The Conduit The Gryphon Series - By Stacey Rourke Page 0,73

thinking of ramming it through your heart. How’s that sound?”

The dragon lowered its head to my level. I readied my stick for a possible strike. “Do you really think you could do it, child? Take a life? That is a huge burden to bear. I have to say.” His reptilian eyes shifted to give me a paltry once over. “I just don’t think you have it in you.”

I glared up at him. “I really hate it when people underestimate me.”

He hissed out a laugh then stood up to his full height. His massive head craned toward me as he spread his oddly-sized dino-arms wide. “By all means, go ahead. Prove that you are nothing but a lowly killer, just—like—me.”

Any other person in that position may’ve taken a moment to consider what he had just said. The ramifications of the act. If it meant they were evil, too. Blah, blah, blah. The only thing I considered was that the ancient, demonic being just gave me a free shot. I didn’t hesitate. I leapt into the air and landed on his midsection. Bracing myself to his chest with my knees, I reared back and used both hands to plunge the spike into him. The pole splintered into thousands of tiny toothpicks in my hands, but failed to even scratch his thick hide.

Barnabus roared with laughter. “Did you really think I would make it I that easy for you?”

“I’m not going to lie, Barns. I was really hoping.”

“And the vigor you attacked me with! That was impressive! You didn’t even hesitate! You truly are a fighter. It is almost a pity I’m going to exterminate you.”

That last comment made me very aware of my proximity to the enemy. I pushed off with my legs and flipped gracefully backwards. The giant reptile caught me, mid—back flip, in his crusty, scaly hand.

“Don’t run off pigeon,” he purred in that disturbing growl. “I have big plans for us.” His grip crushed as he squeezed me. I tried to push back against him to no avail. As the pressure of his grasp increased my breath caught in my throat. A searing pain in my side signaled that my recently mended rib cracked again. Black spots danced before my eyes. My consciousness threatened to give.

“Now then,” Barnabus said in a casual tone that goes along with being the squeezer and not the squeezee. “If you would like to plead for your life, now would be the time.”

Leaning in eagerly to hear my words, he eased up on his grip to allow me to speak. The air rushed back into my lungs. I sucked it in like a deep sea diver emerging from the depths. When the daunting darkness retreated from my head, I peered directly into the enormous eye of the dragon. My voice still came out a wheeze when I attempted to declare valiantly, “You won’t make it out of this theater alive.”

Barnabus’ alligator like snout crinkled into a snarl. “What are you hoping will happen?” he sneered. “Do you think your muscle bound brother and feather-brained sister are going to swoop in and rescue you? Perhaps you’d like to see what they’re up to?”

He swung his massive frame around, me in tow. With the flip of his wrist he turned me in the direction of auditorium. There were Gabe and Kendall, in the exact same spot Gabe fell. Kendall’s wings wrapped protectively around the fading lion. She glowed with her healing warmth, but my brother’s hacked open chest wasn’t healing. An ever expanding puddle of blood surrounded him. Kendall trembled from the strain. Sweat coated her flesh and soaked through her shirt. Still she fought. If she wasn’t ready to give up, neither was I. Barnabus wanted this image to destroy my resolve. Instead it strengthened it.

I craned my neck to look back at his ugly mug. “Like I said, you won’t get out alive.”

All the air rushed out my lungs in a gut wrenching whoosh, as he constricted me in his white knuckled fist. “You infuriating little pest! You cannot comprehend when you’ve been beaten can you? This is it! This is the end of you! You can say whatever you want, it ends here!”

As he screamed, he shook me viciously. My head wobbled so hard it felt like it might snap off my neck. Soon his rants turned into nothing more than a ringing in my ears. One by one, my senses gave up. They retreated into the dark abyss and waited for me