Sabrina and the Gargoyle

by Marie Dry

  “Don’t overthink this,” Mark said quietly.

  “Easy for you to say, you’re not the one--” She stopped and bit her lip. She wouldn’t do this in front of Samuel.

  They sat in silence while Samuel drove them home. Luckily, the traffic was not too bad. The Cape was a small city, between the mountain and the sea, and there was not a lot of room to expand. Today she was grateful that they wouldn’t be stuck in traffic and have to travel hours to get home.

  They arrived at her house and he steered her into the study. It still had the same comfortable red leather couch and her father’s large wooden desk. Mark had left no physical footprint, even though he’d been using it since they’d been together. Even in their bedroom he only had a small amount of clothes and the basics of toiletries. She frowned, where did he live before?

  Sabrina clutched her arms around herself. “The wood had iron bars inside and Thailog went through them as if it was match sticks. Could anything keep him out?”

  “I will get additional protection spells for all the doors and windows, but you don’t have to worry about Thailog. Taking you had merely been a way to get my attention. He’s too arrogant to bother with humans.”

  “That’s reassuring,” she muttered and flopped back into the leather couch. She wasn’t going to ask about the protection spell comment. At this stage, she simply didn’t want to know. There was enough realities she had to face at this very moment.

  He went over to the desk and sat in her father’s big leather desk chair.

  “Why didn’t you tell me you’re half gargoyle, you made me think you’re a vampire?”

  He leaned back into the chair, his body tense. “It had nothing to do with you.”

  “Nothing to do with me? You claim I’m your wife. Don’t you think I should know pertinent facts about you?”

  Every time she called herself his wife, she waited for him to tell her.

  Some indefinable emotion crossed his face, fear or guilt. “It’s not something I talk about if I can help it. The gargoyles doesn’t accept me, the vampires don’t accept me. I won’t call myself either vampire or gargoyle, because they tried to end me before I even reached adulthood.”

  “Oh, Mark, that’s terrible. What about your parents, didn’t they protect you?”

  He shrugged. “They tried.”

  “I’m sorry.” She knew what rejection felt like. At least it sounded as if his parents accepted him.

  The silence stretched while she worked up the courage to ask the questions she should’ve gotten out of the way before their raw lovemaking in the car.

  Samuel appeared in the doorway. “The window is fixed and the house secured.”

  Mark nodded and Samuel melted away.

  Sabrina frowned at the door. She’d be very surprised if Marks chauffeur was only human. “What is he?”

  “Nothing that needs concern you.” He stood and pocketed his phone he’d been looking at. Walking over to her, he made them reappear in her bedroom. In spite of his healing touch in the car, her knee ached and she was glad not to have to climb the stairs. Sitting in that cellar, while the cold seeped into her and her knee stiffened up, had done some damage. She would give her life for a bath.

  He carefully steadied her. “I’ve placed safe guards on the house. No creature will be able to get in again.”

  “I still can’t believe that gargoyles are real, that one of them burst through my window and flew me over Cape Town.”

  It would be a long time before she’d forget looking down and seeing a huge drop between her and the city below. And the cold, she’d never forget being that cold.

  “That will never happen again. You’ll be safe. The gargoyles turn to stone during daylight. It’s their version of sleep. Don’t make the mistake of thinking they’re vulnerable in daytime. They could still function if they have to.”

  Sabrina frowned at him. “The sun came up by the time we left that house and none of them turned to stone.”

  “Unfortunately, they can choose to remain awake and lose very little of their powers during the daylight hours.”

  “What kind of powers?”

  “Flying, mind control over some people, and superhuman strength.”

  That didn’t sound all that scary. She’d somehow thought they’d have some magical powers.

  “Are your mind control powers from the gargoyle or vampire side of you?”

  He clenched his jaw and his fists opened and closed. Then, abruptly, he threw back his head and laughed. “In their world, I’m a half pint, something so terrible they wouldn’t even refer to me if they could help it. And here you are, talking about it as if it’s no big deal.”

