Frustrated at my lack of understanding, he bends closer so his mouth is against my ear.
“The she-monsters are using glamour.” He speaks so low I almost miss the statement.
“Are gorgons trolls?” I question matching his quiet tone.
Gage shakes his head slowly back and forth and removes his hand from my mouth.
“Trolls?” he repeats, clearly amused. “That’s what glamour makes you think of? Trolls?”
I throw a pointed look his way. “It’s a fair question. We’re under a bridge, in a wooded part of the park,” I whisper shout. “Isn’t that where trolls tend to live?”
“This isn’t a fairytale, love,” he chides. Oh right. Duh, I mean come on, Eve. Trolls?
“Are they nymphs then?” I dig further.
Gage gives me a don’t-be-stupid-Eve look before his grey wings snap from his back. “Trolls only live in the Eternal Forest and supernatural realms. Don’t get me started on nymphs. Do you have your daggers?” he asks, changing the topic.
I nod. “Of course. Wait.” I grab his arm. “Are you going to tell me what they are?”
“It’s best if you don’t know, given your aversion,” he says obscurely.
The protector silently motions that he’s going to the top of the archway. I hadn’t even taken a full breath before he vanishes, leaving me standing under the bridge. I use my enhanced hearing to listen for any sign of struggle. There’s none. It’s too quiet.
“What are you doing all alone, pretty girl?” An alluring female voice startles me.
At the intrusion, I spin around and withdraw my daggers. As trained, I morph into a warrior pose and stand tall, trying to appear unaffected by the cloaked figure watching me.
“Who are you?” I ask.
She tsks at my rude tone and lowers her hood. Holy. Fucking. Shit. I try not to flinch. Or pee my pants at what I’m seeing. Given my irrational fear of snakes, both might be difficult.
“I do believe, I am your worst nightmare, daughter of Heaven,” she says as the snakes on her head hiss at me. At the sound, my knees demand to buckle. I look away and focus on a spot behind her head, hoping that will keep me grounded and prevent me from throwing up.
I swallow. “What is it with you, demons and snakes?”
“They are revered in the underworld,” she purrs and then pets her hair. Shit. “A symbol of power and chaos. My sisters and I wear them proudly instead of fearing them. As. You. Should,” she snips.
Fire instantly appears, blocking both openings and caging us in. Crap. My eyes scan for an alternate escape route. There’s none. Looks like snake demon and I are game on.
“See.” She motions to the flames. “Power and chaos.”
“If this is your way of introducing yourself, it needs work,” I cleverly remark.
She releases a humorless, lifeless laugh. “Didn’t your protectors warn you of gorgons?”
“Sorry, you weren’t on the syllabus this semester,” I throw back.
“Then let us get acquainted, daughter of Heaven. I am Euryale. My sister, Stheno, is currently turning your gargoyle to stone, ironic really.” Euryale takes a step toward me.
I’d like to retreat but there’s no place to go unless I want to burn in the flames.
“I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but I’m not really a fan of snakes,” I retort.
The gorgon’s elegant hand lifts a piece of my hair and she inhales my scent. “You’ll make such a lovely addition to my collection of stone statues.” She lets out a sound of pleasure.
I yank my hair out of her grip. “I’m not a gargoyle and therefore can’t be turned to stone.”
“Your aroma says differently, pretty girl,” she purrs.
“You’re mistaken. I’m human.” I stand taller.
She shrugs as if she’s bored. “Gorgons have the ability to turn any being into stone…with only one seductive look.” Fucking fan-tab-ulous. Note to self: do not look her in the eyes.
Using my newly acquired supernatural speed, I slice my daggers upward on either side of her, cutting off several of the snake’s heads in the process. Hissing in angered pain, they fall to the ground, leaving black char spots before vanishing into blue flames. Fuck, that’s gross.
The female demon’s ravenous shriek pierces my eardrums. I stand firm, ready for a fight.
“My babies,” she whines before turning a cold glare my way. “You will pay severely for that,” she seethes as her rage triggers the flames to shoot up at least ten feet in the air.
