Enticed by the Gargoyle: Stone Sentries 2 (Boston)

by Lisa Carlisle

  “Right.” She strode to her car.

  “No, Larissa. Too slow with the city traffic.”

  She gave him a questioning look.

  “Leave your car here. We’ll get it later.”

  “How are we going to get there then?”

  Roman glanced to the setting sun. “We fly.”

  Chapter 14

  The sense of urgency had Roman’s muscles wrapped into tense coils.

  He opened communication with Arto. Larissa’s grandmother has been killed out in Maynard. It’s possible a demon was trying to stop her from helping Larissa.

  Shit, Arto replied. Need me to come?

  No. Send a sentry there, though, to confirm. I’m headed back to Boston with Larissa.

  “Ready?” He stepped closer to her. After cloaking himself, he initiated the shift into gargoyle form.

  When she stared at him, a glimpse of fear flickered in her eyes, which was quickly replaced by trust. “I am.”

  He wrapped one arm around her and pulled her against him. “I’ve got you.”

  After clasping his other hand at her lower back, he shifted, spreading his wings behind him to almost double his size. He flapped them and ascended into the evening sky. Despite the urgency, the flight calmed him under the fiery glow of sunset. Not only did he have the soothing sensation of the air on his hide, but he had his mate back in his arms. He wished he was taking her someplace private, so they could have a proper reunion. The escalation of the damn demon threat prevented that from happening any time soon.

  She peeked below before fixing her eyes back on him. “Maybe one day I’ll get used to this.”

  He’d avoided flying over high traffic areas. The lights and moving cars might aid to the disconcerting sensation many humans had when it came to heights. Instead, he chose a route over the less congested residential areas.

  “You don’t enjoy flying?”

  “It’s—hmm–fascinating—and sometimes terrifying.” With a wry grin, she added, “Much like my relationship with a gargoyle shifter.”

  He laughed. “I’d agree with that—except change the last part to a witch.”

  She searched his eyes. “So, we’re good?”

  Without mentioning her outburst instigated by the dark magic, he knew what she meant. “We’re good.” He smiled.

  A message came through from Diego, one of the sentries.

  What is it, Diego? Roman asked.

  I tracked one inside the hospital lobby where Arto is.

  Fuck. The demon was acting more boldly, heading closer to Janie. This wasn’t good. They had to get back there fast.

  It seemed to pace, and return outside, Diego added. I’ve taken up position on a nearby building to watch for it in case it returns.

  I’m headed over there now, Roman said.

  After ending the link, he said to Larissa, “You sure your abilities don’t include teleportation?”

  She pursed her lips and gave him a questioning look. “Pretty sure. Why?”

  “We could use it right now.” He told her about a demon entering the hospital where Janie recovered.

  “Fuck!” She wiggled in his arms, anxious to get going. “We have to get to her!”

  “Stop squirming. It will slow me down.” Not to mention she might slip from his arms.

  No, he’d never let that happen. He’d zoom down and catch her, never letting any harm reach her.

  “Sorry. Just anxious, you know.”

  “We’ll be there soon.”

  Larissa didn’t move a muscle as they soared through the darkening sky. She didn’t say a word, either. It was as if she retreated into herself, speculating—or maybe she was gathering her strength for what may lay ahead.

  He didn’t interrupt, but let her do what she needed.

  Hundreds of lights twinkled down as they entered the Longwood area, with hospitals and academic institutions. He loved flying over cities, the reverse of a night sky with a million stars above. The stars held their mysteries and remained out of touch, but the world below powered by artificial light pulsed with life.

  Once they reached Janie’s hospital, he landed on the rooftop. Diego had taken a position on a nearby building, an inconspicuous statue with a sword slung over his shoulder. He shifted from stone to gargoyle form and flew to the rooftop where Roman stood with Larissa.

  She gaped at Diego, unblinking, and then muttered, “I doubt I’ll ever get used to that.”

