When a Gargoyle Awakens (29 page)

“She was?”

“Yes, I thought that would make her happy.  I believe she coveted the role of chief’s mate more than me.  I will speak to her.”

“No,” she said, quickly.  Kylie had dealt with enough bullies to know that having someone else talk to them wasn’t going to work.  The time she came out of the gym to find her clothes had been swapped with a Halloween bunny costume were a testament to that.  Not just any bunny – a playboy bunny, and it was two sizes too small.  “I’ll speak to her – I can’t have you fighting all my battles.”

“I would like to fight them all, you are my mate, I must protect you.”

“Thank you, but I’ve got this one.”

Luc rubbed his chin over her neck.  He told her his kind did it to spread their scent on their mates.  “I will allow it, but do not let anything anyone says concern you.  You are mine, and no one will tell me otherwise.”

Chapter Forty-Two

Kylie stepped into the kitchen and on seeing who was in there, she tried to turn and silently make her escape.  Sadly, she was too late.

“Chief’s mate,” said Ophelia.

Kylie stopped in her tracks and turned back to find Ophelia grinning.  It was terrifying.

“Ophelia,” murmured Kylie.

“Are you well, Chief’s mate?  Can I get you something, Chief’s mate?”

Technically, Kylie couldn’t find anything wrong with Ophelia’s behavior, but it bothered her.  She had a talk with Ophelia a couple of nights ago, and it seemed to go okay. Ophelia had quietly listened while Kylie had politely told her to back off her man and dial it down.

Ophelia had taken it gracefully, and she was actually more civil to Kylie.  Perhaps, too civil.  It was the way she smiled at Kylie and called her ‘Chief’s mate’ over and over.  Luc couldn’t see what the problem was.  He thought Ophelia was being deferential.  Kylie thought she was mocking her, and it sent a chill up her spine.

“I’m fine, thank you,” said Kylie, forcing a smile.  She wondered how long it would take to become comfortable with Ophelia’s presence.

Kylie watched mesmerized as the gargoyle heated some cocoa in the microwave.  Seeing her doing something so mundane and human was strange.  Kylie couldn’t force Luc to use the microwave.  It was still a sorcerer’s box to him.  But Ophelia didn’t seem to have any trouble with modern technology.

“I’m surprised you like that,” commented Kylie.  “I’ve tried to get Luc to drink hot things, but he says he can’t stomach them.”

“In time he will.”

Kylie drummed her fingers on the table.  As soon as she was sure she had stayed long enough to be polite, she excused herself.

“Perhaps you will take a walk with me, Chief’s mate.”

“I…”  Her mind reached for an excuse.  Anything would do.  She could say she was washing her hair…

“You’re having trouble with your magic; perhaps I might be able to help.  I worked with magical practitioners back in my time; I can give you some, as you say, pointers.  No offence to your aunt, but she is hardly a strong practitioner.”

Kylie grudgingly agreed that did sound like a good idea.  As patient as Luc was with her, they were actually on the clock when it came to waking the gargoyles.  “Yeah, that would be nice, thank you.  Maybe I should just tell Luc…”

Ophelia shrugged.  “Don’t worry, we won’t go far – just into the garden.”  The gargoyle smiled, and it was a genuine smile for a change.  Hopeful mixed with a little insecurity.

Kylie felt like a heel for even thinking about saying no.  “Ummm, sure.”

They walked through the tangled mess of a garden for what seemed like ages.  Although, it was probably more like ten minutes.  But that was about five minutes longer than Kylie was used to walking anywhere.

“Are we going somewhere in particular?” panted Kylie, struggling to keep up with the long, determined strides of the gargoyle.

Kylie groaned and pulled at her shirt, which had snagged on a tree branch.  Jeez, the place was overgrown.  She couldn’t actually see the house anymore.  Trickles of worry started crawling along her neck.

“Ophelia?”

The female gargoyle didn’t answer; she just kept walking.  The dread started to move into Kylie’s stomach.

“Ophelia, maybe we should go back.”

Kylie stopped as she heard some shuffling and whimpering.  Perhaps it was some local wildlife.  She caught up to Ophelia.  “Did you hear that?”

