Gryphon and His Thief (18 page)

His hand unconsciously went to his shoulder.
Though the wound healed, he felt the ache where the bullet had been
lodged.

"If you're playing this video," his daytime
self said, "we have survived. I say
we
because I am you, or
rather I'm the version allowed to walk in the sun while you sleep,
and you're the version to walk the night— Bollocks," he cursed. "I
believe you know what I mean." The video shifted abruptly, making
him dizzy as it swung past the items in the museum before it
finally focused on the Gryphon statue. Then it abruptly shifted
back to his human counterpart. "As you can see we've been injured.
The people who hired Calli came after her. The thug must have
believed he left me for dead, but we are a stubborn lot. Yeah?"

He
harrumphed
and seriously wondered
how this version of himself hadn't found himself shot way before
now just for prattling on and not getting to the point.

"They took Calli," his daytime self said.

"What?" he gripped the phone and shook it as
if he could throttle the daytime self for being so stupid as to let
such a thing happen to Calli.

"I know you can track where they took her.
Hurry!" The video went black.

It was a lot to take in and he would go over
every last detail later, but first he must save Calli. If they shot
the pathetic excuse of his other half when pity should have been
offered, then that meant Calli's life would be forfeited once they
realized she didn't have Hecate's Stone. They would show no
mercy.

His gaze landed on the item. He would use it
as a bargaining tool to see her released. The beastie could track
them down later and give them what they truly deserved. His hand
snaked out, grabbing the stone.

Now he needed something of Calli's to track
her. His eyesight leveled on the phone he still clutched. He raised
it to his nose and inhaled. Nothing, but he tried again, inhaling
slowly. There… His nostrils flared as it picked up her delicate
scent, lingering beneath the more odorous smell of his blood. He
would find her.

He hurried toward the front door and was at a
full run by the time his feet hit the pavement. He shifted, the
magic rippling through his veins as the beast broke free with a
ferocious Gryphon's cry. He catapulted into the air with his hind
legs, while his wings spread to their full length to catch the wind
currents. He flew above the museum and circled once before he
picked up Calli's scent. Then he headed in the direction where he
would find her.

Chapter Eighteen

Bert shoved Calli into the motel room and she
stumbled forward, nearly falling, but she caught herself on the
table. "You should really think about changing how you treat a
lady," she grumbled.

"When I see one, I'll think about it," he
sneered, and let out a chuckle.

She wanted to say more, but she must pick her
battles carefully. Her hands weren't tied behind her back any
longer. One win for her.

When they were about to leave Isa's office
building, she had offered the suggestion that dragging a woman
through the carport with her hands tied behind her back might draw
unwarranted attention. Isa agreed with little convincing, and why
wouldn't she when she could easily shift to a Gryphon and rip her
throat out? Still she had a smidgen of hope that she'd think of a
way out of this mess. With her hands free, she could at least
guarantee she'd go down fighting.

Isa followed them inside the motel room and
secured the door behind her. Her eyes flickered with different
shades of brown and amber as she took in the meager surroundings
with little interest before she concentrated on Calli once
more.

Calli sensed the beast lurking beneath the
surface of Isa's calm exterior, ready to break free if crossed. Her
eyes glowed brighter and they didn't appear quite…human.

"Where is it?" Isa demanded.

Calli had her dagger hidden in the nightstand
next to the bed, but she highly doubted she'd make it there with
Bert stationed beside her, and a dagger would be useless against
Isa, who guarded the door to freedom. Her chance for escape proved
limited, but there was a window in the bathroom, she might be able
to squeeze through. The two other thugs under Isa's command stood
guard in the parking lot just outside the room. If she chose the
window as her means of escape, she'd have to make a run for it on
foot. She wondered how long it would take a Gryphon to spot her
from the air? Her guess? Not long.

So the plan had holes in it, but it was all
she had right now. She still had time to figure out a better one.
Isa wanted the stone and she needed her alive for the ritual. She
could bide some time without it costing her too dearly—like having
her head severed from her body.

