Gryphon and His Thief (22 page)

"Without the stone, you couldn't have this
audience with Spiro," she told him. "He can release you from your
punishment. Ask him. Go on. Do it."

"No, I accept my punishment as long as you
are not here to threaten my beloved." He turned toward Charon then.
"Isa has cheated death long enough." He fished a coin from his
pocket and tossed it to the ferryman. "For a safe crossing, so she
may be judged."

Isa tried one last attempt to escape. She
managed to shift part way and drove her talons into the pole. A
screech pierced the night as if the souls of the Styx felt the
lash. Isa broke free and scrambled away from the veil, half
crawling and half running.

Darrien made an attempt to go after her, but
Charon's reflexes were quicker. He reached down and dipped his hand
into the river. When he stood, he flung the water, transforming it
into a lasso. He whipped it out and around Isa's waist, and he
yanked back on the cord. She flew back with her hands outstretched,
trying to grab anything to stop her flight. At the doorway, she
gripped the edges, her knuckles turning white.

"Help me, Darrien." She met his gaze. She
appeared vulnerable and tears glistened in her eyes. True tears and
not fabricated ones meant to deceive. He turned away, but not
before he witnessed the betrayal in her eyes.

Charon yanked on the cord again and Isa lost
her hold. She fell through the doorway and landed on the bottom of
the boat at Charon's feet. The lasso wound tightly around her arms
like steel, making escape impossible.

"I curse you, Darrien," Isa spat. "I—"

With a flick of his wrist, Charon silenced
her. Her lips moved, but no sound escaped. The ferryman then turned
toward Darrien. "The retched soul will be judged for what she's
done and justice will be served. Is this all you demand from us,
Darrien?"

"Nay, it is not. Isa possesses a ring. She
stole it from a wizard and has used it against him and most likely
others who were unfortunate enough to cross her path. May we have
the ring so we may find out if the curses she exacted can be
reversed?"

"And what will you give me in exchange?"
Charon challenged.

Darrien had been prepared to barter. He held
up Hecate's Stone. "This. I will give you the stone for the
ring."

Charon seemed to consider the trade before he
nodded. "Agreed." With the bargain made, Darrien tossed Charon the
stone. Charon then turned his attention on Isa, who tried to scoot
away. He shook his head and crouched down beside her. His hand
snaked out and held her firmly in place. He easily slipped the ring
off her finger despite her struggles. He pushed Isa against the
side of the boat as he stood. His fingers held the ring up to
inspect with a careful eye. "It is an old ring, fashioned for the
wearer to possess its power. I would look for the Wizards' Codex, a
book containing rituals and spells. You should be able to unlock
the ring's properties with it." He tossed the ring to Darrien. "I
do not have to warn you of the consequences if the ring is used to
harm others. This item was meant to assist. Most likely worn by a
wizard sent to protect a kingdom."

"We only wish to undo what Isa has done."

"So be it," Charon said. "We will now depart
on our—"

"Wait!" Calli interrupted and glanced at
Darrien. "The curse," she said to him, but then addressed Spiro not
Charon. "You can't leave Darrien cursed and chained to the museum.
He was innocent," she pleaded. "Hasn't he suffered enough? Please,
lift the spell."

Spiro simply shook his head, his eyes
hauntingly filled with sadness and pity, too. "I am but a spirit,
Callista, my daughter. I cannot harm or help those in the life
beyond this door. I am deeply sorry." He shifted his gaze to
Darrien. "If you wish for your torment to end, come with us. You'll
be released from the curse as soon as you step past the threshold."
He held out his hand as if he would assist him into the boat.

Charon nodded in agreement. "The cursed are
freed once they cross the barrier to the underworld. If you come
with us, I assure you Elysium awaits your arrival, Darrien of old.
It is where all champions go upon their death."

Calli turned to stare at Darrien, tears
pooling in her eyes and making the green glisten like precious
jewels. "Death is the only way you can find freedom?" she asked.
"No, that can't be right." She shook her head in denial. "This
can't be all there is we can do. I… Oh God… I don't want you to go.
It's so unfair." Her eyes were wide and frightened in the pale
frame of her face.

