by Lenore Wolfe
TWENTY-SIX
SOPHIA
Sophia couldn’t remember a time when her life felt this good. The people she loved most in the world knew her secret—and hadn’t run screaming. She didn’t think it could get much better than that. Even if they were surrounded by more danger than ever, right now.
In her wildest imagination, she’d been too afraid to dream such a wonderful thing could come true. Her family fully accepted her for who—and what—she was. She’d never dreamed anyone could do that. Not even the sister-friends she considered family. After all, her own father rejected her.
And he was blood.
Her father had been too thorough in his recriminations of her mother’s people for Sophia to hope he might be wrong. He’d called her a half-breed, no-account until she’d nearly believed him. He’d told her no one would want anything to do with her if they learned the truth. He’d told her that the people of Red Bluff would take her away and give her to the government to run experiments on her—so she’d better keep her fat mouth shut.
Maybe she’d become used to things not going well for her, she realized. Since it only took her friend’s complete acceptance of her, for her to see she needed to have more faith in the people she called family.
She smiled to herself. Well, they might still be terrified once they saw what she could do, but they knew who she was—what she was—and they still loved her. A giant weight lifted from her shoulders. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to go out to the woods and dance—and celebrate. She even felt bad for being so hard on her mother.
Well—almost.
She wanted to call her father up from his grave and give him a what-for for scaring the hell out of her all those years. Imagine telling a child that her friends would think her a freak. She couldn’t. She couldn’t begin to imagine doing such a thing. She’d never tell that to her child.
Her mother wanted her in the Land of the Fae. Sophia knew that. Her mother didn’t need to remind her. She wanted to keep her safe.
Could she blame her? Wouldn’t she want to do the same—if it were Kira?
Her mother and father loved each other—but neither of them had been ready to give up their own world to be together. When they figured out they were going to have a baby, they’d done what they thought best for her.
Sophia was able to enjoy the best of both the worlds she belonged to, because of their choice to stay in their own respective worlds. She truly loved both worlds.
Deep in thought, her head jerked up, hearing a light tap on her door. “Come in,” she called.
Tara opened the door, peeking inside. “Are you going to bed?” she asked.
Sophia laughed. “Not hardly. I want to run and dance, I’m so relieved.”
Tara opened the door, peeking inside. “Are you going to bed?” she asked.
Sophia laughed. “Not hardly. I'm so relieved that I want to run and dance, I’m so relieved.”
Tara eyed Kira, fast asleep on the bed. “Do you suppose we could take her to Claire or Morgan,” she said, looking up at Sophia. Something that looked like hope was shinning there in her eyes.
Looking up into Tara’s gaze, Sophia realized she wanted to go to the woods. She quickly nodded, giggling. Picking up her daughter, they headed down the hallway towards Claire’s door. They didn’t find her in her room, and after a little searching, they found her in the attic. But as soon as Claire learned what they were up to, they ended up taking Kira to Morgan.
A sleepy Morgan smiled at them as she took the child from Sophia. “Go and have fun,” she said, heading back to the bed with Kira in her arms.
Laughing, the three women headed out into the moonlight.
As they passed through the gate out back, Sophia suddenly came to a halt. “Should we invite Thorick?” she said.
Claire glanced over at her. “Who?”
Sophia smirked. “He’s who you refer to as the Gargoyle statue.”
Tara stared at her. “Wait? He has a name? You know him by name?”
Sophia giggled.
“You’re friends!” Claire demanded.
Sophia flushed, realizing what she’d revealed and that they hadn’t put one together, yet. She nodded.
Tara eyed Claire—Claire eyed Tara.
“Well—what are we waiting for?” Claire said, grinning.
Sophia chuckled in her relief and delight. “He’s going to be so happy to know you guys are finally ready to meet him,” she said as they walked. “His feelings were hurt that day, you know.”
Claire came to a halt. “His feelings were hurt?” She winced as Sophia nodded. “Alex said as much—but I couldn’t imagine it.”
Sophia linked her arm through Claire’s. “Come on—it’s high past time you two finally met. He’s had a crush on you for the longest time.”
They came from the side yard and headed to the front gate, where the Gargoyle statue sat. As they walked, Sophia could feel Claire and Tara start to pull back, as the reality of actually meeting him, set in. She turned and beamed at one, then the other. Then she went the last few feet to stand in front of him.
