by Judith Post
She blinked in surprise, then realized the term wasn't a common one. Most knew her sister by name, not by species. "My sister was Medusa—snakes for hair, fangs, the whole bit. Me, too, when I change."
"And you're a witch on top of that?" He gave a low whistle. His pale eyes looked her up and down. "Okay, so you could kick my ass if you wanted to, but you didn't, so why are you here?"
Dante explained what they'd learned.
Lance moved a step closer to Lexi. "Our two nymphs are the only ones left in town?"
Dante nodded. "You saw who came for Lexi. Was it this man?" He took Ally's sketch from his pocket and showed it to them.
Lance gave a curt nod.
"Did you get his scent?"
Lance shrugged. "Got it, but I've never smelled it before. Just like I'd never smelled either of yours."
Dante's shoulders sagged. "I don't know his scent either."
"What happened when he came for Lexi?" Ally asked.
"He was halfway to her tree when he smelled me, knew I wasn't mortal, and he turned and walked away."
"Damn!" Ally kicked at the dirt. "I wish he'd have shifted. I wish I knew what we were up against."
"It tells us one thing," Lance said. "It means he knows he can't beat a werewolf, or he'd have tried. And I'm guessing that means he can't beat either of you either."
Ally smiled. She hadn't thought of that. Lance had a way of sticking with what was practical. "So either he'll leave, or he'll wait until our guard is down."
"I'm betting on the second," Lance said. "He walked like a man with a mission."
Zimaida spread her hands, looking around her. "Why would someone want to harm us? We make the earth beautiful, healthy." She gestured toward the maple trees, blazing with small bits of color that still remained. She nodded toward a young tulip tree that bordered one of the school's parking lots. "Who doesn't want Nature to thrive?"
Lexi went to hug her. "I've wondered the same thing. Why would anyone hate us? We're nice deities."
Lance turned to Dante. "I work construction as a mortal. We're in the middle of a project that I need to oversee. I can't take off many more days without losing my job. I'll do that, if I have to, but someone needs to stand guard over Lexi's tree, to stay with her to make sure she's safe."
"I'm staying here too," Zimaida decided. She motioned to the tulip tree. "Ally protected my tree at home with magic. I want to be with Lexi. We'll win or die together."
Ally was about to argue, but Dante interrupted. "Ecanus will stand guard here. We don't need sleep. He'll be a mortal during the day and a gargoyle at night. He can protect you and call us if he needs backup. Ally and I will search the city. Samuel will stay with Hypos and Tepo and watch over our yard, and Gideon can stand guard on the cathedral."
It seemed like a sound plan. Ally nodded. "I'll chant spells around both of your trees. If you're in them, you'll be safe."
Lance gave a satisfied grunt. "I'll be here as much as I can. If anyone touches Lexi's tree…."
He didn't need to finish the sentence.
Ally planned to check on the nymphs when she could too. For now, though, she went to cast her spells as Dante explained, "As soon as the sun sets, and it's safe to shift, Ecanus will be here."
Ally chanted a big circumference of protection around each tree, so that no enemy could get near them. When she finished and returned to the others, Dante reached for her and gave her a hug. "I've rethought things. Since the girls' trees are protected, I'm going to stay here with Lance. He'll disappear on one side of this area, and I'll take the other. Maybe our killer's waiting for us to leave to try again, and if he thinks we're gone, we can nab him."
"Where do you want me?" Ally asked.
He grinned. "At home, resting. When the sun sets, I'd like you to take my place here and stand watch with Ecanus. I'll search the city with Gideon."
Gideon was the youngest gargoyle and the most carefree, but he took his job seriously. They all did. Ally nodded. She'd rather work with Dante, but she couldn't fly from one rooftop to another to watch over the city. The two gargoyles could cover a lot more ground. She'd be more effective here. She sighed. "Okay, I'll see you at sunset."
She walked to her Jeep, annoyed at herself for feeling dejected. She and Dante weren't the types to be joined at the hip, and she liked that. But this time, she felt left out. She wasn't, and she knew it. But she felt like a minor player, given a bit part.
