Embrace (The Gryphon Series Book 2)

by Stacey Rourke

  Keni’s brow furrowed. “Was that pig latin?”

  I peered up at my clueless captor. They used him for this because he was dumb and wouldn’t know any better. I almost felt bad for him. Or at least I would have if his excessive spit wasn’t soaking through my pant leg.

  Gabe shook his head, “Oh, for cryin’ out loud.” He covered himself with one hand, then wielded the sign with the other. With a solid whack he brought it down on the back of Dendro’s head. The tongue around my arm went slack as Frog Boy fell straight back with his suction cupped hands and feet rigid in the air. A second later he was black ooze.

  As soon as the last remnants of frog dissipated the glee members went into apology mode. “Sorry. So sorry.”

  “Didn’t meant the ‘beast’ thing.”

  “Just had to make it look real.”

  “You’re frightening. Please don’t hurt us.” They all spoke at the same time.

  “Wait!” Keni held her hands up. “I’m beginning to think this was a set up.”

  I stretched my legs out in front of me and pulled the spit soaked material away from my skin. “Way to keep up, Ken.”

  “You guys got anything to report?” Gabe asked with a lift of his chin. The stern look he wore was made significantly less effective by the pink plastic cake covering his nether regions.

  “Not yet.” The lone Twin pushed his glasses up. “But we’ve got some great leads. We just need a little more time.”

  Red turned to Eddie. “We gotta go. We’ll lose believability if we hang out after Dendro’s death.”

  “We’re gonna make it look like you chased us away.” Eddie explained, his eyes bright with the excitement of their cleverly concocted idea.

  “Want me to punch one of you? Make it look more real?” I asked. I’m nothing if not helpful.

  That made ‘em squirm. “Uh…no thanks. We’re good,” they chimed. Then they disappeared in puffs of black smoke.

  Gabe, Keni and I sat in silence as we glanced around at the scene we caused on lovely Main Street, Gainesboro. My truck sat askew on the curb, its windshield shattered across the road, Gabe wore a sign whose bolts still dangled from the wall it had been ripped off of, my pants and the sidewalk were covered with frog loogies, and my jammy clad sister’s expression seemed to be stuck on “does not compute.”

  I pushed myself off the ground and rose to my feet. “Suddenly, the need to patrol has ceased. Let’s go home.”

  CHAPTER 17

  I stepped out of the rubber, grease, and motor oil odor extravaganza that was Hank’s Auto and breathed in a lung full of clean air. Thanks to Grams spotting me the money, my windshield would be fixed in an hour or two. It would take my next three paychecks to pay her back, but I couldn’t complain because it was an unavoidable necessity. I looked down the street in either direction, and sighed. Two hours to kill and absolutely nothing to do. I glanced at my cell phone to check the time. Melancholy and longing stabbed into me. If I hadn’t dropped my classes I would’ve been in Fundamentals of Biology right then. With the flip of my ponytail, I tried to physically shake it off.

  I did it for a reason and I made the right choice, I assured myself with as much conviction as I could muster.

  I needed a distraction, so I made the impulse decision to veer to the left. I wandered along so lost in my own tumultuous thoughts that I didn’t realize what route I had taken until I ended up in front of Big Al’s Grocery. A lump formed in my throat as I stared across the black top parking lot. This was where I first met Alec. I was rolling a tiny spare tire home from Hank’s when he offered me a ride. I swiped at my eyes with the sleeve of my sweatshirt. If I hadn’t said yes, if I hadn’t talked to him at all, maybe he’d still be the Alec I met that day. So effervescent and carefree. That was stolen from him simply because he showed me kindness. My sadness gave way to anger and resolve. Whatever darkness had crept into him, there had to be a way to free him of it and save my friend. An exorcism, spiritual cleansing, or some other form of Roto-Rooting the evil out of him. While Alaina would probably have insight into these matters, I was too afraid to summon her and ask. There was the chance she and the Spirit Council she answered to would order me to kill Alec. I couldn’t do that. I needed to protect him for as long as I could in hopes that with time he could be saved.

