Embrace (The Gryphon Series Book 2)

by Stacey Rourke

  Before I could form an argument to the contrary a ruckus erupted on the other side of our fountain fortress. Tendrils of smoke curled over the stone wall. Familiar voices squealed and screamed.

  “I’m on fire! I’m on fire! Put me out! Put me out!”

  “Aaahhh!! He’s shooting again!”

  “Run! Over here!” Panicked feet kicked across the gravel as four more bodies skidded to join us behind the fountain. The cavalry hadn’t arrived. The Glee Club had.

  “Hey,” snorted the lone twin from well within my personal bubble and shoved his glasses further up the bridge of his nose.

  “We heard something big was going down and came to help.” Red patted his still smoking sleeve to kill the last remnants of where he’d been set ablaze.

  “Well you’re doing a b…b…bang-up job,” I joked through chattering teeth.

  “Do you know who that is?” Eddie jammed his thumb in Caleb’s direction. A fireball whizzed past his head, and he ducked down lower.

  Keni jerked her head at me. “Sure, he’s her domestically violent boyfriend.” She followed it up with an exaggerated eye roll and a shake of her head.

  “He’s not abusive!” I snapped. “He’s possessed by a demon! Big difference!”

  “We know him as a lot more than that.” Eddie’s eyes flicked to his friends nervously. Their twitchy anxiety matched his. “In the Underworld he’s called The Destroyer. He’s the most deadly demon the Dark Army has ever seen.”

  “I’ve never been this close to him before,” Boil Face whined. “I don’t like it. We shouldn’t have come.”

  “She needed to know what she was up against!” Red’s nervous energy made his words come out fast and high pitched. He pressed his fist against his mouth to stifle a whimper.

  Keni stabbed her palm-up hand in their direction. “See? It takes a lot for me to say someone’s not a good person, but he falls into that category, Celeste. You need to accept that!”

  A chunk of stone directly over me broke loose. I shielded my head as pebbles rained down. “I don’t buy it. This isn’t him. The Countess is controlling him!”

  “Monkeys learn faster than you!” Keni shouted. “He’s throwing friggin’ fire at us!”

  Eddie laid a clammy hand on my shoulder, winced and pulled back in reaction to my cold skin. “She’s right, Celeste. We know this guy’s reputation. If we don’t kill him, he’s going to kill us.”

  Painful as it was, my blue hands curled into fists. “No.” My teeth ground together with my declaration. I glanced at each of them. One to the next. To let them see my resolve. “This is my fight. My sacred duty. The tough choices are left up to me, and I say we find a way to spare him.”

  Gabe’s topaz eyes burned into me as he rose up on all fours. “Nnnoooooooo,” he growled.

  “Don’t you touch him.” I forced my frozen limbs up into an awkward crouch.

  “If you want to take him out, we’ll help in any way we can. Maybe create a diversion so you can get close enough?” Red offered and shot me an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Celeste. But it’s for the best.”

  Gabe-lion nodded and snorted his agreement.

  “I’m not going to let you do this,” I stated in no uncertain terms. “You wanna hurt him? You’ll have to go through me.”

  Gabe growled.

  Eddie cringed. “Guess we’ll just have to see who gets to him first.”

  “Oh, for crying out loud!” Keni threw her hands up in exasperation, and spread her wings out wide. “At least let me shield you guys so you don’t get burnt to a crisp.”

  All seven of us positioned ourselves at the sides of the fountain, prepared to bolt as soon as there was a break in Caleb’s assault. Before anyone could take a step the shrill call of an eagle rang through the night. Gold streaked across the sky like a shooting star headed straight for us. Alaina transformed in mid-air, and landed beside us as the bird-woman she first appeared to me as.

  “Stop!” She threw her hands up, fingers splayed. “You cannot hurt him!”

  “Finally! Someone on my side!” I motioned at her with one up-turned hand.

  “You don’t understand.” Anguish transformed her delicate features. “He’s my brother.”

  From behind me the lone twin muttered, “Huh. Didn’t see that coming.”

  CHAPTER 32

  “Your brother?! How can he be your brother?” This shocking new development had prompted Gabe to revert back to human. He maintained a tight position with his legs curled up to thwart any unintentional displays of Little Gabe.

