Gargoyle: A Reawakening (Briarcliff Series, #2)

by Lorraine Beaumont

  ***

  “Idiots,” Sybarite seethed. She took a deep breath and walked the rest of the way up the stairs behind the cluster of lowlings that had gathered in the doorway, blocking her entrance.

  “Move your asses,” she commanded, hissing at them as she pushed her way past. They made whimpering sounds like dogs and slid off to the side. She gave them another warning glare before she finally walked inside. Again, confusion ensued behind her and she cut them another glaring look.

  The lowlings crowded across the landing outside the door. Their too wide mouths opening and slamming shut. Sticky saliva dripped down darkening the stone underfoot in anticipation of the feast that would soon commence.

  Sybarite lifted a pale hand to her brow, working the crease gathering between her eyes. She looked to her left noticing a bunch of lowly humans gathered … “Damn you,” she swore realizing now what/who they were standing beside. “Centurion?” she groaned as though it pained her. “Who woke you up?” she said with unconcealed irritation, anger flashing in her sea green eyes.

  Simon jerked his head around. Oh, come on. Perfect. “I take it wasn’t you then,” he asked, forcing a smile.

  “No.” Her brow creased. “Why ever would I do something like that?” she asked perplexed, a crease of confusion marring her stone smooth features.

  “You missed me.” Simon shrugged indifferently.

  “Oh, Centurion, are we back to this? You were never one to learn the lessons taught to you.” She shook her head making a “tsk-tsking” sound.

  “Whatever do you mean?” he questioned a little too innocently.

  Sybarite stared down her nose at him. “One would have thought you’d learned something of a lesson the last time we met.” She brought her hands together, steepling her fingers.

  “Why would I do something like that,” he answered flippantly.

  “Yes, why would you?” she asked narrowing her eyes. “Unless…” she paused, scrapping a long fingernail down her sleeve. “ Are you the only one?”

  Simon looked around the vast room. Again, he shrugged. “I am guessing so.”

  Sybarite’s eyes flashed and she cocked her head to the side. “Why do I not believe you?”

  “I guess you have some trust issues.”

  She laughed, it sounded like a cackling witch. “Still have your sense of humor I see. Perhaps you do need to be taught another lesson. Hmmm? My goodness what a pity too,” she breathed. She turned towards the lowlings…. “Come…come,” she said calling them through the door.

  “Wait!” Simon gritted his teeth. “Pray forgive me. I seem to have forgotten my place,” Simon said and bent over, flourishing his arm, raising his head only slightly, like a subject to a royal at court would.

  A glimmer of satisfaction entered her eyes. She lifted her hand stopping the lowlings from coming any further into the room. “What is this?” she said. “Are my ears deceiving me?” She cupped her hand to her ear in an exaggerated gesture.

  “Not at all,” he assured her, letting a flirtatious smile spread across his face. “I see time has been your friend,” he gushed with all the charm he was capable of, even though it left a vile taste on his tongue.

  Sybarite visibly preened, smiling, toying with a long strand of her vibrant red hair. She cackled out another throaty laugh. “My goodness…Centurion, trying to charm me with your wiles?” she asked. “Hmmm,” she said, turning thoughtful. “How interesting and… unexpected,” she said and then snatched a wayward bug from the air. She examined it, with a baffled expression. As though an afterthought she added, “I see no sense in standing on formalities, you may rise.” It was a command but her voice had seemed to soften a bit from his words of praise.

  Standing back up fully, Simon made a point to keep quiet. Maybe luck was with him after all. It looked as though Dythius was tiring of the un-fun toy he had acquired.

  Sybarite watched him intently as she played with her own acquired toy…the bug in her fingers it seemed there was a storm brewing between the two.

  Dythius shook the girl again, making her head snap back and forth. He held her body out, about to drop her to the ground. The blood in his veins began to burn. He grunted appreciatively, inhaling deeply. He closed his eyes momentarily savoring the aroma.

  Shit. Shit. Shit. What was he supposed to do? He watched Sybarite begin to narrow her eyes and instantly knew something had changed. He quickly turned back toward Dythius, realizing too late that he had caught the unique aroma emanating from the girl named Evie.

