Sacrifice (Gryphon Series) (23 page)

I bent down and scooped her
black tank top off the ground and forcefully shoved it at her. “And part of this ‘fun’ I’m missing out on involves parading around with our abilities and attributes completely on display?”

Kendall gave me an
“as-if” look and retracted her wings. “There. Happy now?”

“Yes.
” I balled my hands into white-knuckle fists to curb my impulse to throttle her. “I walked in on my little sister giving a peep show to a room full of people when we
should
both be at the rehearsal dinner. I’m friggin’ ecstatic!”

At a maddeningly slow pace
, that
had
to be deliberate, Keni pulled her shirt over her head. “The dinner sounded like a drag. Thought I’d check out the local haunts instead.”

“Well your little field trip could’ve got you killed!”

Keni gave a disbelieving snort. “From these rednecks? Doubtful. We’ve fought, like, way worse.”

Unable to hold back my rage
, I grabbed her by the shoulders and dug my nails into her flesh. “Not from them! There’s a trio of demons in town that would like nothing more than to kill you because you have the unfortunate curse of being related to me! If we hadn’t gotten here first they would’ve done just that. Big Mike and Sophia are outside right now making sure trouble doesn’t follow us in here.”

“They
were
outside,” Kendall muttered and nodded over my shoulder.

By the entrance Sophia stood waving her arms over her head and gesturing emphatically for me to come outside.

“Ugh. What now
?” I grumbled and spun on my heel to march for the door.

When Kendall didn’t
automatically fall in step behind me, Rowan seized her arm and dragged her along. “After we handle whatever
this
is I’ll come back inside and give everyone here a good brain bleaching. Don’t want rumors spreading about slutty angels.”

“Hey!”
Keni huffed.

“If the bedazzled brassiere fits, lass.”




From the other side of the glass door I saw a flurry of activity and quickened my pace. I hit the door at a jog and burst out into the muggy night.

Big Mike had Trent pinned to the ground with his arm at the ex-football player
’s throat. Trent’s nostrils flared as he struggled to throw Big Mike off him. His spikes remained concealed, but Big Mike fought on borrowed time.

“Get off me!” Trent snarled through gritted teeth. “I don’t want to hurt you dammit!”

Freckles pounced on Big Mike’s work boot and gnawed on it like a dog with a raw hide. Not that Big Mike could feel it through the thick tread. Clearly Boy Genius was all teeth and no brain.

“Call him off, Conduit!” Kat’s barb hissed free. “Or I
’ll give him a smile from ear to ear.”

I let the strength flow through me
—let it course and build. Then I gripped Big Mike’s extended wings in both hands and yanked him back. As soon as he landed on his feet he kicked Freckles off him and lunged for Trent again.

In a blink I was in front of him. My hand
s slammed into his chest. “Stop! Geesh! Did they ever teach stealth on the Spirit Plane? There’s a bar full of people behind you!”

Big Mike halted. His nostrils twitch
ed and snorted much like the Bat-bull’s had.

“Your receptionist has a serious attitude problem.”
Kat’s black painted lips curled up in a venomous grin. “It was nice of you to deliver baby sister to us though. I’d hate for you to miss watching her die.”

The tendons in my neck tensed
to the point of pain. “You won’t touch her. I promise you that.”

She
raised her barb and turned it side-to-side ever so slightly. Purple and green neon from the bar sign glistened off polished steel. “I’d love to see you try to stop me.”

Big Mike and Rowan closed in tight beside me.
Sophia grabbed Kendall by the shoulders and backed her away.

“Kat!” Trent thundered
, his face set in a disapproving scowl. “This isn’t why we’re here!”

“
Maybe it should be!” Hatred radiated from her glare. “I don’t know why Alec wants to keep you alive, but I’d love nothing more than to gut you like a fish.”

I stepped right up to her.
Chest to chest. Close enough to smell the cloves on her breath and to get a glimpse of the gross mascara goop in the corner of her eyes. “See, that’s the problem with being a minion; you always have to do what Big Daddy Alec tells you to do. He doesn’t want me harmed. So, unless you want to be exiled by the only people—and I use that term loosely—who will accept you for the sadistic
freak
you’ve become, you have to toe the line and do what he says.”

Her face turned red
then purple. Rage twisted her tongue and made her incapable of giving a reply.

I gave her
my best toothy grin and stepped back. “Now, you’re gonna step aside so we can take my sister home. And none of you are going to make a wrong move in our direction, because if you do I’m sending you back to Alec in pieces.”

Trent’s
broad forehead creased. He reached out in an almost pleading gesture. “Please, the girl needs us. Just give us …”

“She needs
nothing
from you.” My tone left no room for argument.

He clamped his mouth shut and rubbed
a hand over his bald head in frustration.

I kept my gaze locked on Kat, who
appeared to be grinding her teeth down to nubbins. “Soph, why don’t you go ahead and lead Keni out of here? The rest of us will keep our friends company until you’re out of sight.”

Sophia
pulled Keni tight to her then crept behind us and out toward the parking lot. She glanced back for a split second to give me a wink.

Out of the corner of my eye I watched Keni release her wings w
ith a roll of her shoulders. Sophia turned and Keni hooked her under the arms for flight. Black smoke snaked past me. I whipped my head around to find its source. I didn’t even have time to react. Kat solidified right in front of Sophia. Her barb ripped through Sophia’s center with a sickening slurp. The blade jutted from Sophia’s back. Blood dripped from the blade and decorated the pavement. Crimson bubbles choked up her throat and smattered her chin and lips. Kat retracted her barb and Sophia crumbled to the ground.

