Gargoyle: A Reawakening (Briarcliff Series, #2) (25 page)

Evie blinked rapidly. One
minute Simon was beside Heather and the next he was up at the top
of the stairs, which wasn’t possible. She must be seeing things.
She turned around and looked behind her but no one else seemed to
have noticed how freakishly fast he just moved. But that wasn’t
possible…right? But then again, a statue coming to life wasn’t
possible either, and yet she had believed that readily enough and
so had Adriane. She bit her lip, contemplating. Adriane had said,
“one was a Gargoyle” that was a weird statement to make—granted it
was all weird, but what did he mean? Well she would just have to
ask him, that is, if she ever saw him again.

“
Give it to me,” Simon
asked pouring on his charm.

“
NO,” Barnaby barked,
grasping the book tightly to his chest.

A slow wicked smile crept
out across Simon’s face. “You want to dance with me
boy
?”

“
What the…?” Barnaby barely
mouthed the words, before the book was wrenched quickly and
effectively from his grasp.

Simon eyes glittered with
amusement, holding tightly to the book. “Thanks…
boy
,” he said, laughing lightly and
then dropped down over the railing. He landed on the floor in a
crouched position, his feet barely made a light thudding noise on
the marbled floor before he straightened.

Evie barely blinked before Simon was
standing next to her. “How’d you do that?” she asked in
amazement.

“
Tricks of the trade,” he
said and then winked at her, a glimmer of something sparking in his
deep gray eyes.

Evie shook her head, not quite able to
process what he said. When he smiled at her, what she saw him do
didn’t seem so important any longer. She leaned back reflexively as
he leaned towards her, inhaling deeply.

“
You… smell…,” he said
pausing.

She could feel his lips against her ear. His
warm breath floated over her making her insides quiver.

“
Just
like…
candy
.
Hmm
, so
sweet.”

“
Ah,
thanks,” she said awkwardly. He gave her a strange look his smile
faltering and then ran his hand through his hair. That is when she
noticed that he too had a strange tattoo on the inside of his left
arm, just like Adriane. It looked exactly the same.
Were they in a gang or
something
? And just as she was about to
ask him that very question, her gaze drifted back to his face. Up
close, his skin was so smooth, so flawless; it looked like it was
chiseled from marble or stone. Dark, long, lashes rimmed his eyes
making the color even more vibrant. His lips were full, centered
perfectly with his strong jaw that had a subtle cleft in the
middle. He was
almos
t as beautiful as Adriane. He could definitely be a model
though. Who knew, maybe he was. His tight t-shirt stretched across
a slender but muscular chest. Her eyes traveled lower, taking in
his batman seatbelt belt, his tight fitting jeans, but what held
her gaze was the tattoo on the inside of his left arm. She glanced
nervously back to his pretty face, and her breath caught when she
realized he was looking at her. His lips tugged up at the corners
showing off perfect white teeth. She swallowed hard, not from his
smile but the look in his eyes.

Suddenly, she saw only him. Everyone and
everything in the room fell away. She was blind. Nothing but
darkness surrounded her. Her heart sped up starting to freak. Did
someone turn out the damn lights? She felt his fingers close around
her upper arm and suddenly he materialized beside her. He was
whispering something to her but she couldn’t make out the words.
She felt his warm breath against her ear as he continued to speak
rapidly to her. They were both in a dark vortex. Nothing was around
either of them, but as Evie stood there frozen—another scene
started to unravel in front of her eyes, taking shape over Simons
left shoulder. A clearing much like the one on the side of the
mansion, came into focus. A huge hole was in the ground. Dark
shapes were dotted along the edges, a lilting chant filling the
air. The gaping black hole in the ground began to sputter and the
dark images shook back and forth, swaying. The vibrations from
their combined voices made her skin tingle from the inside out. She
took a step forward, trying to see what they were doing but she
felt Simon grip her arm tighter. She could feel his mouth moving
rapidly again, against her ear, but she couldn’t hear what he was
saying. The lilting chants drew her closer. The sound was so
alluring.

“
Simon,”
she said and turned her head. He was gone. There was nothing to
stop her from walking over to them now. She took a
step…“
Stop
!
Come back
,” a deep voice, whispered, so low, she almost didn’t hear it
over the droning chant that was pulling her forward. She ignored it
and took another step.

“
Evie stop!” This time she
did stop. She knew that voice. How did she know that voice? Her
mind wouldn’t work. She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out
what she was seeing, and tried to focus on the voice she heard,
instead. She turned around, trying to follow the sound. The dark
forms began to come into focus, the hole sputtered out little
crackles of bright blue light.

“
Come…come… to us,”
they chanted in
unison, their voices getting stronger. Her body shook. She spun
around trying to find a way out, even though she still held her
eyes tightly shut, trying to close out what she was seeing. She
didn’t want to see them. And she didn’t want to go to them either.
Somehow, she knew if she did nothing good would come of it.
Something cold slid over her back. Tremors of fear raced through
her body. Scared, she bolted forward, trying to run and was pulled
up short by her hair.
Not again.
The fresh memories flooded back like the gates of
a damn were lifted. “Get OFF of me!”

The doors to the library swung open, banging
loudly against the wall. Cold gusts of air blew directly inside,
swirling violently. Books went flying in the air.