“Okay, you two turn around,” she said.
Claire gawked at her. “I want to see.”
Sophia smirked. “He’ll never do it in front of you. Turn around,” she said, making a circle with her finger. They’d no sooner done so when she called, “Thorick.” She waited, then sighed. “Thorick,” she called again. “We’re here to see you.”
He shifted in the blink of an eye. “What do you want,” he said.
Sophia beamed as her friends spun around in surprise. Claire’s hand flew to her mouth, seeing him come to life. Tara jumped back several feet.
Sophia giggled.
“Oh, my…,” Claire stuttered, but she didn’t finish her sentence.
“This can’t be happening,” Tara finished for her. “I mean—I know we already knew this but—wow. This can’t be happening—can it?”
Sophia gestured toward Thorick, she introduced. “This is Thorick.” She gestured back toward her friends. “I would tell you who they are,” she said, laughing, “but you already know.”
He grunted in reply to her teasing, as he eyed the women with striking golden eyes.
He hadn’t appeared to them as the statue—coming to life. Instead, he’d shape-shifted into a man. He wore a sleeveless, hooded jacket, unbuttoned. On one of his large pectoral muscles showing, he had an unusual tattoo.
“You shape-shift?” Tara said.
Thorick merely nodded in reply.
Do you always shape-shift?” Claire said in a somewhat breathless tone.
“This is who I am when I’m not the stone,” he replied, tonelessly.
Sophia saw Claire swallow. He stood there, and it obviously made Claire nervous. Her friends seemed on the verge of doing exactly what they’d done when they’d seen him as children—screaming and running. She didn’t know how she’d react if they did.
Tara glanced over at her—and she seemed to realize what they were doing. Her hand flew to her throat. “I’m sorry, Thorick. It’s just that we’ve never met any other races.” She stopped, realizing what she’d just said, then stumbled over her words. “Well—that is—we hadn’t known we had—did have—have had….” She hesitated, confused. “Until we learned about Sophia.”
He nodded.
Claire tried to smile, as she seemed to realize too. “Come on,” she said in an overly bright tone. “Let’s go to the woods,” she said.
He considered Sophia. “You are taking them to the Land of the Fae?”
She nodded. “We were hoping you’d come with us.”
He regarded the mansion. “He seemed about to turn them down.
“I know you protect them,” Sophia said, realizing. “Do you think you could call one of the others to do so?”
He stood for a moment, seemed to think on that. Finally, he nodded. He didn’t do anything Sophia could see—but suddenly three others appeared around the corner. He went to them,
and they spoke in low tones before he returned to the women.
“Okay, then,” he said. “Let’s go.”
Claire stared at the other Gargoyle shape-shifters. “What—are you kidding me?” she said, coming toward him. “How long have you all been guarding us?”
He seemed uncertain as to what she was doing—what she was asking. He gazed at her face, and Sophia grabbed her arm, turning her towards her.
“Claire, they’ve always watched over us,” she explained.
Claire looked at Sophia—then at Thorick. “You’ve been like our guardian angels?” she said. “And we didn’t even know?”
He flushed slightly. “We’re no angels.”
Tara smiled at him. After a second—so did Claire.
“Well, now,” she said. “Isn’t that something?” She marched right up to Thorick. “I mean—we’d figured that out. Still, it’s one thing to know something—and quite another to have it proven right before your eyes.”
She walked around him. “I still can’t believe what I’m seeing. I’m probably going to have to see you shift and disappear out the window before I fully comprehend it,” she pointed up at the bedroom window. Then, see you reappear as the statue—before I can get it through my head you’re actually that....” She pointed toward where'd he'd sit.
His lip curled as she came back to the front of him, and Sophia smothered a laugh. Then, she did something she could see Claire didn’t expect. Grabbing Tara’s hand, she spun around and went back toward the house—intent on leaving Claire alone with the Gargoyle.
Claire turned and stared at her friend. The expression on her face made it clear she didn’t feel at all comfortable about the gargoyle—and what Sophia planned to do.
“Sophia!” Claire demanded.
Sophia grinned at her—and laughing, she and Tara took off back to the house.