  Roman grinned and turned to Diego. “Where did you last detect it?”

  Diego’s expression turned grim. “In front of the main entrance.” He pointed to the sidewalk below where numerous pedestrians passed each other heading into or out of the hospital. It veered back and forth like it was pacing.”

  “Likely trying to figure out the best tactic,” Roman said.

  “For what?” Larissa asked with impatience.

  “That’s what we hope to find out.” He addressed Diego. “You didn’t see it?”

  “No,” Diego said. “And I was here on watch while it happened.”

  “It must be disguised in human form,” Roman said, which made it more difficult to locate. He resisted groaning. “I’m headed inside. Stay on watch out here. Watch on land and in the air. They may fly in and land on the rooftops.”

  Diego put his hands over his heart, acknowledging the order, and then turned and flew back to his position. Roman shifted back to human form before entering the hospital.

  She rubbed her temples. “It’s going for Janie, right?”

  Roman clenched his jaw. “It’s possible. The dark magic is still within her. Maybe she’s targeted for some reason. It might be unfinished business.”

  “She can’t fight off an attack while she’s in that state.” Larissa stared at him with determination. “I have to find a way to break through the magic imprisoning her. Even if it means I face that darkness again.”

  When Larissa entered Janie’s room with Roman, her doubts resurfaced. What happened the last time she’d tried was beyond failure—it was an epic disaster that had hurt those she cared about.

  Arto paced in front of the window like a caged tiger, appearing ready to break through the glass at any moment. He had a sword slung over his shoulder and bag fastened to his back, presumably with other weapons. Seeing an armed gargoyle stand guard in Janie’s room spoke of the seriousness of the situation.

  The pressure was on. Larissa fidgeted as her mind raced over what to do.

  “You can help her,” Roman said.

  She searched his eyes. He believed in her. “I’ll try.”

  Her muscles tensed as she resisted another encounter with the dark magic, but she had to be brave. Larissa had to reach into hell and pull Janie out of its gaping jaws, even if it meant facing that blackness once again.

  She took a deep cleansing breath the way her grandmother had instructed. After several long inhales and exhales, the doubts lifted from her chaotic mind. She grasped the owl pendant, like a security blanket. But, it was more than that; it was the amulet her grandmother had created for Larissa. To protect her. It was a symbol of love.

  Although her grandmother was gone, Larissa felt her presence, somehow. She remembered her grandmother’s instructions.

  Reach deep inside yourself and feel where your essence originates. You will find it in your center.

  Larissa closed her eyes and followed her grandmother’s coaching, searching inside herself to tap into her energy.

  Most people aren’t in tune with their bodies, but you are if you were able to direct the energy.

  A tiny spark of light flickered, and she followed it.

  Once you tap into that lifeline, you can follow your intuition and then project it.

  The light spread within her, infusing her with strength.

  Yes, she could venture without fear into the darkness because she was surrounded by light!

  Harness the energy from that small spark and draw it out and into Janie.

  Larissa let go of th
e pendant and placed her palms over Janie’s torso. Rather than letting them hover the way she did last time, she pressed her hand down upon Janie. The second her fingertips touched Janie, sparks ignited. Not scalding, but generating a pleasant heat, like the warmth of a fire.

  Moments later, the sparks burrowed into Janie. They flared, and Larissa almost lost her balance.

  After steadying herself, she followed the magic. When she’d last tried this, she hadn’t known where to go or what to do. Yet, this time, something within seemed to guide her, as if following instinct.

  A bang jarred her concentration, breaking the connection. She snapped her eyes open and turned to face where the sound originated. A crimson-winged monster with curved horns spread its enormous hand against the hospital window.

  Its eyes glowed with fiery hate. It spread its mouth, revealing vicious fangs, and then roared.

  She gasped, stepping away from the window.

  A demon had come.

  It curled its fingers in a grasp, scraping sharp talons against the glass. Reaching for them. And then it bellowed, “Mine!”

