Gargoyle Redemption (The Gargoyle Redemption Trilogy)

by Bria Lexor

  “Do you want to take a break,” he asked, and I nodded, and I followed him up the steps and into his bedroom. He pulled me into his arms and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back. Abel and I were getting close, especially after I learned he was the one who enrolled me in Fusion Academy just so he could protect me from the Hunters; I thought that was sweet of him.

  When I first met Abel, he was mean and cold toward everyone... me included. After I got to know him, he let down his defenses with me and I was able to see the real Abel Lapis for who he really was. A kindhearted, generous, caring friend. He would do anything to protect me; above all, Abel loved me.

  I mean I have fallen in love before, but this was different... we connected with each other on a whole different level, a personal level, like our souls were somehow connected. He understood me and I understood him and that is all that mattered. It did not matter if he was a half-breed; to me he was Abel Lapis. Abel broke away and gently stroked my cheek with the back of his hand. His touch was warm and reassuring. “Are you ready to go,” he asked, and we walked out to the balcony where the other gargoyles were awakening. I watched the stone cracking and falling to the ground as they stretched and stood from the place they were stuck in awe because, though I saw this happen every night, it was still an amazing sight to see. Abel had two twin sisters from well, I have not the slightest idea, but they were both beautiful. Their names were Aura Nova, and Ambrosia, and. of course. They were both princesses. The Haven clan consisted of Tybrus, Draven, Fate who tried to gauge my eyes out when I found out about their true identities, Ignatius, Lazarus, Maddox, Thaddeus, Varden, and, of course, Abel’s mother, Queen Llewellyn.

  “Shinka,” Queen Llewellyn smiled sweetly at me and I knelt in front of her out of respect before I stood. “How are you feeling, my dear?” She asked with deep concern in her eyes. I forced a smile. Personally, I was scared out of my freaking mind! But I did not want to alarm any of the gargoyles, so I played it off like nothing was wrong. I mean, I was dying for Pete’s sake! And there was nothing I could do to stop it.

  “I’m fine, your highness.” I said, nodding my head and I looked at Abel who stood by my side.

  “I want you to keep a close eye on her.” His mother, Queen Llewellyn said, giving her son a stern look. “We need her to stay protected at all times.”

  “Understood...” Abel said with a curt nod of his head. He then took my hand and guided me toward the balcony. He leapt upon the ledge and held his hand out to me. I took it and he lifted me into his strong muscular arms. I looked into his beautiful eyes and he investigated mine. We did not have to say anything to each other because we already knew what the other was thinking. I wrapped my arms around his neck and Abel leapt into the air, his wings caught the wind and he glided higher into the night sky. I loved being so high up looking at the stars up close was so amazing! “Where do you want to go?” Abel’s gentle voice broke me from my thoughts.

  “Huh?” I blinked and looked into his beautiful eyes. “Oh, you can surprise me.” I said, giving Abel as mall smile. For a moment, he just stared at me then he smiled in return and looked straight ahead.

  “I got the perfect place for you to see...” He said and I felt his chest rising and falling against my head. It was nice just being the two of us out here. Things have started to get chaotic since Drake, Brooke, and Cadman came into his life. Personally, I thought it was cool the others were here. Abel had been such a loner for so long that he needed friends and these guys brought something different to the table, which was cool in my opinion.

  I saw a building looming ahead and I knew exactly where we were. Abel’s favorite place... the library! This is where Abel first took me when we were nearly killed by Hunter Kaitlin Franchot. She was my supposed best friend at the time but was just using my friendship to get to Abel and his Alarica jewel. Abel set me down on the roof and I looked around, making sure Kaitlin was not around this time. She was not. I looked up at Abel and smiled.

  Maybe I can talk to Abel and—

  Just then Tuffara’s Alarica jewel started to glow a bright pinkish color. Abel and I both looked at it then at each other, not knowing what was going on.

