“You look like a mutant bat,” I said. “That made me think of Batman. What’s Batman’s real name?”
“My name is Bub, and I can’t believe I saved the life of someone so incredibly stupid,” the gargoyle spat.
“Well believe it,” I said, popping the top on my Diet Coke as I returned to the living room. “You can’t believe I’m this stupid and I can’t believe you’re a gargoyle named Bub. I guess we’re even.”
“We’re not even,” Bub scoffed, rearing back on his haunches and giving me a clear view of his … oh, I can never speak of that. “I saved your life and you owe me. Why are you staring at that wall?”
“I’m guessing they don’t neuter gargoyles,” Jerry said, his eyes drawn to Bub’s rather large package. “Wow. Do you … um … have you ever … um … ?”
“What is he babbling about?” Bub asked.
“He wants to know if you ever considered wearing underwear,” I said, refusing to let my eyes wander to Bub’s nether region. “That thing is obscene.”
“That’s my tail, you idiot!”
That made me feel better. “Oh. Whew. I was starting to feel really sorry for Mrs. Bub.”
“Me, too,” Jerry echoed.
Bub glanced around the townhouse as though searching for something.
“What are you doing?”
“Looking for hidden cameras,” Bub replied. “I figure I have to be on some hidden camera show, because no one could be as dumb as you two.”
“Hey, I invited you into my home and I didn’t have to,” I said. “I don’t need your crap. It’s already been the day from hell.”
“You shouldn’t invite bats into the house, Bug,” Jerry chided. “Vampires can’t enter unless you invite them, and I’m pretty sure it’s the same for talking bats.”
“I saved your life,” Bub countered, rolling his eyes at Jerry’s comments. “You owe me.”
“I owe you jack, buddy,” I argued. “I killed both of those wraiths out there. You just … zoomed around like a little dog-owl and made weird noises.”
“I yelled and warned you that you were about to be attacked.”
“I already knew I was about to be attacked, Bruce.”
“Stop calling me Bruce, you idiot!”
Griffin cleared his throat in the hallway, causing Bub, Jerry and I to jolt. I hadn’t heard the door open, and the sight of Griffin and Aidan standing in the hallway staring threw me for a loop.
“I told you I saw a dog-owl,” I announced, puffing out my chest out. “What do you have to say now? Head wound, my ass.”
“What is that thing?” Aidan asked, giving Bub a wide berth as he circled the room and moved closer to Jerry.
“That’s Bub,” Jerry explained. “He’s a gargoyle and that’s his tail, not his … you know … in case you’re wondering. I already told Aisling she couldn’t keep him. He doesn’t look like he sheds, but I’m not sure I can find a litter box for something that big, and I’m not cleaning up after him.”
“I don’t want to live here with you cretins,” Bub snapped. “I’m afraid your stupidity would cause me to lose IQ points by sheer proximity.”
“Is this the thing that attacked you this afternoon?” Griffin asked, his eyes never moving from Bub’s hunched form.
“You were attacked this afternoon?” Aidan was incredulous. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“That’s what Griffin and I were talking about when you walked into my bedroom and made a scene,” I snapped.
“Did you have to be naked when you were talking about it?” Aidan was shrill. “So far today I’ve dealt with the mother of all hangovers, Dad’s meltdown, you naked and now … this little rubber thing.”
“He doesn’t feel like rubber,” I said, shaking my head. “I’ll have you know that most men would love to see me naked, by the way.”
“It is impressive,” Jerry agreed.
“If he doesn’t feel like rubber, what does he feel like?” Griffin asked. “Wait … do I even want to know why you’ve been touching this thing?”
I caught Aidan and Griffin up on my walk to the townhouse, taking a small side journey so Aidan and Jerry could hear about my afternoon adventure. When I was done, Griffin was furious.
“Are you sure both wraiths are dead?”
“I stabbed them with one of Jerry’s solar lights.”
