Ascension (The Gryphon Series) (3 page)

Chapter
4

Straight up, soaring to altitudes that made our lungs ache for a wisp of a breath. Just when consciousness began to threaten its betrayal, we burst through a sticky, bubble-like membrane and hurdled into a pitch black abyss. Stomach-churning as that was, our trip didn’t stop there. The air around us vibrated. Light flashed. An invisible force caught hold of each of us and catapulted us one by one into a world that defied imagination.

A
qua-colored grass absorbed the shock of our fall. Enormous flowers nestled into beds of waxy-leafed foliage welcomed us into this new realm. Literally, they said ‘hi’ and waved. Their exotic tangerine, violet and crimson blooms rivaled the size of Gabe’s head when he went all jungle cat. Long, electric blue stamens jutted out from the center of each with thick, fuchsia pollen granules sprinkled on the tips. The trees behind them soared to the sky and swayed merrily, despite the lack of even a whisper of a breeze.

Kendall
, who had spent most of the flight complaining her wings were tired, now seemed to have forgotten her gripe entirely. She spun in a circle, gaping. Grams whistled through her teeth. An enormous, three-headed reptile squawked in response as it swooped overhead, close enough to blow our hair back with the air that whooshed from its massive wings.

“Did I call it?
” Gram’s eyes popped open wide enough for her false lashes to tangle in her hairline. “Goodness, I hope that wasn’t a mating call.”

“Don’t know
.” Big Mike shook out his wings and retracted them through the slits cut in his black leather vest. “Never heard it make
that
noise before. But it did have a gleam in its eye, didn’t it?” A hint of a smile threatened to crack the stern set of the winged biker’s mouth.

Gram’s gulped and
hid between Gabe and I.

A
fluttering of orange and yellow flashed in my peripheral vision. I whipped around in time to see a butterfly in a top hat flap over Gabe’s shoulder.

“Spiffy shirt
,” it remarked with a jaunty tip of the hat and flew on.

“You gave this place up to be with
me
?” Gabe spun on Alaina, his eyes bulging with excitement. “Babe, I’m really not that cool!”

Alaina
forced a tight smile at his exuberance. It quickly vanished as she cast a leery glance at the vast forest before us. A green pallor that rivaled the lush landscape tinted her milky white skin. Her hand hovered over her stomach protectively. “I forgot without wings it’s a three mile walk to town.” 

Gabe
’s chest puffed out in full macho bravado. “No worries, if you get tired you can stroll into your former home on the back of a majestic lion.”

Keni’s
head cocked to the side, her pink bangs dangled in her eyes. “Why take the chance of not finding one, Gabe? Why not just let her ride on
your
back?”

Gabe’s mouth opened, but he quickly clamped it shut. His
brow furrowed as he murmured out of the side of his mouth, “She’s not being funny, is she? She seriously didn’t get it?”

“Get what?” Keni chirped.

“There’s a reason you have no memories of Keni being on the honor roll.”

“Hey!”

Our banter was interrupted when Grams wobbled up beside me and clamped a hand on my shoulder to steady herself. She plucked one sparkly four inch stiletto from her foot and scraped out the grass and soil lodged between the heel and sole.

I pressed my lips together and stared
at her from under raised brows.

“What? I could run a mile in these if I had to and still maintain my strut
,” she muttered and shoved her shoe back on.

I sucked air through my teeth.
“Yeah, I’ve seen you try to run in those. That’s not a strut, it’s more of an ogre stomp. Real classy.”

“Oh, you’re all about the class, huh?
” She turned on one impossibly high heel and pointed back in the direction we came in. “So, that was the picture of elegance we saw back at the golf course? Because it looked to me like a ticked off honey badger.”

“
He left me tied to a table, with gnomes as far as the eye could see!” I waved my arm as if the league of ankle high terrors loomed before me. “You’re darn right I went honey badger on him!”

“
Ahem
,” Terin interrupted, her lips pinched tight. Annoyance sharpened her tone. “If we’re going to make it in time for the ceremony we need to get moving.” With determined strides, she forged ahead.

“
If this is such a long walk why don’t you guys use horses for the commute?” Gabe asked.

Te
rin, Alaina, and Big Mike simultaneously halted and spun on him. “
No horses
!”

Their resolute chorus stunned
the rest of us into a confused silence.

Big Mike
snorted like a ticked off buffalo, then jerked his head for us all to march on.

Obediently
, we obliged. 

“This is
not
an equine friendly environment,” I muttered to Grams as I grasped her elbow to help her along.

W
e trekked north, through a manic forest, encountering more dapper insects, cordial plant life, and creatures that defied description. Each step further into this overgrown wonderland seemed to hold new surprises for us to marvel at.

