"I don't want to leave. I know this will seem hard to believe, but these men pose no threat to me." Ash crosses her arms across her chest and glares at Lilith. I have to give her that, she has bigger balls than most people.
"Ash, stop being ridiculous. Gargoyles kill demons for sport." Lilith hisses, a hint of fear flashing through her eyes.
"Only if we break the laws of the proclamation, and I don't intend to do that." Ash smiles smugly. She’s intentionally backing the ancient demon in a corner. The girl is playing with fire.
"Ash is correct. She has broken no laws we know about, so she's perfectly safe in our company. In fact, according to the proclamation, if an angel is hunting her for no reason by rights she's allowed to ask for our help and the law binds us to protect her." I grin at Ash then wink. Clever girl.
"Stop being ridiculous." Lilith growls and snaps her fingers.
Suddenly, Ash, Lilith, and the dogs are gone as if they were never here.
"How are we going to contend with all of this?" I turn and glare at Josiah. "The prophecies, Cerberus rising, and Lilith watching our girl?"
“If she is our girl.” Gideon growls under his breath.
10
Ash
"What did you do that for?" I level Lilith with a glare that could melt paint from the walls. "They have been helping me. And you just swoop in and act like you know what's best. You left me here to figure things out for myself and then don't like what you find."
"Don't be an imbecile. They are gargoyles. Their sole purpose in life is to keep the balance and you are literally the embodiment of breaking said balance." Lilith's eyes burn with hellfire. "If you are that self-destructive, I could have just left you in hell. There you might have earned a quick death at least."
"They won't hurt me. I can't explain why yet, but I can feel it in my very core. They would do anything, including breaking their vows to protect me." I refuse to back down.
Lilith's eyes soften as her shoulders droop. "There's only one thing that could make a gargoyle forsake their cause, and child, I doubt that's happened."
"What do you know that I don't?" I raise an eyebrow, the fight draining from my body.
What is the point in arguing with her? She won't back down and she'll just be gone in a few minutes, leaving me to fend for myself. I can't see Cerberus lasting long here. Even if he is currently posing as three gigantic dogs.
"Don't worry about it." She sighs as a black and white spotted great dane lays at her feet. The solid black one jumps on the couch and sprawls out, while the grey one stares at the door, as if someone is about to interrupt us. "This angel business has me worried. They shouldn't have noticed you this fast. Where all have you gone?"
"I went to the church this morning. I was hoping someone there knew about my mother." I twirl my white hair between my fingers. "Then I noticed that hideous smell. Why do they stink?"
"They think we stink too." Lilith chuckles. "Though your smell is wearing off the longer you're away from hell. That's very interesting."
She leans forward and takes a deep whiff. "I still can't tell what your father is. It's as if you don't have a scent at all."
The grey dog trots over and starts sniffing my hand then chuffs. He stares at Lilith and barks once, as if trying to communicate.
"I've told you before that I don't speak dog." Lilith rolls her eyes.
His coat ripples as his body contorts and stretches until an extremely well endowed naked man is standing in front of us.
"I said, her lack of smell is indicative enough." He rolls his eyes then grins at me as he gyrates his hips. "Like what you see?"
I close my gaping mouth and try to think of a witty retort. Why does the guard dog have to be so fucking handsome? I open my mouth then close it, my brain not working properly. Jesus Ash, every time you're around a hot guy you turn into a bumbling idiot.
"Usiah, put some clothes on if you are going to hold that form." Lilith snaps her fingers and a pair of jeans and skin tight black t-shirt appear on his body.
I take a moment to drink him in now that I'm not distracted by his hips. His jet black hair is carefully styled, and he has the hint of a beard covering his strong jaw. But his eyes are what do me in. The sparkling clear blue of a cloudless day stare back at me. He glances down at his clothes and shakes his head. Winking once, he snaps his fingers and a white button down shirt appears, though the top two buttons are open revealing a hint of chest hair.
"Usiah?" My eyes dart back and forth between Lilith and this strange man.