“You didn’t break it, did you?” Jerry asked. “Those were expensive, Bug.”
“Can we stop talking about you guys for five minutes and instead focus on me?” Bub asked. “Good grief. I’m a guest and you’re treating me as if I’m a member of your loser family. I don’t care about your inner circle … crap.”
“Why are you here?” I asked, shifting my attention to the gray monster. “You called out to warn me. I’m grateful for that, but I heard the wraith approaching.”
“I also knocked you out of the way. Did you forget that?”
“No, and my really sore hip thanks you,” I said, rolling my eyes.
Griffin moved toward me, making sure he didn’t let his feet get close enough for Bub to bite, and gently ran his hands over my hip. “It doesn’t feel like the wound has re-opened. I’ll put more Neosporin and a new bandage on it before we go to bed.”
“Aren’t you going to thank me for saving your idiot girlfriend?”
Griffin arched a challenging eyebrow. “Thank you. What the hell are you doing here and what do you know about the dog-owl … er, gargoyle … that attacked Aisling this afternoon?”
“I don’t know who that was or why it’s they’re moving on you now,” Bub said. “I was watching the townhouse because I wanted to warn you that trouble was coming. I didn’t feel it was right to leave you exposed.”
“What kind of trouble, and who’s ‘they?’”
“What do you know about gargoyles?” Bub asked.
“I know that their tails kind of look like big … .”
“Aisling,” Griffin warned, shaking his head. “What do we need to know about gargoyles?”
“We’re not good or evil,” Bub explained. “We’re neutral. We like to remain hidden and in our own little world. We don’t pick sides … until now.”
“Why are you picking sides now?” Aidan asked.
I was almost afraid to hear the answer.
“Someone is amassing an army to go after you, girlie,” Bub said, focusing on me. “You’re the prized gem in a really big crown. Whoever gets you gets a big pot of money and they’re offering rewards for the person – or entity – who nabs you first.”
“Well, I don’t like this one bit,” Griffin growled. “Who is paying gargoyles to go after Aisling?”
“I don’t know for sure,” Bub said. “I stay out of politics. We’ve been in existence for a long time, although our numbers our dwindling as our habitat erodes. We’ll be in existence after you’ve all shuffled off the mortal coil. I don’t like it when people move on my turf and disrupt the natural order, though. Someone is summoning a bunch of wraiths to this area, and they’re all supposed to grab you.”
“What do the gargoyles have to do with it?” I asked, my heart flipping.
Griffin slipped a reassuring arm around my waist and kissed my cheek. “It will be okay,” he whispered.
“They’re watching you,” Bub replied.
“But you’re not watching me,” I clarified. “That’s what you said, right?”
“I came to warn you because I genuinely believe if the wraiths get you the balance of power in this area will shift,” Bub said. “I’m not here to fight battles. I only wanted to make you aware of the evil that’s brewing.”
“Where are the wraiths converging?” Aidan asked, his mind clearly busy. “Can we get to them during the day?”
“They’re not all grouping together as much as they are … listening … to one person,” Bub said. “Before you ask, I don’t know who is leading them. I do know whoever it is wants you for … something. You’re some big key. I have no idea what you unlock. Afte
r meeting you, I have no idea why anyone would want you. It can’t be because of your brain.”
I ignored the jab. “Are gargoyles really former statues?”
“It depends on who you ask,” Bub replied. “Some people believe witches brought stone gargoyles to life to do their bidding at the turn of the century. Others believe we brought ourselves into being. Does it really matter?”
“You must know how you came into being,” I pressed.
“I do,” Bub said. “I hatched from an egg. I am a dog-owl, after all.”
I scowled. “You have to know something more than you’re telling us.”
“I’ve told you everything I know,” Bub said. “I wanted to warn you. I’ve done that. I’ve also been insulted and told there would be no litter box here if I wanted to stay. I don’t know what else to tell you. From now on, you’re on your own.”
