframe, her hands hidden behind her Tinkerbell jammy pants.

  Anxiety made it difficult for me to stand still, so I yanked my ponytail holder out and combed my fingers through my snarled hair. “So, just to clarify, you didn’t tell me about your relationship because my life is such an abysmal failure that you didn’t want to rub in it? Is that what you’re saying?”

  Gabe shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans. There was no hostility or resentment on his face, just blatant honesty. “Basically, yeah. We feel bad because we’ve figured out how to balance our lives and our callings, and for some reason you can’t seem to.”

  Kendall’s face reflected her sympathy for me as she nodded her agreement.

  Grams leaned her bat up against the wall and wrapped a comforting arm around me. “We just want you to remember, honey, that it’s not all about the fighting. There’s more to life…”

  “Just stop!” I snapped and ducked away from her touch. “None of you really get it! You think you do, that you have my whole situation all figured out, but you have no idea! For me, it is all about the fighting, because I’m the Conduit. I’m the one the Dark Army is looking for. I’m the one that hordes of demons want to kill. Every moment of every day someone, somewhere is plotting my death. Not yours. Or yours. Or yours. Or yours.” I jabbed a finger at each of them, then stabbed a thumb at my own chest. “Mine. The sacrifices and tough decisions are mine to make, because it’s my calling. There’s no question that you two can balance your double lives better than I can. Because you can slip into your “super suits “whenever the mood strikes you, and forget about it the rest of the time. But I don’t have that luxury. Because I’m the Chosen One. You’re the sidekicks. You have no idea what I’m dealing with.” With that I skirted around Grams, and marched down the stairs.