Gargoyle's Mate (13 page)

Chapter Nine

Fatima took her time in the shower until her fingers began to prune, after which she blew-dry her hair, combing through the thick mop until it was manageable. When she finally emerged from the bathroom, there was no sign of Lorn in the room. She released a grateful breath before donning the expensive underwear they’d purchased in the afternoon.

“Our reservations have been moved back an hour.” Lorn entered the bedroom without preamble just as she secured the bra’s front clasp.

“I didn’t think we would be…” She trailed off at his hard stare.

“We still need to eat.” He turned on his heels. “Don’t take too long.” He threw the comment over his shoulder before departing as quickly as he had appeared.

She dressed in the black Chanel evening gown he’d bought for her while they were out. It was a simple design dipping seductively low in the front. She twisted her hair up into a neat bun, deciding as an afterthought to allow a couple of strands to dangle from her temples, adding the diamond tennis bracelet earrings to complete the ensemble. Her only makeup was a touch of lip-gloss. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, not recognizing the woman who looked back at her. She was different somehow. She could see it in her image, feel it in the innermost workings of her body. Was she different? She mentally shook off the thought.

“I’m ready,” she announced, coming into the sitting room where Lorn lounged on the love seat, his head reclined and eyes closed, long limbs stretched out in front of him. For a moment she thought he was sleeping, until his eyes drifted open slowly. He looked tired. His gaze swept over her before he stood to his full height.

Fatima bit her bottom lip at his magnificence. He really was a beautiful man. Protector. Whatever, she thought. He sported a black dinner suit with a while colorless shit, his bound hair was secured in the middle of his back by several bands.

“Shall we?”

***

Gordy watched as the giant assisted Fatima into the expensive luxury automobile. His stomach clenched at the first sight of her walking through the hotel’s sliding double doors. She was more gorgeous than he remembered and there was a sophistication about her which hadn’t been in California. He knew being with the creature had changed her somehow, much the way the blonde succubus had affected him. His blood boiled at the thought of the monster taking advantage of her. Had he forced her?

He waited until the creature, disguised as a man, slid into the driver’s seat before pulling out his cell phone.

“Your contact was correct. They’re here in Paris.”

“Good, perhaps he’s made this easier for us,” the woman on the other end said.

“It’ll only be easy if you can get him far enough away for me to get a chance to talk to her.”

“You’ll have your chance,” the blonde promised. “If all goes well he should be leaving tonight. You’ll need to act fast. Get the woman out of France and back to the safe house as soon as possible. If he catches her scent he will hunt you both down quickly.”

“I know, they have noses a pack of bloodhounds would envy. What should I do then?”

“Wait for my call. If you don’t stick to the itinerary exactly he will find you so keep your eyes to the sky. He will most likely take his gargoyle form to save time.”

Gordy nodded, hunkering down in the darkness of the alley. It was only a matter of time before he was reunited with his woman. He couldn’t wait for Fatima to see his new and improved self. There was no way she’d want to spurn his advances now. He’d heard one teenage girl in the airport describe him as ‘a hunk’ to her mother, he pretended not to hear the comment, but found her description defined exactly how felt. His lean muscular physique was impressive – he couldn’t walk past a mirror now without admiring his new form – but that was only the half of it. His cock was massive, and he’d spent many hours fondling his thick organ, when the greedy blonde wasn’t busy sucking him off. He’d never met a woman so into giving head before, he wasn’t complaining, but just once he’d like to ram his new appendage up her warm channel. He would, he promised himself, after he got his Fatima safely away from the gargoyle menace.

***

Dinner passed in silence, neither knowing the right words to say to the other. Fatima had a whole battery of questions she wanted to ask about this Protector business. If he’d told her the guardians of humans’ story without seeing the evidence she would have thought he was joking. Still part of her wished she hadn’t seen the fangs growing and retracting in his mouth.

“Exactly what are you guarding us from?” she finally asked over a half-eaten plate. They sat in a private section, no doubt cleared especially per Lorn’s request.

“Are you sure you want to hear this?”

No
, she thought, but said, “I asked.”

“There are many creatures inhabiting the earth with the known species of this planet. Some are fairly harmless. Like humans, most only want to live in peace, mate, raise their offspring and die of old age. There are others determined not to see this happen. We have to stop them.”

“We?” she repeated.

“Yes. The Council of Protectors is made up of a group of one hundred or so gargoyles.”

“Did you say gargoyles?” She stared at him in disbelief.

“Yes, Fatima, it’s what I truly am.”

“You’re kidding, right?”

“No.”

“You mean with wings and all, because I’ve been up and down your body and found no indication of anything out of the ordinary,” she argued in disbelief.

“They are available when I need them.”

She almost laughed out loud. “Like strap-ons? Do you have them somewhere in the back of your closet and I just missed them?”

“Let’s go.” He rose abruptly. Not giving her a chance to object, he pulled her out of her chair.

