When a Gargoyle Awakens

by Price, E A

  He couldn’t have gone far. Dawn wasn’t that far away, and she knew he wouldn’t risk sleeping in the open, nor could he go back to Andrew’s house. If she knew him at all, she knew he would try and conceal himself in the woodland surrounding the town. Which was why she had grabbed a flashlight and was currently trampling her way through the woods in the hope of finding him. Of course, the more twigs that caught on her hair, and the more squelchy water that poured into her shoes, the less likely she thought it was of finding him.

  She heard a growl in the distance and hoped to every deity going that it was Luc and not some wolf. Did you get wolves in Maine? Her knowledge of wildlife was limited to rats in New York.

  “Luc, is that you? Luc, please!”

  She trudged in the direction of the growl, only gasping, slightly as she smashed into a low-hanging tree branch. Her cheek ached, and she was vaguely aware of something trickling down it, but she ignored it.

  She needed to find Luc. If he flew away in anger, he could get caught. The government could take him away. Hunters could kill him. She had to find him first.

  “Luc! Where are you? Talk to me!”

  There was a chance that she was just a crazy woman, stomping around the woods, in the black of night, in the pouring rain and talking to herself. But she didn’t care. The only thing she cared about was finding him. If she had to stay out there all day long, she would. If she had to search every inch of woodland, she would. Although there was a possibility she was going round in circles. She was sure that was a thread from her purple skirt snagged on that branch.

  Kylie shook her head, and drops of rainwater sprayed her. It didn’t matter. If it were snowing, it wouldn’t matter. She needed to find him.

  “Luc, please come home!”

  She heard some movement behind her, and she spun around. Her foot caught on the root of a tree, and she crashed to the ground, squealing in pain. Sodden, muddy and lying on the ground, she panted and let out a whimper. A part of her just wanted to lay there, to give in. The part of her that thought her heart was tearing in two. While another told her to get her butt in gear and find him before it was too late. Her body was just screaming for a rest. She gave into the latter and closed her eyes. She would just rest for a few moments, and then she would get up.

  Her eyes flickered open as she felt herself moving. Something warm and large was lifting her. “Little one.”

  “Luc?”

  “Hush, I will take you home.”

  Kylie pressed against his chest, hugging her body against his so tightly that he actually had to push her away slightly. But she wasn’t letting go. At that moment, she couldn’t be certain that he wasn’t a mirage, and she wanted to hold on just in case he decided to disappear back into her imagination.

  But it couldn’t have been her imagination when she found herself back in her apartment, and Luc was gingerly trying to strip her out of her clothes. He took off her coat and her shoes and then hesitated over the rest, his hands hovering over her body.

  “Little one,” he said, hoarsely. “Are you well enough to… ah… manage the rest of your garments.”

  The pounding in her head had receded slightly, and she was more concerned with the fact that she was currently caked with mud. “I’m going to take a shower.” She limped to the bathroom; he followed her every step, in case she fell. “You’ll be here when I get out, right?”

  “I will.”

  Her eyes searched his face; it was filled with concern and a little pain. She nodded and was grateful to slip finally under the hot water. She showered as quickly as possible. Partly because she did worry that he might try to leave, but also because her ankle was already swelling, and she worried about falling over. She’d just need rescuing again if that happened.

  She pulled on her pajamas and found him standing outside the door where she had left him. Wordlessly he picked her up as if she weighed nothing and carried her into her bedroom. He placed her on the bed, and he carefully handled her ankle before moving up to her hand, which was still red and throbbing, and then tracing the small cut on her cheek. He seemed to be cataloging her boo-boos.

  “You are lucky these are the only injuries you sustained,” he said, softly with only an edge of reproach. “You could have been seriously hurt.”

  “I wouldn’t have been injured if you hadn’t run away,” she retorted, petulantly. She was just too tired to be all nice and submissive.

