by Judith Post
"Let's talk first," Dante said. "We need a plan."
Samuel crossed his arms over his chest—an intimidating sight. "Why not stop running? You're in our city now. We're its guardians, which makes you our problem. If anyone wants you, they have to come through us."
Tepo stared at him. "But we have no gargoyle blood in us."
"That's not how it works," Samuel said. "You're under our protection."
Hypos tilted her head to study him. "How much do you know about centaurs? They're great archers. They'd be happy to shoot and kill you if you get in their way."
Samuel chuckled. He motioned toward Dante. "Gargoyles are hard to kill, but they can try. The last time I got shot with an arrow, I remember it tickled."
Big talk. Gargoyles were hard to kill, but it could be done. Still, what good did it do to run and hide? That's what Stheno and Medusa had done, and they were dead. Ally didn't intend to let centaurs hunt and kill Hypos and Tepo. "You're my sister's bloodline. I'll work with the gargoyles to protect you."
Tepo squinted at her, unimpressed.
Dante smiled. "She looks all tall and girly with her brown curls and pretty face, but she's great to have next to you in a fight."
"She's sort of skinny, like my mom. Is she strong?"
Ally didn't like it when someone talked about her, like she wasn't there. She raised a palm and shot magic across the room. Tepo jumped, surprised.
Dante laughed. "She uses her witch powers when she's playing nice. If she has to shift, close your eyes. Whatever you do, don't look at her face."
Tepo took a step behind his mom.
Served him right. The little twerp was too full of himself. Ally shook her head. "They should stay here with me. I don't want to take any chances."
Hypos hugged herself, frightened. Ally didn't blame her. "Six centaurs are after us. What if you fail?"
"Then we'll probably die." Samuel sighed. "But you can't outrun them forever. Someday, you'll be one step too slow, or they'll be two steps faster than usual. You won't have to face them alone here."
Hypos's gaze lingered on her son. "Can you keep him hidden? Use me as bait?"
Tepo's body went rigid. "No, if anything happens to you, I want to go with you." The word go was ambiguous, but they all knew what he meant. His mother was all he had.
Dante settled on the sofa and the rest of them pulled chairs into a circle. "Six centaurs are hunting you. You said a name earlier. Is he their leader?"
Hypos rested her arm on the back of Tepo's chair. Her hand massaged the back of his neck. Ally glanced at Samuel and was surprised by the tenderness of his expression. The gargoyle had a thing for kids…and maybe a thing for loving mothers. "Belisario's in charge of the hunt. We barely escaped them last time. We didn't even get to go back to our hotel room to get our things. We left most of our money in a drawer there."
Ally shrugged. "I have money. So do they." She motioned to the gargoyles. "We'll give you whatever you need, but you'd be safer staying here with me."
"Samuel should stay too," Dante said. "If there are six of them, you need backup."
Ally tossed Dante a puzzled look. If she needed backup, she'd rather he stayed with her, but then she caught the look Dante gave Samuel. And a little light bulb clicked on over her head. Her gargoyle was playing matchmaker.
Dante grinned at her. "Okay, then, I think we're ready. I'm going to walk around town to see if I notice anything new. Ally, you have an art show coming up soon, don’t you? How many days before your pottery needs to be finished? And Samuel, we're all going to want supper tonight. Do you remember how to cook?"
Ally blinked at him. Could he be any less subtle? He was purposely warning her away. She got the hint. She stood and headed to the airing porch she'd converted into a studio. "I need to finish applying the second glaze today. Do you know where everything is in my kitchen?" she asked Samuel.
Samuel frowned, clueless. "Um, cooking's not really my thing."
Hypos smiled at him and started toward the refrigerator. "Tepo and I can help you. Nothing fancy, if that's all right."
"Simple's better," Dante said, walking to the door. He looked pleased with himself. He gave her a quick wave and disappeared.
Ally looked at Samuel standing at the kitchen counter as Hypos rummaged through the cupboards and handed him ingredients. And she smiled. If her Dante wanted to throw those three together, why not? Set-ups rarely worked, but it was worth a try.