  “Well, when a mommy and a daddy love each other very much…”

  “Not now, Kendall!” I snapped. Keni pantomimed zipping her lips. “Alaina, you told us the last time you saw your brother he was in a wagon full of kids headed away from your village and Barnabus. That being the case, he should’ve died centuries ago. So, I’m gonna second Gabe’s question—how can he be your brother?”

  Alaina’s avian eyes blazed. “That is exactly how his life should have gone. I have just learned that is not what happened. After the Gryphon chased him off, Barnabus sought out an immediate form of revenge. He caught up with the children as they made their escape.” Rock shards rained down on Alaina from another of Caleb’s blasts. She showed no signs that she noticed. “I always hoped my little brother found a wonderful family to love and care for him. Now I know he suffered the worst fate imaginable.”

  A particularly powerful blast broke off the top quarter of the fountain. Our group scrambled closer together. We didn’t have much more time. Our shelter would be demolished soon. “Caleb told me he swore allegiance to Barnabus to keep his family safe. If what you say is true, your parents were already dead when he agreed to that.”

  Alaina shielded her head from a close flying fireball. “Exactly. His entire time in the Underworld has been based on a lie.”

  “That’s why ya always gotta read the fine print.” Eddie snorted.

  I shot him a look. He snapped his mouth shut and quickly looked away. “This is all well and good, but how does it help our current situation? In case you missed the memo, he’s still trying to kill us.”

  Kendall nudged Alaina and the two of them popped their wings open to provide us with a bit more protection from Caleb’s attack. “I don’t know.” Alaina shrugged. “If we can get Caleb—the real Caleb—to hear the truth it should break the binding spell the Countess holds over him.”

  “This is insane!” Boil Face threw his hands in the air. “You go out there, you die. Simple as that. Caleb is a lost cause.”

  “He’s my brother, and I will not give up on him,” Alaina argued. “Perhaps if I talked to him? Maybe a small part of him will still remember me?”

  “You’re signing your own death warrant. Words won’t impact him right now. A rocket launcher might.” Red attempted sarcasm through his fear. His wavering voice betrayed him. “Got one of those handy?”

  “You’re not helping!” I yelled.

  Gabe clasped a hand on my arm and peered into my eyes. Jaw tensed. Heavy brow furrowed. “No, he’s right, Cee. You tried the talking method already. Didn’t work. We need to find a way to rattle him. He’s gotta want to break through. What would motivate him to fight?”

  A fresh round of chills shuttered through me. This time I couldn’t tell if it was from the cold or the terrifying idea that had come to me. I tried to hide my trepidation by keeping my voice firm and steady. “I’m gonna buy you some time with your brother.” I told to Alaina. “Talk fast.”

  She jerked her head to the side in bird-like confusion. “How? What are you going to do?”

  “What I have to,” I answered, and then locked my gaze on Kendall. “Be ready.”

  Her lashes fanned out as her eyes widened. “Be ready? For what?!”

  “You’ll see.”

  Gabe seemed to clue in on my intentions. “He’s a demon, Cee,” he practically growled. “Don’t do this.”

  I grabbed him by the back of the neck and
pulled him close. Our foreheads almost touched. “You once told me you believed I was chosen because I was the strongest. Do you still believe that?”

  “Of course I do. But…”

  “No buts. I need you to trust me.”

  He ground his teeth together and gave a reluctant nod.

  “Whatever happens, promise me you’ll keep them safe.” As I spoke, coarse fur sprouted up under my hand. His features widened. In seconds I was peering into the topaz eyes of a jungle cat.

  “Ppprrrrooommmmmsssss,” he rumbled.

  The lone twin tugged at the sleeve of my sweatshirt. “Please don’t do this.” His pleading eyes were magnified by his thick lenses. “You don’t know what he’s capable of. Your life is so valuable and you’re going to throw it away.”

  “I’m not throwing anything away.” I pried his hand off and gave it a quick squeeze. “He’s trapped and I know how to free him. If I knew how to do the same for any of you, I would.”

