Embrace (The Gryphon Series) (9 page)

“Thanks for doing this.”  Keni muttered.  Her loopiness had passed. 
She looked away, down at the floor, at the wall, toward the door, anywhere but at me. Her cheeks pinkened.

“No problem.  That’s what
sisters are for; picking stones, acorns, and what I really hope isn’t a chunk of poison ivy, out of each other’s hair.”  I dropped the stalk in question in the garbage, rinsed off my hands, then went back to smearing Jif through her golden locks.

“That’s not all they’re for.”

“No.  They’re also for videotaping stupid ideas like this that the other has.  And in that I failed you.”  I ruffled her sticky, slimy, nutty scented hair to show I was teasing.

“They’re also for confiding in.”  She threw that sentence out nonchalantly but stared at my reflection in the mirror as she awaited my reaction.

“I know.”  I said. I purposely kept my eyes on my task. 

Keni caught my hand, pivoted slightly on the metal folding chair, and peered up at me.  “You know you can tell me anything, right?”

“Yeah.  Sure.  I know that.  Nothing to tell, though.”  I may have shrugged one too many times during this proclamation.  My attempt at casualness landed closer to a newly developed twitch.

“Okay.”  Keni relented.  She dropped my hand and turned back toward the mirror.  “I guess I just imagined your sad puppy eyes earl
ier when I said I was leaving.”

My squish covered hands dropped to my sides as I glared at her reflection.  “I did
not
have sad puppy eyes.”

Peanut butter dribbled down her neck as she cocked her head to the side and gazed up at me from under raised eyebrows.  “Dude, seriously.  I thought you were gonna, like, latch on to my ankle and make me drag you across the floor until I agreed to stay here and talk you through whatever Condu-drama you concocted in that head of yours.”

I ripped the hand towel off the edge of the sink, and wiped my hands with vigor.  “Oh, what-
ever
!  I did not.  And I didn’t concoct anything.  I friggin’ purred at a guy at work today and kinda wanted someone to tell me I wasn’t a total freak.”  I punctuated my sentence by whipping the hand towel into the sink.

Keni’s eyes widened.  “You purred at a guy?  Really?  Why?”

“Because he scratched me behind the ears, and I liked it.”

“Huh?”

  I threw my hands in the air.  “Geez, Keni!  I don’t know why!  One minute I’m taking his order and admiring his swoon-worthy accent. The next I’m purring like a cat in heat.”  I took a deep breath to clear my head and plopped down on the edge of the bathtub.  “He totally heard it, too.  Which makes it that much more mortifying.”

“Look on the bright side, now he knows you like him.”  Keni said with a lift of her dainty shoulder.

I snorted a humorless laugh.  “That little piece of info won’t do anybody any good.”

Her flaxen eyebrows drew in.  “Why?”

I kept my eyes cast down at the floor.  The pattern on the ceramic tiles looked like grey rain clouds.  As the conversation had somehow turned to my love life, that seemed fitting.  “Because dating isn’t an option for me anymore.”

“Cee, it doesn’t have to be that way.”  She pleaded.

“Yes.  It does.”

Her voice dropped to a whisper.  “Was your break up with Alec really
that
bad?”

I opened my mouth to spout the same story I had recited time and time again. 
I was falling for him.  He broke my heart by telling me he didn’t feel the same.
But the bitterness of those lies soured on my tongue.  I couldn’t bring myself to spit them out even one last time.  Instead, I clamped my lips together and nodded at the floor. 

Kendall fell silent for a moment.  She crossed her arms on the back of the folding chair and rested her chin on them.  “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.  My life is a very lame open book.”

“You’re an empathe.  How did you not know Gabe and Alaina were in love?”

My head snapped up.  “What?” 
Hello, random topic lane change
.

“All you had to do was tune in for a half a sec and you totally would’ve known.”

“But…uh…I…” I wanted to be indignant that
I
was the wronged party, but had no good argument.  She was absolutely right.

