by R. J. Ladon
“Every time?” Artem barked at Megan. “Condoms?” He bristled with anger.
“Father, please, I’ve never had sex, and I don’t know Kevin.” Megan looked at Ruby for help. “I was here to see Kragnor.”
Ruby nodded. “Oh, that’s right, I forgot.”
Artem frowned. “What the hell is going on here? Who is Kragnor?”
“We are here to look at the stone, remember?” Megan coaxed him toward the stairs. “We can leave afterward, five minutes tops.” She pulled his arm.
“Fine.” Artem snapped. “We will talk later.” He yanked his arm free and stomped up the stairs. Megan followed.
Kevin went into his bedroom and pointed to the boxes on the other side of the room. He shuttered as Megan passed. His eyes were pools of pain. Kragnor was coming, and Kevin was trying to hold him back.
Megan showed her father the boxes while Kevin stripped off his clothing. Kevin sat on the floor with a towel over his lap.
“What box is it in?” Artem asked, then turned to look at Kevin’s naked body. “What the hell?” He tried to push past Megan, but she held Artem in place.
“You would not have come if I told you this is what you would see,” she hissed. Artem tried to pull free of her grip but could not.
“Not likely,” he snapped. Artem stopped struggling. “What the…?”
Kragnor’s wings unfolded out of Kevin’s back, their pointed ends having pierced his flesh. As if in a trance, Kevin’s body stood. His head rolled forward, combining with his chest. The remaining flesh, muscle, and bone of his human shape sloughed forward. It bundled into a ball, growing ever smaller. It settled at the center point of Kragnor’s chest and pushed inward, disappearing into the gargoyle’s rocky flesh.
Artem fell to his knees, leaning back onto his heels. He rocked back and forth, holding his hands in a praying gesture mumbling Latin phrases.
“This is not a demon. He’s Kragnor, a gargoyle. Open your eyes and look.”
“Good evening, Artem.” Kragnor greeted Megan’s father.
Chapter 50
K ragnor cleared his throat. “Good evening Artem,” he said again. The man opened his mouth in amazement but seemed to be stuck.
He tried again, this time in Russian. “Dobryy vecher, Artem.”
Megan laughed. “You never told me you spoke Russian.”
“There are many things you do not know about me, young one.”
“What are you?” Artem asked. His mouth gaped in amazement.
“I am an akitu. One of the first in my line.” Kragnor held out his hand. “I assume handshaking is still the correct way to greet?”
Artem composed himself. He stood and took Kragnor’s hand. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Usually, an introduction ceremony is done.” Kragnor nodded to Megan. “Young one, you know both of us. You should do the honors.”
“Yeah, sure.” Megan moved to her father’s elbow. “Father, this is Kragnor. Kragnor, this is my father, Artem.”
“I am pleased to meet the father of my friend.” Kragnor bowed deep, billowing his wings to make his greeting extraordinary.
“How, how…” The man gaped and tried to talk.
“How did this happen? How am I alive?” Kragnor suggested.
“Yes!” Artem looked from Megan to Kragnor. “Yes, to both.”
Kragnor felt the man’s eyes travel over his body, like someone purchasing cattle. “My story is a long and tedious one. But my current predicament is short. Megan’s friend Kevin accidentally released me from a stone. For some reason, we share one body. Megan heard of our plight. She showed me a picture of stones in the museum that are identical to the one I was in. The idea is to see the stones, to discover a way to separate Kevin from me. Or me from Kevin.” Kragnor noticed Artem flinch when the words friend and Kevin were said.
“You came from one of the Chinese protection stones?”
“No,” Megan said. “Kevin’s grandmother had the stone for years. Remember? We tried to translate the cuneiform?”
Artem blinked rapidly. “That stone?”
Megan nodded. “That stone.”
Artem approached the gargoyle. “You.” He used his hands and arms to indicate how huge Kragnor was. “Came out of a little stone?” His hands moved to form a fist-sized circle.
“My soul is not so large as my physical form,” Kragnor explained.
