“It will help them heal quicker.”
His eyes widened. “Your hair?”
“Aye. My hair. Or mane. It has restorative powers.”
Calum winced as the fine strands touched his wounds. His eyes widened as she brushed her hair over his marred flesh. No pain accompanied her touch. The wounds repaired themselves in the instant her silky hair brushed across his skin.
He’d seen similar magic in witches, but never so quickly. Shifters could heal rapidly, but this was simply amazing. Bit by bit, his flesh was restored to its unmarred state. The sting of the burns and the pain from the wounds vanished.
“You healed them all.” He touched his skin.
“Only right. You helped me, so of course I’m going to return the favor.”
He turned his eyes to the night sky, seeking clues among the spattering of stars. “Do you know where the dragon went?”
“No. It likely traveled to a safer location, without a gargoyle to contend with.”
“Why was it chasing you?”
She sighed. “It must have wanted my blood.”
He squinted at her. “That sounds more like a vampire than a dragon.”
“The blood of a pegasus is irresistible to those who seek greater power.”
“You shouldn’t tell me that. You don’t know if I may be power hungry.”
She tilted her head, appearing unfazed. “We know the way of the gargoyle. You’re protectors. Even of humans—who might try to destroy you, should your secret be discovered.”
Calum blew out a harsh breath. That was the unfortunate truth. “Aye. They have been known to react with violence when they don’t understand something foreign to them.”
“Besides, you saved my life.” Her eyes twinkled with an appreciative glint.
Under the moonlight, the color of her irises appeared to be a unique shade, a dark violet. Eyes he could get lost in…
He hooked his thumbs onto the top of his kilt and stood straighter. “I still can’t believe I’m talking to a pegasus shifter.”
“We’ve had to hide for centuries.” She frowned. “Too many creatures seek to steal our magic.”
Calum squeezed one hand into a fist. A sudden urge to strike any creature that threatened to touch her swelled within him. He took a deep breath and counted until the rage subsided.
“Can I help get you back home?”
“I don’t live here.” She gestured to the meadow around them. “In this realm.”
His mind scrambled with yet another revelation. What the bloody hell was she talking about? A different realm? “Where do you live?”
“It’s called Lyrandale.”
“How did you get here?”
“The dragon. It chased me, and I flew away to escape it. I don’t know what happened—I was afraid for my life. Somehow, we slipped through. It was a tunnel of energy and light. And then it continued to chase me here.”
“So, you need to get back to your realm?” A twinge of discomfort ruffled at the back of his neck. He’d only just met her and didn’t want her leaving yet. Not when he hadn’t had a chance to get to know her.
“Aye.” She searched the skies. “My mother will be so worried—I need to get back to her.” She rubbed her brow. “It must have been some sort of portal we passed through. But I don’t know how to find it.”
That posed a problem. If she didn’t know, he sure as hell didn’t. But he wouldn’t let her down, not when she’d looked at him with such admiration.
“We need to find the portal,” Calum said. “Can you mask yourself?”
“You mean make myself invisible?”
“Aye.”
She nodded. “It won’t work on every being.”
“Ah, same for gargoyles. It only works on humans.”
She tilted her head. “Do you need to shift?”
“No. I fly in my human form most often. I reserve the gargoyle one you saw me in, for altercations—which as of late, have been more frequent than I’d like.”
“That doesn’t sound good. Like what?”
“Most recently with demons.”
She stepped back as her eyes widened. “Demons?”
“They’re gone,” he said in a gentle tone. “Destroyed.” He hadn’t meant to frighten her.
A hopeful glint replaced the terrified one. “You destroyed demons?”
“Not on my own. We had several gargoyles in battle.”
She exhaled, with her hunched shoulders dropping. “I’m lucky you found me. Not only did you take on that dragon, you’ve destroyed demons.”
He pushed his shoulders back, thrusting out his chest. “What should we look for?”
She raised a hand and dropped it. “I wish I knew. I didn’t see anything to indicate a portal, and didn’t know I was entering one until I was in it.”
“But there must be something. We don’t all slip through portals on a daily basis.”
“Aye. Or maybe someone opened it. Temporarily.”
That would mean she was stuck here in this realm. Her downtrodden expression indicated she was likely thinking the same thing.
“We need to search before ruling anything out. Must be a vibration in the air. Or a way to detect the energy, the magic.” Although Calum had learned to tap into his magic more as of late, he was far from an expert.
“You’re right. I can’t see so well at night, so hopefully there’s something else.”
“I can see fine. But I’m guessing our other senses are what would help us anyway. My brothers are flying this way to join us, so they’ll help.”
“How do they know where we are?”
“I told them.”
She furrowed her brows. “How?”
“I communicated with them.”
“You didn’t say anything. Was it through your mind?”
“Aye.”
“Oh. I know some shifters have that ability, but pegasi aren’t one of them.” She turned in a full circle, searching the shadows. “I’m going to shift to my other form now. Any questions before I do?”
“Which direction should we search in first?”
She pointed north. “I think it was from that way. I remember seeing a castle and mountains. But it’s difficult to know for sure. I spun and changed directions many times to try to evade the dragon.”
