by A C Warneke
Confused and bewildered and pleased, she asked, “How does she even know where I am?”
It wasn’t that she was trying to hide from her loved ones but she didn’t want them to see the severities of her injuries and she needed some time to figure out how she was going to deal with the loss of Vaughn. Truthfully, she hadn’t given much thought to them since waking up in the hospital and then realizing she was too late to save Vaughn. She hadn’t thought about much of anything.
“Apparently there have been news reports of a girl with severe injuries who woke up from a week long coma and simply disappeared from the hospital,” Rhys explained; she could hear the smile in is voice. “Jenna recognized your photo, even though it was taken while you were unconscious and broken.”
Melanie groaned, rolling her eyes and smiling wryly. “I hope nobody else recognized me; I was not very pretty at the time.”
Rhys chuckled, striding forward and placing a brotherly kiss on her forehead, “She’s determined to see you; shall I let her in?”
“Of course,” Melanie said, forcing herself to sit up against the headboard. It was made difficult by the fact that Vaughn’s bed was so luxurious and plush and she just wanted to sink back into it and fall asleep. Pushing her tangled hair out of her face, she looked from Rhys to Armand, who had the strangest expression on his face. “How do I look?”
“You look beautiful,” Rhys said sincerely yet she didn’t believe him Even if she hadn’t given any thought at all to her appearance over the last few days, she knew she looked a wreck. She turned her head to Armand but he just glowered, grabbing Rhys’s arm and leading him from the bedroom. She must have looked worse than she thought.
As soon as they left, she once again dragged her fingers through her tousled hair, hoping to look at least a little respectable for when she saw Jenna. What was she going to say to her sister? How could she explain where Vaughn was and why she was living with his brothers and not back at the house? It was true that she had been pretty out of it but she should have given a brief thought to calling her family and letting them know that she was all right. And as long as she didn’t think about Vaughn… as longs as she didn’t think about him, she was almost okay.
Except she wasn’t all right and it was all her fault. How could she admit to her sister that she was a fool and a coward? She waivered in her love for Vaughn and then she gave up her protection, losing him completely. Had she never doubted, never panicked, she would be with Vaughn right now, learning how to be a gargoyle. She wouldn’t be alone during the day because she would be with Vaughn and his brothers; she would be a gargoyle.
An involuntary shudder tripped through her body at the thought: she would have been a gargoyle. She wasn’t sure if it was relief or disappointment that she felt and she wondered what her gargoyle form would have been. It seemed as if the brothers’ forms matched their personalities: Vaughn, the golden, glorious lion; Rhys, the mischievous monkey; and Armand, the mythical, powerful griffin. With a snort, she realized she probably would have been a demented rabbit, cowardly and timid.
She wondered if they would have been able to make love as gargoyles….
What was Armand thinking, offering to give up his nights for her? Even if it did work, it would change the dynamics between the brothers and she didn’t think Vaughn would easily accept the fact she had sex with his brother. Even if she repeated the ritual with Vaughn to release Armand and then completed it this time, that betrayal would always be between them. It would gravely alter Vaughn’s relationship with Armand and with her.
What was taking Jenna so long? Going absolutely still, she strained her ears to try to hear anything. From somewhere in the massive apartment, she could make out raised voices, all of which were male. But the penthouse suite was so large she was unable to make out any of the words. She doubted she would have understood anything unless they were standing right outside her door. And they weren’t, so she had no idea what was being said or why they were yelling.
Putting her hand in front of her mouth, she huffed out a breath and sniffed. Yuck, she had to brush her teeth. Hell, she needed to take a shower since she had no idea if they bathed her while she was in the hospital. In the time that she had been with the brothers she hadn’t cared about hygiene, she had just wanted oblivion. Since it appeared as if it was going to be another few minutes before Jenna was going to be escorted back so Melanie decided to take a quick shower.