I thought Cerberus was simply a hellhound. Now I learn he's a shifter? What else are they hiding from everyone?
"Cerberus is actually triplet shifters. Their preferred form is a three-headed hellhound, but they have the ability to walk on two legs." Lilith chuckles. "You've met Usiah, the black one is Berwyn, and this harlequin boy is Cerek."
“Right… preferred.” Usiah does air quotes with his fingers around the last word.
My mind is blown. It's a good thing I found out now. What if I would have assumed they were dogs and let them in the room when I showered or changed? That would have been embarrassing once I learned the truth.
"Now, what have you learned so far?" Lilith claps her hands together as Usiah sits on the floor, still watching the door.
"This world is cold. I don't combust if I enter a church. Witch's prophecies are vague." I tick things off on my fingertips. "And gargoyles aren't as bad as we make them out to be."
"Wait, what prophecy?" Lilith's forehead bunches at the words.
I close my eyes and repeat the words as I remember them. "Two sets of three, I see. One to guide you and one to complete the void. The answers are hidden under layers of truths. The one you trust most knows all but won’t reveal the answers you seek. The journey is perilous, the end is unclear. When dark and light meet, the path becomes clear. Follow your head or your heart. One will lead to redemption while the other will lead to destruction. A precarious balance between Ash and Stone, and the second coming; three heads are better than one. One will rise and one will fall. When the trumpet sounds the last days will await."
"Hey boys, the witch saw us!" Usiah throws his head back and laughs.
"Why do you say that?" Lilith growls at him.
"Simple, two sets of three I see." Usiah meets her stare. "That's us and the gargoyles. Like it or not, the six of us are tied to your pet."
"I'm no one's pet." I snarl at him.
"Fine, whatever you say, pet." Usiah sticks his tongue out.
What the hell? Is he a five-year-old now? Is this what I'm going to have to live with? Lilith stands up, her eyes alighting again, casting an eerie green glow over the room.
“Focus for a moment. Are you trying to say we are stuck with those gargoyles downstairs?” Lilith booms, the windows rattling.
“What do you mean we?” I move so our faces are inches from each other. “This is my life we are talking about. You can fuck off to hell anytime you’d like and forget I exist. What’s your problem with them anyways? They have been nothing but nice to me.”
“You can’t trust those bastards. They always choose God’s side. Even when God creates the problems.” A flash of pain shoots across her eyes, so quickly if I wasn’t standing this close, I would have missed it.
"You're missing the bigger picture." Usiah clicks his tongue at us. "We need to decipher the rest of the prophecy before we can discover what's going to happen. And our little pet is wrapped up in the center of it."
Now isn't the right time to mention there is a second prophecy. One that seems tied to the first. It revolves around the Stone men and me. What other halfling could there be? And it's just as confusing as the first. Do they step away from me, remembering their purpose, or do they step away from the battle for me? So many questions and not enough answers to be found. My gut says not to tell this part to Lilith.
Lilith snaps her fingers and the three gargoyles appear in my apartment, each standing in a defensive pose
.
"Settle down, it appears we need to talk after all." Lilith throws her hands in the air as the glow from her eyes dims and finally burns out.
"You could have knocked on our door, like a normal person." Gideon grumbles.
"I haven't been a person since the dawn of time." She glares at him. "Sit and speak with us. I understand a witch told you a prophecy concerning Ash."
"She did." Josiah speaks slowly, his eyes taking in the surrounding apartment. "Is that man a part of Cerberus?"
"Do bears shit in the forest?" Usiah cocks an eyebrow, his face attempting to stay neutral, but the corner of his mouth quivers in an attempt to hold back a smile.
"Well, I would assume most do." Josiah taps his chin as if he's considering the question seriously.
"Polar bears don't." Donavan grins.
"Oh, I like this one." A smile spreads across Usiah's face as he pushes to his feet. "You can call me Usiah. The spotted one is Cerek and ol' blackie there is Berwyn."
