‘We’re not going in there.’
‘It’s okay,’ I said. ‘It’s an abandoned mine shaft. It doesn’t go far back.’
‘How do you know?’
‘Camping trip with the guys last summer.’
I peered through the entrance. The place was strewn with trash, but it was empty, and it would be safe. Once I had Josephine safely hidden, I could climb back out and lead our pursuers away.
‘All right,’ Josephine relented.
Wind howled overhead. I sheltered Josephine behind me and backed us through the opening. It was clammy and damp inside the mine entrance. The sounds of the wind and the river faded away as we retreated further in. The low ceiling allowed us just enough clearance to stand. The ground and walls reeked pungently of dirt.
‘Stay here,’ I said.
I returned to the opening and crouched there. I sniffed the air, testing for any foul odors, but I wasn’t able to discern anything past the earthy scents of soil and stone. My stomach felt permanently frozen, giving me no helpful indication of what might be skulking nearby. All my new senses and abilities seemed frustratingly useless, right when I needed them most.
‘Sebastian?’
I glanced over my shoulder. I could tell she was having a difficult time seeing me in the darkness. But I could see Josephine just fine with my night vision, her features sculpted in vivid, detailed grayscale.
‘Yes?’ I said with some hesitation.
I was afraid she was going to demand we leave, to go back and find Quentin. But instead, she felt her way over to me and brushed her fingertips across my jaw. My skin warmed immediately under her touch.
‘You’re one of them, aren’t you?’
I looked outside to avoid her searching gaze. ‘I told you, I’m a guardian.’ I replied. ‘Or, at least, I’m trying to be. I’m kind of new to this.’
‘No, I mean you’re like…like them.’
There was no mistaking her meaning, and once again, I was taken aback by what she knew. But she was an Outcast Gypsy, I reminded myself. This was a part of her world; a world I hadn’t even realized existed just a few short weeks ago.
‘I’m not like them,’ I said firmly.
‘You know what I mean.’
The air shifted, and Josephine was suddenly kneeling beside me in the soggy dirt. She removed the costume hood from my head and took a strand of my gray hair between her fingers. Then she slid her other hand along my arm until she found my wrist. She pressed her palm delicately to my skin. I could feel my pulse through the tattoo.
‘You’re a gargoyle,’ she said quietly.
‘Yes.’
I said the word quickly, like ripping off a bandage. Then I waited for her reaction. I couldn’t read her thoughts in the quiet. She tilted her head.
‘You’re not what I would’ve expected.’ Her fingers prodded my skin, tracing over the smooth surface of the dandelion. Instant heat radiated from the ink, and she gasped softly. A familiar charge buzzed in the air. ‘I’ve heard so many stories,’ she continued. ‘All the folk tales from my family and my clan…all the Gypsy lore. I grew up listening to the fairy tales, but I never thought they were real.’
I felt precariously off-balance. ‘You’ve known about me the whole time?’‘No,’ Josephine replied quickly, holding my wrist. ‘I mean, I knew you were different, somehow, even that first day I talked to you, at the call-board. It wasn’t until you took me home that I realized it was something serious. The Ferris wheel, the way you acted in the woods…it wasn’t normal. But when Quentin ordered me to stay away from you, I had to find out the real reason why.’ Her eyes searched for mine in the darkness. ‘I don’t like unanswered questions, remember?’
I wanted to smile and gulp, all at once. ‘And what did you find out?’
‘There are things in our world that the gadje don’t know exist.’ Her fingers tightened across my skin. ‘Dark things that have lurked in the shadows of our history, things we don’t talk about from our past. It’s why we have the Marksmen. Protecting us has been their family’s calling for generations. Quentin’s father was head of the Marksmen before him, and his grandfather before that. No one’s ever questioned their role.’ Josephine frowned in thought. ‘But there were always tales about others, guardians that were around long before the Marksmen. Ancient creatures that were created to protect the Roma.’
Light illuminated Josephine’s face as the dandelion pendant began to shine with a life of its own. She lifted my arm, and the strange ink Hugo had injected me with reflected the amber glow.