  I figured the second best place to start looking for information on rituals would be the library. Invigorated by my new mission, I made my way down Dole with determined strides. I passed Julie’s Consignment, where Julie herself was arranging Halloween costumes in the front window. I passed Angel Cakes, where the owner was staring up at her sign and trying to figure out how it ended up backwards. (Way to go, Gabe.) I passed the fire department where a few of the younger fireman were outside washing down the trucks while the guys near retirement sat and watched while sipping sodas.

  Gainesboro’s library is a beautiful yellow stucco building, with ornate moldings and a Victorian clock tower on top. I found it considerably less charming ever since a demon tortured my sister on its rooftop. That being the case I didn’t pause to appreciate its elegance like most residents did. I jogged straight up the cement stairs and yanked open the door.

  I inhaled the wonderful scent of row after row of books. I had never actually been inside the library. Its interior was just as lovely as the exterior. The walls were a combination of stained oak trim and matte crimson paint. Tall, narrow windows lined the sidewalls with elegant arches at their peaks. An appealing touch had been added to the soaring ceiling in the wood beams that criss-crossed across it.

  Considering the size of the town I wasn’t surprised that the librarian and one pre-teen girl checking out a Stephenie Meyer book were the only ones there. Judging by the girl’s red nose and hacking cough I guessed she was home sick from school. With a cursory nod in their direction, I trotted past the front desk and the rows of mahogany tables beyond it. I ran my hand over the back of one of the six leather chairs that surrounded each table, and stifled a grin. No doubt finding a seat here was never a problem.

  I went straight for the online catalog in my search for books on exorcism. There were shockingly few under nonfiction, only three actually. I jotted down the book numbers on a scrap piece of paper. All three books seemed to be in the same area. The section I needed happened to be at the very back of the library, in a dark and dusty corner that looked like it was rarely visited. My eyes flicked over the worn book jackets as I searched for the right numbers.

  I was so engrossed in my hunt that I didn’t realize someone had come up behind me. A hand wrapped around my upper arm. Then I lost control. A sexual heat more raw and primal than anything I had ever felt before overcame me. I spun around, freely giving myself over to it. I recognized the blue topaz eyes staring back at me as Rowan’s only a split second before I pounced. With a purr that came out as more of a growl I weaved my fingers into his golden locks and hungrily crushed my lips to his. My body molded to his as I slammed him against a bookshelf. My fingers found their way under his shirt and skimmed across his spectacular, sculpted abs. He caught my hand and pushed me away with enough force that I hit the opposite bookshelf.

  The fog cleared and my feelings were once again my own. I could feel my face reddening as I stared at him panting. “Wha…what the hell did you just do to me?” I croaked. The salty sweetness of his lips was still on mine. I felt equal parts exhilarated and befuddled.

  “What did I do to you?” He wiped his mouth on the back of his hand. His lips were bright red. I had to guess mine were, too. “You jumped on me, lass. Not that I didn’t enjoy it. “

  My hands balled into fists. “I wouldn’t have done that. That isn’t me. You had to have done something. Controlled me somehow.”

  “Easy now.” He put both his hands in the air. “You asked before to see my ability, I was just trying to accommodate that request. I had no idea it would affect you like that.”

  “What was it supposed to make me do?” I had never been this hopping mad before. T
his was a first.

  “I can influence people. Make them feel things. Usually—always, actually—I can think something into their head for them. But not with you.” A slow smile spread across his face. “I followed you in here and have been trying to get into that head of yours this whole time. But it didn’t work until I laid my hand on you.” He cocked his head and peered at me like I was a wonderful mystery.

  “Did you have to put ‘grope me’ in my head?!” I screamed. From the far end of the library I got shushed.

  “I didn’t.” He laughed and leaned back against the bookshelf. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his tan slacks and crossed his legs at the ankle. “Had I, you would’ve stolen my virtue right here among the stacks of books. Saucy vixen.”

  I had never wanted to punch a smile off someone’s face more in my life. “What were you trying to get me to do?” I asked through clenched teeth.

