The Conduit The Gryphon Series - By Stacey Rourke Page 0,41
get your feathers plucked, Keni?” He swayed side to side as he prepared to attack.
“Noo!” She whined.
Ready or not, Gabe charged. He dropped his shoulder, fully intending to plow our dainty sister right over. I covered my eyes. Kendall squealed. There was a loud thud; something scooted across the ground, followed by a “hhuuuuffff!”
I peeked between my fingers. Gabe was sprawled in the dirt, flat on his back. As he pulled himself up he let out a sharp laugh. It may have been my imagination, but it sounded a bit like a snarl. Immediately ready for round two, he crouched down. A fire building behind his eyes. He rushed her. Her wing shot up. This time Gabe expected it. He ducked under it and lunged for her legs. With one forceful flap Kendall lifted off the ground and out of reach. Gabe’s couldn’t stop his momentum and tumbled to the ground—again. He got up, brushed himself off and backed away. With the wave of his hand he invited her to land.
Her feet no sooner touched the ground, then Gabe launched at her again. He jumped up and tried to dive over her wing. It didn’t go well. Keni canopied both wings over her head like any umbrella. He hit her impassable feathered fortress head first. Dazed, he flopped to the ground. I hid my laughter behind my hand. Gabe had to shake it off and regain his bearings before he could stand up. Kendall gave me an uneasy look. I grinned and threw her two thumbs up.
Try as he might, Gabe couldn’t engage Kendall in the fight. She could dance her way out of anything he threw at her. The lion had yet to make an appearance, but Gabe’s irritation had.
“Come on, Kendall! You’re all defense, no offense! You want to try actually being in the fight?” He growled as kicked up a cloud of dirt and pebbles. “If I wanted no challenge at all, I would’ve fought Celeste!”
“Hey!”
“No offense, Cee.” I wouldn’t have taken offense had he not rolled his eyes when he said that. “But this is pointless. I’m not getting anywhere.”
Alaina stepped forward from the perimeter of the clearing. “I was afraid of this. As a creature of love she will not attack her own brother. Perhaps I can come up with something else for us to try tomorrow. I think I will venture into the Spirit Plane in search of other ideas.”
I hoped to my feet. “Wait! You can just go back and forth between the two worlds?”
“Yes.” Alaina rolled her shoulders and released her wings.
“When you go there, you can talk to the Gryphon?”
“Yes.”
“Maybe on this little trip you tell him that I’m ready, and he can go ahead and upload some super strength into me. What do ya think?” I asked eagerly.
Her face fell. “I am very sorry, Celeste. However, that is something he just will not do. The truth is he very much hopes he will not have to give you any powers.”
Those words sliced into my heart like a knife. “Why? He doesn’t think I could handle it?”
“No. That is not it at all.” She laid a comforting hand on my shoulder. “I had hoped to prolong this conversation for as long as possible, yet it seems your inquisitive nature will not allow that. It is not known what it will mean for your human life if these powers are bestowed on you. To live as the lion or the eagle can be done. It can be suppressed and managed to make a normal life possible. However you are the very first Conduit of the Gryphon. We fear that the more power is channeled through you, the less human you will become.”
“Being human hasn’t been a barrel of laughs so far.” I grumbled. “I’d be okay giving that up.”
A shadow of pain made Alaina’s golden eyes fill with tears. “Things have been very hard for all of you, I understand that. But please keep in mind that there are beautiful experiences in this world. Experiences that only humans are fortunate enough to embark on. Do not be so eager to turn your back on them.”
I was a horrible person. She had given up everything to become our guide in a moment when she felt she had no other options. And here I was rubbing salt on her wound. I made a weak apology.
She blinked rapidly and forced a smile. “Just try not to be so eager, Celeste.”