  “But nothin’.  It’s true.”  Her fluffy white towel dress started to slip and she readjusted it.  “One little pe
ek would’ve told you everything.  But you haven’t linked into any of us for a super long time.  And I think I know why.”

“Do tell, oh, wise-one.”  I laid the sarcasm on heavy to hide my worry that she might actually be on to something.

“You’ve been dealing with so much of your own crap lately that you were scared of taking on anybody else’s.”  My jaw fell slack, my mouth formed a perfect O.  When did my little sister become so insightful?  It was deeply disturbing.  Like the world had suddenly spun off its axis.  “I just think that you’ve been going about this all wrong.  You’ve been so worried about facing other people’s problems that you didn’t realize you could really use our strengths.”

Before I could ask what she meant by that, Keni rose from her chair.  After quickly tightening her towel gown, she knelt down in front of me and grabbed my hand.  “Go ahead.  Try it.”

I inhaled a deep cleansing breath as I curled my fingers around hers.  I hadn’t done this in so long I wasn’t sure I’d even remember how.  With my eyes squeezed shut I used my essence to reach out to hers.  Warmth cascade over me like a hot shower.   Keni was goodness, purity, and love.  Tapping into her aura always felt fantastic.  Like a vacation from the negativity that eats at the rest of us.  I could trust her with anything.  Count on her until the bitter end.  She would never judge me harshly.  Even if I admit to her all the awful truths that haunted me…

“Alec didn’t break up with me.”  The words tumbled out as if I couldn’t hold them in a second longer.   And once they
started the entire sordid tale poured out like an erupting geyser.  “I went to see him at the hospital and he was…different.  The way he looked, the way he acted, the awful—and grossly overly descriptive—things he said.”  My eyes snapped open and sought out hers.  All I saw there was compassion.  “Keni I could’ve sworn he was a Seeker.  He gave off a definite demon vibe.  He tried to tell me that it was the aftereffects from his bump to the head, but I…”  The tears I had held back for so long began to flow.  Slowly at first, then quickly gaining speed until they were coursing down my cheeks in torrents.  “I just didn’t know.  I couldn’t tell.  He asked for my help.  Told me he was scared.  And ya know what your noble big sister did?  I walked out on him and didn’t look back.  Because if I was right, if he
was
a demon, it’s my job to destroy him and I could never do that.  I just couldn’t. It’s Alec. I can’t hurt him.”

Keni tore me off a chunk of toilet paper to wipe my face on, then sat beside me on the edge of the tub.  She rubbed my back as I attempted to steady my breathing.  “And you kept it a secret to protect him?”

I nodded as I blew my nose.           

“I would’ve done the exact same thing.” She reassured me.

“That’s because you see the good in everybody whether they deserve it, or not.  I’m the Conduit.  I’m supposed to be able to make the hard choices despite my stupid feelings.  But I choked.”  I tossed my snotty tissue at the trash can and missed. 

“You’re human, Cee.”  Keni bumped me with her shoulder.  “You’re “stupid” feelings make you who you are. 
If you got a demon vibe from Alec, you were probably right.”

“You really think so?”  My eyes ached from my crying jag.  I rubbed them with the heels of my hands.

“Totally.  You’re the chosen one.  I’m sure you’ve got some sort of built-in demon radar.  Plus, if he really
is
a demon you’ll be seeing him again.  His kind can’t stay away from you.  You’re like catnip to them.”  

“Fantastic.”  I grumbled.
  “Please don’t tell Gabe, about this.  He wouldn’t understand.  Knowing him, he’d probably want to go hunt Alec down.”

“I don’t like lying to him.  But we’ll keep it quiet as long as we can. 
Buy you some time to figure it out for yourself.”  Keni stood up and sauntered over to the mirror.  She snatched the comb off the counter and pried the last of the sap from her hair.  “I still don’t see why this has you sworn off of guys, though.”

I let my hands fall between my knees as I peered up at her from under
raised eyebrows.  “The last guy I liked may or may not be Mayor of Evil Town now.”

