alone , and I will not let you.”
The Gryphon snapped his beak and shook his enormous head. “No. This war will rage on long after your mortal life has ended. I have foreseen it.”
“Then my heirs shall take up the cause as well!” The girl lifted her soot-covered nightgown enough to allow herself the movement needed to go down on one knee. She stretched her wings out behind her and pressed her fist over her heart. “It is my pledge to you that the O’Garren family will join you in this crusade. My people will be your warriors until we find victory or death.”
Goosebumps sprang up on my arms. I knew the name O’Garren. I had uncovered it during a genealogy project at school. A few generations later it had been changed to Garrett.
“The human spirit never ceases to amaze me. You, lass, are a shining example of that.” The Gryphon swung his impressive frame around to face her full on. “My acceptance comes with strict conditions. The first is that I will only call upon your family if all other choices are exhausted. The next—I will choose only three. One will be the Protector , to shield against danger. One will be the Guardian, to fight with raw determination. The third will be my Conduit, the chosen mortal I will channel my powers through. Together they will be warriors on Earth.”
The girl’s hair fell in a curtain around her as she bowed her head in agreement.
The scene faded away, and the fire extinguished itself down to embers.
CHAPTER 14
Gabe prowled the length of the clearing in agitation. “So because of some stupid deal an ancestor of ours, about a million times removed made, we have to fight for this half-bird, half-cat thing?”
“To over simplify a complex matter, yes.” Alaina said with a serene smile.
Gabe stopped in front of her and planted his feet. “Explain to me why this is our problem? I watched your little fire skit.” He waved his arm at the still smoldering embers. “That Gryphon’s a big, scary dude. Why does he need us to fight for him? Why can’t he fend for himself?”
Alaina’s smile vanished. Her head twitched to the side in a bird-like manner. “He is not allowed on this plane of existence. He should not have ventured here to save our town, yet he did. Believe me when I say there were repercussions for that above and beyond this matter with Barnabus. Yet he had hoped to eradicate this issue himself. Unfortunately, that was not to be. Barnabus’ obsession led him to seek help. He sought out a mysterious woman with a vast supply of mystical power. Very little is known about her, but we know she goes by the title of Countess. Rumor has it she once held regal stature until her ties to the dark arts were discovered. Children in her village went missing. It was believed she sacrificed them to unholy forces in exchange for greater powers. A torch and pitchfork-wielding horde chased her into exile where Barnabus found her. He told her of the Gryphon, and she agreed to help him. She ordered him to gather all his men and bring them to her. Their Dark Army assembled…then vanished.”
“Vanished?” I gasped. I hadn’t even noticed I’d been holding my breath.
With her hands behind her back, Alaina paced in front of us. “We believe the Countess took them all to the Underworld but cannot confirm this. Only demons, devils, and other malevolent beings can venture there. Since then, we have relied on the occasional informant to get whispers of what they are doing. This is how we learned of the impending attack.”
“We?” Kendall asked , her arms wrapped tightly around herself.
“Yes, we. My family was massacred that terrible day. I begged the Gryphon to take me with him to the Spirit Plane. My heroism in my village qualified me for a position as a Spirit Guide, and here I am.”
“Kudos on the promotions and all, but I don’t understand why all this is happening now.” Keni’s voice was rapidly transitioning into a full out whine. “Centuries
The Gryphon snapped his beak and shook his enormous head. “No. This war will rage on long after your mortal life has ended. I have foreseen it.”
“Then my heirs shall take up the cause as well!” The girl lifted her soot-covered nightgown enough to allow herself the movement needed to go down on one knee. She stretched her wings out behind her and pressed her fist over her heart. “It is my pledge to you that the O’Garren family will join you in this crusade. My people will be your warriors until we find victory or death.”
Goosebumps sprang up on my arms. I knew the name O’Garren. I had uncovered it during a genealogy project at school. A few generations later it had been changed to Garrett.
“The human spirit never ceases to amaze me. You, lass, are a shining example of that.” The Gryphon swung his impressive frame around to face her full on. “My acceptance comes with strict conditions. The first is that I will only call upon your family if all other choices are exhausted. The next—I will choose only three. One will be the Protector , to shield against danger. One will be the Guardian, to fight with raw determination. The third will be my Conduit, the chosen mortal I will channel my powers through. Together they will be warriors on Earth.”
The girl’s hair fell in a curtain around her as she bowed her head in agreement.
The scene faded away, and the fire extinguished itself down to embers.
CHAPTER 14
Gabe prowled the length of the clearing in agitation. “So because of some stupid deal an ancestor of ours, about a million times removed made, we have to fight for this half-bird, half-cat thing?”
“To over simplify a complex matter, yes.” Alaina said with a serene smile.
Gabe stopped in front of her and planted his feet. “Explain to me why this is our problem? I watched your little fire skit.” He waved his arm at the still smoldering embers. “That Gryphon’s a big, scary dude. Why does he need us to fight for him? Why can’t he fend for himself?”
Alaina’s smile vanished. Her head twitched to the side in a bird-like manner. “He is not allowed on this plane of existence. He should not have ventured here to save our town, yet he did. Believe me when I say there were repercussions for that above and beyond this matter with Barnabus. Yet he had hoped to eradicate this issue himself. Unfortunately, that was not to be. Barnabus’ obsession led him to seek help. He sought out a mysterious woman with a vast supply of mystical power. Very little is known about her, but we know she goes by the title of Countess. Rumor has it she once held regal stature until her ties to the dark arts were discovered. Children in her village went missing. It was believed she sacrificed them to unholy forces in exchange for greater powers. A torch and pitchfork-wielding horde chased her into exile where Barnabus found her. He told her of the Gryphon, and she agreed to help him. She ordered him to gather all his men and bring them to her. Their Dark Army assembled…then vanished.”
“Vanished?” I gasped. I hadn’t even noticed I’d been holding my breath.
With her hands behind her back, Alaina paced in front of us. “We believe the Countess took them all to the Underworld but cannot confirm this. Only demons, devils, and other malevolent beings can venture there. Since then, we have relied on the occasional informant to get whispers of what they are doing. This is how we learned of the impending attack.”
“We?” Kendall asked , her arms wrapped tightly around herself.
“Yes, we. My family was massacred that terrible day. I begged the Gryphon to take me with him to the Spirit Plane. My heroism in my village qualified me for a position as a Spirit Guide, and here I am.”
“Kudos on the promotions and all, but I don’t understand why all this is happening now.” Keni’s voice was rapidly transitioning into a full out whine. “Centuries
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