Stone Guardian (28 page)

A pounding against her door forced them apart and had him on his feet.

Worst timing in the history of man
. “Who is it?” she called out.

“Michael,” came her brother’s voice, loud and pissed with an undercurrent of scared, enough to remind her she never called her brother after being taken away from him to let him know she was alright.

Oops.

Terak looked at the door as if the thought of punching through it to get to the man on the other side was a good idea. She should probably prevent that. Larissa rubbed her hand over his chest. “He always did have the worst timing,” she murmured.

His eyes blazed with more than interrupted lust. “He took you to the Guild. He allowed you to be harmed.”

Warmth seeped through her over his fear for her, but it would do no good to allow this anger at her brother. “He didn’t know what was going to happen, and he would never have knowingly allowed something to happen to me.”

“It does not change the fact that he lost you.”

The banging on her door started again. This was an argument they were going to have to have later. “He’s my brother and he’s not going away, so no matter how mad you are, you need to play nice, and you need to change into your human form.”

As soon as the door opened Michael grabbed Larissa by the upper arms, giving her a little shake. “You couldn’t be bothered to call me? I was out of my head worried over you!”

Before she could reassure him, Terak came forward and pulled her away from Michael, placing her behind his now human form. Joy. Just what she needed, another overprotective male.

Now Michael’s expression was turning thunderous as he stared at the male who would dare involve himself in family business. If they started a pissing contest, she was kicking them both out. “Michael, I’m fine. I’m fine.”

He paid no attention to her, all his focus on Terak. “Who the hell do you think you are?”

Terak straightened at Michael’s tone. If he had been in gargoyle form, his wings would have flared out. “I am her protector, and you will not touch her in such a way again.”

“Terak,” Larissa whispered, placing her hand on his back. “He was worried about me, and he didn’t hurt me at all, I promise. You won’t find a mark on me.”

Michael had to step up the tension though. “Oh yes, the oh-so-great protector my sister loves to talk about. Got a question for you - if you’re such a great protector, why couldn’t my sister get hold of you today?”

Terak stood his ground. “There seems to be a problem with the magic. Though it should never have come to that, in the end it matters not. I would have returned soon. You should have waited for me. It was foolish of you to take her alone to meet with Guild members.”

Michael’s hands came to his hips. “I’m a cop, who the hell are you to talk to me about going into danger. Besides that, I don’t try to control my sister.”

Larissa would have snorted at that if she wasn’t trying to keep attention away from her.

“So instead you willingly lead her into danger?” Terak bit back.

“Guys!” Larissa stepped from behind Terak to get between the two males, placing on hand on each one’s chest and pushing them apart. “Stop posturing. What’s done is done. All we can do is learn from this and decide if we’d do something different next time.”

Michael looked like he wanted to say more. Actually, Michael looked like he wanted to punch Terak. Probably the only thing stopping Michael was the fact that even in human form, it looked like punching Terak was more likely to cause you to break your fist than cause any damage to him. “I need to talk to my sister, and if you don’t mind, I’d like to do it privately.”

Terak crossed his arms over his chest. “I will not leave her.”

It was a stare-off of epic proportions. Neither male was backing down, and she was the chew-toy between them.

Then Michael’s eyes flickered, and he stared hard, taking them both in – her hastily donned clothes, Terak’s too-small shirt, her had-to-be swollen lips and lovemarked neck. As if a light switch had flipped, Michael now appeared a little green around the edges. “Did I interrupt something?”

Why did she feel like a teenager caught necking? Oh right, maybe because that was darn close to the truth. “Michael, that is none of your business.”

He scrubbed his hands over his face, reeling away from them. “Oh gods, I did.”

Well, this was awkward.

Terak stiffened behind her. When she turned his eyes were closed and his brow furrowed. “Terak?”

His eyes opened then, his eyes at first unfocused before returning to awareness. After he came back to himself he gave Michael a hard stare – which her brother handily returned – before he pulled her into the doorway of her bedroom, still in Michael’s sight but outside of his hearing range. He put his mouth to her ear and whispered, “Malek has called me. There is need for me.”

Terak looked none-to-happy. “Is anything wrong?”

His mouth thinned. “While I was not given details, there must be. Malek would not call otherwise.”

Michael had the good manners not to try to listen in to their conversation, but he didn’t leave their line of sight and his glare was focused exclusively on Terak.

She didn’t want him to leave. Selfish, yes, but after the night she had she didn’t want him anywhere out of her sight.

And after what had been going on not ten minutes ago, she wanted to finish what they had started. She was wet and achy, and thoughts of his mouth on hers and his cock pounding inside her took most of the available space inside her brain.

But his people needed him, and as much as the upcoming conversation would suck, she really needed to speak with Michael. “I promise I won’t leave. You need to go and learn what’s happening with your people.”

He shook his head. “You are not safe here alone and I will not risk you again.”

“Terak, your people need you.”

“I need you to be safe.”

The war was clear on his face. That he placed her welfare on the same level as his Clan humbled her, enveloped her in a warmth much gentler than the inferno he had ignited in her minutes ago. “It would hurt me to know your people did not have you near when they needed you because of me. Go”

His mouth opened and closed several times, but no sound came out. His hands reached down and enveloped her face and he brought his forehead down so it touched hers.

She brought her hands up to cover his. “Come back to me when you can. I’ll be waiting.”

His head lifted a little, his eyes opening and looking into hers. His eyes were so clear and he allowed her to look at everything in him, past all the barriers that were usually erected. It hurt, this gift of himself, but it was a welcome pain. “I will always come for you, little human. Never doubt that.”

She nodded. “I know. Go.”

In a shaky, stilted movement so unlike him, he turned from her and went out the front door, never stopping and never looking back, not even that last moment as the door closed behind him.

