Ash and Stone (Hidden Truth Book 1)

by Rose Alexander

  “Those mutts aren’t right for you. You are ours.” Gideon glares at Cerek.

  “Are you ready to throw hands?” Cerek jumps up and pushes Gideon in the chest.

  Gideon lunges forward, tackling Cerek. The pair roll around on the ground, each trying to pin the other as their fists make contact whenever they get the chance. After a couple of minutes, I’ve had enough.

  “Fucking stop acting like idots.” I lean over and scream at the pair, startling them enough they stop dead in their tracks. “Neither of you get to decide what I do. If I want to date all six of you, I will. If I want to tell you all get the fuck out of my life, I’ll do that too. If I say yes to everyone, and you don’t like the answer, you know where the door is.”

  "If it makes you happy, I'll share you with anyone who takes care of your heart, Cora." Donavan's expression is serious, making me do a double take.

  “I’ll have to think about this. You all have the worst timing.” My anger deflates and I chew on my lip as I ponder my options.

  "Fuck, why does she keep doing stuff like that?" Cerek growls and storms into my bedroom.

  "Because she doesn't realize how sexy she is without trying." Usiah calls after him before falling over in a fit of laughter. When he catches his breath, he sits up. "I love that you get under his skin, pet."

  "Take as long as you need." Gideon sighs. "I'll wait until the end of time if that's how long it takes."

  Ugh, why did he have to say something so sweet that it makes my heart skip a beat? And fuck, they can feel my reactions to their words. This isn't fair! I need to learn more about this bond. Does it work both ways? Have their feelings been unintentionally affecting mine? I hate being at a disadvantage, and that seems to be the state I'm living in now.

  "Let's change the subject." Josiah gives me a knowing look.

  I narrow my eyes at him, irritated he can sense my emotions, but secretly grateful at the same time. Why can't I be a normal demon and not have to deal with all this shit?

  "That's a good idea." I take a deep breath. "How do we figure out who the angel is that's sniffing around?"

  "We can make some inquiries." Josiah paces back and forth. "Donavan spoke to him. Were there any distinguishing features?"

  "White hair, cocky attitude, icy blue eyes." He shrugs. "He seemed familiar, but I've never laid eyes on him before."

  Gideon glances back and forth between Donavan and me twice. "Familiar like Ash?"

  "Now that you said it, vaguely. I think it's more the hair and eyes though." Donavan scrunches up his nose. "She can't be half angel. She doesn't reek."

  “These aren’t my real eyes.” I shake my head, as I eternally sigh in relief.

  "We know she's half demon and doesn't smell of sulfur. I think it's safe to assume her other half could be anything." Berwyn chimes in.

  "Great... just what I wanted to hear." I stand up and pace across the room, wrapping my arms around myself.

  If I'm half angel and half demon, then it would be ten times worse. I can't imagine what that would mean. No one around me would be safe if both sides teamed up to take me out.

  "I think I know who the angel is." Cerek steps out of the bedroom. "There was a white-haired angel named Michael who was at the trial. He looked a lot like Ash."

  "No, it's just the hair." Usiah shakes his head. "But we can't discount it. Wait, what do you look like in your natural form?"

  I had nearly forgotten I was wearing a glamor. This human world is wreaking havoc on my mind. I close my eyes and allow my true form to bleed through.

  “Do you have wings?" Josiah lifts his head as if trying to see behind me.

  "Nope" I spin around, giving him a good view of my back. "Demons don't have wings."

  "But angels do. I think this kills that theory." Berwyn steps forward until he's inches away. "Your black horns are incredibly sexy."

  I feel the blood rush to my cheeks. Why are they able to get to me so easily? I need to get a handle on these emotions. If not, I'm going to drown in them.

  "I know." I wink, trying to play it off.

  "Ok, so we know she can't be an angel because she doesn't have wings. What else could she be?" Cerek plops down on the couch.

  "I think we should worry about that later. Right now, I have an angel to summon now that I have a name." Gideon growls and stomps out the door.