Sliding out of the luxurious bed, she stretched her mended body, still in awe of Armand’s power. At least that was something positive to come out of this miserable ordeal: when Vaughn awoke, he’d be as powerful as Armand. With their combined power, they would be able to save Rhys from himself if the monkey ever decided to do anything so foolish as to fall in love with a human. Maybe there was a girl gargoyle out there for Rhys, though she admittedly knew very little about the whole gargoyle society. There had been so much she had wanted to do with Vaughn and she thought that there would be plenty of time to ask him all of her questions and now he was gone and she knew nothing about his… culture.
Hell, she would have been an ostrich with her head buried in the sand. Except he had never been able to answer any of her many questions.
The reality of Vaughn being gone slammed into her and she had to lean against the bed before she crumbled to the ground. Her chest was tight as she struggled not to cry; if she started to cry she’d never stop and she couldn’t afford to slip into self-pity at the moment. Jenna was here and it wasn’t fair to be so weak when her sister had been so strong when she lost Jeremy. Especially since it was Melanie’s fault Vaughn was lost to her. At least he wasn’t dead.
Taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, Melanie let that thought play around in her head. Vaughn wasn’t dead. He was not dead.
Her chest eased and she was able to take a breath once more. She would pester Rhys and Armand and make them teach her everything there was to know about gargoyles and if there was a way to waken Vaughn early, she would discover it. Even if it took the rest of her life, she would find a way to say goodbye to him face to face before she died, to tell him how very much she loved him and how sorry she was for failing him.
With a renewed sense of purpose, she went into Vaughn’s massive bathroom. She eyed the deep, whirlpool bathtub with envy, knowing that there wasn’t enough time to soak in the hot water. Nope, she was stuck with the decadent shower that boasted seven shower heads set in strategic places. She blushed, thinking about some of the erotic things Vaughn had done to her in that wicked shower….
She turned on the water and undressed while it heated up. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, she paused and looked at her reflection. She barely recognized the familiar stranger who stared back. Her body had healed but she had lost too much weight and her eyes stared back from a face that was gaunt. Running her hands over her torso, she felt the poke of each rib and she could see the jutting bones of her pelvis and clavicle. At one time she had desired to be so thin but she realized as she looked at her skeletal body that she was sickly skinny. Even her face looked horribly thin, her cheekbones too prominent and her eyes too large.
She was going to have to make an effort to eat; she needed to keep her strength up to find a way to return Vaughn to her.
Stepping into the shower, she mechanically washed her hair and her body, barely aware of what she was doing. She remembered how Vaughn had made love to her in the shower and she started to smile until she remembered that Vaughn was gone. The water streamed over her body as she cried, falling to her knees as despair gripped her. Bending her head forward, she leaned against the wall and let the tears fall freely.
She didn’t know how long she stayed like that but it was long enough for the water to get cold. She startled when the cool water was turned off and a warm towel was wrapped around her shoulders. Her head jerked up and she saw Jenna and before she knew anything, she was in her sister’s arms, hugging Jenna with all that she was worth.
“Shh
,” Jenna murmured, stroking Melanie’s wet hair and pressing comforting kisses to her cheek. “It’s all right; I’m here now.”
“What am I going to do, Jenna?” Melanie gasped after she cried herself out, clutching Jenna, needing her sister’s strength and comfort. “It’s all my fault….”
“Hush,” Jenna whispered, standing up and pulling Melanie to her feet. Tenderly, she used the towel to dry Melanie off before she wrapped her sister in it and sat her down on a stool. Pulling a bush through the tangled strands, Jenna murmured, “You’re going to help mom and dad watch Ferris for me.”
Melanie’s face contorted in confusion, “But… why?”
“I’m going to Greece,” Jenna said casually, matter-of-factly.
Melanie looked up and saw the slight flush staining her sister’s pale skin and didn’t understand. Dumbly, she repeated, “But… why?”
“Well, according to the very strange man I just met, there may be a way to get Vaughn back.”
Melanie jerked around, wincing when her hair was nearly yanked from her head, “What do you mean?”
