by Price, E A
She had gone back to bed for a couple of hours, and then she had gone grocery shopping, stocking up on raw meat. George had raised an eyebrow at her purchases but hadn’t commented. Thankfully, he wasn’t a busybody. She had bought enough meat to feed an entire pride of lions. She had done so because she feared what would happen if Luc went out to hunt. She still hadn’t told him that Maggie had seen him flying around town. Amidst the other revelations, that little nugget had slipped her mind.
Kylie sighed and rubbed her forehead. There was still so much they needed to talk about – not to mention the task ahead of them. She thought she was going to go cross-eyed.
First and foremost, she guessed they needed to work on finding any other gargoyles that needed waking. Then they needed to figure out how to actually wake them - because she had absolutely no freaking idea how and why Luc had awoken.
Kylie snapped to attention as she heard a growling noise. Quickly, Luc’s skin turned from cold stone to warm red, and his eyes flashed as he became flesh again. His wings stretched out, knocking that damn lamp over which Kylie was definitely going to move somewhere else.
She beamed at him as he stretched and groaned. “Morning, or should I night?”
Luc chuckled. “Good morning, little one. I see that you are well rested. I trust that you had a good day.”
“Oh, yes.” It was probably about as good as it was going to get under the current circumstances. She had tried watching TV earlier but found that a hulking gargoyle was kind of a distraction, so she had settled on trying to find out as much as she could about his kind.
He grunted. “I am sorry, I wish I could remain here and speak with you, but I find that I must hunt.”
“No, you can’t,” yelled Kylie, jumping to her feet.
Brief annoyance flashed over his face. “Why not?”
Kylie patiently explained about Maggie, and her worries that other town members may see him. She tried to lighten the mood with the fact that she had several choice cuts of meat available.
He was not happy about it, but he agreed that he should try to stay out of sight for the moment. “I am not sure how long I can stay inside like this. It is in a gargoyle’s nature to live in the open air.”
“Hopefully it won’t be for long,” she said, soothingly. “Although, of course, I’m happy for you to stay here as long as you like,” she added quickly and blushingly.
Luc squeezed her hand. “Thank you. Now where is this meat you speak of?”
Thirty minutes later, Kylie splashed cold water over her cheeks and tried to forget the spectacle she just saw. As much as she enjoyed Luc’s company, she did not want to see him eat again. It was like feeding time at the zoo. Seeing the blood from the warm meat dribbling down his chin had not been pleasant. Warm meat – not cooked meat. She was glad, in spite of the hint of a smell, that she had left it out instead of putting it in the fridge. He said that chilling it would have ruined the – yeuch – flavor. It did not wholly satisfy him, but he was grateful for the effort she had made. He also ate all the meat in one go. Feeding him every night was going to put a severe strain on her credit card.
“Are you well?” asked Luc, hovering near her.
“I’m fine,” she lied, giving him a watery smile.
He frowned at her. “I do not like it when you lie to me, little one. You find my eating habits repulsive.”
“No!” she cried in shock. “Just… well, okay, it’s just that I’m not used to it.” Kylie grabbed a tissue and dabbed at a dribble of blood on his chin. His lips parted, and his eyes bored into her. His massive chest rose and fell, brushing against her outstretched arm as he breathed. “You had a little something there.”
“Thank you,” he murmured, huskily.
They both stood still, staring into one another’s eyes, barely touching. Just as Kylie thought she could no longer take the electric tension she squealed. The strains of ‘Devil Woman’ emanated from her phone.
She snatched up the phone and snapped the word ‘yes’.
“Touchy, touchy,” laughed Maggie on the other end. “Have I caught you at a bad time? Were you doing something fun and exciting? Or should I say, were you doing someone fun and exciting?”
“No, of course not,” she spluttered, indignantly. She glanced back at Luc and saw that he was already sitting in the living room on his stool and leafing through a book. “What’s up?”
“I’m at The Noose,” – the one and only bar in town, “with Andrew Hardcastle.”
