Ascension (The Gryphon Series) (4 page)

My mouth twisted in annoyance.
“I hope you get fleas.”

Conversation stilled as we rounded the side of the temple. J
asmine wafted in the air, beckoning us closer with its enchanting allure. Mosaic pavers of Celtic scrolls, crosses, and knots led us to a stone staircase. White wisps teased along the base of a cement staircase that arched up into a small stone bridge. At the other end, it opened to an intricately carved gazebo decorated with twinkling white lights set against a backdrop of flowers and greenery. Normally such a gazebo would be the centerpiece of beauty, but not here. My breath caught at the view over the bridge rail. Waves of fluffy, white clouds rolled, churned, and danced their way around the bridge and gazebo. Pillows of soft, billowing fluff extended as far as the eye could see.

Keni
leaned over the rail to hook her finger in a passing cumulus puff. “It’s so cold!” She giggled.

The r
ough, stone rail scratched across my stomach as I joined my sister and dipped my fingers in the moist, chilly air that brushed against my fingertips.

Big Mike
bumped me with his shoulder hard enough that I had to catch hold of the rail before I tumbled off the bridge. “Come on. They’re about to begin.”

“But there’s no one he …” My
argument trailed off as a huge flock, containing every kind of bird imaginable, swooped in and landed in the gazebo. Eagles, hawks, cranes, flamingos, doves, cardinals … the list went on and on. In bright flashes of light they morphed to human and took their seats in the white linen covered chairs arranged for the ceremony. 

Big Mike ushered
the rest of our group to a row of seats in the back, but Terin caught my arm and held me back. “She was your muse. You get to say a special goodbye.”

I glanced up, down, left and right. There was a crucial piece of this puzzle missing. “Is … is she here now? Do I just shout it out?”

Terin’s eyebrow raised quizzically. “Do you see her?”

“Am I supposed to? I’m sorry. I got hit on by a flower today,
and I don’t really know what’s happening.”

“Fair enough.”
Terin caught my chin between her index finger and thumb and pointed it toward the far side of the gazebo.

Six beautiful,
chestnut-haired women—all bearing a striking resemblance to Sophia—floated across the sea of clouds. They were a vision of beauty in their knee length, white togas. Wreaths of flowers encircled their ankles, waists, and wrists, while solitary blooms floated within the waves of their hair. At shoulder height, they carried Sophia on her pedestal. The clouds beneath their feet moved and rolled with them, drawing them to the gazebo with an effortless grace. The clouds billowed onto the gazebo and formed a base that the muse’s gently laid their sleeping sister upon.

T
erin’s hand linked with mine. Reluctant as I was, I let her lead me to Sophia’s side. A lump rose in my throat that I struggled to swallow down. This was the third funeral I’d ever attended: my grandfather, my father, and now my friend. They never got easier.

There she was—m
y beautiful muse—surrounded by flowers. The trendy clothing she adored replaced by a white robe cinched at the waist by a golden cord.  White daises had been tucked into the curls that framed her face. Death robbed the cinnamon tint from her flesh, leaving it a soft, creamy mocha.

While everyone else sat, B
ig Mike stood at the foot of Sophia’s altar, protectively standing guard. His pecks flexed as he clasped his hands behind his back, his jaw locked and tense. For a moment he let his gaze sweep over Sophia. What he saw there prompted a transformation to statue-like stillness and a fixed stare straight ahead. I took Sophia’s cold hand in mine as my thoughts wandered to the night she died. During our last conversation, Sophia had admitted she had feelings for Big Mike. If mutual attraction was to blame for the way he hovered over her, there was no point in asking or bringing it to light. Whatever might have been was snuffed out with Sophia’s final breath. Tears filled my eyes and spilled over down my cheeks.  

“It’s time,”
Terin whispered. “We don’t do eulogies here, however we do allow the person closest to the deceased to take a piece of their loved one with them.”

“
Like break off a toe?
” Alarm bolstered my voice to a high-pitched screech only dogs could hear.

A few Guides nearby tittered with laughter.

Terin’s brow creased as her face folded in a judgmental frown. “It’s deeply disturbing
that’s
the first place your mind went. No, you can carry a bit of her essence with you. If you’d like?”

