Embrace (The Gryphon Series) (25 page)

             
              With an inner confidence he hadn’t had before, Eddie cocked his head to the side and glared in my direction. Malicious intent wafted off of him.  “No, I think she needs to stay right here.”  A flick of his wrist and a dart zinged through the air and imbedded in my front driver’s side tire. 

             
I pulled myself up onto my knees and watched as the tire hissed flat.  Caleb threw another look back.  His ebony brows drew together as his gaze locked with mine.  Grey storm clouds filled his eyes. 

             
“Just run.”  His voice came out a rough rumble of thunder. 

             
His jaw rotated as he turned his head.  A ferocious gust tore out of him that extinguished Red’s skin to embers and sent Eddie tumbling back toward the flower shop. 

             
While I wanted to curl up in a ball and wait for the pain to subside, there wasn’t time for that.  I pulled myself up and locked an arm around Alaina’s waist to help her stand.  Her legs wobbled. Before we both tumbled to the ground, I dragged her as quick as I could shuffle across the gravel toward the road.   I kept my other arm pressed to my midsection to relieve the feeling that it would rip open and spill my guts across the ground at any moment.  Alaina couldn’t defend herself at all right then.  If nothing else, I had to at least get her to safety. 

             
From behind us, Caleb bellowed.  I hoisted Alaina up and pivoted us both around.  With a dart in his jugular Caleb collapsed to the ground.  My heart raced.  With him out of the fight, the odds tipped drastically against Gabe and Kendall.  Pain or no pain, I couldn’t stand back and do nothing. 

             
I started to ease Alaina to the ground where she would be hidden behind my truck, when her milky white hands grasped the front of my shirt.  “Celeste, no!”  She whispered urgently.  “If you go out there, you
will
die!   Please, think of your calling and all you represent!  You are
not
strong enough to fight right now. The world cannot afford to lose you!”  

             
I didn’t even pretend to listen.  Kendall had ducked out of reach of the Henchman and rushed to Caleb’s aid.  She crouched in front of him, shielding him with her wings.  Gabe released the Lamusango.  Its wings beat against the air as it rose into the night sky, then careened back down for another attack.  The lion galloped to Kendall and Caleb’s side where he positioned himself in front of them.  With his legs locked in a battle ready stance he arched his back and released a mighty roar daring them to advance.  With gleeful expressions, they attacked.  Gabe snarled and swiped. His jaws snapped.  None of them flinched.  The demonic posse crept forward until they completely surrounded our trio. 

             
My hands closed around Alaina’s as I peered down at her.  “Could you ever forgive me if I just stood back and watched while Gabe died?”  I watched the message register.  Sorrow crept into her eyes at the mere idea of losing him.  Like it or not, she really did love my brother. 

             
She released me.  Her hands fell into her lap as she curled her bare legs under her.  “Please be careful.”  The look in her eye tagged on ‘and keep him safe.’

             
I gave her a forced reassuring smile.  “I’ll do my best.” 

             
She chewed on her lip nervously as I turned on my heel fully prepared to limp into battle.  I didn’t make it one step.  A strong hand latched onto my upper arm and forcible yanked me back.  Fist raised, I spun.  Rowan caught my hand.  Amusement twinkled in his turquoise eyes. 

             
“Easy now. I wouldn’t do that if I were you.”  He smirked and quirked one golden eyebrow. I snatched my hand out of his grip before he could influence me in any way.  He snorted a laugh.  “Time and place, Lass.  This is neither the time, nor the place.” 

             
Moving on instinct, I backed away from him.  My hands still balled in a fist.  “What are
you
doing here?  You were granted your freedom.  Shouldn’t you be an ocean away by now, turning helpless girls into your puppets?”

             
“That was the plan.  But the sight of you and your sad puppy dog eyes wouldn’t leave me head.” He reached out and soothed a stray lock of hair behind my ear. I tensed and contemplated slugging him.

