Ascension (The Gryphon Series) (8 page)

Eddie’s head whipped in Gabe’s direction. “Whoa … that took an ugly turn.”

Why was I hesitating?
I opened my mouth and snapped it shut. Oh, how I wished Keni was there. All it would take is one look and she would understand exactly what I was feeling without the aid of my empathic skills. But no, I was drowning in a testosterone hell. After another false start, I gave up on the notion of the right words magically tumbling from my mouth. There was no way to vocalize the predicament I was wrestling with, mostly because I didn’t completely understand it myself. It wasn’t that I didn’t want Caleb back, the exact opposite in fact. Each day for me still began as it had since the morning I awoke in Ireland with the bed beside me vacant. As the sun rose each day it roused the gnawing ache in my heart that flared to life with an agonizing reminder of what had been and what was lost. The question then became: If the pain was this intense after all this time, why was I hesitating?

Because I want it too bad.

From the second Barnabus posed his offer I wanted nothing more than to jump at the chance to do whatever it took to get Cal back. I’d even don the skank wear a la’ Kat if it meant even the slightest chance to hear that silky brogue again. I wasn’t weighing my options or calculating strategies because that would require straight thinking and a level head. When it came to Caleb I couldn’t manage either, and that was
exactly
why I couldn’t say yes. I had a calling in the fight for good over evil, to do the right thing and make noble decisions even when they sucked. However, I couldn’t see past my former love. He wanted to be free of the shackles of his demonic side so desperately. How would he feel if I succumbed and he learned of the line I crossed to get him back?

No.

Until I knew my own motivation was pure I couldn’t say yes—at least not yet.

“I … I
just can’t.” My warrior nature bristled at the tears that threatened behind my eyes. With the weight of their stares burning into my back, I spun on my heel and bolted from the garage.

“Celeste, wait.”
Of all the people I anticipated following me, Boil Face was at the very bottom of that list.

I heaved a deep sigh
of annoyance and gave serious consideration to ignoring him. “What?”

“You
… you didn’t ask the right question.”

I ground my teeth together and peered at him over my shoulder.
“Yeah? And what’s that?”

Boil Face shoved his hands into the pocket of his loose fitting cargo pants and stared up at me from under his saggy brows. “How w
ere we able to be here?”

A foreboding chill skittered up my spine
, causing my instincts to snap on high alert. “I just figured you were sent to stab me in the back. You know, the usual.”

His point
ed pink tongue darted out and raked across his lower lip. “We deserve that. But you know the Countess wouldn’t let us be here without her consent.”

“So what is it
she sent you here to do?” I turned to face him, my taut muscles set on a hairpin trigger. 

“Easy.” He raised his hands in retreat. “She just
gave me a message to deliver—one that has to be pretty darn important. She granted all of us our freedom in exchange for it.”

My hands
came up as I struck a defensive stance. “What message could
possibly
be worth a prize that big?”

He
peeked behind him to ensure no one had followed or was listening in. “The object that you’re hiding from your family? The one Barnabus gave you? It’s a very powerful artifact. There’s a reason he gave it to you and it’s much more than he may have claimed. The truth lies in the location he wants the showdown with the Countess to occur. It’s called The Gateway and only a human can carry that discus across its threshold.”

“Why?”

“All she told me is that if a demon brings the discus in, Heaven itself will unleash a fury that will destroy the entire place and all its occupants. In exchange for that transport Barnabus claims he’ll give Caleb back to you, and make no mistake he does have the resources to do it. But it comes at a price. That very same discus holds the answer to a riddle that has plagued you for some time now.”

I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath until I had to exhale to ask, “What riddle?”

“Touch Barnabus’s chest, right over his heart, while inside The Gateway … and your friend Alec is free.”

Chapter
9

Fate, with her depraved sense of humor, could never make life’s choices easy. To bring Caleb back I had to sacrifice Alec. Free Alec, and I would lose Caleb forever. Misery would haunt either decision. I could order up closure with a side of sorrow, or contentment tossed with a heaping bowlful of guilt.

I nodded to Boil Face to let him know I understood then
made my retreat into the welcoming confines of the house. The kitchen still smelled of this morning’s bacon, which prompted my stomach to rumble its discontent at the mere idea of food. I yanked my hair tie out as I passed from the kitchen to the dining room. My fingers raked through the knotted strands before I twisted them back up into a tighter ponytail just to keep my trembling hands busy.

“I can’t make this decision
,” I muttered to myself, kicking my shoes off in the foyer. “Won’t matter if I weigh my options every day for the rest of my life, I can’t do it. Fighting nasty demons? Getting sliced and diced by supernatural boogeymen?
Sure!
I got those in the bag. But this? Nope. Nada.”

Seeing the light on in the living room,
I ventured in hoping to unload this latest development on Grams. Instead, I found her dozing in her leather recliner with an afghan draped over her legs. Mascara streaked her face, remnants of the tears that had fallen. This weary vulnerability seemed out of place on someone so animated and sprightly.

