Of Shadow and Stone

by Michelle Muto

  “So why are you still here?” Kate asked him.

  You, Ian thought. Well, you and a few other story leads, and this really incredible place, but I’m not sure Shadow Wood is for you, Kate.

  “At the end of all this, I thought I’d walk away with an idea for a really great novel. What I found was a greater inspiration.”

  Kate heard him, but wasn’t responding. Ian continued. “I found a place so terrifying and yet so thrilling that I know it’ll be hard to leave.”

  “You’re kidding,” Kate said.

  “Not at all. I’ve written about things that go bump in the night most of my life. I guess most people would never want to experience the real life version of that, but I sort of like it.”

  Kate smiled. Finally. “You’re not trying to talk me into this sentinel thing, are you?”

  “No.”

  “No?” Kate asked playfully.

  It was working. Kate was clearly more relaxed. But then, the roof always worked its magic. At least for him. “I’m talking you out of it. If there’s no one else, I guess I’ll do it.”

  “Why would you do that?”

  “You want adventure, Kate. I know acting gives that to you. My writing gives me the same thing. But it’s not real. This is. I want something different, and I want it to be real. I think you do, too. But Shadow Wood isn’t that place for you. I wish I could help you find that.”

  “Why would you do that for me? Take over as sentinel?”

  “I’m not saying it’ll come to that, but if I do, I’ll do it for me. But it’ll be best for you, too. I just want to see you happy, Kate.”

  He wanted to kiss her. Just take her gently into his arms and kiss her.

  Kate leaned back. “You’re a writer, Ian. I’d think you could come up with better pick up lines.”

  “Nothing I’ve said to you is a pick up line. Honest.”

  She turned to him. “Nothing?”

  “Nothing.”

  They stared at each other in silence. She looked disappointed.

  “Pick a star,” she said.

  He kept his eyes on hers. “I already have.” He leaned in and kissed her. All other thoughts ceased to exist. Kate kissed him back, eagerly, passionately, then pulled away.

  “I’m not sure I’m ready for this.”

  “That bad, huh?” he asked. He wasn’t talking about the kiss, but whoever had hurt her before.

  “No!” she said, taking his hand in hers. “I’m just not looking for a relationship on the rebound.”

  He understood perfectly. But Kate wasn’t a rebound for him. Even if there was never another kiss, another moment like this with Kate, Carly no longer hid in the shadows of his heart. He was ready to move on. “Neither am I.”

  Kate smiled. “We’re quite a pair, huh?”

  I think we are, he thought. One hell of a pair.

  “Yeah, I guess so. Hey, I’m sorry if I overstepped—”

  Kate tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “You didn’t.”

  “You’ve got a lot on your mind. I didn’t bring you up here to, you know, hit on you. I thought the stars would help.”

  “They’re gorgeous. And since you dragged me out of my room, I’m good on your intentions. Thanks for everything. The rooftop, the stars. You. All this has been a bigger help than you know.”

  “It has?”

  “While I love my job—it’s my dream job, actually—it’s safe there. It’s not real. Like some brilliant writer recently said, this sentinel business is a bit too real. It’s too big of a responsibility. I’d feel better if Declan found someone else, I suppose.”

  The deep frown lines, the tension in her face and body language, had eased up. It made his own mood lighter. Had it been the night sky or the kiss? “First, let’s see what Declan says about that. Who knows? I’m sure there are all sorts of people who would jump at the chance.”

  He didn’t think it was possible for a second, but it wouldn’t hurt for Kate to believe it for a night. She needed to feel that hope was something real and obtainable, something to hold onto.

  Kate yawned.

  He stood and offered his hand. “You need some sleep. With the time zone differences, you have to be tired.”

  Kate nodded. “It’s been awhile.”

  “Come on, you definitely need some sleep.” He helped her to her feet and picked up the blanket.

  “I’ll just get you to your room safely. Make sure there are no roaming vampires. Then we’ll meet tomorrow morning, over breakfast?”

