Gryphon and His Thief (7 page)

"And what of Hecate's Stone you took?" He had
to know she would not turn it over to the professor while he lay
dormant and useless to stop the transaction.

"I'll keep it safe." He must have thrown her
a skeptical expression because she added, "You have my word. I will
not make a decision until I know all the facts about the stone and
what it can do."

Still, he debated if he could trust her, but
really what choice did he have? He could let the beastie kill her
right here and now and be done with the charade, but his human half
preferred it did not harm her. Finally, he relented and gave her a
nod. "I will have to trust you, I suppose."

"Jeez, thanks." She sat back in the chair
once more. "Time's a ticking." She tapped her wristwatch.

At times, he believed her attitude was
designed to irk him, but he let out a long tired sigh and began his
tale. "Gryphons were the guardians of treasures," he stated.

"I see nothing's changed," she interrupted
before he could say more.

"Do you wish to hear the tale or not?"

She waved her hand in front of her. "Go on
then."

"We were a noble tribe, both human and beast.
We could shift at will, giving us an advantage some of the other
shifters did not have."

"Was Callista a Gryphon also?"

He shook his head. "She was not a Gryphon,
but a human. We grew up together, spent many afternoons talking and
holding hands. She loved to talk, and she was clever and lovely…"
He realized he was rambling and glanced at Calli. Her gaze was
thoughtful and he had feared she would think him a besotted
fool.

"You loved her," she said as if she hadn't
believed him when he had told her before.

"Yes, I loved her," he repeated in a low
whisper. For a moment neither of them spoke, as if they were giving
reverence to the love he once shared with his sweet wife.
"Callista's father approved our marriage for he loved his daughter
more than any treasure he kept. He believed I would keep her always
safe. He had no reason to doubt me since I had guarded his
treasures well and had safeguarded his family from marauders for
decades."

"But something happened," she said not as a
question, but he nodded and answered her anyway.

"Yes. Isa..." He swallowed back the bile
which threatened to choke him at the mention of the traitorous
female who had stolen his love. "Isa was from my tribe and believed
we should have been mated, but I did not love her the way she loved
me. I cared for her, yes. I never encouraged her, but she mistook
our friendship for more." He swallowed hard and fought the urge to
cry out in anger and grief. When he had been free, and such
emotions had plagued him, he would take to the sky for relief.
Flying calmed his nerves, kept him centered. He glanced at the
window with yearning.

The beast stirred inside of him, demanding to
be released, but he couldn't indulge. The curse would not let him
shift and use his gifts for comfort. He didn't understand how it
knew the difference, but it did. He flew only to retrieve stolen
artifacts. It was the only time his wings would obey him. He closed
his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. He hadn't expected
the recounting of what happen centuries ago to hurt so much, but it
was like a wound that wouldn't heal and he was picking at it with
his talons.

"Are you okay?" Calli asked.

He glanced at her and, in truth, worry marred
her features. "It is difficult…" His voice broke and he cleared his
throat.

"It's never easy losing someone you've
loved," she said. "No matter the how or the reasons why it
happened."

Their eyes met, and for a moment, he drew
comfort and strength from her. He had to finish the story no matter
how much it pained him to do so. "Callista and I were married for
months and we spent as many hours as we could together. We could
not get enough of each other. It always amazed me how much I wanted
to just be with her, look at her, or listen to her tell me about
her day. She loved to fly. She'd sit upon my back with the wind
blowing in her hair. She never feared being so high above the
earth. Not when she was with me," he added, and his lips curved at
the memory of her sitting upon his back and her laughter sweet and
pure.

"She must have loved you dearly," Calli said,
not as a question but as a statement.