“You are?” asked Kylie, incredulously.
“He’s buying me a drink.”
“He is?”
“We thought we might go and grab a bite to eat.”
“You what?!”
Kylie could almost hear Maggie tapping her foot on the other end of the phone. “Why is that so hard to believe?”
“Less than a week ago you were calling him Andrew the ass…”
“That was before I knew him,” snapped Maggie.
“What happened to Eldon? I thought he enjoyed being bossed around; I thought he was the man of your dreams.”
“He liked being bossed around a bit too much. He wanted me to put a bridle on him and lead him around like a pony… that’s fine for other people, but I’m not into that. Besides, Andrew’s more interesting.”
She bit her lip. She didn’t like where this was going. In the time she’d known Maggie, the younger woman had dated numerous men. Dated being a very generous term. But, Kylie had never seen her be anything but dismissive and casual about anyone with a y chromosome.
“You know he has a fiancée,” began Kylie, caustically.
“It’s not like that,” said Maggie, hotly. “We’re just friends. I was actually calling to see if you wanted to join us.”
Kylie considered suggesting that they ask Andrew’s fiancée to join them but bit her tongue. She was sure that they didn’t want her to join them, but they wanted a chaperone, so it looked innocent. Not that she thought anything would actually happen, at least, she hoped it wouldn’t. But small town gossips… And Lara didn’t look like the forgiving kind.
As much as Kylie wanted to go, she couldn’t leave Luc. “I’m sorry, but I’m actually not feeling too well.”
“Well, another time, then,” said Maggie quickly as she hung up.
Kylie stared at the phone before turning to Luc, who eyed her with interest. She quickly explained about Maggie asking her to dinner, and Luc seemed a little relieved.
As a distraction, Kylie started to explain about trying to find the other gargoyles. Since starting to work for her aunt, Maggie had become familiar with antique auctions and collections, and she thought that might be a good place to start. The thought that the professor might have more gargoyles stashed away somewhere was still nagging at her, but at that moment she wouldn’t even begin to know how to approach Andrew Hardcastle. From what the professor had said she highly doubted he had any idea about the gargoyles. It did occur to her that Gustave might, but she had no idea about how to contact him. Perhaps she should try her aunt again on that.
Luc was fascinated by the idea of a computer. But if Kylie had thought trying to teach her great aunt to use the internet was frustrating, it was nothing compared to the trials that befell her tuition of Luc. Gargoyle talons were not created for keyboards. When he wasn’t growling over the frustration of typing he was yelling and accusing the computer of being a devilish contraption conjured by the worst sorcerer imaginable. Kylie almost inhaled a whole bottle of wine to get her through. In the end, Kylie decided that it was better that she drive the computer, and he watch.
After a couple of hours, Kylie could no longer stifle her yawns, and Luc suggested that she go to bed. She asked what he would do while she was sleeping, fearful that he might try to leave her apartment. But he promised that he would stay there and read. Kylie showed him how to work the TV, but he didn’t seem overly thrilled with it. She swore he muttered the word ‘devil’s box’ under his breath.
A
s Kylie was about to disappear into her bedroom, she turned back. “You don’t think that anyone from your time will still be after you, do you?”
“I imagine they will all be dead by now.”
“No. I mean, over the years who you are has never actually been forgotten. You've had caretakers for all these years. You don’t think that maybe the grudge against your kind has survived, too?”
Luc hesitated. “It was a very long time ago. The families of my allies changed so much over the years that I doubt any of them still exist anymore. I am not sure my enemy would still exist either, or if they would still care about killing us.”
“How come you came to be in the professor’s garden then?”
“Faylinn was my first caretaker,” he said, softly. “As she was nearing the end of her life, she chose my next caretaker, a nephew of hers, and ensured that I would be safe with him. Over the years, I have been protected by many different people from all walks of life and have been all over the world.”
“Armchair traveler, huh?” she snickered.