  He sat on the edge of the bed. “I did not run away. I merely needed time to think.”

  Those damn tears prickled her eyes again, and Kylie tried to cover her wobbling voice with indignation. “You could have been seen and taken away, what would I have done then?”

  He looked sorrowful. “You would be better off. Your life was uncomplicated before…”

  “No, it was boring. And now it’s strange, and maybe even a little scary, but it’s not boring. And I’m happy. I told you, you make me happy.”

  “But earlier…”

  Kylie clucked her tongue. “You just suddenly dumped on me that we’re destined to be together – you don’t think that maybe I needed breathing space to come to terms with that? Maybe gargoyles go for the whole ‘me gargoyle, you gargoyle, we mate’ kind of schtick, but humans need a little more. Besides, you suddenly saying that I was your mate, so we had to be together whether we liked it or not – that’s not very romantic.”

  Luc puffed out his chest to hide his embarrassment. “Gargoyles are not romantic.”

  “Clearly,” she muttered shifting onto her side, trying not to wince at the pain in her ankle.

  “Kylie…”

  “You got my name right.”

  He smiled, and the tension inside her eased. He cupped her cheek. “A beautiful name for a beautiful woman.”

  Kylie blushed and looked away, but he dragged her face back to look at him. “You are beautiful, Kylie. I have thought so since the moment I first saw you. To be asleep for almost a thousand years, I was fortunate to wake to such beauty. I do not care whether fate believes we were meant to be together; I wanted you as my mate before I realized. But I did not think it were possible. I did not believe you could look at me as anything but a monster. Humans are raised to think of creatures like me as monsters.”

  “I don’t think you’re a monster.”

  He looked almost ashamed. “I thought that if you believed you had to be my mate, then at least I would have you – even if you were unhappy about it. But I saw that I could not force you, and that made me angrier. And the thought of you being with another male, one who you would look upon without fear or disgust was unbearable.”

  Kylie clasped his hands. “You never disgusted me, and I don’t feel any fear towards you.”

  “You did to start with,” he murmured as his brought her red palm to his lips and gently kissed it.

  “Hey, I’m playing the ignorant human card here, okay?” she said, softly, barely able to breathe through his butterfly kisses. “Put yourself in my shoes, and see how you would react if a statue suddenly came to life in front of you.”

  “You are not disappointed that you are my mate?” He kissed each knuckle one by one. What was that about gargoyles not being romantic?

  “I’m freaked out that there appears to be some kind of cosmic plan about the man I’m supposed to be with, but no, not disappointed. I was shocked at first, but I’m… happy.”

  “Happy?”

  “Yes, I’m worried about the future, worried about what will happen to you. But I’m happy, and I want to be with you. Happier than I can tell you. I didn’t think it was possible that we could be together. I care about you, a lot. More than I ever have for anyone, and that freaks me out, but it feels so right.”

  A slow smile spread across his face. “I know of no such union between a gargoyle and human ever taking place. There is no… physical reason that we could not be together, but I do not wish to rush you.”

  Kylie opened her mouth to object, but he hushed her.

 
“You are tired, little one. It has been a long day for you, and that is my fault. I think you should sleep on what I have told you.”

  “Wait, could you stay with me, while I go to sleep. I just worry that…”

  “I promise I will not leave again. But it would be my honor to stay with you until you fall asleep.”

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Kylie awoke to sunlight streaming into her room and birds singing, and the adventures of the previous night hit her full force like a bucket of water.

  Ignoring her aches and pains, she rushed out of the bedroom and was tremendously relieved to find Luc asleep in his stone state in the middle of her living room. That was to say, taking up half of her living room.

  Her palm still stung, her ankle hurt like hell, and her cheek felt itchy, but she hadn’t felt so good in a long time. His revelation had been startling, and she wasn’t sure where exactly she came down on the whole fate thing, but she was pleased. The feelings that had been growing inside her since the moment they met never felt wrong, but logically a part of her thought they must be. But to hear him say that he thinks they are destined to be together – who was she to fight it?

