by Anton Strout
Emily nodded, and now it was my turn to be confused as Stanis took me gently by the arm and walked me away from my friends and the gathering crowd of gargoyles. He stopped when we were well away from all the others.
“What is it, Stanis?”
“I have been thinking,” he said. “Even after these many months of no longer being bound by Alexander’s rules, I still find it a novel thing to do.”
“What about?” I asked.
Stanis stood silent, staring up into the night sky before finally looking down to meet my eyes.
“I do not think it would be wise to reestablish our bond,” he said.
The words hit hard, as if Stanis had actually slapped me, and I stepped back.
“Why not?” I asked, confused. “The timing is perfect now. We’re out of danger and can take the time to do it right.”
“There are others who need me more,” he said. “And I do not think restoring that connection would help me in doing what is right for them.” My grotesque looked over to the assembly on the rooftop. “I have a people now. A confused people with the need for some sort of leader. They need the person Alexander always wanted me to become.”
“What about what I need?” I asked, feeling stupid and greedy the second the words were out of my mouth, but my heart could not keep quiet. “What am I supposed to do without that connection? I miss it, Stanis. What if I’m in peril?”
Stanis turned to my group of friends, his eyes staying on Caleb, who by that time was standing.
“You have more than enough people interested in your well-being,” he said. “You will be fine. I cannot, however, say the same for these others. They need me more.”
Loath though I was to admit it at first, Stanis was absolutely right. There was no room for my selfishness in all this. All I could do was nod and head back to my friends, leaving Stanis behind me.
Rory and Marshall had Caleb stretched out between them and I took him from them, wrapping my right arm around his waist for support.
“What’s going on?” Rory asked.
“I’m not entirely sure,” I said. “I thought things would go back to the way they were once things were over between us and Kejetan, but it just seems to get more complicated.”
Caleb gave a pained laugh that erupted into a fit of coughing. “Life has a way of doing that,” he said. “At least these gargoyles didn’t want to tear me to pieces.”
“Not yet anyway,” Marshall said, nervous, looking at the gathered crowd of winged creatures.
Caleb leaned his head against mine, his skin burning hot to the touch. “I don’t think I have the strength in me right now if we did have to fight them,” he said. “But if they wanted trouble, I doubt they would have brought me here.”
I watched as Stanis walked back to the gargoyle who had brought Caleb to us.
“Just because they don’t want trouble doesn’t mean they haven’t brought it,” I said.
I walked toward them, helping Caleb along as I went, happy to have him by my side despite the madness of the past few minutes.
“What is it you want from us?” I asked her.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I only know that Stanis told me to seek him out. I guess I—we—want answers.”
“We can provide those,” I said. “As best we can, anyway.”
“You’ve got an actual alchemist as your service,” Marshall added, jerking his thumb toward Caleb.
“No,” Caleb said, clapping Marshall on the shoulder. “You’ve got two.”
Marshall blushed. “I’m still learning what I can,” he said. “More of an apprentice, really.”
“But if we can help, we will,” added Rory.
“Thank you,” the gargoyle said, then looked back to me. “I do not mean to take advantage of your kindness.”
“You’re not,” I admitted, softening to the creature’s sincerity. “We’re just not used to being around creatures of your kind without their trying to tear us to shreds.”
The gargoyle’s face registered shock, one of its hands flying to its mouth in surprise. The gesture looked almost comical on it as it exclaimed, “Oh my!”
“I will help as I can,” I said.
Stanis cleared his throat, and my friends and I turned to him.
“Forgive me,” he said, “your help is welcome, but I fear this may require the finesse of one more learned in the ways of the grotesque, the way of the gargoyle.”
It both pained me and gave me great pride to see the creature my great-great-grandfather had first taught to speak so earnestly offering to help.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
Stanis bowed his head to me. “These are . . . for lack of a better expression, my people.”
“There are others out there,” the female gargoyle said. “Beyond the ones who have chosen to follow me here. Others who do not wish well toward us or humankind. We have already fallen victim to some of them.”
“We can help,” I said.
“No,” Stanis said.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“I will deal with them,” Stanis said. He looked out over the assembly on our roof. “And I will teach you how to deal with them as well.”
He turned to me. “Do you mind?” he asked.
The very fact that he was asking brought an unexpected joy to me. I shook my head. How could I say no to that most human level of concern for my feelings in this?
“Come,” he said to the crowd. “I have much to tell you about the family whom you have to thank for your existence.” Stanis shot up into the air over the roof, hovering high above as he waited for the others to take flight, leaving the four humans standing there.
The night skies over Manhattan would be forever changed. So, too, it seemed, was my relationship to Stanis. Whether either would prove for the better or worse remained to be seen, but as I stood there among my friends and Caleb, one thing was both clear and bittersweet.
Stanis no longer belonged to just me.
About the Author
ANTON STROUT was born in the Berkshire Hills mere miles from writing heavyweights Nathaniel Hawthorne and Herman Melville. He currently lives outside New York City in the haunted corn maze that is New Jersey (where nothing paranormal ever really happens, he assures you).
