Twenty-nine
All too soon, Damien said, “I must go. I’ll see you on the third day. Promise me you’ll still be here, waiting for me.”
Kelsey had remained awake in his arms until she knew he had to leave. “Where am I going to go? Of course I’ll be here.”
“Listen, Shane will be coming the next two nights here to watch over you.”
Flinging her head up at him, Kelsey frowned. “Why? I don’t need him here. I barely know him.”
“Kelsey, he’s my brother. I know he can be a real ass sometimes, but I trust him with my life. I asked him to look after you while I’m going through this transition. Please, it’ll make me feel better that he’s with you in his waking hours. I wish I could send somebody to be with you during the daytime as well.”
“Damien, please stop worrying about me. I’m not even going to leave this hotel, and nobody knows where I am. If you want Shane to stop by to check on me, that’s fine. I just want you to focus on yourself and come back to me in one piece.”
“That I promise. I love you, my darling wife. I must go now.” He kissed her one last time before leaping out of the window and transforming into a gargoyle form while in midair.
Kelsey watched him with a heavy heart as he soon disappeared into the still of the night.
Although she couldn’t fall asleep the rest of the night, Kelsey eventually did doze off during the day. When she finally awakened, it was already the afternoon. Forcing herself to take a shower, she soon realized how hungry she was.
As she ate, her thoughts kept drifting to Damien. They were supposed to start the ceremony as soon as he had returned. Since it was three in the afternoon, she wondered what was happening. Did he turn back to stone even though it was the middle of the ceremony? Did the Master Gargoyles turn into stones as well? She regretted not asking more questions.
Shane would be checking in that night. Although she wasn’t too fond of the idea, she was glad that perhaps he may have some news on Damien. Kelsey tried to stay busy by watching TV and reading. She even took her time eating and taking an extra-long bath. But no matter how hard she tried, her mind kept shifting back to Damien. Eventually, she couldn’t stand the wait any longer. Shane couldn’t arrive fast enough.
By the time ten o’clock came around, she began pacing the floor. Typically, Damien would come by that time. Since Shane hadn’t arrived, she wondered if something was wrong. Maybe something happened to Damien.
Feeling nauseated at the thought, Kelsey took deep breaths to calm herself. Shane was probably being Shane by not listening to the instructions given to him by his brother. Just then, though, she heard the pounding at her window. Startled, she jumped and spun toward it. Shane was waving to her calmly as he was hanging on the window ledge.
Not surprised by his grand entrance, Kelsey opened her window. “You couldn’t come from the front door as a human instead of the tenth floor window as a gargoyle?”
“I prefer the window,” Shane answered as he jumped in.
“How’s Damien?” she asked, unable to wait any longer.
“Hey! I just got here. How about, ‘Come in, Shane. How nice of you to waste your whole night babysitting me.’”
“I didn’t ask for this. It’s your overprotective brother.”
“That he is.” Shane laughed. “I’m about to change to my human form. Forgot my clothes though. Do you have—”
“Yes, I have some of Damien’s clothes here.” Kelsey cut him off, grabbing sweatpants and sweatshirt for him from the bedroom. “I’ll be in the other room while you dress. Please, hurry, Shane. I have to know what’s happening. I can’t wait anymore.”
“You’re no fun!” he teased as he transformed into his human form.
Just as Kelsey dashed into the bedroom, she heard him laugh. “I’m glad you can laugh at such a stressful time!” She sighed, wondering how she was going to deal with him. “Is it safe for me to come out?”
“You mean am I dressed? Yes, I am. But I still say clothes are overrated.”
Kelsey stepped out of her bedroom to see Shane petting Tom. Shaking her head in disbelief, she said, “I just don’t get it. Guess he’s getting used to gargoyles.”
“What’s his name?”
“Tom. He hated Damien in the beginning. Speaking of, what’s the latest? How’s he doing?”
“When I woke up, he was still asleep. The Master Gargoyles are still working on him, but they said it’s all going as planned.”
