Embrace (The Gryphon Series) (22 page)

“What did you do, Celeste?! 
What did you do
?!”  Kendall shrieked as she shook me.

Gabe
-lion flipped his head and gnashed his teeth as if he could somehow shake off the image now burned on all our brains.  Across from us Caleb stood in a state of suspended animation, like someone had hit his pause button.  As for me, I sat folded on the ground.  My feeble mind had waved a white flag and detached itself from the horrifying result of my mistake. 

             
“Tsk, tsk, tsk.  Now you’ve done it.”  Said a silky smooth voice.

             
My head snapped up.  A not-so-dead “Becca” rose up off the ground.  Her appearance altered as she stood.  The peaches and cream drained from her complexion.  Underneath it was skin as stark white and flawless as polished marble.  Fire red color seeped over her formerly brown locks as they spun into curls around her face.  Two quick blinks and the brown vanished from her eyes.  Blood red irises replaced them.  Her cotton t-shirt melted away.  Its absence exposed a black corset with red boning that hugged her ample curves.  Billowy fabric the color of red wine poked out of the top of her corset and covered her arms from her elbow to her shoulder.  Black and red leather snake skin pants looked as though they’d been spray painted on her long legs.  She stoop up on tip-toe just as a set of black stiletto heels appeared on her formerly bare feet. The Countess.  Beautifully terrifying in a nightmarish kind of way.

             
“Naughty-naughty!  Look what you’ve done.”  She smirked full red lips and wagged a finger at me.  “You may have forever jaded their,” she jerked her thumb toward Keni and Gabe, “opinions of you.  I, on the other hand, was incredibly impressed.  All this time watching you bumble your way around, I thought you were just an awkward adolescent girl trying on powers
way
too advanced for her.  But now I think I may have misjudged you.  You, my dear, have a fair share of darkness in you.  I’d love to cultivate it and see just what you are capable of.  Any chance you’d consider switching sides?”

             
“Never.”  I rose to my feet.  My strength quickly returning.  I’d been right.  What followed was an over-acted, grotesque show.  Gabe and Kendall tightened up their positions beside me, ready for a fight.

             
“Pity.”  She said with a slight lift of her narrow shoulder.  “But, can’t blame a girl for trying.”

             
“Speaking of girls,” My hands balled into fists.  “Where is the
real
Becca?  Dark Army bootcamp?”

             
With a stride Grams would refer to as having a “hitch in her get-along” the Countess sauntered over to Caleb.  He stood slack, like a shelved puppet.  She placed a finger under his chin and raised his face up.  I bristled.  Her head tilted as she gave him a brief inspection.  The smug upturn of her lips displayed her pride in her handy work. 

“That was my original intention.”  She
dropped her hand and pivoted on her easily six-inch heel back toward us.  “Then she started that incessant whining and pleading for her life.  No way could I spend an eternity enduring that.”  She rested her hands on her hips.  “Do you have any idea how taxing that is to listen to?” 

Beside me Gabe growled.  I held out a hand for him to stand down.

              “The nerve of some people.”  I replied sarcastically.

             
She threw one elegant hand, adorned with –surprise, surprise—blood red nails, in the air.  “Exactly!  See?  You get it!  It really is a pity you won’t join us.  You do realize it’s the only way you and this dreamboat could ever be together, right?”  She grasped Caleb’s chin between her thumb and forefinger and waggled his head side-to-side.  “Otherwise I
will
make him kill you.”

             
I held my head high and squared my shoulders.  “You do what you have to do, and so will I.  Now, where’s Becca?  Did you kill her?”

             
Her painfully perfect features creased as she furrowed her brow.  “What is it with you and that girl?  You said it yourself, she’s insignificant.  But if you really
must
know, no I didn’t kill her.  I wanted to—
believe
me.  But I couldn’t.  I had to keep that annoying little twit alive, so she could tell me what I needed to know to keep my disguise believable.  Although I suppose now that her usefulness has expired.” 