             
“I don’t know what you
think
you saw,” I snarled.  “But I would
never
give you…”

             
              “Can we talk about this later, Poppet?”  Rowan blatantly interrupted as he stepped past me.  “I’d like to stop that bunch from killin’ the only real friend I’ve ever had, if that’s okay with you?” 

             
Before I could stop him, or argue in the least, Rowan sauntered toward the band of demons.  Moonlight glistened off his golden locks as he tilted his head and focused his ability on them.  Each of them froze as if someone had pushed their pause button.  Then they began to retreat.  Moving back like expressionless zombies.  Kendall, Gabe and even Caleb stared in wide-eyed astonishment.  Judging from their relieved, and somewhat dumbfounded, expressions it was obvious they all thought this was going to end in a very different—very bloody—way. Truth be told, so did I.               Rowan herded them back until one by one they blinked out of our realm in a puff of smoke. 

             
I gave Alaina a nod that it was all clear. Then we both hobbled over to our loved ones as quickly as we could.  Alaina threw her arms around the weary lion’s neck.  Exhaustion set in, and he folded to the ground.  The magnitude of his plethora of wounds and gashes finally caught up with him.  Alaina caught his massive head before it slammed to the ground and cradled it in her lap.  She stroked his chestnut mane and murmured to him softly as Keni wrapped her wings around him to heal him.  I got to a very wobbly Caleb in time to help him to his feet.  Pasty pale and saturated with sweat, he swayed unsteadily.  He flung an arm around me and used me as a crutch to keep him upright. 

             
              “Lookin’ rough, Mate.”  The blonde pirate stated as he ambled back over.  He shook a handkerchief out from his pocket, rolled it up, and handed it to Caleb.  “Bite down. It’s clean.  I promise.”

             
With no further prompting, Caleb shoved it between his teeth and clamped down.  Rowan grabbed his shoulder, then jerked his chin in my direction.  “Use that super strength of yours to hold him steady.”

             
I figured it would be a bad time to point out that I felt like I might collapse at any second, so I grasped Caleb’s shoulders as firmly as I could.  Blood spurted out as Rowan used his thumb and forefinger to dig the remnants of a dart out. I had to look away.  Caleb winced and bit down harder on the fabric crammed in his mouth.  A muffled gasp escaped him.  His hand drenched with blood, Rowan pulled a chunk of dart almost three inches long out of Caleb’s neck.

             
Instantly my Irishmen’s color began to improve.  “Thank you.”  He murmured and held the handkerchief out to Rowan.

             
“Keep it.” Rowan waved it off.

             
“What made you come back?” Caleb’s eyes regained their shine along with a fair amount of doubt as he glanced from me to Rowan and back again.  His pirate friend had gone against his very nature by coming back.  Caleb’s furrowed brow told me he assumed I had been the catalyst for that freak act.

             
“Maybe I just couldn’t stand tah see ya hurt, Mate.” Rowan shrugged.  His eyes flicked to the side as he followed Caleb’s questioning gaze.  A wry smile curled his lips.  “Or…maybe you’re currently in possession of somethin’ I want. “  Beside me Caleb tensed.  His broad chest expanded.  Rowan gave a broad grin.  “Either way you have me word I won’t stand in the way of you two livin’ out a Taylor Swift song. I just hope for your sake she never second guesses her choice.  Elsewise you’ll find me lacking in remorse or guilt.”

             
My fingers weaved between Caleb’s.  I laid my other hand on his taut forearm.  I hoped the physical contact would reassure him and defuse the situation a bit. “That won’t happen.
Ever
.”  I declared with a firm set of my jaw.

             
In a blur of speed Rowan stood in front of me.  He raised his hand to my cheek, but didn’t let his skin touch mine.  The tips of his fingers caressed the veil of air between us.  My body quaked at the memory of the pulsating heat of his touch.  Before I could stop it, a moan escaped my parted lips. 