She drove home, fussing at herself. When she let herself in the house, she locked the door behind her and went to their bedroom. The new, king-sized bed sat in its center, in all of its glory, with new sheets and a gorgeous, new comforter and shams. She hadn't tried it out yet. She wanted to sleep in it with Dante for its first time. Dante had been working every night since the man tried to attack Zimaida. Ally grimaced and stalked to the couch. She smacked a pillow at the end, pulled the throw over her, and tried to sleep. She had to stay awake tonight. It took her a while, but she finally dozed off.
Before she left the house, she ate a quick supper and pulled on a long, flowing skirt and white, spandex top. Her work clothes. When she got to the campus, the sun was setting. Dante shifted, sprouted leathery wings, and left to join Gideon. A few minutes later, Ecanus arrived. Even bulked up and winged, he looked less formidable than Dante. It was because of his eyes. Every time Ally saw him, she thought of a dreamer. His eyes had a gentle quality about them, no matter how beefy his muscles.
She took him to the trees to introduce him to Lance and the two nymphs. Ecanus smiled politely when Lexi left her maple. He extended a hand to Lance, but when Zimaida left her tree, his whole expression turned wistful. A flush spread from his neck all the way up to his hairline.
Zimaida gave him a shy smile. "Your friend, Dante, had nothing but good things to say about you. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Ecanus took her hand as though he were handling porcelain.
Her smile grew wider. "I'm not as fragile as you might think."
If possible, his blush deepened to a shade of scarlet. "Sorry, you just look delicate. I didn't mean…." He fumbled to a stop.
She laughed. "Dante said that you're the shy gargoyle. There's no need to be shy around us. We're all grateful for your help."
"That's what gargoyles do, our reason for being." He looked away, at the wide variety of trees scattered across the campus. Then his gaze slid to the river. Anywhere but at her.
"I lived in Rome once," she said. "Probably before you were carved. Not long after Romulus and Remus. I didn't leave until Nero's reign."
He gave a quick nod. "Before me."
"You have the beauty of that city, the feel of permanence. It's a pleasure meeting you."
His eyes widened in surprise. He looked to Ally for help.
She laced her arm through his, as she asked the nymphs, "Do you need to stretch, to move a little, before you return to your trees? I know you've been in them all day. Then Ecanus and I will try to blend with our surroundings, so that we can stand watch over you without being seen."
Lexi reached for Lance's hand. "We'll take a quick walk, then I'll be ready. You?" she asked Zimaida.
"I'll feel safe with Ecanus. Care to walk with me for a minute so that I can limber up a little?"
He stepped closer to Ally, but she pushed him away. "I see you all the time. You have the chance to make a new friend. Go for it."
Zimaida didn't give him a choice. She took his other hand and pulled him after her.
Ally watched them go, smiling. Dante was right. Supernaturals were different from mortals. There weren't too many places to meet and mingle. Zimaida had taken one look at Ecanus and liked what she saw.
Ally turned in a circle to study their surroundings. The parking lots were empty. Occasionally, a car passed by, using the campus streets as a short cut between the busy highways. Security lights created pools of light that quickly faded to shadows. They should be alone out here, with no mortals to worry them.
When the o
thers returned, Ecanus seemed more at ease. Zimaida looked at him, longingly, as she stepped back into her bark and disappeared. Lance gave Lexi a last kiss goodbye before she sank into her maple. Then, with a quick wave, he left them. "I have to get some sleep. I work tomorrow."
Ecanus went to the left of the nymphs' trees, and Ally went to the right. Then the long, lonely watch began. Ally wasn't used to vigils. The minutes ticked by. Hours seemed to stretch for forever. She couldn't wiggle and call attention to herself. She couldn't talk on her cell phone or read from its screen—the light might give her away. She just sat, staring, waiting for something to happen.
After five hours of nothing, she was thoroughly restless. She began to make up silly scenarios in her head, anything to amuse or entertain, but stopped when both nymphs bolted from their trees and raced toward the river.
What the hell?