“You have a soul?”
“Why do you find that hard to believe? I stand before you, more than your equal.” Kragnor didn’t like humans who thought themselves superior to other forms of life.
“My humble apologies. I didn’t mean to offend.” Artem bowed.
Kragnor huffed, not sure he could believe Artem. He was manipulated by humans in the past and didn’t want to experience the situation again.
“Where did the stone go?” Artem asked.
The gargoyle studied him with narrow eyes. “What do you mean?”
“The stone that held your soul, what happened to it?”
“We don’t know.”
“We?”
“Kevin and I.”
Artem nodded. “Do you know where Kevin goes when you are awake? Or where you go when Kevin is awake?”
The gargoyle shook his head. “We don’t know much of anything. That is why we wanted to see the stones you have at the museum. Perhaps we can figure out this predicament.”
“You need my help.” Artem raised an eyebrow.
“Yes,” Megan said. “Kevin is Kevin during the day. Kragnor arrives at night, way past museum hours. Like tonight. So, we need to be inside the museum after it closes.”
“I see.” Artem paced with his hands behind his back. “And you need access to the protection stones. There was specific instruction not to touch the stones. I suppose you don’t have fingerprints or oils that might damage them.” He smiled, nodding to himself. “There’s another problem. The Chinese are arriving tomorrow morning to collect the stones. I could misplace them until later in the evening so you can see them.” Artem raised his hand, finger in the air. “Or perhaps their flight will be delayed. Either way, I’ll make sure they are available for you tomorrow.”
“That would be fabulous.” Megan grinned. She went to Kragnor and gave him a celebratory hug. “You and Kevin could be separated tomorrow.”
“Anything for my wonderful daughter and her friends.”
Megan pulled back out of the gargoyle’s embrace; her smile faded. She turned, looking at her father. “You’ve never wanted me to have friends, and now you proclaim your desire to help them. Forgive me, father, but something’s wrong.”
Artem held up his hands. “You’re mistaken; this is a different situation. He is a gargoyle. I’ve always loved gargoyles.” He smiled, but the warm glow didn’t extend to his eyes.
Kragnor leaned forward and whispered into Megan’s ear, “There is marble in this museum, is there not? I can escape if need be.” The gargoyle straightened, leaving his hand on Megan’s shoulder. “Artem, I accept your invitation.”
“Excellent.” Artem held out his hand. “Come, Megan. I have phone calls to make.”
“Kragnor can take me home.” She clutched at the hand on her shoulder.
“Megan, you will do as you are told!”
She stiffened under Kragnor’s grasp. Something broke free in her mind; Kragnor could feel it. “I am glad you want to stay and keep me company. But I will see you tomorrow at the museum,” Kragnor said.
She nodded, turning to look at him. “Alright. Walk us out, please.”
“Of course, my lady.” The gargoyle bowed.
Artem grabbed her hand and pulled Megan toward the bedroom door, a look of disgust on his face. Kragnor followed them down the stairs.
“Leaving so soon?” Ruby asked.
“Yes,” snapped Artem. “I have preparations to make.” He opened the front door and stomped onto the porch, with Megan close to his heels.
“Nice meeting you too. You great big jackas
s,” Ruby mumbled under her breath as she closed the door. “That poor sweet child. She doesn’t deserve a father like that.”
“We don’t choose our family. We choose our friends,” Kragnor said. “Megan wanted to stay, but her father became upset. I believe I saw a glimpse of the Wolf. Benny was right about her too.”
“You needn’t worry about Megan.” Johnny stepped out of the kitchen. “She can take care of herself. I’ve seen videos of her training sessions with Nikolai.” The older man shook his head. “Quite impressive.”
“Good evening Johnny.” Kragnor nodded. “Were you hiding in the kitchen?”
“From Artem, yes. You probably should have hidden also. That man is self-serving through and through. Are you sure visiting the museum is the best choice?”
Kragnor nodded. “It is the only way to see the stones and set Kevin and me free.”
