Embrace (The Gryphon Series) (15 page)

He gave me a sly smile as he ushered his date to a table.  She was a harsh looking girl with dyed black hair
, goth make-up, and a studded dog collar around her neck.  Her painted on plum colored dress was cut ultra-low in the front, and she was testing the physical capabilities of her push-up bra.  I’d never seen this girl before, yet something about her seemed familiar. 

             
“Sophia, let me take table two.”  I asked keeping Alec in my line of sight.

             
“Why?  Oh, yikes.  I sincerely hope they’re going to any early Halloween party as a pimp and a ho, otherwise that is a painful fashion faux pas.”  She gave me a pat on the back.  “They’re all yours.”

             
I didn’t even bother with my order pad.  They weren’t here for the coffee.  I approached their table and gave him a curt nod that could be considered courteous to onlookers.  “Alec.”

             
“Celeste, Celeste, Celeste.”  Bad intention dripped from his smile.  “When last I saw you I was hopelessly begging for help and you slammed the door in my face.  How are things?”

             
“This is the Conduit?”  Trampy Goth Girl snorted.  “She’s puny.” 

“Now, now Kat.”  Alec scolded gently and gave her hand a squeeze. 
“Celeste is
so
much more than she appears.” 

My jaw tensed to the point of pain.  Where had Alec’s easy smile gone?  That mischievous twinkle in his eye?  Every mannerism that made him
him
had been wiped away.  “That’s makes two of us.  We need to talk.”

“Oh, let’s do!”  He leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table like we were two girlfriends about to gab.  “How are that brother and sister of yours?  Are they in good health?  It’d be tragic if they faced some horrible fiery death.”   

Knowing he was trying to get a rise out of me, I ignored his jab.  “Let me see your mark.”

“Your what?” I assumed Kat’s expression matched her confused tone, but couldn’t tell
.  Half her face was covered by a curtain of inky black hair.

Alec’s eyes narrowed, but the smile didn’t leave his lips.  “My mark?  You wicked little girl, who
have
you been talking to?”

“Let me see it.”  My words came out slow but firm.

He leaned back in his chair and stretched his legs out under the table.  “I would, but I don’t strip down in front of an audience.”  He jerked his head in the direction of the door.

I glanced up. 
Caleb stood in the doorway, glaring at Alec with so much hatred he practically snarled.  “You have got to be kidding me.”  I grumbled under my breath.  I jabbed a finger at Alec.  “Do
not
move.”

As I weaved my way through the tables
, Caleb’s chest rose and fell with each heaving breath.  Customers started to staring.  I was gonna hear about this from Becca for sure.  “Who’s that?” He rumbled as soon as I got to him.  His gaze never wavered off of Alec.

“That,” I gestured over my shoulder at Alec, “is none of your business.  And this,”
I waved my hand at his heaving display of testosterone, “is
not
going happen.  You abandoned me in the friggin’ mountains.  You don’t get to come in here and play “jealous boyfriend.”  You get to play “coffee shop patron who sits quietly in the corner and drinks whatever over-brewed, over-priced coffee is slopped in front of you.”  Got it?”

He glanced down at me.  His expression softened enough for me to notice the unease in his eyes.  “Celeste, that man…”

I raised my eyebrows as I purposefully cut him off.  “Is none of your concern.”  I pinched the sleeve of his leather jacket between my thumb and fore-finger and tugged him to the sitting area in the corner.  “Have a seat.  Your waitress will be right with you.”

By the time I turned back around Alec and Kat were gone. 

“Frick!”  I untied my apron, tossed it in the chair across from Caleb, and bolted out the door.

I scanned the parking area.  Alec and Kat
were at the far end of the lot.  His hand brushed precariously close to her butt as he helped her into a stunning, and uber-expensive,2011 silver McLaren F1.  I didn’t even want to know where he got a car like that.  No doubt it was by less than savory means.  I pushed that thought aside as I did a quick survey of the lot.  We were the only people out there.  I ducked out of view of the café windows.  Then I shot across the lot in a blur of speed. 

Alec had just closed Kat into the car when I latched onto his shoulder and spun him around. 
As I slammed him against the side of car, Kat fumbled for her door.

“See, this is why it never would’ve worked with us.”  Alec laughed.  “You’re far too aggressive for me.”

My forearm was pressed up against his chest.  His designer shirt crumpled in my fist.  “Let me see it.”  I snarled.  Before I could stop it, the truth slipped out.  “I’m trying to save you, dammit!”

Alec threw his head back
.  His Adam’s apple bobbed up as he guffawed.  Kat flung the door up and charged.  I had nothing against her, meant her no real harm.  But I also wasn’t about to let her hit me.  I raised my hand and gave her a telepathic shove that sent her tumbling across the parking lot.  Her dress didn’t survive the fall.  We were suddenly seeing a whole lot more of Kat.  Maybe next time she wouldn’t try to pass a tube sock off as a dress.

“So much fuss.”  Alec made no attempts to hide his amusement.  “You want to see that badly?  Go ahead.”  He spread his arms out wide.  “Take a look.”

I yanked my hand down and tore his shirt open.  There, just above his heart, was…nothing.  His chest was utterly blemish free. 

Tears burned behind my eyes.  I stared up at him as if I honestly expected
him
to explain.  “There’s…there’s nothing there.” 

He leaned
in so close his breath tickled against my ear.  “Did you really believe I was a foot soldier in that brigade of idiots?  There are worse things in this world than the Dark Army, girl.  Things like me.  But you’ll find that out soon enough.”

I stood there
stupefied as he ducked around me and extended his arm to his date.  “Katherine, my love.”