  “Where is your partner?” she asked absently, pressing a long fingernail down on the thorax of the bug.

  “Ah… my partner?” Simon hedged, attempting to play dumb. He had a feeling she knew exactly what was going on around her even though she seemed disinterested, too intent on examining the bug fluttering helplessly between her fingertips.

  “Who’s the hot babe?” Colton asked walking from out of the library.

  Simon was going to kill him if Sybarite didn’t do it first.

  “Yes,” Sybarite, said and then with lightning speed, she popped the bug into her mouth, her sharp teeth piercing the body, making a loud crunching sound. Yellow juice slipped down over her full red lips. She lifted her finger, wiped the excess juice away, and ran her tongue over the tip of her finger like she was savoring a tasty morsel.

  .

  Colton made a gagging sound, staggering backward. “No way, forget her, I changed my mind.”

  “Shut up!” Simon railed in hushed tones.

  “Who is that behind you? Have they come to bestow praise on me as well?” Sybarite asked her attention now completely focused on the humans.

  Colton pushed past Simon anyway and froze. His eyes widened when he saw the huge guy holding Evie. He was well over six feet tall. His long dark, almost black hair falling forward, over his broad shoulders, the dude was a massive beast. He wondered what he benched to get so big. Colton was no stranger to lifting, so he was in awe of the guy, until he caught sight of his fingers glittering with rings. “Who’s the Pansy?” Colton whispered out of the side of his mouth.

  “You want to get killed?” Simon asked.

  Colton widened his eyes. No! He didn’t want to be killed. Who says that shit? “What the fuck are they… a gang or something?” Reflexively he stepped back when the dude cut his white gaze in his direction. What he saw made his blood run cold. A tremor of fear tore through him …he was about to turn but then he remembered his dad’s warnings:

  “Son, never let your enemy know your fear. Look them dead on and show them that you are not afraid.”

  Colton tried that. He pushed his fear back and stood straight and tall, staring him dead in the eye.

  More warnings bubbled forth:

  “Always make yourself look big,” his dad would say, “but never look them straight in the eye.”

  Quickly he cast his gaze to the floor, the checkered tiles blurring together. The warnings were for techniques his dad used while hunting big game on safari in Africa—were they the same? Oh shit he didn’t know. Obviously, they worked for his dad—he had a room full of trophies at their lake house to attest to that, which included bear, mountain lion, even a jaguar and a secret room full of weaponry. He wasn’t too sure about his dad’s “so called” techniques but he could certainly use some of his weapons right now.

  BAD TASTE IN YOUR MOUTH

  SATURDAY * 11:43 PM

  Barnaby felt like the worst kind of coward but he couldn’t get his feet to move past the threshold of the door leading into the foyer. The terrible sound coming from outside was getting louder making his skin crawl. Up on the second level he caught a movement out of the corner of his eye. Hidden in the shadows just beyond the banister, he could see the guy Evie had been with earlier, watching… his body still as a statue. Something in his brain clicked into place and all the stuff his mom had said about gargoyles… He rubbed his shaking hands over his face. When he lowered them, the strange woman was looking pointedly at
him. In that moment, he knew she was not a normal human being. No, she was something else…something dark and scary.

  “Moriah stop being stupid,” Heather bit out and made a grab for her arm once again.

  “I told you not to touch me,” Moriah warned, shaking her arm loose of Heathers grasp.

  “Fine. Go ahead on out there.” Heather stepped to the side and crossed her arms.

  Moriah raked her hand through her hair. “I don’t want to go out there but what about Evie?”

  “What about her?” She sighed. “Listen I just don’t want you to do something stupid that would result in us all getting eaten by the crazy redheaded bitch and her giant pimp boyfriend, okay. You saw what she did to that poor bug. I mean who does that shit. She has to be out of her freaking mind.”

  “Well someone has to do something?” she argued.

  “Yeah,” Heather pointed to Simons back. “He is doing something. Give him some time…okay,” she pleaded.

  Moriah sighed and jutted out her chin. “Five minutes. I’ll give him five minutes.”