Her emotions washed over him in waves,
desperation being among them. She didn't want him to go. In truth,
he didn't want to leave her. With Hecate's Stone, he had believed
there would be a chance for them, but all hope was dashed with
Spiro's words. Cursed and tied to the museum, he could not offer
her a future when he had none to give. Better he leave this world,
so she could find another. If he remained, he would chain her to
his destiny. He could see it in her eyes. She would stay with him.
What life would that be? No, he could not allow her to make such a
sacrifice.

"Darrien?" She must have sensed him
withdrawing from her. In desperation, she reached for his hand, her
touch so warm and true.

He raised her hand to his lips and placed a
kiss. He then lowered her hand once more, but didn't let her go.
Tears glistened in her eyes. He had not had anyone care enough to
cry for him in such a long time and his heart swelled to be so
loved. "In another life, we were happy," he told her. "I see
Callista in you, but you are also Calli, a sweet woman who cared
enough to help me. Without your assistance, I could not have found
peace."

Her breath caught in her throat. "No. Don't
you do this.
Dammit
, you made me care about you." She was
fishing for anything to make him stay. Humans were never ready to
let the living go, even if it were for the best. "What about your
other half?" she asked. "I didn't even have a chance to say
goodbye. He doesn't know we did it. He doesn't know we stopped
Isa."

He gave her a whisper of a smile. "He knows.
He is a part of me." He placed a hand on his chest. He'd avenged
Callista's death, and he insured Calli would be safe to live out
her life without the fear of Isa hunting her down. In his mind's
eye, he could see the life Calli had yet to live, and there was no
room for him in it.

Her eyes darkened with anger and she yanked
her hand free. She turned toward Charon again. "I can't accept
this. It can't be all you can do." She waved her hand at him
accusingly. "You're powerful. You can see into a person's soul and
find them wanting or not. You can transform the water to do your
bidding. Why can't you do something that will break the curse?"

"Calli?" Darrien stepped toward her, wanting
to stop her before she angered Charon, but she waved him away and
moved out of reach.

"Don't," she warned. "I want him to answer
me." She pointed to Charon behind her, but kept her eyes locked on
him.

"The curse cannot be broken in the sense you
would prefer," Charon finally spoke up, but not with anger, as
Darrien had feared. "However," Charon continued, "there may be
another solution, a way to alter it." He then addressed Darrien.
"The curse severed your essence to a point. The human side and your
shifter side hang onto each other by a mere thread."

Of this, Darrien understood all too clearly,
now that Calli had shown him how the curse worked. He suspected
such a rift, but had believed the more human side had simply been
repressed due to the curse. With the video Calli supplied, he
witnessed the separation. "Go on," he told Charon, hopeful for a
solution.

"I cannot repair the rift, but I can sever
the tie completely, and thus the curse will be broken."

"But?" Calli asked, suspicion lacing her one
word. "There's always a stipulation. What is it? What price must
Darrien pay for this service?"

Charon for once lost his indifference, his
features revealing sorrow. "One of the essences will have to cross
over to this side. Only one can continue to live. It will allow the
one part of the soul to heal and thrive as if reborn."

"So either I live or my day time self does,"
Darrien stated.

"You understand correctly," Charon said. "It
will be your choice, of course." He nodded then stood there
patiently, awaiting his decision.

Darrien turned toward Calli. Which of his
essences would she want? Which one could offer her protection and
passion too? She deserved to be loved, completely.

She took the steps separating them. Her hand
reached for him and he clasped it to his heart. "Oh, Darrien, it is
not a solution if you lose part of yourself." She choked back a
sob.

"I have lived a long time, longer than any
Gryphon should," he said. "Everyone should love and be loved, sweet
Calli. I was lucky to experience both." With his free hand, he
wiped away a tear from her cheek. Gryphons loved forever. It was in
their nature. He cherished Callista with all his heart, but she was
gone. Calli could never be her completely, and he didn't begrudge
her of the fact. She deserved a fresh start. Perhaps he could have
one too, with a human existence, where there would be no past to
haunt him.