“Smart move. Probably what saved you.”
“You saved me.” She moved her shoulders and stretched her neck. Her body appeared to vibrate and gleam. A translucent glow surrounded her.
Calum watched with fascination as the beautiful woman before him reshaped into the form of a horse. Wings sprung from her back, flapping majestically. The faintest hues of all the colors in the rainbow shimmered from each feather. When the transformation was complete, she stepped toward him as a pegasus, dropping her head to his shoulder.
He patted her head. “Ready?”
She dragged her hooves over the earth before she broke into a run. In several more seconds, she’d quickened to a gallop and then lifted off the ground. Her wide wings sliced through the air. For a moment, he watched, stunned. She was a myth brought to life, a beautiful legend.
Magnificent.
Calum snapped into action and followed suit, catching up to her in moments. He sent a quick message to his brothers with an update, and then flew along her left side. As they ascended, his lips turned into a wry smile. What a night. He’d stepped out of the pub earlier to get some fresh air. After a fight with a dragon, he now flew with a pegasus searching for a portal to another realm.
Arielle glided over the land with more ease this time. Rather than having a dragon in pursuit, she had a gargoyle by her side. One who’d saved her life.
Although his presence provided more safety, her journey wasn’t free of peril yet. The dragon could return, or other creatures—like the demons that he’d spoken of.
She forced away the fear as her wings sliced through the air, searching over the rolling fields below. Fear would only paralyze her, distracting her
from her goal—finding a way home.
If that was possible…
No, she couldn’t dwell on that. Sure, she’d landed herself in one hell of a situation, but that didn’t mean she had to give up.
The inky outlines of a forlorn castle appeared ahead, with a glistening loch behind it. She soared toward what appeared to be a long-abandoned structure. She’d need to position herself in the same location where she’d spotted it.
Calum’s wings beat alongside hers. She peered over and caught his profile. He was lovely in human form. Perfection. So unlike the gargoyle one, with the leather gray hide and overlarge features, although both struck her as leonine. His bare chest and torso were cut to perfection and his blond hair flowed behind him in flight, contrasting against his raven wings.
He glanced at her through eyes that twinkled under the moonlight.
He must have caught her staring. At least, she couldn’t be seen blushing in this form.
The skies beyond didn’t give any clues. A charcoal canvas speckled with dots of light and a waxing moon. Nothing out of the ordinary that signaled something lay ahead. Still, she had to continue. Calum was probably right. If they couldn’t see the portal, they might be able to sense it some other way. It had to have a magical imprint of some kind.
As the minutes stretched on, her optimism waned. They’d covered vast territories above these plains. When she spotted small homes below, she figured they’d gone too far from where she’d entered. She turned back and increased the spread of their hunt.
Dark figures zoomed toward them. Her muscles tightened as apprehension rolled in. She motioned to Calum with a jerk of a wing, and switched direction.
“It’s okay,” he said. “Just my brothers.”
She squinted and made out their silhouettes. Yes, he was right. They had a similar shape as Calum, winged humans.
“Let’s land.”
They landed, and she shifted back to human form. Calum watched her with astonishment, like he’d never seen a shifter before.
He put his hand on her shoulder, sending an odd shiver of excitement through her. “You have nothing to worry about, Arielle. They’ll help you. Let me introduce you.”
Moments later, she faced four men, each shirtless with muscle upon muscle and wearing the same type of blue kilt as Calum. Their features were similar enough to make them recognizable as siblings, yet each had a different hair color and style. None were as striking as Calum, though. He was the tallest of the lot, and the only one with blond hair.
“This is Arielle,” Calum said. “Arielle, these are my brothers. Lachlan is the alpha of our clan. Next is Bryce. Then Gavin. And Mason.”
He gritted his teeth on uttering Gavin’s name. Odd. Maybe it had something to do with the way Gavin’s gaze traveled down her body. Jeez. Like she’d be interested in someone that brash. He was nothing like Calum, who’d been considerate to her from the start.
But she shouldn’t be eying any of these brothers. Not when she had another realm to return to.
After they exchanged brief greetings, Calum added, “Arielle is a pegasus shifter.”
“I’d think you were joking, mate, if I hadn’t seen her fly in that form a moment ago,” Gavin said.
“A dragon was chasing her,” Calum said. “She explained that they’re from another realm, and they seemed to have slipped through somehow.”
Mason’s mouth dropped open first, and the others sported various similar expressions of surprise.
“Arielle, can you tell us what happened?” Lachlan said.
“Of course.” She repeated what she’d told Calum earlier. “Calum saved my life. If it wasn’t for him…”
When she glanced at him, he was beaming with pride.
Bryce examined Calum. “You look pretty damn good after surviving an encounter with a dragon.”
His smile vanished. “I wasn’t so bonnie a little while ago. Arielle healed my wounds with her hair. Uh, mane. No, hair. That’s why she thinks the dragon was pursuing her, to steal some of her magic.”
After his brothers seemed to grasp the situation, Mason said, “This is bizarre—even for us.”
Lachlan nodded. “We need to find the dragon, and we need to warn the Calder clan.”