  “Okay. In five minutes I will help you if he doesn’t let her go.” Heather watched Moriah’s face go blank. Obviously, she was in shock. Heather knew the feeling and had to shake her head. What in the hell was she making promises for? She didn’t even like Evie and Moriah…come on, she liked her even less. And yet she knew when the time came she would do her part. Or would she?

  WITCHY WOMAN

  SATURDAY * 11:49 PM

  “Centurion, I asked you a question.” Sybarite ran her tongue across her sharp teeth, toying with a long strand of her hair. Back and forth, she twisted the length around her long finger. “I am waiting.” The yellow slits in place of irises grew in size as she leaned forward to look at him pointedly.

  “My companion?” he asked. “I can’t say.”

  “What do you mean you can’t say?” she asked, jerking her head strangely to the side.

  “When I awoke, he was not there.” He shrugged indifferently. ”I guess he ran off.”

  “Ran off?” she asked. “Why would he do that?” Her expression instantly confused.

  Simon merely shrugged again. Holy Fuck!

  “Words eluding you centurion?” she asked and narrowed her eyes. “What happened to that sharp tongue of yours?” she prodded and then smiled, revealing rows of razor edged teeth.

  “I can’t read his mind,” Simon hedged.

  Sybarite leaned back, as though she was considering his answer. “Right…” she added slowly, sounding distracted. “ I seem to have forgotten. He is the reader. You are the charmer.” Suddenly she laughed as though her words were amusing to her alone. “Come Centurion. Charm me with your wiles if you can,” she wheedled throatily.

  “Watch your tongue, woman,” Dythius warned jerking his head toward Sybarite. “Remember, it is I, who will be between your thighs this eve, not some lowly Centurion.”

  Sybarite smiled wickedly and turned towards the lowlings. “Find me a chair. I tire of standing.”

  The lowlings grunted eagerly, their stout legs and arms moving frantically to do her bidding but they ended up fighting with each other instead. Guttural whining and hissing ensued, as they started an all-out battle with one another. Anguished cries filled the air, along with the gruesome sound of flesh tearing from their bodies.

  The sound of car trunks slamming closed repeatedly is what finally woke Evie. She recoiled from the noise, her body convulsing with fear. It reminded her of the one-time her mom and dad had taken her to Alligator Adventure. It had stunk horribly but that wasn’t what scared her…no it was the sound of the Alligators made when they were being fed. It sounded like hundreds of car trunks were being slammed shut simultaneously. She opened her eyes and instantly wished she hadn’t—ghastly creatures filled the foyer.

  The prizefighter was back thumping wildly against Evie’s ribcage as she stared down at the hideous stout legged creatures having a free for all in the foyer. Hunks of gray flesh were on the ground, dripping and spattering the checkered tiles with inky black ooze. A rancid smell filling the air…she covered her mouth, about to be sick. The smell was the same as the one she smelt last night…Ohmigod! What are they? For some reason her flight mode wasn’t working and neither was her fight mode. She guessed she was too stunned to move or she had turned into a complete idiot. Her gaze drifted to the woman standing in the center of all the chaos. She was utterly beautiful…she thought and then blinked, a surge of terror shot through her. She was not beautiful …she was a monster. Each strand of the woman’s hair lifted away from her head, moving of its own accord. Instantly, she thought of the mythological creature Medusa. Not believing what she was seeing any more than she had a minute ago she shut her eyes and reopened them again. It wasn’t to block out what she was seeing, but rather to elucidate what she was seeing. Each time she blinked, she saw something different. One-moment actual snakes were encircling the woman’s head and then when she blinked again, the woman looked ….beautiful—magnificent, ethereal. Blinking furiously now, the image switched each time from a glorious Goddess and then into a gruesome monster. It reminded her of those freaky anime trading cards…one moment the characters look all hot and innocent and then you flick it another way and the character turns into a scary monster. Fuck this.

  It didn’t matter what otherworldly hokie shit was going on. She needed to move. Slowly, she began backing up the stairs trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.

  ***

  “Dythius do something,” Sybarite complained.