Her gaze shifted to Bert who eyed her as if
he hoped she'd try something so he could step in. They needed her
alive, she reminded herself.
Alive
being the key word, but
not necessarily unharmed as Bert had mentioned earlier.

She stood tall and folded her arms across her
chest and prayed a good plan would pop into her head and soon. "I
don't have the stone," she finally voiced.

Isa's eyes glowed brighter, the only
indication she was losing her cool. "What do you mean you don't
have the stone? Why did you have us bring you back to your motel,
if not to retrieve it?"

She lifted a shoulder. "I believe the
statement speaks for itself."

"Where is it?" Isa demanded as if her freaky
eyes and authoritative voice would make her give up the
location.

Calli leaned against the table as a new plan
started to take fruit. It wasn't the best plan in the world, but it
was probably a smidgen better than the bathroom escape. "It's at
the museum," she said smugly. Telling the truth was really the best
policy. As long as the stone stayed there, Isa couldn't get to it.
However, her goons were another story, but by now Darrien would be
the Gryphon and they would have to get past him and she had a very
good hunch they wouldn't last the evening with a testy Gryphon
shifter.

Isa let out a screech sounding like an eagle,
only louder and more menacing. Even she could tell Isa was losing
control and fought to keep the beast contained.

She pushed away from the table. If Isa
shifted in the room, it wouldn't end well. The wingspread of the
beast would do considerable damage. Heads would roll… and she
didn't want it to be hers. Calli was about to say something,
anything that may keep Isa from exploding into full Gryphon mode,
but before she could utter a word, the door to the room crashed
opened, leaving it swinging on its hinges.

Darrien stood in the archway wearing his
jeans and an
I love Rock and Roll
T-shirt, but he still
managed to appear like a Greek god bent on wreaking havoc. Somehow,
he'd been able to track her. Somehow, he knew she needed him too.
Damn, that was really hot.
A wise woman knew when it was in
her best interest to have a man sweep in and save the day. This was
it, and her heart did a flip-flop.

"You will let her go," Darrien's voice
boomed, and his eyes glimmered with gold light.

Bert made a move, his hand going for the
knife strapped to his belt, but Darrien caught sight of his attempt
and leveled his gaze in the man's direction.

"I wouldn't advise you to come any closer,"
Darrien threatened and lifted his hand, shifting just enough to
reveal his razor-sharp talons. Bert's weapon looked like a butter
knife when compared to a Gryphon's claw.

Bert face paled and he glanced at Isa for
guidance. If the thugs outside hadn't stopped Darrien, it was
pretty safe to say, Bert wouldn't have a chance against him
either.

Isa lifted her hand and gave Bert a slight
shake of her head. Bert backed away, but she could tell he still
itched for a fight.

Calli's lips curved.
You tell them what's
what, Darrien
. She was glad to see he was whole and healthy
just as Isa had predicted he would be, and he was just as bossy and
demanding as she remembered. God, she loved that about him.

Darrien glanced her way and gave her a slight
nod of reassurance before he turned his attention on Isa once more.
"Calli is leaving with me," he told her with no room for
negotiation. Any other person may have been intimidated to adhere
to such a demand, but Isa wasn't any ordinary woman. She was like
Darrien and could make demands of her own. Add she was a bit
off-hinged and the danger-meter went up another few notches.

Isa regained her composure as she turned to
greet Darrien with a bird-like tilt of her head. "You still protect
her. After all this time, a mere human woman. She doesn't even
remember being with you."

Of course, she had to bring that up, but it
seemed Darrien didn't care. "Isa," Darrien said and narrowed his
eyes, "you have not changed in the least." His gaze swept over her
with renewed interest as if sizing up a potential adversary. "Why
do you do this? Have I not suffered enough from your
treachery?"

"You have it all wrong." She approached him,
gently placing a hand on his forearm. His gaze followed the action,
and he did nothing to stop her. Only the tick at his jaw revealed
he did not like her hand on him. "I am here to free you from your
curse," she told him. "We can be together then. We could be happy.
It's all I ever wanted for us."