Ophelia stepped through a hole in a hedge into a small clearing.  Kylie followed and lit up with full on alarm bells.  She found the source of the shuffling.  It was Lara.  She was tied up, gagged and furiously trying to get free.

The gargoyle smiled, horribly.  “Lara tried to sneak back here; luckily I happened to find her before anyone else did.”

Using the tactic of movie characters everywhere who know when their number’s almost up, Kylie tried to stall.  “What’s going on?”

“It is simple, human,” she sneered.  “When Lara sneaked back in here, she killed you, and in retaliation I killed Lara.  Or at least, that is what will have happened in about five minutes time.  Luc will get over you, and everyone will be a lot happier.  Don’t worry, I’m sure we’ll find someone else to wake my other brothers and sisters.”

Kylie was sure her heart just about stopped at that moment.  “But… why?”

Ophelia’s eyes flashed with hatred.  “I’ve tried to talk to you, and I’ve tried to talk to Luc, but neither of you will listen.  You don’t belong together.  Gargoyles don’t belong with humans.  Humans did this to us – they sent us to stone.  If Luc had just listened to me, this never would have happened.  Humans cannot be trusted.  When the rest are awake, we will have a new clan, and we will ensure that no human ever turns on us.  Luc and I will lead the new clan together, and there will be no place for you or any human.”

“Look, Ophelia,” said Kylie, seriously hoping against hope that they could still have a rational conversation.  “Luc doesn’t want to be isolated from humans.  He hopes that one day your kind will integrate with humanity again.”

Ophelia barked out a laugh.  “Integrate?  We were never integrated!  We were their pets.  No, we were worse than that.  They treated us worse than their dogs.  You humans haven’t changed.  Given half a chance, you’ll do the same again.  You creatures can never accept us.”

“That’s not true, Luc and I…”

“Poor Luc,” she sneered.  “Always so distracted by you idiot human females.  I don’t see it.  You’re weak and pitiful.  He was the same with Faylinn.  At least I managed to put a stop to that…”

“What do you mean?” interrupted Kylie.  “The spell…”

“He was going to take a human mate.  It was going to ruin us!”  She paced up and down, her wings jerking in edgy little movements.  “He was going to taint our bloodlines.  If he took a human for a mate, others would have, too.  We would never have gotten away from the humans.  I did the only thing I could.”

Kylie had a flash of worrying understanding.  “Please don’t tell me it’s your fault the gargoyles went to sleep.”

“It is not my fault!” she snarled, throwing her head back and spreading her wings.  “Those idiots got the spell wrong.  I had a deal with those damn humans.  I gave them the spell and they were just supposed to send us to sleep for a day while they defeated the Blanc Clans.”  She resumed her pacing, ranting more to herself than at Kylie.  “They agreed when we awoke we would be allowed our own land to live as we pleased – we wouldn’t be forced to cower before humans, we wouldn’t be their damn animals anymore!”

“And they betrayed your deal?  Are you really surprised?”

Kylie considered how she could get away from the crazy gargoyle and drag Lara with her.  So far, all her plans ended with both of them being horribly maimed.  Her only bet was to stall and hope Luc would come looking for her.  Within the next thirty seconds would be wonderful.

“I had no choice – I’d almost lost Luc.  He was never going to separate us from the humans – he had to be forced away from them.”

“But what about all the gargoyles who are dead – who are still trapped, you almost killed your entire race.”

“Not me!” she howled.  “It was the humans.  It was the humans!  Again and again they have proved they cannot be trusted.”

Her movements were becoming edgier, and she looked half feral.  Kylie held out her hands.  “Look, I know that humans have treated you badly…”

“Treated her badly!” screeched a shrill voice.  They looked round to see that Lara had worked her gag free.  “She killed Holling’s parents after they awoke her.  She’s been pulling Holling’s strings ever since.” 

“Silence!” roared Ophelia, moving to Lara.

“The bitch made Holling do what she wanted with promises of power and magic.  She’s never been a prisoner.  She was using Holling and then she murdered him!  I didn’t come here to hurt you; I came to kill her!”

