“Huh?” Simon debated how far he would take this. He caved. “Well she was sitting with a friend as well, a new friend. She can have friends too, can she not? You know, since you seem to have so many?” he stated with blatant candor.
Kingston’s eyes widened, not missing the double meaning behind his words. He felt like a jerk suddenly. Hadn’t he been checking girls out? He was acting like a callus ass. He knew he was, but he couldn’t help himself. He still didn’t know where he stood with Moriah, and he was afraid to even tell her. He shoved his hand through his hair making it stand on end. “Sure, of course she can,” he mumbled out lamely, catching Moriah’s gaze… accusing, seeing right through his lies. Damn! He was being a dick too and he always accused Colton of that. Now he was acting no better. Kingston tried to give Moriah a reassuring smile. He wanted her to look at him like she once had. “Babe lets go, your favorite band is playing,” he said, reaching out his hand to her.
Moriah expelled a shaky breath she didn’t even realize she had been holding. She couldn’t believe it. Her life was not over. She had been given a reprieve. She was about to stand and take Kingston’s outstretched hand, but she paused and turned towards Simon instead.
Once again, Simon casually leaned back on his elbows, his gaze hooded. His eyes met hers.
Moriah didn’t know why she felt like she needed Simon’s permission, but she sought it just the same. She stared at him waiting…
Simon lifted his chin just a hint, his face breaking into a slight sweet smile.
Moriah smiled back at him and lifted her hand placing it into Kingston’s outstretched one. Relief washed over her suddenly. Everything was still okay with them.
“Thanks for keeping my girl company,” Kingston tossed over his shoulder, holding tightly to Moriah’s’ hand, not ready to let her go—not yet, no matter how insecure she made him feel.
Simon narrowed his dark eyes at their retreating forms. “Anytime,” he called out, with meaning. He wouldn’t mind keeping her company again, not in the least.
Moriah let Kingston pull her away toward the stage. Glancing back over her shoulder, her gaze locked with his for an instant. Simon winked at her. And with that one simple act, she remembered. She remembered everything with perfect clarity. The intense moment they shared with one another. No, it was not forgotten at all, it still lingered on the edges of her mind. Her body shivered deliciously from within. She smiled back at him, a full-blown one. Kingston tugged on her hand again and Moriah turned away from Simon reluctantly and followed Kingston back into the fold of the crowd.
ADVERSARY
SATURDAY * 9:57 PM
People were dropping like flies. “What happened to all the hot chicks?” Colton complained looking around. From what he could see, they were either, hooking up with each other or passed out on the ground. A few lingered on the side of the stage but somehow he had struck out once again. He didn’t know what the hell was happening. He must be having an off night. He looked through the crowd, his gaze zeroing in on a familiar form. His mouth dropped open in disbelief. He turned toward Barnaby and punched him in the arm.
“What the hell is your problem man?” Barnaby turned, rubbing his arm.
Colton narrowed his eyes, still not believing what he was seeing. “Isn’t that the Edie chick?” he asked in complete shock.
Barnaby focused his gaze on the two people making out not more than thirty feet away. His stomach dropped as his mouth opened in disbelief.
Colton finally found his voice. “Holy shit man, look at her go, she is practically inhaling that dude’s face.”
Barnaby lifted his glasses, wiped his eyes, readjusted his glasses on his face, and looked again. Yep. It was Evie. Damn.
“Who the hell is she with?” Colton asked clearly in shock.
“How the hell am I supposed to know?” Barnaby threw back pissed that Colton had made him look over there. What a dick head! Colton may get his rocks off gaping at other people hooking up, but Barnaby was not one of those people. “I’m getting a drink.”
Colton turned his attention back to Barnaby. “What …why are you leaving, don’t you want to see who she’s with?”
“Damn Colton,” he swore. “Why would I want to see that?”
“Damn man, you sound like you care?” Colton needled meanly.
“Obviously you do,” he scathed. “Why else would want to keep looking?”