  “I don’t like prejudice. If they don’t want to know you, it’s their loss.”

  “My mind control powers come from my vampire side.”

  “Mark?”

  “Yes?”

  “Where’s my wedding dress?”

  He blinked and looked at her with stunned surprise.

  Chapter 9

  They stared at each other in loaded silence. Such a simple question, but Sabrina sensed that it would change everything. She wouldn’t be able to hide from reality anymore. Would have to allow the knowledge buried in her mind to surface and to accept that he didn’t love her. Had never loved her.

  He gestured to the bathroom. “We can continue this later. You’re shivering with cold.”

  “No, I want to talk about it now. I’ll take a bath after you tell me where my wedding dress is. It was a stunning dress and no woman would get rid of a dress that reminds her of her wedding day.” She swallowed tears. “I had these plans for our daughter to wear it at her own wedding.”

  An anguished look crossed his face, but she hardened her heart. If even half of what she suspected was true, he deserved no sympathy from her.

  “Why didn’t I know your full name, your birth date or even your cell phone number? Why do I remember our wonderful romantic wedding, but don’t have a wedding dress or pieces of wedding cake, invitations, or any tangible evidence that we were ever married.”

  “Don’t do this, Sabrina.”

  “Don’t do what? Don’t remember, don’t realize that you used me? How long did I know you before you made me believe we were married?”

  His eyes glowed and he focused on her. “Let it go, Sabrina.”

  She grabbed her head, wanted to scream in sheer frustration. “Don’t even think about trying to mess with my mind. I can keep you out now.”

  “Unfortunately.”

  She glared at him. “Tell me, if we’re married, why I have a memory of getting married in a dress that looks suspiciously like the one in a fashion magazine lying around on a gargoyle coffee table.” Sabrina limped over to the bed and sank down, a sort of dazed comprehension settling over her. “You saw that magazine somewhere and used the picture on the cover to implant the idea in my head. That magazine was released this month, but I remember us being married two months.”

  He turned back to stare out of the window. “If there had been any other way, I wouldn’t have done it, Sabrina.”

  “Look at me and tell me if we’re married or not.”

  He turned and their gazes locked. Sabrina felt a small shock move through her body. She’d made love with this...man...for want of a better word. She’d shared a life with him, had wanted to have his children.

  “I came to your house and you resisted mind control at first. I had to go deeper. I implanted memories of us meeting, of a rushed wedding. I tried to make it a good memory for you.”

  So help her, she was going to kill him. “So if I implant you with a memory of being married to someone you’ve never met, it would be okay, as long as it’s a nice memory?”

  He winced and rubbed his hand over his hair. “I know, I shouldn’t have done it, but I had no choice, Sabrina.”

  “You violated me.” She drew in a breath. “You made love with me. Knowing we’re not married, you made love to me. Or should I call it having co
nvenient sex. After all, here I was, the gullible fool who believed we were married.”

  He came and sat next to her. “The first time we made love, that’s a real memory. It happened without me manipulating your mind.” He sighed. “At least not about that.” He jumped up abruptly, knelt in front of her. “In my mind, you are my mate, my wife in your terms. You will always be that. I will never take another.”

  “Why are you talking as if I won’t be around that long?”

  “You haven’t asked the one question you should’ve.”

  The silence lengthened as they stared at each other.

  “Why me?” she asked at last.

  He took her hands in his, stared down at them, and then looked up at her. “Every few decades a woman is born. She sometimes has psychic powers and sometimes she is quite normal. Always she acts like a beacon to the drogge. We don’t know why, but they would converge in a city where they sense her and start searching for her.”

  “Is that why all those women are disappearing, why Jo and that other women acted so strange?”

  “The drogge is the cause, but it’s not because they are searching for you. They go to ground for long periods, but even then they consume energy.”

  A horrific understanding made her stomach churn. “They’re using Jo and the others as food? You have to stop them.”

  “I will. They are drawn to me, the way the drogge sense you, these women sense me. Unfortunately, they are controlled by the drogge, and I haven’t been able to get any of them to tell me where the drogge are.”