“At least tell us where these wraiths hang out,” Griffin said. “They have to have a home base now that the Olivet Mausoleum burned down.”
“If they do, I’m not privy to that information,” Bub replied. “My best guess is that they’re gathering in the abandoned homes down near the Cass corridor in the city. I have no proof of that, though. It’s just a hunch.”
“Well, thank you,” I said. “You were a big help with all the swooping and knocking me around you did tonight.”
“You were pretty impressive with the solar light,” Bub shot back. “You were less impressive with the dog-owl stuff … and the rabies warning … and the tail crap.”
“Hey, I still maintain that thing looks like a … .”
Griffin slapped his hand over my mouth to silence me. “Thank you for your help. I think we can take it from here.”
Unfortunately, I wasn’t so sure.
Nineteen
Griffin was already in bed by the time I finished in the bathroom. He lifted the covers to make it easier for me to climb in next to him and then switched the lamp off before gathering me close.
“Is your hip okay?”
He’d been mostly quiet since Bub said his goodbyes – and scoffed at Jerry’s pedicure one more time – so the sound of his voice almost surprised me.
“It’s okay,” I said. “It hurts … but there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“I know what we can do about it,” Griffin suggested. “Why don’t you quit your job, and I’ll quit my job, and you can con your father into writing you a fat check so we can find an empty beach somewhere to live out the rest of our days.”
“We both know you’d kill me if you had to spend that much time alone with me.”
“I don’t know, that sounds pretty good to me right now,” Griffin said, petting the back of my head as he tried to lull me into a more relaxed state. “I don’t want to bring this up now, but I’m not sure we’re going to have another chance … um … .”
“You’re wondering if my mother is paying wraiths and gargoyles to go after me,” I finished, knowing he was desperate not to say the words he feared would break me. “I don’t know. She seems the likeliest candidate, though.”
“What do you think about Bub?”
“I think he’s not telling us the complete truth,” I replied. “He knows more.”
“Why approach you in the first place?”
“Curiosity? Sport? I have no idea,” I answered. “He did save me. I’m not sure I could have taken both of them without his help.”
Griffin tightened his hold on my back. “We’re going to figure this out,” he said. “I promise. I won’t let anything happen to you. I … I won’t.”
“You can’t protect me twenty-four hours a day,” I pointed out. “I’m not sure anyone can.”
“You’re right,” Griffin said, his tone grim. “You have to tell your family what’s going on.”
I knew he’d say that. It was only a matter of time before he brought it up again. “What do you think I should say? Hey, Dad, remember two weeks ago when Duke Fontaine died on my lap? Well, right before he died he told me Mom was still alive and she’s trying to kill me.
“Why didn’t I tell you? You know me. I’m such a prankster,” I continued, my heart pounding. “Oh, and on top of Mom being alive, there’s a good chance she’s a ghoul like Genevieve Toth. I also had a meeting with Fox Grimpond behind your back, got approached by a rogue reaper and wraith, attacked by two more wraiths, and invited a crazy little hobgoblin into my home. How has your week been?”
Griffin sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand as he rubbed the other across my back. “It sounds bad when you put it like that,” he admitted. “This has spiraled out of control, though. You need your family to help protect you.”
“I won’t sacrifice them to save myself.”
“Then I’ll tell them.”
I stilled, horrified. “You can’t do that!”
“Aisling, I don’t want to betray you,” Griffin replied. “I’ll do it to keep you alive, though. On the list of things I can’t live with, losing you is higher than going behind your back and telling your family what’s going on. I’m sorry, baby, but I can’t let you keep putting yourself at risk.”
I wanted to argue with him. I wanted to scream at him. He sounded too desperate, though. “They’ll never forgive me.”
“They’ll be really angry at first,” Griffin conceded. “They’ll think you betrayed them. They’ll yell … and they’ll scream … and they’ll pitch so many fits we won’t be able to keep up.
