by Rach Elle
“Oh, I know.” Roderick nodded again. Sunders opened the door and began to leave. “Hey Sonny,” Roderick called. Sunders stopped and looked back at his colleague. “I heard a rumor that you’re getting a new recruit on your team.”
“Aye,” Sunders had completely forgotten about the upcoming addition.
“I also heard they’re a former Protector; any truth?”
“That’s the rumor I heard.”
“Well, when he gets here can you send him my way for a bit? He might have some insight that our current Protectors are not so willing to share; you know, help us find what we’re looking for.”
Sunders smiled, “Will do.” He turned and headed back down the hall without any intention of obliging Roderick. If the Protectors were so short staffed as to only send two to help him then he was going to need every advantage he could get. This new recruit suddenly didn’t seem like such a burden anymore. He might, in fact, become quite useful.
Sunders headed into his team’s office to find Madge and Corey playing Cat’s Cradle and Dr. Crispin sitting in the corner looking bored out of his mind. Loudly, Sunders cleared his throat, forcing his two team members to quickly stand at attention.
“Where’s the tracking device Corey?” Sunders asked.
Corey turned and pulled the program up on his computer screen. “Still at the hotel; it hasn’t moved.”
“Has there been any suspicious activity Madge?”
Madge shook her head. “No, nothing out of the ordinary; just people going in and out.”
“Shit,” Sunders cursed under his breath. “You two will need to start alternating night shifts. We need to monitor these creatures every waking minute until caught.” The look of agitation on their faces was almost audible as he turned to Dr. Crispin. “Simon, will you join me in Bill’s office? We need to talk about our next step.”
Sunders entered Bill Maines’ office with Simon following close behind. The two Protectors sat in the only chairs available, which left Sunders and Crisp to stand against the file cabinets.
“Gentlemen,” Bill started, “this is Wade and Chase.” He motioned to Sunders and the doctor, “Wade and Chase, this is Simon Crispin and well, I believe you’ve already met Mr. Harper.” He leaned back in his swivel chair and eyed Sunders. “Sonny, while I’m very impressed with the work you’ve done I must say I have no choice but to be unenthused. Just because this is the closest we’ve come to capturing a true gargoyle in decades does not excuse the fact that you have put a young girl’s life in danger.”
“She’s not in danger.” Sunders interrupted.
“And how do you know that?”
Sunders didn’t want to go into details about the prophecy and Simon’s notion that Awilda was actually the prophesized destroyer. He figured that kind of crazy talk would only make the Protectors hate him more. “I just know.”
“All you know is that her shoes are in some hotel.” Chase, the one with the crew cut chimed in.
“She’s there too; but they can’t keep her holed up for long. They’ll have to move some time, and that’s when we can strike.”
The Protectors scoffed. “We need to know what we’re up against before we can strike.” Chase started. “Honestly Bill, what kind of operation are you running here? All your little Finders think we’re just glorified rodeo wranglers; but what we do is dangerous work.” He turned back to Sunders. “We can’t just strike because we think there might only be two of them.”
Sunders huffed, “Maybe if you took it a little more seriously and got a few more guys out here we wouldn’t be so worried about the numbers game.”
Chase and Wade stood from their chairs. “Maybe if you had done your job you would have known what we we’re up against when you requested our help. Instead it’s all a guessing game and you don’t give a shit because you’re not risking your ass; you’re risking ours. You know what?” Chase looked to Wade and nodded before locking eyes with Sunders again. “Why don’t you just go back to your little computer and get us some real answers before wasting our time again. We’re out of here.” They headed to the door when it suddenly swung open to reveal a very excited Madge on the other side.
“Sonny!” She called.
“Not now Madge,” Sunders was still fuming.
“I think you’re gonna want to take a look at this; we got one!”