I pee
red down at Sophia and let my fingers twirl into the end of one of her curls.
My friend.
Who refused to lose me to the hermit lifestyle I tried so hard to submerse myself in. Who introduced me to Caleb because she saw past his demonic essence and straight into his heart. And who noticed Rowan’s developing feelings when I had been too blind to see it. I didn’t
want
to carry on without her, much less ask the question of how I would.

I lowered my chin in a slight nod
. “Yes, very much so.”

“The process is simple.”
Terin held up two fingers. She pantomimed touching Sophia’s heart, then pressed those same two fingers to her own forehead. “Repeat the words, ‘In my thoughts and’,” her hand curved down to her heart, “‘in my heart forever’. That’s all you have to do.”

I took a deep
, cleansing breath and exhaled through pursed lips. My hand visibly trembled as I lowered two fingers to Sophia’s stilled heart. A simple brushed touch was all it took for glittering gold to illuminate the tips of my fingers.

“
In my thoughts,” prickles, like pulses of electricity, warmed my forehead, “and in my heart,” my heart gave an abrupt stutter-start as my fingers skimmed over my breast bone, “forever.”

The crowd echoed my words and actions, “In our thoughts and in our hearts forever.”

Light
cracked through Sophia’s mocha skin and poured out of her, glaring brighter than the mid-day sun. I raised my arm to shield my eyes. As quickly as it began, the gush of illumination dimmed. By the time I glanced back, Sophia was gone. In the wake of her absence a potent new feeling dawned inside of me. Its intoxicating rush coursed through me, setting urgent fire to all the passions I forced myself to squelch. An abrupt bark of laughter tore from my throat before I could even attempt to stifle it.

Terin’s
head cocked. “What did she give you?”

“I
wanna go back to school! I wanna draw! I wanna save the world! I wanna kiss a boy, and I want to do it all
right now
!” The words gushed out with a speed and high-octane excitement that shocked even me.

Big Mike side
-stepped further away.

“I’m so
giddy, I’m not even going to take that personally!” I clamped my mouth firmly shut at how inappropriate a statement like that was at a funeral. Heat instantly stained my cheeks a glowing crimson.

L
aughter rippled through the crowd. Terin gave me a comforting pat on the back. “We celebrate life here instead of mourning death. There’s no need to feel bad for your reaction. She was your muse and this was her chance to inspire you one last time. Let her influence be your guide.”

The clouds that formed
Sophia’s pedestal dissipated, rolling across the gazebo floor to rejoin their kind in soft waves that rose and fell through the building crests of the garden. “I will. I owe her that. So, what happens now?”

There was no mistaking
Terin’s nervous energy as she cast a weary glance toward the temple. “Normally, we have a feast of remembrance. Today … the Council has something
special
planned.” Orange flames flickered to life in the center of Terin’s irises. “We’re heading to the arena.”

Chapter
6

“This is so exciting!” I bubbled as I bounced on the balls of my feet.

“Sense the mood of the room, Cee
.” Kendall waved an arm at the throngs of people staring down from the surrounding stands. “We’re in an
arena.
A structure specifically designed for the infliction of pain … or occasionally host a tiny car full of clowns. But I
really
don’t think that’s the case!”

At the far end of the arena trained warriors flipped, turned
, and twirled in an impressive demonstration. The men, all movie star handsome, wore white cotton drawstring pants that hung low on their hips. The ladies were no slouches in the looks department, either. Their shell tops cinched at the waist and white shorts, that sat about three inches higher than my own comfort zone, matched those Keni and I had been begrudgingly shoved into. A tall, taut blonde with a thick rope braid linked hands with a shirtless hunk. As he spun her in a wide arc, her long legs fanned out in an effective scissor kick. Her target, a specimen of yumminess with rippling muscles and a shaved head, avoided the strike with a quick back hand-spring.

“Look at them go!” I marveled and gave them an enthusiastic round of applause. “They’re like ninjas meet
Cirque du Soleil
!”

“Which means they’ll look extra fancy pounding us into the ground.” Kendall frowned and blew her long bangs from her eyes.

“No.” Gabe shook his head as he tightened the loose drawstring of his pants. “Look close. They aren’t making contact. It’s staged fighting. Nothin’ but show. We could beat those guys with a rough game of ‘Why Ya Hittin’ Yourself?’.”

