The Girl and the Gargoyle: Book Two of The Girl and the Raven Series (29 page)

“How am I supposed to protect myself if you keep secrets—big secrets—from me? Seamus came here to kill me!”

“Where are you?” Jude asks.

“On our way to Bunker Hill Forest Preserve.”

“No,” Jude replies. “Tell Marcus to take you home. Now.”

I roll my eyes. “According to Henry, Persephone, Marcus, and Aiden, the area has been quiet for the last ten hours. It’s safe. I can defend myself. And as long as you don’t disable the other person best qualified to help keep me safe, I’ll be fine.”

Marcus shakes his head, but I don’t care. I had to get the jab in.

“I’ll meet you there.”

“But…”

The line goes dead.

I glare at Marcus. “Great. He’s meeting us there.”

“Not a horrible idea.”

“Says you.”

We drive in silence for a while.

“I hate to do this, but it probably makes sense to bring Dylan in on this, too.”

I cross my arms over my chest. “Forget it. It’s bad enough Jude’s showing up.”

“Lucy, put your personal feelings aside. The more supernaturals we have involved, the safer you’ll be if Seamus shows up.”

My heart leaps into my throat. “But you said he isn’t there. Besides, what good is Dylan? He’s barely supernatural.”

“His strength is unparalleled, according to Jude and Aiden.”

“But he’ll never be able to get close enough to Seamus to use his fists. That’s not how this works. With Seamus, it’s all about fireballs, disarming him, and strong defensive tactics.”

Marcus raises an eyebrow, an expression I now associate with Selima. For some reason I can’t explain, it sets me off.

“What do you think I do at Jude’s house every Sunday? Play checkers? Take cooking lessons?”

“It sounds like your training is paying off. I’m impressed,” Marcus says patiently. “Take the compliment.”

“I’m sorry. I…”

“No, I get it. You don’t like spending time with Jude,” Marcus says. “Well, wake-up call, I don’t like it, either. In case you forgot, I promised your grandmother I’d keep you two apart. For me to break that promise is huge. Protectors don’t break promises.”

I study his clenched jaw. I hate that the subject of Jude can ruin his mood in an instant. I’m sure the subject of Dylan doesn’t help. “I’ll call Dylan.”

Marcus rattles off the location of the forest preserve. “It shouldn’t take him long if he’s at home.”

I pull out my cell phone and call Dylan, curious how Marcus knows where he lives.

Dylan picks up on the second ring. “Looking for another chance to barbeque me? What do you want, Miss Firestarter?”

“Hey. Seamus is back in the area. Marcus and I are meeting Jude at the woods over by Harts Road and Caldwell Avenue.”

“And you need fresh meat to grill?”

I grit my teeth and resist the urge to disconnect. “Marcus says you should be included. Can you meet us there?”

“Let me guess.
You
don’t want me there.”

“Of course I do.”

“You’re a terrible liar. It’s one of the few things I actually like about you,” he says. “Jude just called me, too. I guess he thought you’d be an idiot and leave me out. I’ll meet you there.”

Blood surges to my temples. Where does Dylan get off insulting me? He’s an inferior demon, a loser mutant. “I’m an idiot? How exactly are you going to help?”

“I’m going to kick Seamus’s ass. Do you really think Jude believes you can handle a demon that powerful? Wake up and smell the coffee, hillbilly girl. He’s got the rest of us on board to save your butt.”

“I can’t wait to see you. I’m going to roast you until you’re well done.”

Marcus reaches over and plucks the phone from my fingers.

“Dylan? It’s Marcus.” He’s silent as Dylan blabbers over the line. “I hear you, but all of us are really tired of the fighting. Give us a break for one night, please. After tonight, you two can scream at each other all you want…Great. Thanks.”

Marcus hands the phone back to me.

I punch the end call button and shove the phone into my purse.

Marcus’s lecture immediately puts me on the defensive. Try walking in my shoes. Or Dylan’s. We don’t want to be like this. It was the stupid spell.