‘Do you believe the stories?’ I asked, my voice unsteady.
‘I didn’t.’ She blinked up at me. ‘Until now.’
She was so close that I could feel the warmth of her body. Electricity surged up my arm.
‘Josephine…’
She licked her lips nervously. ‘Yes?’
‘Let me protect you.’
Her eyes flicked to my tattoo. ‘Because you have to.’
‘Because I love you.’
Josephine stared at me. Her mouth parted, but she didn’t say anything. Emotion, as thick and heavy as the ceiling above us, weighed me down. She pulled herself to her knees, her face so close to mine that, for a moment, I dared to hope. Then her expression twisted and she dropped her gaze.
‘Sebastian, I…’
‘I know, Josephine…and it doesn’t matter.’
She didn’t return my feelings, and I didn’t need her to say it out loud. Things were painful enough. But nothing was going to change my mind. I would protect Josephine Romany all the way to my last breath, if she’d let me.
My soul felt painfully bare, as though I’d torn it out and was holding it before her. It hurt worse than anything I’d ever felt. I took a shaky breath. She was worth the pain. She always would be.
Even if she didn’t love me back.
Josephine looked up at me, her gaze conflicted. Finally, she nodded.
‘I want you to protect me,’ she whispered.
She released my wrist and took her pendant in both hands. Electricity crackled in the air as the pull between the dandelions grew unbearable. This time, I knew there would be no going back. I was on the edge of a cliff, about to jump, with no idea where or how I’d land. The dandelions flared as they drew close.
And then, they touched.
Every nerve in my body exploded in icy fire. Somewhere in the chaos, I heard Josephine’s cry. Then another sound – harsh and strange – filled my ears. I gasped for air, but took in none. My body turned inside out with excruciating pain.
Everything around me turned to shadowy mist.
23. Demons or Angels
I was sure I was dead.
But there was no white light, no sense of peace or finality. Instead, mist wrapped around me like a shroud. And within this suffocating void of nothing, all was still. Had I been here for hours? Days? Years? Nothing registered inside my foggy coffin. I felt encased in stone.
Forever.
Then something knocked against my brain – an urgent voice – screaming out one name over and over again.
Josephine. Josephine. Josephine.
The name rang like a hammer against stone, and I felt myself cracking under the blows. I had to get out. I struggled against the petrification, willing myself to move, to escape the frosty grave. Then suddenly I burst through the surface, and the mist shattered like ice on a frozen pond.
I was lying in the mine shaft, eyes turned to the ceiling. My body felt oddly disconnected, and when I breathed in, everything inside me felt different, strange. I pushed myself up, gasping at the sharp pain in my back. It felt as though someone was ramming giant needles into my shoulder blades.
‘Sebastian?’
The voice was soft and scared.
I winced against the pain and stood up. Josephine was on the opposite side of the shaft – clutching a wooden beam for support – looking pretty shaken up. The pendant still hung from her neck, but the glow was gone.
She wrapped her arms around herself. ‘Are you?’
‘I think so.’ I glanced at my wrist. The outline of the dandelion burned gently, like the last embers of a dying fire. Then, it stopped. My tattoo and the surrounding skin were normal again. The stabbing pricks in my back eased, and I rubbed my shoulders gingerly. I felt weird – really weird – but there wasn’t time to dwell on it now. ‘What happened?’
Josephine peered at me with unfocused eyes. Without the glow of her pendant, the mine shaft was dark again. ‘I don’t know. There was a flash of light and something threw me back. I couldn’t see anything, but I heard you fall…and scream…’
‘I’m fine,’ I said quickly. ‘Just as long as you’re okay.’
I could see her nod. ‘So what do we do now?’
‘Wait here.’
The only sound I heard was the river rushing over the jagged rocks. I ventured closer to the opening to investigate. The wind had fallen still, and there were no whizzing arrows or hissing voices. There wasn’t anyone – or anything – in sight. Perhaps Quentin had taken care of the other gargoyles.
Or they had taken care of him.
Whatever the case, I had to figure out if things were safe before I led Josephine away from the shaft. I took a deep breath. I didn’t feel quite right. And yet, ironically enough, I felt very right. I stepped out onto the riverbank.