“I’m sure,” I mumble, preparing to advance on her again.
“Need some help?” a croaky voice says from behind Euryale.
“Nassssssaaaa,” Euryale draws out in pain while what’s left of her reptile hair slithers.
“I didn’t know you could teleport,” I joke.
“I can’t,” Nassa replies.
“How the hell did you get in here then?” I question.
“Magic,” she says in a serious tone.
“Fine. Don’t tell me.” I pout and turn my attention back to the demon.
“Seriously, Eve. I used magic. Sorceress of the Black Circle…magic is kind of what I do,” she reminds with a dramatic wave of her hands. I really need to hang out with more humans.
My eyes meet hers. “Well, can you cast a spell for water and dull the flames?”
“Nope. I’m not a nature sorceress,” she answers.
“Meaning?” I keep my eyes on her.
Nassa shrugs. “Meaning, no wind, water, or air tricks. I can make flowers bloom though, but I think that’s more of a prosperity ability, versus a nature enchantment.”
The sound of snakes hissing heatedly pulls our focus back to Euryale.
“Are you two finished socializing?” the gorgon bites out.
“Got a spell for gorgons?” I ask as Nassa rounds the demon to stand next to me.
“I’m not sure. Should we go the Medusa route?” Nassa poses.
“Leave my sister out of this, witch,” the demon snips.
“Medusa?” I repeat. Now it all makes sense. “The snake hair. The beauty. Got it.”
“Gorgons typically come in threes. Euryale, Stheno, and Medusa were sisters. Unlike her kin, Medusa wasn’t immortal. Perseus, a demigod, beheaded her,” Nassa explains in an uninterested manner. “It’s the only way to destroy one of your kind, isn’t that right, gorgon?”
“I could enthrall you in a heartbeat, little witch. I’d watch my tongue,” Euryale warns.
Nassa rolls her eyes at the threat. “I’m terrified.”
From my peripheral vision, I notice the violet disappear from Euryale’s irises as they darken and become black. The gorgon’s tan snakes replenish themselves on her head while she begins to chant in Latin. Well, crap. This can’t be good.
As if compelled, I watch Nassa’s face slacken as she turns her head and raises her lifeless emerald eyes to the gorgon’s coal ones. Oh shit. Knowing what’s coming next, I don’t stop to think. Instead, I allow the terror-fueled adrenaline to run through me. I rush and step in front of Nassa, accidently forcing her to the ground, but preventing her from turning into stone.
Without thought, I lift my gaze and meet the gorgon’s, waiting to suffer at the hands of her hex. Oddly, nothing happens as we stare at one another. After a moment, my hands tingle, causing me to release my daggers. The clank they make when they hit the concrete barely registers as the weird light from earlier begins to float out of them and into Euryale.
Stunned and confused, she lets out a loud scream. The light is burning her from the inside. Her glamour shimmies, revealing an ugly female demon with razor sharp teeth and tan, snake-like, scaly skin. Gross. Good God, Eve. Don’t freak. Breathe in. Breathe out.
“What are you?” she slurs before vanishing along with the wall of fire.
Just as fast as it happened, the tingling sensation disappears and my hands return to normal. I stare at them in disbelief, flipping them over and searching for any sign of dam
age.
“Holy shit, Eve!” Nassa exhales from behind me, yanking me out of my fixation.
I turn around and scan her. “Are you alright? Sorry I knocked you over.”
“I’m fine. Thank you for doing that. I can’t believe my protection spell didn’t work,” she says in a strangled voice. “And what the fuck, you shoot light beams now?” she interrogates.
I scan my body and focus on my trembling hands. “Apparently.”
We stand there for a moment just waiting. I’m not sure for what, maybe my head to explode or something. Nassa collects herself first and grabs my wrist, pulling me to leave.
“Come on, we need to find the others,” she informs.
“Buttercup?” Gage’s curious voice lingers in the archway. “What are you doing here?”
I’m still staring at my hands in fascination when Nassa finally answers him.
“We thought it would be best to follow Eve,” she responds with a guilty tone.
“We?” Gage inquires while brushing ash off his clothing. Guess he took care of the sister.
