by Ryals, R. K.
"Fiona, Deidra, the Garner twins, Bruno, Gray, and . . . Lyre."
Emma and I both look at Will.
"What?" I ask.
Will shrugs. Emma pulls at the drex's head, leading him over to Will and I. Will backs up, but he doesn't seem afraid.
"Lyre's scared she'll be exterminated if she stays. She's strong. She could be an asset," Emma says softly.
Emma is definitely more open-minded than I am.
"We also have another gargoyle," Will says suddenly, his gaze on the group below.
My eyes follow his, and I take a deep breath.
"Grace," I say quietly.
Will nods. The drex shakes its head, and Emma looks at me.
"I think we need to hurry."
I don't argue. We move as a group down the hill, meeting up with the other hybrids and gargoyles at its base. Emma is looking up at the moon.
"You okay?" I whisper. "No going psycho on me tonight, sweetheart. I don't think I can get us away from Satan's army, and a posse of gargoyles."
Emma's gaze finds mine.
"I think Enepsigos has us covered on the Demon front."
My eyes narrow, but I don't question her. Even after the bathroom incident, I've been aware that Enepsigos has been communicating with her daughter. Emma hasn't said anything, but I've noticed the glassy stare, the startled jumps. I'm more in tune with Emma than I should be. It's a little startling.
Her hand finds mine, and she squeezes it briefly before letting go. I look at the rest of the group.
"You realize that we may be followed? That there will be Extermination notices written for each of us?"
Everyone nods, and my eyes find Grace Withers. I am impressed by her presence until I see the way she watches Fiona. She's become attached to her mark the same way I have mine. Maybe not romantically, but she definitely sees Fiona as a friend. And yet, she still looks conflicted. I know the feeling well. Grace and I have been Guardians for a little over a year now. It's hard to break the rules when we've finally gotten used to following them.
"Let's go then. I suggest we go Southeast toward Monaco, cross over the Tyrrhenian Sea, and then move into Tivoli."
"And if we're attacked," Grace asks.
She and I are used to making quick decisions. I look at her.
"Head for the hill towns near Rome, and ask about the residence of a man named Alessandro Mancini."
Grace's eyes go wide.
"The S.O.S? Are you sure, Reinhardt?"
I glance at Emma. She nods.
"I'm sure," I say before pointing at the sky. "Anyone who doesn't have the ability to fly?"
Only Deidra lifts her hand.
"I want to stay with Emma," Deidra whispers, her body moving conspicuously away from Lyre who is sulking near the edge of the lake. It doesn't take a genius to figure out Deidra has been attacked by Lyre before and viciously enough to leave an impression.
"Emma doesn't fly, Deidra," I say gently.
Lyre laughs."Figures."
"I'll take Emma," Bruno volunteers.
I give him a look that can melt glaciers.
"I can fly on my own," Emma says quietly, and I look at her in surprise.
She gestures at the drex, and I immediately shake my head.
"Hell, no!"
Even I know drex's are clumsy. He can fly. There's no doubt. All Demons can, but there's no way in hell I'm letting her get on that thing.
Emma gives me an arch look before doing exactly what I don't want her to do. She climbs onto the drex's neck, moving backward just enough Deidra can climb in front of her.
"We don't have time for this," Emma says reasonably.
"She's right," Will adds."We've got to go now."
The group spreads out. Will, Marion, and Grace all sprout bat-like wings, lifting slightly in the air as Fiona, Gwenyth, Hesther, Gray, and Lyre all rise effortlessly from the ground. The hybrids don't need wings to fly. Bruno lifts a hand, and he is suddenly lifted off the ground by a whirlwind of wind and dust. Show off.
"Get off that thing," I tell Emma. "You're being foolish."
She arches a brow.
"Am I?"
She places a hand on the drex's head, and he suddenly lifts off the ground, his head hanging as wings I never noticed unfurl from his back. His draconic tail weaves behind him, and I am struck by his similarity to the dragon myth. His large, ugly dinosaur head and small arms are the only thing keeping him from being even slightly pretty. He really is ugly.
