The Gryphon Project Read Online Free Page A

held high, snapping pictures blindly. A crush of more girls headed for him as he switched his goggles for his sunglasses. There were the TV crews, the journalists, more fans, his Chrysalis agent, his agent’s assistant, his coach, his teammates. Everyone was always rushing to Gryph, as if he were just a mirage and would vanish before they could quench their thirst.
    Gryph’s agent said something to him, but Gryph, standing on tiptoes and scanning the crowd, only half listened to Lex.
    “He’s looking for you guys.” Phoenix nudged Tariq, who was busy texting.
    “Let’s go, then,” he said as he slid his phone into his pocket.
    The group pushed through the crowd, Nadia clinging to Saul, her hand tight in his.
    “I don’t know why I let you drag me to these things.” She frowned at Phoenix.
    “You love it,” Phoenix said, though she knew full well that Nadia did not love the cold of Winter Park, the unpredictable energy of crowds in general, or watching Phoenix’s brother compete in any of the many sports he was a pro at. But she did love Saul, so she went where he went.
    Closer now, Tariq locked eyes with Gryph over the sea of heads. They both nodded, just the slightest nod, but it said so much. Phee always marvelled at this, how the boys had an entire private language of looks and gestures. Gryph collected his snowboard, gracefully but firmly untangled himself from his adoring entourage, and slipped through the door leading to the corridor of change rooms in the basement of the complex.
    “Saul, Huy,” Tariq said. “You go ahead.”
    Nadia kissed Saul and reluctantly let go of his hand. “Love you, baby.”
    “Me too,” Saul said with a blush, as he caught up with Huy, who was already bullying a path through the throng. This didn’t come easily to Huy, who was gentle by nature and more concerned with the cut of his shirt than the task of being bodyguard, which is exactly why Gryph gave him the job. To harden him up. Years of this, and he was still the same soft-spoken sweetheart he’d been when he played with Phoenix and her dolls when they were kids. But he’d gotten bigger and bulkier—he could throw a mean right hook when necessary— and had traded pretending with dolls and tea sets for pretending to be meaner than he was. It was all a facade, though, for Gryph.
    Phoenix and Nadia followed next, with Tariq and Neko bringing up the rear. The boys always sandwiched the girls like that, because Nadia hated crowds and got nervous if she was surrounded by strangers. It irked Phee that she was lumped in with Nadia, when she was more than capable of looking after herself. She didn’t argue the matter, though, because it was a brotherly, protective gesture, and she had to admit that it felt nice to be taken care of.
    THEY CHECKED IN with security and got their guest badges, then found Gryph’s dressing room, the big one with the imaging wall and mini-bar and ambient stereo; it even had a little bedroom with an ensuite bathroom. Gryph was in the shower there, so his agent’s assistant passed around hot chocolate and they sat down to wait. Saul pulled a flask from his pocket and poured a shot of whisky into his and Huy’s drinks and Neko’s too, though he was only fourteen. But he didn’t spike Tariq’s drink. He didn’t drink alcohol. Tariq’s dad drank to the point of oblivion most nights, and Tariq didn’t want to end up like him. Gryph never drank either, because of the urine and blood tests, but the boys didn’t bug him about it. Even though they ribbed Tariq on the subject often enough.
    Saul poured whisky into Nadia’s mug, but when he went to do the same to Phee’s, she shook her head. She didn’t want to drink if Tariq wasn’t going to.
    “Hey, Tariq, you have a budding clean and sober disciple over here.”
    “No.” Phee blushed. It was true that she had a little crush on Tariq, but she’d melt into a puddle of embarrassment if he knew. “I just don’t feel like it, is