All five men in the room stopped and looked at each other in disbelief. Sunders quickly exited the room with everyone following suit. They made their way across the hall into Madge and Corey’s office space. Madge sat in her chair in front of her computer. “I decided to take a closer look at the footage that recorded last night. I remember when I skimmed through it this morning there was some shady looking meeting outside the south entrance. I thought it might be a drug deal or something. Anyway,” Madge began cueing the footage, focusing on the image of five men meeting outside the south side entrance, “when I watched closer I noticed a chain of events; watch.” She pressed ‘play’ as Sunders, Crisp, Bill, and the Protectors all watched closely over her shoulder. They saw five men standing around in an alley; they appeared to be talking when suddenly three of their heads shot toward the hotel in unison. The two closest to the door ran back inside. After a moment the other three left together and Madge hit ‘stop’.
“Did you see it?” She asked. The men shook their heads. “Watch again; only this time, follow the two that run inside.” She cued the footage and hit ‘play’. The three heads shot toward the hotel and the two men ran into the building. Shortly after Madge hit ‘pause’ and pointed to the screen, “There!” On the computer, under her finger, was the shadowy image of something flying through the air. Madge cued it back seconds before and played it back in slow motion. “Watch that window,” she said. The eyes on all five men widened as something leapt off the window sill and spread its wings to take flight. An arm reached out of the window and tried to grab its tail, but was unsuccessful.
“Oh my god,” Bill breathed. “It’s a gargoyle.”
“Who are those two men?” Chase asked.
“I don’t know,” Sunders said, “but it looks like they scared the thing away.”
“Well gentlemen,” Bill looked at the Protectors, “with this new evidence I really can’t support you in leaving our little facility here. I understand you don’t want to go into that hotel blindsided, but in case we have another breakthrough we can’t afford to sit around and wait for your return before taking action. Do you agree?”
The two Protectors looked at each other for a moment, as if communicating telepathically. Chase finally turned to Bill, “We’ll give you one week.” He turned to Sunders. “Considering the two months that were wasted in Egypt, we think that’s more than generous.”
Bill and the Protectors left the office space and headed for the break room. Sunders couldn’t believe the evidence Madge had found. It bought him one week. Now if only that tracker would move. Those monsters couldn’t possibly keep Awilda holed up in that hotel forever, could they?
34
Awilda sat in the backseat of a rental car, admiring her new shoes. They were a pair of red high heels that complimented her new sundress perfectly. Although, she wouldn’t dare let on that she truly loved the gift. It was just an attempt to get her to cooperate. Unfortunately for the shifters she wasn’t so easily bought.
The sun was shining and beating down on her pale skin but no warmth came from it. The outside air was still brisk and chilly even though it had officially been spring for some time. Awilda looked to her right to see a content Elizabeth sitting next to her. She didn’t look as old in the light of day. Her wrinkles weren’t as noticeable and her silver hair was full and loosely curled. She wore dabs of makeup, but nothing too thick. She was a natural beauty. Awilda imagined how gorgeous she must have been in her younger years; model worthy, probably.
Ahead of Awilda, in the passenger seat sat Kingsley. Even though his legs were not nearly as long as Junior’s, he had his seat pushed all t
he way back, forcing Awilda to keep her small legs bent at a ninety degree angle the entire ride. Junior, in the driver’s seat seemed more aware of the person behind him. She could see his legs were a little cramped, but he still kept his seat forward for Elizabeth. He was obviously much more considerate than the old man.
Awilda sat in silence for a few moments, excited to be going to a castle. When Junior had told her to change into her new dress and shoes she stubbornly declined; but when he finally gave in and told her where they were going she quickly heeded his suggestion and changed out of the jeans and sweater she’d been wearing the past couple of days. He said they were going to see a very wealthy family and they lived in a castle that had been passed down from generation to generation. She’d never been in a castle before, and although still very unsure of her company, decided that maybe she’d go along with their excursion just this once.
Awilda thought back to the events of last night. Junior had been so upset to see Limmy in her room; but Kingsley on the other hand, well, he seemed more intrigued. She remembered him mumbling something about a prophecy. She wanted him to clarify but Junior made it perfectly clear he wasn’t going to let that happen. She deserved some answers though, didn’t she?
