Ascension (The Gryphon Series) (19 page)

Chapter
24

The creek bubbled its soft serenade as the sunrise broke through trees and scattered its rays across the clearing. A backdrop of hyacinthine blue made the streaks of pink and orange that swirled across the sky even more magnificent. With time the colors melded together into melted gold that illuminated the entire mountain crest. I tipped my face up and let a beam of light warm my skin.

With an exasperated sigh, m
y shoulders sagged in disappointment. Normally, I found the mountain’s majesty cathartic to any stress that plagued me. This time it completely failed to loosen the knot of nerves in my gut.

Chewing on my thumb nail, I toyed with the idea of training to release a little tension. Repel off a few tree trunks. Snap saplings in half with my roundhouse kick. Even a bout of unnecessary violence didn’t
sound appealing. Training now made about as much sense as studying
after
an exam.

There was only
one distraction that I could rely on to lose myself in. My ponytail fell forward and tickled my ear as I bent down to pull my sketchpad from my satchel. Slowly at first, lead skimmed paper. In a matter of a few strokes I was immersed in my own brand of therapy. All my fear, sadness, and anxiety churned together in the forming image. The pencil took on a life of its own as it flitted across the paper. Kendall appeared within the lines and shading. Flowers decorated her long, flowing hair as it blew wild in the wind. Nature itself shielded her with a glorious ankle length gown made of leaves, feathers, and petals. Her wings rose behind her in a magnificent arc. I turned the page, without pausing, and dove into the next sketch. This time I focused on Grams. On the surface she flourished with her crazy extroverted radiance, yet beneath her grew thick roots that nourished our entire family. She was our oak. A quick break to wipe off the smudge of lead that darkened the side of my hand before I moved on to Gabe’s portrait. I needed no metaphor for this piece—just the truth of him. Despite the struggles he faced he now epitomized what it meant to be a man. Those of us lucky enough to be his family got to see his tender, caring side. Anyone that dared to threaten us had to endure the ferocious lion.

After struggling to get the shading of his mane right
, I sat back and stretched my aching back. Then, tucking my pencil into the base of my ponytail, I dug through my satchel for something to munch on. Tepid water and a squished cereal bar would be today’s main course. As I slugged down the water, I stared at the next blank sheet and contemplated my next sketch.

“Lost little girl, all alone,” a breathy voice murmured against the back of my neck.

My shoulder blades nearly touched from the chill that ripped down my spine
as I threw my water bottle and rocketed off the log.

“The middle of a war and you’re sitting out here without your bird brain sister or meat sack brother?”
Kat—a normal girl Barnabus abducted and transformed into his merciless, she-demon play thing—stalked along the edge of the creek. Her inky black hair fell like a curtain to block her face, except for
drastically
over-shadowed eyes. “Unless … could it be? Does the Conduit have a death wish? Because I would love to play fairy godmother and grant that for you.”

Instinct
tugged my hands up to block any blows she may throw, but my vindictive side forced them back down. “Look at that, a declawed kitty Kat. Pardon me if I don’t tremble with fear.”

The sunlight glittered off her dimple piercing as she pivoted to face me. “Oh, you mean this?” She turned her arm, wrist up
. A long metal blade slid from her flesh.

Goose bumps sprang up along my arms
. Still I fought to maintain my unaffected facade. “Barnabus said you wouldn’t be made active again.”

One L
ycra clad hip cocked to the side. “He was evil. He lied. Get over it.”

“This is why your kind gets a bad rep
… no accountability.” My skin sizzled with an electric warning as Kat’s demonic cohorts crept out of the foliage and surrounded me. I jerked my chin in bitter acknowledgement of ex-NFL linebacker Trent Cummings as he slunk from the shadows beside me—as much as a dude that size can ever slink. “So, what’s the plan here? Trent holds me while you do your Queen of Hearts impression?”

Kat brought her index finger
, complete with chipped black nail polish, to her lips and pantomimed contemplation. “Hmmm … now that sounds fun. But, no. Actually, we’re here as a demonstration of loyalty to our new leader.”

My head flicked side to side as I anticipated the moves of each
lurking demon. “By killing me for them? Not loving this plan.”