“Where are we going?”

“To give you your proof.”

Fatima felt like they were on the Autobahn as Lorn drove back to the hotel. He dropped the keys on a table in the entryway before drawing her through the penthouse to the balcony. For one heart stopping moment she thought maybe he would toss her over the metal rail, and down the twenty stories to her death. Instead he finally released her wrist and began to swiftly strip. She tried not to stare but it was impossible. No matter what species he claimed to be his body demanded admiration. Naked, he held her gaze while his body went through a rapid but visible metamorphosis.

She stumbled back several steps until she was pressed against a stone post. Part of her wanted Lorn to be lying or be crazy, and not transforming into the gray figure he was becoming. He had to have stretched to over seven feet in height. In fact everything about him was larger, his chest broadened, biceps swelled. Her gaze drifted over him cataloguing the phenomena. As if his change wasn’t spectacular enough he sprouted enormous wings. The sheer span of them was mind-boggling, their height just as long as her tall frame.

“Oh, my god,” she muttered. “It’s you in the tapestry above your fireplace.” And the gargoyle from her dreams. How? Why?

“Can you talk this way?” she asked after several moments of silence.

“Of course,” his voice boomed. “I’m still Lorn.”

He could have fooled her. But she found if she looked close enough there were some vague similarities between creature and man, like those unmistakable eyes, the serious set of his mouth and billowing raven hair that had come unbound with his change.

The reality of everything hit her once.

“You didn’t need me for gargoyle research.” She’d never felt so vulnerable, becoming nervous standing in front of this formidable creature. “So why did you bring me here?”

The gargoyle regarded her silently for several seconds. “You have nothing to fear from me, Fatima. I did need your help, still do for documenting and cataloging the various papers I’ve collected.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. For some reason she’d had an image of herself being used as part of some ritualistic sacrifice.

From somewhere inside the forgotten pile of clothes his cell phone sounded with its shrill ring. He rummaged through the mound until he retrieved the device. It looked like a toy in his extra-large grasp and if the situation hadn’t been so serious she would have found the scene comical.

Lorn swore under his breath, recognizing the tone as coming from Sergi Romonov, brother to Vladimir and third in line after him on the Council’s seat. Sergi was a man of few words and rarely called for leisurely conversation.

“Lorn here,” he said, transitioning back to his human form. He regarded Fatima’s quiet appraisal with frustration. They needed to talk, but the others didn’t call him unless it was important. Their conversation would have to be tabled temporarily.

Fatima took several seconds to gather her thoughts, trying to come to terms with what she’d witnessed. Gargoyles existed – a network of them in fact. The implication of their existence was mind-boggling. Were they ready to go public? She wondered, following Lorn inside.

“Are you certain?” Lorn spoke calmly into the phone, which belied the tension she could see rippling through his body.

Whoever was on the other end must not have called with good news.

“Where were they spotted?” Silence. “And you trust this gremlin?”

Lorn snorted at the reply.

Gremlin? The word conjured up images of little green destructive monsters.

“I’ll need to dispatch Pierre to get Fatima safely home. I’ll get there as soon as possible.” He flipped the phone closed.

“What’s happened?” Fatima wanted to know, trying to ignore his naked form. Gargoyle or man, he was truly a work of art.

“An emergency I must see to. I’ll have Pierre come to you tonight and take you home.”

“What kind of emergency?”

“One needing my immediate assistance,” he replied curtly.

“Can’t I just wait for you here?”

“It would be safer for you at the estate,” he said with finality.

“Safer because you say so. I’ll have you know I’ve been taking care of myself for years without incident. I don’t need a castle or guards to protect me.”

What the hell kind of danger was he running to and why was he having her whisked off to his estate instead of waiting?

“That was before. I don’t have time to argue with you over this Fatima.”

“Before what?” she wanted to know.

He ran a frustrated hand through his hair. “Trust me this discussion will need far more time than I can afford now.”

“Dammit Lorn, you can’t just dump all of this on my lap and run off like we’re having a discussion over what to eat for dinner. If I’m in some kind of danger I need to understand from whom and why.”

“Right now I just need you to trust me.”

“Funny
you
should use the word trust. Alright let’s assume I’m suddenly public enemy number one. We were out all day today without one incident.”

“None would risk a direct confrontation with a gargoyle.”

She rolled her eyes at his arrogant response.

“Is Pierre a gargoyle too?”

“No, he and his family are elves.”

“Elves?”
Weren’t elves supposed to be
cute little woodland creatures?
“You’re sending an elf to protect me from whatever beasties lie in wait?”

“Do not judge them by your human fables and fairy tales. They are actually quite astounding opponents with abilities of their own.”

“So I’m supposed to wait here for Pierre, the elf, to take me back to your castle and then what?”

“Yes, I promise we will talk about this later.”