“
Get off of her—Bastard!”
Barnaby yelled, running headlong down the spiral stairs. His body
slammed in to Simon’s back, knocking him forward, making him lose
his hold on Evie.

Evie was free now. She
ran, blind, in the darkness, trying to get away. There were no
stairs in front of her this time. Nothing but blackness surrounded
her on all sides. She faintly heard someone yelling to her, not a
monster, no someone else. She tried to search her brain, shutting
out the luring chants, concentrating solely on the voice that
called to her. But she couldn’t remember who it was.
Who are you
? She fought
against the lure it was so strong. Part of her wanted to give in
and simply do what they were bidding her to do, but another part
was terrified. Evie stuck with the terror. Blinded, she ran further
into the darkness…and then abruptly her flight for freedom ended
and she slipped away into nothingness.

WICKED IS AS WICKED DOES

SATURDAY * 11:37
PM

Otherworldly creatures
filled Briarcliff Manor’s foyer. The largest of them all, held Evie
in his grasp, turning her back and forth, making her dangling feet
swing in the air.

“
Shit
!” Simon slid to a halt just
outside the library doorway.
Dythius
was the last person he
wanted or needed to see at this juncture… “Really?” he asked
looking up. Of course, nothing was easy—“
no, of course not”
, his mind
chided.
Penance… really was a
bitch
.

Now Dythius held Evie in his massive hands
shaking her like a doll and if he didn’t stop soon she would be a
broken one. “Don’t!” Simon lifted his arms to stop one of the
humans from moving forward.

“
I don’t have to take
orders from you,” Barnaby said, standing taller like he was ready
to fight if necessary.

Simon gave him a disparaging look and then
stepped to the side so he could get a good look at his would be
opponent. “

“
Wh-at-who…is that?”
Barnaby stammered his momentary bravado completely gone.

“
Yeah, I didn’t think so,”
Simon muttered. “No one you want to piss off,” Simon said. “Now
take this so I can go and save your little friend.” He pushed the
book out.

Chance reached out and took the book when
Barnaby wouldn’t. Lifting his shirt, he tried to shove the book
underneath. It dropped to the floor with a thud. Quickly he bent
down to pick back up the book and then shoved it into the waist of
his jeans, in the back this time.

What to do? What to
do?
Simons’ body pulsed, poised for
attack. This was
not
how he imagined this going down. Helplessly he watched
Dythius shake the girl violently trying to get her to wake.
Talk about stupid
.
Either Dythius would tire of the girl and drop her to the ground,
which would probably break her neck, or he would keep shaking her,
break her neck, and then drop her to the ground. Neither looked
like viable options.

Feeling a familiar push against his mind, he
looked up. Hidden in the shadows on the landing at the top of the
stairs were Alistair and Adriane. Simon lifted his chin in
acknowledgement and had to repress the urge not to roll his
eyes.

***

“
Idiots,” Sybarite seethed.
She took a deep breath and walked the rest of the way up the stairs
behind the cluster of lowlings that had gathered in the doorway,
blocking her entrance.

“
Move your asses,” she
commanded, hissing at them as she pushed her way past. They made
whimpering sounds like dogs and slid off to the side. She gave them
another warning glare before she finally walked inside. Again,
confusion ensued behind her and she cut them another glaring
look.

The lowlings crowded across the landing
outside the door. Their too wide mouths opening and slamming shut.
Sticky saliva dripped down darkening the stone underfoot in
anticipation of the feast that would soon commence.

Sybarite lifted a pale
hand to her brow, working the crease gathering between her eyes.
She looked to her left noticing a bunch of lowly humans gathered …
“
Damn you
,” she
swore realizing now what/who they were standing beside.
“Centurion?” she groaned as though it pained her. “Who woke
you
up?” she said with
unconcealed irritation, anger flashing in her sea green
eyes.

Simon jerked his head
around.
Oh, come on
.
Perfect.
“I take it wasn’t you then,” he asked, forcing a
smile.

“
No.” Her brow creased.
“Why ever would I do something like that?” she asked perplexed, a
crease of confusion marring her stone smooth features.

“
You missed me.” Simon
shrugged indifferently.

“
Oh, Centurion, are we back
to this? You were never one to learn the lessons taught to you.”
She shook her head making a “tsk-tsking” sound.

“
Whatever do you mean?” he
questioned a little too innocently.

Sybarite stared down her nose at him. “One
would have thought you’d learned something of a lesson the last
time we met.” She brought her hands together, steepling her
fingers.

“
Why would I do something
like that,” he answered flippantly.

“
Yes, why would you?” she
asked narrowing her eyes. “Unless…” she paused, scrapping a long
fingernail down her sleeve. “ Are you the only one?”

Simon looked around the vast room. Again, he
shrugged. “I am guessing so.”

Sybarite’s eyes flashed and she cocked her
head to the side. “Why do I not believe you?”

“
I guess you have some
trust issues.”

She laughed, it sounded
like a cackling witch. “Still have your sense of humor I see.
Perhaps you do need to be taught another lesson.
Hmmm?
My goodness what a
pity too
,”
she
breathed. She turned towards the lowlings…. “Come…come,” she said
calling them through the door.