  “I’d like that.”

  He led her to her room, which was around the corner from his.

  “Stay here until I make sure the coast is clear,” he said after she opened the door. The place was empty, and he returned to the hallway. “All clear. No vampires.”

  “Thank you, Ian. Thanks for sharing the rooftop with me.”

  “Sleep well, Kate. See you in the morning.” He turned and walked down the hall, hoping that she was watching, hoping that she’d call him back, but he heard the soft click of her door close behind him.

  “Ian!” Sara’s voice called out.

  He turned around to see her walking toward him.

  “I’m glad I found you!” she said. “I’m sorry about dinner. I can only imagine what you and Kate must think of me.”

  He didn’t exactly know what to think. Part of him thought it was logical that they’d hunt and kill a beast—even if it had been human at some point. They were werewolves, after all. She’d explained all that to him, and he’d come to believe her. Werewolves didn’t arbitrarily hunt people.

  That, he supposed, was left to the gargoyles. “No explanation needed, Sara. Really.”

  “Good!” She hooked his arm into hers. “Then come with me,” she said mysteriously.

  As they walked down the hall, Ian thought he heard the click of a door again. He glanced over his shoulder, but all the doors in sight were closed, and he and Sara were the only ones in the hallway.

  He wondered where Sara was taking him. It was late, and he really should get some sleep instead of wandering around with a werewolf. The problem was, he didn’t think it was wise to say no.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Kate

  Kate was tired. Maybe too tired. But that didn’t stop her from putting her hand back on the doorknob. What would she say to Ian once she opened the door?

  Maybe she’d just tell him thanks for a great evening. Or for the talk.

  Or for the kiss.

  And what a kiss it had been.

  But it wasn’t the kiss that made her want to open the door. Ian made her feel the way she used to feel: happy, desirable, alive. There was something about Ian that was different. He might be worth the risk of heartache.

  God, she had a crush. A crush? No. It was something more.

  Still unsure of what she wanted to say, Kate opened the door in time to see Sara loop her arm around Ian’s and the two of them walk down the hallway.

  Her breath caught. Sara tugged on Ian slightly as she led him away. Probably to her room from the looks of it. It was just as well she found out now rather than later.

  Too stunned to call after him, Kate closed the door and fought off a wave of hurt, anger, and . . . what was that? Jealousy?

  She blamed herself for not speaking up. But what if Ian was no different than Michael? Than any guy?

  She’d been right to hold back.

  What did she expect? There couldn’t be a relationship. One of them was likely to become a sentinel. The other would return to his or her former life with a mind wiped to forget all about this place. Assuming Ian was right and that Declan or Von Hiller could do such a thing. She and Ian could partner up all they wanted, brainstorm on the rooftop every night for a year, and never come up with the fix for all this. Ian had suggested that Declan might be able to find someone else. Kate knew better. Ian was just trying to comfort her. One of them had to step up to the plate. It might as well be Ian. He was clearly comfortable with
Shadow Wood. She’d wanted to be certain Ian would be all right with everything. From their talk on the rooftop and the look of things with Sara, he was.

  It was time to go home.

  Maybe it’s nothing, she thought. Maybe Sara is just a friend.

  She was so tired. She could go home tomorrow morning. First thing. Maybe she’d even ask Von Hiller to erase all her knowledge of Shadow Wood.

  Kate walked to her bed and pulled back the covers, still thinking about Sara and Ian. Friends. Right. Friends with benefits.

  Men! When it came to sex, they were all the same.

  She inhaled deeply, trying to shake off her insecurity.

  But the illogical side of her brain didn’t listen. It whispered vicious thoughts that, once conjured, couldn’t be ignored. She had no right to be jealous. None at all. When she’d found out about Michael’s infidelity, she’d promised herself that she would never date another celebrity. Never date another coworker. She had promised herself that she’d spend the time on herself and her career and worry about a relationship when she figured out what she wanted. What she needed. And she hadn’t done that yet. So technically, Ian was off limits.