She raised one
slender arm and snapped her fingers.  The real Becca materialized in the center of the parking lot.  She looked exactly as the Countess had when she first appeared beside Caleb.  Just like her doppelganger before her, sheer terror etched deep into Becca’s face. 

The seconds that followed passed in slow motion.  The Countess raised her hand and made a slicing motion at the air with one
wicked long finger nail.  Becca screamed and grabbed her neck.  Blood oozed between her fingers.  Kendall pulled her wings back and rocketed to Becca’s aid.  With her palm raised at Keni, the Countess caught her in mid-air and held her there.  Gabe charged.  He snarled and snapped his bone-crushing teeth as he ran.

The Countess
gave him a sultry chuckle.  “How funny.  As if
you
could stop
me
.” Throwing her head back, she chanted.  “
Obscurum audite mihi, subsist thee quisnam opes mihi vulnero.
”

An unseen force slammed
Gabe to the ground.  His legs splayed out to his sides.  He growled and clawed at the ground, but couldn’t get up.

The Countess then turned her menacing eyes my way
and lifted one crimson eyebrow.  “Two out of three.”  She taunted.

I don’t
respond well to taunting.  I lifted my hand and mind shoved the Countess’ arm that held Keni in place.  Free once more, Kendall flew to Becca’s side. 

“Get her out of here!”  I screamed
as I braced my feet and mentally wrestled to keep the Countess’s arm back.  I was well aware I had only bought us seconds. 

Becca
recoiled as Kendall approached, until she saw those magnificent wings. Then her eyes widened and her voice quaked.  “Am…am I dead? Is this Heaven?” 

“
No to both.  You’re back in Nashville.”  Keni wrapped Becca’s arm around her neck and held tight to her waist.  “Hold on tight.” 

Becca squealed
as they lifted off into the air.  My sister’s wings slapped against the air as they streaked out of sight at a speed I didn’t know Keni could achieve. 

I dropped my hand and released the
paltry hold I had on the Countess.  She gave me a bemused grin.  I knew very well that they only escaped because she let them.  She was toying with me.

“W
ow!”  She marveled.  “Faced with your arch nemesis, and you send your shield away?  You are either incredibly brave or kind of stupid.” 

“Honestly
, I think I’m a little of both.” I admitted. I thought Barnabus was scary until I met the Countess.  Compared to her, he was the equivalent of a school yard bully.  Power emanated off of her with a tangible force.  Its magnitude undeniable. 

“
You’re funny.”  She grinned and tossed her waist-length curls.  “I do like you.  I wish you’d reconsider joining us.  You’d be a refreshing change.  No one in the Underworld has much of a sense of humor anymore.”

“Well, ya know centuries of torture, pain and a blatant disregard for the value of
their lives can do that.”  I countered.  My eyes flicked to Gabe, who was still fighting for his freedom.  “Plus from what I hear you need to spend a little less time recruiting and a little more time boosting the morale of your soldiers.  I’ve picked up on some serious dissension in the ranks.”

Her head cocked to the side
, and she folded her hands in front of her.  “Now why on earth would you think that?  Unless maybe a certain smoldering blonde has been whispering in your ear?”

H
er dead on her remark caught me off guard.  “Uh…well, yeah.”

“Silly girl.” 
Her eyes narrowed in a look that was almost playfully.  “You think you have it all figured out.” She flung her arms out wide.  Her palms turned up to the night sky.
“Rowanous, procul meus mando adeo mihi!”

N
ext to Caleb, Rowan materialized in a puff of smoke.  He finally looked the part of the pirate he claimed to be.  Loose fitting brown pants were tucked into calf-high brown leather boots.  His slack beige shirt was left open just enough to give a sneak peek at his muscular chest.  Sun-streaked blonde hair waved out from under his black bandana. 

Something flashed across his face when he saw me. 
Guilt?  He quickly focused on the Countess.  “Rowan, once again you have surpassed my expectations.  I really am sorry to see you go, but a deal’s a deal.”  She waved her hand as if shooing away a fly.  “You’re free.”

