Not Her Gargoyle

by Annie Nicholas

The witch’s glare turned icy. “That charm is worth ten thousand dollars and you want to make a trade?”

  “We’ll give you back the charm and work off the time we had it,” Ruby offered.

  He ground his teeth. Nick didn’t want to give back the charm. It gave him the freedom to act human when he wanted.

  Nikita’s icy demeanor melted a little. “You would be content with him as a gargoyle?”

  “Of course,” said Ruby.

  “Ruby never asked me to change. I told you the truth when we met. Getting a job is easier if I appear human.”

  The witch curled her fingers for them to follow her. She strode to the picnic table away from the crowd. They sat facing each other, waiting for people to disperse. Finally, when they had some privacy, she leaned forward and pressed the palm of her hand over the charm. She spoke quickly and a shiver ran over his flesh.

  He stumbled to his feet as icy fingers tunneled through his flesh. Pain seared him in place and he gasped for air. Then it faded. “What did you do?” His voice was a harsh whisper.

  “Consider it insurance since you’re not trustworthy.” She folded her hands on the tabletop and waited until he sat.

  Ruby rested her hand on his thigh.

  “A trade then,” said Nikita. “I will give you three days to accomplish my task. In the meantime, you will remain trapped in this form.”

  Nick hit the tabletop and opened his mouth, but Nikita stopped his words with one look. He didn’t want to spend eternity as a frog. “What happens if I don’t accomplish it in time?”

  “On the third day, my magic will fade and you will be trapped in this form forever. If you don’t want to remain human for the rest of your life, you will deliver what I want.”

  He swallowed with a throat gone dry as the horror seeped in. “A quest?” Nick tried to grin, but he could barely make his lips twitch.

  “Don’t be so dramatic. I’m no wizard and you’re no prince.” She quirked her lips in a self-satisfied look. “Think of it as a contract.”

  He doubted she wanted him to mow her lawn or paint her house. “I prefer a quest, like in the old days with knights and horses.” No, knowing witches, she wanted him to slay a dragon. He had to make light of this so Ruby wouldn’t jump the table and strangle the only person who could lift the spell she’d placed him under.

  Nikita sighed. “Fine, except you’re gargoyle.”

  “Not anymore. Unless you want to remove your spell.” He winked.

  She didn’t appear amused.

  Ruby’s hold on his thigh tightened. “Stop goofing off.”

  He cleared his throat, reassessing his tactics. Teasing a witch as powerful as Nikita was like playing with dynamite at a barbeque. He had to tone down his humor before she changed her mind. With a heavy heart, he asked, “What do I have to steal?”

  “What makes you think I want you to steal something?”

  “Because I’m a gargoyle and that’s what we do best.” Or that’s what most people assumed. It wasn’t easy making an honest living as a monster. He’d proved that.

  Nikita made a ladylike grunt. “I do want you to steal something and it won’t be easy.”

  “But the job is worth ten thousand dollars,” Ruby muttered. “What is it that you want us to steal?”

  His heart skipped a beat when she included herself, but he wouldn’t let Ruby take any risks. He couldn’t bear losing her. Not when this was all his fault. Like she’d said, she hadn’t asked him to change.

  “A grimoire,” the witch responded.

  Nick rubbed the nape of his neck, knowing deep down he would regret this. “What exactly is a grimoire?”

  “A book of magic spells,” Ruby clarified.

  Dread weighed heavy on his shoulders. “I assume it’s not at the public library.” Heavy sarcasm coated his tongue. “What’s the catch?”

  “It’s guarded by a werewolf pack.” Nikita smirked.

  He groaned. Nick wouldn’t call Ken a friend, but the werewolf had been nice to him when he hadn’t needed to be. Not to mention, Nick already had a dragon on his ass. He didn’t want to add the wolf pack. “I really don’t want to piss off any shifters when I want to live in their city. I might as well tie myself to a spit and invite them over for dinner.”

  “That’s what’s so good about this deal.” Nikita sounded pleased. It only increased his dread. “The grimoire is in Riverbend. A city south of here.”