  With a reluctant sigh, Dythius set the girl down… carefully. Standing fully once more, he turned around and gave Sybarite a winning smile, his sharp teeth flashing in the light as he strode past to the front door. Opening his mouth, he released a high-pitched wave of sound that ripped through all the creatures in the vicinity, bringing them effectively to the ground.

  Simon fell forward onto his knees. Holding his hands over his ears, he tried to stem the awful sound but it wasn’t working. It felt like needles stabbing into his brain, piercing.

  The humans were not immune; they too, lifted their hands to their ears, trying to block out the hideous noise.

  In the shadows, Adriane and Alistair tried their best to stem the excruciatingly painful noise. It was worse for them than the humans below. They had better hearing.

  Shakily Adriane lowered one of his hands from his ears, and grabbed hold of Alistair’s arm, concentrating on pushing back, trying to make the noise less toxic for them both. The pressure built behind his eyes, blinding him momentarily as he continued to push.

  Channeling the hideous noise Adriane, redirected it from them and pushed it in another direction. A vase shattered down in the foyer, making another distraction. He used it to leave the confines of the shadows.

  With lightning speed, Alistair grabbed his arm and yanked him back against the wall, using more force than necessary. “Don’t,” he warned.

  “I can’t leave her,” Adriane pleaded. He struggled, trying to break away from his grasp but it was no use. His strength was deteriorating too quickly.

  “You can and will,” Alistair snapped. It’s not only about you, we all hang in the balance, or have you forgotten?”

  “No, I haven’t forgotten.” He understood what Alistair was telling him, but it didn’t make it any easier.

  “Simon will get her.”

  “Then why hasn’t he?”

  Alistair sighed. “Have your eyes weakened as well?”

  “No!” he spat. “My eyes have not weakened.”

  “Good,” Alistair said, and then leaned closer. “Now listen, go back upstairs or wherever you can and hide, for now. Better yet, find the damn book and the rest of the things we need before time runs out. We will take care of this mess like we always do.”

  Undecided, Adriane stood there. He knew he needed to leave but he wanted to get Evie and take her with him. “I can’t.”

  “See.” Alistair pointed. “Look, she is moving
away from them. Now go,” he pressed. It was a command.

  “Just a minute more,” he dodged, watching Evie intently.

  Alistair shoved his hand through his hair. He wished he had time—if he did, he would kill Adriane himself. He counted off the seconds, waiting, as well as hoping, she moved her ass a little faster.

  Somehow, even moving as slow as she was, Evie actually made it to the top of the stairs. Quickly she ducked behind the huge column, peeking down through the open banister catching her breath while trying to figure out which way she should go. There were two choices, well three, but three was not an option. No way in hell would she go back down those stairs. To her right was a long hall with several closed doors, which led…, well she couldn’t see that far, but it may be a dead end. Or she could go up another flight of stairs to the next level and take her chances in either direction. At least that way she would be one floor higher than she was now. Yep. No contest. The higher she went the further she would get from the monster squad. She turned, prepared to climb the stairs…

  Something touched her back and she froze. Hoshit, shit, shit! Not again!

  “Evie, it’s me,” Adriane murmured against her ear.

  Turning around she threw her arms around his body, burying her face against the familiar softness of his shirt, his hardened chest warm underneath. Tears of relief freely ran from her eyes as he hugged her fiercely back. It felt strange to feel such a connection to someone she had only just met and yet she felt like she had known him a lifetime. His arms tightened around her, stroking her back. Reflexively, she wrinkled her nose, he smelled like a distillery. She didn’t bother asking why. It didn’t matter what he smelled like, she was just so glad they were together she had almost forgotten about the gross creatures below…almost. She leaned back. “Wh…”

  Adriane lifted his finger to his lips for her to stay quiet. She didn’t argue she was just so happy to see him.

  “Move,” a harsh voice cut like a knife from behind. That one word had so much venom attached… it made her shiver. She turned around. Her breath caught. A tall dark haired boy was standing in the shadows, his penetrating gaze unsettling. He lifted his brow at her like he was daring her to do something. She recoiled from the look.