Swallowing hard, Kelsey closed her eyes. “Do you think it’ll all go okay? Can something go wrong?” she whispered.
With a sarcastic laugh, Shane replied, “Anything can go wrong. I mean, what are the guarantees? There are none.”
“Thanks! That makes me feel a lot better.” Kelsey walked toward the kitchen.
“Hey, you asked, and I say how it is. Anyway, before they started the ceremony, Damien told me you two were married. I guess congratulations are in order.” Shane followed her into the kitchen. Opening the fridge, he asked, “What do you have to eat around here?”
“We went and bought some groceries. I thought you’d go hunting or something at night.”
“I do normally, but your husband has appointed me on watch duty.” After searching in the tiny fridge, he finally pulled out a bottle of beer. “I guess I’ll be eating human food for the next couple of nights.”
“You drink beer? I’ve never seen Damien drinking any sort of alcohol. I just figured gargoyles don’t like it.”
“Nah, that’s just Damien. He’s the goody two-shoes.” Shane then made himself a bologna sandwich.
“Anyway, he told you we were married?” Kelsey’s heart jumped at the thought of Damien telling his brother that she was his wife. “How do you feel about it?”
“It’s nothing different to me. He had already claimed you as his mate long time ago. Marriages and all that is just a human tradition. He did it for you. But as far as he was concerned, it was already ‘til death do you part. He was always the more romantic out of us.” Shane laughed as if remembering their conversations.
“You don’t have a mate? Somebody you want to be with?”
“Oh, I have plenty of mates.” He grimaced when he took a bite of his sandwich. “Gross!”
“What do you mean? I thought once you claim somebody as your mate, you’ve committed yourself to them. Isn’t that how it is with gargoyles?” Kelsey frowned, confused at his words.
“Traditionally, yeah. That’s how it is in our culture, but times have changed. I don’t follow that shit. I’m way too young.”
“How old are you?”
“Human age? I’d say around nineteen. And gargoyle age, I’m thirty-eight.”
“What? You’re a lot younger than Damien. I mean, I knew you were young, but I hadn’t realized it was that many years.”
“Well, it’s really not that strange. Gargoyles live a long time. My parents had Damien long time ago. They decided to have me years later. It’s like humans having kids that are about ten years apart.”
“Huh, I guess so,” Kelsey said, frowning. “Okay, so you’re still young, Shane. You never know when somebody may steal your heart…when you least expect it. That’s what happened to me.”
“Nope, not me. Again, that’s Damien and his weird romantic heart.”
“I’m still not comprehending. Aren’t there like laws you have to follow? You can have more than one mate?”
“Like I said, times have changed. Most gargoyles have many mates. Of course, once a gargoyle claims you as his lifetime mate, then that’s it. It’s kind of like marriage for you guys. The ones who believe in love and all that crap will follow the tradition and will only mate with their lifetime mate. Like Damien.”
“So really, it’s a lot like human culture. Most humans will date around, and even sleep around, until they find the person they want to marry. Of course, that doesn’t stop many from cheating on their spouse and still screw around.”
“Oh, trust me, ther
e are some gargoyles that are the same. But the laws are very strict once you claim somebody as your lifetime mate. That’s why I’ll never do that. I know I would never be faithful.”
“What about the female gargoyles? Your mates? Don’t they get angry with you?” Kelsey asked, now curious.
“They know what they’re getting into. They just don’t like it when I mate with a human female. They see it as some sort of competition. And a betrayal.”
“What? You have sex with humans, too?”
“Why are you so shocked? I’m sure Damien has had sex with you.”
“Well, that’s different. I know what he is. Do these human females know?”
Shane laughed. “Of course not! I’m not allowed to tell humans about us. Again, that was Damien’s stupidity. That’s why he’s been in a lot of trouble all these years.”
“He’s been in trouble?”
“Yep! Nobody approved of his decision. But he’s a stubborn fool, so he wasn’t going to change his mind. He’s leaving his clan and all of the family’s wealth.”