  “I’m aware of where Riverbend is.” How could he forget? He’d stolen a sandwich from the pack’s shop and almost died for it. They were very good hunters. The best he’d seen in the many cities he’d traveled and the multitude of shifters he’d pissed off. They worked together like a well-trained platoon. Scary.

  “The pack there has no ties to New Port so there shouldn’t be any backlash and the Riverbend pack is much smaller. It really shouldn’t be that difficult.” She held out her hand. “Deal?”

  Ruby’s face flushed and she drew closer to Nikita. “If it’s so easy, why don’t you steal it?” Rough tone.

  “Why should I when I have you?”

  Nick set his hand on Ruby’s back. A book of magic spells in exchange for a charm that would give him his heart’s desire. A means to remain with Ruby. He had certain rules about theft though. He did not steal from the poor or the hungry and he only took what was necessary. Did stealing this grimoire fit within those parameters? He didn’t see how taking it from the wolf pack would harm them.

  The witch drew closer as if sensing his doubt. “Three days. After that you’re human forever. I won’t undo my punishment. Let me know if you accept and I’ll give you what details I have.” She rose. “You know where I work.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Nick trailed behind her as Ruby guided him back home by the hand. She glanced over her shoulder for the hundredth time. He was still lost in thought, hopefully trying to figure a way out of this mess. She’d never seen him so serious. She hadn’t known he could be. He had helped her so much since moving in. She wanted to return the favor.

  They climbed the stairs to their apartment. That stupid theft of the charm had bitten them in the ass. What were the chances that they would run into the witch? Her shop was on the other side of town. Why had she been slumming it? “Nikita recognized you as human.”

  “I tried on the charm in her shop to see if it worked.” He stared toward the sky. “Look, there’s Eoin.” He pointed at the black dragon flying over their building. “Maybe I should wave him down and he can finish me off for Nikita.”

  Ruby spun around and poked him in the hard abs. “Stop it.” She pressed her lips together. “He won’t recognize you anyway. Unless you showed him your human form too.”

  Arms crossed, he glared down at her. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “That we were stupid to think we’d get away with this.”

  “She only saw me once.” He held up a finger just in case she didn’t understand what once meant. “I didn’t think she’d remember what I looked like. I know I didn’t.”

  Ruby smacked her forehead. “Have you looked in the mirror while wearing the charm?” The man was a walking billboard of sex appeal. Any woman, human or not, would remember him. For all his roguish flirting, Nick really was a humble guy.

  “She recognized you as well.” From his tone, she could tell Nick knew he was grasping at straws.

  Hands on hips, she tapped her foot. “She wouldn’t have given me a second thought. I am only a potential customer. It’s when she spotted your human form that she added two and two together and realized we had stolen the charm from her shop.” She strode to the fridge and found it empty. Not even a beer. “I need a fucking drink.”

  Nick opened his torn shirt and pulled the charm over his head. It dangled from his fingers and nothing changed. He gave her a sheepish grin. “I had to try.”

  Ruby leaned against the counter. She would have done the same. “There’s no way we can rob a wolf pack den. We’re human. They’re fas
ter, stronger, and can smell us coming a mile away.”

  “Not to mention, I’m probably on their most wanted list.”

  She massaged the bridge of her nose. “Do I want to know about this?” No, she didn’t.

  He shook his head. “Let me think. My three brothers should still be in the city. They wouldn’t have left without telling me first. We can recruit their help.”

  Her headache was growing worse. “Is being human that bad that you would risk your life and your brothers?” They weren’t discussing shoplifting. Wolf shifters had a reputation. She only knew two and they had told her stories that curled her toes. They had locked their children in cages when they were first learning to shift. They would have killed Betty if she hadn’t learned to change shape before mating Ken. Kill her. As in dead. The alpha of Riverbend had fought Ken for Betty as if she were an object. Ruby hated to think what they would do to her and Nick if they were caught in the act of stealing their magical book.

