Fate's Cry

by Jalpa Williby

  Although she had done this before, it was nothing like she remembered. This wasn’t just a physical joining, but it felt as if her entire being—her heart, mind, and soul—was in harmony with his. The experience was so powerful that she could no longer hold back. As soon as she found her release, Damien joined her, groaning into her neck. Both trying to catch their breaths, they lay motionless, cherishing what they just shared.

  “That was unbelievable. You’re unbelievable. Is it always this good?” Damien mumbled, still short of breath.

  “That was the first time I’ve ever experienced anything like that. How the hell do you know what to do?”

  “Mmm, I can’t even move. You’ve wiped me out, woman.”

  Kelsey shifted herself to look at him. “Damien, we have to be careful and use protection next time. I’m in the clear right now because I just had my menses. But, if we keep taking chances like this, I’m going to end up pregnant.”

  “What do you mean by protection? And you don’t want us to have offsprings one day? Of course, it would be after I transform into a human completely.” Damien seemed offended as he stared at her with a frown.

  Pushing him off of her, she laughed as she stood up. “Um, no! Offsprings, as you put it, is the furthest thing from my mind. I’m still trying to come into terms with you being a gargoyle, me flying around with you, being asked to marry you, and having mind-blowing sex…and all this in the same night. There’s only so much a woman can take.”

  “So, what do we do? What type of protection?” He stood up to join her.

  Kelsey smirked. “Don’t worry, there’s stuff you can wear on your private parts.”

  Damien looked down at himself. “I’m not putting anything on my body parts, Kelsey Taylor! I don’t even like to wear clothes, and now you want me to have something on my penis as well?”

  She couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “I’ll show you next time. Trust me, it’s not too bad. What I’m wondering, though, is why do you insist on ripping my clothes off every time we make out? Can’t you just learn to take them off?”

  “You’re so damn gorgeous, Kelsey. I can’t wait to see you in your natural beauty. Look at you. You’re like an angel.” He strolled toward her, making her heart thud in excitement.

  “Seriously, how am I going to get home now?” she wondered.

  “Don’t worry, I’ll get you back to your place without being seen. Actually, you can wear some of my clothes from my bag. They won’t fit you since you’re so tiny, but at least you can wear one of the sweatshirts.” He wrapped her in his arms. “I can see you’re starting to shiver. Come on, let’s head back to your place.”

  Kelsey noticed that she truly was cold and was thankful when he brought the sweatshirt. Just when she was done pulling her arms through it, he had already transformed into his gargoyle form. Before she knew it, they both were soaring through the sky.

  Within minutes, he had her at her apartment building by the fire escape ladder. “I often sneak into your floor from here. I bring a pair of clothes with me and put them on right here once I transform into my human form.”

  “That’s probably smart. Did you bring any this time?”

  “Nope, because I plan on crashing into your bed just like this.” Damien threw her a devious smile.

  “Is that so?” she asked, narrowing her eyes.

  “That is so. You should never have shown me this making love thing. I think you may have created a monster. I want you again, and I know exactly what we’re doing the rest of the night.”

  Kelsey giggled and snuck into her hallway once he pried the window open. When she was satisfied that everything was clear, she signaled him to follow her. Like two kids doing something naughty, both snuck into her apartment.

  True to his word, Damien had her screaming for him in no time.

  Twenty-four

  When Kelsey woke up groggy the next morning, Damien was already gone. She sighed in disappointment; she would have liked to wake up in his arms. Although she didn’t want him to give up his way of life for her, Kelsey couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the two of them living a normal life like normal couples.

  Forcing herself to get ready for work, she noticed his ring on her bedside table. When she picked it up, there was a note underneath it.

  Stay safe, my love. My heart will yearn for you every second of the day until the sun sets.

  She breathed deeply, and smiling to herself, Kelsey put his ring through a chain and placed it around her neck. Feeling the heavy metal between her breasts somehow gave her a sense of security.

  The night she shared with Damien was phenomenal, but now that a new day had started, she needed to remind herself that a killer was on the loose. And this killer was most likely after her. Her heart agonized at losing Lisa, and the visions of the beautiful girl flashed before her eyes.

  Blinking the tears away, she quickly took a shower and headed to work. When she arrived at the station, Kevin called her in. She knew he would want the report of her trip to Virginia.

  “How are you doing, Kelsey? Did you find out anything more?” he asked, coming around his desk and folding his arms across his chest.

  “I met with Captain Jackson, and he showed me the reports. I also went to the crime scene.” She looked away when she remembered the gruesome visuals.

  “And?” he asked.

  “And nothing. It was horrible. From the way the blood was painted everywhere, that crazy tore her up, one slash at a time.” Feeling her throat closing, she swung back to the door. “There’s nothing new, Captain. If I find out anything further, I’ll let you know.”

  Once she left his office, she went straight to her desk. She searched through the database for all of the criminals who may have been released in the last few years that fit the profile of the killer. To her dismay, she found nothing that stood out to her.

  Frustrated, she finally headed home at the end of the day. She knew she was missing something, and it upset her that she couldn’t figure it out. As she was approaching her apartment building, she was completely lost in her thoughts and didn’t notice anything until she was grabbed by her arm.