We pull into the forest preserve parking lot, and Jude glides into a spot next to us two minutes later. How did he get here so fast? Is it possible he knows Garret is in town and is spying on him at the condo? If protectors can sense demons, is the opposite true, too? Or did Aiden spill the beans? Would Jude kill a protector? That’s a stupid question. He would kill Marcus if not for our pact.

Marcus’s body trembles and twitches beside me.
Damn you, Jude.

I slide out of the car as Jude lowers his window.

“Dylan’s on his way here. Any chance we can split up into two groups?” I glance over at Marcus, who’s using super human effort to keep his body under control. “This is torture for Marcus.”

Jude’s gaze flicks toward Marcus. “I can show you real torture if you’d like.”

“And I can disappear from your life,” I shoot back.

Jude’s black eyes return to me. The shock zaps me instantly and I flinch. I miss the days when he actually had to touch me to shock me. At least then I had some warning.

“Very well,” Jude says. “Dylan and I will scour the area to the east while you and the gargoyle work the west side. Call me if you find anything.”

I return to Marcus and relay Jude’s instructions to him.

“Perfect. Let’s get moving.”

Marcus’s face drips with sweat as his body twitches. I’d suggest he allow the change, but the forest preserve is open to the public until dusk, and there are several cars parked in the lot. He can’t risk it.

Marcus takes a map from a wooden dispenser and unfolds it as we approach the path. “We’re going to head this way.” He runs his finger along the west loop on the map. “The trails mean nothing to Seamus, but I’ll be able to pick up his aura.”

The path travels at a decline, and the further in we go, the more dense the foliage. My senses register the earthy smells of decaying wood, grass, and a mix of lavender and sage.

Marcus makes no sound as he leads the way along the path, but as quiet as I try to be, I can’t avoid crunching acorns and branches beneath my feet. A blue jay screeches overhead. Then again. By the third time, I pause on the path to glare at the noisy bird as I grit my teeth. Is it trying to give us away? Could it be a spy for Seamus? If he was able to control Jude’s red-eyed crows, he could do the same with one loudmouth bird.

Marcus stops and holds up his hand. His eyes narrow as he stares at an area to our right. I follow his gaze and see an open area through a dense cluster of trees.

I shiver as I follow him off the path, the branches scratching at my skin. The hair on the back of my neck prickles. Is this where Seamus practiced magic?

Upon entering the clearing, Marcus turns in a slow circle. He takes everything in, his nose raised to sniff the air.

As I walk the clearing, I spot unusual scores on three trees bordering the open area. I run my fingers along the charred impressions. A supernatural was definitely here. Are these marks from Seamus’s fireballs? Or was he practicing something more dangerous?

A huge tree is toppled over thirty feet from where I stand. My spider senses suddenly go bonkers. The air crackles with electricity. “Do you feel that?” I whisper.

Marcus nods.

I walk over to the tree with Marcus on my heels. The break point looks fresh. The tree wasn’t cut down. Seamus blasted it. Was he imagining me, the grandchild of Vera, his lost love, and Jude, the man who stole her from him, when he did that?

I whip around at the sound of breaking branches to see Dylan enter the clearing, followed by a soundless Jude. I meet Dylan’s tight expression and every muscle in my body grows tense.

He doesn’t belong here.

“Seamus’s aura is all over the place,” Marcus announces. “I’m guessing he was here for a week to ten days, same as the other two locations. He’s moving from place to place to avoid being caught.”

“What other two locations?” I ask. Why didn’t he mention that to me sooner?

“And yet you didn’t hone in on his aura until he was gone,” Jude says.

“Do you honestly expect Marcus to know what’s happening in all of Cook County?” I snap.

Marcus nods at Jude, then turns to me. “He’s not saying that, Lucy. The point Jude is making is that Seamus is somehow able to cloak himself.”

Seamus can cloak himself? Great. Just great.