He made a quick call on his cell phone giving Pierre, she assumed, instructions. She’d hoped to learn more from his conversation with the servant but was sorely disappointed. Lorn completed the conversation quickly but in a language she couldn’t pinpoint. It sounded similar to one she’d heard some of the servants at the castle use. She followed closely behind him, ready to tell him just what he could do with his orders. The reprimand died on her lips when she barreled into the granite back of the gargoyle. She would have stumbled if not for his quick reflexes.

“Oh my,” she muttered at his solid form. His flesh was hard but still warm to the touch.

He swooped down for the briefest of kisses before turning to catapult into the air.

“Oh my,” she repeated, watching in amazement as he disappeared into the dark sky.

If Sergi’s informant was correct he didn’t have a moment to spare getting across the Atlantic to New York. A group of succubi would only converge on the city for three things – mayhem, destruction and murder. Why now? He wondered. Succubus activity had been dormant for centuries. Their depleted numbers should have kept them in hibernation until they could recoup from their last encounter with gargoyles.

Succubi were nasty bothersome creatures who, like gremlins, could shift into various human forms, which they readily did – anything was better than their horrific natural states. He’d heard rumors of one rogue succubus who hid amongst humans, feeding and mating without killing, something truly beyond their nature. He’d tried tracking the fictional rogue for a while but gave up the wild goose chase for the Fledgling cause.

***

She wasn’t sure how long she stood there staring into the empty night sky waiting to wake from the Alice in Wonderland fantasy she’d slipped into. Lorn had left her with so many questions and it was doubtful if Pierre or any of his staff would provide any answers. The sound of the hotel phone drew her inside. She moved on lead feet to the familiar noise.

“Hello.” She sounded breathless to her own ears.

“Fatima, it’s me, Gordy. I need to see you right away.”

Fatima felt a combination of surprise and, oddly, relief at hearing Gordy’s hurried tones on the other end of the phone.

Their call was brief. He’d said he was there – not just in France but downstairs in the lobby. He wanted to speak with her. The urgency in his tone moved her to immediate action.

Still dressed in the evening gown she’d worn to dinner, she traded the stylish heels for a pair of casual flats and made her way down to the lobby as if in a cloud. Mentally she was exhausted and her physical body wasn’t doing so hot either after the busy day. She should be buried under a mountain of covers and tucked in Lorn’s arms not having an impromptu meeting with a colleague. She scanned the large area quickly, noting how busy it was even at the late hour.

He said he was downstairs
, she thought as she scanned the room. Lorn’s warning nagged at her. She turned back toward the private elevator, trying to remain rational. Unfortunately everything she’d experienced since meeting Lorn defied the sensible realm so who could blame her for being a bit unbalanced. Maybe it hadn’t been Gordy on the other end of the phone call luring her out of the safety of penthouse.

Great, Fatima, you’re letting your paranoia get the best of you
, she admonished silently.

“I’m sorry,” she croaked as she slammed into one of the other guests.

“It’s okay, Fatima. I should have let you know I was behind you.”

She took a startled step back to get a good look at the owner of the familiar voice. “Gordy?”

“Surprise.” He smiled at her brightly.

“My god, you look…”

“I know.” His smile broadened.

She was speechless. It was Gordy, sort of. Fatima took in the changes in him. He was tanned, athletic, his once limp hair now feathered naturally. Gone was the pasty complexion and too large glasses.

“What happened?”

“I’ve made some changes – for the better, obviously.”

“Wow.” He looked great. “What are you doing here? I know you didn’t travel all this way to show me the new you.”

“I came to warn you.” His smile faded.

Not another warning, she was batting a thousand in the category.

“Warn me about what?” She did another sweep of the lobby. Everything looked fine.

“Lorn De LaRue,” he whispered. “He’s not what he appears to be. I came to get you out of here before something happens to you.”

“Happens like what?”

“We can’t talk here. Come with me.” The fingers encircling her wrist were warm and strong, so unlike she remembered from him. It was amazing how much he’d changed in such a short period of time.

“Dressed like this?” She looked down at her formal gown.

“We don’t have time for you to change.”

She considered it for a moment, the urgency in his voice making the decision for her.

“Where are we going?” she questioned, allowing him to lead her.

“Home. Back to the States.”

She paused. “I don’t know… Lorn told me what he was tonight, but how did you know about him.”

“I have my sources, which I’ll tell you about once we’re out of here.”

“Wait, so you know about the whole gargoyle thing? He said his kind are protectors to humans,” she explained hurriedly as he ushered her through the lobby.

Gordy snorted. “And you believed him? Did he tell you exactly why he wants you to help with the research?”

“My expertise in the field of biology and anthropology,” she supplied.

“Yes, but why?”

“He said he wanted to chronicle the history of gargoyles. At the time I thought he wanted to prove their existence. Now I’m not so sure.”

“Let me tell you something, doctor. He is using you to help him find a way to further propagate his race in order to dominate the earth. He wants to breed women with gargoyles.”