“What do you mean?” Kelsey asked, confused.
“We’ve been around for thousands of years, Kelsey. Of course, the gargoyles were able to become pretty wealthy through time. Trust me when I say he’s giving up a lot.” Shane paused, rubbing his face. “So, there you have it. He had to make a choice, and he chose you.”
Kelsey looked down, feeling guilty. She had never wanted him to give it all up. But she also knew Shane was right; once Damien made up his mind, nobody could change it.
“I’m sorry, Shane. I honestly wouldn’t want that for him. I just don’t understand why he can’t still be with his clan—even if he was a human. You’re his brother for heaven’s sake.”
Shane left the kitchen and approached her. He lifted her face to meet his eyes. “I know you’re sorry, Kelsey. I also know you love him very much. The rules are rules, and he knew what he wanted. I just have to accept it.”
Feeling her eyes tearing, Kelsey quickly turned away. “It’s getting late, so I guess I’m going to go to sleep. You don’t have to hang out here now that you see I’m doing fine. You should really get some food that you’ll actually enjoy.”
“Nah, strict orders were to stay with you. Go ahead and go to sleep. I’ll just hang out here and watch TV in this room.”
“Shane, I won’t tell Damien you left. Please, I feel bad enough about this as it is. I’m fine. Nothing will happen to me.”
“If this is one thing my brother asked of me, I won’t fail him, Kelsey. Now, go to sleep.” He guided her to the bedroom and closed the door.
Kelsey sighed, realizing Shane was just as stubborn as Damien, if not more. After changing into her pajamas and brushing her teeth, she finally crawled into her bed. As the darkness finally claimed her, her dreams were filled with a faceless killer running after her and Damien trying to save her.
Time
To
Kill
Thirty
As expected, Shane was gone in the morning. The day dragged again, and all Kelsey could think about was Damien. She had to get through just one more night. If all went as planned, she would see her love tomorrow afternoon.
Getting through the day was even more difficult than she had imagined. Being in the hotel room for over twenty-four hours was slowly driving her crazy. She felt trapped and helpless, not knowing what was happening to Damien and what was happening back in New York. Guilt continued to eat her up, as she still blamed herself for Jason’s death.
When she couldn’t take it any longer, she decided to head to the hotel’s fitness room to at least burn off some of her restless energy. She knew Damien had begged her to stay in her room, but nobody knew her here. How could anybody possibly find her?
Kelsey stayed in the fitness room for three hours, trying to pass as much time as possible. Several men approached her while she worked out. She knew they were flirting with her, and one even asked her to dinner later that night. Politely declining, she told him she was married, and her husband was waiting for her in the hotel room.
Once she got back into her suite, Kelsey took a long, hot shower and waited anxiously for Shane’s arrival. Somehow she made it until she heard the pounding on the window. Sprinting to it, she quickly opened it, allowing Shane to enter. Kelsey already had Damien’s clothes for him in her hands.
“Is everything still okay? How is Damien doing?” she asked as she handed the clothes to him.
“Let me change into my human form first,” he replied.
Kelsey quickly turned away, ignoring his laughter, while he transformed and put the clothes on.
“Well, did you get to see him? Was he still asleep?” she asked, impatient that he was making her wait.
“Yep, still out. He hasn’t moved at all. The Master Gargoyles feel that everything is still going as planned. They’re predicting he may wake up tomorrow afternoon sometime.”
Kelsey released a sigh of relief, hearing the news. “Oh, thank God! Do you think he can hear you or the others while he sleeps?”
“Okay, I don’t want to keep talking to your back. It’s safe for you to turn now.” When Kelsey faced him, he continued, “I don’t know if he can hear us. Nobody knows what’s really going on. They’re just monitoring all his vitals and they all still look good.”
“Have you gotten to see any of the ceremony?” she asked, wondering how private the event was.