  This couldn’t be happening. She didn’t want to hear anymore. Horror, and cold, settled into her, bone deep.

  “What do they want with me?”

  “I don’t know. No one knows what Kratos is after.”

  “Kratos?”

  “The evil behind the drogge.”

  Sabrina’s shivers shook her whole body. She couldn’t fathom anything more evil than the drogge. What they’d done to Jo defied any words.

  Mark stood and drew her upright. “You’re shivering, I will draw you a warm bath.”

  “How did Thailog know we’re not really married?”

  He hesitated.

  “The truth, Mark, don’t hide things from me anymore.” She remembered him coming to her door, trying to make her believe they were married. She resisted and he’d grabbed control of her mind with a ruthlessness that frightened her almost more than these monsters searching for her did. Sabrina clutched her middle, having the instinctive need to protect her heart but also to hug her churning stomach.

  “Gargoyles mate for life. We can see when a woman belongs to a gargoyle male. Even human woman carry the--”

  Her heart didn’t shatter this time. There was nothing left of it to destroy. She didn’t carry his mark.

  “I’m sorry, Sabrina.”

  “I don’t want to see you again tonight,” she said through chattering teeth.

  He emerged from the en-suite, guided her to the bathroom where warm steam filled the air.

  “Unfortunately, you will have to see me. We were invited to a party.”

  She wanted to run and hide somewhere they didn’t have to go to these endless parties, where he didn’t search for women who were turned into the walking dead by pure evil. Evil that was looking for her.

  “Wouldn’t the drogge find me if these women saw me with you?”

  He shook his head. “They are so focused on me, they don’t notice anything else. I have an inborn ability to block them, as long as you are with me, they cannot detect that you are the one they’re looking for. The women are literally only food. The drogge do their own hunting.”

  “Please go away, I’m so cold I just want to lay in a warm bath and forget about everything.” They’d made love, she’d believed they’d been married, but suddenly she felt awkward, couldn’t face taking of her clothes and getting in the bath with him there.

  He went to the door, but hesitated with his back to her. “There is something you should know. About where the party is tonight.”

  “Where?”

  “Mikayla’s parents.” He turned, his veiled eyes missed nothing of her reaction.

  “Mikayla’s still infected?” Sabrina couldn’t bear the thought of her beautiful vibrant friend turning into whatever thing Jo turned into. “You said you would help her. That she would be okay.”

  “Get ready.”

  “Answer me, is Mikaela still in danger?”

  He wiped a hand over his hair, looking tired suddenly. “I don’t know.”

  He left and she limped to the door and closed it. Her knee ached unbearably from the cold, sitting in that cramped position in the gargoyle’s cellar.

  Muscles protested when she got into the bath. She whimpered and tried to relax, to let the silence and being in her grandmother’s home soothe her, but now it was tainted by memories of Mark pretending to love her.

  Another long difficult night lay ahead. She dreaded looking into her friend’s eyes and seeing death staring back at her. After an hour, she got out, chose a dress, and did her hair and makeup. It would serve as armor to hide behind.

  She slowly went downstairs and was only halfway when Mark appeared. One moment they stood on the stairs, and the next they were outside next to the car.

  As usual Samuel waited for them. “Good evening, Sabrina.”

  “Good evening, Samuel.” She was so surprised that he’d talk to her, she barely realized she’d gotten into the car.

  Mark scanned the street as he walked around the car. Scanning for the evil hunting her, the evil he wanted to use her as bait for. They’d talked about everything but that. For a moment, her bottom lip quivered uncontrollably. She bit it and drew back her shoulders. She was strong, she could get through this. And she’d find a way to escape if he still planned to use her as bait. He got in and they drove in silence to Mikaela’s parents’ house. Sabrina’s traitorous body reacted to Mark, keeping her aware of him during the whole drive, even though they didn’t look at each other.

