Gargoyle: A Reawakening (Briarcliff Series, #2) (27 page)

It didn’t matter what otherworldly hokie
shit was going on. She needed to move. Slowly, she began backing up
the stairs trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

***

“
Dythius do something,”
Sybarite complained.

With a reluctant sigh, Dythius set the girl
down… carefully. Standing fully once more, he turned around and
gave Sybarite a winning smile, his sharp teeth flashing in the
light as he strode past to the front door. Opening his mouth, he
released a high-pitched wave of sound that ripped through all the
creatures in the vicinity, bringing them effectively to the
ground.

Simon fell forward onto his knees. Holding
his hands over his ears, he tried to stem the awful sound but it
wasn’t working. It felt like needles stabbing into his brain,
piercing.

The humans were not immune; they too, lifted
their hands to their ears, trying to block out the hideous
noise.

In the shadows, Adriane and Alistair tried
their best to stem the excruciatingly painful noise. It was worse
for them than the humans below. They had better hearing.

Shakily Adriane lowered one of his hands
from his ears, and grabbed hold of Alistair’s arm, concentrating on
pushing back, trying to make the noise less toxic for them both.
The pressure built behind his eyes, blinding him momentarily as he
continued to push.

Channeling the hideous noise Adriane,
redirected it from them and pushed it in another direction. A vase
shattered down in the foyer, making another distraction. He used it
to leave the confines of the shadows.

With lightning speed, Alistair grabbed his
arm and yanked him back against the wall, using more force than
necessary. “Don’t,” he warned.

“
I can’t leave her,”
Adriane pleaded. He struggled, trying to break away from his grasp
but it was no use. His strength was deteriorating too
quickly.

“
You can and will,”
Alistair snapped. It’s not only about you, we all hang in the
balance, or have you forgotten?”

“
No, I haven’t forgotten.”
He understood what Alistair was telling him, but it didn’t make it
any easier.

“
Simon will get
her.”

“
Then why hasn’t
he?”

Alistair sighed. “Have your eyes weakened as
well?”

“
No!” he spat. “My eyes
have not weakened.”

“
Good,” Alistair said, and
then leaned closer. “Now listen, go back upstairs or wherever you
can and hide, for now. Better yet, find the damn book and the rest
of the things we need before time runs out. We will take care of
this mess like we always do.”

Undecided, Adriane stood there. He knew he
needed to leave but he wanted to get Evie and take her with him. “I
can’t.”

“
See.” Alistair pointed.
“Look, she is moving away from them. Now go,” he pressed. It was a
command.

“
Just a minute more,” he
dodged, watching Evie intently.

Alistair shoved his hand through his hair.
He wished he had time—if he did, he would kill Adriane himself. He
counted off the seconds, waiting, as well as hoping, she moved her
ass a little faster.

Somehow, even moving as
slow as she was, Evie actually made it to the top of the stairs.
Quickly she ducked behind the huge column, peeking down through the
open banister catching her breath while trying to figure out which
way she should go. There were two choices, well three, but three
was not an option. No way in hell would she go back down those
stairs. To her right was a long hall with several closed doors,
which led…, well she couldn’t see that far, but it may be a dead
end. Or she could go up another flight of stairs to the next level
and take her chances in either direction. At least that way she
would be one floor higher than she was now. Yep. No contest. The
higher she went the further she would get from the monster squad.
She turned, prepared to climb the stairs…

Something touched her back
and she froze.
Hoshit, shit, shit!
Not again!

“
Evie, it’s me,” Adriane
murmured against her ear.

Turning around she threw
her arms around his body, burying her face against the familiar
softness of his shirt, his hardened chest warm underneath. Tears of
relief freely ran from her eyes as he hugged her fiercely back. It
felt strange to feel such a connection to someone she had only just
met and yet she felt like she had known him a lifetime. His arms
tightened around her, stroking her back. Reflexively, she wrinkled
her nose, he smelled like a distillery. She didn’t bother asking
why. It didn’t matter what he smelled like, she was just so glad
they were together she had almost forgotten about the gross
creatures below…
almost
. She leaned back. “Wh…”

Adriane lifted his finger to his lips for
her to stay quiet. She didn’t argue she was just so happy to see
him.

“
Move,”
a harsh voice cut like a
knife from behind.
That one word had so
much venom attached… it made her shiver. She turned around. Her
breath caught. A tall dark haired boy was standing in the shadows,
his penetrating gaze unsettling. He lifted his brow at her like he
was daring her to do something. She recoiled from the
look.

“
We have got to get out of
here.” Adriane shook her slightly, to draw her attention back and
then turned to look at Alistair. “Thank you my friend, I will never
forget this,” he said sincerely.

“
Don’t thank me yet, it’s
not over.” Then Alistair softened his tone, “See you on the other
side.”

“
Yeah, I will see you soon
my friend. Thank Simon for me as well.”

“
Done,” he said. “Now
go!”

“
What about my friends?”
Evie asked, suddenly terrified to leave them. She had a feeling she
may never see them again.

“
Alistair will look after
them,” Adriane assured her.

“
Are you sure?” she asked,
searching his face, and then let her gaze drift back towards the
other guy. She didn’t want to look at him but couldn’t seem to stop
herself. He stared at her coldly, his eyes narrowing, glaring at
her. She shivered. He didn’t look like he wanted to look after
anyone—actually he looked like he was ready to kill someone and if
she wasn’t mistaken that someone was her.