Luc stared at her blankly, and she cleared her throat, awkwardly. “So if you’re not in danger from them, why all the secrecy and the hiding?”
“Our old enemies may not exist, but there may be others who would wish us ill. You say that Merlin is still known, yes?”
“Well, yeah, but just as a legend.”
“To you, perhaps, who is not versed in magic. But to one who is, they may wish to possess a creature that contains some of Merlin’s magic. Or there may be those who would want a creature like me, to use to kill on their behalf. And then, of course, there may have been a fear that I would have been accidentally damaged. So yes, as much as I disliked being helpless and depending on others for protection, it was necessary for me to be guarded at all times.”
“Didn’t stop your world tour,” she quipped.
“No, I have been all over the world, but I have not seen any of it,” he remarked, almost a wistful sadness creeping into his voice. He cleared his throat and resumed a stoic expression.
Kylie pressed her lips together and walked over to him. She laid a hand on his arm, and he shivered under her touch. “I’ve never been outside the country. Who knows? Maybe one day we’ll travel the world, together.”
“I would like that, little one. Now, please, if not for your sake, then for mine, you must rest.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
“Let’s see, that’s volumes one, two and three of world history; the complete works of William Shakespeare; the A-Z of animals; an atlas; a guide to world cultures and… Men At Arms by Terry Pratchett.” Myrna, the town librarian, gave Kylie a speculative look. “Interesting choices. I expect you’ll be busy with this lot for a couple of weeks.”
“Oh, probably not that long,” muttered Kylie pulling out her library card. “Eight books is the limit, right?”
Myrna raised an eyebrow and her lips pursed. “Right, but for three dollars a month you can change that to ten.”
Kylie handed over her card. “Eight will be fine, thanks.” She imagined that the extra money was due to the fact that the library was tiny and if half the town took out ten books all at once, then they wouldn’t have any books left. They needed the extra money to buy more. Not that people generally used the library to lend books much anymore. Ever since they installed computers, bought used by the town council and all at least ten years old, most people just went to the library for the free wi-fi. If Bea didn’t have wi-fi for the shop that extended to her apartment above, Kylie would have been right there with them.
Luc had been living with her for four weeks now. She had mixed feelings about it. On one hand, she found herself increasingly enjoying his company. A week ago she had thought about how nice it was to have a man around the place. Then caught herself and remembered that technically she didn’t have a man around the place. She was trying to help a gargoyle – there was a difference. Yes, she reminded herself of that on a daily basis, now.
But, as kind as he was to her, Luc was becoming more and more unhappy at being cooped up. They had talked the matter over many times, and they both agreed that his presence should remain a secret for the time being. Their main priority was trying to locate and awaken other gargoyles – of which they were not having any success. In spite of Kylie’s worry, he insisted on at least leaving the apartment for an hour each night. Sometimes he took a short flight – particularly if it was foggy. But other times he merely sat on her roof and brooded. He didn’t find it overly satisfying, but it was better than nothing.
Also, her meat bill was now astronomical. She was worried that a sudden decrease in the local wildlife might have people scratching their heads, so she insisted that he eat the raw meat she bought for him. He wasn’t happy about that either, but he acquiesced fairly graciously. Given the funny looks, she was getting at the grocery store she had started driving out of town to buy food for Luc. He credit card was taking a pounding.
He had also read every book that Kylie owned – that included her five Terry Pratchetts and her racier romances. He could barely look her in the face after he read ‘Milady’s Pleasure’. But, he found Terry Pratchett to be highly amusing. And since he was averse to using her computer or watching TV, she had resorted to finding things he might enjoy from the library.
Kylie hefted the books into several book bags. The damn world history books were enormous. They ought to be pretty damn thorough considering the size of them – and there were five more editions in the series. She felt a sudden prickle on the back of her neck and spun around to see Gary pointedly not looking at her. He was acting weirder than usual.
Leaving the books on the counter, in spite of Myrna’s disapproving gaze, Kylie spun on her heel and marched over to Gary.