  He pushed off the books and stepped toward me. My back pressed up against a wall of books as I tried to back away. Rowan peered down at me, his golden boy charms suddenly serious. “I was just trying to put you at ease. Let you know that I’m someone you can trust. No one has ever responded to my influence like that before.” His eyes scanned over the plains of my face. I could feel his gaze like a soft caress. “Believe me when I say I have no idea how or why that happened.”

  I brought my hands up intending to give his chest a shove and push him away. Fear of the contact, and what it could cause, made me falter. Instead, I raked my hands over my face and through my hair. “Just…don’t touch me again.”

  The cocky smirk returned. “Aye. Not unless you ask for it.”

  I glowered up at him. “Why exactly are you here? And don’t you dare say it was just for…that.”

  Thankfully, he took a step back to a distance I was more comfortable with. “Wonderin’ if you’ve given any thought to the credibility of what we talked about at our last encounter.”

  People taken against their will. Alec’s unexplainable change. The tragic stories of the Glee Club. It all seemed to tie together. Yet these were persons of the demonic nature we were talking about. There was the chance all of this was a set up. All of that made me reluctant to offer up any names or information.

  “I’ve considered it.” I kept my tone cavalier and tried to come across casual by stuffing my hands in the front pocket of my hoodie. “Seems kind of far-fetched though. These people you claim were forced into the army, how do I know they’re members at all? You might be working some reverse psychology to try and lure me into handing innocent people over to you and your buddies. Other than that creepy thing where your eyes turn black, don’t you Dark Army guys have anything else to identify you as members?”

  “Funny you should ask.” The heat in Rowan’s gaze as he thumbed the buttons of his black shirt open was undeniable. I figured he was doing it on purpose to make me squirm and did my best to look unaffected. Bored even. I doubt it came off believable. He pushed the material aside far enough for me to see a puffy pink scar directly over his heart (along with a phenomenally toned chest I tried hard to pretend I didn’t see). This scar had a very definite, intentional pattern, unlike most scars that are random shaped based on the injury that caused them. It was a swirl the size of a sand dollar that started small and widened with every curved line. “Caused by a branding iron owned by the Countess and laced with the essence of a demon. Every member of the army bears a mark like this. The pattern varies depending on the gifts chosen for us, but the location and the scar remain the same. It marks us as members of the army.”

  My eyes followed the angry pink lines around and around again. If Alec had a mark like this I would have my answer of what happened to him. After that it would just be a matter of figuring out how to undo it. The question now was; how did I find him?

  CHAPTER 18

  If Alec had any of his humanity left, the one person who would know where to find him was his mother, Marcie. She worked at the only hair salon in town, All Tressed Up. The small salon was chic and trendy. The floors, fixtures, and walls were all stark shades of glossy black and white, but red had been splashed in via flowers, paintings, towels and rugs. When I was shown back to Marcie’s station I thought for sure there had been a mistake. In no way did she look old enough to be Alec’s mom. Maybe it was her wardrobe that looked like she’d borrowed it from Stephen Tyler. Maybe it was the Cleopatra-style eyeshadow. Maybe it was the hot pink and blue streaks in her hair. I was inclined to think it was all three.

  I just wanted to ask her a few simple questions. But she took one look at the “hot mess” that was my hair and adamantly refused to answer anything until I took a seat in her chair. I grumbled under my breath as she whipped the cape around me and secured it at the back of my neck.

  “I haven’t seen Alec in a while,” I attempted casually as she snipped, painted, and even aluminum foiled my hair. “How is he?”

  She snorted and brushed her long bangs out of her eyes with the back of her gloved hand, “Don’t know why he even has a cell phone. He never answers it. I think that promotion at the news station went straight to his head. Now he’s too dang big for his breeches and can’t be bothered by the woman that brought him into the world and has the stretch marks to prove it!”

  I sincerely doubted Alec even showed up at the station anymore. That part of his guise had probably died long ago. “It’s an adjustment for him,” I tried to sound upbeat and hopeful despite what I knew. “I’m sure he’ll be back to himself in no time.” At least he would if I had anything to do or say about it.