He nodded. "Yes." He inhaled deeply and let
his breath out again, preparing himself to tell the end to this
story. "As Callista and I grew closer, Isa's jealousy took on a
life of its own. I was foolish not to see it, but I was drunk on
our love and believed everyone shared our happiness." His hand
rubbed the back of his neck, his body already feeling the effects
of the morning light. He felt stiff and achy and knew he had to
hurry. "I would soon learn the ugly truth about Isa and how far
she'd go to have what she wanted. Isa spun a fanciful tale and had
me chasing a thief who did not exist. While I was on this merry
chase, Isa cornered Callista at our home. My sweet wife never had a
chance against a Gryphon. Even in our human state, we are stronger
than a mere person with no shifting abilities. Callista fought,
that much was evident from the destruction left behind. Vases were
broken and furniture was overturned…" He paused to take a breath
and ran a hand through his hair.

"Normally, I'd say take your time," Calli
said, "but the sun…" she nodded toward the window and he turned to
peer outside where the sky had lightened yet a few shades more.

He glanced at Calli again. "Isa ran a dagger
through Callista's heart. When I arrived home, she no longer stood
in the land of the living. Her life's blood had seeped out of her."
He lifted his hands and stared at them. He had tried to stop the
bleeding even when he knew it was too late. "There was so much
blood."

"Did you go after Isa?" she asked quietly,
but it drew his attention and he lowered his hands.

"At first, I did not realize Isa was
responsible for her death. Besides, I had something more pressing
to face."

"Callista's parents?" Calli asked.

"Her mother wept uncontrollably, but Spiro
her father was in a rage and wanted to have my head served on a
platter. However, he thought of a more fitting punishment for me. A
curse. Where I would never die, but would never truly live either.
I would be a guardsman of artifacts best forgotten for all time. Do
you know how lonely forever can be?"

"I can't imagine."

For a long moment, neither of them spoke. It
was a lot to digest. "What a horribly sad story," Calli voiced. "My
heart breaks for all you've lost – your time with Callista and your
chance for happiness, but…" She chewed on her lower lip as she
worked out what she wanted to say. When she did, she leaned forward
and rested her elbows on the desk. "In all the centuries, why
haven't you found another woman to love? Please know," she hurried
to say, "I'm not belittling your affections for Callista, but she
could not be your one and only. Surely, there have been others."
Her hand absentmindedly touched her lips and he wondered if she
were thinking of the kiss they'd shared.

He gave her a whisper of a smile. "I cannot
leave this place, and even if I could, Gryphons mate only once. We
love truly and completely, once we've found our soul mate. Callista
was lost to me. She was a priceless treasure the world would never
see again because I failed her. Don't pity me," he warned when she
opened her mouth to speak, but he could see it in her eyes. She
felt sorry for him and he wouldn't have it. "I deserve this fate,
but if there was some way to redeem myself, I would. On my very
soul, I pledge that I would." He met her gaze and didn't waver as
he let the true meaning of his words sink in.

The emotions flitted across her face – pity,
anger, and grief being among them. Then her gaze leveled on him
once more as the dawning of his words became clear. "You believe
you can redeem yourself because of me. Because I look like her,
right?"

He had hoped as much, but not just to redeem
himself. He loved Callista. To have her back with him again…even
for a moment… He sighed heavily. "You are
Callista
." Calli
opened her mouth to probably deny the fact, but he held up his hand
to silence her. "Please, hear me out before you say more."

She nodded and settled in her seat once
more.

"My very soul feels her in you, but you are
also different. Perhaps each rebirth also allows for the soul to
have its own individuality."

She leaned back, a frown marring her
features. "You'll have to forgive me if I don't buy into the whole
reincarnation bit."

"Did you believe Gryphons existed before
tonight?" He lifted a brow, daring her to answer with the
truth.

"Well… no." She brushed a wayward strand of
hair behind her ear. A gesture Callista did often when she was deep
in thought, or if something perplexed her and she needed to work it
out. "I may not be an expert on Greek mythology," she said, "but I
don't remember reading very many stories about Gryphons, and your
love story and Callista's seems like a tale that would have made
the books."