“Hey Gary,” she said.
He pretended not to see her and was instead staring at the latest issue of LGBT Monthly. The Library now carried it because Maggie made a big stink about equal rights when the Library Committee didn’t think there was enough interest in town to warrant a subscription. They caved to Maggie’s annoying pressure after she threatened to chain herself to the outside of the Library naked. The men on the Committee challenged her to do her worst, but the women on the Committee feared the effect this may have on their husbands. Maggie was an oddball, but she was a trim and sexy oddball. Besides, it was kind of shortsighted of the Committee. There was a large amount of same-sex couples that had retired to the area. Stauncher members of the Committee referred to them as being merely roommates.
Kylie repeated herself and waved a hand in front of Gary’s face.
“Oh, Kylie. Sorry, I didn’t see you there.” He took a good, hard look at the magazine and frowned before putting it down.
“Umm hmmm.”
When Kylie first arrived in Devil’s Hang, Gary had been very persistent and constantly showed up wherever she was. Whether she was out for a drink with Maggie or buying tampons at the drug store – there he was! But if Kylie thought that was bad, it was nothing compared to the last couple of weeks. Kylie could barely take a step without falling over Gary. She just didn’t know how to broach it without coming across like she was accusing him of stalking her. The strange thing was, he really wasn’t interested in her romantically anymore. He didn’t ask her out, and he didn’t give the goo goo eyes anymore. He must have been telling the truth when he said he met someone at Andrew’s party. But then why was she practically tripping over him every day?
“Look, Gary…”
Gary looked panicked and pointed behind her. “What’s that over there?”
“What, where?” Kylie turned around. Of course she did. “What am I…” Then she turned back, with incredulous disbelief, to watch Gary fleeing for the door.
She couldn’t believe he’d done that. She couldn’t believe she’d fallen for it. Seriously.
With a belabored sigh, Kylie grabbed her books and dragged them out of the library. She wondered if Gary was suffering a nervous breakdown. She wasn’t ex
actly up to date on the town’s gossip. Bea wasn’t much of a gossip, meaning that she didn’t spread gossip but was happy to hear it. Usually, Kylie got all her gossip from Maggie. Her friend knew just about everything that went on in the town mere seconds after it happened. Kylie regretted that she hadn’t made much of an effort to see her friend recently. Her every waking moment had become devoted to Luc.
Kylie frowned as she passed someone she didn’t know. There seemed to be more and more people she didn’t know in town. That wasn’t altogether odd. The town always had visitors; new faces arrived all the time, as was the nature of tourism. But recently, she had noticed people who didn’t seem to fit the bill as tourists and didn’t seem to go away either. They were always dressed in black and didn’t do anything that tourists did like take cream teas and walk around looking lost. They just seemed to walk around town looking moody. Kylie shrugged. It was probably nothing.
Kylie had been working with her aunt in completely cataloguing the professor’s collection. Andrew seemed to be fascinated by each and every object. He kept joking that he could open his own museum, but he might be right. Bea just liked looking at antiques – she was a strange bird. But Kylie was hoping that it would throw up some clue as to the location of the other gargoyles. She hadn’t found anything yet, but she was ever hopeful.
Bea couldn’t tell her anything about Gustave, so Kylie tried to raise the matter with Andrew a couple of times. He seemed as flummoxed as her. He said they were trying to find him, but couldn’t seem to. Kylie suggested they call the police, but Lara apparently suddenly remembered that Gustave had called the other day. Kylie didn’t believe her, and she wasn’t sure that Andrew did either. But other than screaming ‘liar’ at her, she wasn’t sure what to do, or sure about why Lara would want to lie. Perhaps Lara was greedy and didn’t want Gustave to inherit any money. She needed to think about the Gustave problem.
Work had begun on the new garden and with a little despondency, she had watched as they started cutting down the hedge maze. Luc really couldn’t go back to there now. Not that there was much to go back to - it was just a scrap of land, after all.