"I swear to God . . . Emma . . ."
"We have to go now, Con," Will says from the air.
I sigh, my heart in my throat as I concentrate on my own wings. The air lifts me, and I hover near Emma.
"No fancy flying," I command.
She smiles.
"I wouldn't even know how."
Thank God that happens to be the truth.
Chapter 34
Emma
I am inside Ace's head, and he is inside mine. I still haven't learned how to communicate with him in any way other than through emotions. I'm not even sure drexes know how to communicate, but he isn't a bad sort despite popular opinion. He's a sloppy flyer, and he dips when the rest of the group lifts and lifts when the rest of the group dips.
"Just keep him in the air, and I'll be happy," Conor mumbles from next to us.
Deidra giggles, but I throw Conor a murderous glare.
"He's funny," Deidra says helplessly when I pinch her in the back.
"No, that's your crush on him blinding you."
Deidra grins.
"Nah uh. I have a new crush. They have the same last name though."
I cough.
"Will?" I ask incredulously.
Deidra nods.
"You should see that boy in action. He got us out of the school after knocking two gargoyles out with a single punch."
I'm officially stunned.
"Wow."
"Yeah," Deidra says dreamily.
"You do realize," I say slowly, "that Will is three years older than you."
Deidra shrugs.
"And? I'll grow."
I laugh. It's practically impossible not to smile when Deidra is near.
"Con," Will says suddenly from beside us, and I hear Deidra gasp, but I'm pretty sure he hasn't overheard our conversation. He looks too distracted.
Conor flies in closer.
"We're being followed," Will says softly as he peers over his shoulder.
Conor looks behind us.
"Are you sure?" Conor asks. He looks at me. "Emma?"
I know what he's asking, and I pat Ace on the head, using emotion to let him know he's to follow Conor and the group, and then I pull out of Ace's mind. The emotions behind us hit me full on—determination, fear, anger, and death. I gasp, swallowing hard as I attempt to count.
"There's . . . twenty of them I think," I say hoarsely.
Fear envelops me, and I feel Deidra's small fingers digging into my pants. Her teeth are clenched. Deidra is more than afraid. She's terrified.
Will looks at Conor over Ace's head. Conor nods, and Will breaks away.
"What are you going to do?" I ask.
Conor looks me in the eye.
"Fight."
I stare at him.
"What?"
Conor points at the group.
"Follow Grace. Will and I will head our followers off."
I shake my head even as Conor begins to move away.
"You can't fight your own kind, and you're outnumbered."
Will flies in next to Conor, his brow lifted.
"That's our kind of odds. You should see us at a Reinhardt family reunion," Will jokes.
Conor laughs, but I feel the tenseness in them both. They are afraid, but they hide it well.
"Go," Conor says, and I know I don't have a choice. If it was just me, I'd stay and fight with them no matter how untrained I am but Deidra depends on me.
I pat Ace on the head again, my thoughts frenzied, and he knows he's supp
osed to fly faster. Grace is waiting on us, and when she sees us draw near, the group moves on. My heart is thumping hard, and I feel my face heat.
"Please let them be okay," I whisper.
Deidra's hand finds mine on the drex's head.
"They will be fine, Emma. They're Reinhardts."
I look down at her and see the confidence in her gaze.
"And that's enough, huh?"
She smiles.
"You don't know much about the Reinhardts do you?" she asks.
I shake my head. The only thing I know about Conor's family is that they have bred some pretty great guys. Conor is kind, a smartass at times, chivalrous, loyal, stubborn, protective, and strong. He's also a great kisser, but I'm not admitting that to anyone. He has his issues, but he wouldn't be human if he didn't. Issues I can get past.
"They're like super heroes," Deidra gushes. "Their history is full of overcoming tremendous odds. Conor's father went down battling fifty Demons, and he was winning until he was injured."
I look back into the brightening sky behind us. Dawn is here.