Instantly, my body warms and the bonding hum rattles my soul. Asher steps up next to Gage, his face unreadable. His eyes are wild, like he’s ready to kill something, or someone.
Gage raises his brows. “Stalking her is not protection, old friend.”
Asher’s lips purse and he looks away. “I sent Nassa in, Gage. I remained out here.”
Gage nods with a curious look on his face and steps aside, letting Asher approach me.
“You alright, siren?” Asher asks with genuine concern.
“I’m fine.” My hands are still shaky and he notices.
I’m really not fine. Between the snakes, almost becoming a stone statue, and shooting lightning bolts, I’m on the verge of a meltdown, but I don’t want him to know that. Instead, I lift my chin and push my shoulders back, attempting to appear strong and unaffected.
“What about you, buttercup?” Gage angles his head to Nassa.
“Don’t I look fine?” she barks.
Gage smirks at her and digs in his pocket for a cigarette. “Yes. You do.” He winks.
“Keep it in your pants, Gallagher.” She glares at him.
Gage puts the end of his cigarette into his mouth before lighting and inhaling the nicotine. On an exhale, he rubs his thumb sexily over his bottom lip, studying Nassa’s nonverbal cues.
“Both gorgons are gone then?” he asks.
“Yep,” Nassa answers, popping her p.
Asher and I just stare at one another, in some sort of trance. Ignoring the discussion going on around us. Given everything that just occurred in the last twenty minutes, it’s strange that I’m out of breath and my body is on alert, because of him.
“Do you know how fucking hard it was to sit out here, knowing you were in danger, siren?” Asher asks in a cool tone.
“I took care of it.”
“You took care of it?” he repeats in disbelief.
My jaw tightens at his lack of faith in me. “Must be all that amazing training.”
Asher’s lips press in a line as he stares down at me. “Gorgons can turn you into stone if you look into their eyes, which you did, siren. Yet, you’re not stone?”
“Maybe the divination of redemption works both ways, once mated,” I offer.
My words seem to catch him off guard. “Do not come back here without a protector.”
I cross my arms and step to him. “Stop bossing me around, gargoyle.”
“It’s my job to protect you, siren,” he growls.
Nassa sighs. “Gallagher, let’s go pretend we’re not listening on the other side of the arch.”
“You good, love?” Gage asks around his cigarette.
“She’s fine, Gage,” Asher answers on my behalf.
“I can speak for myself,” I snap out.
“Then do so, sweetheart,” Asher taunts.
“That’s our cue. Shall we, buttercup?” Gage puts a loose arm around Nassa’s shoulders and directs her to the other side of the archway, leaving Asher and me in our standoff.
“What is your problem?” I ask.
“What is my…I don’t have a fucking problem, siren.”
“No? Because from where I’m standing, it seems like you have a pretty big one.”
“Is that the first time the light has come out of your hands?” he probes.
I bristle. “Yes. It’s the first time the light has come out of my hands.”
He studies me. “Or any other part of you?” Damn gargoyle knows me too well.
I exhale. “No.”
Asher watches me, like he’s figuring out a puzzle. “Did demon training bring it on?”
I release a hollow laugh. “I’m not discussing this with you, Ash.”
The protector rubs his face in aggravation. “You know what, I’m done. Just fucking go.”
My mouth falls open at his command. “Again, you don’t get to dismiss me.”
Asher cuts me a hard look. His eyes flash with something unreadable then become stormy. “You don’t get to walk away from me,” he disputes, referring to me always leaving.
We both just stand in our stubborn stances. Breathing heavily. Our eyes bore into one another with an unflinching directness. I decide to turn at the same time that Asher lunges for me. He grabs my wrist and yanks me to him so that our bodies are touching, everywhere.
I can’t stop the fluttering of my eyelids at his close proximity. God, he feels so good. All I want him to do is sear me with a hard, punishing kiss. I try to fight the way my body magnetically drifts even nearer to his. This close, it’s like I’m drunk on the bond.
Asher’s chin dips and his voice is rough. “What’s going on with us? Why does everything you do and say make me want to kill everyone and break everything?”