“I really like where your head
is at right now!” Kat bubbled with genuine appreciation. “Seriously, stellar ideas!”

“Bloody hell, lass, I can’t leave
ya alone for a minute, can I?” Caleb jogged out of the tree line and leapt over a narrow section of the creek to position himself protectively between me and Kat.

“What are you doing here?” I
hissed out of the corner of my mouth.

“I
abandoned ya here in the mountains once. I’ve been standin’ over there watchin’ ya and quietly redeeming myself.”

“You’ve been watching me?”

“Aye.”

“All day?”

“Aye. Ya’r lovely when ya’r lost in ya’r head and creatin’.”

“That’s pretty romantic,
ya creeper.”

“But
, now I see ya’r prolonged solitude is an open invitation for a brawl.” Caleb’s hair fell across his forehead as he nodded in Kat’s direction.

“You’ve got it all wrong, you delicious slab of meat
,” Kat purred as she eye groped him.  “As much as I hate to admit it, our kind has a pack master mentality.” She forced her liberally mascaraed eyes off of Cal and peered my way. “You killed our leader. Guess what that makes you?”

“Filled with a sudden sense of dread?” 

“Better.” Kat pressed her lips together as if loathing what was to come, then dropped down on one knee. All around me the demons followed suit in a slow wave that rolled through the clearing. “It makes you a force to be reckoned with. The Mutants of Mayhem are at your disposal.”

Any minute now the punch line would come and they would rise up in attack.
Right?
“You call yourselves that? On purpose?”

Kat’s eyes narrowed, a look made frightening by her overuse of cosmetics. “Sorry, the
Condu-sluts was taken … by you.”

Yes, I was surrounded by demons whose hatred
for me was palpable. No, that wasn’t enough to muzzle my sarcasm. “You know words can hurt. Probably not as much as when I snapped your ulna and radius over my knee, but still.”

“Easy, now
,” Trent’s deep bass voice warned.

Kat seethed
, her teeth visibly grinding behind her lips. “Words cannot express how much I hate you.”

“Totally mutual.”

“But I—
we
—will follow you. At least until someone else kills
you
. Then we’re with them.” Her blue painted lips curled into a tight, mocking smile that she contradicted by bowing her head in a show of respect.

“That’s a rare form of loyalty to find
,” I played it cool by scoffing, then turned my head to shoot Caleb a look of gaping astonishment.

“And how many demons are in this army?”
Intrigue knitted Caleb’s brow.

“At last count we have over 1
80 soldiers with every kind of demonic trait you can imagine.” Trent jabbed a thumb over his wide shoulder. “This is just a sampling of what we’ve got.”

I turned in a slow circle. My gaze searched the kneeling crowd
for any visible attributes they may have. The Countess’s minions normally derived their talents from nature. Barnabus, on the other hand, channeled his inner mad scientist when he created these violent atrocities. Skull spikes, sizzling electric auras, claws made from actual daggers …

A slow smile snuck across my face. “We may not die horribly after all.”

Caleb started to return my grin until the weight of my words sank in. “Whoa …
was that the only viable option before
?”

In retrospect
that probably should’ve been an inner monologue moment.

Chapter
25

The knuckle of Caleb’s index finger traced across my jawline. Gently, he tipped my face up to his. “There’s somethin’ I really need tah tell ya in case the worst does happen.”

I
pressed one finger to his perfect, heart-shaped lips. “No. None of that. Just kiss me.”

Needing no further inv
itation, he gathered me into his strong arms. I closed my eyes and tilted my head in eager expectation of sweet bliss. 

“Lovey?” h
e murmured against my lips.

“
Mmmm
?”

“
Ya do realize thars close tah two hundred demons watchin’ us right now, yah?”

Slowly, I turned my head
and glanced over my shoulder. Our newly attained soldiers stood at attention in the middle of Main Street. Expressions varying by levels of judgment were carved on each of their faces. In my defense, it was easy to forget we weren’t alone considering the cavalry’s stoic silence and that Gainesboro had become a ghost town.

A
s I cleared my throat and untangled myself from the paradise of Caleb’s embrace, a gust of feverish wind whooshed past. Terin solidified within the blaze not ten feet away. Her still sparking irises locked on our horde and didn’t waver.