  Chapter 15

  Roman stalked before the incubus. He had to prevent it from reaching Larissa or Janie. This type of demon wouldn’t just destroy them, but do so in the vilest of ways.

  He turned to Arto. “Stay here and protect them. Lock the door, and seal it with magic.”

  “Aye.” Arto pulled out his sword. “You’ll need this.”

  “You can’t stay here without a weapon. It might break the window.”

  “I have others,” Arto replied.

  Roman nodded at his resourceful deputy and took the sword. “Get backup. And more weapons!” He addressed Larissa. “You must keep trying.”

  Her eyes widened. “Where are you going?”

  “To fight the demon.”

  He ran out of the room and slipped up to the roof. He peered over the top of the building. Two more demons had joined the first.

  Fuck! The situation had already escalated.

  Diego and Manny had flown over from their nearby vantage points and were engaged with the demons—and were outnumbered three to two. At least, they were armed with their swords.

  Roman shifted to gargoyle form and leapt off the building to join them. He didn’t bother cloaking himself. It was difficult to use that magic during combat; he had to use all his resources for the fight.

  As he soared down, he considered bringing Arto in to increase their odds.

  No. He had already called other sentries for backup. Arto had to remain where he was to guard Larissa and Janie. Nothing was more important than keeping them safe. Roman wouldn’t let any of the demons reach the women.

  One of the demons spotted him. It pulled away from Manny and narrowed its gaze, its crimson eyes promising destruction.

  Roman’s nostrils flared as he eyed his opponent. Flight had advantages and disadvantages in battle. It was easier to avoid a blow in the air, but it lacked the steady footing of the ground. It wasn’t as if he had a choice in this situation with the demon hovering before him.

  “Come on, you bastard,” Roman taunted while raising the sword. “I’m ready for you.”

  The demon hissed as it advanced. Roman swung, but the demon dropped. He soared down to chase it and attempted to strike again, but the demon was too quick. It managed to slip back out of the strike zone and grab his ankle. It punched Roman in the side, like concrete pounding on stone. The impact shook his ribs, and he cried out.

  He kicked, freeing his leg. “Why have you come to this realm? To feed your insatiable lust for human souls?”

  “That’s all we need humans for.” The demon sneered.

  Movement in the distance caught his attention. The two other demons soared away.

  “Follow them!” he commanded.

  Manny and Diego pursued the demons across the night sky.

  The remaining one circled closer to Roman.

  Fuck. He hated his sentries separating. With the demons flying in different directions, it made it impossible to contain them in one location. The threat would spread.

  Two more here and they flew off, he notified Arto, although he could already see the spectacle through the window. Manny and Diego followed them. Get more sentries here now!

  They’re en route, Arto said.

  Until then, it was Roman against the demon. The only chance he knew of defeating it was by decapitation, yet this bastard was fast and slippery. He had to factor that into his attack. He could increase the odds of victory if he stalled the demon until backup arrived.

  “Why have you come here?” he demanded, hovering before the monstrous creature.

  The demon cocked his head and let out a mirthless laugh. “To finish what we started.”

  Malevolence in its tone sent a cold shiver over Roman’s hide. “And what’s that?”

  The demon sneered. “Her soul is ours. She’s been marked and is only dangling on to her fragile human life by a thread.”

  It was as if every dark thought about the situation was pulled from the recesses of Roman’s mind and unveiled before him in a grotesque tapestry of carnage and mayhem. If the demon accomplished its goal and took what was left of Janie’s soul, her death would tear Larissa apart. She was already vulnerable after losing her grandmother.

  Roman stole a glance at Larissa inside the hospital room. She was bent over Janie. Would Larissa be able to break through that dark spell put in place by the demons?

  Or would they take her soul, as well?

  He had to believe in his mate. And he had to help her.

  As if reading Roman’s fear, the demon threatened, “Your little witch is next.”

  Roman growled as he stared at his enemy. “Why?”