  Reacting on instinct, Kelsey turned and struck the man in the nose. Taken aback, Jason stumbled backward, holding his nose in pain.

  “Damn, Kelsey!” he yelled.

  “Why are you sneaking up on my like that and grabbing me?” she asked, defending her actions.

  “I want to know if you really are seeing that guy. You didn’t come home all night last night.” Jason wiped the blood that was now dripping out of his nose.

  Shocked, Kelsey could feel her temper rising. “How would you know that? Are you spying on me?”

  “Just tell me!” he demanded, grabbing for her again. This time, although he was able to wrap his arms around her, Kelsey was quick. She kicked his shin, catching him off-guard. Before he could recover, she had him down with his face on the ground and her knee on his back.

  “Don’t you ever come near me again! I can arrest you right now for assaulting an officer. Now, what I do in my life is not your business. You’ll walk away and never bother me again. Do you understand?” She dug her knee deeper into his back, and he yelled in pain.

  Several pedestrians had stopped to investigate what was happening, but she ignored them, wanting Jason to understand he had crossed the line.

  “Fine, damn it! Get off of me!” he yelled.

  “Are you going to behave?”

  “Yes!” Once she finally allowed him to get back up on his feet, he turned to her and said, “Have a nice life, bitch.”

  Kelsey watched him disappear down the street. Shaking her head in disbelief, she entered her apartment. She knew Damien wouldn’t arrive for several more hours, and she was going to try to squeeze in a nap before he got there. Going on practically no sleep for the last few days, she could feel the exhaustion sinking in.

  As predicted, Damien was at her door before long. She threw herself at him as soon as he
walked in, needing the comfort of his arms.

  “What’s wrong? Did something happen?” he immediately asked.

  “Why do you ask? I just missed you, that’s all.” Kelsey smiled at him and raised her lips to meet his.

  After kissing her, he said, “I missed you like hell.”

  “Do you know what’s happening around you during the day? You know, when you’re a statue?”

  “No, not in the daytime. It’s like we’re in deep sleep. I don’t know anything until the sun sets when I can finally come to life.”

  “Then how do you know you missed me? I’m the one who suffered all day, wide awake and thinking about you.” Kelsey pouted, staring up at him.

  Picking her up, he brought her to the bed. “I’m going to show you exactly how much I missed you. And I promise you, soon enough, you’ll be stuck with me all the time.”

  “Speaking of, when is this supposed to happen? And how do they do that?”

  “Like I said, Master Gargoyles are very powerful. Not only are they gifted, but they train and are taught the highest level of power. They are superior to The Council, but they will support most of The Council’s decisions. You don’t want to mess with Master Gargoyles, trust me.”

  “How do you become a Master Gargoyle and how many are there?”

  “They live a long time. Some are hundreds of years old. We’re born with powers actually. My father was always very gifted, but he never really showed his true powers to anybody. Some of the Master Gargoyles were suspicious, though, because they can sense things. After my father was found, they asked him to join them. My father finally agreed. Maybe it gave him another purpose. Once you’re one of the Master Gargoyles, they train you to become even more powerful. But because it’s rare to have these gifts, we have twenty-three alive currently.”

  “Alive? They die naturally? Or they can be killed as well?”

  “Yes, they can be killed. But again, nobody dares to mess with them because it would be very difficult to kill them. They are stronger, faster, and have many powers. Some can read your minds, while others can control your minds. Some can even sense things before it happens.”

  “Really! So, how are they going to change you to all human?”

  “Master Gargoyles have a book…let’s just say it’s a holy book of sort. It has guidance and even spells they utilize. When they change me, there will be a long ceremony. And in this ceremony, they’ll cast these spells that will turn me into a full-time human.”

  “It sounds dangerous. What if they mess up? Can this hurt you?”

  Damien laughed, shaking his head. “Believe me, Kelsey, Master Gargoyles don’t make mistakes.”

  “Have they ever done such a ceremony?”

  “Not often. In our history, there have been only several incidences where they have changed gargoyles like me into permanent gargoyles because that was their choice. But, I promise you, there is nothing to worry about.”

  “Nothing to worry about? They’ve never transformed gargoyles to all humans? All this seems too risky, Damien.”

  “No, Kelsey. Trust me, Master Gargoyles wouldn’t do something if they didn’t think they could.”

  Kelsey sighed, rubbing her forehead. “You never answered me about when this is supposed to happen.”

  “In about couple of weeks, the human Damien will be at your service.”

  “What?” Kelsey sat up in bed, staring at him. “Why didn’t you tell me it was so soon?”

  “You mean not soon enough. I’ve been trying to do this for years. I decided I couldn’t be without you the day I left your apartment four years ago. Many nights, I had to leave to attend the meetings. I hated leaving you because I was always worried about you while you were on the streets. One of the nights I was gone, you almost got killed.”

  “You mean the night I lost Sammy?”

  “I could have saved Sammy and caught the killer. I would have known it was too dangerous for you to go in. I’ve been kicking myself in the ass about that night. I’m sorry, Kelsey. I should have been there for you.” Damien kissed her forehead as he stroked her cheek.