“Artem will take advantage of that need. He’ll exploit you.”
Ruby laid her hand on Johnny’s arm. “Is Artem that horrible a person?”
“Yes. When Artem lived in Russia, he was an arms dealer. He made many friends with horrible people all for the sake of money. Megan and her father were given asylum in exchange for information and the names of those friends. If he would roll over on some of the most powerful men and women in the world in exchange for asylum, what do you think he would do to you? A walking, talking rock monster, you are a weapon.”
“Humans had tried to use akitu as weapons in the past. We are not fighters.”
“A dud is still a weapon.”
Chapter 51
K evin entered the kitchen and saw Ruby and Johnny having a cup of coffee. “Is it going to be like this every morning?”
Johnny looked up. “This is how I protect you.”
“But the girls are the target.”
“Do you think your parents would buy that, or do you think they would find me crazy? No, you’re my excuse, so you have to deal with it.”
“I’m going to Chicago for the day and evening. So technically, I won’t be here.” Kevin dug through the cabinets and found a granola bar.
“Kragnor told us.” Grandma folded her arms. “I want your phone for a second.”
Kevin chewed the bar and chased it with a drink from Grandma’s coffee mug. “Why?” He frowned, then took another bite.
“Don’t you trust me?”
“Should I?”
“Yes.” Grandma held out her hand.
He narrowed his eyes, pulled the phone out of his pocket, and handed it to her.
Grandma Ruby gave it to Johnny. The older man pulled out a small bag of tools and took Kevin’s phone apart.
“Hey. Don’t go breaking it.”
Johnny added a small item to the electronics, interconnecting it to the phone. He reassembled it and handed it back to Kevin. “I don’t trust Artem, and I don’t want anything to happen to you.” He shrugged. “So, I bugged your phone. Don’t say anything you don’t want me to hear, okay?”
“Uh, Okay.” Kevin put his phone in his pocket. “Wait a minute. Isn’t that illegal?”
“A bug is only illegal if you didn’t know, and you didn’t want it.”
Grandma looked over her cup and winked at Kevin. “I want you to be safe.”
A car horn sounded outside of the house. “That’s probably them. I’ll see you tomorrow.” Kevin ran for the front door.
“Kevin,” Grandma Ruby called. “Be careful.”
“I will.” Kevin closed the door and trotted down the porch steps, with his coat in hand. Megan sat shotgun. He climbed in the back seat. “Good Morning.”
Artem nodded, but Megan said nothing. Kevin wanted to talk but stared out the window instead. They arrived an hour after the museum opened. Artem parked in his designated spot close to the door. Entering the big double doors, a man behind the ticket counter greeted them. “Good morning Artem, Megan.” The man waved them through.
“Thank you, Peter, good to see you again,” Megan said with a smile. “Kevin is with us.”
Peter nodded. “Good to see you too, Megan. You ought to come around more often.”
Artem stopped, taking Megan by the hand. “I have work that I need to do.” He looked at Kevin and frowned. “Take Kevin and show him around. Come to my office at five.” Megan’s father turned on his heel and went through a door that wasn’t marked.
“Your dad doesn’t like me.”
“He hates everyone. Don’t think that you’re special.” Megan grinned then walked down a corridor. She turned to look back and coaxed Kevin to follow. “This is the Egyptian exhibit.” She took her time talking about each display as if she had dug them herself.
“How do you know all this?”
“This is where I spent my summers and breaks. After a while, you learn everything. It can’t be helped.” Megan shrugged and looked at her hands as if embarrassed by her knowledge. She led the way through countless displays. Most museum visitors walked in groups or listened to the headphones that provided a virtual tour guide. Kevin had a personal guide with a vast knowledge of behind the scenes data.
Hours passed, and Kevin found that Megan was engaging and knowledgeable. Most of the time, he simply listened as she talked about her childhood, playing hide and seek with the guards, and helping designers decorate the displays. Eventually, their wandering brought them to the lower level, where lunch was available.