“
Uh-oh. Be right back,” I muttered and scurried to intervene before Terin did something crazy … like flambé our army.

“What’s going on?” Her skin sizzled as live flame snapped and licked just below the surface.

“Went for a walk, picked up an army of demons
that were up for a fight. What’s new with
you
?”

Terin’s
ginger brows pulled together. “It’s really a coin toss if you’re going to save the world or destroy it.”

“
Let me know how it lands, will ya?”

Her pointed chin jerked in the direction of the patiently waiting troops. “And you can control them?
”

“I think so
.” I had raised my arm to push my bothersome side bangs behind my ear when I noticed a lone tendril of black smoke slithering around my wrist. “And if I can’t, he can.” I jabbed my thumb over my shoulder expecting Rowan to materialize beside me.

Instead
, his disembodied voice teased across my neck, “A word, please?” Before I could argue, I experienced the familiar—but always disconcerting—sensation of my body disintegrating into a smoky mist.

A second later
I toppled forward on to my, thankfully, solid hands and knees a few feet away in front of Angel Cakes Bakery. Closed eyes and calming breaths were mandatory as I waited for the world to stop spinning.

“Mut
ants! At alert!” Trent bellowed from the back of the crowd. The neat rows of bodies pivoted in perfect military precision. Rowan found himself the target of nearly two hundred vengeful glares that visibly longed for the blood of the enemy that dared to manhandle their new leader.

“It’s okay!”
I made it to my feet, but had to pause with my hands on my knees as another wave of vertigo hit. “I’m fine. He’s a friend—in a very liberal use of that word. So, as you were, stand down, or whatever command means chill the crap out.”

The troops obeyed without question and returned to their at ease posture.

“Because why
wouldn’t
she come back from a solo day out with an army of loyal demon followers?” Rowan murmured to himself.

I had no way to know what the day had held for
Rowan, but judging by his appearance he’d had his particular brand of “fun.” His casual, yet trendy attire was dirty and torn. A fresh bruise darkened his cheek. His lower lip was freshly split, recent enough that the blood hadn’t yet dried.

“
Squeeze in one last cage match before the apocalypse, did ya?” Finally able to stand, I wiped the nausea sweat from my cheeks and brow.

“
It seems we don’t have one iota of self-preservation between us.” The deep purple of his cheek emphasized the sallow shadows under his eyes. 

“
Rowan, are you …”

He shook his head in an adamant answer to a question I hadn’t yet voiced. Pact o
r no pact, he stepped body skimming close. Wild panic widened his eyes and sharpened his features. “I get that you’ve accepted yourself as the sacrificial lamb, but I haven’t. I meant what I said about standing beside you to the end. I
will
lay down my life before I see any harm come to you. No matter what. But if I thought for one minute you’d go willingly, I’d transport you to the ends of the earth where none of this could ever find you.”

For a split second I
allowed myself to play the what-if game. We would have to keep moving. Hopping from one tropical paradise to the next before my past could catch up. The golden-haired pirate would introduce me to the sea and all its wonders. I would teach him not to be a lying, scheming tool. It would be a mutually beneficial arrangement. Yet, as my gaze wandered to the town I’d grown to love, I knew I couldn’t do it. Light posts lined the two lane street, but no one milled on the sidewalks beside them. The quaint storefronts were dark, their signs turned to closed by order of the city officials. Gainesboro had never been a bustling burg, but it was home to love, kindness, and community. By now most of the residents had evacuated. The rest were hiding in fear. And I brought this down on them.
Me
. I owed it to them to return their home and sense of security. No matter what it cost.

I laid my palm against his cheek and empathic
ally offered him a taste of my resolve. “I
have
to do this. I hope you can understand.”

The anguish in his
turquois eyes swirled with acceptance I’d forced upon him. I lingered long enough to watch his reluctance fade then pulled my hand away. Without glancing back, I spun on my heel and strode toward my army. 

“
It’s almost dusk.” I attempted a commanding bellow, but even I noticed how it caught. “Those that are coming will be here soon. The rest of you; fall in line.”