Colton pulled his gaze away. Barnaby was right. Why was he looking? It wasn’t like he cared. Although it did bother him on some level to see little miss prude “I can’t do anything with you Colton” swapping spit with some random dude he had not even seen before. What a little whore. He left his gawking post and followed Barnaby to get a drink. Maybe there would be some fresh fish over there. Apparently, the pond he was standing in was already fished out.
INFORMATION
SATURDAY * 10:00 PM
Time had ceased to be. Adriane cradled his hand on the back of her head, kissing her soft, sweet lips. He knew he needed to stop—stop before it got too out of hand but he didn’t want to. But if he kept on…there was no way he would be able to stop and that was something he couldn’t risk—at least not now. Too much was at stake. “Evie…” he breathed against her lips before he finally forced himself to pull away.
Evie looked up.
He lifted his hand to brush her hair back over her shoulder. She shivered. Tightening her hold, she pressed her face against his chest and reluctantly let her feet fall fully back down to the ground. His hand smoothed down the length of her hair as he simply held her. Everything felt right, almost too right. She was afraid she would wake from whatever dream she had surely fallen into.
“You smell really good,” she said. They went well together, the softness of his shirt and his exceedingly hard body.
“Do I?” he asked.
“Yeah, really, really good,” she laughed, burrowing her face against his chest once more.
“Hmm,” he said absently, running his free hand down the length of her back through the silkiness of her hair.
“May I ask you a question?” she asked, pulling away slightly and lifting her face to his.
His body tensed. “Sure.”
“What is your name?” she asked feeling silly for not knowing especially since she had been kissing him all this time.
He laughed, making his chest rumble under her hands. “Adriane,” he said, amazed that was the question she wanted to ask, when there were obviously so many others that needed to be asked.
“I like your name Adriane,” she added and then quickly rested her face back on his chest.
“Thank you. I like yours too…Evie.”
A huge smile broke across her face. She couldn’t help herself, the way he said her name made her stomach flutter. “So what happened to you?” she asked, keeping her face pressed against the softness of his shirt.
“When?” he asked, tensing once more.
“I mean last night.” She lifted her face. “That thing… you… the awful noises? What were they?”
Adriane stared sightlessly at the crowd. “Yes, it was real.” He tightened his hold on her. “It’s not my fault,” he defended.
“Of course it’s not. That thing, whatever it was… attacked you.” She lifted her face to look at him. “What was that?” she asked even though she kind of didn’t want to know.
Adriane stared straight ahead, barely breathing. “What do you think it was?”
Evie laughed suddenly. Oh, he didn’t want to know what she thought it was. “You’ll think I’m crazy.”
“I bet I won’t.”
Evie smiled up at him. “You sure…” she teased.
“Oh, I am sure.”
“Oh-kay…” She took a bracing breath. “I thought it was the Gargoyle again.”
“One…was.”
Evie shook her head. “Huh? What did you just say?”
Adriane kept his gaze shielded. “I said one was.”
“One was what?�
��
He looked down at her face. “I said one was a Gargoyle.”
“Of course one was,” she rushed out. “That’s what I said.” She smiled at him, so relieved he believed her and didn’t think she was crazy.
Adriane shifted awkwardly. “Evie I don’t think you understand what I am trying to tell you.”
She patted his chest and bit her lip. Her throat was beginning to clog with dread.
“This is a lot harder than I thought it would be.” He sighed heavily, and lifted his hands to his face.
“It’s okay.” She took a deep breath and plastered on a brave face. “I can take it…” she assured him even though she had a terrible feeling he was going to tell her something that would crush her just like Colton had but this would be so much worse. Her insides twisted at the thought.
His eyes turned darker as he struggled to find the words he wanted to say, to make her understand. “I am not normal.”
A gusty breath of air rushed from her mouth as relief washed over her. “Phew,” she said and ran her hand over her brow in an exaggerated gesture. “Well I hate to break this to you, but I am not normal either.” She lifted her brow at him, teasing.
