Ascension (The Gryphon Series) (23 page)

Chapter
One

“
Ter!” I hopped on one foot as I wiggled into my jeans. “Your crap is all over the floor and I can’t find my other shoe.”

My roommate groaned from under her pillow
, but didn’t budge from her blanket cocoon.

Pants in place, I nudged her wi
th my knee then went back to rifling through our miniscule dorm room. “Terin, don’t act like you can’t hear me. I know I had two shoes. As tradition would have it, they come in pairs. Come on, I’m gonna be late for class.”

A
tangled mess of orangish-red hair emerged from the blankets. With an annoyed groan, she half-heartedly dug under her bed then whipped a pair of wedge heels at me.

I stared down at the beaded
, plum-colored footwear. “Those aren’t mine. I can tell because they have a heel and
don’t lace up
.”

“
Borrowed yours. Lost one,” she grumbled into her pillow.

“Don’t you have
, like, all the shoes, ever? Why would you need mine? And how do you lose
one
shoe?”

“Had a
date with a short dude. Yours were the only flats in the room, so I borrowed them. Halfway through the night they gave me blisters. I took them off, one didn’t follow me home. Simple as that.”

I flopped down on my bed
and reluctantly slid on the wedges. “You’re buying me new Chuck Taylors.”

One hand
shot out from under her comforter in a thumbs up. “New tomboy shoes, got it.”

“I’m going to break my leg in these things.” I turned my foot
to the side to check out the height of the heel. “Hey, don’t forget you have class at three—World History . You remember class, right? Those rooms we pay lots of money to sit in and be talked at? The one you have today, as the name suggests, discusses the history of the world. Or as you may know it, the class you only show up to on test day and still manage to ace.”

“History is easy.
It’s just remembering crap that already happened,” was her muffled, yet deeply moving, reply. 

“Text me if you can’t remember where the lecture hall is
,” I called to her as I flung my scarf around my neck and wobbled out the door.

The wind nipped with the chill of fall, making me grateful I’d remembered my scarf. The leaves were changing to regal jewel tones of ruby, topaz and amethyst, adding a touch of elegance to the regal, stone buildings of the Rhodes College Campus. When I first viewed brochures of Rhode’s castle-like buildings, and renaissance style décor I had immediately fallen in love. That infatuation grew deeper with each passing day.

As I passed under the a
rchway in the Robinson-Blount Residence Hall Quad, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I glanced at the caller ID and smiled before answering, “Hey, Grams. What’s up?”

“H
i baby!” The smile in her voice was audible and made me miss her that much more. “I know you’re probably busy, but I need to know if you’re coming home this weekend.”

“Not sure.” I gave a brief
wave to a girl I recognized from my English 101 class. “I’ll have to see what assignments are coming due and if I can afford to sneak away. Why? Big things happening in Gainesboro? For, like, the first time
ever
.”

“Ha-ha
,” Grams deadpanned. “The Y is offering a self-defense class and I want you to come and take it with me.”

The mental image of
Grams in spandex practicing high kicks caused an impromptu cringe. “Oh, yeah. I’m definitely busy.”

“Celeste,”
she snapped in her best intimidating matriarch tone. “You are a tiny little girl on a very large campus. You need to learn what to do if someone ever attacks you.”

Knowing I was a good three hours outside of pinching range loosened my tongue more than I would
ever
dare in person. “No worries, Grams. They gave me a rape whistle at orientation. If anyone attacks me I can play them a haunting tune that will leave them spellbound so I can make my escape.”

“I don’t think you’re taking this serious
ly enough.”

“And I don’t think you realize how talented I am on that whistle.”

Grams chuckled in spite of herself. “Sakes alive, girl, would you at least make your grandma happy and
try
to make it?”

“I will do my best.”
I tucked a rogue lock of hair behind my ear as I hopped the curb on to the sidewalk. Mid-step, my left wedge heel caught in a crack in the cement, causing my ankle to wrench sharply to the side. I tumbled forward on a collision course with the pavement. “
Ahh!
”

Strong arms caught me. I inhaled a scent
that teased at a memory that remained just out of reach. Leather melded with fresh air and soap. My head rose slowly. Emerald eyes. Hypnotizing. Magnetic. A shadow of something that resembled recognition fluttered across the face of this raven-haired Adonis.

“Celeste? Are you okay? What happened?” Grams chattered in my ear.

His moist, inviting lips parted to mouth the words, “You okay?”

I managed a nod.
“These aren’t my shoes,” I offered in a breathless explanation.

H
e graced me with a swoon-worthy grin that caused deep dimples to dip into his cheeks. Long, thick lashes lowered in a wink as he released his hold on me and strode off across the courtyard.

Heat
bloomed in my chest and rushed to my face and ears. I clapped a hand over my mouth to stifle the nervous giggle that bubbled up from my chest.