  14

  Gideon

  I hoped that the angel was Ash's father. It would have made things easier. It would have been a reason for him to be here. But there's no way she could be an angel without wings. Even if her other half is a demon. It's wishful thinking she could be half gargoyle. She would have shown signs by now. Maybe witch or human? Or fae... though no one has seen one of those in over a century. It's still possible.

  As I stomp down the stairs, I question the validity of my plan. Is it wise to summon an angel? And if it’s Michael, I think he’s an archangel which is bad news. They are stronger than the rest, and it’s harder to enforce the proclamation against them. What if he isn't the same one who was here? Would I be putting Ash in more danger? But we need answers, or at the very least a lead. I need to help her.

  I push through the exterior doors and cross the street to the church. Making my way around the building, I run the summoning through my mind. I need to be on sanctified ground. Then just repeat the words. This should be easy enough.

  I reach the courtyard behind the church and check for humans. When I'm sure I'm alone, I chant the incantation my parents taught me and wait.

  The ground trembles as a blinding white light appears in front of me. I shield my eyes with my arm, but can't resist to peek around. A dark outline steps through as the light dissipates.

  "Why have you summoned me, creature of stone?" A loud tenor booms.

  I blink through the black spots dotting my eyes and see a tall, white-haired angel, with eyes identical to Ash's.

  "Are you the angel my brother spoke with?" I straighten my back and try not to flinch from the nauseating smell wafting from him.

  "You gargoyles are so nosy. Yes, I have been watching the demon who moved into your building and it's none of your business why. You know what I am if you summoned me, so leave me in peace." He growls.

  "I can't do that. She's breaking no laws of the accords. She is allowed to be here." I glare at the pompous ass.

  "I have no desire to hurt her. She's the second coming." He meets my eyes as if waiting for a reaction.

  "Explain what you mean by second coming?" I take a defensive posture. Something about this encounter feels off.

  "Stop posturing, it doesn't suit you. I can smell your bond to that abomination from here. Don't worry. I want events to unfold so my lips are sealed." He throws his head back and laughs as he disappears with a loud crack.

  That's the second time the second coming was mentioned. When in doubt, turn to research. We should head to the repository to see if we can find mention of this. I would love to take Ash, but it's forbidden.

  "We need to travel to the repository." I send out mentally to my brothers.

  "Why? What happened?" Josiah's voice floats through my mind.

  "I'll explain on the way." I make my way to the front of the church and wait for them to join me.

  "I'll stay here with Ash." Donavan's smug voice has me gritting my teeth.

  "No. It will be faster if we all work together." I clip my words.

  "Now, brother. We shouldn't leave our territory unguarded." He throws my own words back at me.

  Damn him, he has a point.

  "Fine. We will contact you when we return." I growl as Josiah exits the apartment building.

  "You know he enjoys pushing your buttons because you let him." Josiah points out as he joins me.

  "You keep telling me this, but don't offer a solution as to how I'm supposed to not let him do it." I raise an eyebrow.

  "Find your happy place." He shrugs. "Let's get moving. The sooner we leave, the sooner we can return."

 
We check the street before unfurling our wings and taking off. The repository is fifty miles away, but won't take nearly as long if we fly. We will be there in under an hour if the currents favor us.

  Josiah stays quiet as we glide across the city and watch as the trees slowly claim the landscape. This forest is one of my favorite places to come to think. The deepest parts are still untouched by man. I have a clearing where I sit and listen to nature to de-stress and regain my composure when I'm upset. There are far too few places like this left in the world.

  "Are you going to tell me what happened?" Josiah glances over at me.

  I recount the story, and he nods as he listens. When I've finished, we resume our silence.

  The flight flies by, and we land outside the doors to the temple. For humans this appears to be a masonic lodge, but its secrets are much deeper and highly guarded. Only gargoyles may enter here.