So it
was
guilt.  My anger flared.  While I never trusted Rowan completely, I hate being lied to.  “Everything you said to me about helping those people?  It was all a set up?  Why?”

“Sorry, Poppet.
”  He shrugged with a wry smile.  “It’s nothing personal.  Just a means to an end.” His boot kicked across the gravel as he stepped up to the Countess and extended his hand.  “The coordinates?”

She
glared down at his hand as if it were disease ridden.  “I’m granting you your freedom.  Don’t get greedy,
pirate
.”

His hand balled into a fist as he dropped it back to his side.
  His chiseled jaw tensed.“We had a deal.”

“I’m being more than generous!
”  Her words came out crisp and sharp.  The tone of those not used to having their commands questioned.  “Take what’s offered now. The offer will not be made again!”

“Aye.
”  He stepped back and peered at her with pure hatred.  “Rid me of the burden of you, and I’ll find him myself.”

“Be
gone, Rowan Wade.”  She said noncommittally as she fluffed her curly hair.  “I release you.”

Rowan
’s body gave a spastic jerked.  His snapped back like a PEZ dispenser.  Black smoke that crackled with electricity gushed from his eyes.  The force yanked him up off the ground.  When the last of it drained out, it cast him aside like a broken toy.  He blinked rapidly as he pulled himself up onto one knee.  Then pushed off the ground to rise up wobbly legs.   As unsteady as he seemed, he kept his eyes locked on the Countess.  I couldn’t help but think he didn’t want to show a moment’s weakness in her presence.  

“Good to be all by me
lonesome in my head again.”  He glanced my way.  Regret creased his forehead as he gave me a brief nod.  I glowered at him until he vanished into the night.  Guess he didn’t lose the ability to teleport. 

“Why?
”  I fired at her with a heaping dose of venom.  “Why did you send him?  Just to mess with me?”

“So you would learn the truth
, of course.”  She said as if the answer was so simple she couldn’t believe I hadn’t figured it out myself.  “That I can take anyone you care about and make them one of mine whenever the mood strikes me.”  She brought one finger up to her chin.  The wickedly sharp tip of her nail made a slight dimple in her skin. “Speaking of which, how’s your mother these days?  All by herself up in Michigan…”

I
stepped forward, assuming my most threatening stance, fully prepared to end this right then.  “Don’t even think about touching her, you evil bitch.”

She was in my face before I could blink
. Composure gone.  Rage contorted her face.  Her scent the spicy exotic blend of incense.  “Evil am I?  What do you know of evil?  Do you really believe everything is so black or white?  There’s a grey area in life, girl.  And if you’re not careful that very area could be your undoing.  You follow the Gryphon so faithfully.  Yet what do you really know about him?  I wonder if you’d feel compelled to protect him if you knew the truth about his past.”  She leaned in. Her hot breath assaulted my ear as she whispered, “He’s nothing but a monster.”  

As much as
I wanted to know what she meant by that, I couldn’t ask. I couldn’t risk allowing her to goad me into another set up.  Yet she had such hatred for the Gryphon I couldn’t help but wonder what spawned it.  Obviously this wasn’t about power for her but revenge.   There was more to this than anyone was telling me. 

“His past doesn’t matter.
”  I didn’t flinch.  Didn’t blink.  Didn’t let her see in any way that she had rattled me.   “The cause we both fight for does.”

The Countess
stepped back and licked her glossy lips.  “You don’t truly even understand what it is you fight for.”  She shook her head as though she pitied me.  “ I’d suggest that you ask your precious Counsel for the truth, but you won’t be alive long enough for that.”  Her curls bobbed as she flicked her head in Caleb’s direction.  “
Suscitatic. Hic mihi!”

Up came his head.  His heart shaped
lips hardly moved as he muttered a barely audible incantation over and over, as if stuck on repeat.  I didn’t know what he was saying, but I was fairly certain it didn’t involve rainbows or puppy dogs.