* * *
Ally was drizzling a glaze around the top edge of a wide bowl when she heard cussing.
"Screw it! Why won't this damn thing work?" A thunk followed Samuel's words.
Laughter followed it—a woman's soft-pitched amusement. "Maybe it would help if you plugged it in."
Tepo's guffaw brought another grumble from Samuel.
Finally, the blender buzzed to life. Ally smiled, listening to them. Another discussion ensued.
"What kind of fish is tilapia?" Hypos asked.
Samuel's deep voice answered. "Dante says it's mild."
"But it's frozen," Tepo said.
"Here. There are directions for thawing on the back of the bag." Samuel read them aloud.
"We can use fresh herbs from the pots in Ally's kitchen window." Hypos sounded excited about the basil, dill, and thyme that flourished in the pop-out, window garden.
Ally's glaze started to run. She blocked out their conversation to concentrate on her pottery, but Dante's idea might work. All three of the people in her kitchen had been isolated from the joys of everyday life for way too long. And they had more in common than they realized.
Ally turned on music to drown out their voices. She didn't want to intrude on their privacy, felt like a voyeur listening in. She picked up her next clay piece, got back to the task at hand, and didn't stop working until Dante returned from his walk. She cleaned up her studio while he went to the kitchen to check on their dinner. By the time her hands were rinsed free of glaze, Dante was setting out plates and silverware. They'd have to eat in the living room because they'd be too crowded in her tiny kitchen at its little table.
They balanced plates on their laps and put their drinks on the coffee table. If she kept having company, she'd need a bigger place. This apartment was perfect for one person, not so wonderful for four or five.
"I asked Ecanus and Gideon to keep an eye out for any new supernaturals in town," Dante said between bites of food. At Tepo's frown, he said, "Our two, other gargoyle friends. You'd think we'd notice a half dozen centaurs."
Ally sighed with pleasure at the Greek salad. "The dressing's delicious, like Stheno used to make."
Hypos glowed. "My mother taught me the ingredients."
Grinning, Tepo pointed at Samuel. "All Samuel got to do was tear the romaine. He couldn't even help with the hummus. Almost killed the blender."
"I told you I didn't cook." Samuel smiled at the boy.
"My friend here is more of a scholar," Dante said.
"Really? What do you study?" Hypos gave Samuel her full attention, and he fidgeted with his fork.
"He's an expert on world history," Dante said. "And not too shabby at literature."
"But not myths?" Hypos asked.
Samuel found his voice. "That's Dante's area. We each sort of specialize in different things."
"I like to study wars," Tepo said.
"The cause and effect or the strategies and weapons?" Samuel asked.
Tepo's eyes lit with excitement. "You break it down like that?"
"Don't you?"
Hypos laughed. "Now you've done it. You won't be able to get rid of him."
Samuel looked at Tepo and his expression changed. Hypos caught it and bit her bottom lip. Dante's grin lifted from ear to ear.
After supper, Samuel introduced Tepo to the joys of the military channel on TV. Then they switched from that to the show "Future Weapons." Hypos sat with them, listening to them banter back and forth. Every once in a while, she threw a thoughtful look Samuel's way. I
t took him a while, but he finally noticed. And he liked it, Ally could tell.
Dante gave her a nudge, where they sat together on the couch. "See?"
"It's awful fast. They just met."
"We're not like mortals. We've lived so long we know what we want and what we don't," Dante said.
"And what we've hoped for and never found." Ally understood how hard it was to find another immortal who suited you. She thought it would never happen for her, and then she met Dante.
Dante left when the sun set to join Ecanus and Gideon to search for centaurs. Samuel stayed. He let Hypos have the couch to sleep on and tucked Tepo into bed on the love seat, then went into Ally's studio to stand guard. Gargoyles didn't need sleep, only to lie next to someone for pleasure. Her studio had windows on three sides. He dragged a chair and a book in there to pass the time.
* * *
Over scrambled eggs and toast the next morning, Samuel said, "Whenever you're ready to talk about it, I'd like to know why the centaurs hate you so much."
