When A Gargoyle Flies (Gargoyles Book 3) (7 page)

Chapter Eleven

“So, long story short, it wasn’t an alien – it was a bear.  Turns out the kid was feeding him leftovers and letting him live in their barn.  By the way, if you ever need to outrun a bear, I don’t recommend climbing a tree – scariest ten minutes of my life until animal control turned up.”

Chris murmured in agreement while Melissa popped another fry into her mouth.

“Is something wrong?  You’ve been a little distracted all night.”

No, nothing was wrong, except every inch of his body seemed to be prickling in objection at where he was and what he was doing.

Melissa had during the last two times they met made it clear she was interested in dating him, but Chris had subtly told her no.  He expected her to do the same tonight, but she hadn’t.  She had been friendly – the young Latina woman was always bubbly – but there was nothing more to it.

Melissa heard about other people in town reporting giant bats, and Chris was obliged to take her to visit the other so-called witnesses, which actually only boiled down to two people.  There were rumors flying around, but only two people actually thought they saw anything.  The first was Wade Whitman – the town insomniac who claims everyone in town is a commie and keeps trying to get them arrested.  He was well known to the FBI, and Melissa was not impressed.  The second was Emmy Vincent – a mother of four young kids who was actually pretty reliable.  Thankfully, she admitted that since then she had rethought it and said she couldn’t be sure it wasn’t just one of her kids’ kites.  As she saw something similar a couple of nights later that was indeed a kite, and she didn’t like to stake her reputation on her first assumption being correct.

Melissa was neither relieved nor disappointed by the outcome – apparently, this was how all her cases went.  Outlandish theories followed by mundane outcomes.  He wondered how she would react if she ever met a real gargoyle.

“I’m fine,” he said finally.

“New girlfriend?” she asked with sparkling eyes.

“What?”

He had been intending on proposing that they try dating, but he couldn’t seem to get the words out.  It was a great relief that Melissa wasn’t showing any interest in him.

Melissa inclined her head to the far corner of the diner where Dr. White was sitting with a few other women.  She saw him and waved.

“She’s been looking at you all evening.”

Chris shrugged.  “That’s Dr. White.  Didn’t even notice she was here,” he said honestly.

“Wow, whoever it is you’ve got it bad for is a lucky woman.”  Melissa gave Dr. White a covert look.  “Because she looks like she just stepped off a runway.  Fashion runway I mean, not an airport – that would be weird.”

“I ah…”

Melissa waved her hand.  “Chris, it’s fine, you’re not interested in me.  I actually started seeing someone else.”

He let out a breath of relief and Melissa chuckled.  “C’mon, it’s not that bad – I wasn’t going to jump on you.”

“No, I’m sorry I just…”

“Yeah, yeah, you’re a nice guy who doesn’t like letting women down.  You’re perfect, blah, blah, blah.”

“Hardly perfect.”

“You’re right; your perfection is kind of annoying which in itself is an imperfection.  But seriously, Dr. Hottie looks interested.”

“I don’t think so.”

Melissa reached across the table and patted his hand in a friendly fashion.  “Would Mara have wanted you to stay single?”

His face clouded.  He couldn’t honestly say he knew what Mara would want.  She wouldn’t have had any time for a genuinely sweet person like Melissa.  He dreaded to think what she would have thought of Annis.

“I hope you’re not too disappointed about our lack of giant bats.”

“Nah, I’m more of a Bigfoot girl myself.”

Chris smirked.  “You’ve seen him then?”

Melissa smiled.  “No, but I live in hope.”

Some of the tension left his body, and Chris actually managed to enjoy his evening.

Chapter Twelve

Castor eyed Luc cagily.  The two males had never met in their former lives, but most clans knew of Luc.  His had been the most powerful clan and most closely allied to the royal family, and Luc was a direct descendent of the first gargoyle created – Demon.

Castor bristled at the other male’s power - as he used to with his previous clan leader.  It occurred to Annis that for all his good qualities, Castor did not like being out-dominated or told what to do.

When Castor stopped howling and trying to maim everything in sight, he calmed and listened to Luc’s speech – which Annis now knew by heart.