  There were many objections to them being together – too many to list. But now that she believed it was possible, she wanted to try, more than anything she wanted to try and be with him. It was safe to say that he was unlike any man she’d ever met.

  She was thankful that at least it was her day off. The store was closed for the day, and Bea was visiting a friend. She had nothing to do, except worry all day about what she was going to say to Luc when he awoke. Yes, they’d had a breakthrough when it came to their relationship, but it wasn’t too late for her to do or say something crazy to scare him away. It was perhaps to her advantage that he probably wouldn’t understand what she was saying.

  Just to be sure, she should spend the day relaxing, and planning what she was going to do tonight.

  Finding a new purpose she dressed, whispered goodbye to Luc and headed off to find Maggie. Apart from a few perfunctory hellos in the street, she had barely seen Maggie recently, and she could do with a little mindless girl talk to soothe her jangling nerves. Even if the girl talk involved hexes and curses.

  Kylie was shocked to find The Witch’s Brew closed. It rarely ever closed – the only concession Maggie made was a few hours at night, and that was only because she didn’t get many customers at that time. Even when Maggie wasn’t there, she hired a variety of disillusioned teenagers with a lot of eyeliner and blue streaks in their hair to cover for her.

  Kylie banged on the door. Maggie lived over her shop, often walking out of bed and opening up in the shop in her pajamas.

  “C’mon Maggie, open up.”

  Tourists crossed to the other side of the street to avoid the hollering woman. Eventually, the door opened a crack, and an abnormally subdued Maggie, wearing very little eyeliner, peered out.

  “What?”

  “What’s wrong?” Kylie peeked at her. “What’s wrong with your cheek?” It looked as bright and glowing as a Christmas tree.

  “You’re not exactly supermodel material yourself!” she snapped, before sighing. “I’m sorry, it’s a long story.”

  “How about a double cheeseburger and fries at the diner.”

  Maggie chewed her lip. Greasy food was one of her weaknesses.

  “Chilli fries?” tempted Kylie. They were her kryptonite.

  “Fine, just let me put on some boots.”

  “Uh, and some clothes right?”

  Maggie looked nice – she always did in her own way - but she was wearing a pair of jogging bottoms and a t-shirt covered in little bats with fangs, and they were obviously pajamas.

  “Nah, they’ve seen my bat pajamas before at the diner. I’ll be right out.”

  After Maggie had devoured the cheeseburger, two portions of fries and a slice of fried apple pie, she was ready to talk.

  “It was that bitch, Lara.”

  “She slapped you?”

  Maggie nodded and inhaled the last of her banana-caramel milkshake. “I’m surprised you don’t know already. She came to the store this morning when Myrna was there picking up some vitality herb boosters.” Allegedly, they were natural Viagra – presumably she was purchasing them for George. Poor guy. “She stormed in and told me to stay away from her man.”

  Kylie giggled at the awfulness of it. “She really said that?”

  “It was like a scene from Dynasty,” she said, morosely. Dynasty was an acquired taste.

  “What did you do?”

  “I laughed at her, and that’s when she slapped me.”

  “Jeez, what a cow-butt.” That was putting it as mildly as she could manage.

  “Myrna couldn’t wait to get out of there and tell everyone.”

  Kylie glanced around the diner, and there were one or two interested looky loos fixated on Maggie.

  “So what did you do? Tell me you slapped her back.”

  “Nothing,” said Maggie, forlornly.

  Kylie goggled at her. “Nothing at all?”

  “I closed the store, got into my pajamas and started watching the Disney channel to make me smile. I was just in the middle of a Kim Possible rerun when you came by. Surprised you did, by the way.”

  It wasn’t a harsh barb by any means. But it did sting a little. Kylie had been ignoring her friend in favor of Luc, her mate, the gargoyle she was supposed to spend the rest of her life with… She could feel herself tensing up again and dragged her attention back to Maggie.

