of you home to get a good night’s rest. You are no good to me exhausted. First thing tomorrow we awaken your inner warriors.”
CHAPTER 15
My thoughts turned dark as we headed back to the truck. It made sense for the Gryphon to make me his Conduit. I was his last resort. His panic button if Gabe and Kendall failed. But they wouldn’t fail. They never did. They would embrace their new talents and keep me out of harm’s way. I would remain an awkward, useless lump that they were now saddled with the burden of protecting. What kind of lives could they have if they constantly had to watch out for me?
I threw the keys to Gabe. I probably shouldn’t trust myself to drive the REAL warriors around.
Kendall climbed into the back seat and laid down. In seconds her rhythmic snoring filled the truck. I clicked on my seat belt then stared, out the window at the outline of the mountain range.
“You know why he picked you, right?” Gabe asked.
“I have some idea.” I mumbled.
“I bet you do.” He pulled us out of the parking lot onto the road that led into town. “Want to hear my theory?”
“Not really.”
“Tough. It’s because you’re the strongest.”
“HA!” I spat. “Yeah, cause I was the one that pushed an entire football team 100 yards.”
“I don’t mean physically. The physical strength he can give you. That’s easy. But the spirit to fight had to already be there. Like it is with you.”
“The spirit to fight? Look at me. I’m no fighter. There are elementary school kids bigger than me. And I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t even win in a fight against them. Some of them bite.”
“Are you capable of shutting up?” He snapped. “I’m talking about your spirit. Who you are, not what you are. You don’t give up. That’s just not you. When Dad died you made me get back into sports. You made Kendall go back to dance, and cheerleading, and every other thing she’s involved in. You got Mom out of bed each day during the worst of it. You put everything on hold to get us back on our feet. We were all ready to curl up and die. But you wouldn’t let us. You’re the real fighter. Maybe you just became the Gryphon’s Conduit, but you’ve been the power in our family for a long time.”
That was the nicest thing anyone had ever said to me. I blinked back the tears that welled up in my eyes. “Thanks.”
He grunted. His quota for sentimental conversation reached.
CHAPTER 16
I couldn’t understand why I had to accompany Kendall for her first day of training. If the Gryphon was just gonna download stuff into my brain Matrix style it seemed he could do that just as easily if I was home on the couch. Plus, Gabe had gotten an excused absence because of a football scrimmage. So, why the heck did I have to be there? But it’s next to impossible to debate things like this with a centuries old Spirit Guide. She used big words, rambled on about the fate of the world, duty and honor, until I gave in just to shut her up.
I was still hoping for a distraction to get me out of going, which is why I rushed to the door when a knock rattled it on its hinges. When I glanced out I didn’t immediately recognize the guy standing on our porch.
“What? Is my fly unzipped?” Alec smirked and made a big production out of double checking.
I made a concentrated effort to close my slack jaw. Turns out a great hair-cut and a fitted suit can do wonders. Alec had transitioned from boy-next-door cute to smokin’ hottie.
“So?” He asked. He held out the lapels of his jacket and did a little turn. “What do you think?”
“You look…” Awesome. Hot. Dreamy. “…different.”
“Good different or bad different?”
“Good.” I sighed, then blushed beet red. “What brought this on?”
“That’s kind of what I came to talk to you about. I owe you an apology.”
“For what?”
“My behavior when I finally got you to go out with me. I let myself get really wrapped up in my story and I think came off as kind of a…”
“Jerk?”
“Yeah.” He cringed. “Sorry about that.”
“You don’t owe me any apologies.” I reassured him. “It’s okay. You were just excited.” With the whirlwind craziness I had been going through, Alec hadn’t been top on my mind. He sure didn’t owe me anything.
“Yes! Exactly!” His enthusiasm had him beaming. “I