“See, Keni! Nothing to worry about! Great deduction skills, Gabe!”
I showed my support with a backhanded slap to his bicep.

Judging by the scowl that drew in his brow
, he didn’t see it as such. “Your muse inspired you to be more annoying.”

“That’s so funny.” My nose crinkled as I snort
/giggled.

The static of a microphone being switched on cut through the arena
. The crowd hushed. “It is seldom we come together in such a barbaric fashion.” I knew that voice well, the Grand Councilwoman. She hated me, and I wanted to pinch her head off her shoulders. Ours was a relationship based on mutual distaste. “Today, a new Spirit Guide must be found for the Conduit of the Gryphon, as well as her Guardian and Protector.”

“Because the last one tried to gut me like a fish
and that’s not a desirable trait in a guide,” I muttered behind my hand to Gabe.

Grams and Alaina had been seated in high back chairs in the first row, right
at the middle marker of the arena. Even from this distance I could see the frowns of unease that creased their faces. I beamed and gave them an exuberant wave of reassurance.

“
For the first time we have the luxury of the subjects being present for the choosing of their Guide. Seeing as the Garretts require …” the haughty woman cleared her throat, “…
special
care, the Council has decided to find the Guide whose fighting style best fits their needs from a selection of our very finest warriors.”

Gabe’s chest shuddered as he huffed a dry laugh. “
Only
that
woman could make ‘special’ sound like a four letter word.”

“Let us begin.” The Councilwoman’s bony arms flung out in a wide
V. “Open the doors!”

The twirling acrobats a
ssumed a respectable stoicism as they marched by twos to the four sets of double doors. A dramatic pause to build suspense, then they flung the doors open wide. Our opponents’ grand entrance was met with thunderous applause.

“Bum, bum,
buuummmm,
” I sang the ominous theme music, then giggled at my own joke.

Big Mike and three
dudes, who matched him in size and frighteningly intimidating exteriors, emerged from all four sides, surrounding us. Black tribal ink decorated their bare torsos, and one guy’s face … which, quite honestly, made him look like a serial killer. Big Mike puffed his chest, his wings arched up wide behind him. With a loud crack the caramel skinned cohort to his left uncoiled a whip holstered at his hip. Yellow eyes flashed from the other two party-goers, signaling they were moments from shifting into something scary.

“Whoa! It just got real up in here!” I laughed and clapped my hands together.

Gabe’s back rounded. The bones of his face snapped and popped to form his muzzle. “What’s the plan, oh wise Chosen One?”

“
From the looks of these guys I think the plan is to take a first class butt kickin’! We are about to be on the receiving end of a
monumental
smack down. Epic amounts of pain, headed our way!”

Keni gulped at my lively declaration.

Gabe
’s topaz eyes narrowed. “The novelty of you on musssssse juice hasssss officially worn off.” His clawed hands encircled mine and Keni’s wrists as he yanked us behind him. “Keep a tight formation!”

I nudged
my brother in the ribs with my elbow as hair exploded on him like an overzealous
Chia Pet
. “Way to take a leadership role! Good for you!”

“
Shhhhhut up and punch things,” he growled.

The
two shifters fell into their battle forms; one a magnificent white leopard, the other a fine-boned cheetah with hungry eyes. I winced as Gabe’s skeletal system slurped and thunked beside me. The impending threat spurred his change into overdrive. Unfortunately, before he could complete the transformation, the cheetah took advantage of his momentarily weakened state. It darted across the arena in a wide gait, with the leopard close behind, pumping its legs to keep up. Gabe forcefully shoved Keni and me out of the way just as the cheetah sprang into a pounce. Its front paws connected with Gabe’s barrel chest and he rode my brother straight into the ground. The air left Gabe’s lungs with a pained wheeze under the weight of the powerful cat. Adrenaline forced him feline. Our Gabe-lion rolled to the side, easily flipping the cheetah off him. He bound to his feet in time to intercept the panther in a violent collision of teeth and claws. The cheetah gave an annoyed snort as it fought to regain its footing, then threw itself into the middle of their tumble.

Watching the tussling
cats engrossed me to the point of complete oblivion. I paid no notice to the ferocious snap of a whip licking my way until a gust blew my hair back. Kendall’s wing intercepted the strike.