             
Caleb scowled, and squeezed my hand, his way of anchoring me back to him.  Rowan beamed with delight.  “‘Ever’ is such a very long time.”  His eyes caught mine and held.  “We’ll just have to wait and see.”

             
With a wink, he disappeared in a cloud of black smoke.

Epilogue

             
              Quarter past twelve and I was sound asleep.  Happily sawing logs and drooling on my pillowcase.  The
ssshhhhttt
of my window sliding up its sill broke through my blissful slumber.  My heavy lids fluttered open to see a black haze of smoke seeping in through the cracked window.  Instinct kicked in before my brain could snap to comprehension.  I sprang off my bed, snatched my wooden Gryphon statuette off my end table, and arced it back over my head.  Whatever idiotic demon thought it wise to sneak up on the Conduit in the middle of the night was about to get a splinter to the brain. 

             
The smoke formed a silhouette and began to solidify.  I swung my Gryphon like a tiny baseball bat.  Caleb dropped the stargazer lilies from his hand, and ducked out of striking distance. 

             
“Whoa!  Whoa!  Whoa!”  He held out one hand defensively in case I swung again.  “Celeste, lovey, it’s me!  Drop the…what is that?  A toy?”   

             
“Caleb?”  I asked the darkness, then leaned over to flick on my lamp.  As happy as I was to see him, I couldn’t get past my irritation at his choice of entrance.  “What the heck is the matter with you?  You know how many people want me dead!  Why would you—OWWWW!!”  I forgot about the wooden spike that stabs out of my Gryphon carving until it embedded itself in my palm.  A long string of expletives followed as I dripped blood on my comforter.

             
“Blimey!  Ya’re bleedin’.”  Caleb scooped up a dirty T-shirt that had fallen off the top of the heaping full hamper and onto the floor.  He stepped close enough for me to get a waft of the crisp night air that still clung to his skin as he cradled my hand in his.  Carefully, he folded the shirt, and then wrapped it around my injured palm.  It was such a sweet gesture, I didn’t ruin it by telling him I’d be healed long before he could knot the makeshift bandage.

             
“I was tryin’ for romantic.”  He muttered while a smile tugged at his lips.  “Then all Hades broke loose.”

             
“I guess you’re unaware of my official title; Conduit of the Gryphon and killer of romance.”  I laughed.  My gaze fell to the discarded flowers.  “You brought me lilies?”

             
Caleb glanced over his shoulder as if he, too, had just remembered them, and then swiveled to retrieve them.  “Aye.”  He deposited the beautiful arrangement of silky pink and white flowers into my open arms.  I closed my eyes and inhaled their wonderful fragrance.  “I have tah admit I cheated a bit.  Ya’r Grams told me they were ya’r favorite.”

             
I cocked my head and tried not to beam like an idiot.  “You called my Grams and asked?”

             
“Of course.”  He hooked a finger in the top of my shorts and pulled me to him.“I had to find some way to let ya know I missed ya terribly.”

             
His eyes twinkled as he graced me with that half grin I adored.  The soft light from my lamp made blue highlights dance through his ebony hair as he leaned in to press his lips to mine.   The two weeks we’d been apart had been too long.  Once his freedom had been restored, Caleb finally ventured to the one place he’d been longing for—his home, Ireland.  He asked me to go, but I thought his first trip back should be solo.  Let him lay his past to rest first.  Then he could share it with me.  After that he promised to do a little digging through his demonic resources around the world (those that hadn’t dried up already) to see if he could find out anything about Alec.  Where he was, what he was up to—anything.  I hadn’t given up on saving my friend, and Caleb promised to help in any way he could.

             
              “Nice entrance, by the way.”  I murmured as our lips parted.  “It was very
Bram Stoker’s Dracula
of you.”

             
“Where do ya think I got the idea?”    He asked with an over dramatic
Dracula
-esque raise of his eyebrow. After dotting my lips with another quick peck he turned and walked to the window.