  I didn’t give myself—or them—any more time to think. I took a deep breath and darted out from behind the demolished fountain, directly into the line of fire.

  “Hey Casanova!” I hollered. “Your beef is with me, so how about you quit shooting at my family?”

  Clearly he had other ideas. He brought his palms together in a prayer pose, then unleashed a barrage of flaming balls of solid ice directed at yours truly.

  I flipped and turned to avoid each strike, but kept talking. “I mean I was the job, right?” Side spin. “The one you were supposed to seduce and kill?” Duck and weave. “And let me just say you did a bang up job.” Tuck jump. “Because even now in your bumpy, veiny, scary state I still find you sexy in a way that makes me judge myself more than a little bit.”

  Caleb dropped his fire spewing hands to his sides and rotated his jaw. The quiet night made it possible for me to hear the sickening pop as it unhinged from its sockets. His lower jaw swung slack to his chest as a swirling vortex of wind tunneled up from deep in his throat. (FYI ladies, that’s a trick you never want to see the guy you’re crushin’ on do).

  The same torrential winds that whipped and tossed me around the woods lashed out at me. My feet skittered across the gravel as I was violently blown backward. The cement teeth from a stone lion’s head dug into my back as I slammed into the fountain. Tears streamed down my face. But I couldn’t give up. I leaned into the powerful gusts and struggled to pull even one foot forward.

  “You and I both know there was more here than some assignment for you,” I shouted over the winds that roared like a freight train. I managed to drag one foot forward. Then another. “But if you want to throw that away and go back to being the Countess’s lapdog for the rest of eternity, that choice is yours.” I planted my feet despite the tornado-like winds that ravaged against me. Even I didn’t understand what kept me rooted to that spot. Sheer force of will perhaps. “It’s now or never, Caleb. Break away from the Countess once and for all, or kill me. Right here, right now. What’s it gonna be?”

  Confusion, strain, and regret played across his mutated face. I had gotten through to the human Caleb, at least a little. My heart gave a victorious flutter as the winds stopped and his slack jaw drew up and locked back into place. The moment was fleeting. With a sinister sneer he pressed his palms together, and then hurled a softball-sized flaming ball of ice at me. Night’s navy cloak brightened to a brilliant blue against the red and orange flames. It would’ve been beautiful, if I didn’t know what came next.

  With a mixture of joy and disappointment I realized his aim was off. If I wanted this over there was only one way to make that happen. I said a silent prayer, then flicked my middle finger. That small movement corrected its path. Scorching heat and skin searing iciness bore through my stomach. The damage was so quick and severe that I felt no pain, no fear—nothing. Coppery warmth bubbled up my throat and trickled down my chin. My legs crumpled and I folded to the ground.

  Darkness enveloped me in its warm, constricting arms as it claimed me as its own. The last thing I heard before I allowed it to carry me away was a familiar velvety brogue. “Celeste, lovey, forgive me! What’ve I done?”

  CHAPTER 33

  Blackness surrounded me. But not like the Great Beyond. More like the expansive hollowness of a warehouse with its lights off.

  A voice I had longed to hear for almost two years echoed all around, “When the time comes, Cee-Cee, you have to give it away.”

  “Daddy?” My own voice bounced off the walls. I turned in a circle in hopes of catching a glimpse of him. “Where are you? Give what away?”

  This time his voice came in a whisper right behind me. The familiar spiciness of his cologne tickled my nose. “Just wait. You’ll know.”

  I spun around. A blindingly bright light and pulsating warmth exploded inside me.

  CHAPTER 34

  A high-pitched screech welcomed me back to reality. My heavy lids struggled to open. Chaos surrounded me. Coherence seemed like a wise idea.

  “Alaina! Get her out of here now!” an agitated Irishman hollered.

  When I finally pried my eyes open I found it was Alaina and not Keni who had healed me. Flooded with concern, I tried to sit up. Intense pain stabbed into my guts and slammed me back down to the ground. “Where’s Kendall?” I rasped as black spots danced before my eyes. My throat felt like it had been scorched.

  Alaina put her hand on my back and eased me up to a seated position. “Kendall is indisposed at the moment.”