Megan used her father’s badge number to pay for both meals. The sandwiches were in dire need of spices and condiments. Megan’s stories and anecdotes of the museum more than made up for the lack of flavor. Kevin was surprised at how much he liked spending time with her. It was the best first date, without being a date, he ever had.
They continued on to other exhibits. Megan talked about little things as if they had been friends for years. Kevin found it was just as easy to speak to her about problems at home and school. Time passed quickly.
Megan pointed at the Hall of Gems. “I like fire opals the best.”
Kevin followed, feeling curious. “I’m not sure I’ve seen those. What other kinds of gems are there? Diamonds? Rubies?”
“Sure, but you know a diamond is pretty common. Its real value lies in manufacturing. You know lasers and cutting implements.”
“You don’t like diamonds?”
“No, not really. A nice crystal can give you the same shine without the price tag.”
“I thought all girls liked diamonds.”
Megan shrugged. “I don’t.”
The color and shine of the stones and gems seem to call Kevin. “This might sound funny, but I want to touch all of them. Let them fall through my fingers like water.”
“Because it’s money?”
“No.” Kevin looked at Megan. “Because they are shiny, it would be liquid light falling. I suspect I would feel the same if they were shiny pieces of plastic. But it wouldn’t be the same. The weight of rock or metal is comforting.” Kevin rubbed his hand through his hair. “Ruby says it’s because I was a crow in a previous life.”
“A crow? What does that mean?”
“Crows love shiny things.” Kevin shrugged. “Don’t your parents say nonsense from time to time?”
“I suppose.” Megan smiled at an internal thought. “There are many legends in Russia to draw nonsense from.” She smirked. “There is Koschei the Deathless, Vasilisa, and Baba Yaga. I would call them fairy tales.”
“I’ve heard of Baba Yaga.”
“A witch and trickster.” Megan turned and looked Kevin in the eye. “Speaking of tricksters, something odd is going on. My father hates it when I have friends. Yet, here you are. Alone with me. Something he would never allow before.” She shook her head. “I don’t get it. Why is he behaving so strangely?”
“Maybe he finally understands that you’re an adult?”
Megan laughed. “That is true. But no, I don’t think I’ll ever be an adult in his eyes.” She turned away from Kevin and walked through an archway. “I don’t know what he’l
l do when I graduate from high school. Will he let me go to college? Will he let me leave at all? Or am I forever trapped?” Megan looked back. “Do you ever get those feelings, or is it just me?”
“No parent can stop you from leaving.”
Megan snorted. “I’m not sure that’s true. Do you plan on going to college?”
Kevin thought about her question and decided to be honest with her. “I want to, but I don’t know what I would study. I thought about getting a job and seeing where it takes me. Then going to school a couple of years later.”
“What about your family?”
“What about them?”
“They might need you.”
“Sure.”
“Would you stay to help them? Or would you go to college?”
“If they needed me, I would stay.”
“That is how a parent stops you from leaving. Guilt, honor, or loyalty, whatever you call it, it makes people stay when they would rather go.”
“I suppose we all have an inner dragon to conquer.” Kevin looked around. Tall grasses covered the view forward. “Where are we?”
“It’s been a while. This is either the African Plains exhibit or the Birds exhibit.” Megan walked around the grasses and disappeared. Kevin followed. Behind glass walls were vast arrays of African wildlife. Once through the elaborate displays of the Serengeti, they entered the Pacific Region.
“Holy crap. I didn’t think they were that big.” Kevin pointed. “Look, it’s one of those statues from that island.” The colossal statue stared at them with unblinking white eyes. A strange red hat perched on its head. “It’s got to be at least twelve feet tall.”
“It’s a Moi from Easter Island.” Megan laughed. “I’m impressed you recognized it.” She placed her hand on his arm. “Come on, it’s five o’clock, and this is our exit.” She pointed to a door slightly hidden by the Moi. A sign on the door said, no entrance-exit/staff only. Megan opened the door and stepped through. A man in a security uniform sat at a table, his fingers clicking on a laptop.