"Spiro, Callista's father," he clarified,
"made sure the Gryphons were forgotten, or so he hoped to achieve
as further punishment. To be forgotten is the worse curse of all,
don't you agree? It's as if you never existed, but somehow the word
Gryphon
has slipped into the languages all the same, however
our glorious tales are all but gone." He shook his head as he
remembered his tribe, his mother, father, sister, and all the
others. As far as he knew, he may very well be the last of his
kind.

"I'll remember you," Calli said and drew his
attention.

Before he could comment, before he could tell
her how much those words meant to him, the curse took hold, and he
froze. The sun was in full power and he no longer could be. He felt
the shift upon him and the hardening of the blood in his veins…his
limbs. He would be a statue once more.

Chapter Nine

"What's happening?" Calli flew to her feet as
she witnessed Darrien's body contorting at an alarming rate. His
skin paled to a ghastly shade of white-gray then a horrible
gurgling sound escaped his lips as if his breath had solidified in
his throat. The awful truth dawned on her of what was happening.
"The curse," she said in both awe and apprehension. "Oh, Darrien."
She felt the tears prick her eyes at seeing him so vulnerable, and
the agony he went through as the curse took hold and contorted his
body into the statue he would soon become.

He told her this is what would happen, but
something else was taking place too. Her hand slipped into her
pocket to retrieve her cell phone. Recording this seemed somehow
important and she didn't hesitate, sliding her thumb over the
record button. But as Darrien's change progressed, she felt guilty
to be witnessing such a private event.

"Omigod," she mouthed, but she couldn't seem
to tear her eyes away. Frustration and curiosity did a strange
dance inside of her as she watched transfixed as the process took
place. She couldn't look away.

Just when she thought nothing more horrific
could happen, Darrien's body divided as if he were two completely
separate beings – a man and a Gryphon. It was like his soul was
being torn in two. The Gryphon struggled, its wings fluttering to
life, large and beautiful like an eagle's majestic span, but on a
much bigger scale. It bellowed and its eyes – Darrien's eyes – met
hers. Her hand flew to her mouth to stifle a cry, and she had to
force herself not to go to him. She could do nothing to help him,
but she could stay so he knew he wasn't alone.

Her gaze then centered on the human essence
which separated as soon as the Gryphon side of Darrien's existence
completely hardened into the statue. This human form was not solid,
but like a ghost…transparent. It didn't seem to notice her at all
as it strode or rather floated toward the front door as if to leave
the premises. She stared wide-eyed for two full seconds before she
went after him, still filming as she wondered where he was
heading.

He floated through the front door and she
immediately threw it open to give chase. She halted on the landing
then caught sight of him heading around the corner and she hurried
after it, only to slide to a stop when she spotted the ghostlike
figure standing by a vehicle parked in the carport next to her car.
She'd noticed the vehicle earlier, but didn't question it since it
was dusty and had obviously been sitting there for a long time.

Then the most amazing thing happened, Darrien
solidified into a human form, clothes modernizing into slacks,
dress shirt, tie, and cardigan. Black-rimmed glasses materialized
on the bridge of his nose, making him appear studious and perhaps a
bit geeky, but with a rough edge.

For a long moment, he just stood there by the
car, staring at it. His eyes seemed to shift back and forth like
when a person dreams, only his eyes remained open as the process
took place.

"Darrien?" she called to him and lowered her
phone.

He jumped at the sound of her voice and
stumbled back as he spoke, "Oh dear, you gave me such a fright."
His voice sounded different. Still a deep masculine baritone, but
the way the words flew off his tongue… Then it dawned on her. There
had been no sign of an accent which revealed his Greek heritage.
Instead, this version of Darrien was British.
Interesting
development
. She wondered what else would prove different about
him.

"I didn't mean to startle you," she told him
and smiled, hoping to put him at ease. She wasn't sure what Darrien
remembered about his change inside, but since he never mentioned
any of this, he probably didn't remember a darn thing. He seemed to
be a very thorough man, a warrior who'd once been in charge, but
this part of his essence appeared a bit frazzled.