The Gryphon Project by Carrie Mac Read Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Carrie Mac
grinned as he lifted himself off the floor. “As messed up as that was, that was very, very cool.”
The guards just stared at him. One of them shook his head, dumbfounded at Gryph’s delight.
At last the fist at her throat relaxed, and Phee took a long, unsteady breath before speaking.
“Cool?” She kicked Gryph hard in the shin. “How can you say any of that was cool ?”
“Maybe ‘exciting’ is a better word,” Gryph allowed when he saw her expression. “The rush, I mean. The adrenalin, you know?”
“That same adrenalin gave me a friggin’ asthma attack, Gryph!” That said, Phee turned on her father. “Gunfire? Riots? What the hell were you thinking? Why did you bring me here?” she screamed at him. “Are you stupid? What if I die? One more recon. That’s it!”
“Well, how about that.” Behind her, a guard scoffed. “Not really a three-per yourself, then, are you?”
Phee spun around. “Who said that?”
The guards all looked back at her with solidly blank expressions. One of them dared a shrug.
“Phee, honey. Please sit down.” Oscar steered her to the seat beside his. He buckled himself in and then reached across Phoenix and buckled her in too. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“You’re sorry?” She hit his chest, and then hit him again with both hands as the shuttle sped out of the city just slightly faster than her pounding heart. “Why, Dad?”
“You shouldn’t have brought her,” Gryph said when Phoenix’s tears finally made it impossible to speak. She leaned against her father and sobbed. She still smarted from the comment from the guard too cowardly to admit to saying it. “Not if you knew it was like this.”
“But I didn’t,” her father said. “I would never put you children at risk.”
“But you did!” Phee started in earnest again.
“But I had no way of knowing. In almost twenty years, they’ve never rushed the shuttle like that before.” Oscar held Phoenix as she cried. “And I didn’t recognize any of them from the church. I think someone must’ve leaked that we were coming, and the church couldn’t stop them. I didn’t know. Usually there’s no problem.”
“Still,” Gryph said, “you shouldn’t have brought her. She can’t handle it, obviously.”
Phee lifted her eyes to glare at her brother. She wiped her tears, wishing she could argue with him. But there was no point. He was right. She couldn’t handle it. Not at all. What she wondered was why Gryphon could. How was he so different from her? Did he get off on adrenalin so much that danger excited him? Was it because he still had his three recons?
BACK AT THE SHORES , they collected Fawn and walked home along the waterfront path. The air was warm and fragrant with summer flowers and the salty sea, the sky was a cloudless blue, and the waves rolled up happily against the shore, but it was all lost on Phee. She felt dark and stormy and foul. Still shaken, she hung back from the others, refusing her father’s invitation to walk with him.
“Why couldn’t I come too?” Fawn tugged her father’s jacket. “How come, Daddy?”
Oscar kissed her forehead. “Quiet, pet.”
“But why not?” Fawn skipped ahead and then pirouetted so that she was walking backwards, facing them. “I’d be good. I’d help. I would!” She stumbled, and then turned so that she was walking normally, her back to them. “Next time, I’m coming too. You’ll see.I’m going to tell Mom you guys left me behind. It’s not fair. She’ll make you take me with you next time.”
Gryph lifted his eyes and looked at Phoenix. This time, the darkness was gone. Replaced by something only slightly less chilling. Blame? Resentment?
“No one likes a tattletale, Fawn.” Phoenix shoved her hands in her pockets. It had gotten colder suddenly, a chilly wind kicking up off the ocean. “Do up your jacket.”
“Do this! Do that!” Fawn started skipping again. “Don’t do this, don’t do that!”
“Your mother—”
The guards just stared at him. One of them shook his head, dumbfounded at Gryph’s delight.
At last the fist at her throat relaxed, and Phee took a long, unsteady breath before speaking.
“Cool?” She kicked Gryph hard in the shin. “How can you say any of that was cool ?”
“Maybe ‘exciting’ is a better word,” Gryph allowed when he saw her expression. “The rush, I mean. The adrenalin, you know?”
“That same adrenalin gave me a friggin’ asthma attack, Gryph!” That said, Phee turned on her father. “Gunfire? Riots? What the hell were you thinking? Why did you bring me here?” she screamed at him. “Are you stupid? What if I die? One more recon. That’s it!”
“Well, how about that.” Behind her, a guard scoffed. “Not really a three-per yourself, then, are you?”
Phee spun around. “Who said that?”
The guards all looked back at her with solidly blank expressions. One of them dared a shrug.
“Phee, honey. Please sit down.” Oscar steered her to the seat beside his. He buckled himself in and then reached across Phoenix and buckled her in too. “I’m sorry, baby.”
“You’re sorry?” She hit his chest, and then hit him again with both hands as the shuttle sped out of the city just slightly faster than her pounding heart. “Why, Dad?”
“You shouldn’t have brought her,” Gryph said when Phoenix’s tears finally made it impossible to speak. She leaned against her father and sobbed. She still smarted from the comment from the guard too cowardly to admit to saying it. “Not if you knew it was like this.”
“But I didn’t,” her father said. “I would never put you children at risk.”
“But you did!” Phee started in earnest again.
“But I had no way of knowing. In almost twenty years, they’ve never rushed the shuttle like that before.” Oscar held Phoenix as she cried. “And I didn’t recognize any of them from the church. I think someone must’ve leaked that we were coming, and the church couldn’t stop them. I didn’t know. Usually there’s no problem.”
“Still,” Gryph said, “you shouldn’t have brought her. She can’t handle it, obviously.”
Phee lifted her eyes to glare at her brother. She wiped her tears, wishing she could argue with him. But there was no point. He was right. She couldn’t handle it. Not at all. What she wondered was why Gryphon could. How was he so different from her? Did he get off on adrenalin so much that danger excited him? Was it because he still had his three recons?
BACK AT THE SHORES , they collected Fawn and walked home along the waterfront path. The air was warm and fragrant with summer flowers and the salty sea, the sky was a cloudless blue, and the waves rolled up happily against the shore, but it was all lost on Phee. She felt dark and stormy and foul. Still shaken, she hung back from the others, refusing her father’s invitation to walk with him.
“Why couldn’t I come too?” Fawn tugged her father’s jacket. “How come, Daddy?”
Oscar kissed her forehead. “Quiet, pet.”
“But why not?” Fawn skipped ahead and then pirouetted so that she was walking backwards, facing them. “I’d be good. I’d help. I would!” She stumbled, and then turned so that she was walking normally, her back to them. “Next time, I’m coming too. You’ll see.I’m going to tell Mom you guys left me behind. It’s not fair. She’ll make you take me with you next time.”
Gryph lifted his eyes and looked at Phoenix. This time, the darkness was gone. Replaced by something only slightly less chilling. Blame? Resentment?
“No one likes a tattletale, Fawn.” Phoenix shoved her hands in her pockets. It had gotten colder suddenly, a chilly wind kicking up off the ocean. “Do up your jacket.”
“Do this! Do that!” Fawn started skipping again. “Don’t do this, don’t do that!”
“Your mother—”