“
We have to go,” Adriane
urged again, pushing her forward.

Evie forced her gaze back to Adriane.
“Okay.” She took a deep breath.

“
On the count of three, run
as fast as you can, okay?”

“
WH—what, aren’t you coming
with me?”

“
Yes, I will be right
beside you,” he assured her

“
Promise?” she asked,
sounding pathetic.

“
I promise,” Adriane said
and then grabbed hold of her cold fingers, squeezing them. “You
ready?”

Evie nodded and held tightly to his warm,
strong hand.

“
Okay,” he breathed. “One
…two…three…” and they took off, never once, looking
back.

SOME
THINGS WILL NOT STAY BURIED

SATURDAY * 11:59
PM

“
Simon?” Heather touched
his arm after the hideous noise had finally stopped. “Simon, what’s
going on?”

“
Hold on. Let me think.”
Simon glanced around the room, and then his gaze caught hers. She
looked like a deer in the headlights. He almost laughed. He
remembered that look with clarity…

“
GAH!” Pain splintered
through his head, bringing him to his knees, his mind slamming into
the past…

Simon* the Past * 1991

“
Bitches, let’s roll,”
Simon, called out to his band-mates. They ran out the back stage
door of the Amphitheatre into the waiting crowd. The sharply
dressed uniformed driver held the door open on the sleek black
stretch limousine, the unrelenting mass of people jostling him back
and forth on the side of the building.

Lola clung to his side, her soft breasts
rubbing enticingly against his arm and back, as they rushed toward
the car. Simon was the first in the car with Lola right behind.
Then one by one, each member in the band jumped into the car, each
one followed by a girl clinging to them as well. Vincent had two.
They, the girls, were offering themselves up for an evening’s
entertainment in the hopes of landing a musician all for
themselves. They were groupies, looking for the fame and fortune
that came with being with a musician.

“
Vincent man, your chick is
missing something,” he laughed, getting an eyeful of her bare ass
as she straddled her legs across his drummer’s thighs, trying to
sit down.

“
Ow,” he said in mock
horror, covering his arm, turning toward Lola, who had just hit
him. He leaned forward and seized her mouth with his own, kissing
her deeply. She tasted of alcohol—sweet-spiced rum, her
favorite.

“
Simon, I love you,” she
whispered drunkenly in his ear, snuggling against him as the car
came to life, moving slowly through the crowd.

Pulling away, he stared down at her pretty
face. He felt the same way and longed to tell her what he had
planned but now was not the time to make such declarations. He
wanted to be alone with her to see the expression on her face when
he told her he was quitting the band. He had envisioned her
excitement a thousand times, toying with the idea over and over in
his mind.

Now, finally, the tour was ending with just
one more stop. Tonight he would tell her. Hungrily his lips sought
hers again, his tongue delved deeper. How he wished they were alone
and not with a car full of his band mates and drunken girls.
Pulling away once more he looked into her eyes—he could stare into
those deep blue pools forever…he grabbed her hand, squeezing it
tightly and she rested her head on his shoulder. Light danced at
disjointed intervals outside of the darkened windows as the
paparazzi flashed their cameras.

“
Simon, here man,” Vincent
coughed out. “Take this.” He handed out a joint to him. Vincent was
the bass player in the band and they had known each other since
they were just kids. He took the joint and hit it, the thick smoke
filling his lungs. Holding the smoke in his lungs he lowered the
window just enough. One of the paparazzi leaned in trying to get a
shot; he expelled the smoke into his face, laughing hysterically,
he pushed the button, making the window shut once more.

***

Cool fingers tapped repeatedly on his arm.
Simon tried to focus, his mind slowly merging the past to the
present.

“
Simon…Simon…,” she kept
saying his name with a strange look on her face. She looked worried
but that couldn’t be right, she didn’t even know him, so why would
she care?

Within moments, the pain splintered through
his head again and his mind jumped back into the past…

Simon
*
the Past * 1991

“
Lola I need to ask you
something,” he said as soon as he closed the door to their hotel
room. “Lola, I’m serious,” he said, dodging her mouth as she tried
to kiss him once more.

She jutted out her bottom lip, pouting, her
startling blue eyes filling with desire. She reached forward and
grabbed at his shirt. “Baby, take your shirt off,” she slurred
breathily, tearing at the fabric, her long nails scratching his
skin as she pulled his shirt completely off. She swung the shirt in
the air, the material whipping around her head like a lasso. She
released it and it flew from her fingers onto the floor, giggling
the entire time.

Not able to help himself, he reached out for
her and pulled her roughly against his body. She burned so bright,
he was a mere moth, and she was the flame. Again, and again, he
kissed her, caught up in the moment. Her lips were sweet, full…her
tongue tormenting him. Slowly she ran her tongue across his lips,
sucking his bottom lip, her hand caressing his erection through his
jeans the entire time. She knew it drove him crazy when she did
that.

“
I need
you …
now
,” she
murmured against his lips. That too drove him crazy. Normally he
would have already been inside of her, giving her what she wanted,
but he wanted to tell her what he had planned. He couldn’t wait to
see the look on her face. “Lola I have something to tell you,” he
said, pulling away and trying to gather her roaming hands in his
own.