The black great dane snorts then rolls over on his back, his legs stretching into the air.
"You are getting off topic. We need to discuss this prophecy." Lilith steeples her fingertips together.
"We just learned it not long before you appeared. We haven't deciphered it at this time." Josiah glances out the window before his eyes dart back to me. "Though it is clear Ash is at the center of it."
"Let's break it down line by line. It's pretty straightforward." Usiah stretches his legs out. "The first line is about two sets of three. That would be us and them."
Josiah nods. "That makes sense now that you've appeared. The second line is the answers are hidden under layers of truths. Which is true of most things, so we should skip it for now."
"What is the next line, pet?" Usiah pins me under his gaze and I fight the urge to squirm.
"The one you trust most knows all but won’t reveal the answers you seek." I look up at the ceiling as I concentrate on remembering.
"So who do you trust the most right now?" Gideon steps in front of me.
"Lilith." I answer without hesitation.
Seven sets of eyes whip to my grandmother and she shifts uncomfortably. "You continue to work this out and send for me if you discover the meaning. I need to get back before I'm missed."
She snaps her fingers and disappears before I have a chance to ask her anything. Fuck, she just confirmed she knows more than she's letting on. Why the hell did she send me on a wild goose chase if she already knows? I seriously doubt she has anything pressing to get back to. Her timing is too convenient.
"That confirms that answer." Usiah sighs. "So whatever you're trying to learn, we're going to have to trick it out of her."
"Why are they still dogs if you have the ability to shift?" Donavan asks.
"It's what we are used to." Usiah shrugs. "In hell, we are rarely allowed out of our joint form. Why don't you guys join the conversation? Lilith officially passed our leash to Ash when she brought us here."
"Wait, what does that mean?" I meet his eyes, but he stares down at the floor, his mouth clamping shut in a tight line.
The two remaining great danes ripple and shift, until two identical men to Usiah join us. Cerek snaps and is dressed in a wife beater, baggy jeans, and a grey beanie covers his hair. Berwyn is wearing a pair of jeans, but doesn't bother with a shirt. Holy hotness! These guys are going to turn me into a drooling idiot. All six of them in the same room at once... my mind is going to implode.
"She has a right to know, Usiah. You know as well as we do there are consequences to holding the leash." Cerek growls.
"She also needs to know that she's technically responsible for our actions." Berwyn winks at me. "Not that most of us would do anything wrong."
"Wait a minute. It's a literal leash?" Gideon's eyes dart over the three shifters.
"Everyone sit down. It looks like it's time for a story." I step in front of the group.
I want answers, and I want them now. There's too much uncertainty in my life and the prophecy can wait until this is cleared up.
11
Ash
I tuck my legs under me as I sit on the corner of the couch. Donavan and Josiah each settle onto a cushion while the other four men sprawl out on the floor.
"Start from the beginning and don't leave anything out." I order, my eyes meeting each of Cerberus's in turn.
"She's a natural." Usiah groans. "Berwyn you tell the story best."
"Fine. Let me grab a chair. The floor isn't very comfortable in this body." Berwyn stands up and strides to the dining room, returning with one of the chairs.
He sets the chair down backwards and straddles it, leaning his elbows on the backrest.
"So, the beginning. Years and years ago we lived in this world as triplets. We were just average humans, nothing too special about us." Berwyn casts a seething glare on Usiah. "Until one day my brother made a deal with the devil."
"Technically, he was a crossroads demon." Usiah interjects.
"Anyway, Usiah wanted to be a famous circus performer. To travel the world and perform for people night after night." Berwyn shakes his head. "I wanted nothing more than to stay in our town and have a family, but alas, it wasn't in our cards. Did you know that identical siblings share a soul?"
"That actually explains a lot." Josiah locks eyes with Gideon. "But continue. Sorry for interrupting."
"Usiah signed the contract and offered our shared soul up in exchange for a special ability." Berwyn lets out a self-deprecating laugh. "Imagine our surprise when we all gained the ability to shift into dogs."