Even though he would be back, having him out of her sight had her heart crumpling in her chest. They were on the verge of something, and this interruption couldn’t have been timed worse.

Michael cleared his throat. His patience was admirable and unexpected, but it was time to deal with him. “Michael, I was wrong to not call you as soon as I was safe, and I’m sorry. But you have no business talking to him like that. He saved me.”

Michael looked at her, question in his eyes. “I’m confused, Ris. Who is this guy to you? First I thought he was a boyfriend, then an acquaintance who for some reason was guarding you, and now I have no clue.”

She sat down on her couch, looking around her room as different ways to tell Michael formed and then were discarded. Her coat was lying by the balcony door. Funny how she didn’t remember taking it off, but every second of Terak tearing off her shirt was seared into her brain. When she was ninety and rocking away in a nursing home, she’d still remember that moment in time.

“I told you once, he is special and I’d never regret that he had been in my life. That’s still the truth. As for anything further, I’m not going to talk to you about it when we haven’t even discussed it.”

Michael sat down next to her on the couch. “I don’t like it, but that’s fair.”

“How did you know I was back in the apartment?”

“When you were kidnapped I brought my unit in to help get you back. I had people everywhere, including watching here. My CO called me and said you had come back. It might have been nice if he warned me about the guy with you, though.”

Wait, if they were watching, wouldn’t they have seen Terak with her? Why wouldn’t they have been more worried about the appearance of a gargoyle and given Michael all the details?

But maybe they hadn’t seen her enter. Maybe they simply saw the lights in her apartment go on, and called on that alone.

And maybe the little knot in her stomach was pure nerves and this sense of uneasiness was simply a remnant of a horrible night best forgotten, nothing more.

Maybe…

Nalith stood out from amongst the crowd who were waiting, striding toward Terak even before his feet hit stone. “What is this, you imprison the future
Meyla
?”

His council member was walking a dangerous line. “You will not question me in such a way. I am sure you have heard of her crimes.”

Larissa did not need to know this was the reason he was called away. Malek contacted him through the same magic means as the silver ball he had given Larissa, to say Nalith was inciting discord and close to advocating open anarchy, putting blame on Larissa and questioning why Terak was with her.

Nalith’s voice rose in contemptuous rhythm, the level such that all the surrounding warriors could hear him. “I heard no crimes, only how the future mate of our Clan Leader was fulfilling her responsibility to us, in looking to make treaty with those who can assure the future safety of our Clan. You say we should not question you? I say the time for questioning you has been left for far too long. You have abandoned our Clan, instead concentrating all your time on a human female who is unworthy.”

His people were watching this battle. None seemed to be active in their support for Nalith, but many of their faces held a shadow of doubt.

Terak had made his decision this night. His decision –
his choice
– was Larissa. His Clan would either walk with him on this path and make their way together amongst the New Realms, or he would forge his own path while gargoyles stayed in the shadows and hidden in their keep.

Either way, the Clan’s future would be decided tonight.

That didn’t mean he would give up his Clan without a fight. “You would have as my mate one who would defy the desires of Clan and Council? Valry is no longer my Intended. She lost that privilege by sneaking and conspiring with vampires. So careful Nalith, or I will think you were in league with Valry in her betrayal. Do you wish to be inside the prison as well?”

Nalith straightened to his full height “Is it so wrong I wished to hear how our people could be more powerful in this realm?”

“So do you admit you contacted the vampires along with Valry?”

“With pride.” Nalith’s eyes blazed, his lips peeled back from his teeth. “I served to the best of my ability our strong
Meyla
, not our weak
Mennak
.”

“Then in front of all the warriors assembled, you admit treason and dare try to make it appear noble? Did you see treaty with the necromancers as the way for the Clan to gain power, or for
you
?”

“You would have us bare our throats to humans and the Guild. I would have us rule over all.”

“Except we would not.” Terak raised his voice, a whiplash against Nalith’s pathetic excuses. “We would be nothing except servants to necromancers, existing at their whims. I would rather ally and learn to live in this world than be nothing but cowed in front of the necromancers and a bully to all other races.”

“You are like your father before you, too weak to walk in real power.”

“What you call power I call cowardice – an inability to move forward and meet this realm and its challenges. I will not ally with evil due to my own fear.” He nodded to Malek. “Take him away.”

Before Malek could step forward, Nalith brought out a short sword. “You think you are such a great leader? You call me a coward? I call you the dog of a human. I challenge you.”

“You would fight me with a magical weapon for the challenge?”

Nalith smiled, a nasty, vitriolic twist of lips. “It is not forbidden,
Mennak
.” The title dripped contempt as Nalith circled him, the sword before him.

For a coward, his hold on the sword was surprisingly good. There had been practice with this weapon. “Drop the sword. You will not be forgiven for this.”

“Once you are dead and the pathetic leadership you have displayed is no longer in effect, I think I will not only be forgiven, but I will lead this Clan to a new age of Gargoyles.”

Nalith swiped at him and kept moving. Terak stayed away. Nalith was not a warrior, even if he could handle this weapon. A mistake would be made soon. He had to keep Nalith off balance and angered. In anger mistakes were always made. “You think to be leader? If our enemies see you charge into battle the only way they would be hurt is by falling down in laughter. Younglings have more skill in battle than you.”

“Spoken like a true savage. You have no skills save for your prowess on the battlefield, and you would demean those of us who truly rule the Clan.”

Nalith lunged again, but his arm was overextended. That was the opening needed. Terak grabbed his arm and wrapped his tail around one of Nalith’s ankles. Nalith pulled back but overcompensated the other way, and with Terak’s tail still around his ankle he was not able to right himself. He collapsed, and Terak grabbed the sword.

Several warriors came and restrained Nalith, taking him to the dungeon.