Authors: Lisa Carlisle
GargoylesEmbrace (6 page)
His eyes widened in amazement.
“If it’s not too late, I want to be with you. Now and
forever. Can we take the oath?”
Danton couldn’t speak for several moments. All the years of
watching over her, he never dreamed she’d fall in love with him. And to take
the oath? It was the most incredible feeling he’d ever experienced in his
hundreds of years.
“Are you sure you want to?” he asked. “You know this is
permanent.”
“Absolutely.” She looked around. “How do we do it?”
“We take a vow when we’re joined. We declare our oath. And
magic will seal us, binding me to you as your protector, sealing our
declaration as lovers.”
“Is it like being married in the gargoyle world?”
“In the way that it’s a sacred bond. It cannot be severed by
divorce though.”
“What do you mean by when we are joined—making love?”
“Yes.”
A naughty glint entered her eyes that matched her smile. “Good.
I owe you one. I’d promised you we’d make love one more time before you
transformed, but I left. How about I make it up to you not just tonight, but
for as many nights as you can handle?”
Danton couldn’t resist grinning. “That’s the best offer I’ve
ever heard.”
Back in Tracy’s bed, he took his time making love to her.
They weren’t pressured by their time together slipping away so he kissed every
inch of her body, savoring the lavender scent of her skin, before entering her.
Being inside Tracy once again was phenomenal, it felt so right.
This wasn’t just one night of sex, it was part of a ritual,
sealing their fates. He looked into her eyes and saw his love and devotion
reflected in her warm brown eyes. “I take an oath to bind with you, Tracy. I
promise to love you and protect you with all my powers as a gargoyle and a man.”
The air sizzled around them as if infused with electricity. Magic
filled the room, visible as silver and gray wispy clouds, surrounding them and
penetrating their skin. Danton felt the tingle similar to when he transformed
from stone to man, but Tracy had never experienced it before.
A frightened glint came into her eyes, worrying him. She
might fear the magic. She might change her mind.
“It’s okay, Tracy. The magic won’t hurt you. It won’t change
you. It’s supposed to be this way.”
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Now he was more
than a little afraid she was going to back out.
When she reopened her eyes, he saw them now filled with
warmth and determination. “I promise to love you and be with you, Danton.” She
grinned. “And if I can protect you in any way, I will.”
The magic swirled around him, sealing their vow. A powerful
presence entered Danton’s body, his soul, and he knew they were bound together.
The oath had sealed them, body and mind. He exhaled in happiness and relief,
joined with the woman he loved, excited to take on a new life as both a human
and gargoyle, ready to learn more of the magic of his kind.
“I’m sure you will.” He smiled with a glint in his eye. “You
pack quite a punch.”
Lisa gravitates toward stories with dark, brooding, isolated
characters (think Heathcliff, Dracula, Darth Vader and Severus Snape) and
tough, independent, caring heroines. She’s wanted to write since the sixth
grade and is thrilled to now be a multi-published, award-winning author.
She spent a short time in the Marine Corps, living in Parris
Island, the California desert, and Okinawa, Japan. She then backpacked alone
around the US and Europe and lived in Paris, France, before returning to the
U.S. to buy a bookstore. Now she lives outside of Boston with her husband and
children and draws on these experiences in her stories.
Lisa welcomes comments from readers. You can find her
website and email addresses on her
author
bio page
at
www.ellorascave.com
.
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Lisa
Carlisle
Underground
Encounters 1: Smoldering Nights
Underground
Encounters 2: Fiery Nights
Underground
Encounters 3: Rock Me Tonight
Underground
Encounters 4: Bloodlust and Metal
Underground
Encounters 1 & 2: Night Encounters
Underground
Encounters 3: Rock Me Tonight
Ellora’s Cave Publishing
Gargoyle’s Embrace
ISBN 9781419948954
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
Gargoyle’s Embrace Copyright © 2013 Lisa Carlisle
Edited by Raelene Gorlinsky
Cover design and photography by Syneca
Model: Ryan
Electronic book publication November 2013
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