"That sounds a little extreme," I say skeptically. Battles are often exaggerated depending on the person telling the story. Deidra shrugs.
"Well, I'm not sure it was fifty, but he fought a lot of Demons and almost won. And he was alone. Will and Conor are together."
Now that I agree with. I'd give Deidra that much. My stomach hurts, and I know it's because I'm worried about Conor, but worse yet, I feel sick knowing he will be fighting his own people. He will be facing people who raised him, trained him. For me. For us.
As the sky brightens, I see land in the distance. We are over water, and I know we've already made it over the Tyrrhenian Sea. Gargoyles and Demons travel quickly. I am astounded by their speed. It makes me wonder how fast I could be if I tried. Even the drex, who lags behind the rest of the group, is quicker than any creature I've ever met.
"Italy," Deidra breathes, and I wrap my arm around her waist as the drex dips toward the sea. He drops his head and fills his mouth with water before lifting again to join the group.
"That was salt water," I say distractedly.
"It won't hurt him," Deidra assures as she rubs the back of Ace's head. She is fascinated by the beast. "Certain types of Demons crave salt."
I look down at Deidra's head.
"Does that include imps?" I ask with a small smile.
I remember the big bag of salt and vinegar potato chips she practically inhaled in my room back at the Acropolis. Deidra nods.
"Good stuff, salt," she says wryly as the land below us blurs with the speed.
The group slows, and I notice we are hovering over a green field. Grace flies into the middle of the group.
"We'll land here," she says. She looks at each of us in turn. "I don't know the exact location of S.O.S. headquarters, and I'll need to find someone who can tell me."
"And why should we go there?" Lyre suddenly asks. She moves through the group, her face angry. "It's another religious group, right? Won't we end up in the same situation we were in before? Whose idea was this anyway? Conor Reinhardt?"
Upon saying his name, she spits at the ground, and I know the history there is strong. I don't feel love coming from her though. I feel defeat, and I wonder if she's angry because she wasn't able to ensnare Conor the same way she has other men. I can feel her mother in her. Lyre is powerful. I shared her magic briefly at the Acropolis, and I know she uses it to seduce and control people, especially males.
I concentrate on Ace, and he lowers as the group around us moves to the ground. I climb off the drex and move toward Lyre with Deidra at my back.
"This was not Conor's idea. It was mine."
Lyre snorts.
"And that's any better?" she asks. "Why run to the S.O.S.? Do you hate yourself that much?"
I stare at her.
"I don't hate what I am. I don't even know enough about what I am to embrace it fully. I'm seeking Alessandro because I was told to."
Lyre steps forward, closing the distance between us.
"By who?"
"By Enepsigos," I answer.
The group murmurs.
"Impossible," Grace mumbles, and I look at the faces surrounding me. There is disbelief written on their features.
"We don't talk to our Demonic parents, Chase," Fiona points out as Gray crosses his arms.
"Crazy as it sounds, I'm sort of inclined to agree with Emma," he says. "How else would she know about the S.O.S. and Alessandro?"
"Because of Conor?" Lyre says angrily. "Seriously? Are you all that blind? Do you question nothing?"
Bruno walks behind Lyre, his dark eyes going obsidian.
"And what about you, Lyre? You came too."
"To escape!"
I move so close to her now, my shoes brush the front of her footwear.
"To escape where?" I ask. "Believe me or not, Alessandro is the answer to our problem."
Lyre laughs, the sound harsh.
"He's also a friend of Gibson's. He works with the gargoyles, you dimwit."
I don't appreciate the name calling, but I don't back down.
"He's the key," I say slowly, meticulously, mechanically.
Suddenly, I feel funny. It's my mouth moving, but it isn't my words. It isn't even my voice coming out of my mouth now. Lyre's eyes widen, and she backs away from me. Bruno reaches over Lyre and touches my shoulder, but I don't move.
"Enepsigos," he whispers.
"Alessandro has ties to the hybrids. No matter his position, he will not harm you. You will find sanctuary there," Enepsigos answers.