  “So many what ifs. God, that night…if only I had waited for backup. If only I had listened to Sammy when he told me to retreat. If only I hadn’t acted on my emotions.” A tear slithered out and rolled down her cheek.

  “Please don’t blame yourself. It kills me to watch you hurt.”

  Kelsey swallowed and nodded. “Tell me about The Council. How did you convince them?”

  “For years, I fought for this. I wouldn’t budge no matter what they said or did. Finally, they granted me my choice after they were certain this was definitely what I wanted. Once I knew the decision had been made, I conveniently bumped into you that night at the bar.”

  Laughing, Kelsey said, “I remember that. I was shocked at seeing you after all those years. I think I’ve gotten the short end of the stick here. You’ve always been able to stay close to me without me knowing. But all those years, I relentlessly searched for you, wondering if I’d ever see you again.”

  “Not seeing you would have killed me.” He gently caressed her cheek and inhaled deeply. “Now, tell me about your day. You looked stressed when I walked in. What happened?”

  Kelsey sighed. “Oh, nothing really. I was annoyed because Jason showed up again.”

  “That ass! I told him not to go near you. I’ll have to pay him a little visit.”

  “Oh, don’t worry about him. I took care of him. The poor guy ended up with a bloody nose and was probably humiliated that he got a beat down by a female.”

  “He’s not a poor guy. What did he do?” Damien was frowning, not seeing the humor in the situation.

  “He was waiting for me when I arrived from work. He snuck up on me as I was approaching my building. But I reacted, and in no time, I had him on the ground. Please, just leave him alone. Trust me, I doubt he wants another blow to his ego. He will not be returning.”

  “I don’t like it, Kelsey. I had already warned him not to come near you again. He’s obsessed with you. Let me just handle it.”

  “Hey, my wild beast, I thought you were about to show me how much you missed me,” she teased. Interlocking her fingers into his hair, she pulled him back down to kiss him.

  Helpless under her spell, Damien gave in to her demands and deepened their kiss. As soon as she was trembling under his touch, he made sure to explore every inch of her body. When he knew she could take no more, he did not stop, loving the sound of his name echoing through the apartment.

  Twenty-five

  The next night, Damien came over with a dozen roses.

  “What’s this?” Kelsey asked, smiling ear to ear.

  “Well, you said something about having a ‘normal’ relationship the other day. I picked these up on my way here, and I got some dinner for us as well.”

  “What’s open where you can get the roses at this time of the night?” Kelsey narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously.

  “Twenty-four hour supermarket, of course!”

  Kelsey laughed, taking the roses and arranging them in a vase. “Thank you! I love them! Damien, I’d like you to meet somebody.”

  “Yeah?”

  Picking up her phone, she dialed Sofia’s number. “Hey, Sofia. I know it’s late, but I was just in your neighborhood and I wanted to stop by. I miss you and Samantha. Oh, and I also want you to meet somebody important.” Kelsey smiled into the phone, and after a brief pause, continued, “We should be there in five to ten minutes.”

  “What was all that about?” Damien asked after she hung up.

  “Sofia and Samantha are Sammy’s family. I’ve been wanting to stop by there, and it’s important to me that you guys meet. I know I told her we were in the neighborhood, but really she lives at least half an hour from here. Figured we’d be there in a few minutes, though?”

  “Would love to meet them. I can see they’re a big part of your life. You love them.”

  “Yes, I do. And I promised Sammy I’d
look after them.”

  “Let’s go then.”

  They snuck out of the fire escape, and after taking his clothes off, Damien turned into a gargoyle. Kelsey grabbed his clothes, and both were behind the bushes of Sofia’s house in no time.

  Once Damien was fully dressed and back in his human form, the two rang the doorbell. Immediately, the door swung open, and Samantha jumped into Kelsey’s arms.

  “You’re still awake? It’s like 10:30!” Kelsey said.

  “I wanted to see you. Of course I was going to wait up for you!” Samantha beamed, and then became shy when she noticed Damien. By then, Sofia was there, shaking Damien’s hand.

  “This is Damien. I’ve been wanting you guys to meet him,” Kelsey said as they entered the house.

  “Damien, so nice to meet you! Come on in.” Sofia then hugged Kelsey and whispered in her ear, “He’s hot!”

  Kelsey hid a smile, and the way Damien was smirking, she knew he heard Sofia’s remark with his supernatural hearing.

  “Hello, Sofia and Samantha,” Damien greeted. “Kelsey can’t say enough good things about you guys. So glad I finally got a chance to meet you.” He then squatted down to Samantha’s level. “Have I told you that Aunt Kelsey always talks about her pretty niece named Samantha?”

  Immediately, Samantha began to laugh, already drawn to Damien’s charm. “Aunt Kelsey calls me Sammy,” she said bashfully.

  “I know she does,” Damien answered, touching her nose with his finger. “That name suits you.”

  Samantha nodded, happy she was getting the attention.

  “We can’t stay long, but since we were in the area, I wanted to stop by.” Kelsey smiled, taking Sammy’s hand. “It’s pretty late, anyway.”

  “Well, at least sit down for a bit and have some drinks.”