The Conduit The Gryphon Series - By Stacey Rourke Page 0,75

spike!”

Our cruising speed was a rapid one. We quickly closed in on our target. Yet Gabe hesitated. He eyed the dragon, then me and back again.

“Gabe! Throw it to me!” Despite my screams, he seemed undecided. We were almost to the point of no return. The moment to act was at hand—and my hands were still empty.

“Gabe, get your big, furry head out of your butt and throw me the friggin’ spike!”

The bulky cat heaved a deep, resigned sigh. With a flip of his head, he tossed the spike through the air and into my eagerly waiting grasp. I weighed it between my hands, and turned it over to find the most comfortable, functional way to grip it.

We were close enough to see the light reflect off his swamp green scales when Barnabus regrouped. He spun toward us, flames tearing from his throat.

Kendall looped us under the flames, and skimmed up the dragon’s belly. “I believe this is your stop.” She said and released me. I grabbed on to his midsection with my arms and legs in a koala bear grasp. Quick as I could, I shimmied upward to my target. “I’ll try to distract him,” Kendall yelled as she flew off. The trail of the flames followed her.

I was almost to my destination when the dragon screeched. His body lumbered this way and that, almost causing me to lose my grip. I glanced down. Gabe had latched on to the dragon’s leg. He savagely scratched and bit into the scaly flesh. For a brief moment the lion lifted his mahogany head.

“GO!” he yelled remarkably clear for a feline.

“Gone!” I shouted back. I fought to hold on and wriggled my way up Barnabus’ abdomen. Directly above the thumping heart of the beast, I stopped. Anchoring myself with my legs, I grasped the spike in both hands.

The sensitive region I was positioned in didn’t escape Barnabus’ notice. His sharp talons flew at me, ripping layers of skin off my back as he tried to knock me away. Had his energies been more focused he would’ve succeeded, but Gabe and Kendall divided his attentions just enough.

I ignored the pain and arced the spike over my head. With every ounce of strength I had I plunged it straight down. I felt it cut through the rock—hard exterior of the beast, then plunge right into his soft gooey center. An ear drum piercing scream erupted from the dragon. His back arched and he dug at his chest with panicked swipes. I dove off him and away from his feverishly racking claws.

Landing smoothly, I backed away from the towering creature. Slaying the dragon would seem less heroic if I got caught under him when he fell. Gabe and Kendall were soon by my side. No one spoke as we focused on Barnabus.

His frantic clawing faded fast, as did he. As the life slipped out of him, his shape shifted back. He shrank from the enormous, terrifying dragon, back to the demented man that had sought out evil. Time finally got the chance to take its long awaited toll on him. All the centuries that had bypassed Barnabus came rushing back to him. He aged right before our eyes. His skin, muscle and bone melted away until a pile of dust was all that remained of the deranged, mad man.

“I really wish I had closed my eyes for that,” Kendall squeaked.

“Uh-huh,” I agreed.

Even Gabe nodded.

We stood in silence for a moment. It was over. Really over. We actually did it. We exchanged wide eyed looks of amazement.

“Holy crap! We did it!” I marveled as I reached back to tighten my loose ponytail.

“And only two out of the three of us nearly died,” added Kendall, the lucky one third.

“We should probably work on those stats for next time.”

“Absolutely.”

Not all loose ends had been tied up yet, though. “Keni, Alec is outside. He’s hurt bad. The bottom of his face is…well, it’s pretty much gone. Could you go heal him? Then we’ll take him to the hospital to have him checked out.”

“I’ll heal him, but no way am I looking at his missing face. Ick.” She crinkled her nose as she turned to jog outside.

Gabe still eyed the space Barnabus occupied only moments ago. “Good to see you up and around. How’d that barb to the chest feel?”

He snorted and rolled his eyes.

“Seriously, that was scary stuff. You okay?”

His furry brow creased as he contemplated the dust pile. Had Kendall not regained consciousness when she did he would