  I grimaced and nearly hurled as waves of pain ravaged me, but quickly learned why Alaina rushed me. All around us a battle raged. Gabe-lion rolled on the ground, locked in a ferocious struggle with a bulldozer-sized lizard with two-heads and a wingspan like a B-52 Bomber. Long, slender necks curled and snaked around him. Their reptilian faces gouged bloody holes in his flesh with their jagged beaks. Gabe growled, slashed and tore holes in their scaly hide with his teeth and claws. Bloodlust had him oblivious to his own injuries.

  The lizard flapped its wings to gain some distance from the vicious lion, but with one leap in the air Gabe put a quick stop to that. He threaded his claws through their leathery wings and pinned the creature to himself in a violent embrace. Both of the lizard’s heads arced back and emitted angry screeches into the night sky. Gabe’s body slammed the enormous lizard to the ground. Together they rolled and tumbled in the dirt, any exposed flesh got pierced by a claw or a fang.

  A few yards away Kendall had cocooned herself in her impenetrable wings, while a hulking orange beast—clad only in what appeared to be an adult diaper—repeatedly slammed his meaty fist against her fortress of feathers. He had to be at least eight feet tall and was all kinds of ugly. Rolls of orange lumpy skin undulated with each move. There wasn’t a hair on his head, but tufts of black curly hair sprouted up all over his chest and back. A third eye bulged from his forehead. A career in male modeling was not in the cards him.

  As long as Kendall kept her wings up, she should be okay.

  In the center of it all Caleb—now restored to his magnificent self—fought two demons instead of celebrating his newfound freedom. One had the basic shape of a human, but a body made entirely of fire. It belched flames at Caleb. He extinguished them with a stream of ice that sprayed from his palm. Someone else beside Flame Dude whipped wooden darts at Caleb. I couldn’t make out who or what they were, but my demon beau easily thwarted their attack by setting each dart ablaze with spurts of fire that pulsed from his fingertips. The combination of his fire and ice abilities created blue flames that licked and danced just below the surface of Caleb’s skin. Despite the dire situation I still marveled at the beauty of it. Black hair bobbed as the mysterious person took a step forward, and shot a dart out of the inside of his up-turned wrist.

  My head whipped in Alaina’s direction as fast as my injured state would allow. “Is that Eddie?!”

  Alaina’s rosy lips pursed as she weaved an arm around my waist and hoisted me off the ground. I buckled from the pain as all the
air left my lungs in a labored gasp. Alaina held me steady and allowed me a brief moment to catch my breath. “Yes, it is. And the one made of flames is the former red-head. The orange Henchman is the young man with the unfortunate skin condition, and the Lamusango lizard demon is the one that claimed his twin brother had been killed. Seems he wasn’t dead at all, but could be regrown as a second head at any time.”

  My mouth opened and shut in utter confusion. “What? How is that possible? They were our friends! Our allies!”

  “Not as much as one would hope.” Alaina spun me from the fight and began to hobble me away. “It seems they were here tonight just to stop us from freeing Caleb. They’ve been acting on the Countess’s orders this whole time. Seriously, Celeste, you’re an empathe, how did you not see this coming?”

  I was getting really tired of people asking me that, “They admitted they were evil and sent here to kill me! Doesn’t get much more brutally honest than that. I didn’t think there was any reason to dig deeper!”

  “Clearly there was.” Her head tipped down toward mine. “Will you be okay to fly?”

  “Yeah, I think so. Although it still hurts like hell.”

  Alaina frowned as she rolled her shoulders and released her wings. “It should. You had a wound through your middle the size of a bowling ball. I have seen your spleen, Celeste. And it was not pretty. No doubt you’ll be sore for a while.”

  I turned my back to Alaina to allow her to hook her arms under my armpits. I fought back a scream at the ripping, tearing pain my dangling legs inflicted on my injured core as we lifted off the ground. “But it worked,” I muttered through gritted teeth.

  “Why are ya still here?” Caleb screamed up at his sister. “Get her out of here now!”

  Alaina said nothing, but flapped her wings that much faster. Her golden feathers beat against the air in a rhythmic Womp! Womp! Womp!