Tsking, Jenna grabbed Melanie’s shoulders and gently turned her around so she could continue brushing her hair. “You’ve been keeping a lot of secrets from me, Melanie.”
Melanie had the good sense to blush as she lowered her lashes, “They weren’t my secrets to tell; you must realize that.”
“Mmm-hm,” Jenna mumbled. “I knew something was different about Vaughn and his brothers, I just hadn’t realized how different.”
“You’re taking this very well,” Melanie said carefully, not knowing how much Jenna knew.
“I’m still in shock,” Jenna admitted.
“Wait a minute,” Melanie frowned, grabbing Jenna’s wrist and spinning around in the stool. Looking up at Jenna’s paler than usual face, she asked, “What do you mean you’re going to Greece? And what strange man? Armand?”
“Not Armand; you never mentioned how absolutely gorgeous he is,” Jenna smiled slightly. “No, not Armand – Omari; I’m surprised you couldn’t hear the conversation, the three of them were loud enough.”
“You met Omari?” Melanie asked numbly, surprised by such a revelation. “I don’t understand; what does he have to do with any of this?”
Jenna chuckled nervously, “I’m not exactly sure but somehow he convinced Rhys and me to go on a strange, strange quest. At first, Armand was furious that Omari was there and he was adamantly opposed to the idea but eventually Rhys convinced him to let us go.”
“To bring Vaughn back to me?” Melanie’s heart was dancing in her chest and her skin was tingling. Was it possible? Was there a way to get him back? Melanie was almost afraid to get her hopes up but it was impossible not to do so. Her sister would go on this incredible journey and in the end Vaughn would be back in her arms.
But what if the quest was something as impossible as the solution Armand offered? “You don’t have to sacrifice anything, do you?”
“What an absurd question,” Jenna scoffed, pulling Melanie to her feet and leading her back into Vaughn’s room. “It’s a simple quest.”
The two girls exchanged a wry look and started to giggle at the weirdness of the whole situation. Going on a quest sounded so fantastical but Melanie had already accepted that there was more to this world than met the eye. Briefly she wondered what kind of adventure Jenna was going to be going on, if she was going to meet other mythological creatures that weren’t so mythological. And why were the fates suddenly so willing to share their secrets?
“Can I go with you?” Melanie asked, wanting to protect her sister; wanting to do something, anything, to get Vaughn back.
“Unfortunately, that’s not possible,” Rhys said from the door. The two girls spun around and saw the handsome man standing there with his arms crossed over his broad chest. With a lazy smile, he kept his gaze on Jenna, even though Melanie was standing there wearing only a towel. “I only wanted to let you girls know that the arrangements have already been made and we leave in a few days.”
“That was quick,” Jenna said, her pulse fluttering madly at her throat.
With a casual shrug, Rhys grinned, “Omari works fast.”
Licking her lips, Melanie forced herself to meet Rhys’s eyes, to see the truth in his answer, “Will it work?”
His eyes scanned her face, seeing the determination and the need to hear the truth, “There is the chance that it will work; it depends on how convincing Jenna and I are as a couple.”
His words didn’t make any sense and Melanie made a face, making Rhys chuckle, “Omari said that Mother might be willing to part with a very rare element that might bring Vaughn back.”
“Is it risky?” she asked in a small voice.
Rhys shook his head, “No; the worst scenario is that she says no but Omari seems to think that is unlikely.”
After a few moments of silence, with Rhys and Jenna ogling one another, Melanie’s doubts and fears overwhelmed her; it seemed that anything having to do with Omari came with hidden strings, even if that wasn’t his intentions. “Is it a trap?”
Rhys laughed at that, looking at her with sympathy in his brown eyes as he shook his head no, “I don’t anticipate any complications.”
“How do you even know Omari?”
“How do you?” he retorted, his eyes sparkling. The room fell silent as Melanie contemplated the possibility of getting Vaughn back, as Jenna and Rhys contemplated each other. It was eerily reminiscent of how she had been wildly attracted to Vaughn when he was a stranger, a lifetime ago. Rhys and Jenna were looking at each other as if they had finally found the missing piece of their souls.