  We approach the stone doors and place our hands on the smooth surface. I haven't been here since my father brought us close to fifty years ago. Too bad my parents chose to retire soon after. Life would be simpler if I could talk this out with them. Their bodies decorate the church where we perch, just as ours will someday.

  I close my eyes and shift my hand to stone to release the lock. When I open them, Josiah has done the same. The doors slowly scrape open and we remove our hands, allowing them to shift back to flesh.

  I remember the stories about this place. The Guardians of Knowledge hold in a static stone sleep until information is needed. Rumor has it, they are thousands of years old because we don't age when in our stone form.

  We step into the pristine stone building. For guardians who always sleep, this place sure is clean. Where are the dust and cobwebs? I remember it appearing the same the last time we were here, but I didn't question it at the time.

  Wooden doors line the cold marble hallway, each with symbols marking the type of information contained within. I haven't been further than this point. We had no need to wake a guardian just to learn about the repository.

  Making our way slowly down the hall, we check the symbols until we find one marked prophecies.

  "Josiah, should we check this room first?" I call out, wincing as my voice echoes loudly off the marble.

  He nods, his lips pursed in a thin line. I stand in front of the door, working up the nerve to turn the handle. So little is known about the Guardians of Knowledge, I'm unsure of how this will go. Surely they sensed when we arrived, and my loud voice must have woken them already. But will they be offended if we don't know where to seek the information we are after?

  "Open the door already, Gideon." Josiah's voice floats through my mind.

  I swallow, my throat feeling like sandpaper as I turn the golden doorknob. Inside we are met with bookcases jammed so close together, there's barely room to walk. They are full of books, scrolls, and loose papers all the way to the ceiling. I hope we can find what we are after. This might take longer than I had imagined.

  We step softly as we travel deeper into the room, then reach a circular clearing in the center. A large granite pedestal takes up most of the space, with a stone gargoyle in the center, his face fixed in a snarl.

  I glance at Josiah out of the corner of my eye.

  "What are we searching for specifically?" He gazes at me expectantly.

  "The second coming." I send back mentally.

  He lets out a deep sigh and steps forward to the gargoyle, offering his exposed wrist in front of the snarling mouth. "We seek knowledge in good faith about the second coming."

  This custom never made sense to me. No one could explain the meaning behind it, just that it was part of our ways.

  First an eye blinks, then the gargoyle statue ripples and the stone scrapes as he moves. Slowly the stone is replaced by flesh, and a young, blonde man with emerald green eyes stares back at us.

  "So it's time." He frowns. "State your names for the record."

  "Gideon Stone." I respond automatically as my brother does the same.

  "Where is the third?" He tilts his head. "It was supposed to be three."

  "Our brother Donavan stayed behind to watch our territory. We've had increased activity as of late." Josiah answers.

  "Your words are true but also deceptive. What are you hiding?" The guardian's brow furrows.

  "He also wanted to guard our mate." I supply.

  "Fascinating. Three men who share a bond with one woman." He brings a bent finger up to his lips. "Come with me. I've been awaiting your arrival for a very long time."

  "What should we call you, sir?" Josiah asks as we fall into step behind him.

  "Call me Julian." He doesn't turn back.

  15

  Ash

  After Gideon rushes out soon followed by Josiah, I’m left with so many questions.

  “What just happened?” I ask, staring at Donavan.

  “They had to go to the repository. Gideon didn’t explain why.” Donvan shrugs. “I volunteered to stay here and keep you company.

  “What’s a repository?” Berwyn’s brow scrunches.

  “It’s where all the knowledge the gargoyles have collected is stored. Gideon must think he can find his answers there.” Donavan shrugs again as if this isn’t important information.

  The conversation stalls after this. The silence is growing awkward, and I don't know how to fix it. Four of these men have made their intentions clear, and I don't know how to handle this. Demon culture doesn't deal with mates and lasting relationships. We have a bit of fun and meet our physical needs before moving on. That I could handle. But this idea of being committed to six men for the rest of our lives? That is too much... but if it has to happen, at least they are incredibly sexy men.