Hypos shook her head. "My mother told me that it's because our race sprang from the gods. Pegasus was revered. Centaurs are mocked as barbarians—part man, part beast. They display the animalistic side of mortals. So they hate us."
"They're jealous." Ally took a small sip of coffee. Tepo had made it, and it was strong enough to over-caffeinate a boardroom of people.
"What about Chiron?" Dante asked. "He was a centaur, known for his wisdom."
"A different sire," Hypos said. "He'd be embarrassed and shamed by most of his kind."
Samuel frowned. "But hating someone is one thing. Hunting and killing them is another."
"It started with a comment Ares made." Hypos stood and began to gather empty plates. She carried them to the sink to rinse.
Ally snorted. "The god of war? Does anyone really listen to him?"
"The centaurs did. Ares said that a horse with wings took after the angels, but a centaur took after a horse's ass."
Crude, like Ares. Ally wasn't surprised.
Dante got up to help load the dishwasher. "Okay, I can see why the centaurs wouldn't like Ares, but why try to exterminate every winged horse?"
"Because….well, they can't really do anything to Ares, can they?"
Samuel gave a knowing nod. "So they focused their anger on you."
"We've been running and hiding ever since," Hypos said. "There were never that many of us, to begin with. There have always been more of them."
Samuel got a damp dishrag to wipe off the table while Ally put ingredients away. "Why didn't you return home, to Mount Olympus or go to Mount Helicon with the Muses?"
"Because they don't want us." Anger colored Tepo's cheeks. "We're not immortal, so we're not allowed."
"Their loss," Samuel said, and Tepo smiled at him.
* * *
Damian left the apartment after breakfast. Ally would have loved to go with him, but she wouldn't leave Hypos and Tepo. He returned in the afternoon.
"They're living out of a white van that they move from spot to spot," he said. "The smell of their magic hit us before we saw them."
Hypos wrinkled her nose. "They have such raw energy, when the six of them are together, their scent can be overpowering. That's how we're warned when they arrive. They'll separate and spread out to search for us, so they're less noticeable."
'The sooner they find you, the better," Dante said. "Then we can finish this and move on."
At the words move on, Samuel winced.
Hypos laid her hand on his arm. "It might be wise if we stayed in Summit City a while after the battle, in case any more centaurs come to avenge Belisario and his men."
Samuel smiled. "So you have faith in us to defeat them?"
"I do."
"And we'll defeat the next group, if they come," he told her. "We'll keep you safe until all dangers are past."
Dante gave a quick nod. "They won't want to call attention to themselves any more than we do. They won't come for you until night falls."
Hypos agreed. "They've never attacked us during the day."
"Then let's make sure they know you're here. We'll give them a clear trail so that they find you tonight." Dante looked at Ally. He smiled. "You look awfully appealing in those jeans, but you might want to change into your work clothes before we hit the streets."
Why the gargoyle found her so alluring, she had no idea, but she sure enjoyed it. She turned and gave a little extra hip action on her walk to the hallway. In her room, she changed into her long, flowing skirt and white, spandex shirt. Both survived if she had to shift, instead of shredding like her underwear and sandals always did. She wasn't as lucky as gargoyles. Her clothes didn't mold to her body, no matter its size. When she returned to the others, everyone stood, ready to go.
"Touch things here and there—lamp posts, doorways—something to leave a scent," Samuel said.
"Me too?" Ally asked.
Samuel thought about that. "No, I'd rather we surprised them. I've rarely met anyone or anything that recognizes a gorgon's scent, but why take chances? We'll just tag along, in case the centaurs are walking the streets as mortals and come after Hypos and Tepo."
She nodded and fell into step beside Dante. Samuel walked between Hypos and Tepo.
People turned to stare at the mother and son's unusual coloring and the gargoyles' unusual height. All four of them looked stunning. Ally felt drab beside them. They went from shop to shop downtown, gazing in windows. Tepo sat on the bench in front of the Botanical Gardens. He drank from the water fountain in Headwaters Park. They made it as far as West Central, admiring the restored homes of yesteryear, touching this or that as they went. A tall, brick house on a corner was for sale. The branches of a tulip tree spanned its back yard. Ally stopped to stare at it.