“Whoa! He’s like
Indiana Jones
with that thing!” Squatting down, I poked my pointer fingers between Kendall’s feathers and made myself a hole to peek through. “I wanna watch him work!”

Hungry orange
flames shot from the eyes of our attacker and ignited his whip in a deadly blaze. The glow of the flames glistened off his oiled chest, illuminating him to the color of melted caramel.

“He can shoot fire from his eyes, but he’s using the whip so he doesn’t kill us.”
Over my shoulder I tossed Keni a crinkled-nose grin. “Isn’t that thoughtful?”

“Thoughtful would be not trying to hurt us
at all
!” Rage reddened Keni’s face. Her lips disappeared in an angry white line.

I flopped down on my knees
with my hands in my lap and cocked my head to consider her. “You’re so passionate about this. It’s really inspirational.”

Keni winced as the whip snapped in
once more. “We need to find the small print of when that muse essence is going to wear off. You’re giving this particular Creature of Love very unloving feelings.” Her pointed chin jerked to our right. “Why don’t you handle Big Mike? I can withstand this guy’s torment a heck of a lot better than you can.”

“Great plan!” I credited and patted her shoulder
.

“Glad you think so, now get out.” Keni shoved me from the confines of her safety
and into the storming path of Big Mike. Her wing cocoon clamped shut behind me.

Mike’s wide
jaw tipped toward his chest. Slate eyes bore into me from under his creased brow. Every ounce of his being broadcast his mal intent as he pumped his well-muscled limbs straight for me. Somewhere in the dark regions of my mind a quiet voice whispered that this would be a really good time to defend myself. But the way he drew his fist back—so precise, so inspired—rendered me into a complete state of awe. All I could do was stand and stare. My cheeks ached from the broad smile I couldn’t seem to shake. 

“
This is a
fantastic
fight!” I gushed. “You and your friends are
incredibly
skilled warriors!”

His head jerked in confusion at my exuberance. That moment’s pause interrupted the flow of his swing.
Instead he used his momentum to catch my throat with his forearm and hurl us backward. Together we thudded to the ground. My breath lodged and tears welled behind my eyes.

“That
was a great hit!” I gasped. “Really …
oooff
.”

“Knock off the narrative
,” he grumbled through his teeth. “It’s really disconcerting.”

“
Apologies …
huuh
  … really. But …
ugh
… can I just give you a little tip?” Grasping Mike’s wrist, I repositioned it higher on my neck—right over my windpipe. “Right there,” I rasped. “That’s the sweet spot. Now apply a little more pressure … good! I’m seeing spots. Great … job.”

As oxygen deprivation lured me toward the seducti
ve shadows of unconsciousness, a booming voice rang through the arena, “That’s enough! Let them go!”

Big Mike immediately released his hold
and scrambled to his feet. His offered hand yanked me off the dirt packed ground. As soon as I convinced my shaky legs to hold my weight, he let go and dropped to one knee with his head bowed.

“Council Master.” His murmur dripped with respect and admiration.

A gorgeous white owl swooped overhead, its wide wingspan a stunning medley of whites and greys. With a sweet, singsong screech it trumpeted its own arrival. All the bodies in the stands rose from their seats to drop to their knees. The owl settled to perch on the balcony ledge high above the arena. I swiveled around and watched the wave of homage that humbled the crowd. My gaze stopped on Grams. Slowly, she rose to her feet. Her eyes bulged. The color drained from her face. Beside her, Alaina huddled back further into her seat as if attempting to blend into the wood.

“Guys?” I called to Keni and Gabe without
daring to tear my eyes away from Grams. “There’s something …”

“
Celeste,
” Kendall whispered.

My head jerked
Keni’s way. Her wings drooped. Pink-glossed lips opened and shut but managed no further sound.

I half
-turned and immediately shielded my eyes. Gabe had morphed back to human and stood staring straight ahead, making no attempts to cover the full display of … himself. The excitement from my muse-rush was stamped out by a cold dread of what could possibly be eliciting this kind of reaction.

M
y chest rose and fell in ragged breaths. Sheer force of will forced my hesitant feet to pivot toward the owl. Impossible circumstance sucked the air from my lungs. Only one word could eek past my trembling lips. “
Dad
?”