by Missy Jane
“He has them in his home deep in the forest but he has set up wards. We can unravel them as we go but you must step lightly. There are many traps set and even one will alert him to our presence.”
Orestes looked up into the darkened sky. “What about flying above the trees?”
Bastien nodded. “You can, but the house isn’t visible from above. His wards will keep it hidden from your sight until you are right upon it.”
“So our best bet is on foot?” Goran asked.
All four wizards nodded.
“On foot then,” Orestes said before walking toward the nearest clearing between the trees.
Albain unlocked the heavy wooden door and shoved it open. The humans immediately fell back to the farthest corner of the cell. He smiled to see their easy obedience, then frowned at the woman crying on the floor. When he neared, the coppery scent of blood filled his nostrils and his smile returned.
“What have we here?” he asked.
She turned a tear-streaked face his way and shook her head. “I don’t know what’s happening to me. Please…please, help me.”
A glance at the others revealed them far enough away for comfort. He had demonstrated his powers as soon as they started waking and most were afraid of him. He went down to one knee and laid his hand on her stomach. It was hard like stone and slightly protruding. Her figure was hidden by her gown so he had no idea if her stomach was always like that, but from the rest of her frame, he doubted it.
“Nothing I fed you or have done would cause this,” he said.
She shook her head and more tears fell. “There is no other explanation. It must be something you’ve done.”
Whispers from the humans pulled his attention away from her. His head shot up and he glared at them.
“What is it? What do you know?” They cowered even more until he pointed at an old man nearest the front. “You. What is being said?”
The old man bowed his head and kept his gaze lowered. He clenched a threadbare hat between his trembling hands. “Th-the Master…Orestes. He may have done something to the lady.”
The others immediately nodded in agreement and the man shrank back into the group.
“No,” Astrid said. “He would never hurt me.”
She then gasped and grabbed her stomach again, rolling into the fetal position when the pain lanced through her once more. Albain watched and slowly stood.
“Whatever it is, it isn’t my doing. You’re of no use to me like this.”
He picked her up and threw her over one shoulder like a sack of potatoes and she cried out in pain. The scent of blood grew stronger. Without another word, he strode from the cell and locked the door behind him.
“How much farther?” Orestes asked.
He knew the wizards were sick of that question but the pains were getting worse. Plus there was anxiety in his gut now too, telling him something bad was happening or about to happen. He always trusted his instincts.
They had been traveling for over an hour, the Masters carrying the wizards on their backs once more while they ran. Inhuman speed was one of their many traits, as well as the ability to see in the dark. Now the five gargoyles ran through the trees and the wizards used their powers to clear the way of magical entrapments.
“We are nearly there, Masters,” Corbin said. “It’s best if you slow down.”
They slowed and picked through the trees and underbrush more carefully. Apparently Albain had set protections, but they were haphazard at best.
“He was either in a hurry or didn’t expect us to find him,” Bastien said. “These are strong wards but nothing any one of us couldn’t remove.”
“Perhaps he didn’t expect you to help us,” Steinn said.
The others seemed to think this over but no one remarked on it. The workings of Albain’s mind were a mystery.
They made their way through the final barrier and came upon a large stone wall. It was nearly as tall as the trees but the Masters easily flew to the top. Here Albain’s strongest wards held them up for a few minutes, but the wizards worked together to take them down.
“There. The way is clear,” Bastien said.
That was all Orestes needed. He set the wizard on the ground of a small courtyard and ran to the nearest door. It was locked but no match for his Gargoyle strength. One strike of his fists and the door crashed onto the stone floor. Orestes walked over it and quickly strode inside.
A loud noise from the lower floor halted Albain in the middle of his recitation. He frowned and his eyes shot open. He looked around. They were in a large room that held only an altar he used for some of his rituals. It was a room no mortal human had ever been in until now. Astrid rocked back and forth on the stone altar while pain seemingly continued to rip through her abdomen. Albain hadn’t even needed to tie her down.
A spot of blood was visible on the back of her dress but that was all. Whatever was happening to her was taking place deep within her body. He grinned at the thought and closed his eyes again, the sound already forgotten. No one knew where they were and nothing could get through his wards. It would take many of the wizards working together and all were currently scattered to the four corners of the kingdom. His carefully planned attacks on the outlying villages had ensured his brethren wouldn’t interfere.
He began to recite under his breath again and lifted the athame above his head. The ritual knife had never drawn human blood before but it seemed to thrum with impatience at the prospect. It vibrated between his fingers like a living thing.
“Wait, Orestes. Stop!”
Orestes froze when Corbin hissed the command between clenched teeth. He had been about to break through another unmarked door. His gut and his heart told him it was the final barrier to Astrid. But just when he’d raised his fists, the wizard had come running up behind him.
“What is it?” Orestes barked.
Corbin held his hands up an inch away from the door and tightly clenched his eyes. Sweat beaded on his brow and he mumbled something under his breath.
“A ritual,” Bastien said.
Orestes looked over his shoulder to find the other wizard approaching.