“Oh, I know,” he assured her.
Evie smiled but then frowned.
“Oh, Evie,” he breathed, rubbing his hands up and down her arms.
Her arms were starting to really heat up and that combined with the warmth of his breath made her feel warm and snugly again, instead of scared. Another song began to play, thumping loudly in the background.
Adriane debated whether to finish the conversation; he knew time was running out. But the look on her face was so …irresistible… innocent—he couldn’t just yet. “We have time,” he said more to himself than to her. The air pulsed around them both and he lowered his mouth to hers once more.
Evie opened her mouth to his, kissing him back with everything she had, or would ever become as the lyrics from Love Darling’s Close to Me poured over them both. “Time might just bring hope for us yet—just like Romeo and Juliet—finally giving my heart time…the lyrics drifted over them, as the lucidity of the words tumbled through her mind.
Yes, there just may be hope for them yet…
BITTERSWEET
SATURDAY * 10:13 PM
Simon leaned back on his elbows, crossing his feet at his ankles, smiling at his bright red shoes, shaking them back and forth to the beat of the music. Another band was on the stage: Four Day Creep. He liked their sound. They had a nice bluesy rock vibe with a throw back type of feel. Click… Click… Click… sounded on the air as the drummer hit his sticks together, counting the band in, for the opening riff to Prescription, an awesome driving song. “Just a letter from your Doctor…” the singer belted out the first verse with a deep edgy, raspy tinged voice. Simon shut his eyes, enjoying the hook of the song, his past overlapping the present…
***
October 30, 1991
Welcome to Paradise BITCHES-Simon screamed out, his deep voice cutting into the air, echoing through the crowd as he mounted the stage. The bright spotlights beat down on him, blinding him to the masses spread out inside the Amphitheatre. The roar of the crowd rained down on them like thunder as they began to play…
***
Loud bursts of laughter cut into his reverie, making the last threads of his memory slip from his grasp, barely giving him a taste of what used to be before it faded completely away, ending his vision. Simon opened his eyes, sitting up, pushing his hair from his eyes to focus on two pairs of shoes on either side of his own. Then he looked up and he could swear he was seeing double. Two separate faces loomed before him, weaving back and forth to the music. Their ghostly white faces contrasting against the darkening sky.
“Hello,” they both echoed in unison. “We’re twins,” the giggled. “We can do things together,” they added, trying to stifle their laughter but instead, they each made a snorting sound.
Simon leaned reflexively away from the distasteful noise. They were so white, he wondered if they were real or simply another figment brought forth from his imagination, or were they conjured from a distant memory? He didn’t remember twins. Although there wasn’t much he actually remembered from his past, only bits and pieces of what once was. It was part of the curse that was now his life. He could not even remember how he crossed over to the existence he found himself in now. Alistair said it would come in time, although he wasn’t so sure he wanted to remember. Especially if it had been as wonderful as he thought it may have been. Focusing his attention on the girls in front of him, he took a breath, and looked them over. They were cute in an otherworldly way and definitely different. He didn’t mind different so much, he himself never quite fit into any one particular niche. That was the beauty of being a musician you never needed to be like anyone else, you were loved for your uniqueness or at least you hoped you would be. Maybe he wasn’t as unique as he hoped…maybe he had been a bad cliché. One thing was certain he was unique now. Being a gargoyle had that effect. He wondered if they would still want to hang out if he were to show them his true self—
“GAH!” he gasped out, covering his face from the hot stench stealing his breath. He looked up into the sky. The moon was finally at its full height.
“Son of a bitch!” The sound of his voice split the air as he jumped up from the stairs, making the two girls jump in turn. He raked his hand through his hair, searching the crowd for Adriane and Alistair. He looked at the two girls, their faces crestfallen.
“Ladies another time, I will be more than happy to take you up on the charms you have offered up so freely, but as of right now, I think you may want to run,” he whispered hotly for their ears alone.