“Um,” Awilda finally broke the silence, “I know Junior’s gonna throw a fit if I ask about the prophecy,” she could see his shoulders tense, “but what if I asked about Limrids; is anyone going to freak out on me if I do that?”
After a moment, Kingsley answered, “What do you want to know?”
“Well, I guess what are they is a good place to start.”
“The legend says that they are the gargoyles who refused to revolt against hell in the Ultimate War. When Heaven won, however, they refused to accept defeat and answer to their leader; Satan.”
“Why do they look so different from you?”
“God rewarded those who fought for Him by giving them not only strength, but the ability to shift into human form. This way they could walk amongst humans without fear of discrimination. He also gave them what I suppose everyone wants; a purpose in life.”
“To protect your Responsibilities,” Awilda said.
“Yes.”
“And what about the Limrids?”
“Well, God with His infinite love and patience, allowed the Limrids to stay on earth; but He stripped them of all powers, forcing them into a decrepit state.”
“What powers?”
“When Satan raised the gargoyles from the depths of hell he fed them powers to destroy the human race.”
“Did the good gargoyles have powers?”
“Yes.”
“Do you have them now?” Awilda asked.
“No.”
“Why?”
Junior cracked a smile and looked at Kingsley. “Inquisitive, isn’t she?”
“Because,” Kingsley continued, “They were dark powers; no good could come from them.”
Awilda thought of Limmy. “But, not all Limrids are bad, right?”
Kingsley sighed deeply, “According to the legend, a Limrid can learn humility once they are owned by a human. Only then will they be allowed into Heaven.”
“How does one go about owning a Limrid?”
“By saying their name and claiming them; the catch is that they can’t physically tell anyone their name. You have to figure it out on your own.” Kingsley turned around in his seat to look at Awilda. “But don’t even try to name that Limrid we saw last night. It’s a very bad idea.”
“Why?” Awilda asked quietly.
“Because they only want to be claimed so they can get their powers back. A powerful Limrid is a very dangerous thing.” He turned back around and resettled into his seat.
Awilda thought about that night in her grandmother’s house. Sunders read from the book she had found and explained to her the properties of Limrids. Kingsley seemed to be reaffirming everything he had said. After a moment she continued, “But I thought once you owned a Limrid he could only perform his powers under your command.”
“True,” Kingsley responded, “but the most important thing you can ever know about a Limrid is that they’re tricksters. They have no loyalty and will manipulate you into giving them what they want. Whether or not they learn humility, make no mistake about it; absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
The rental car pulled onto the long driveway that led to the Vanderburen castle. The trees that lined the way cast shadows too thick to see the sun. Awilda’s eyes widened as the enormous castle came into view. It was everything she had imagined a castle to be; the stone walls, the large wooden front door, and the towers that reminded her of Sleeping Beauty; the princess that awaited true love’s first kiss. Only this castle had a darkness to it; perched on nearly every ledge sat a large, stone gargoyle. They overlooked the surroundings in fierce stances; monsters waiting and willing to kill. Their wings were outstretched, their claws were long and their faces snarled at anyone who dared to approach.
The car slowly drove over the pebbled, rounded drive complete with a large fountain of dancing angels in the center before parking next to a silvered Lamborghini. Junior, Kingsley, Elizabeth and Awilda filed out of their clearly inferior rental and headed to the front door that looked medieval with its wrought iron hardware and hinges. Kingsley knocked loudly and shortly after, the door opened without so much as a creak.
On the other side of the door stood a young man who looked to be in his early twenties. He had jet black, short hair and dark eyes. His face sported light stubble and his ears were pierced with large, black metal hoops. He wore a button-up plaid shirt that tucked loosely into his fitted jeans. His sleeves were rolled up to his elbows and his dark orange suspenders matched his sneakers.
“Junior and Kingsley.” He smiled, “Nice to see you again.” His English accent was fluid and a little raspy. “Come in,” he motioned for the four to enter.