Castor was somewhat pleased to see Annis, another gargoyle from his clan.  Although he probably wished it was any gargoyle but you whispered a harsh inner voice.

Luc and the other male gargoyles were even warier of Castor on hearing that he belonged to Annis’ clan – even more so when he confirmed he was her chief.

Castor paced up and down, his wings angrily beating through the air as his tail whipped against the ground.

“How many others of our clan survived?” he demanded.

“We do not know,” Annis said.  “We do not know the full extent of how many others from all the clans survived yet.  Perhaps others of our clan did, but perhaps not.”

Castor stopped and narrowed his eyes.  “You are very calm about this.  Our clan, our warriors, are gone and lost.  We are adrift in this… place.”

Annis looked down on hearing the accusing tone in his voice.  She focused on her leg, now fully healed from her scald and memories of Chris attending to her started to surface again.

Instead, she drew her to gaze the patio outside the house, where the other members of the clan milled, pretending they were not watching them closely.

“I have been alive again for nearly sixty days.  I have come to accept what I cannot change.  It may be harsh, but if you are to live again, you must accept it too.”

He gazed at her fixedly.  “The female who was to be my mate is gone.  Thank the ancestors that we did not yet have sons, or they would have perished too.”

“Or daughters,” Annis added quietly.

Castor merely grunted while glowering at the other gargoyles.

“Is this all that is left of us?”

“For now.”

“And this male, Lucifer has decided he is our leader.”

Annis remained silent.  She could almost see the cogs turning in Castor’s head.  Awake for fifty minutes and he was already considering trying to take down the leader of his new clan.

She decided not to be too hard on him.  In spite of her embarrassment at his rejection, he was the member of her clan she least disliked.  He had showed her kindness that far surpassed anything her mother ever had.  She could not hold it against him just because he was not interested in her as a mate.

“Awaking after so long is difficult,” she murmured.  “You should eat something and regain your strength.”

Castor gave her a grim smile.  “You have not changed, Annis.  Where there should be courage in your heart, there is still kindness.”

Annis stared at him, unsure how to answer his friendly insult.  She felt a shiver of something that she couldn’t quite pin down.  They had not spoken since the night he rejected her as a mate but offered her the chance to be his concubine.  That had been only three months before they were cursed.  She had been very careful to stay away from him, afraid that if he found her, he would force her into submission, force her to be something she did not want.  She would not have dared reject him, even if it would have killed her.

He acted as if nothing had happened between them and to his mind, maybe nothing had.  From his viewpoint, she should never have expected him to mate her, and the offer to allow her to be his concubine should have flattered her.  Her clan chiefs had always had concubines.  It was not until she was newly awakened that she realized how few others had indulged.  She could not imagine Luc taking another female.

Every retort died on her lips under his imperious gaze.  “You must be hungry,” Annis murmured.  “Come and eat.”

She could not think of anything else to say.  It was what Kylie said to her when she awoke.  The world did not seem any less frightening on a full stomach, but it did not seem any more so.

She should eat as well.  At least it would put her mind off what a certain police chief might have been doing at that moment.

*

“You’re home early,” said Chris, looking at his watch.  “Or earlier than usual.”  He reflected that most uncles wouldn’t let their eighteen-year-old nieces out to this time, never mind any later.

Brenda smirked at him.  “I was about to say the same thing.  Hot date not so hot?”

Chris scowled at her.  “Maybe you should go to bed.”

She yawned and nodded.  “Everyone says hi by the way.  They’re all dying to hear about your date, too.”

Chris stiffened slightly and put his coffee cup down.  “You told everyone?”

Brenda cocked her head nonchalantly.  “Sure, it wasn’t a secret was it?”

“No, I guess not.”  Although the thought of Annis knowing made him queasy.  He had no reason to feel guilty – he didn’t owe her anything, they weren’t involved.  Still, the queasiness remained.

His niece eyed him a little piteously,  “Guess it really didn’t go that well.”

“We’re just friends,” he said without regret.

Brenda shrugged.  “Maggie will be disappointed; she was hoping for a lot of juicy details.”