  Then she noticed Nick standing still in the living room. “Ruby…that means I can never fly again.”

  He said it as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

  She threw her hands in the air, her head pounding and her chest wanting to cave-in. “Most people don’t have wings. We’re grounded yet we survive. So you can’t flit around the world like you used to, carefree and no responsibilities. If you remain human, you’ll be alive.” Her voice cracked on that last word, and she realized how close she was to crying. She turned away and took a deep breath.

  “I thought you said my being a gargoyle didn’t bother you.”

  Ruby closed her eyes and waited for the shaking in her chest to stop. “Of course, it doesn’t.” She twisted to face him. “How many times—”

  He was gone. She rushed to the open window that led to the fire escape and leaned out.

  Nick was already on the ground and storming away.

  “Nick.”

  Nick didn’t know where he was headed until he heard the waves crashing against the cliff. The dark lighthouse was a small silhouette in the moonlight. His legs ached from walking. It had taken all evening to reach the shore, something that would have taken him only minutes by wing.

  Ruby didn’t understand the sacrifice she was asking of him. If he did as she asked, he wouldn’t be human like she wanted. Nick would be a gargoyle trapped in a human’s body. His choices stripped from him. His wings gone. His instincts still intact but no way to follow them.

  It was better that he left her out of this. This way he could keep her out of harm’s way because he knew, even if she didn’t agree with him, she would still insist on helping. The odds of succeeding were poor.

  Taking a shortcut, he climbed a fence so he could cross the lighthouse grounds instead of going all the way around to the front entrance. The top of the fence was decorated with spikes. He’d never climbed one before, nor considered how difficult the task was, since he could have done this with one flap of his wings. One of the points caught on the belt loop of his pants as he swung over the top. He jerked to a stop on his way down and hung there with the world’s worst wedgie. Struggling only made it worse. The material refused to tear and his balls protested with every move. He was going to die from testicle strangulation.

  He heard the flap of wings just before his brother Neil landed on the top of the fence, feet balanced between the spikes. “Hey, buddy, you look like you’re having trouble.” He crouched and watched him struggle.

  “Well, don’t just sit there. Help me.” Nick groaned.

  Neil quirked his head. “Have we met? I don’t have many human friends so I think I would recall.”

  He growled. “You don’t have any human friends. It’s me, Nick. You saw me change when I put on the charm the last time I was here.”

  Neil fluttered his wings as he straightened. “Nick? I was too busy not looking at you since you were naked. Thank you for traumatizing me, further by the way.” He jumped to the ground and peered at his face. “Wow, that charm works well.” He grabbed Nick by the waistband and tugged.

  “Wait—wait.” Nick’s head spun at the sharp pain in his groin. “Thanks.” He croaked and tapped Neil’s cheek. His legs felt watery and his brother supported him with his shoulder.

  “No problem. Why didn’t you just use your gargoyle form and fly?” Neil asked.

  “I can’t. The fucking witch cursed me and I’m stuck as a human. I’m here to ask for your help.”

  “You want to walk the rest the way to the lighthouse or do you want me to carry you like a baby?”

  Nick bit back sharp words. After Neil had asked him like that… “I’ll walk.” Every muscle and joint in the lower half of his body ached. They were unaccustomed to this type of exercise. It only solidified his resolve to get his wings back.

  At the base of the lighthouse, he discovered Armand waiting for him at the door. “Well, well. I didn’t want to believe it until I saw with my own eyes. So, this is what a grounded gargoyle looks like.”

  “Can it. Are you going to let me in?”

  The vampire leaned in uncomfortably close and sniffed. “You even smell human. I wonder if you taste like one.”

  Nick met his gaze and stepped closer. “You’re not my type.” He pushed past the asshole. “I’m not on the menu.”

  Pausing in the living room, he blinked. The place was warm and cozy. Leather couches were set on a thick rug and shelves of books covered the rounded walls. There was even a fire in the fireplace. Then he spotted the spiral staircase leading to the roof. He slowly climbed them, having to stop twice because of leg cramps.