  How will sharing work? Will there be fighting or jealousy if I spend time with one and not another? Oh, Lucifer, do I have to please them all at once in the bedroom. I take a sip of water as this thought pops in my head and choke, spitting and sputtering water all over the place.

  "I would pay good money to know what thought caused that reaction." Usiah waggles his eyebrows at me.

  I'm too busy choking to respond, so I hold up my middle finger. Like I would let that thought slip regardless. I quickly glance over at Donavan, worried they can read my mind, but their faces appear as clueless as the Cerberus guys.

  Shit, these guys are trouble with a capital T.

  "TV anyone?" I hold up the remote to distract myself from my thoughts.

  "Sure, pick whatever makes you happy." Donavan shrugs.

  "If you insist." Berwyn turns around and stares at the blank screen.

  I hit the power button before the other two men can respond and flick through the guide before settling on a show called Lucifer. I'm curious what humans think he's like.

  An hour later, my sides hurt from laughing so hard. I can't believe they've portrayed him as this weak pathetic thing that enjoys living among them. If they only knew the truth, they would piss in their boots.

  The stench of angel permeates the room suddenly, and all three hellhounds shift instantly into their joint form. Donavan jumps to his feet, his skin rippling as it's replaced with stone. His gargoyle form throws me off guard. In my mind, they looked the same as stone, but maybe that's because of the small flash I saw in their apartment. Instead, his head changes shape, resembling a goblin but with horns and bigger teeth. Claws extend from his stubby fingers and his wings unfurl. He glides around the apartment effortlessly, searching for the hidden angel.

  "Show yourself." He booms, his eyes taking in the room, searching for the source of the smell.

  "Over here." A voice floats over my shoulder.

  A pair of arms grab around my waist and hold tight. I gag as the smell intensifies, but I'm unable to pull free. A blinding white light surrounds me, and when it dissipates, I'm standing in the middle of an empty wasteland of dry cracked dirt, surrounded by mountains. I spin around and there's nothing living as far as the eye can see. Large rocks appear to have moved on their own, le
aving trails behind them, but are stationary at the moment.

  I sigh as I feel warm for the first time since arriving here. The hair on the back of my neck rises as the angel uncloaks himself.

  "We're in Death Valley if you're curious." He leers at me, half of his top lip raising in a snarl.

  "Why did you take me? Why not just kill me?" I glare at him.

  "Oh no. There is no killing you. You are the vessel that makes everything possible. I just wanted to get a closer look at you." His eyes light up with manic glee. “You know that no matter what you do, it’s all going to lead to destruction. You can’t save any of them.”

  “Save any of who?” I ask. “What kind of destruction?”

  He throws his head back and laughs. “Find your precious father but it won’t help anything. You are just a cog in the machine.”

  "You've had your look, take me back." My eyes bore into him, wishing that looks could kill.

  What the hell is he talking about? Does it have to do with the prophecy? Why did he break the proclamation just to torment me?

  "Little girl, you're playing with fire that's too hot for even a demon." He steps forward and whispers. "Or an abomination."

  My head spins as my vision narrows at the sides. How does he know? I haven't left the house since the church. Did I slip up that easily?

  "I won't answer your questions, but know this, I'm going to enjoy watching the destruction that follows in your wake." He chuckles and grabs me tightly again. "Vacation is over. Enjoy your time on earth; it won't be long."

  The blinding light surrounds us and I blink away the spots in my vision as my living room comes back into view. The stench of the angel is gone, but my knees give out. What the hell was that all about? That motherfucker is crazy! And he knows my secret... what am I going to do? He grabbed me without a chance for anyone to react. What chance do I have of protecting myself from one who wants to hurt me? I need to learn to use these ‘thoughts’ Cerek spoke of and manifest an angel killing weapon or something.

  "We need to ward this place from angels, now," Cerek growls, back in his human form. He rushes forward, wrapping his arms around me, smashing me tightly to his chest. "Sugar, I thought we lost you."