My heart plummets at his words and my pulse speeds up at his unwavering gaze. With gentleness not matching his demeanor, he lifts his hands, brushing a few strands of hair off my face. My eyes close in bliss at the motion.
I bite the inside of my cheek, hard, to prevent myself from snagging his lower lip into my mouth and sucking. His hands cup my cheeks while his thumbs brush across the plane of my cheekbones. I savor the connection, not knowing how long it will last, or if I’ll get it again.
“I am literally at war in every aspect of my life, Ash. I don’t want to battle with you every day. I love you, but this isn’t working,” I say, overwhelmed.
“His forehead drops to mine. “Fuck,” he barks out.
I blow out a long exhale, lift my hands and wrap them around his leather-covered wrists.
“Please, stop,” I plea.
“We’re tethered to one another through our bond, siren. No matter what else is happening between us, I’m still under an oath to safeguard you.”
“I know.”
For a moment, we’re just us and I’m grateful for the reprieve, because like anything else that has been broken, once it’s fixed, you’ll still always see the tear. I breathe him in one last time before releasing his wrists and stepping back.
Asher gives me his cocky smirk.
I arch an eyebrow. “What?”
“I’ve been meaning to tell you that you totally have something on your ass.”
I twist in an attempt to inspect my backside. “What is it?”
His lips morph into a sexy smile, forcing all the air out of my lungs. “My mate mark.”
I roll my eyes and huff. “Seriously?”
He puts his palms up. “Don’t blame me, siren. You walked right into that one.”
“Damn gargoyle,” I sulk.
“You mean, awesome gargoyle.” He points and winks.
“God, I love you,” I whisper without thought.
At the release of my words, Asher’s body becomes rigid again. The playfulness dissolves as he swallows with difficulty. We both stand motionless, the weight of my words hanging between us. There is no regret in my expression, because I don’t take it back. I step towar
d him and lower my tone.
“I do. Regardless of my recent actions, I love you with everything that I am, Asher. That said if my hand becomes forced again, and I must decide between being with you and keeping you safe, I will choose your safety. Every. Single. Time,” I affirm.
He nods once and clears his throat. “Tell me when the light began flowing out of you.”
I hold his gaze and retreat a step, giving him space. He’s still not ready to forgive me.
“When I began demon training with Ethan and Katya.”
“My friends, actually,” Nassa interjects, approaching with Gage on her tail. “Cambions.”
“Negotiations with Asmodeus didn’t go the way we’d hoped,” Gage intercedes.
“You took her to the Midnight Temple?” Asher throws a concerned look my way.
Gage pins him with a bored expression. “I was mindful of her, Asher. She held her own.”
Asher glances at me and sighs. “I’m sure she did.”
“We thought that in addition to the training you’ve been providing, demon training would also come in handy when I go in for Elizabeth,” I explain.
“It’s a nice theory, siren. However, you won’t need the training because Michael and the angelic army have been assigned the extraction mission.” His voice drops to a cool tone.
“I kno—” Asher cuts me off.
“They’ve left already, Eve. The same night you did.” He hits me with a pointed look.
After a moment, his words sink in. “What? The same night I,” my voice trails off before I can finish. What would I even say? Stabbed and betrayed you. Hurt you. Broke us.
“The very one.”
“Everything I did, was for nothing?” I whisper. “And you’re just now telling me this?”
“She still needs the training. Look what she did to the gorgon,” Nassa defends.
Asher turns his head toward the sorceress. “Agreed. Since the protection spell failed.”
My eyes widen. “Holy shit, did you just agree to allow demon training?”
He swings his gaze back to me. “I did, siren. In spite of what you think, or what behaviors I have shown, I do think you should know how to protect yourself against demons.”
”I’m unsure how to respond,” I say honestly.
Asher takes my hand in his and interlaces our fingers. “That doesn’t mean making foolish decisions with your life. It means, in the event a protector isn’t around…selfishly, I need to know you can take care of yourself, like today. It’s for survival. Understood?”
Revolution (The Revelation Series Book 4) Page 6