  The demon rolled its crimson eyes. “Gargoyles and their thick stone skulls.”

  Its intention rolled through Roman with the force of a fatal avalanche—the demon wanted her magic.

  “You won’t get anything from her,” Roman promised.

  It grinned with pure malevolence. “After what she did to the others, vengeance is due.”

  Shit, shit, shit. The situation was even more personal with this creature targeting Roman’s mate.

  The demon revealed it hadn’t been at the dome on Saturday night, so it hadn’t regenerated. The more Roman knew about the demons, the better prepared he’d be to fight them.

  “How did you escape?” he seethed.

  “I was out of range, but I saw what you and she did. She’s powerful.” The demon sneered. “She’d already led me to someone else with great magic—yet was frail and easy to subdue.”

  “You killed the old woman.” Fuck, they’d already guessed a demon had killed her grandmother. To hear a demon brag about what it had done stirred Roman’s lust for vengeance.

  The demon put his hand on its chest and gave a mock bow. “That’s what I do. The old witch released her magic before I could take it.” It nodded toward the hospital. “With the power I sense in that room, I know where it ended up. And I will enjoy taking it from your filthy little witch as I take her life force into me—in front of your eyes.”

  Bloodlust rose in Roman in a fiery cauldron that threatened to incinerate him from the inside out. He soared for the demon raising the sword to strike. “You’ll never touch her!”

  Chapter 16

  After Roman had run out of the room to face the demon and Arto had closed the door, Larissa’s heart galloped like being dragged by wild stallions. She might never see Roman again.

  With three demons outside clashing with the gargoyles, it all came down to this. Either she woke Janie, or the demons would get to her and take her soul.

  She could never let that happen.

  Larissa’s hands trembled at her sides. Fear blossomed like a dark dahlia in her grandmother’s garden—a burgundy that was almost black. Every particle in her body resisted venturing back into that dismal place where she’d encountered the demon magic. That bleak, suffocating veil had smothered L
arissa, seizing control of her with its insidious magic. She’d lashed out at Roman—who stood by her even now. He believed in her. He had since that first night. What did he see in her that she couldn’t?

  She couldn’t hurt him again. Someway, somehow, she’d block the dark magic from poisoning her thoughts.

  A smash against the window made Larissa turn. The demon had shoved Roman against it, pressing his back against the glass.

  She gasped. “Roman!”

  A demon’s red eyes glowered at her, pulsing with raw fury. He raised his hand, reaching for her.

  Arto sprang forward, now in gargoyle form, and hollered at the demon. He prowled before it, back in forth, holding his sword aloft.

  A ferocious roar sounded as Roman hurled the demon backwards.

  Focus. Focus!

  The sounds of the battle outside surrounded her, piercing her concentration. Punches and the inevitable cry after fist met flesh. Massive gargoyle and demon bodies slammed against the glass, leaving cracks. She had to block it out. She had to concentrate on helping Janie! She closed her eyes and took a deep inhale, pushing the tightness in her ribs out on the exhale.

  Where was her amulet?

  She placed her hand on the necklace. An immediate sense of relief flowed through her. But, wait, what was that? Heat pulsing from it?

  A current of energy vibrated and then moved into her hand. It traveled up her arm, spreading through her torso. Did she imagine it? Was it some sort of placebo? Or, was there more to this amulet than she knew?

  She cleared her mind and pictured a safe space. Walden Pond formed. How peaceful she’d felt swimming in the water; the first time she’d done so in years.

  When she’d returned to the shore, Roman had been there. He’d come for her. Followed her, technically. It had pissed her off at first, but what did it matter now? They were together again.

  She raised her hand above Janie’s heart. On the next exhale, Larissa projected her energy into Janie. She steeled herself, wary of the demon’s dark magic to push forward this time and overpower her.

  Enigmatic sensations vibrated as her energy flowed from her and into Janie. It lulled her into a trance, like a mother’s lullaby on a tired baby.