The Conduit The Gryphon Series - By Stacey Rourke Page 0,38

just grew another set of arms or something.” She groaned.

I couldn’t stop myself from reaching out and rubbing one of her new feathers between my thumb and forefinger. They were soft, just like bird down. She jerked her wing away from my touch which sent her on a whole new tirade.

“Oh! It’s moving! I’m moving it. I can move it and it feels soooo gross!” She flapped her wings back and forth. “You have no idea how wrong this feels. I don’t know how I’m doing it! Oh, oohhhh…this is so very, very, very, very weird! Uhhh!”

Alaina cradled Kendall’s face in her hands. “Kendall, I need you to calm down so I can help you. Okay?”

“Slap her or something.” I suggested.

“I am not going to slap her, because she is going to calm down. Right, Kendall?”

My sister’s wings did another involuntary flap. Even with her mouth clamped firmly shut, a muffled whimper escaped. Her eyes pleaded with our guide to somehow, someway, make this better.

“I need you to listen. The only way you are going to put your mind at ease is to learn to control them. Do you understand?” Alaina asked in her soothing made-for-radio voice.

“Mmm-hmm.” Kendall squeaked.

“I want you to pull your wings in. It is an act similar to drawing your arms in to your sides. It will come naturally. You just need to try. Can you do that for me?”

“Nnn-mm.” Kendall shook her head from side to side.

“Why not?”

Kendall’s beseeching eyes met mine. I opened myself up to her, then answered for her. “It scares the crap out of her when she feels them move.”

“I see. I suppose I should have explained myself better.” Alaina said and stroked Kendall’s cheek. “I am trying to show you how to put your wings away so that you can have a break from them.”

Kendall’s eyes widened with her desire to be rid of her new attributes for a while.

“Now can you give it a try?” Alaina attempted again.

Kendall’s faced turned stone serious. Her wings twitched inward and prompted another unintentional yelp. She set her jaw and tried again. In one rapid motion, like folding up an umbrella, they flattened together and disappeared into her back.

“There now,” Alaina smiled. “Just an ordinary girl again.”

A new realization dawned on Kendall, the fashion plate. “Hey! My brand new shirt is ripped.”

“The sacrifices of being a superhero.” I said sarcastically.

“I’ll say. I loved this shirt. What the heck am I supposed to do, wear tank tops all the time?”

Alaina and I exchanged amused glances.

“How do you feel now, aside from your ruined garment?” Alaina asked.

“Better.” Keni nodded.

Alaina offered Keni a hand to help her up. “I do remember that the first time is quite—disturbing. I promise you it does get easier.”

“I sure hope so.” Keni stood up and brushed off the back of her striped board shorts.

“You could prove it to yourself right now. Go ahead and expand them again.”

Kendall hesitated for a moment, and then closed her eyes. As if it was already a reflex, the awesome wings sprung open.

Her face brightened. “It was easier that time! Why was the first time so painful?”

With a bird-like twitch, Alaina cocked her head to the side. “It was painful?”

“Very.”

I sheepishly raised my hand. “I…think that was my fault.”

Kendall scoffed. “Wings ripped their way out of my back and you think it’s your fault it hurt?”

“I helped.” I croaked.

Both the beautiful, winged women turned to face me.

“What did you do, Cee?”

“Meditating wasn’t working for me. I wondered if it was working for you. So I felt your emotions, which were really nice. You were all glowy. But then I felt you get stuck, right before the change. So I channeled everything I was feeling. The good, the bad, the indifferent and I gave it to you. Sorry. So sorry.” I rambled it all out, not even stopping to breath.

Alaina gave me a maternal frown. “I was having her meditate on love because that is the emotion that triggers her change. Adding foreign emotions added pain.” I gulped and prepared to be reprimanded. “However, you do seem to have mastered the skill to pass your feelings to others, so some good came from this.”

“Was that a ‘yeah me’?” I asked.

“I’m pretty sure that was a ‘next time keep your emoting to yourself.’” Kendall said and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Will do.” I agreed. “Once again, so sorry.”

Keni shrugged; her wings bobbed up and down. “Whatevs. So Alaina, when do I get to, like, fly and