“That was
audibly
awkward.” Grams chuckled. “And what was with your voice? Was that the asthmatic seduction technique?”    

I adjusted my satchel on my shoulder and resumed my trek to class. “We can’t all have your mad skills, Grams.”

“I got
game
, son!” she whooped.

“Play on, player.” I
laughed and yanked open the door to Clough Hall. “Alright, I’m almost to class. Give me the sixty second version of the Garrett Chronicles.”

“Hmmm. Let’s see.” I could hear her acrylic nails tapping against the table. “Kendall
got the lead in the community players production of
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
. She beat out Phyllis Perkins, you remember her? She plays bingo at the senior center, has the face of a Bassett Hound.” I snorted a dry snicker but didn’t interrupt Gram’s ramble. “Anyway, let’s see, what else? Oh, Alaina is getting big
fast
! I swear that girl is swelling like she’s got a whole litter in there! Don’t you dare tell her I said that. It’ll just upset the hormonal beast. I’m telling you, she must be running Gabe ragged. That boy sleeps constantly! He’s even started coming over here on his lunch break just to get a few more minutes of shut eye.”

“Must be all those middle of the night food runs.” My voice echoed through the hall as I clicked across the
tan and black checkered floor. “On that note, I have to say goodbye. I’m almost to Art History. I’ll text you and let you know if I’m in for the crotch-punching class.”

“Self-defense.”

“Same thing. Love you.”

“Celeste!” a
familiar voice called as I clicked my phone off and slid it into the pocket of my jeans.

I knew very well who it was, and what he was after. Pivoting on
the heel of my still throbbing ankle, I peered up at him from under my lowered brow. “I’m not giving you my notes, Rowan.”

His face fell in a mock pout. “But my academic achievement depends on it.”

“Try showing up for class. It’s an old-fashioned, tried and true method that works for the rest of us.”

“I wanted to. I did. But it was such a beautiful day it seemed criminal to be trapped indoors.”

I tapped my index finger against my chin. “Odd that Professor McHale didn’t include that in the list of acceptable reasons to miss class.”

Rowan lowered his chin and gave me a half-grin that had probably charmed the panties off half the female student body. “It’s a travesty that it isn’t.
But that is exactly why you and I are such a great team. You were here, being responsible enough for the both of us.”

“We’re
so
not a team,” I stated as Rowan followed me into the lecture hall. “The rumor on campus is that you’re quite the MVP, while I don’t even attend tryouts.”

“I’m MVP al
l right. Most Valuable—”

“Ah!” I held my hand up to halt
his off color comment. “It’s okay to let some innuendos die.”

Settling
into a desk, I retrieved my notebook and pen from my satchel. Rowan didn’t hesitate to take the seat beside me. He dropped his backpack on the floor, then pulled a Middle Ground cup from the side of it. “I did come stocked with incentives. I believe a Caramel Frappuccino with extra whip is your drink of choice?”

My mouth instantly began to water a
t the foamy goodness. “It takes more than wonderful deliciousness to bend my ethics.”

Rowan dug into the
breast pocket of his army green jacket and presented me with two multi-colored slips of paper. “What if I throw these in?”

“Monopoly money? You shouldn’t have.”

“These,” he grinned mischievously and fanned himself with the mystery paper, “are tickets to the indie battle of the bands at the Annex. There’s an Irish rock band playing that is supposed to be off the hook. Plus, this will expand your horizons beyond the drivel I hear pumping through your ear buds.”

F
liers for this concert were all over campus. Much as I hated to admit it, I was intrigued. “But … it’s not a date.”

Golden waves fell into his face as he shook his head.
He raked a hand through them, leaving them in casual disarray. “It’s not a date. Any attempts you make to steal my virtue will be rebuffed no later than the morning after.”

I
narrowed my eyes and fought off my threatening smile. “Rowan…”

He leaned closer, his arm on the back of my chair. “Come on. Come out with me. Miss one night of studying and
sketching in that book of yours. What have you got to lose?”

My ears burned with a hot blush at the intimacy in his stare.
I cleared my throat and scooted to the edge of my seat—anxious  for a little bit more breathing room. “You know I’m not going to fall for your swagger like the rest of the female population, right?”

“Maybe that’s why I find you so fascinating.” His tone suggested he was
pondering that same question himself.

“Who is ready to discuss
Liberty Leading the People
?” Professor McHale chirped with his standard high-octane enthusiasm as he strode in clad in his trademark black turtle neck and khaki pants.

Rowan pulled away to dig his notebook from his bag.
I slid back in my seat, grateful for the interruption. While his head was still turned I grabbed the tickets … and the Frappuccino. I felt the weight of his stare and warmth of his smile as soon as he noticed my unspoken acceptance. But I played it cool. Pointedly ignoring the hot guy, sipping a little belly warming goodness, as my favorite teacher discussed beautiful works of art.