“The who?” she asked.
“It’s our former clan,” Calum said. “They live here on the Highlands.”
“We need their numbers to defend against a dragon,” Lachlan said. “We need to protect you—and others—from a dragon here in the Highlands. And we need to find the portal to get you home. Do you know how to find it?”
She searched their surroundings and shook her head. “I’m afraid I don’t. Calum and I searched before you came and found nothing.”
“What did it look like?”
She tilted her head. “Nothing obvious. I didn’t see any visible signs until I was in it. And then it was like a vortex of colors and light until it suddenly ended, and I found myself here.”
Lachlan grimaced. “That complicates things.”
“I need to get home,” she implored. “You don’t know my mother. She’ll be driving my herd crazy, making everyone search for me. She worries constantly about me. I’m the youngest of three daughters—the baby.”
After Arielle’s father had died in a tragic accident when she was young, her mother became consumed with fear for her daughters’ safety. Not that anyone could blame her—but still, it was stifling.
Calum grunted. “I understand.” He pointed to his chest. “The youngest of five sons right here. Gargoyle parents are notoriously overprotective.”
Arielle glanced at him. Being the youngest of three was difficult enough, but of five? And with a gargoyle mother? Yikes.
Lachlan said, “The safest place for you right now is where we live north of here, on the Isle of Stone.”
“Is it only gargoyles?”
“We also share the island with wolf shifters and tree witches.”
Her stomach tightened “No. Not witches,” Arielle said with a wave of her hands.
“Why not?” Mason asked, appearing affronted.
How could she explain it without getting melodramatic? “We’ve had some—experiences—with witches who want our magic.”
“I don’t think you’d have that problem with this coven,” Mason said. “One of the tree witches is my mate, and she is the kindest, most loving person I know.”
“That’s Kayla,” Calum added. “What about the others?”
“Some of the witches might be cantankerous,” Mason said, “But that doesn’t make them evil.”
“Would they be a threat to you?” Calum asked her.
She chewed her bottom lip. “Anyone who is power hungry could be a threat to me.”
“I won’t let that happen,” Calum said.
When she caught his eye, something odd happened within her—like a dozen fairies had suddenly taken flight.
“Arielle has a point,” Calum interrupted. “We don’t know how the witches would react to her.”
“I know this puts you in a sticky situation,” Lachlan addressed Mason. “But for now, can we keep it quiet?”
“You want me to keep something from a pregnant witch?” Mason replied, with an exasperated tone. “She can probably sniff it from me, if not read my mind. I’m not keeping anything from my mate.”
“Fine,” Lachlan relented. “But only Kayla. She cannot tell her coven.”
“Understood.”
“Arielle, are you comfortable with coming to our island?” Lachlan said. “I think it’s safer than staying out here.”
Movement in the sky ahead made her step back, clutching her chest.
“It’s all right, Arielle,” Calum said. “Just a bat. It won’t hurt you.”
Gods, she was skittish.
An island with witches and wolf shifters. It was better than this vast open space where she didn’t know what existed. Calum had mentioned demons but that they’d destroyed them all. Better to take a chance on an island whe
re she knew what was there than to stay here alone like a lone rabbit tempting a pack of wolves.
Not to mention she’d have the protection of five gargoyles. If the others were as brave as Calum, she’d be in good hands.
“I think that’s the best option,” she said. “I’d be grateful if you’d let me stay there until I can find a way home.”
Lachlan nodded and turned to Calum. “Escort her back to the isle.”
Chapter 3
Calum swallowed on hearing Lachlan’s directive. He’d had mixed reactions as he followed the conversation about bringing Arielle to the Isle of Stone, as the adrenaline of battle faded and the reality of the situation settled. Helping a stranger in need had developed into something more. It was one thing for him to instinctively protect her and help her search for the portal that evening, but now he had to bring her home with him, to his private space?
“You want me to take her home?” Calum asked Lachlan.
“She can’t be left alone in the Highlands while a dragon is out there,” Lachlan replied.
“I agree, but—” What was he trying to say? Something about this task unsettled him.
“But what?” Lachlan asked.
How long would he be expected to guard Arielle? It might be for only one night, but if they didn’t find her portal, he’d be pulled into her problem. Hadn’t they had enough lately? Damn it, just when they were getting back to their own lives after dealing with numerous incidents out of their control.
He was the singer of a rock band. All he wanted was to play with his brothers as part of the Knights of Stone. They’d finally gotten their shit back together after the debacle on the Isle of Stone and had scheduled tour dates in the UK, with European ones to follow. His chance encounter with a dragon and pegasus shouldn’t undermine everything they’d worked so hard to build back up again in the last few months.
Yet, he couldn’t abandon her…
Arielle watched him with expectant eyes but then turned away. “You’re right, Calum. You’ve already done too much for me. I can’t ask you to take on my problems. You’ve risked your life enough. I’ll be fine.”
What? Had she read every reservation in his head? Could she read minds, or were his concerns written all over his face?
Knights of Stone: Calum: A gargoyle and pegasus shifter paranormal romance (Highland Gargoyles Book 5) Page 2