He leaned down and kissed her, a tender kiss
goodbye. He opened her hand and placed the wizard's ring in her
palm. "You know what to do with this." He then released her and
turned to face Charon. "I choose the human side to stay."

"What are you doing? We can find another
way." Calli's voiced hitched with panic, but he could not comfort
her.

"Do it now." Darrien met Charon's gaze and
the ferryman reached across the veil and placed the pole on his
shoulder. He spoke the words of old like a graceful chant. The
water from the river seeped into him, both cool and startling as it
raced through his veins at an alarming rate. Then an excruciating
pain ripped through him, tearing him apart, consuming him until he
could no longer see what stood in front of him. He could no longer
hear Calli's cries or Charon's words. For a space of time,
everything ceased to be.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Calli watched in horror as Darrien withered
in pain and she could do nothing to help him. A burst of light
consumed him, so bright she had to cover her eyes, but then the
illumination dimmed then ebbed away completely. She glanced where
Darrien had stood, but now both his personas were there – Darrien
with his black-rimmed glasses and wearing a cardigan and slacks,
and the Gryphon shifter Darrien dressed in his ancient garb of old.
They circled each other as if sizing up the other for their
worth.

In such a short time, she'd come to care for
both of them. No matter what was decided, she would mourn the loss
of one of them. She could feel sorry for herself, but nothing could
compare to what Darrien would have to give up.

Darrien of old spoke, his voiced deep and
with purpose. "Keep her safe," he told his other half as he glanced
at Calli. "And love her with all your heart."

His human counterpart appeared confused and
awe-struck to be face to face with… well, his bolder self. He too
glanced at Calli. He must have sensed the urgency of the words and
the need to take them seriously. He straightened his shoulders and
faced his other half once more. "You have my word."

Ancient Darrien turned away and strode toward
the veil, not pausing as he stepped through the doorway and into
the boat, his decision made.

Calli came to stand next to the Darrien left
in her world and reached for his hand. He laced his fingers through
hers and gave her hand a quick squeeze.

Spiro had remained silent up until now, but
when he spoke, his surprise rang through in his words. "You truly
care for him, my sweet daughter," he said, not as a question but as
an observation.

Calli sighed and straightened her back. "I do
care for him."

"Ah… He cares for you too," Spiro said with a
heavy sigh. "I cannot fault such affections."

"I don't remember my time with Darrien as
Callista," Calli said and glanced at the other Darrien in the boat.
Her heart ached for him. "I wanted to see Darrien whole, not split
like this."

Spiro's lips curved slightly and not without
sympathy. "I can see the soul which stands beside you. It pulses
like a heartbeat when he touches you. It will be enough, I
believe."

"Calli, my sweet thief who stole my heart,"
the Darrien from the boat addressed her. "Do not fret. There is a
second opportunity for happiness." He glanced at his other half.
"All I ask is you give him a chance to win your heart. We have all
paid long enough for Isa's treachery, and it is time to forgive and
let the past go." He then glanced at Isa, who stared wide-eyed as
she continued to try and break the bounds that held her.

Calli followed his line of vision. She pitied
Isa as she would a rabid animal that needed to be put down.
Something happened to her and she couldn't be reasoned with any
longer. She had lost all sense of honor and her compassion for
others. Isa couldn't be saved and must meet her fate that had long
been denied.

She glanced at the man who held her hand, her
nerdy Darrien, with his quick wit, and love for tea. He gazed at
her with longing. He was a good man, courageous despite his claims
that he wasn't. She could fall for him. Who was she kidding? She
was half way there already. Perhaps her destiny would prove to be
the future with him. "What do you say, Darrien?" she asked the man
beside her. "Should I stick around for a while?"

His lips curved. "I would be most
pleased."

"So be it," Charon said. "The night is done
and the door between the veils must close."

"Goodbye, my sweet daughter," Spiro called to
Calli. "May you live long, and with joy in your heart."