“I’ll bet.”

“You didn’t really miss much.  The new gargoyle woke up; he was really grumpy, and Annis calmed him down.”

He tapped his fingers on the kitchen table – a nervous habit.  “Annis?”

“Yeah, apparently this new gargoyle is from her old clan.  Guess that’s good for both of them.  They spent all night talking.”

Oblivious to his darkening mood, Brenda said goodnight and dragged her feet upstairs to bed.

It may not mean anything.  The male gargoyle could be old and infirm or even a relative of Annis’.  He should not immediately assume there may be anything to their relationship.  If there was, shouldn’t he be happy?  He’d decided they shouldn’t be together, so wouldn’t he want her to find someone else?  In theory, yes.  In reality, a twinge of jealousy picked at his heart.

He remembered Luc’s words about there being so few females in the clan.  Now there was another male.  Another potential mate for Annis.

He picked up his coffee cup and stood.  With more force than he intended, he threw his cup into the sink, shattering it to pieces.

Chapter Thirteen

Castor was still uncertain of the world in which he found himself, which meant he gravitated towards Annis – an anchor to his former life.  His initial anger had abated, and now he was becoming overwhelmed by the changes to the world.

It was somewhat unnerving to see the huge, proud male so unsettled.  If Annis weren’t so surprised, she might have pitied him for it.  Annis had always been out of place – her natural state was cowed fear.  But Castor was lower than he had ever been.  Annis felt compassion for him.  He had lost his leadership, his clan, and his future mate – everything important to him.  It was easier for her; she had nothing to lose.

Luc moved between them all, ensuring they were all well after their sleep.  It was unspoken, but there was always an undercurrent of tension regarding their enforced slumber.  The fear remained that if they went to sleep again, they would not wake up for another thousand years, if at all.

Castor came to her side, saying nothing and eyeing her blankly.  Luc approached them both carefully, nodding at them.  Annis felt oddly in the middle of them, between Castor who still considered her as his clan member, and Luc who considered her as his.

“Gracchus will take you hunting tonight,” rumbled Luc.  “But you must stay with him, and ensure you are not seen by humans.”

“Hiding from humans,” sneered Castor.  “Your ancestor would be ashamed.”

Luc flexed his wings, inflated his chest and seemed to grow about two feet taller.  Annis could feel his dominance crushing her.  She wanted to curl into a ball and whimper.  It was affecting Castor too; he trembled by her side, but he refused to let it show.

“Do not presume anything about my ancestor,” said Luc in a mild voice.  “We are cautious for the good of the clan.  The time to show ourselves to humans is not now.”

“So I am to be coddled by him.”  Castor jutted his chin at Gracchus who was standing idly ten feet away.  The male was as relaxed as anything, but Annis knew he was listening closely and prepared to pounce if anything happened.

Luc took a step closer to Castor.  “All gargoyles must prove their worth to the clan.  Prove to us that you are worthy of joining us, and perhaps, you will be trusted more.”

Castor bared his razor sharp teeth, but Luc smiled coldly in return.  He pressed Annis’ shoulder before leaving them.

The other gargoyles were already finding other ways to amuse themselves.  Brom and Grey were sparring while Ric aggravated them by pointing out where they were going wrong.  Tristan had probably already found his way to the library.  He said he had hundreds of years of literature to catch up on.  Lief was standing patiently by Gracchus, apparently waiting for the hunting trip too.  She did not know about the others, although she suspected Drago had made his way to the roof.  He enjoyed sitting up there and watching the town.  As long as he was not seen, Luc did not mind.  He probably preferred the enormous gargoyle out of the way.

“I must go,” she murmured.

“Who is he to give me orders?” snapped Castor.

“He is our leader.”

Castor harrumphed.  “Self-appointed leader.  I do not see that we should listen to a leader who has such a weak mate.”

Annis drew her brows together.  “I would not call Kylie weak.”

“She cannot fight; she would be no use with a weapon.”

Annis was saved from her rising ire by Bob - hairy, shaggy, slobbering and thrilled to see her.  He jumped at her, knocking her to the ground.