Something brushed against my legs, and I looked down to find not water, but swirling mist. I threw myself protectively in front of the entrance. Adrenaline and instincts kicked in as I searched for the source of the dark smoke.
‘Sebastian, what are you doing here?’ said a female voice.
A growl rumbled in my chest. ‘You won’t get past me.’
‘I have no desire to get past you,’ said the voice. ‘I’m here to warn you.’
I bristled. ‘Warn me about what, Anya?’
‘I’m not Anya.’
The mist withdrew behind a bridge support, and I tensed, lip curled back, ready to spring. There was a flash of black and red hair, framing a face that caused my jaw to drop.
‘Ms Lucian!’
‘Esmeralda, please.’ She waved her hand dismissively.
‘But…’
‘I’ve already helped you more than I should. But I can’t stop the other gargoyles.’ She glanced up, and I could have sworn she sniffed the air. ‘They’re close, and I wouldn’t recommend you pinning yourself up in the cave. They’ll corner you like prey.’
‘This was just temporary,’ I protested, still trying to get over my shock. ‘I was going to leave Josephine here, so she’d be safe.’
Ms Lucian shot me a stern look. ‘You’d leave your charge?’
I took a sharp breath. ‘How did you…’
‘You’ve sealed yourself to her, haven’t you?’ she snapped. Her gaze traveled pointedly to my wrist. ‘I tried to keep you from this. I warned Hugo of what might happen if he gave you free rein, but he allowed his brotherly sentiment to overrule logic. Hugo thought the brand was powerful enough, but he neglected the sclav.’
I frowned at the unfamiliar word. ‘What’s that?’
She sighed impatiently. ‘A sclav is needed to complete the process. It can be any physical object, but it must belong to the Gypsy whom the gargoyle is meant to protect.’ She saw the look on my face and silenced me with her hand. ‘Yes, I’m aware that the Corsis are without that bit of information, and it is not without intention. A guardian-charge bond is not to be taken lightly or tossed about on a whim. Once the gargoyle is sealed, he belongs to that Gypsy or clan, and it becomes his duty to protect them, no matter the risk.’
‘How do you know this?’
Ms Lucian’s eyes blazed. ‘Because I know. It is not something that the Gypsies will ever fully understand.’
I glanced towards the mine shaft. I felt charged all over, as if I’d walked through a live current. ‘So when our dandelions touched…’
‘The seal became permanent.’
I rubbed my wrist, my thoughts returning to the gray figures. ‘I screwed up, didn’t I? I’m supposed to be with the Corsis, but I refused to listen because I felt…I thought…’ My words were pinched off by a frustrated, painful sigh.
‘It wasn’t your action alone,’ she said, jutting her chin in the direction of the cave. ‘You both shared in it.’
I could still feel Josephine’s tender touch, her fingertips on my wrist. ‘Can the seal be broken?’ Cold terror poured through me. ‘You heard Matthias’s threat at the Circe. Now Josephine’s in danger because of me, and…’
‘No,’ said Ms Lucian, stopping me. ‘She would be in more danger without you. Augustine may have used the girl to draw you out, but this isn’t just about you. Josephine Romany is special. A gargoyle doesn’t awaken without a purpose, Sebastian. You may have initiated the contact, but the Gypsy must complete the bond.’ Her hazel eyes sparked silver as her gaze lingered on the entrance to the cave. ‘There’s a reason Josephine accepted that choice, a greater and more important one than she realizes now, but a reason, nonetheless.’
My eyes narrowed. ‘You know something.’
‘There’s no more time for talk,’ Ms Lucian said quickly. ‘What’s done is done. This is what’s important now. You’re sealed to the girl, which means you’re about to fully awaken. But the others aren’t aware of what you’ve done yet. Use that to your advantage.’
‘How?’
‘When the moment arrives, your instincts will urge you to act. Don’t fight them, Sebastian. Listen to them. They’ll tell you exactly what to do.’
‘I don’t understand.’
‘Don’t worry,’ she replied. ‘You will.’