“What kind of ritual?” he asked.
Bastien shrugged. “I’m not certain, but the scent of human blood is here. It’s weak but present and that is never a good thing when playing with magic.”
“As soon as I tell you, you must break down the door, then step out of my way,” Corbin said.
Bastien stepped up beside his companion and also held up his hands. Orestes simply nodded and stood to the side where he could still reach the door. He was taller than them in his gargoyle form and could easily knock the door off its hinges from over their heads.
“Ready? Now!”
Orestes punched both fists into the wood and waited for the wizards to run into the room. He stepped in behind them and roared. Astrid was writhing atop a stone altar in obvious agony while Albain held a bejeweled knife over her. The look on Albain’s face was priceless as he froze.
The other two wizards who had accompanied them arrived just when Albain launched a feeble attack on Corbin and Bastien. Together, they easily subdued him and knocked him unconscious.
Orestes ran to Astrid’s side. He wanted to lift her into his arms and hold her until she realized she was safe, but she was obviously still in pain.
“Bastien! Corbin! Help her.”
The wizards surrounded the altar and began speaking in their tongue. Orestes gently cradled her head between his palms until she finally opened her eyes.
“Orestes?”
“Yes, my star. I’m here. You’re safe now.”
Her tears began flowing in earnest and she clutched her belly.
He had never felt more helpless. He changed back into his human form and stroked his palms over her body, searching for anything out of place. When he reached her belly, he gently pried her hands away to investigate.
“Lift her dress, Orestes. We must have a look,” one of the wizards sa
id.
Orestes scowled at all four of them but they remained unblinking while they waited for him to comply. Finally, he growled low in his throat to show his displeasure before gently lifting her dress.
Astrid’s once smooth abdomen was perfectly rounded as if she had swallowed a large melon whole. Orestes placed his hand on her flesh and was shocked to find it hard as stone.
“It’s hard,” he said. The wizards all frowned so he put his hand on her again. Suddenly there was a pulse against his palm. “Did you see that?”
“What?” Corbin asked.
Orestes shook his head and placed his other palm against her gently. The pulse came again with slight pressure against his palm. He immediately lifted both hands and everyone gasped at the outline of a tiny foot pressed against her flesh.
“It’s a babe,” one of the wizards said.
“Impossible,” Orestes said. “She’s been with no man save me for over a year.”
Though he said the words and believed them, a smidgen of doubt crept in. He looked Astrid in the eyes, which were wide with fear. She caught his stare and shook her head, clearly reading his thoughts. “No…I swear. Only you and no other for longer than a year.”
He nodded and accepted her words without further doubt. She had no reason to lie to him. He’d known she wasn’t untouched when he first had her. Why lie about that now?
“Then it must be yours,” Bastien said.
All eyes turned to him and Orestes’s pulse began to race. A child? His?
“Is it even possible?” he asked.
“It should be,” Corbin confirmed. “When you were made, it was with the full physiology of a human man. You have all the parts needed to procreate.”
“But we’ve been bedding women for years and this has never happened.”
“That doesn’t make it impossible.” Corbin looked down at Astrid as if assessing her for the first time. “Perhaps you just needed to find the right woman.”
“There is the strange phenomenon of you feeling her pain and knowing where to find her,” another wizard said. “Any other odd occurrences between you two we should know of?”
Orestes started to shake his head then stopped. “I haven’t been able to stop thinking of her for long since first noticing her at our table. I tried. But even leaving her at the castle was…disturbing to me.”
All the wizards nodded in understanding just as Astrid cried out and clutched her belly again.
“She’s in pain,” Orestes said. “Do something. Please.”
As if they’d only been waiting for him to ask, the wizards stepped closer to the altar and lifted their hands in unison. Three began chanting but Corbin moved to the end of the altar and clasped Astrid’s ankles. He slowly pulled her closer and bent her knees up so he had her legs spread wide. Orestes growled and had to fight the urge to beat the wizard away from what he considered for his eyes only. However, he knew if the babe was ready to be born, he didn’t have the skill or knowledge to help.
“It’s only been a matter of days. Would she be ready to deliver already?” Orestes asked.
Corbin shrugged and pushed his sleeves past his elbows. “This will be the first gargoyle baby ever to be born. Who knows what the rules are?”
The chanting of the other three wizards sped up and took on a more frantic tone. Orestes was barely aware of his brothers entering the room. They stayed near the door and out of the way but their curiosity was palpable. Orestes kept his attention on Astrid while she continued to cry and moan in pain. Finally he couldn’t take it anymore and moved to hold her head between his hands.
“My love, I’m so sorry you’re in such pain. Please, hold on a bit longer.”
She nodded with tears streaming down her face but said nothing. He placed a soft kiss on her lips and brushed her hair from her face.
“All right, Astrid,” Corbin said. “When I tell you to, push down with all your strength. Perhaps we can get this child out of you quickly.”
She gasped and nodded while Orestes moved to the head of the altar. He climbed up onto it and sat her up so she was reclining on his lap. She grasped his arms and he held on tightly.