“No way! Only the Master Gargoyles are allowed in there. Supposedly, they do some strange rituals and cast some spells from this book. Only Master Gargoyles have access to this book.” He walked into kitchen. “What’s for dinner?”
“Shane, this is nuts. You don’t even like human food. Go hunt, and then you can come back. You don’t have to come here as soon as you wake up.”
“I’ll just throw this frozen lasagna in the microwave. It’s not a big deal, Kelsey. It’s my last night to watch over you. I think I can make some sacrifices for my brother’s wife.” He ripped the box open and turned the microwave on after placing the lasagna.
“Will you come tomorrow night? To see us off?” Kelsey asked. “We’ll still be here. We weren’t planning on leaving until the next day.”
“Nah, I’m not allowed to see Damien anymore.”
“Well, you’re not coming to see Damien. You’re coming to see me. I’m sure there are no rules for seeing your friends,” Kelsey insisted, smiling.
“I had no idea you were sneaky like that. Hmm, you might just be the perfect match for my brother.” Shane laughed, enjoying the conversation. “I’m not even allowed to be around humans.”
“But you sleep with them. I’m sure you’re breaking rules there.”
“Okay, you got me there. I don’t know, though. This is all new, and if The Council found out—”
“Please, Shane. I know Damien would want to see you one more time,” she begged, crossing her fingers behind her back.
Shane sighed. “Hell, it’s not like I haven’t broken rules before. I’ll be here.”
Kelsey smiled, and on impulse she went to him and gave him a hug. “Thank you,” she said.
“Whoa, I wasn’t expecting that. Look, I’m not a softie like my brother, okay? I don’t like hugs and all that. Leave all the sentimental stuff for Damien.” Shane was scowling, but she could tell he was trying to hide his smile.
“Okay, Mr. Tough Guy,” she teased.
“It’s almost eleven o’clock. Why don’t you go to bed? That way, before you know it, it’ll be morning, and you’ll just have to wait the day out for Damien.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” She started walking toward the bedroom. Stopping abruptly, she turned to face him again. “Shane, he’ll be here tomorrow afternoon, right? If he doesn’t come, what do I do?”
Shane rubbed his face. “Then you’ll stay put until I get here. Don’t go anywhere at all. Damien has told me about the serial killer and how he’s now after you. You wait for me to get back here. I’ll return with some in
formation. But I promise you, Kelsey, Damien is one stubborn son of a bitch. He will find you. No matter what happens, if nothing else, his love for you will give him the strength.”
“Okay, thanks, Shane,” Kelsey whispered and disappeared into the bedroom.
Thirty-one
Rage like no other ignited inside him. He could kill her right now.
“Tell me where she is,” he yelled.
The frightened woman was visibly shaking by then. He had made sure to blindfold and tie her up nice and tight.
“Tell me!”
“I don’t know who you mean. What do you want? Please, don’t hurt me.” The woman was crying, and it was making him sick. She was pathetic, nothing like his strong Kelsey. Without hesitating, he struck her jaw with his fist. She probably already had a broken nose from his previous hits.
“I want to know where Kelsey Taylor is. Where did she go? I know you’re her friend. Don’t tell me she didn’t say anything to you!”
When she finally caught her breath, the woman said, “I swear, I don’t know where she is. I didn’t even know she was going anywhere.”
“You’re lying!” He pulled his knife out, deciding it was time to show her what he was truly capable of.
Kelsey woke up bright and early the next day. She had no idea when Damien would try to contact her, but she wanted to be ready. Jumping into the shower, she dressed in her favorite pair of jeans and blouse.
“He comes today, Tom! He’ll be home with us soon.” She carried Tom around in the room, giddy with excitement. “Oh, I better turn on my phone in case he tries to call me when he wakes up.”
Kelsey had purposefully not placed her phone battery into her phone because of strict instructions from Damien. He didn’t want anything to be traced to her, just in case the killer could somehow track her phone. But Kelsey’s anticipation and impatience won out at the end. Convincing herself that Damien may need to contact her, she placed the battery back into the compartment.
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