The Gryphon Project (33 page)

“Fine,” Gryph snapped.

Tariq nodded.

“We’re good for now,” Huy added. Whatever that meant.

CLEA AND THE REST
of the family trailed into the kitchen, cake was served, and for all appearances it looked like a great party. But Phee knew better. Gryph’s smile was forced, and she could tell by the distant look in his eyes that he was upset about Neko and Saul.

Finally, her aunt and uncle took the twins home, and Eva walked her parents across the green to their house. The boys left, with Clea, who did not want to leave and had, in fact, cried until Gryph promised to see her the very next day. Everyone gone, Oscar ushered a reluctant Fawn upstairs for her bath.

“But I don’t want to!” she screamed. “I want to stay up with Gryphon!”

“He’ll be here in the morning,” Oscar said. Then he turned to Gryph. “You will, right, kiddo?”

“I’m not going anywhere, Dad.”

“Good to hear.” Oscar picked up a thrashing Fawn and made his way up the stairs.

Gryph and Phee sat at the kitchen table amid the detritus of the party and stared at each other for what seemed like a year. Finally, Gryph broke the silence.

“Where’s Nadia?”

“I don’t know.” The words caught in Phoenix’s throat. “She won’t talk to me.”

Gryph hardened his expression. “Do you blame her?”

“Do you blame
us
? For doing what we did?”

“No,” he replied. “I’d be lying if I said I did. I just …” He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. “I just wish there was a better way. I just wish that I could go back and do it differently.”

“You’re alive. Neko’s alive. Saul is safe.”

“But that’s not good enough. Neko’s gone. Forever.”

“Maybe not.” Phee shrugged. And then she grinned. “Maybe he’ll show up someday and surprise us all. Maybe he’ll be short and fat and freckly.”

Gryph laughed. “I doubt it.” Another long moment of silence. Again, Gryph was the one to break it. “You want me to talk to Nadia?”

“No,” Phee said.

Silence fell over them again. The clock above the doorway ticked away the seconds. This time it was Phoenix who spoke first.

“I’m glad you’re home, Gryphon. I missed you.”

Gryph nodded. “I’m glad I’m home too.”

The back door opened with its customary creak and Eva swept in, still riding on the joy that had fuelled her since finding out that Gryph would be reconned. She spotted the two of them sitting at the table and laughed.

“Hang on.” She backed outside and pulled the door shut. A few seconds passed and the door swung open again. “I will never get tired of that, seeing you where you belong, Gryph. At home. With us. Safe and sound.”

WITH FAWN FINALLY ASLEEP
, Oscar joined them all downstairs in the living room, where the four of them sat around, not sure what to do with themselves.

“We played Snakes and Ladders when I came home,” Phee said. “Remember?”

“I hate Snakes and Ladders,” Gryph said.

“At least you remember the rules.”

“How about a game of chess, Phee?” Gryph pulled out the board and set it up. Eva and Oscar watched them for a while, then excused themselves and went off to bed.

Gryph was going to win, as usual.

“You haven’t lost that skill,” Phee said as he collected her queen, placing her alongside a legion of her pieces that he’d already captured.

“I’m sorry, Phoenix,” Gryph said out of nowhere.

“About what?”

“About everything.” He silently knocked over her king, ending the game. “I’m sorry that I pushed you in the river. I’m sorry that I’ve been such an asshole. I’m sorry for how awful the last few weeks must’ve been for you.”

“It’s okay, Gryph. Really.”

“But most of all, I’m sorry about what happened with Neko. And that I cost you your best friend.”

Phee felt her throat swelling, and she knew she was going to cry. She didn’t want to. She’d cried so much over Nadia that she genuinely thought she didn’t have a tear left.

Life eventually settled into what would have to suffice for the new normal, what with Saul and Neko gone.

And Nadia.

She had as good as vanished from Phee’s life too. She felt adrift without Nadia.

She dreaded the first day of school so intensely that she threw up twice before she even got out the door. She couldn’t understand how Gryph could be so calm about it. The whole school would rehash what had happened to him until they were tired of it, which would take who knew how long.

“It’ll be okay,” Gryph said as they got on the train. Sure enough, within seconds he was swept into a crowd of schoolmates full of questions. He wrestled his way out to check on Phee as the train pulled into the school. “Want me to walk you in?”

“No thanks,” she said. “Tariq is meeting me.”

“Ah, boyfriend trumps brother.”

“In this case, yes.” Phee offered him what she hoped was a smile. “I can do without the fanfare you attract.”

Clea, his biggest fan, was waiting with Huy on the front steps. After a quick hello, Phee excused herself and went around back, where Tariq was going to meet her.

“Hey.” He greeted her with a kiss. “I’m surprised you came.”

“My parents forced me to. Get back on the horse, it’ll blow over, blah, blah, blah.”

“It will.” Tariq took her hand and steered her to a bench, where they sat for a while, watching kids stream into the building with their new clothes and bulging backpacks. They’d probably all had very ordinary summers. How gladly Phee would have traded with any one of them.

“I used to love the first day of school,” she said. “Nadia and I always took the same train. The eight-ten. After we’d spent most of the night before texting each other about what to wear. Or not wear.”

“Speak of the devil,” Tariq said, pointing. “Look.”

Nadia was walking across the field, heading straight for her.

Phee turned to Tariq. “Did you talk to her?”

“Nope.”

“Gryph or Huy?”

“Not that I know of.”

“Not Clea?”

“I doubt it.”

“No one put her up to this? Promise?”

“Promise.” He stood, bending to kiss her lightly on the lips. “I’ll let you girls work it out.”

Phee felt a smile stretch across her face, even though she doubted Nadia was coming over to be pleasant. She was probably going to lay down the law and tell her not to talk to her, not to eat lunch near her, not to come up to her in the hallway. No matter, though, Phee couldn’t get rid of her grin.

“Nadia!” Phee leaped up.

Nadia hesitated, then sloughed off her backpack and gave Phee the fiercest hug ever.

“I can’t do it anymore.” Nadia cried on her shoulder. “I can’t lose you too.”

“Me either.”

“For now, though”—she pulled away and gave Phee a serious look—“I don’t want to talk about it. I mean it. Okay?”

“Whatever you say.”

“But I will tell you something.” Nadia cupped a hand to Phee’s ear. “I heard from Neko and Saul … Marlin, whoever,” she whispered.

“You did?” Phee glanced around to make sure no one was near.

“They’re okay.” Nadia grinned. “They’re on the East Coast with his parents. I don’t know where exactly, but they’re okay. Neko’s even in school.”

Phee was so relieved. All this time she tried not to think about Neko and Marlin and where they were, or what they were doing. The first bell rang.

“Come on.” Nadia grabbed her hand and pulled her up. “Let’s go. We’re going to be late. And you have to tell me what’s going on between you and Tariq.”

Thanks be to the sharp and critical minds of Jake Powrie, Morgan Roff, Eleanor Roberts, Emily Harris, Geneva Haughton, Emanuelle Lyons, and especially Christianne Hayward, who brings together all the adolescent brilliance on a regular basis. It is always a pleasure and an honour to stand in front of such a talented young firing squad.