  Even if he had a lot of the qualities she admired.

  The barricade Kate had built around herself had been so finely crafted. Was he worth tearing it down, knowing it could never be anything more than a fling? She was a relationship kind of girl. Not a long-distance relationship kind of girl. Not a two-day fling kind of girl. And who said he even wanted a relationship? She was way ahead of herself here.

  The best thing to do was to stop thinking about him. To stop thinking about him and Sara together.

  It was going to be a long night. She headed to the wardrobe to see if any sleepwear in her size happened to be there.

  A tap on the door made her heart leap. Ian had come back after all. She raced to the door, pausing long enough to brush back her hair. This time she wouldn’t turn him away.

  She opened the door and found Declan standing there. Her heart sank once more.

  He shifted his eyes down the hallway. “Were you expecting someone else?”

  She shook her head. “Um, no.”

  “I thought I might check on you before I turned in.” His eyes narrowed. “Is everything all right?”

  Kate nodded. “Yes, I’m fine.”

  “Hmm. I see,” Declan said, nodding slightly. “May I come in?”

  She started to tell him she’d rather he didn’t, that she’d been up almost twenty-four hours straight, but found she’d already swung the door open, allowing him to enter the room.

  “You seem troubled,” he said as he opened the French doors to the balcony and stood against the rail. Without turning to see if she’d followed (she had), he said, “Do not let Roland influence you.”

  “Easier said than done,” she told him, pretending Roland was the source of her trouble.

  “Do you trust me?” he asked.

  “I—” she started, but was unable to finish. It suddenly occurred to Kate that she didn’t fully trust anyone. Not even herself. What had happened to her? Had she let the breakup make her so cynical?

  Declan stared at her with those cool blue eyes of his. “Contrary to belief, I have both a soul and a conscience.”

  “I didn’t say—”

  “There was no need,” Declan replied. “Humans fear what they do not understand. It is the nature of the beast, so to speak. They also want conflict. Always conflict. Without it, they are never truly happy. Except when it becomes too much conflict. You fear a few things; I am one of them. What you do not entirely fear are the gargoyles. You may not like them, but you are not afraid of them. Why do you suppose that is?”

  “They do scare me,” she answered. But he was right. They unnerved her, disgusted her, fascinated her, even annoyed her. But they didn’t scare her. Becoming the sentinel did. That was commitment. It was more responsibility than she thought she could handle. She couldn’t control her own life, so how could she possibly control the gargoyles?

  “I think not,” he said. “You have shown anger and curiosity, my dear Kate. But not once have you shown an ounce of fear. At least when it comes to them. As for your other apprehensions, do not fear me, Kate. I do not rule in such a fashion. I rule my world by respect.”

  Leave it to Declan to point out the obvious. Again. The feeling she’d had about Declan from the first time they’d met came swirling back to her—he was indeed a powerful and mysterious man, but she’d greatly misunderstood him, too.

  “I am capable of both seemingly cruel and wonderful things. But is that not also true of everyone? The gargoyles are that way, too. And so are you. There are no monsters in any world that do not exist within us all. You understand the very nature of the gargoyles because deep inside you are indeed a good person.”

  “They kill people,” she said.

  “They kill people whom they perceive to be bad at their very core.”

  “But each act is different. The gargoyles can’t assume a bully is a future killer. They can’t know that about everyone. No one can.” Kate swallowed. Did Declan know these things? Hadn’t Ian said something about there being God, Satan, and Declan?

  “You need rest,” he said, rising to his feet. “We can talk tomorrow, if you prefer.”

  He walked to the door, and Kate followed.

  “By the way,” he said just as he was about to leave. “This former boyfriend of yours. Do not let his actions keep you from being you. Do not let him cloud your judgments. You are much more resilient than you think.”

  “How did you know?” she asked.