"You are why I was cursed in the first place.
Did you think I would forget what you did?" His eyes again turned
bright gold, all other shades were absorbed by the glow.

Isa let her hand slide away. "It was a
mistake to kill Callista. I see that now." She nodded as if she
just reasoned it all out. "I should have waited. You would have
tired of her, as she grew old and withered. Humans do not age well
and she would have eventually perished and turned to dust."

"What you have always failed to understand is
that I love her," Darrien said simply. "I love her for always.
Young, old, turned to dust… for always."

Calli rolled her eyes. Grand pledges, but
really he shouldn't provoke the Gryphon with the grudge against
humans, especially one who was also jealous of his affection toward
a
certain
human. She glanced at Isa wondering what she would
do next now that Darrien pretty much told her to take a flying leap
off the nearest mountain and nose dive to the ground. Yep, not a
pretty sight.

"Well, then…" Isa inhaled deeply then let it
out again with a sigh. "We shall see if your claim still holds
true." Her gaze landed on Calli as she pointed her finger at her.
"By the gods, I condemn you..." she began the curse in English then
reverted to an ancient language, Calli didn't understand, but it
was obvious Darrien did.

"
No-o-o!
" He lunged for Isa, but she
waved her hand at him and he flew against the wall, pinned like a
bug on a corkboard. Obviously, Isa picked up a few tricks during
the centuries and Darrien wasn't privy to them. "Run, Calli,"
Darrien ordered and she wasn't going to question him. Whatever Isa
was reciting, it obviously wouldn't bode well for her.

She whirled around toward the bathroom. She
guessed the
'escape out the window'
plan was going to be
it.

She'd only taken a few steps, but halted, not
because she wanted to, but because her feet seemed to have stopped
working. She couldn't move. Her limbs were frozen. Isa's chant was
doing something to her. She could still hear Darrien demanding Isa
to stop, but then her hearing dimmed and her eyesight faded next.
Panic welled inside of her, but she could do nothing, not even cry
out for help.

Chapter Nineteen

"You will pay for this, Isa," Darrien cried,
the threat seeming ridiculous since he was pinned to the wall and
unable to reach her. Isa had turned his beloved to stone, and he
knew the horrors of enduring such a fate.

Isa glanced his way and with a wave of her
hand, she released him. He fell to the floor, landing in a crouched
position. It took all his self-control not to lunge at the woman,
but he couldn't kill her…not yet. She had to reverse the curse
she'd placed on Calli. He refused to let her suffer such a fate.
Dead, but not. Just frozen as time ticked by, forgotten and
unloved. This was a fate worse than death, a torture no one should
ever endure.

"What's wrong, my sweet? You didn't like my
trick?" She flashed her hand his way. An intricate ring, still
shimmering with magic, adorned her ring finger. "Picked up this
lovely piece of jewelry from a wizard. I can turn anything to stone
with a few said words. The silly man should have never allowed me
to hold it." She let out a long tired sigh. "He still stands guard
in my personal collection, along with an angel, but that's another
story." She uttered a deep throaty chuckle which made Darrien
clench his fist so not to lash out. "Now your beloved can be at
your side," she purred. "It's what you always wanted, right?" Isa
arched one elegant brow. "Both of you can stand side by side in the
Museum of Cursed Antiquities for all eternity, a matching pair of
idiots
," she snarled the last word to bring home her point.
As if he hadn't caught the sarcasm dripping from her speech.

He slowly stood to his full height. "Let her
go and I'll do whatever you want," he said slowly and calmly as if
he approached an animal ready to lunge. He'd vow to never see Calli
again if it meant she would live.

Isa clapped her hands and chortled again.
"How noble, but you see what I want is for her to be gone from our
lives forever. I want Hecate's Stone, Darrien. I will use her
blood, summon Spiro, and have him release you from the curse."

"And what will happen to Calli if I hand over
the stone?"

"So you do have it. On you?" Her gaze slid
over him as if she wondered where he'd hidden it on his person.