"It looks like an artist should live there," Dante told her. "Maybe a potter. I bet it has a gourmet kitchen."
She shook her head. "What would I do with a house that big?"
"Fill it with gargoyles," he said.
It was something to think about. She had more than enough money after centuries of selling her work. She was turning to walk on when the tulip tree branches trembled and reached for her. She stared. "Did you see that?" she asked Dante.
"I did."
"What could it be?"
But before he could answer, two men walked toward them. One had wiry, blond hair and a beard. His scent was so strong, Ally wrinkled her nose. Testosterone, in overdrive.
Hypos squared her shoulders, and Tepo reached for Samuel's hand.
The second centaur's hair looked as though it were alight with flames. His beard frizzed into a point. The muscles of his chest and thighs strained against his shirt and jeans. His blue eyes glittered.
"Whew!" Ally almost put a hand up to cover her nose. His scent was stronger than the blonde's.
"Idouma," Tepo spat, before they were within hearing distance. "His stench suits him."
His mother nodded. "If Belisario's fault is pride, Idouma's failing is lust. He's disgusting, bestial."
Idouma ignored all of them but Ally. His eyes slowly looked her up and down, and he licked his lips.
Dante twined his arm through hers and raised his eyebrow at the centaur in a challenge.
Idouma grinned and moved his hand to rub his groin.
Ally laughed. "Is that your idea of impressing a girl?"
Idouma's face turned scarlet, and his body shimmered with energy. He wanted to shift, Ally could feel it. The blond centaur glared at them, his lips turning down in temper. He yanked on Idouma's arm and they stalked away.
Samuel let out a low breath. "Well, I'd say we got their attention."
Eyes wide, Hypos turned to Ally. "You shouldn't have laughed at him. The group won't just come after us now. They'll do everything they can to hurt you too."
"Let's hope so. If I pegged them right, we'll see them tonight."
Hypos stared. "Aren't you worried at all? You saw what they're like. They'll die before
they surrender."
"I saw them. Sly and full of themselves. I'd rather they didn't take time to plan things out. They'll make mistakes that way."
Dante beamed at her. "So you pushed their buttons. A decent strategy. Very Greek."
"I'm more than a pretty face, you know." She glanced at the tulip tree, and Hypos followed her gaze.
"What is it?"
"Nothing." With too much attention, the tree's branches remained still.
On the walk home, Dante bent his head close to hers. "That tree was calling to you. It recognized your magic."
Ally nodded. She'd never allowed herself the pleasure of buying a home, but she liked Summit City. Dante was its guardian. Maybe it was time to put down roots.
They didn't talk much after that. They knew Belisario and Idouma would double back to track their steps. Ally waited until they were a few blocks from her apartment before she mumbled an obfuscation spell—making their scent mingle with the city's essence and hiding their presence.
"We don't want to lead them straight to my door," she said.
None of them had much of an appetite that night, only snacking now and then. They all kept glancing out the windows, waiting for night to fall.
When it was almost dusk, Dante pushed to his feet and started for the door. "This is as good a place to fight as any. Nobody uses the alleys behind the shops. No mortal should get caught in our crossfire."
Dante and Samuel shifted on their way down the stairs. By the time they walked between the buildings to the asphalt drive behind the pawn shop, they were bulked up, with wings.
"You two shouldn't shift unless you have to fly away from here," Samuel told Hypos and Tepo. "You make smaller targets as mortals if the centaurs use their crossbows. But if things go bad, take off. Fly as fast and far as you can."
"And leave you?" Tepo glared.
Samuel looked to Hypos for help. "If we can't defeat them, you won't be able to either."
She nodded, but didn't answer. The look she exchanged with Tepo made Ally's stomach tense. Maybe Hypos was as tired of running as her son was.
Dante frowned. Unfortunately, he'd learned from experience—living with her—that it was useless arguing with a woman once she'd made up her mind. "Ally, if you stay with them, can you cover them with a protective spell?"