  “I thought Tuffara was...”

  I could not finish the sentence. I mean, how could I? Last I checked, I was Tuffara’s reincarnation... wasn’t I? There was no way her Alarica jewel could be glowing... was there? Could she possibly still be alive somehow? Alive in me?

  “We need to get back to the others.” Abel said as he scooped me back up in his arms. He leapt into the air and headed back in the direction of his house. Something was wrong and I did not know what it was. Something just was not right about this whole situation. I was going to find out what was going on with me. I mean, I had to, right?

  Chapter Two

  We landed on the balcony and hurried inside. I practically raced down the staircase on Abel’s heels and, as he came to a screeching halt in front of the others, they all looked surprised as they looked at us.

  “What’s going on?” Brooke asked quickly, standing; she looked like she was ready to attack anyone.

  “It’s, well...” I frowned and looked at Abel and he took over.

  “Take a look at this...” Abel held up Tuffara’s Alarica jewel, still glowing that bright pink. I was relieved it was so they would not think we were going crazy. “It just started glowing a while ago and we didn’t know what to make of it.”

  “Can I see it for a second?” Brooke asked, holding her hand out to Abel. Abel just stared at her and threw her a look. I elbowed him hard in the ribs and he looked at me. I gave him a look in return and he cautiously took off the necklace and handed it over to her. Brooke brought the jewel close to her eyes and examined it moving it around in her hands. “Maybe something’s causing it to react and-”

  “Yeah, well thanks for stating the obvious Brooke,” Abel growled, snatching the jewel from her hands; he placed it around his neck and looked at me. “Come on, Shinka,” Abel said pointing his finger at her. “And-”

  I fell to the floor and Abel was by my side immediately. “Shinka?” His voice was filled with alarm. “Are you okay, baby?”

  I shook my head. “Abel...” I whispered. “I don’t feel so good...” That was the last thing I remember before I passed out. I awoke lying in a hospital room. How do I know? Because a doctor was looking down at me while he was jotting down something on a clipboard.

  “How are you feeling Miss Fox?” He asked as I tried to sit up. I was so weak I easily fell back into the pillow. “Do you remember what happened to you?”

  “I-”

  I paused but could not remember what the hell had happened to me. Instead, I frowned and shook my head.

  “You fell and your cousins brought you in.” He paused and I started to remember falling but that was it. “You are overworked and passed out due to exhaustion.”

  Is that all? Sheesh, and here I thought it was something serious. But I remembered that to everyone else I was just another celebrity and he must have thought I was being overworked from work. Then fear shot through me as I realized that if they had taken any blood samples, they would find it to be abnormal or something and that was not good. Especially for someone like me.

  “Did you take any blood samples?” I asked and my sudden question puzzled him. “Of course, we—”

  “Was everything okay?” I asked and he threw me another strange look.

  “You’re test results came back normal Miss Fox.” He said and I was relieved to hear the

  news. “You’re not taking any drugs or other—”

  “No,” I said, shaking my head. “Of course not! I would never even consider that... ever!” I said, getting defensive and he sighed.

  “Good,” he said getting ready to leave the room. “I wouldn’t want your fans to find out their idol is just another teenage junkie.”

  I would not want your fans to find out their idol is just another teenage junkie...

&n
bsp; His last words offended me. I made a face as he left but luckily, Abel, Brooke, Drake, and Cadman came in and my face immediately lit up once I saw them.

  “How are you feeling, baby?” Abel asked me as he gave me a quick kiss then he gently took my hand in his and kissed it. I still liked the fact he was such a gentleman toward me. That move alone brought a smile to my face and made my heart melt.

  “Much better,” I said, and I saw relief flooding through all their faces. “The doctor said my blood looked normal... so that’s a good thing.” I added but Brooke did not look impressed.