“Would you seriously consider it, Rhys? Even after, well, everything?” Melanie whispered, startling Rhys out of his perusal of Jenna. He turned his head and looked at her, understanding in his eyes.
He glanced at Jenna then a slow smile spread across his face as he looked at Melanie once more. “I don’t know; but if I did, you can bet your ass that it would be worth it.”
“I suppose there’s no point in my telling you to be careful.”
His eyes sparkled as he shook his head no and started to walk back out the door when he came to a sudden stop. “Oh!” Rhys exclaimed, spinning back around and crossing the room to Jenna, digging something out of his pocket. He pulled out a long chain and handed it to Jenna, “Omari asked me to give this to you; it’s a protection charm.”
It was almost the twin to the amulet he had given to Melanie, except Jenna’s stone was slightly darker. She watched as Jenna absently took the necklace and slipped it over her head, her eyes never leaving Rhys’s face. “Tell him I said, ‘Thanks.’”
“Will do,” Rhys grinned, reaching out and running a finger over the magical charm. Melanie cleared her throat and he took the hint, leaving the girls to their own devices once more.
With a heartfelt sigh, Jenna looked at Melanie and widened her eyes in realization that Melanie was still only wearing a towel, “Do you have anything to put on?”
Melanie’s face colored a bit as she walked over to the large closet and opened it up, “The guys moved my stuff in here a few days ago.”
Letting out a low whistle, Jenna followed Melanie into the walk-in, admiring all of the masculine clothes lining the walls. Vaughn’s scent was strongest in the large room and Melanie closed her eyes to inhale deeply, breathing him in. A wave of melancholy washed through her and another tear slid down her cheek.
“Melanie, there’s still hope,” Jenna said softly, taking Melanie’s hand and pulling her out of the closet after she grabbed a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of comfortable jeans. “Rhys and I will get him back.”
“But what if it doesn’t work?” Melanie asked softly, unable to prevent her doubts from flaring up. It was such a fine line between hope and despair, one she was having a difficult time treading. How long was this epic quest going to take? Was she going to have to live without her stone lover until the snow melted into spring, as spring blossom
ed into summer? Until the leaves changed colors and fell from the trees? How many seasons would pass before he was able to wake up? What if there was nothing at the end of the quest and Jenna was being sent off for no reason?
How long did she hold onto hope before she went mad?
“How did you ever get through it?” Melanie asked, letting her sister lead her over to a dressing table. She plopped down on the chair and looked up at Jenna.
Jenna smiled softly, “I had you.”
“I love you, Jenna,” Melanie whispered, feeling guilty because she, at least, had hope. When Jeremy had died, there was nothing and it had been so final. Even if Jenna and Rhys failed in their quest, Vaughn was still alive. He would be continuing his existence long after she was gone and that thought was nearly as depressing as learning to live without him.
“Now, stand up and let’s get you dressed,” Jenna urged, once more pulling Melanie to her feet. She gasped when Melanie dropped the towel, “My God, Lenni; you’ve lost so much weight! And… and you don’t have any injuries, nothing like the photo that was on the news.”
Melanie cringed at the reminded of how Jenna learned about where she was. She was not going to feel sorry for herself any longer; despair was a useless emotion in her situation. “I’m sorry I didn’t call….”
“I knew something was wrong but it never occurred to me that you had been in a car accident.” Jenna was running her hands over Melanie’s skin, examining the fading scars. “But it’s as if the accident happened years ago and not a week and a half; how?”
“Armand,” Melanie answered, taking the clothes from Jenna and getting dressed. Now that she was cleaned and there was a kernel of hope growing within her, she finally became aware of the fact that she was standing around in her skin. She refused to think about the time she spent with Armand over the past few days as he healed her body; he had been her doctor and she had been the patient. “I swear I would have called, but….”
“Armand?” Jenna repeated, raising an eyebrow and smirking.