Once again, my mouth is moving but it's not my voice. It's strange being inside my own body with no control over it. Grace steps in front of me, and I know she sees the fear in my eyes, but she ignores it.
"Enepsigos, can you tell us how to get to S.O.S. headquarters?"
A laugh escapes my mouth.
"You are a smart one, gargoyle. I'm pleased you have joined my daughter. The hybrids will play a big role in history. They will change the tides of war. I have faith in you all."
Grace's jaw tightens.
"S.O.S. headquarters?" she asks again.
I feel the anger before I know it's coming, and I brace myself.
"Do you rush me, Grace Withers?" Enepsigos roars.
Grace backs away, her hands held up.
"I don't," she says quietly.
Calm settles over me, and I know my Demon mother is beginning to depart.
"S.O.S. headquarters is hidden in the hills outside Tivoli. Follow the drex. I've made sure he knows the way."
And with that, I fall to the ground, gasping and weak.
"Geez!" Deidra cries out as she sprawls on her knees next to me, her hand on my back.
Marion kneels on the other side of me.
"Are you okay? Emma?"
I look up, my eyes wide.
"She's gone," I whisper.
Marion nods.
"It seems so."
Gray laughs.
"And that, Lyre, is why I'm inclined to follow Emma. Any more questions?"
Lyre's face is red, and she backs away. I feel the fear in her. I am as afraid as she is. It's isn't comforting knowing my real mother can pop into my body whenever she wants. That's more than just an invasion of privacy. It completely trespasses the boundaries of personal space.
"Do you need some help," Bruno asks, his hand suddenly in front of my face.
I look up at him. I'm not fond of touching Bruno. The last time I did, he seemed to get off on the power he felt from my mother, but I take his hand anyway, and he pulls me up.
"That was impressive," Bruno whispers before letting me go. Fiona rolls her eyes from behind him. I want to smile, but I'm too weak.
"Let's go," Grace orders. She looks at me. "Emma, I guess you're leading us this time."
I nod and swallow hard before climbing onto Ace's back. He is quiet, his head down, and I feel my mother's power within him. He is subdue
d. I pat his head as Deidra settles in front of me.
"Let's go, Ace," I whisper, and we are airborne.
Chapter 35
Conor
"Do you really want to fight them?" I ask Will quietly.
He looks at me from the corner of his eye as we fly.
"If they don't give us a choice, yes."
It's easy for him to say this, and I envy him that.
"We're gargoyles, Will. Do you realize we're turning our backs on everything we've ever known, everything we are?"
Will is quiet a moment.
"And you really believe that?" Will asks.
I don't answer.
"We're still gargoyles, Con. We just refuse to murder hybrids because of their parentage. If they don't see that, then it's a good thing we're leaving them."
"Maybe you're right," I murmur.
Will flies into a copse of trees and motions me into them. I follow. There is a group of gargoyles behind us, their wings darkening the sky, but it's impossible to see who they are.
"How much money you wanna bet Roach is among them?" I ask as Will leans forward.
"I'm not making that bet. You're guaranteed to win. Look."
He's pointing now, and I see another smaller group of gargoyles slinking along the tree line. They are shifters, and the serpentine head is most definitely Roach.
"If it comes down to it, he's mine. Got that?" I tell Will as my eyes narrow.
Will pats me on the back.
"I wouldn't want that fight anyway. We've got to narrow down our field of combatants."
We glance around the area. There aren't a lot of options when fighting one of our own. With the exception of the shifters, most of us share the same powers. Shifters have invisibility but only with humans. They can't use this power on anything supernatural. But they are fast.
"Water won't work here," I mumble.
"Or stone," Will adds.
Or maybe it would! Will and I both pause, our eyes meeting.
"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I ask.
Will nods.
"I'm pretty sure I am."
The gargoyles coming our way are not part of the Council. I recognize none of them other than Roach, and while this can hurt us, it is also a relief. It means they are not as powerful as the Council members who sent them. Some of them may not even be Guardians. Even better.