“
Oh my gosh! It’s
Tinker Bell
!” Keni shrieked and did frantic jazz-hands as a pretty little blonde fairy wisped over her shoulder.

The fairy scowled. Her lip curled back in a hiss that revealed a mouthful of razor sharp teeth.

Terin
swooped in front of Kendall. With one arm, she shoved my sister behind her. “Our humblest apologies. She meant it as a compliment.”

The fairy flipped u
s a
very
un-Disney like hand gesture before flapping off with her nose in the air.

“Fair
ies here can turn your skin to tree bark,” Terin warned over her shoulder. “And they’re incredibly ornery. Keep your distance.”

Keni’s
cheeks reddened. She hooked her arm through mine and forcefully yanked me to her side. “Walk with me.”

“You can’t possibly be scared. This place is amazing!” I gushed.

Her bangs fell into her eyes as she shook her head. “It’s not that. If that fairy comes back, I need you to clap a hand over my mouth. I can’t control myself and I
cannot
pull off the tree bark look.”

“Fair enough
,” I giggled and linked my arm with hers.

The tree-line widened around us, until it exploded out into a wide-open floral field. Keni and I paused, awestricken by the marvelous techno-color bouquet that towered over us.

“Watch out for these flowers. They’re fresh
,” Alaina, astride her lion chauffer, called out as they ambled passed.

The head of one massive red
rose pivoted our way. “Hey, baby, come on over here. I’m feeling
thorny
.” The bloom leered and winked one indigo eye.

“See,” Alaina gestured with one palm out
, “always fresh.”

She threw a judgmental glare at the flower. It raised its leaves in a casual shrug
, but the seductive smirk never left its petaled lips.

“Let’s never leave
,” Keni gasped.

Chapter
5

Our trek passed quickly as we marveled at the magic that dripped from each drop of dew and sprouted from each flower in this awe inspiring wonderland. Aqua tinted trees broke up ahead, allowing the city to swell before us. It didn’t snuff out the fantastical forest, but interwined with it in an enchanting opus of nature and dwelling, serenity and settlement. Dirt-packed ground peppered with rocks and leaves gave way to a flat stone road that led into a town straight out of a story book. Townspeople clad in ivory robes busily milled about in front of cobblestone shops and cottages. In the center of town one structure rose above all others.

“What is that?”
Gabe nodded at the towering structure as he morphed back to human and stepped into the boxer shorts Alaina carried for him.

“That’s the Council Temple.” Big Mike
shoved a fresh cigar between his teeth and flicked his stainless steel lighter open to light it. He inhaled a long drag before adding, “All Council business takes place right there.”

Three stark white peaks jutted up toward the sky
—the largest in the center with twin crests on either side. Trumpeting angels, carved vines, and embellished crosses, all of polished gold, added their heavenly accent to the doors, window frames, and moldings. The powerful aura of the building was softened slightly by the rich green ivy and lavender climbing flowers that twined their way up the sides, almost reaching the base of the lower peaks.

Kendall
leaned in and tightened her grip on my arm. “I don’t want to go in there. They can turn people into lions, without even looking at them.”

Big Mike
shrugged off his leather vest and replaced it with a robe he’d retrieved from his satchel. Under less grey circumstances I would’ve found his tattoo and toga combo comical. Today was not that day. “Lucky for you the funeral is around back in the Cloud Garden.”

A jerk of his head was our
only cue to follow. Residents smiled warmly as we passed. Most of them appeared human, while some maintained their more avian likeness. A regal looking blonde transformed into a dove as she passed. I swiveled around to watch her flap to a high branch to roost. Here there was no reason to hide; abilities of any kind could be displayed with pride. Inwardly, I grumbled at how nice that must be for them.

Terin
caught up with me as Big Mike led us through the street and across the temple yard. “Only members of the Council stay in the temple. The rest of us live down there.” She jerked her chin down the stone street toward town.

“
Which one is yours?”

“See that little apothecary store?”
Her milky white arm extended in front of me as she pointed to a two story store front with forest green shutters and a matching awning.

I nodded my confirmation.

“I live in the apartment above it.”

“Oh?
And how do they feel about your demon pal, Rowan, visiting you there?” I cringed at the jealous flare that somehow snuck its way into my tone. 

Terin
flicked her pointed tongue across her teeth. A victorious smile curled across her lips. “Careful, Gryphon girl. You’re feline side is showing.” Her laughter trailed off as she jogged to catch up with Big Mike.

“
Careful, Phoenix girl. Your flaming witch side is showing,” I muttered under my breath.

Gabe sauntered up beside me
and purposely bumped me with his meaty forearm. “Her’s was better.”