She didn’t need my added drama
, her plate was already full. I bent down to dot a kiss to her forehead and scooped up the picture frame that lay in her lap. I knew the photo well. It was taken on our family trip to Disney World two years before Dad “died.” The smile it brought to my face was automatic … but short lived. Reality sucked the joy from my memory. Even then, as Dad hammed it up in a Goofy hat in front of the castle, he knew what was coming for us. Our fate had already been decided. Behind that silly smile was a man that passed up the chance to adamantly refuse this life for his kids. The Garrett blood line branched in other directions; he could’ve insisted they find someone else. Yet, he didn’t. That fact made all our memories of him a lie. I laid the picture on the end table face down; doubtful I would ever bring myself to look at it again.

Physical and emotional exhaustion
zapped what remained of my energy. I dragged my heavy feet toward the stairs. All I wanted was to crawl into bed and pretend this horrendous day never happened. Tomorrow everything would be just as it was. I would wake up to Keni snoring softly across the room. Alaina would be downstairs, trying to decipher the astounding magic that allowed the coffeemaker to
know
she wanted a cup precisely at eight a.m. Gabe’s biggest worry would be the baby bombshell he didn’t even know was coming. Alec and Caleb would still be gone, their return completely out of my control—which I now viewed as a blissful state of ineptitude on my part. And Dad? He would still be dead in the traditional sense of the word. Yesterday was a simpler time. Oh, how I missed it.

At the top of the stairs
I paused and cast a curious gaze toward my closed bedroom door. Soft musical cords drifted down the hall, coming from my room. A spark of hope rejuvenated my depleted energy.

“Keni?” I gasped, my voice rising to an excited giggle.

I sprinted the last few paces and threw open the door to find … nothing. In her rush to finish primping, Keni must’ve forgotten to turn off her iPod. Sadness seeped back in to drown my fleeting joy. I filled my lungs to capacity and exhaled a slow, shaky breath through puckered lips. 

“I didn’t know her iPod could play anything besides Katy Perry
,” I muttered as I crossed the room to shut it off.

Only then did I really
hear
the song. My hand hovered over the pause button, but hesitated as the music strummed a familiar chord on my battered heart.

The song, by
Flogging Molly
, was a haunting ballad about leaving this world. I’d heard it once before, but not by the original artists. It was at an Irish pub called Mulligans where I watched Caleb belt these same lyrics to a robustly receptive audience. I closed my eyes and allowed myself the torturous bliss of picturing him. Ebony hair falling in his eyes. Sweat dripping from his brow. His deep dimple dipping in as he smiled my way and sang a verse meant just for me. I squeezed my eyes shut to linger in that moment and clicked the music off. Silence enveloped me and hushed my screaming emotions. 

Seeking a
reprieve from this awful day, I opted out of changing out of my Council appointed attire and fell into bed. I sat up long enough to click off the light before flopping back down … right on to something small and crinkly. With an exasperated groan I rolled yet again to switch the light back on. Propped on my pillow, like a pretty—if now slightly bent—present, sat a scroll tied in a red silk ribbon. Experience had taught me this was far from a gift. Most likely it would contain some foreboding message that would warn of a big, nasty coming for me. Of course the wording would remain cryptic enough to miss the mark of being remotely helpful.

My head f
ell back as I hollered at the ceiling, “I’m getting real tired of your crap, Today!”

I t
oyed with idea of ignoring the scroll. I could tuck it in my nightstand and consider it lost in transit until morning. Even as I untied the ribbon and unrolled the thick paper, I knew that would be the more desirable option. But, I’m the Conduit. Few things in my job description fall into the category of “desirable.” With one last longing look at my beckoning pillow, I sighed and gazed down at the inked message.

The time for secrets has passed.
To prepare for the end, you must know the beginning. Use the discus. Call on ‘Audrina
’
.

“Surprisingly straight forward,” I
marveled as I dug it from the front pocket of my shorts where it warmed a spot against my hip. It may not have been the best idea to take it to the Spirit Plane, but with all the unanswered questions about it there was no way I was going to leave it unsupervised.

My palm dampened with sweat as I held the dis
cus: shifting it, weighing it, considering it. Whatever secret this glass object held was huge, big enough that I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted to know, but the time for trepidation had passed. With my heart jackhammering in my chest, I raised it about an inch from my mouth. I moistened my dry lips before whispering, “
Audrina.
”

Gold shimmering light
exploded, taking up every square inch of the room. Reality became nothing more than the faint backdrop of a whole new world. Golden particles bonded together to recreate a majestic oasis untouched by modern man. Within the haze formed habitats of rock and clay surrounded by lush landscapes.

Grasping the dis
cus tightly, I rose from my bed. As real as if it were happening right before me, I heard a child’s peal of laughter accompanied by thundering hoof beats.