“All right, now. Push!”
Astrid screwed up her face and bore down as hard as she could, pushing with what strength she had left. The shock of being pregnant still hadn’t sunk in past the pain. At the moment her only concern was stopping the discomfort. Once she’d exhausted her strength, she lay back against Orestes, panting for breath.
“Why is there blood?” Orestes asked.
He was trembling beneath her and she heard fear in his voice, but she refused to let it overwhelm her.
“Not to worry,” Corbin said. “This is to be expected and it isn’t too much…yet.”
She could have done without hearing that but bore down again anyway.
“Good girl. Again!”
She pushed a second time and screamed with the effort. Orestes’s grip on her arms tightened as if he was trying to lend her strength. A great searing pain shot from between her thighs and was suddenly gone before the sound of a baby’s cries filled the air.
“She is born,” Corbin announced.
The other wizards stopped chanting and let out a cheer even as the other Masters did the same. Astrid fell back against Orestes and sobbed in relief.
“A girl, Master Orestes. You have a daughter.”
His rumbling laugh echoed in her ear and she felt it shake his frame beneath her, but Astrid was too exhausted to join in. With the sounds of celebration all around her, she gave in to the darkness.
Chapter Thirteen
Orestes watched the beautiful creature in his arms while she slept and marveled again at how weak that simple act made him feel. She was gorgeous, even more beautiful than her mother, though he’d never say that out loud. How he could help create something so perfect eluded him but he was eternally grateful.
“What will you name her?” Haldor asked.
Orestes shrugged without moving his gaze away from his daughter. “As soon as Astrid wakes, we’ll discuss it. For now, she needs no name.”
Haldor chuckled while he moved closer to inspect the tiny bundle in Orestes’s arms. “She’s so small.”
“Good thing too or she might have done more damage to her mother,” Bastien said while closing the distance.
The wizards had left the room shortly after ensuring Astrid was healing in order to restrain Albain. He was now locked in the dungeon where they had found their human staff.
“Have the others been made ready to travel?” Oretes asked.
Haldor nodded. “We found wagons in Albain’s barn and they were just big enough to fit everyone. Goran and I will lead them home while the wizards wait here for their brethren.”
“The Twenty are coming here?”
“Well, it will be the fifteen, but yes,” Bastien said with some amusement. “We will mete out Albain’s punishment and then report to the king.”
Orestes nodded before looking over to where Astrid slept on a bed nearby.
“You three can stay here as long as needed, though she should be healed by the time she wakes,” Bastien said.
“Thank you for healing her,” Orestes said. “And for safely delivering my child.” He looked down at the miracle in his arms again and smiled. “I never would have thought…”
“Nor I,” Bastien said. “Nor any of the Twenty, though we didn’t prevent the possibility in your creation. I hope you don’t mind if we watch her progress from time to time. It will be interesting to see what traits she takes from her father.”
“I nearly expected her to be stone when she was born. Considering how hard Astrid’s belly was when we arrived.”
“Yes. That was my fear also. I don’t think a human woman would survive that. However, to the best of my ability to discern, I’d say she was stone until the birthing time for her own protection. Then when Astrid began to push, she reverted to a fully human body. There were no traces of stone in Astrid’s w
omb. Her body was soft to the touch almost immediately after.”
Orestes growled at the memory of Bastien’s hands all over his woman. At the time, he’d been too concerned for her health to protest but he clearly remembered the sight. Bastien had the nerve to laugh.
“I assure you, Master Orestes, that these old bones couldn’t handle a human woman like Astrid. Or any other for that matter. It’s been nearly two hundred years since I’ve touched a woman for pleasure and I don’t see that changing any time soon.”
Orestes blinked when he realized the ridiculousness of his jealousy.
Haldor chuckled. “You look so good for your age, Bastien, we often forget it.”
Bastien made a noncommittal noise before turning away. “We’ll be waiting for the others in the courtyard. The Wizard’s Stone should be safe again but you may consider moving it or adding other protections just in case.”
The gargoyles watched him walk out of the room before facing each other again.
“Will you be all right with Wynn or Steinn carrying part of your precious cargo home?” Haldor asked.
Orestes started to nod before stopping himself to think it over. “I honestly can’t say which I’d be willing to put into another’s arms.”
He looked between the two females with equal parts fear and awe.
Haldor chuckled and clapped him lightly on the shoulder. “I understand… Well, not really. But I can sympathize. Perhaps you should carry your woman and one of the others can carry the babe. Small as she is, there is no danger of them dropping her and she won’t know the difference anyway. If Astrid wakes mid-flight she might be fearful.”
Orestes hesitated a moment before nodding. There really was no question of his staying in Albain’s home for any length of time. His anger with the wizard made it impossible. Plus he wanted his daughter under the protection of the Wizard’s Stone as quickly as possible.
“All right. Steinn can carry her with Wynn flying directly below him…just in case.”
Haldor chuckled and left the room.