  Mikaela stood waiting for them, she and her parents standing on the veranda to receive the guests. She smiled and stepped into Mark’s arms the moment they entered and didn’t even glance at Sabrina. Mikaela’s parents greeted Sabrina warmly, clearly embarrassed. Sabrina thought of the Greylings despair while Jo deteriorated in front of them and prayed Mikaela’s parents were spared that. She hugged the couple who’d been like second parents to her.

  Mark was seated next to Mikaela at the other end of the table. The moment dinner was finished, Sabrina quietly made her way outside. She couldn’t stand seeing her friend suffer anymore.

  Mikaela’s parents’ house was a modern two-story glass house with a slab of silver concrete circling the whole place. She knew her way around this house, had practically grown up here, and she knew where the family arranged a private little veranda. Hidden by big potted plants, it was a little oasis.

  If she was very lucky, she could sit in peace here in the dark on the veranda and rest her knee for a moment. She knew where the light switch was, but right now the barely there lighting suited her. She couldn’t face seeing Jo and Mikaela cling to Mark anymore. It baffled her that they would cling to him with such desperation. And a small part of her, that she wished didn’t exist, still kept wondering if Mark had anything to do with what was happening to them.

  “I thought I’d find you skulking out here in the dark.” Jo’s voice dripped with scorn, but also a strange desperation.

  Sabrina sighed and gathered herself to get up and leave. This discussion was guaranteed to be unpleasant. And futile. Whatever took over Jo had stolen her reason.

  “Please leave me alone, Jo.” Sabrina was so tired of this. The person in front of her wasn’t human anymore. What looked out at her through those eyes was less than a dead soul.

  “He’s mine, Sabrina. You may wear his ring, but he’s mine.” Jo smiled a vicious smile, her eyes feverish and diamond hard.

  “Mark belongs only to hi
mself and if you continue this pursuit, you’ll find--” Sabrina sighed and shook her head. “This is pointless, Jo. Why don’t you go and find Mark?”

  He seemed to know how to deal with her. Sabrina felt sorry for Jo, but worry for Mikaela was diving her out of her mind.

  The way he’d dealt with the gargoyle had shown her exactly how dangerous her so-called husband was.

  It was as if Jo didn’t hear her words. As if she responded to a conversation only she heard. “Always the dutiful little wife, willing to look the other way when he has other women.”

  Scorn dripped from Jo’s voice, but Sabrina also heard envy. Jo would give anything to be the one who wore Mark’s ring. Sabrina couldn’t fathom their fascination with Mark. If they were as dead inside as their eyes appeared, why would they want him so desperately? Maybe it had something to do with his ability to block the drogge.

  For one terrifying moment something moved under Jo’s skin and she took a threatening step closer. Then she cocked her head in that unnatural, reptilian fashion; swung around; and left.

  Sabrina blew out the breath she’d held and leaned back in the chair, lifted a trembling hand in front of her face. How much more of this would she be expected to take. Mark had warned her to play the woman scorned and not to let any of the women realize she could withstand mind control. It wasn’t hard to push jealousy and unhappiness to the forefront of her mind.

  The music was loud enough and the veranda far enough from the party so that no one heard Jo’s tirade. The gargoyle’s cellar may have been cold, but Sabrina had been left undisturbed. Maybe if this got worse, she’d volunteer to be their prisoner again.

  She shouldn’t be surprised. The way this evening was going it made sense that Mikaela stepped onto the veranda.

  For the first time since they were six years old, Mikaela looked at Sabrina with hatred in her eyes. “Why are you out here?”

  “Just resting my knee,” Sabrina said. This stranger glaring at her used to be her very best friend.

  Mikaela flounced forward. “Mark said he liked me more than you and Jo.”

  It was such an odd, juvenile thing to say. Sabrina looked into Mikaela’s eyes and could’ve cried. Her friend was battling the monster trying to take her. “Please, Mikaela, fight this, I know you’re in there.” Sabrina couldn’t fight the tears anymore and they cut a warm trail over her cheeks, like blood leaking out of her eyes.