Embrace (The Gryphon Series) (26 page)

             
“The gesture was sweet though. Sorry I ruined it.” 

             
“No worries.”  He shrugged and pulled the window down to ward off the cold November breeze that had sliced through the room. “Bad news though.  I found out nothin’ about ya’r boy, Alec.  Thars talk of new demons bein’ made, but no one knows by who or why. I’ll keep lookin’ into it.  Ir’land was lovely though.  Even more beautiful than I remembered…”

             
I knew I
should
be listening, but I had gotten…distracted.  If it was possible, I had actually forgotten how painfully hot Caleb was in his absence.  The white T-shirt he wore hugged his muscular torso as he moved.  He had donned a saffron yellow kilt in honor of his homeland along with white socks pushed down into a pair of brown work boots.  He raked a hand casually through his hair as he spoke.  It fell around his head in a messy halo.

             
“The valley looks exactly the same, but thar’s no trace of my village.  Not that I expected there tah be. ” He paused and cocked his head to the side.  A questioning smile played across his heart shaped lips.  “What? Why are ya lookin’ at me like that?”

             
“You’re too far away right now.”  My cheeks instantly reddened at the forward statement that forced its way from my brain to my lips.

             
Hunger flamed to life in his eyes.  In a blur of superhuman speed he closed the gap between us.  With my face cradled in his hands he brought his lips to mine in a feather-soft caress.  Gentle and sweet quickly morphed into urgent intensity.  My fingers tangled in his silky hair as I pressed my body to his.  He gave a throaty moan. Then he guided my back up against the wall.  A blaze of white hot heat coursed through me as he kissed and nipped his way down my neck.  I sighed in euphoria. 

             
“Do ya realize,” he murmured into the crook between my shoulder and neck, “that with the Countess out of my head, this is the first time we’ve actually been alone?”

             
“You’re not alone.”  Said a muffled voice from across the room. “Kendall’s in the room and
not asleep
!  So, please, stop what you’re doing before you scar my sweet, impressionable mind anymore!”

             
Caleb’s head fell against my shoulder.  His hair tickled my cheek as he shook with laughter. Turns out demons
can
blush.  “Ya could’ve told me that ya’r kid sister was in the room.”

             
I straightened my clothing—a pair of guy’s boxer shorts and a T-shirt—and tried to steady my breath.  “Sorry.  You started kissing me and I forgot she was here.” 

             
“Oh, that’s nice!”               Keni laid the sarcasm on heavy as she rolled up onto one elbow.  Even with an abysmal case of bedhead she managed to look adorable.  “Just so you know, the way you were sighing and moaning?  Yeah, you sounded like a water buffalo in heat.”

             
Caleb’s eyes popped and he bit down hard on his lower lip.

             
“Don’t you dare laugh.”  I threatened.

             
“Wouldn’t dream of it, lovey.”  He grinned mischievously and pulled me in for a bear hug. 

             
From out in the hall came, “I think I heard his voice.  I just want to pop my head in and say hello.”

             
“Secure the breakables!”  I shouted to Kendall. 

             
We both sprang to action.  I pushed passed Caleb to help Kendall scoop up all of our fragile items and stuff them into the closet. I answered the unspoken question of Caleb’s bewildered expression with, “You’ll see.”

             
After a soft knock, the door popped open and in strolled Alaina in all her feathered glory.  Her bout with mortality hadn’t set well with her.  Since then she had her wings out and feathers on display
at all times
.  In cramped spaces she frequently left a path of destruction in her wake.  Her wide wingspan had taken out a lamp, a framed wedding photo of my mom and dad, and—in one incredibly ugly situation—Grams’ full wine goblet.  (For a moment we had thought Grams was going to use Alaina’s golden feathers to swab up her Cabernet, but somehow she managed to restrain herself. )

             
As usual, Gabe trailed her.  Softly, he pulled the bedroom door shut.  Wherever Alaina’s path of destruction lead, Gabe was right there to pick up whatever mess she made and offer up his apologies to anyone she disrupted.  Not once did he utter a single complaint. Love looked good on my big brother.

             
“Caleb!”  Alaina beamed and crossed the room to embrace him.   Kendall and I got smacked in the face by her wings as she passed. 

             
Gabe grimaced and mouthed a quick ‘sorry.’

             
“Good to see ya.”  Caleb responded and squeezed his sister.  “Although I don’t really think we need to see so much of ya.”

             
“Pardon?”  Her feathers ruffled and smoothed as she jerked her head to the side in a bird-like manner.

             
“The wings?” He jerked his chin in their direction.

             
Her porcelain skin took on a rosy hue, as she cast her avian eyes down at the floor.  “Yes.  Well, it seems I’ve allowed them to become a bit of a crutch.”

             
One side of his mouth drew back in disapproval.  “Hmmm…my big sister still needs a security blanket?  Shame that. ”

             
Alaina’s spine straightened.  A flash of her self-assured Spirit Guide demeanor broke through, but only for a second.  “It is
not
a security blanket.” She argued, but her voice bordered on a whine.  “I would never need such a thing, I just had a traumatic experience and…”

             
“Blah, blah, blah.”  Caleb interrupted, making his hand flap like a jabbering puppet.  “Claims of unyieldin’ internal resolve are reserved for those not currently grippin’ their security blankie.” 

             
              Alaina’s mouth snapped shut.  Renewed resolve flamed to life in her eyes.  She pressed her lips together in a firm line, then pulled her wings in without saying a word.  It seemed no matter what century you were born in the annoying brother trait was a constant.

             
Caleb’s face split in a wide, toothy grin.  “There now, the strong, confident Guide to all things supernatural returns.”