"Why dogs?" I lean forward.
"Because Usiah is an idiot and was very vague about what he wanted, so the demon thought it would be funny to allow him to become a dog. He also didn't tell the crossroads demon he was a triplet, so when the contract was signed we all gained the ability that was meant for him." He stares at Usiah.
"I came home and said, ‘Look what I can do.’" Usiah grins. "Then focused like the demon told me to do and all three of us shifted on the spot."
"Not only did we gain his ability, we were linked together in such a way that when one of us shifted, we all were forced along for the ride." Cerek growls.
"I told them I met a fae in the forest who gifted me the ability." Usiah throws his head back and laughs. "In hindsight, I'm not sure why these two believed anything that came out of my mouth."
“Wait, what’s a fae?” My eyes dart between the mens’ faces.
“It’s an imaginary race of creatures. When we were alive we believed they could grant magical powers to humans.” Berwyn shakes his head.
“Actually, the fae do exist. Their world sits next to ours. The veil is thin in some places allowing them to cross over. Fairy tales come from real encounters.” Josiah lifts his hand as he interjects.
“We can get back to that later.” Usiah waves him off. “Imagine the fun I had forcing my brothers to shift just to mess with them.”
"Oh wow! But how did you become Cerberus?" I chew on my lip, eager to hear the rest of the story.
"Well, we had joined the circus, shifting for people for days on end for ten years. Then the crossroads demon appeared to collect his contract." Berwyn sits up and stretches. "When he learned there were three of us, he panicked. For a contract to be valid, he needed all three of our signatures. But we all received payment for the soul." Berwyn rolls his eyes. "The angels and gargoyles involved themselves, and each side argued the fate of our soul while the gargoyles acted as judge and jury. It was ultimately decided since we shared a soul and received payment, we wouldn't be punished traditionally, but rather we were turned into a three-headed dog and our leash given to Lucifer to serve out our time."
"With the option to be freed, hence the leash. But there were conditions placed upon that leash. He who holds the leash is tied to us in a literal fashion. If one of us does something wrong, the leash bearer is held responsible. If one of us dies, it will injure your soul." Cerek meets my eyes. "The leash
bearer can command us to do anything and we must obey. We can't fight the compulsion."
"Lucifer didn't want the responsibility, so he passed us to Lilith the day we arrived. She's not so bad, but I'm surprised she gave us to you." Usiah winks. "She separated us early on and allowed us to be our own people when not working."
"That's a lot." I nod slowly, trying to process their story. I can't imagine being forced to serve in hell as a punishment for something my brother did. “But it doesn’t make sense. Why would Lucifer just not want the responsibility? That doesn’t add up.”
“I don’t know. The early years are a bit of a blur. It’s what Lilith told us.” Usiah shrugs.
"It's better than torture." Cerek stretches. "After living in hell for a few millennia, it's clear that we got off easy."
"Oh, wow!" Donavan whistles. "If the gargoyles know about soul sharing, why didn't anyone tell us?"
"You're still stuck on that?" Gideon smacks the back of his head.
"Ouch." Donavan glares at his brother. "I was waiting until they finished their story. But aren't we supposed to be solving the prophecies?"
"Did you say prophecies… as in there's more than one?" Berwyn locks eyes with me.
"Well, you can't say anything about the second one. Something tells me it's not wise to tell Lilith." I pick at the skin next to my thumb. "But the witch had a second prophecy when she touched Donavan."
"We should focus on the first one before opening that can of worms." Josiah clears his throat. "Where were we?"
I close my eyes and run our conversation through my head.
"The next line is when dark meets light, the path becomes clear." I open my eyes to find the Cerberus triplets staring at me. "What?"
"That is a reference to us." Cerek growls as he stands up. "This has to do with members that were at our trial."
"How did you infer that from a simple statement?" Josiah runs a hand through his dark hair, rumpling it.
Ash and Stone (Hidden Truth Book 1) Page 6