  Armand followed. “Stairs suck, don’t they.”

  So, did he but Nick kept that to himself. He might need the vampire’s help with the werewolves as well. “I walked all the way here from the Cathedral Park neighborhood.”

  “Why didn’t you call a cab or take the bus?”

  If glares could kill, the vampire would be toast.

  Nick continued his climb to the top of the lighthouse where his brothers had made their home. Once again, he paused as he crested the rooftop. Someone had removed the old lamp that had once guided the ships into port and three cots lined the walls. Armand had even provided them with a space heater and a television. “Looks like you’re growing roots.”

  Norm stood in the center of the room arms crossed. “What is this I hear about your being cursed by a witch?”

  Neil, the squealer, waved at him from behind their older brother. “It wasn’t a secret, was it?”

  Nick sighed, sensing that Norm was not going to make this easy. He took a seat next to Nate on the closest cot while Armand joined Norm in glaring. He explained what happened with the witch, watching Norm’s expression grow darker and darker.

  “What kind of grimoire does the wolf pack have?” asked Armand.

  Nick shrugged. “The magical kind.” How was he supposed to know? Even if the witch had offered to explain, he wouldn’t have understood.

  The vampire’s frown deepened. “My point is why would a wolf pack have a spell book? They tend not to trust magic.”

  “Maybe this pack is different.” Nate leaned forward, elbows on knees. “Just because most of them don’t like magic doesn’t mean one of them won’t try it.”

  “My concern,” continued Armand, “is we should gather more information before handing a grimoire to this witch. We don’t know what type of havoc she might wreak on the city. It’s the responsible thing to do.”

  Nick glanced at each of his brothers. “Have you been behaving while I was gone?” Because the last thing they were was responsible.

  Norm gave Armand the side eye. “Family first.”

  Neil threw his arms up in the air. “Not this debate again. If I have to hear one more speech about responsibility versus family duties, I’m going to give Nick my wings and jump off this tower.”

  “I might join him,” muttered Nate.

  “I have to agree with Norm. Family first,” Nick said. He needed his
brothers’ help.

  “Of course, you do.” Armand’s lips thinned. “It’s in your favor.”

  Nick winked at the vampire. “What do you expect?”

  Nate rose to his feet and stretched his wings. “Let me know when this is over.” He crossed the room as if to join Neil outside.

  “Wait.” On aching legs, Nick stood and faced off with Norm and Armand. “I need your help and I’m on a timeline. In three days, I’ll be human permanently if I don’t acquire this grimoire. Once she changes me back, you can do whatever you need to satisfy your sense of honor. I might even help.” For all they knew, this book was filled with healing or beauty spells. He was of the mindset that if you expected bad things to happen then they would.

  Norm rested his huge hand on Nick’s shoulder. “You can count me in.”

  Nick had never been on this end of facing one of his kind as a human. Gargoyles were truly much larger and somewhat intimidating. No wonder humans gave them a wide berth.

  “About time we do something fun,” Nate added.

  “Neil?” Nick shouted to his brother outside.

  Their youngest brother gave him a thumbs-up through the window.

  “This is absurd.” Armand gestured like an old Italian woman. “Have you ever robbed a wolf pack?” He held up a finger. “Successfully.”

  Ah, so he was getting to know his brothers.

  They glanced at each other and shook their heads. It’s not like that would stop them though.

  It must have shown on their faces because the vampire massaged the bridge of his nose. “They’ll be feasting on gargoyle for the next six months.” He paused as he glanced in Nick’s direction. “And a human.”

  “I didn’t say it was going to be easy.” Nick scratched his head. “Why do you care?”

  “He used to be some fancy pants general.” Norm gave Nick a quick wicked grin over the vampire’s head.

  “I never wore fancy pants. It’s easier to wash blood off leather. And as for your answer, Nick, I like solving puzzles and problems. It made me an excellent general.”

  “All I can offer is that the wolf pack doesn’t like gargoyles after I stole a sandwich from their shop.”