Ophelia had murder in her eyes.  Kylie tried to stop her advancement; the gargoyle batted her into a tree as if she was nothing.  Lara managed to free her hands, and she threw a knife at the oncoming gargoyle.  Ophelia easily deflected it.

“Kylie, run,” yelled Lara as Ophelia grabbed her and snapped her neck.

Kylie screamed, and her magic fizzed, sending Ophelia crashing into a tree.  She turned to run and almost sobbed as Luc dropped to the ground in front her.

“Little one!” he exclaimed as she ran into his arms.

“Ophelia, she attacked me… she killed the gargoyles… it’s all her… she killed Lara,” hiccupped Kylie.

Ophelia barreled through the hedge holding Lara’s knife.  “I’m going to kill you!”

“Ophelia!” roared Luc, his grip on Kylie tightened, and he shielded her from the other female.

Ophelia hesitated.  “She attacked me,” she lied.

“What?!” squawked Kylie in outrage from somewhere behind his wings.

“Do not lie to me, Ophelia,” said Luc, coldly.  Kylie could feel his body shaking in anger, but his voice was surprisingly calm.

“You’d take that human’s word over mine?”

“Kylie is my mate.”

Ophelia looked about ready to explode.  “You’d choose her over me?”

“I already did.  What have you done, Ophelia?” he said, softly, disapproval pouring from every syllable.

The female gargoyle looked around, wildly.  “It isn’t my fault.  This is all the humans’ fault, Luc.  This is all their fault!  We could have been happy.  You let them do this.  You should have chosen me!”

Ophelia screeched and launched into the sky.  Luc moved to go after her, but he stopped and looked at Kylie.  “Are you bleeding?”

“What?”  Kylie touched her head and felt the slick blood.  “Son of a…”

Chapter Forty-Three

Luc kissed Kylie’s palm and scooped her up in his arms.

“You don’t have to carry me everywhere,” she chided.  Although she loved it, really.

“I enjoy carrying you, little one.  And I don’t want you to get hurt… again.”

Kylie sighed.  Luc was feeling extremely guilty.  She told him over and over that he shouldn’t.  It wasn’t his fault that Ophelia was crazy beans.

Ophelia was nowhere to be found.   Luc tried to look for her after she disappeared, and as soon as he was sure Kylie would be okay.  He was furious with the female gargoyle, but content that she wouldn’t be able to get near Kylie while he was around.  Kylie dreaded to think what Luc would do if she ever showed her horned head again.  Luc mentioned that trying to kill a chief’s mate would mean instant death for a gargoyle.  Kylie was very queasy at the thought of killing anyone, so Luc changed the subject.

Luc knew that Ophelia cared for him and that she hadn’t been particularly comfortable with humans, but he had no idea how deep her hatred went.  He hated himself for allowing Ophelia anywhere hear his mate and for not seeing her lies.  He’d barely let Kylie out of his sight since that night.  He just prayed that Ophelia would not harm any other humans.  It was a concern that she was out, roaming free in a world filled with humans she hated.  He hoped that when some more of his brethren were awake, they may try to hunt her down before she did anything foolish.

Kylie on the other hand was considering investing in a crash helmet.  She was healing thanks to Bea’s help, but Luc was treating her like she was made of particularly thin and breakable glass.  He didn’t even trust her to walk anywhere on her own.  Which, given her track record wasn’t completely uncalled for.

“So where are we going?” she asked as he strode out into the garden.

“Somewhere private,” he replied.  “Somewhere special.”

Luc ducked through the remainder of the hedge maze.  Some of it had been cut down, but most of it still remained in its overgrown glory.

He entered the clearing – the center of the maze, his previous home and the place where they first met.  Candles dotted the area, giving it a soft glow.  And a blanket was spread out on the grass.

“What’s all this for?” she asked as he placed her on the ground.

“We must do something that I should have done when we first mated.  It was remiss of me not to.”

“Sounds ominous.”

“Not at all, it is a very small ritual.  In your culture you have wedding ceremonies, but in mine the mating tradition is not quite so formal, it is more the intention behind the mating that matters.  That being said it was negligent of me to take you without asking you to perform the ritual with me first.  I was…” he struggled for the words.