Ally started after them. So did Ecanus. Zimaida hadn't exaggerated. Nymphs were fast. She and Ecanus reached the river bank, panting for breath. A man was on top of a young woman, who struggled beneath him. He doubled his fist and hit her, full strength, in the face. She gasped with pain, and the two nymphs threw themselves on top of him, trying to pull him off. He laughed and grabbed Zimaida's wrist, yanking her toward him too.
Ecanus's lips pressed into a firm, determined line and he waded into the fray, grabbed the man by his shoulder, and pulled him into the air. A hoof hit him in the forehead before he could dodge it.
Ally gasped. The man was mortal on his top half, goat on his lower half. And his expression was vicious.
The second hoof connected with Ecanus's jaw. Ecanus dropped him and staggered backward, caught off guard. But when he lunged for the man again, the satyr grabbed Zimaida by her long hair, head butted her unconscious, and tossed her into the center of the river. She sank immediately.
Ecanus leapt into the water after her. Ally raced after the satyr. He was fast, too, but not as fast as the nymphs. She aimed to blast him with her magic when a car pulled to a stop nearby, its lights flashing. A man leapt out of it and leveled a gun at her.
"Stop right there, or I'll shoot!"
For one tiny second, Ally thought about zapping the security guard, so that she could chase the satyr, but that went against every gargoyle rule on how to treat mortals. Instead, she sighed and raised her hands in the air. The satyr kept running.
She clenched her teeth. Damn, damn, double damn! She forced herself to take a deep breath. "The man I was chasing just tried to rape a girl by the river. I was trying to stop him."
The guard stared at her uncertainly. He motioned with his gun and said, "Lead me to her."
Ally pivoted on her heel and started back to the river. She made enough noise that Ecanus and the nymphs would know she was coming, with company. When they reached the gargoyle and nymphs, all of them were in their mortal forms—and Zimaida and the new girl looked properly bruised and shaken.
The guard lowered his gun. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize… If you give me details, I'll call them in. The police will get on the case right away."
Ecanus reached into his jeans pocket and pulled out a card. He handed it to the guard. "Ally and I work with the police. We're on their special task force."
The guard sighed, ran a hand over his forehead. "I saw you chasing someone. I thought…."
"…the same thing we would have thought," Ally finished for him. "You were doing your job, just like we are."
He gave a grateful nod. "Do you need an ambulance for the women? Are they all right?"
Ally nodded. "He punched both of them, tried to drown the muddy one, but they're going to be fine."
"Is there anything I can do to help?"
Ecanus shook his head. "Our team will be here soon, but thank you for asking. We can take it from here."
The man turned to walk back to his car, and Ally felt sorry for him. It wasn't his fault he'd let the satyr get away, but he'd fret about it for a while. That's what she always did.
Ecanus hurried to support Zimaida, who was swaying on her feet. "Are you all right?"
She leaned into him. "Yes, thanks to you."
Ally turned to the girl the satyr had attacked and blinked in surprise. She caught a glimpse of pointy ears. "Wait. I thought we'd counted all of the tree nymphs, and only Lexi and Zimaida had survived."
The girl gave a watery smile. "I'm a river nymph. I came to warn Lexi. The satyr already killed Marina. Aquina and I are leaving here, traveling farther up our rivers, until he leaves Summit city. The tree nymphs should leave, too, find other trees in other areas until he's gone."
Ally did a quick count. "If one of the bodies we found was a river nymph…"
"Then one of the other tree nymphs might still be alive," the girl said. "Which trees aren't fully dead?"
Ally's brows rose in surprise. "The crabapples are struggling, but they're not dead."
The girl nodded. "Then Callista's hurt, but still lives. None of us are safe here. Callista must be in hiding. We're hiding too. It looks as though Lexi and Zimaida mean to stay. You'll have to keep them free from harm."
Ecanus and Ally nodded.
When the girl started back to the river, Ecanus called, "Wait! I've sent for a friend. He'll travel with you until you're out of the city."
"Thank you."
In the short time before Dante arrived, Ally asked, "Three of you live here?"
The girl nodded. "Three rivers. Three nymphs."
A body plummeted from the sky, and Dante went to the girl. "I'm sorry that you were attacked in our city. We're its guardians."