My head whipped
around.  Kat flipped her hair back off her face as she retracted the sword-length metal barb that had slid out from the inside of her wrist.  My knees threatened to give out.  I laid my hand on the McLaren to steady myself.  Her hair was changed and her look altered, but I suddenly knew where I recognized her from.  She was the missing girl whose poster was plastered all over campus. 

“Oh, Alec.”
I whispered.  “What have you done?” 

“All will be revealed on
my
time,” He stated as he ushered a glaring Kat back into the car. The door clicked shut and he turned to face me. He stuffed his hands in the pockets of his slacks. His torn shirt danced in the night breeze. “Until then, don’t call on me again and
don’t
get in my way.”

CHAPTER 1
9

              Becca met me at the door, my discarded apron gripped tightly in her hand.  Her worried eyes were magnified behind her thick lens.  “Are you okay?”

             
I glanced over my shoulder.  The taillights of the McLaren faded away as the car zoomed off into the night.  “No.  I’m really not.”  I admitted.

             
“Why don’t you take a break?”  She suggested.  “Take a few minutes to clear your head.  I’ll have Melissa pick up your tables.”

             
I tore my gaze away from the window.  “She’ll be thrilled about that.”

             
“She’ll live.” Becca jerked her head in Caleb’s direction.  “Oh, and go easy on your dark-haired friend.  He was only acting on what everyone else in here picked up on—that the guy you were talking to is
seriously
bad news.”  With that she turned and walked back to the counter.

             
Caleb was still sitting where I’d left him.  On the coffee table in front of him was a pile of coffee stirrers he had twisted and knotted into unrecognizable lumps.  He glanced up with anxious eyes when I flopped down in the chair across from him.

             
“Celeste, I’m so…”

             
I held up a hand to stop him.  “You don’t have to say it.  I get the outburst.  Believe me, I do.  What I don’t get is why you’re here.”  Emotional fatigue was setting in.  I didn’t have it in me to be anything
but
one hundred percent honest with him.  “If you’re the kind of guy that likes to play games, you’ve got the wrong girl.  You acted like an ass.  And then thought, what?  That you could show up here and give me the sad, tortured, hot guy bit and that’d make everything okay?”             

A grin tugged at his lips. 
“Ya think I’m hot?”

             
I folded my arms across my chest. “I did.  But the walk home from the mountains made you
significantly
less attractive.”

             
The smirk vanished from his face.  He leaned forward and rested his forearms on his knees. “I messed up.”

“I’ll say.”

His emerald eyes bore into mine.  “I’m not gonna offer up some fool excuse.  I’m just gonna promise ya it’ll ne’er happen again, if ya just give me another chance.”

I leaned forward and mirrored his posture.  My voice dropped to a whisper.  “And why would I
do that?”

He flicked his eyes in the direction of the door, then back to me.  “Because clearly ya’re dealin’ with some stuff right now.  I can see ya’r in pain and could use a friend. 
Even if it ne’er results to anythin’ more, I at least want to be that to ya.”  He reached over that table and took my hand in his.  “Will ya give me another chance? Please?”

His words struck a chord in my heart
.  For a moment I just sat and studied him.  Those green eyes fixated on me.  I noticed the hint of apprehension of my rejection in them. Yet his handsome face was so open and hopeful.  Not at all like the sinister sneer of Alec, or even the cocky arrogance of Rowan.  Caleb seemed…genuine.  Sure, he made a mistake.  But who was I to judge?  The biggest mistake of my life just drove off into the night with a kidnapped girl he had somehow Dr. Frankensteined into a demonic girlfriend for himself. 

“Fine.”  I relented.  “But next time,
we drive separate.  That way at least I’ll have a ride home.”

CHAPTER
20

              Since the events of the evening had me feeling a little run down, I decided it would be a good idea to slam four espressos before Alaina’s scheduled training session.  The result was a jittery mess of a body and a still sluggish brain.  Awesome.  As I waited for her to begin whatever she had planned I shook out my arms, and bounced up and down on the balls of my feet.  Not as a warm-up but because I just couldn’t stand still.

             
“What’s on the docket today, Alaina?  Fog monsters?  Snow monsters?  Demons?  Hopefully no hobgoblins because they’re scary beyond reason.  But I’m sure you’ve got something good cooked up.  So what’s it gonna be?  Huh?  Come on, let’s do this!”  I bellowed and punched at the air.  Then, realized everyone was staring at me.  Judging by their astonished expressions I needed to calm it down a notch…or six. 

At least one
person appreciated my enthusiasm.  Grams had come to watch and her enthusiasm rivaled my own.  She’d even brought a cowbell and a flag.  Sure, the flag said Tennessee Titans, but it’s the thought that counts. 

“Way to get your head in the game
, Celeste!”  She yelled and jangled her bell. 

Alaina
stood ramrod straight, her hands folded in front of her.  She had traded her feathered bodysuit look for the more winged, angelic look.  It occurred to me that for her this was business attire. I snickered to myself.   

  “I have something brand new for the three of you.
” She began. “It is an exercise in reflex and blocking.”  With the wave of her hand three glowing orbs appeared, floating in front of her.  “These will act as your attackers.  They will move at you in varying successions, your individual goal is that of personal defense.  You won’t always be there to help each other, therefore for this challenge you must each act alone.” The twitch of her finger sent a glowing sphere floating into place in front of Gabe, Kendall and myself.  “Whatever you do, do
not
touch it.”

T
hat warning came about two seconds too late.  It was a pretty glowing ball and I was amped up on java.  Of course I reached out and touched it!  I squeaked as an electric current jolted through me.  My hand and arm were rendered completely useless.  “OW!  What the heck?!”