His writing has appeared in several DAW anthologies—some of which feature Simon Canderous tie-in stories—including: The Dimension Next Door, Spells of the City, and Zombie Raccoons & Killer Bunnies.
In his scant spare time, he is an always writer, sometimes actor, sometimes musician, occasional RPGer, and the world’s most casual and controller-smashing video gamer. He now works in the exciting world of publishing, and yes, it is as glamorous as it sounds.
He is currently hard at work on his next book and can be found lurking the darkened hallways of www.antonstrout.com.
PRAISE FOR
Alchemystic
“Loved Alchemystic. Every girl needs her own Stanis!”
—Jeanne C. Stein, national bestselling author of Blood Bond
“Like being strapped to a wrecking ball of urban fantasy fun. Hang on and enjoy the mayhem.”
—Mario Acevedo, author of Werewolf Smackdown
“Just when I thought Mr. Strout couldn’t do any better than his Simon Canderous series, I was proven wrong! I couldn’t put Alchemystic down. It was nonstop action and tension, a bit of romance but not overdone, and all sorts of twists and turns . . . The magical elements will keep you riveted, and I guarantee you’ll be begging for more.”
—Night Owl Reviews
“This is a heartfelt look into the human nature that is intertwined with magical elements. Metaphysics, romance, humanity, compassion, action, and humor all meshed into a wonderful masterpiece of writing splendor.”
—Earth’s Book Nook
“The magic behind Alchemystic was incredibly intriguing . . . All in all, Alchemystic was a very solid start to a new series that will definitely be on my radar for future releases.”
“Strout has come up with an even more fantastic story than before. Alchemystic is a fun and exciting start to a promising new urban fantasy series. With plenty of adventure, mystery, suspense, and magic—this was impossible to put down. Fast-paced, fresh, and surprising, there is never a dull moment. Urban fantasy fans will definitely want to check out this new series (as well as Strout’s previous Simon Canderous series).”
—SciFiChick.com
“Alchemystic has a unique story with delightful characters and plenty of mystery to keep you interested.”
—Rabid Reads
“Alchemystic is thrilling, funny, and eerie—all the elements that make Strout books such irreverent fun!”
—RT Book Reviews
“Excellent character development. The ending leaves this whole world open in a great way . . . My favorite part of this is the use of magic . . . It feels organic and interesting.”
—Nerdist
Dead Matter
“Strout’s . . . great sense of humor, combined with vivid characters, a complex mystery, and plenty of danger, makes for a fantastic read. Urban fantasy fans should not miss this exciting series.”
—SciFiChick.com
“Strout’s good-hearted, bat-carrying hero is once again faced with extraordinary peril from both bureaucratic paperwork and things that go bump in the night. His skillful blending of the creepy and the wacky gives his series an original appeal. Don’t miss out!”
—RT Book Reviews (top pick)
Deader Still
“Such a fast-paced, engaging, entertaining book that the pages seemed to fly by far too quickly. Take the New York of Men in Black and Ghostbusters, inject the same pop-culture awareness and irreverence of Buffy the Vampire Slayer or The Middleman, toss in a little Thomas Crown Affair, shake and stir, and you’ve got something fairly close to this book.”
—The Green Man Review
“It has a Men in Black flavor mixed with NYPD Blue’s more gritty realism . . . if you think of the detectives as working the night shift in The Twilight Zone.”
—SFRevu
“A fun read . . . The pace moves right along, running poor Simon a little ragged in the process, but providing plenty of action. If you liked Dead to Me, it’s a safe bet you’ll like this one even more.”
—Jim C. Hines, author of Codex Born
“It has a little bit of everything for the paranormal junkie . . . Unique from a lot of the urban fantasy genre. This is a fantastic series.”
—Bitten by Books (5 tombstones)
Dead to Me
“Simon Canderous is a reformed thief and a psychometrist. By turns despondent over his luck with the ladies (not always living) and his struggle with the hierarchy of his mysterious department (not always truthful), Simon’s life veers from crisis to crisis. Following Simon’s adventures is like being the pinball in an especially antic game, but it’s well worth the wear and tear.”
—Charlaine Harris, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dead Ever After
“Part Ghostbusters, part Men in Black, Strout’s debut is both dark and funny, with quirky characters, an eminently likable protagonist, and the comfortable, familiar voice of a close friend. His mix of (mostly) secret bureaucratic bickering and offbeat action shows New York like we’ve never seen it before. Make room on the shelf, ’cause you’re going to want to keep this one!”
—Rachel Vincent, New York Times bestselling author of Oath Bound
“Urban fantasy with a wink and a nod. Anton Strout has written a good-hearted send-up of the urban fantasy genre. Dead to Me is a genuinely fun book with a fresh and firmly tongue-in-cheek take on the idea of paranormal police. The laughs are frequent as are the wry smiles. I’m looking forward to seeing what he does next.”
—Kelly McCullough, author of Blade Reforged
“Writ[ing] with equal parts humor and horror, Strout creates an engaging character . . . clever, fast-paced, and a refreshing change in the genre of urban fantasy.”
—SFRevu
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