"The satyr's new here. I sent messages through the water, asking about him. He's left a trail of destruction in his path. The gods protected us in old times. The satyr no longer fears them."
"The gods work through others now. The satyr will learn to fear us."
She nodded, and the two of them set off together.
Ally went to Zimaida. "May I pour good magic into you? It will help you heal."
"Please."
Ally pressed her hands to Zimaida's shoulders and let the energy flow into her. Within minutes, Zimaida looked better. Her strength and vitality returned. She beamed up at Ecanus. "What do you think? I feel better than ever."
A smile lit his green eyes. "You look beautiful."
Zimaida blinked at his compliment. "You make me feel beautiful."
Awkward. Ally felt like a third wheel. If there were some place for her to disappear to, she would. But Lexi laughed at them, easing the tension.
"Will you two love birds quit ogling each other and concentrate on our near-death experiences? Zimaida and I need to get back into our trees and stay there. I don't think the satyr will return, but I want to be in our safe circles if he does."
Before they could meld back into their tree trunks, Ally hurried to ask. "How did you know your friend needed help? I didn't hear anything."
"Nymphs give off a high-pitched scream when we need help," Lexi explained. "Too high for mortals to hear."
"Like a dog whistle!" Ally shook her head. How much noise filled the world that she didn't hear? The gargoyles used telepathy to communicate. Nymphs used high pitches. Who knew?
Lexi slid back into her maple, and Zimaida returned her to young, tulip tree. Ally shrugged and went to sit on a fallen log with Ecanus. The satyr knew they were there. There was no reason to hide.
Ally slid him a sideways glance. "Do you like Zimaida?"
The flush returned, burning his cheeks. "She's how I always pictured a nymph would look," he said. "Like nature, embodied."
Ally smiled. "I can tell she likes you."
"I think she'd be kind to most people. I'm not witty or funny like Gideon or a leader like Dante. I'm too quiet. I bore people eventually."
"She lives in a tree, for Zeus' sake! I don't think she's looking for excitement. Besides, you're sweet and gentle. That's what I love about you."
"For real?" He stared at her.
"Straight up," she told him.
>
He grinned and slipped an arm around her shoulders. "Thanks, Ally."
Someone cleared his throat behind them. They turned to see Dante. He frowned at his friend. "Are you making a move on my mate?"
Poor Ecanus looked appalled. Ally threw back her head and laughed. "Quit giving him a hard time!"
"He was teasing me?" Ecanus asked.
Dante grinned.
"Ally was giving me girl advice," Ecanus told him.
"Her? She's an amateur. Not a romantic bone in her body. If you need help with women, I'm the one to talk to."
Ally raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? And how much of an expert are you?"
It was Ecanus's turn to laugh. "You've gotten yourself in trouble now, Dante."
Dante held out a hand to help Ally to her feet. "That's when you turn on the charm and remind your lady how lucky she is to have you."
Ally rolled her eyes. "He forgot to mention that part of why I fell for him was his modesty."
Ecanus chuckled, enjoying listening to them tease each other. His gaze went to Zimaida's tree. "Does modesty really count?"
Dante looked at his friend and followed his gaze. "This isn't some general conversation, is it? You're interested in Zimaida."
"She's interested in him," Ally said. "He's having trouble believing that."
"Believe, my friend." Dante smiled. "We gargoyles make great catches. Besides, I can see you two together. You're both quiet, a little shy…when supernaturals meet their mates, they know."
"That's not what you said when you met Ally," Ecanus protested. "You said you had a hard time convincing her that she was yours."
"She knew. She just wasn't ready to admit it. She's a stubborn one."
Ally glared.
Ecanus shrugged and changed the subject. "Did you come here to take Ally home?"
"Nope, I came to take the next watch, so that Ally could go home and sleep and you could have a break."
Ecanus's gaze went back to the tulip tree. "We don't sleep. I think I'll stick around and keep you company."
"A plus for me. I'll walk Ally to her car and be right back." Dante slid an arm through hers as he led her to her Jeep. "Don't fall asleep driving home. And this time, use the bed, not the couch. You'll sleep better."