“Holy crap, I’m in
Narnia,
” I gasped as a family of half-human/half-horse centaurs galloped into view. The first over the crest of the hill was a palomino stallion whose skin and coat were a deep shade of bronze. Platinum locks glistened in the sun as he flipped his head, giving me a glimpse of features so perfectly chiseled even Hollywood would swoon. Trotting up behind him came a beautiful strawberry roan mare. Long, auburn waves bounced from her shoulders with each stride. A beaming smile warmed her lovely face as her foal ducked and weaved between her legs. The baby’s hair perfectly matched her mother’s, but her heart-shaped mouth she got from her father. Her human arms and equine legs were still plump with the adorable chubbiness of the toddler phase.

Their laughter rang through the valley as they raced
toward the small row of makeshift homes. The stallion’s ears perked at a rustling in the grass just a few paces away. With no alarm or hesitation, he trotted over to investigate. I rose on my tiptoes to get a better vantage point. The hologram-like figure bent down and pushed the tall weeds aside. There, nestled in a bed of orange and purple wildflowers, lay a baby gryphon. Its wide yellow eyes blinked into the bright sunlight. Its down-covered head cowered into a fuzzy shoulder at the strange new creature towering over it. Familiarity lassoed the core of me and gave a firm tug. A slow smile spread across my face. Even in this alternate world the bond was a tangible entity all its own. That wasn’t just
any
gryphon. He was
mine
.

The stallion bent
his front leg to allow himself the motion needed to lower to the frightened Gryphon. Cautiously, he offered the back of his hand. Gryphon’s hooked little beak twitched as he sniffed. Whatever he smelled gave him the confidence to rub the top of his head against his new friend’s hand. The centaur chuckled and eased the cub into his arms. Gryphon, the future Protector of the Divine, fit perfectly in the cradle of the stallion’s strong arms.

Brush snapped under t
he stallion’s hooves as he trudged back to his family. His cherub-faced foal pranced to his side to peek over her daddy’s arm. He crouched enough for her to reach one arm up and stroke Gryphon’s silky soft wing. There was something familiar about this lovely little girl with her eyes the color of warm molasses … yet, whatever it was skirted along the shadows of a memory and prevented me from pinpointing it. Gryphon nuzzled into her hand and purred softly. She tipped her face up to her father, happiness beaming from her grin made even more adorable by the freckles that decorated the tops of her cheeks.

Truth emerged from the shadows and pulled back its cloak to reveal its horribly rotten, festered reality.
I’d witnessed that smile before, but only after years of malice and wicked scheming had jaded it.  

“
The Countess,
” I murmured to the ghostly images oblivious of my presence.

“Can we keep it, Daddy?”
my mortal nemesis begged with big puppy dog eyes.

Her mother and father exchanged
a look. Dad’s eyebrows raised in question as Mom’s face folded in a concerned scowl.

“We know nothing of this beast or if it is friend to our kind.” The mare
’s hooves pawed at the ground as she fretted.

“He’s a helpless baby.
” The stallion cocked his head and cooed at the bundle in his arms. “We can’t leave him alone to die. What kind of example would that set for Audrina?”

Audrina
? What a beautiful name for someone so vile.

“He can sleep on my mat!”
Audrina bounced on her front legs then pulled back in a tiny rear. Her hooves clacked against each other as she wobbled and almost went over backward. The mare caught and steadied her rambunctious youth. 

The swell of their laughter trailed off as the
fantastical world shattered into crystals that whirled around, over and through me in a glittery tornado. Amidst the swirls came glimpses of history. Audrina and Gryphon as children, running through a field of wild flowers. Gryphon ducked down to playfully stalk his friend, completely unaware that his long tail swished high above the reeds. Audrina clapped a hand over her mouth to stifle a giggle. He took that as his cue and pounced. The two rolled across the ground together; Audrina laughing until her cheeks bloomed bright pink, Gryphon’s head bobbing in an avian chuckle.

Th
e moment faded and made way for the next: a subdued evening with the two cuddled together on a sleeping mat. Auburn curls fanned across tawny fur as her head rested on his midsection. His feline body curled protectively around her. Audrina twirled the tip of Gryphon’s tail between her fingers until her blinks grew longer and sleep took hold.

Time
zoomed forward to the adolescent years. Side by side the same two sat, talking as the sun set over a gently rippling lake. Gryphon’s fuzzy down was patchy, revealing peeks of the sleek adult feathers beneath. I giggled to myself, sincerely hoping he filled out quick because his head looked way too big for his long, lanky frame. Audrina, on the other hand, had ripened from her girlish figure to womanly curves. She leaned her head against his shoulder, making it clear to me that time had passed but their friendship held strong.

My hair danced in the whispering touch of the swirling crystals as the scene flickered once more.
This time it settled on a wide view of the village. A herd of at least two dozen centaurs grazed across the lush green hillside. Foals galloped up and down the hill, nipping at each other and flipping their heads in a way that was more equine than human. Round bellied mares lounged against rocks outside their huts, sewing sleeping mats for their expected foals. Off to the side, Audrina chattered away as she plucked berries from a bush and deposited them into a deep clay bowl.