“Mangy beast,” Castor snarled and raised his claws.  Before Annis could stop him, the word, ‘hey’ whipped through the air laced with fury.

Annis turned her thoroughly licked face to see Chris striding towards them and glaring at Castor.

“Don’t touch my dog,” yelled Chris.

Castor let out a hollow laugh.  “Do not give me orders, human.  It will not end well for you.”

The two males faced each other, scowling.  Castor was easily a head taller than Chris, and far broader.  Perhaps bulky by human standards, Chris looked small and slender next to him, yet that did not diminish the fire in his eyes in any way.  Castor curled his lip.  His tail cracked against the ground and his wings spread, making him seem even larger.  Chris didn’t even flinch, if anything his look hardened.  Annis was surprised that Castor gave in first.

“Your creature attacked my clan member.”

Annis rolled to her knees, pushing the overenthusiastic Bob away.  “He was just a little excited.  Bob and I are friends, are we not?”

Bob wagged his tail so hard she thought it might come off.

Chris held out his hand to her.  She only paused for a second before taking it and allowing him to help her up.  Castor breathed in and out deeply, his eyes narrowing at them.

He took his eyes off Chris and looked at Annis.  “You know this male?”

“His name is Chris.  He is a friend of the clan and the uncle of Amalric’s mate.”

Castor grunted and looked Chris up and down, sneering at what he saw.

Again, Chris didn’t look annoyed or hurt, if anything he was starting to look bored, and Castor didn’t like that.

Annis focused on Bob.

Gracchus approached before Castor could say anything more.  “Come now; we should hunt.”

Chris nodded at Gracchus.  “Careful in the woods, teens have been partying out there at night.”

Castor’s nostrils flared as if he was about to tell Chris not to give gargoyles orders again, but Gracchus cut him off.

“We will.”  He grunted at Lief and Castor, and set off for the woods.

Reluctantly, Castor followed after giving Chris a hard look and Annis a significant one.

Annis stared after him, wondering what he was trying to tell her.  She was almost caught off guard as Bob swiped his tongue over her foot.

“Anyone would think he hadn’t seen you for days,” Chris groused, although it was with a hint of affection.

It did feel nice to be loved she admitted to herself sadly.

“So…” started Chris.

Annis looked up at him expectantly.  He seemed to be flailing for words.

“Ah, he is your new clan mate?”

“Yes.  He is also my old clan mate.  He was my old clan’s leader.”

“He seems…”

His words hung in the air for a while before Annis felt the need fill the silence,

“He was a good leader.  I suppose he is still a good leader.”

“And Luc?”

Her cheeks felt very hot as she admitted, “He is probably a better leader.”

A brief, self-satisfied smile flashed over his lips, and Annis wondered at it.

“I suppose you two knew each other quite well in your time?”  He fixed her with a strange look.

“I suppose so.  We were younglings together.”  But then she had been a youngling with many others, too.  Although she had always felt closest to Castor, even if there was no real closeness between them.  It was probably because he was the kindest to her.

“I need to speak to Luc,” Chris said gruffly.

“He will be in the house with Kylie, although if I were you, I would wait until they leave their bedroom.”

Interrupting her leader during his private time with his mate was suicidal.

“Oh?  Oh!”

He realized what she meant, and his body stilled.  The tension crackled between them as he stared at her and she blushed at him.

Absently she rubbed her wing, and his eye was drawn to her scars, wincing slightly.

“How was your date?” she asked quickly, making him snap to attention.  The last thing she wanted was his pity.  She’d rather hear about how he’d met his human soul mate and was planning to marry her and sire twelve children.

Chris gave her an almost guilty look.  “It wasn’t really a date.”

His eyes held her, infinite dark pools that seemed to pierce her very soul.  She was powerless against those eyes.  His perfect, sculpted lips parted as if he was about to say something.  Instead, he shook his head.

“I better go see if I can rouse Luc.”

With that, he stomped towards the house.  It wasn’t really a date, he said.  Those words should have encouraged her, but they didn’t.  If anything, she felt even bleaker.

Perhaps she had missed her moment with Chris.  If she ever had one.