  “Maybe now it does, but what about later on?” She said with all seriousness in her voice. I bit my lower lip and looked away. She was right. Everything seemed alright now, but what about later? There would not be any stopping it, then would it? But right now, I did not want to think about it. I just wanted to be normal, no matter what normal was for me these days. I just needed it to be close to what it used to be. I started to feel sad about the whole situation and Abel knew it.

  “Do you guys think you could give us a minute?” He asked the others and they agreed and left the room, leaving us alone. Abel pulled up a chair and looked at me intently. “What’s up, Shinka?”

  I shrugged. “Abel...” I said, sighing inwardly. “What’s going to happen when I die?” I asked and Abel turned away and was quiet for a moment.

  “I don’t know, Shinka.” He said, running his hand through his hair. “I don’t want to think about that right now.” I nodded and took his hand in mine. He looked up at me and I saw pure sorrow in his beautiful eyes. God, I did not want to be the cause of his pain. Not Abel. Not anybody. I sighed and laughed ironically at myself. Abel arched an eyebrow at me. “I don’t find anything funny about this situation Shinka...”

  “Neither do I,” I said, clearing my throat. “I mean, I’m just hitting the pinnacle of my career as a singer and it’s all been taken away from me... what’s the point of living if I’m just going to die in the end of all this?”

  Abel’s jaw dropped nearly hitting the floor as he leapt to his feet. “Shinka Kristina Fox, you did not just say what I think you said... did you?”

  I blinked and threw him a look. “Of course, I did.” I said and folded my arms in front of my chest. “I mean you’re like a thousand years old and I’m-”

  I gasped and covered my mouth realizing what I had just said to him. “I mean, not that you’re old or anything...” I said, trying to cover my tracks but Abel just chuckled and kissed me.

  At least I was starting to feel better now, and I was not one to feel sorry for myself. Especially now that I had reached fame, it was a cool feeling. Fame was one of the things few people did on their own these days without knowing someone who was already in the business.

  Do not get me wrong, I am not one of those stuck-up celebrities who think they are better than everyone else is just because my mother is a well-known celebrity in her own right. That is just stupid! No, I am more like Jensen Ackles who keeps to himself and does not like having his life in the spotlight like those stupid Kardashians... I hate those chicks. I know, hate is such a strong word, but I really cannot stand those chicks for real!

  “So, when do they plan on releasing you?” Brooke asked crossing her arms in front of her chest. “Because we have to take down the Hunters-”

  Abel scoffed and Blair glared at him. “Don’t you think Shinka knows that?” He asked, taking a step closer toward the bed. “She has us to protect her while she continues to live her life as normally as she can.” Abel paused and took my hand. “It’s our duty to make sure Shinka-”

  I jumped as my cell rang and I sighed as I pushed the talk button. “Hello?”

  “Shinka.” It was my manager Kain’s voice on the other end. “How you feel girl?”

  “I’m feeling better,” I said as I mouthed Kain’s name to the others, so they knew who I was talking to. “I know I’ve fallen behind schedule—”

  “And that’s exactly why I called you, girl,” Kane said, interrupting me. I hated when he did that. “Some detectives were asking for you and I told them I had no idea where you were.”

  Detectives were asking for me?... I wonder what that is all about....

  “Did they say what they wanted?” I asked feeling nervous about wanting to be questioned for something I had no idea about.

  “They wouldn’t tell me,” Kain said, sounding irritated. “Just that it was important they get a hold of you.”

  “Thanks for letting me know,” I said, frowning. “I’ll be in later to finish up those last few songs okay?”

  “That would be a smart thing to do since we are ruining behind thanks to that investigation, they are attempting to ruin your career.” My eyes widened when he said the word investigation. But I tried to keep my composure in front of the others. “I’ll talk to you when you get here, girl.” Kain said, and I hung up.

  “What did he say?” Abel asked with curiosity in his voice.

  “Err... Just that I needed to finish those tracks for the album release to stay on track.” I said, nodding my head. I pressed my lips tightly together to keep what I really wanted to say inside. Abel gave me a suspicious look but dropped the subject as a nurse came in and I signed the release forms.