She gave the look right back to me.  “Yeah, but what are the chances of it happening again?  I’m just sayin’, you liked this new guy enough to
purr
at him.  You can’t ignore that.”

“Yes
, I can.  And I will.”  After all that was what was best, wasn’t it?  Sure, I was attracted to the guy.  What girl wouldn’t be?  I mean hel-
lo
.  But I couldn’t risk it.  Not again.  Even if there was a part of me that wanted to…  Without meaning to, I allowed a bit of this inner monologue to seep out.  “It doesn’t matter.  I won’t see him again anyway.”

Keni froze mid-sap extraction and gaped at me like I was a moron.  “Do you seriously not know anything about boys?”

“Not really.  No.” I admitted.

She resumed combing.  “Guys are
not
complex creatures, Cee.  A cute girl purred at him.  He’ll be back.  For.  Sure.”  Just the idea of seeing the raven-haired Irishmen again sent a rush of heat through me that I quickly tried to squelch.   “And when he does, talk to him.”

“I don’t know…”

  After a quick check to make sure the last of the sap was out, Keni deposited the peanut butter covered comb into the sink.  Then spun in my direction.   “Well I do.  Let me ask you this, have you ever had that kind of reaction to a guy before?”

“No.”  I laughed.  “That was definitely a first.”

“My point exactly.”  With her hip leaned against the vanity, she folded her arms in front of her.  “For some reason the Conduit side of you was drawn to him.  You owe it to yourself, and your calling, to find out why.”      

CHAPTER 12

Turns out Keni was right.  Not that I had any intention of telling
her
that.  Two days—and one incredibly gross incident involving a phlegm spewing demon—later, and there he was.  My mid-shift break had just ended.  I pushed through the swinging door of the backroom, snatched my order pad out of my cubby and scanned the sitting area.  My heart did an erratic little stutter beat.  There was no mistaking that glossy black hair and chiseled jawline.  Not only was the dark-haired Adonis back, he was sitting in my section—again.   In theory, Keni’s idea that something supernatural was drawing me to him made sense.  And logically I
should
talk to him to try to figure out what.  However, the thought of actually doing that brought on a fresh round of panic.     

I
latched onto Sophia’s arm as she passed by with a very full tray balanced on her hand.  “Soph!  Trade tables with me!” 

“
Whoa!  Geez, Celeste!  You nearly dumped my whole order.  What is your…” Her chestnut ponytail bounced as she followed my alarmed gaze.  Her eyes widened in understanding.  A sly smile spread across her red painted lips.  “
Oh
!  Awesome!  No friggin way am I trading.  You
need
to do this.  Consider it lesson number two.”

“
You don’t understand.” I hissed in a hushed whisper.  “I
can’t
talk to him.  I physically can’t.  I am begging you to help me out here.”

“Aw, poor girl.” 
I know fake concern when I see it, and she was laying it on heavy. “You’re gonna have to talk to the handsome boy.”  With an infuriating grin and a toss of her hair, she sashayed away.

“Like he
ck I am.”  I muttered.  “Melissa, will you take my tables and I’ll work counter for a while?”

“No
pe.”  Melissa handed a pink-haired co-ed his change.  “This is where Becca wants me tonight.” 

“
Come on!” I was barely able to refrain myself from physically removing her from the register and positioning myself there.  “Becca won’t mind.  Plus, you’d get to talk to a really hot guy.  What do ya say?”

“Lost me there, Celeste.
” Her fitted and pressed navy turtle neck didn’t dare wrinkle as she lifted a shoulder in a casual shrug.  “I have no desire to talk to hot guys of any sort until I have my master’s degree.  Can’t risk the distraction.  Sorry.” 

Normally
, I admired her determination and ambition.  Right then it was just annoying.

Practically spinning in circles, I
sought out another alternative. 
Any
other alternative.  Becca sauntered out from the backroom, change drawer in tow.  I pounced.  “Becca! 
Please
take my tables!”  I yanked the drawer out of her hands.  “ I’ll count out the register!”