  Her masterpiece complete, Marcie spun me around to reveal long piecey layers, caramel highlights and bangs I really wasn’t thrilled about. I forced on a wide appreciative grin, “It looks fantastic!” And not at all like me.

  She beamed and squeezed my shoulders.

  “Hey, will you give Alec a message for me if you do get a hold of him?” I asked as I rose from the chair.

  “Sure, honey.” She smiled warmly as she swept up the hair around her station.

  “Tell him Celeste is ready to talk. He knows how to find me.”

  Two days later, Alec appeared at the cafe. I came out of the break room, after re-bobby pinning my bangs out of my face for the millionth time, and there he stood. I would know his lanky frame, and that cowlick at the right side of his head just above his temple, anywhere. But that was where the similarities to the Alec he used to be ended. The bones in his face protruded, making his features seem sharper, almost gaunt. His strawberry-blonde hair was slicked back and darkened by the gel that held every strand in place. The black pinstriped suit he wore looked insanely expensive and custom tailored. I thought that seeing him would make me want to throw my arms around him after being so worried about him for so long. But that desire didn’t come. Instead my warrior instincts kicked in. My muscles became taut and ready to fight. Any doubt I may have had about the darkness that lingered in him melted away. I could actually feel it radiating off of him.

  He gave me a sly smile as he ushered his date to a table. She was a harsh looking girl with dyed black hair, goth make-up, and a studded dog collar around her neck. Her painted on plum colored dress was cut ultra-low in the front and she was testing the physical capabilities of her push-up bra. I’d never seen this girl before, yet something about her seemed familiar.

  “Sophia, let me take table two?” I asked, keeping Alec in my line of sight.

  “Why? Oh, yikes. I sincerely hope they’re going to an early Halloween party as a pimp and a ho, otherwise that is a painful fashion faux pas.” She gave me a pat on the back. “They’re all yours.”

  I didn’t even bother with my order pad. They weren’t here for the coffee. I approached their table and gave him a curt nod that could be considered courteous to onlookers. “Alec.”

  “Celeste, Celeste, Celeste,” Bad intention dripped from his smile. “When last I saw you I was hopelessly begging for help and you slammed the door in my face. How are things?”
/>   “This is the Conduit?” Trampy Goth Girl snorted. “She’s puny.”

  “Now, now Kat,” Alec scolded gently and gave her hand a squeeze. “Celeste is so much more than she appears.”

  My jaw tensed to the point of pain. Where had Alec’s easy smile gone? That mischievous twinkle in his eye? Every mannerism that made him him had been wiped away. “That makes two of us. We need to talk.”

  “Oh, let’s do!” He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table like we were two girlfriends about to gab. “How are that brother and sister of yours? Are they in good health? It’d be tragic if they faced some horrible fiery death.”

  Knowing he was trying to get a rise out of me, I ignored his jab. “Let me see your mark.”

  “Your what?” I assumed Kat’s expression matched her confused tone, but couldn’t tell. Half her face was covered by a curtain of inky black hair.

  Alec’s eyes narrowed, but the smile didn’t leave his lips. “My mark? You wicked little girl, who have you been talking to?”

  “Let me see it.” My words came out slow but firm.

  He leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs out under the table. “I would, but I don’t strip down in front of an audience.” He jerked his head in the direction of the door.

  I glanced up. Caleb stood in the doorway, glaring at Alec with so much hatred he practically snarled. “You have got to be kidding me,” I grumbled under my breath. I jabbed a finger at Alec. “Do not move.”

  As I weaved my way through the tables, Caleb’s chest rose and fell with each heaving breath. Customers started to stare. I was gonna hear about this from Becca for sure. “Who’s that?” he rumbled as soon as I got to him. His gaze never wavered off of Alec.

  “That,” I gestured over my shoulder at Alec, “is none of your business. And this,” I waved my hand at his heaving display of testosterone, “is not going to happen. You abandoned me in the friggin’ mountains. You don’t get to come in here and play ‘jealous boyfriend.’ You get to play ‘coffee shop patron who sits quietly in the corner and drinks whatever over-brewed, over-priced coffee is slopped in front of you.’ Got it?”