  As soon as the nurse left the room, I quickly leapt from the bed, rushed to the closet, and pulled my clothes out. I walked hastily to the bathroom and changed out of the changing gown and into the pair of jeans and the pink shirt I had worn the day before. As soon as I opened the door, Abel stood blocking my path and I sighed in annoyance at him. “Do you mind?” I asked and Abel grinned slyly as he took a step to the left. I pushed past him and out of the room before he caught me by the wrist, making me look at him.

  “Kane told you something else that’s bothering you, didn’t he?”

  I bit my lower lip and turned away. Abel just seemed to know me better than I thought; when it comes to me nothing gets past him. “So, what’s up?” He asked more gently as he walked me to the empty waiting room and pulled me into his arms. I let him hold me. Abel was the only person in the world who understood me completely, he cared about me, and that meant a lot to me.

  I sighed and looked up into his beautiful bluish-green eyes and he waited for me to speak. “Ah, Miss. Fox, you are a hard person to track down,” A cool male voice said from behind.

  me. I turned and saw a young man and woman standing with their badges held out in front of them; I knew right away they were the two detectives that were looking for me at the studio. The man had blue eyes and jet-black hair, he looked cute, but do not tell Abel I said that. The woman had shoulder length brown hair and brown eyes. She was beautiful, standing at about 5’3” I would say.

  Abel quickly shielded me with his body and glared at the man who did not look intimidated one bit. “Aren’t you a little young to be a detective Mister?” Abel let the last word hang in the air and the man smirked at him.

  “Detective Trunks Bradshaw,” he said, flipping his badge he placed it back on the inside of his jacket pocket. “And this is my partner, Detective Harlow Parcell,” he nudged his head at the woman next to him before she placed her badge in the back pocket of her jeans. “And I don’t recall asking to speak to you Mr.?” Detective Bradshaw asked coldly, waving his hand in the air. This time Abel grunted and rolled his eyes at him.

  “Abel Lapis,” Abel said, not taking his eyes off Detective Bradshaw. “And I’m Shinka’s personal bodyguard,” he said even colder than Detective Bradshaw. “So, if you have something to say to her, you have to go through me first... understand?”

  I gasped as I felt a jolt of electric energy shoot through my entire body, and I grabbed my head. The sudden movement made Abel react and he quickly sat me down in the nearest chair. The feeling was gone just as suddenly as it had come, and Detective Bradshaw came back and handed me a plastic cup of water. “Thank you,” I said, forcing a smile. He nodded his head slightly and did not say a word, but I felt him watching me car
efully and his gaze made me feel uncomfortable.

  “Are you okay, baby?” Abel asked, crouching down in front of me, he gently placed his hand in my cheek, and I nodded as I took a small sip from the plastic cup.

  “I-I’m fine...” I said, trying to collect my thoughts. I snuck a quick peak up at Detective Bradshaw and he never blinked or anything, he just... stared. “I want to go home,” I said to Abel and he eagerly agreed, helping me to my feet.

  “Before you leave, Miss Fox,” Detective Bradshaw paused and pulled out his card. “We wanted to follow up on the incident at your apartment complex five months ago.”

  Oh my God!... Why would a couple of Detectives want to follow up on the Hunters attack on me?...

  “There’s nothing to follow up on.” I said, shrugging off the attack like it was no big deal. “I mean, the shooters are still—”

  “That’s not why we’re here Miss. Fox,” Detective Parcell piped in from the sidelines. I gave her a look of surprise; having forgotten she was even in the room with us. “We have a witness that claims they saw you being taken from the apartment by a...” she paused and exchanged glances with her partner before continuing, “Creature...”

  Abel and I exchanged glances and he quickly covered his tracks.

  “Look,” Abel started half-jokingly. “I don’t know what this supposed witness thought they