“They’ll always love you, though,” he continued. “They’ll always want to keep you safe. They won’t risk you, either. I’ll be with you when you tell them. I’ll stand with you, Aisling. What I won’t do is lose you.”
I turned so I could bury my face in the hollow of his neck, causing him to wrap both arms around me as he tugged me on top of him. “I’m afraid.”
“I know you are,” Griffin whispered. “I’m afraid, too. There are worse things in this world than telling the truth, though. You have to do it.”
“I know you’re right,” I said. “I just need to work up some courage.”
“You’re the bravest person I know. It’s going to be okay.”
We lapsed into silence for a few moments and I was almost convinced Griffin slipped into sleep when I lightly said his name.
“I’m still here,” Griffin said. “What’s on your mind now?”
Something had bothered me since Bub called me a “key.” I couldn’t push it out of my mind. “Do you think it’s possible they want me because they think I can do something evil for them?”
“What do you mean?”
“I always thought a person’s soul was safe if they believed in doing good,” I explained. “My mother believed in doing good, and look at her now. I don’t think she’s an upright citizen these days. If they corrupted her, what’s to stop them from corrupting me? Maybe I’m already evil and just don’t know it.”
Griffin grabbed my face with both hands and forced me into a position where I had no choice but to look at him.
“Don’t you ever say that,” Griffin warned. “Don’t you ever think that. You’re the best person I know, despite that nonstop mouth of yours. You’re not evil. They won’t be able to corrupt you and make you do something you don’t want to do. You’re the most stubborn person I know. You’d never let them win like that.”
“My mom was stubborn, too.” I fought tears as my lower lip quivered.
“Your mother was vulnerable, and we have no idea what was done to her over the past ten years,” Griffin said. “Don’t you even think for a second that you’re susceptible to that. You’ve got a whole army of people willing to fight for you and keep you safe.”
“But … .”
“No,” Griffin said, shaking his head. “Don’t let doubts crush you right now. I don’t know how we’re going to fix this situation. I don’t know how we’re going to find your mother. I don’t know how your family will react. I do know that you’re too good to let this pull you down.”
“I … .”
“Promise me you won’t think something like this again, baby,” Griffin ordered. “We can take only so many problems at one time, and I’m not up for this one. Promise me you understand that you’re incapable of doing what you’re suggesting.”
“I want to believe that.”
“Do I ever lie to you?”
The question caught me off guard. “No.”
“I’m telling you it’s not possible, and you have to believe me because I don’t lie,” Griffin said. “Promise me.”
“I promise.”
Griffin kissed me softly before releasing my face. He cuddled me close, not bothering to shift me back to my previous position, instead holding me against his chest. “You need some sleep,” he said. “We’ve got a big day ahead of us tomorrow. We’ll tackle everything together.”
“Okay.”
“Go to sleep,” Griffin whispered. “You’re safe. You’re going to stay that way. I’ll make sure of it.”
BY THE time I finished both of my Thursday jobs it was almost noon. I was too keyed up to go home in case I ran into Jerry or Aidan, which left me with nothing to do in downtown Detroit.
On a whim, I headed toward Griffin’s precinct, hoping we could have lunch. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. I hoped we could talk me down from the lofty ledge I perched on. I knew he was right about telling my family the truth. I was still terrified.
I’d been by Griffin’s department exactly two times, so I was surprised when the uniformed man behind the protective bubble at the front of the station recognized me.
“He’s back at his desk,” the officer said. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you.”
“I … okay. Thanks.”
The officer buzzed me back and I trudged down the nondescript hallway until I found Griffin’s division. His back was to me as I approached, and for some absurd reason I felt ridiculous about bothering him at work. I’d just about made up my mind to leave without saying anything when he shifted in his chair and caught sight of me.
“What’s wrong?” His face instantly shifted from placid to worried.
aisling grimlock 03 - grim discovery Page 16