A breeze wafted between us. Ms Lucian surveyed the sky. This time, I was certain she smelled the air. Her expression hardened. ‘You need to hurry.’
‘But where do I go?’
‘Out in the open, Sebastian, somewhere you can defend yourself and the girl. Let your instincts give you the answers. I can’t help you any more than that.’ She pointed to the cave. ‘But if I were you, I’d start by getting the girl out of this death trap.’
Ms Lucian stepped into the mist, and suddenly, she was gone. I stared, unblinking, at the place where she’d been. But before I could grasp what had just happened, fiery ice exploded in my gut, the sensation stronger than it had ever been before.
‘Josephine,’ I called, clutching my stomach. She appeared in the opening. I grabbed her hand, ignoring the shudder that ran up her arm as I did so. ‘They’re coming. We have to get out of here.’
I clawed my way up the bank, pulling Josephine with me. We reached the road, and I looked for signs of the gray figures. The bridge stretched over the rushing water.
‘Come on,’ I urged.
With the Circe underway, the traffic was gone, leaving the bridge and the road deserted. I prayed that my van was still on the other side, parked in the ditch where I’d left it. I’d drive Josephine back to town. Surely a trio of supernatural gray figures wouldn’t attack us in the middle of Main Street.
We were more than halfway over the bridge when a sharp wind ripped through the trees. The wind materialized into black mist and hovered across our path. I jerked to a halt, pulling Josephine behind me. Matthias and Thaddeus stood between us and freedom.
Josephine clung to my arm. Her fear ignited my blood. I hunched defensively, shoulders rolled back, positioning my body squarely in front of her, my lips thrust wide in a snarl. Matthias regarded me with his molten eyes.
‘Hello again, Sebastian.’
Something dark moved within the mist behind them, generating a fierce windstorm. Dead leaves skittered over the bridge, and I shielded my head from the gust. Thaddeus curled forward, mirroring my stance.
‘We’ve come to finish what we started,’ he growled.
My insides felt as if they were exploding. I panted heavily between clenched teeth, trying to fight the instincts that were ta
king over. Josephine’s face was pale, and I could feel her hand trembling on my arm.
‘Go find Quentin,’ I hissed softly. My instincts screamed in protest, but I beat them back. ‘He’ll keep you safe.’
She stared at me. ‘What?’
I studied the gargoyles, calculating my odds. They weren’t too good. But Josephine’s safety was all that mattered, and if she could make it back to Quentin, she’d be all right.
‘You heard me,’ I whispered. ‘I think I can hold them off, give you time to reach him. He can’t be too far away.’
‘I’m not leaving you.’
‘Yes, you are,’ I replied, ignoring my heart.
Matthias and Thaddeus sauntered forward. Their slow movements only heightened the terrible reality of what was about to happen. I could feel Josephine’s hesitation and fear. I wanted her with me, but I was not going to be stupid about this. I took a deep breath and whirled on her.
‘Go!’
She flinched at my command, then she turned and fled in the direction we’d come. I ripped the hooded cloak from my shoulders and flung it aside. Then I faced my pursuers, ready for the attack. I offered a silent prayer that I’d at least be able to buy Josephine enough time.
Suddenly, another gust of wind shot along the bridge. A cloud of mist formed at the bridge’s entrance, cutting off Josephine’s escape. Anya materialized through the smoke. Her bright silver eyes fastened on the Gypsy girl.
‘Time to die.’
There was no getting passed now. The gargoyles had us hemmed in on both sides. Anya’s lips pulled back, revealing her sharp teeth. Josephine jolted backward, then tripped and fell hard against the bridge. She scrambled for something to defend herself with, but there was nothing. Her terrified eyes met mine.
‘Sebastian!’ she screamed.
My instincts kicked in.
And this time, I listened.
I dashed forward, sweeping Josephine into my arms. Matthias and Thaddeus sprang, closing the distance with remarkable speed. I curled my upper body around Josephine. A fierce snarl erupted from my chest as the thing inside me I’d fought so long finally awakened.
Grey (The Romany Outcasts Series, Book 1) Page 24