Junior and Kingsley walked through the threshold into the stone foyer as Elizabeth and Awilda followed. “And who might you two be?” The boy asked.
“This is Elizabeth and Awilda,” Junior answered for them.
“Welcome; my name is Mason. I’ll be showing you around.”
“They’re not clients; they don’t need a tour.” Another boy entered the foyer. He looked to be slightly younger than Mason. He had long, brown feathered hair and light brown eyes. He wore a blue checkered tank with a racer back that sat atop the tightest black jeans Awilda had ever seen. A gold studded belt hung loosely around his waist; clearly for show, not function. He wore a pair of pointed black boots that echoed in the foyer as he walked. His skin was pale and his muscles were lean but prominent in that tight shirt. Clearly he was confident in his physique.
Mason rolled his eyes, “Elizabeth and Awilda; this is Alvin.”
Alvin smiled at the old woman. He locked eyes with Awilda. “Charmed,” he winked. Mason turned to him. “Cooper’s still working on the preparations; I’m under orders to keep them occupied for a few minutes.”
“The way you do your tours they’ll be occupied for a few hours.” The boy shot back. His accent was just as fluid as Mason’s, but it had a slightly higher pitch and a light, jovial quality. “Just sit ‘em down in front of the telly; they’ll be fine.”
As the two boys continued to bicker Awilda allowed her eyes to wander around the foyer. It was covered in stone; from the floor to the ceiling. She wondered if any of it was original and how far back it dated. A large, red and gold tapestry hung from the wall adjacent to the door and old fashioned sconces with tapers hung all around them. A stained glass window that sat above the front door filled the room with natural light, rendering the massive, golden chandelier above them useless. If the rest of the castle was half as beautiful as this foyer then she couldn’t wait to see more.
“You don’t really need to see the whole place, do you? I mean, once you’ve seen one castle you’ve seen ‘em all, you know.” Alvin said.
“I’ve never seen a castle before.” Awilda chim
ed in before anyone could agree with him.
“Of course not, you’re American.” Mason smiled before shooting Alvin a victorious grin.
Alvin shrugged his shoulders. “Up to you; I’ll be in the living room watching the telly if and when any of you want to join me.” He turned and headed out of the foyer.
“Well then,” Mason beamed at the four guests, “shall we get started?”
Awilda barely heard Mason as he told the history of some of the tiniest details of the castle. He spoke of the art period in which most paintings were rendered. He pointed to the stylistic designs and curvatures of windows throughout.
“Although this entire castle has been updated with the most modern conveniences,” he said, “great work went into maintaining its original structure and beauty.”
They walked through the kitchen that was decked out with all stainless steel appliances and marble countertops. A large stone pizza oven sat in the corner across from the door that led into a stone wine cellar. There had to have been thousands of bottles of wine lining the walls. “Fun fact,” Mason smiled, “this used to be a prison cell. There was never any source of light and the only source of air was through the cracks of the door; complete sensory deprivation. In fact, the kitchen as we know it isn’t original at all. It used to be the main cell block; and when a prisoner died, guess where they’d end up.” He nodded over his shoulder towards the pizza oven. “Let’s continue to the main hall.” He led the group out of the room.
The main hall was an enormous dining room with a long wooden table in the center of it. The setting looked exactly as Awilda had imagined a medieval dining room to be. The chairs had tall backs and the chandelier was round and wooden. Although, at a closer glance she could see that the candles in the light fixture were electric. The table had a beige runner down the middle and three centerpieces complete with flowers, gourds, and pinecones dressed it up beautifully. The table was set; every chair had a placemat, each plate sat atop a delicately decorated charger; two forks, two knives, and one spoon were placed strategically on both sides, and two glasses stood in the corner of each setting; one for water and one for wine. The entire scene looked like a page from ‘Home and Garden’ or any other magazine that tried to make people think this was how a normal table should look at Thanksgiving.