Lous
y attitude or not, Keni knew what she had to do. She was already glowing with her healing warmth when she caught Sophia before her head smacked against the pavement. Big Mike expanded his hawk wings and met Trent and Freckles head on as our wall of interference. Rowan hooked his arm around my mid-section and whisked me to Kat in a cloud of smoke. He ducked out of the way just in time for me to swing my fist at her temple. It connected with a dull
thunk
. Before she recovered, I grabbed her wrist and shoved her down to the ground. Stitches popped along the seam of my skirt as I raised my knee to press down on her forearm. The barb was going to break. If her forearm snapped with it, so be it.

“
You can’t hurt me!” Kat snarled, despite her vulnerable position. “Alec won’t allow it!”

“
You’re quite wrong there.” The voice was so familiar it snapped me out of my red haze of rage. “Do it, Conduit. She acted against my wishes. This punishment is just.”

Loose strands of hair
lashed against my face as my head snapped up. “Alec.”

I’d searched for him for so long
, but now saw no traces of the man he’d been. Gone was the carefree cameraman with the long ponytail and laid back smile. A man with a sinister edge and a tailored suit that reeked of overspending stood in his place. His strawberry blond hair had been sheered short and slicked back. That, combined that with his pinstripe suit and he resembled a mobster from Hell.

Trent and
Freckles immediately dropped down on one knee with their heads bowed. Alec didn’t even glance their way. Instead he fixed his stern sapphire gaze on Kat. “You were ordered not to hurt any of them.”

“Alec, I’m
... I’m sorry!” Her tough façade shattered and tears filled her eyes. “We don’t need her, or any of them! Why can’t you see that? You’re more powerful than … ”

“Silence!” h
e barked.

Her trembling lips clamped shut. Tears and mascara streamed down her face.

Alec
nodded my way. “Strike true, girl. And know that this soldier will not be armed again. Of that you have my word.”

S
omething in the way he looked at me caused a memory to tease along the outskirts of my mind. A chill of unease shuddered through me. My mind screamed at me not to show the slightest sign of weakness. Not if any of us wanted to make it out of this alive.

With a bow of his
head and wave of his arm, Alec granted me permission to do with Kat as I saw fit.

“No! You can’t do this! I
… ” Kat’s plea transformed into an agonized scream when I brought my knee down sharp and fast. I both felt
and
heard the crunch of her bone snapping. The metal barb broke free from whatever connected it inside her arm and clanged to the ground. Her shattered limb hung limp at her side.

I
scooped up the barb and hoisted her to her feet. The edge of the blade dug into her throat, but didn’t break the skin … yet. Even I didn’t recognize the icy hiss of my own voice. “The only reason you’re alive right now is because I know you’re a victim in all of this. But if you
ever
lay a hand on me or mine again, I will
not
hesitate to kill you.”

I shoved her at Alec who handed her off to
Trent and Freckles.

“Get her out of her
e. Now.”

The two wrapped their arms around their fallen comrade and vanished into the night.

“Impressive display, Conduit.” Alec’s gaze wandered over me. “I do hope the girl lives and it wasn’t all for naught.”

I risked a glance at Kendall and Sophia.
A sheen of sweat covered my sister. Light radiated off of her, but blood continued to course from Sophia’s wound. Big Mike crossed to them with determined strides. He squatted down beside Keni and added his own healing energy to the equation. I hoped it would be enough.

“We’re drawing a crowd.” Rowan jerked his chin
at a few cowboys who stood near the bar’s entrance and gaped at our bloody scene.

“Stop them before they call 9-1-1.”

He focused his stare and the cowboys went slack. Like good little mindless zombies they turned and shuffled back inside.

Alec clucked his tongue against the roof of his mouth. “Such a busy girl. Saving the world
really
is
a never ending battle, isn’t it?”

A
wave of déjà vu hit me so hard it made my stomach roll and my head spin. “If your kind would stop trying to destroy it maybe I could take up a hobby, like underwater basket weaving.”

“My kind?”
He cocked his head to the side and folded his hands in front of him. “Have you even figured out what—or who—I am?”

His arrogant demeanor was doing nothing to
ease my nerves. I took a calming breath and tried to stifle my rising apprehension. “You’re my friend, Alec. Or you were. And I
will
find a way to free you. That hasn’t changed.”

His head fell back
as he erupted in a loud guffaw that echoed through the night. Rowan stepped closer to me. The tips of his fingers grazed my leg and a surge of confidence washed over me.

Abruptly
, Alec’s laughter stopped and he peered at me with deadly intensity. “Do you want to know the truth? To finally find the answer to this riddle that’s been plaguing you?”

I squared my shoulders and met his gaze without wavering
. “Tell me.”

His eyes crinkled in the corners a
nd a wicked grin spread across his face. “Oh no, girl. This I have to show you. If you want to learn what’s become of your friend, close your eyes.”

“Don’t do it, Celeste.” Rowan’s chest puffed up in protective bravado. “I don’t trust him.”

Alec threw his hands in the air. His smile held firm. “What’s to trust? The girl either does or doesn’t want the answer. Keep in mind this is a one-time offer.”

“I
… I have to know,” I whispered to Rowan.

He went rigi
d beside me, but objected no further. I dropped my hands to my sides and closed my eyes. Alec stepped forward and touched my forehead with one finger. The memories slammed into me like a monsoon of raging turmoil and emotion.
One blue eye. One black eye. The orchestra pit. A wall of scales rising higher and higher into the sky. Pooling blood. Bones cracking under a constricting grasp. Flames scorching skin. Lungs burning, aching for a breath.