They both looked horrified. He gave up being cautious. “I said RUN!” he yelled loudly, angrily pushing them along towards the inside of the mansion and ushered them both inside the massive front door. He felt their fear and softened his voice. “Be good girls. Get in a room, and lock the door. Don’t open it until I return,” he warned, hoping they would listen. They shook, clinging to one another. Leaning forward he quickly kissed each of them soundly on their lips. “That should hold you both for bit,” he said giving them one his heart stopping smiles and then took off, his red shoes a blur as he ran swiftly into the crowd.
***
Colton and Barnaby cut through the crowd to the drink station, but just as they got to the opening, they both pulled up short, their eyes widening once again in shock. “Holy shit, is that Heather?” Colton asked in disbelief.
Barnaby nodded his head in agreement. “Yep. Sure looks like it.”
“What the hell is going on?” Colton groaned, rubbing his hands over his face in frustration.
Barnaby would have laughed, but this was getting ridiculous. First Evie and now Heather—granted, he could really care less what Heather did. Right now, she looked like she was going to tackle the guy to the ground she was swapping spit with. It was not something he was used to seeing from Heather, except when she was dating Kingston They were like mad dogs, drooling all over each other. That was of course before Kingston had dropped her for Moriah.
Since then Heather had been all prim and proper, not giving anyone the time of day. But looking at her now, it looked like she was making up for lost time—her mouth was going Zombie on the dudes face. And who knew what she was doing with her leg. She looked jacked.
Barnaby shook his head and looked up into the sky, not wanting to gawk at Heather any more than he wanted to gawk at Evie. Huge dark clouds floated quickly across the moon, revealing a strange bluish glow emanating from the edges. Something big swooped across the moon, the darkened shadow flapping massive wings. His breath caught in his throat, it looked like some big ass bat. He hit Colton’s arm, getting his attention, not breaking his gaze.
“What man?” Colton replied, annoyed. He followed Barnaby’s gaze and nearly pissed himself. “What the hell is that?”
“I…I don’t know,” Barnaby stammered, trying
to make sense of what he was seeing.
“It looks like a big ass bat… Hey are they filming Batman here?”
“Yeah, man sure. No—they’re not filming batman here!” Barnaby yelled in disbelief.
“Well I thought, maybe you know, cuz what we were talking about earlier with the trees reminding us of Gotham and all.”
“Don’t be an idiot Colton,” Barnaby grated out, feeling his own body start to tremble.
“What is it then?” Colton squeaked, fear stealing his voice, making it shrill.
“Not an it…what are they?” Barnaby added shakily, reaching his hand in the air, pointing to the others trailing behind, flapping their massive wings. They were still pretty far away but they were coming closer, quickly. “Man, whatever they are, I don’t think they are anything good.”
Colton shook his head up and down. “I think you’re right man. This doesn’t look good.”
Barnaby caught a whiff of something rancid. It burned his nose, making him wrinkle his face. He covered his nose with his shirt and looked at Colton’s pale face, seeing his fear. “Dude, did you just shit yourself?”
Colton tore his gaze away from the sky. “No, I didn’t shit myself… Asshole! Hey Barnaby if you smelt it, you dealt it,” he parried, laughing nervously, and then covered his own face as the stench made his stomach lurch.
“Well, if I didn’t and you didn’t, then where is the stink coming from?” Barnaby asked.
They both looked to one another, all humor gone from their faces and turned slowly around.
A large gruesome beast was creeping out from the tree line behind them. Yellow angry eyes bore down on them, the muzzled snout pulled back, revealing sharp razor edged teeth dripping dark gooey saliva. The fur, what was left, was torn off in huge patches, and those too oozed freely with something shiny and dark.
Barnaby and Colton almost shit their pants for real. It looked like death itself was stalking them both down. “Dude run!” Barnaby turned and made a break for it, bolting away through the unsuspecting crowd.
Gargoyle: A Reawakening (Briarcliff Series, #2) Page 10