  “I’m sorry, Maggie. Do you want to talk about you and…”

  “There’s actually nothing to talk about. We go out; we enjoy each other’s company, but just as friends. He’s never tried anything, or even hinted that he wanted to. And I certainly wouldn’t let him get anywhere if he did. I’m not interested in him. Not even a teeny bit.” Maggie studied the ketchup bottle for a few beats. “But what does he see in her? She’s a total bitch, right? She doesn’t deserve him, right?”

  “Right,” agreed Kylie, quickly.

  “Maybe she has a wonderful personality,” moaned Maggie.

  “Well, it’s certainly well hidden,” muttered Kylie making Maggie snigger.

  “I’m not thinking about her anymore. In fact, I’m not thinking about him either.”

  “Good plan.”

  “Let’s do something spontaneous so I can stop thinking about both of them.”

  “Sounds great.”

  “Something fun we can both enjoy.”

  “Sounds wonderful.”

  “Let’s go skydiving!”

  “Sounds terrifying.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  They settled, much to Maggie’s chagrin on getting manicures and pedicures and in a fit of bravery, Kylie decided to have a Brazilian wax. Well, she wasn’t sure when someone might next be, you know, looking down there. As much as the thought both terrified and elated her, she wanted to look her best.

  Maggie relaxed a little, and so did Kylie, not even reacting when Gary pressed his face up against the glass of the beauty parlor and then ran off when she caught him looking.

  When it reached 5pm, they went for a drink at Noose – a little Dutch courage for them both, apparently.

  Maggie had settled on telling Andrew that they shouldn’t be friends anymore. Not because of long-legged Lara, but, and she wouldn’t admit it, it was because she was starting to have feelings for him. She would not stoop to mooning over any man. Men mooned over her. End of story.

  When Kylie arrived home, she squealed at realizing how little time she had left and quickly took a bath, making sure to razor every damn hair off her legs and armpits. She then put on her best party dress – the one she had been wearing the night they met and slipped into her highest heels. They were an outright pain to walk in, but she doubted they would be going anywhere, and a little height might help. Although, she considered that even with these heels she was probably only about nipple high.

  By
the time Luc did wake up, it seemed to Kylie that he was excited. His movements were even more impatient than usual, and his hug was especially tender. He lifted her into his arms and buried his head in her shoulder, inhaling her scent.

  “You are trembling, little one,” he purred.

  “I’m a little nervous,” she murmured as he released her.

  His tail wrapped around her leg. “We don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” he told her, gently.

  “No, I want to, I want to be with you. Since we met, all we’ve done is worry about the future and about what we need to do. Why can’t we take a minute to ourselves?” When she said it, she knew it was true. She shut off her brain and allowed her heart to do the talking, and she realized how much she wanted him.

  Luc stroked her hair. “Only a minute? I fear that a lifetime would never be enough.”

  “Let’s start with tonight.” He cupped her head and brought her closer to him. “But, I have to tell you that you won’t be my first,” she said, quickly as his lips hovered over hers. “That’s not a problem is it? I mean you keep going on about my virtue…” She blushed – a seemingly never-ending habit in front of Luc. She seriously hoped he wasn’t expecting a virgin. That was a situation that ended twelve years ago.

  “In my time, an unmated human female would not have even met with a male alone. And certainly not a male of my kind.”

  “The world has changed,” she said, awkwardly and fearful that the mood was evaporating.

  “Humans have changed. Female gargoyles were not as coddled as human females, and we had less strict rules about coupling. I am not inexperienced, but I never formally took a mate.” A shadow crossed his brow.

  “What’s wrong?” She took his huge hand and pressed kisses over his knuckles, in the same way he had done to her the previous night. He snarled softly.

  “There was a female that I became attached to, but… I never found out if she shared my feelings.”