             
Any hopes I had of Caleb and I finagling any alone time that night were dashed when Alaina plopped down on the edge of my bed with an exaggerated eye roll.  “Yes, you are very wise.  Now, tell us all about your trip.”

             
I’d take time with Caleb in whatever form it came in, so I joined the rest of the group as they settled in to be regaled with tales of his travels.  Gabe joined Alaina on my bed.  I shoved Mr. Hoofington aside and sat down next to Keni.  Caleb took a seat on the floor, by my feet.  His arms were crossed over his chest, but his thumb traced back and forth over my bare leg. He was in the middle of a story about accidentally teleporting into a crash of rhinos when a sharp knock rattled the bedroom door. 

             
Keni cringed.  “Oops, think we woke up Grams.”

             
Sure enough, the door flung open and in stomped a perturbed Grams.  She was wrapped in her red velvet bathrobe and her grey hair looked like she’d been electrocuted on the way up the stairs.  She wasn’t alone.  A woman who looked like a feathered librarian followed her. 

             
At the sight of the other feathered woman Alaina sucked in a shocked breath.  Her reaction made me size up the newcomer.  By her onyx feathered gown it was easy to see she could shift into bird-form, like Alaina.  I guessed her bird of choice to be a raven.  Her prim and proper dress started high on her neck and flowed down to the floor.  The only exposed skin on her was her chalk white face and hands.  Ebony feathers were arranged on her head in a makeshift bun.  A severe widow’s peak, and haughty, pinched face gave her a stern, no-nonsense air.

             
Grams jerked her thumb in the direction of our guest.  “I was zonked out, dreamin’ I was on the beach with George Clooney, when Miss Personality here magically appeared in my room.”

             
“The stick she swung at me said ‘
Louisville Slugger
’ on it.”  The uptight woman stated, her hands folded in front of her.  “That particular form of human greeting seems barbaric.”

             
“Don’t show up in my room after midnight, and you won’t get a baseball bat swung at your head.”  Grams countered, with a hand on her hip.

             
The raven-lady turned her upper body to curtly address Grams.  “I am confused as to why my arrival warranted violence.  Is it because you sleep in the nude and would prefer others not know this?”

             
All the air seemed to be sucked out of the room, as that disturbing visual burned its way onto all our brains.  Five pairs of bulging eyes fixed on Grams, who straightened her spine and adjusted her robe. 

             
“I’m gonna go.”  She replied icily.  “You kids enjoy your incredibly unpleasant guest.”  Head held high, she turned on her heal and marched out.

             
“Your wrinkled guardian is openly hostile.”  Said the raven-woman,.

             
From the hallway Grams barked, “Call me wrinkled again and I’ll show you hostile!”  She stomped her way down the stairs.

             
“Grand Counselwoman, wha…what are you doing here?” Alaina stammered.

             
The Counselwoman’s gaze locked on Alaina.  Her lips pursed in disapproval.  “I would think you would know the answer to that.”

             
Gabe wrapped a protective arm around Alaina as she cast an anxious glance his way.  “Is this about our relationship?” Her voice wavered with fear.

             
“We tried to overlook your indiscretions.”  The snooty-shifter stated with a condescending lift of her ink black eyebrows. “However, when your goings on with the Guardian began to hinder your ability to do your job, we had no choice but to intervene.”

             
Alaina vehemently shook her head.  “No!  That’s not true!  I have upheld all my duties as their Spirit Guide!”

             
“Perhaps a few examples are required?  Isn’t it true that on your watch the Conduit took up with a
demon
?”  She shot Caleb a look of pure disgust. 

             
“Hey!”  I interrupted.  “I don’t know who you are, or what “counsel” you represent, but let’s get one thing clear—the Conduit makes up the Conduit’s mind who the Conduit chooses to date.”

             
“Thanks, lovey.”  Caleb gave my knee a squeeze.

             
The Grand Counselwoman peered down her nose at us.  “As a simplistic human female you cannot be blamed for your inability to resist his draw.  However, you can rest assured that your muse is being punished accordingly for allowing you to be turned in
his
direction.”

             
There was so much upsetting crap in that statement I didn’t know which part to pounce on first.  I decided on, “My
muse
?!”  

             
“Sophia.”  She declared.  My mouth fell open.  “Your distant and elusive behavior prompted us to call in her services.  It was her job to help engage you in life by motivating you to establish romantic ties.  However muses are impossible to count on.”  She waved her hand in the air dismissively.  “It is simply unheard of for a chosen one to consort with the dark side.  And yet she and your ‘Guide’ allowed it to happen.”

             
I rose off the bed and glared her down. “First of all, how about if you and your counsel stay the hell out of my personal life? ‘Kay? Secondly, what do you mean
a
chosen one?  I’m not the only one?”

             
A flicker of alarm registered on the Counselwoman’s face that she quickly tried to hide.  “Don’t be absurd.  I said no such thing.”  She avoided meeting my gaze and instead busied herself smoothing down her feathers.  “We are getting off topic.  The issue here is that Alaina has been neglecting her duties.” She turned her stare on Alaina, who shriveled under it.  “The most crucial being that just a few short weeks ago you allowed the Conduit to venture into battle injured just to save your precious lion.”

             
I balled my hands into tight fists to curb their urge to “accidentally” choke the life out of this obnoxious woman. “That had nothing to do with her, or any alleged failure on her part…”

             
              “Stop.”  Alaina muttered softly.  Tears filled her avian eyes and threatened to spill over.  “This is about me.  I know what I have done.  All I need to know is if punishment is warranted?”