  “Once I found out who you were, the rest was easy. I have lived a long time, my dear. A very long time. I am also not blind.”

  “You don’t seem that old, and yet I don’t doubt you. You seem so . . . human.” Yes, he was Lord of the Netherworld, a deity in his own right. But titles weren’t the whole picture. They weren’t the whole person, as Ian had pointed out. “But you’re not what you appear to be,” she said.

  Declan smiled. “No one ever is.”

  Kate tossed and turned, trying not to think about Ian. Whenever she did, she thought of how Michael had managed to change her after all and how she’d have to fix that. It wouldn’t be easy, but it wouldn’t be a fresh start if she brought along so much emotional baggage. Declan’s words had made an impact.

  Kate turned again, scrunched the pillow under her neck, and tried to think about other things, like the types of spells Von Hiller might be capable of, where Declan had gotten the mirror with the Glass Reaper in it, and how the reaper had found its way inside the mirror to begin with.

  Not to mention what she thought about, well, everything. Were there other gods and other realities? She thought of Zeus, Balder, and Ra, and wondered how much of their stories were truth and how much were legend. When she at last fell asleep, she dreamed of none of these. Instead, Kate dreamed of the gargoyles, but this time they weren’t Declan’s gargoyles to control. They were hers.

  As before, Kate found herself part of the creature instead of watching as an outsider. The gargoyle stirred as though it had just awakened from a century-old slumber. Wind swept across the building and against its chiseled face. She caught a glimpse of the surroundings—a city skyline and the brightly lit spires of a distant church. The gargoyle took a deep breath before shaking itself loose from the building. It stretched out long legs, flexing and retracting sharp talons, erasing years of stiffness and sleep from its stone muscles.

  The vision didn’t bother her, because this time there weren’t any intended victims in sight. There was no apprehension, no annoyance or anger, just a sense of inner peace and tranquility.

  Not an ounce of fear rustled inside her. She and the gargoyle were one.

  The creature appeared to be waiting for her to say or do something. After all the time in hibernation, it was aware of her. Within it, Kate found only curiosity. Right now it was just a creature of the skies, a misfit in the mor
tal world, but majestic and grand in the Netherworld.

  She thought about the twinkling city lights and how they looked against a sky as black as ink. As though on command, the gargoyle moved closer to the edge of the building, shifting its massive head left and right, slowly and deliberately, giving Kate a clearer picture of the horizon.

  Another breeze blew, and the gargoyle unfurled and extended its wings. Kate was vaguely aware that she stretched her arms in unison. She looked across the vast skyline before her, wondering what it felt like to fly, truly fly, unencumbered by machine or contraption, free to sail the skies like an eagle, to be free of the earth at last.

  Wings. She needed to find her wings. She had no idea why she thought this, but it felt important.

  Here. The answer to everything was here.

  The gargoyle pushed away from the ledge, wings beating at its sides as it took flight. A surge of elation and awe passed through her as the building fell away, and the creature soared and spiraled. The wind brushed against her face as the gargoyle flexed its wings once more, gliding effortlessly between the skyscrapers. Her eyes watered from the current of night air rushing past her. She caught the creature’s image cast by moonlight and city lights onto a glass building. The reflection twisted and shifted in the panes of glass as she sailed along. The gargoyle had the head of a hawk, wings and tail like a dragon, and the body and feet of both combined.

  This was the most amazing experience. She could control them. She could stop them from killing. She could soar the skies, and when her feet were on the earth, she could walk the halls of Shadow Wood and the paths within the forest. Did she really want to leave all this?

  Kate smiled as the gentle current of air surrounded her—cradled her. There was nothing to bind her to her problems on earth. She commanded the gargoyle around the buildings, then up and over the tallest tower and out toward the surrounding lake. This wasn’t Vancouver, but some city in the States, as far as she could tell. The gargoyle descended and skimmed the water with its beak, leaving ripples behind them with each downward thrust of its wings.