The sun hung low in the sky, bowing its weary head from the day’s trials.
I stood on the front steps of the newly rebuilt library. Each tick of the clock tower atop it amped my anxiety up another notch. Caleb and Rowan flanked me, their postures their own interpretation of possessive anxiety. Terin stood guard at the base of the cement stairs. Her flames simmered like hot embers ready to erupt with the smallest drop of provocation. I guessed her distrust of our demon army was to blame for her—the walking, talking wall of fire—placement between me and them. The soldiers occasionally shifted their weight or made minor adjustments, but otherwise they held formation firm. Eerie silence trumpeted that we were the only souls left in the tiny town.

“You told them Main Street,
Gainesboro
, right?” Rowan tugged down the rolled sleeves of his powder blue shirt as the evening air chilled. “Every town in the continental US has a Main Street. Maybe it’s a simple communication error.”

“They’ll be here
,” I declared with forced conviction. I knew enough not to let Rowan see my trepidation. He would take that as an open invitation to whisk me out of here against my will.

Caleb cast his gaze to the stoop a
s he wrestled with the words none of us wanted to consider, “An’ if they’re not?”

“
Then …”
My family abandoned me.
My chin quivered at the thought and I tensed my jaw to steady it. “… they were all smart enough to run. We may have to wait a little longer for the Dark Army, but with all of us here they’ll still come.”

“
Waiting won’t be an issue.” Rowan’s words came out a breathless gasp as he pointed to the mountains south of us.

I followed his stare
and muttered a colorful expletive under my breath. The mountain range had vanished, swallowed whole by a thick black fog that rolled and churned hungrily, consuming all in its wake.

“
Blimey. What is
that
?” Caleb whispered.

“Is there
any
chance that Santa felt his sleigh had become contrite and gave it up for a rolling, black cloud of terror?” I raised my hand, fingers crossed.

“
That would make the idea of bein’ on the naughty list more forebodin’, but I don’t think tha’s the case, lovey.”

“Damn,” I groaned then raised my voice for the benefit of my team, “This is it, kids. Looks like it’s just us.
At the ready
!”

I didn’t blame my family for running. Fate’s bulls-eye was on
my
back, not theirs. Still, not having them by my side felt … wrong. It left me more exposed and vulnerable than ever before and this was the worst possible time for that. All I could do was take solace in the fact that they would be safe. No matter what played out, I could hold on to that.  

“W
e’ve got movement from a side street!” Trent’s shout snapped me from my reverie as he broke formation and sprinted toward the intersection. About a dozen soldiers matched his pace and trailed him. “Possible secondary attack!”

“
Wait!
” Hope exploded in me with such force tears welled in my eyes. “That’s my brother!”

Gabe rounded the corner
by The Old Shamrock Grill. But he wasn’t alone. The entire football team, school faculty, and quite a few parents tailed him. His bare pecs rose and fell with each determined stride as he marched his fleet straight for us. Our eyes locked long enough for him to give me a quick wink. I spoke Gabe-enese fluent enough to know that translated to, “Did you ever really doubt I’d be here?”

Slowly
, I shook my head in answer to his unspoken question.

My confidence improved by leaps and bounds, but the Garrett clan wasn’t done yet.
Music. To the left of us. A gorgeous canopy of ivory appeared around the side of a light pole. Keni—our punk angel—bobbed onto Main Street with the Glee Club hot on her heels. Their acappella chorus provided them with up-tempo traveling music. The entire high school student body followed Keni, their winged avenger.

“The old people are the only ones that brought weapons.
Does anyone else find that disturbing?” My head whipped around at Rowan’s proclamation. Striding up the street behind us was Grams and all the members of the Gainesboro Senior Center. The grey haired posse was packing pitchforks, baseball bats, golf clubs, and crow bars. Proof you should never tangle with old people.

The demonic soldiers parted to allow the newcomers to convene around the stairs that had now become my podium.
I peered down into the faces of the young, the old, and everything in between and found no fear. Only resolve for the fight ahead. The half-grin I’d tried to fight snuck its way across my mouth. My family actually pulled it off. I asked them to use their influence in town to bring me an army, and they delivered. Now it was up to me to hold up my end of the deal.   

“
The town we love has come under attack.” I projected for all to hear, my voice echoing down Main Street. “The safety and security we depend on was ripped out from under us. Tonight, that same threat has come to finish the job.”