Free Ascension (The Gryphon Series) by Stacey Rourke Page B

the usual.”
    His point ed pink tongue darted out and raked across his lower lip. “We deserve that. But you know the Countess wouldn’t let us be here without her consent.”
    “So what is it she sent you here to do?” I turned to face him, my taut muscles set on a hairpin trigger. 
    “Easy.” He raised his hands in retreat. “She just gave me a message to deliver—one that has to be pretty darn important. She granted all of us our freedom in exchange for it.”
    My hands came up as I struck a defensive stance. “What message could possibly be worth a prize that big?”
    He peeked behind him to ensure no one had followed or was listening in. “The object that you’re hiding from your family? The one Barnabus gave you? It’s a very powerful artifact. There’s a reason he gave it to you and it’s much more than he may have claimed. The truth lies in the location he wants the showdown with the Countess to occur. It’s called The Gateway and only a human can carry that discus across its threshold.”
    “Why?”
    “All she told me is that if a demon brings the discus in, Heaven itself will unleash a fury that will destroy the entire place and all its occupants. In exchange for that transport Barnabus claims he’ll give Caleb back to you, and make no mistake he does have the resources to do it. But it comes at a price. That very same discus holds the answer to a riddle that has plagued you for some time now.”
    I didn’t realize I’d been holding my breath until I had to exhale to ask, “What riddle?”
    “Touch Barnabus’s chest, right over his heart, while inside The Gateway … and your friend Alec is free.”

 
     
    Chapter 9

     
    Fate, with her depraved sense of humor, could never make life’s choices easy. To bring Caleb back I had to sacrifice Alec. Free Alec, and I would lose Caleb forever. Misery would haunt either decision. I could order up closure with a side of sorrow, or contentment tossed with a heaping bowlful of guilt.
    I nodded to Boil Face to let him know I understood then made my retreat into the welcoming confines of the house. The kitchen still smelled of this morning’s bacon, which prompted my stomach to rumble its discontent at the mere idea of food. I yanked my hair tie out as I passed from the kitchen to the dining room. My fingers raked through the knotted strands before I twisted them back up into a tighter ponytail just to keep my trembling hands busy.
    “I can’t make this decision ,” I muttered to myself, kicking my shoes off in the foyer. “Won’t matter if I weigh my options every day for the rest of my life, I can’t do it. Fighting nasty demons? Getting sliced and diced by supernatural boogeymen? Sure! I got those in the bag. But this? Nope. Nada.”
    Seeing the light on in the living room, I ventured in hoping to unload this latest development on Grams. Instead, I found her dozing in her leather recliner with an afghan draped over her legs. Mascara streaked her face, remnants of the tears that had fallen. This weary vulnerability seemed out of place on someone so animated and sprightly.
    She didn’t need my added drama , her plate was already full. I bent down to dot a kiss to her forehead and scooped up the picture frame that lay in her lap. I knew the photo well. It was taken on our family trip to Disney World two years before Dad “died.” The smile it brought to my face was automatic … but short lived. Reality sucked the joy from my memory. Even then, as Dad hammed it up in a Goofy hat in front of the castle, he knew what was coming for us. Our fate had already been decided. Behind that silly smile was a man that passed up the chance to adamantly refuse this life for his kids. The Garrett blood line branched in other directions; he could’ve insisted they find someone else. Yet, he didn’t. That fact made all our memories of him a lie. I laid the picture on the end table face down; doubtful I would ever bring myself to look at it again.
    Physical