“He’s gone,” Marcus says. “The question is where’s he now?”

“Can we track him?” Dylan asks.

“He’ll have so many protections in place, you’ll never be able to track him,” Jude says. He walks across the clearing and stops at the giant tree lying on its side. He runs his fingers along the burn marks, then bends down to scoop something up in his hand. He draws his hand to his nose.

“I know what Seamus is up to,” Jude announces. He turns to face us, his expression grim. “He’s recruiting.”

“How?” Marcus asks, and all three of us line up along the tree and study the scorch marks.

“Recruiting who?” Dylan asks.

In the fading light, the marks are difficult to see. I pull my cell phone from my pocket and use the flashlight app to brighten up the area.

“Originally, I thought these were random, a result of Seamus hurling fireballs,” I say.

Marcus peers closely at the markings. “They’re symbols.”

There are three symbols in all. One looks like a teepee with a line through the middle, another that looks like the outline of a glass Christmas ornament with a plus sign on top, and the third looks like an upside down cross with a swirly tail.”

Dylan and I scoop some of the ash from the ground. I bring it to my nose. Visions of Daphne erupting into flames last year on Jude’s roof flood my head and my stomach convulses.

“What does it smell like to you?” Jude asks us.

“Bad.” I choke. “God awful.”

Dylan’s face twists. Did he have the same flashback? “Like burning hair, but so much worse.”

I stare at the contents of my hand, which I thrust away from my body. I don’t dump the contents. I’m not sure why, but I don’t. “Jude, what is this?”

“A virgin lamb, most likely.”

I fling the gritty dust from my hand as if burned. Big mistake. It becomes airborne. And in a panic, I suck in a deep breath. I drop to my knees, retching.

“Are you okay?” Marcus is at my side in an instant.

Back on my feet, I swipe my mouth with the back of my hand. I can’t shake the vision of an innocent little lamb brought into the woods and slaughtered.

“What does all this ritualistic stuff mean?” Dylan asks.

Why isn’t he as affected by the sacrificed animal as I am? Has he become immune? Or is he trying to be stoic to impress Jude? What happened to the Dylan I used to know?

“Is this all part of him recruiting a new partner?” I ask.

“It’s a form of soul magic,” Jude says. “Seamus must sense a supernatural in the area, someone he believes can be influenced. Likely a young female, someone to replace his daughter. Seamus summoned her and I would bet he plans to tether her magic to his, feeding off of her in order to strengthen his own power.”

“But a human needs her soul to live,” Marcus protests.

“If the supernatural is human, she will be dead once Seamus is done with her,” Jude says.

Where is the anger? The remorse? Instead, Jude’s face is expressionless, his words matter of fact.

“Seamus is gone,” Dylan says grimly. “Do you think he connected with this girl?”

Jude’s eyes turn dark, glinty as he surveys the area. “He did.” His gaze shifts to me and I shiver. “I want you to move into my home.”

Seamus knows where I live.
Sheldon and Bernard
. My knees quiver and I lock them. “If he comes to the three-flat, my uncles will be in danger. They can’t defend themselves,” I say. “There’s no way I’m leaving them.”

“Persephone, Aiden, and I can protect your uncles,” Marcus says through clenched teeth. He jerks and trembles as he fights the change. Suddenly, he cocks his head.

“What is it?” I ask.

“The last hiker just left the forest preserve.” Marcus glances at Jude, then strides out of the clearing. A loud THAWUNK rings out. Marcus returns moments later, shirtless, his massive wings tucked tight to his back.

“Feel better?” I grab his shirt, which hangs from the rear waistband of his jeans and tuck it in the crook of my arm.

“Much.”

Dylan heaves a sarcastic sigh and rolls his eyes, then turns his attention back to Jude. “What’s our strategy?”

“Are you familiar with a two front war?”

Dylan nods. “I know my history. Why?”

Jude glowers at Marcus. “In addition to taking on Seamus, we’re going to annihilate the gargoyle’s father.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine