by A C Warneke
“To bring Vaughn back to me?” Melanie’s heart was dancing in her chest and her skin was tingling. Was it possible? Was there a way to get him back? Melanie was almost afraid to get her hopes up but it was impossible not to do so. Her sister would go on this incredible journey and in the end, Vaughn would be back in her arms.
But what if the quest was something as impossible as the solution Armand offered? “You don’t have to sacrifice anything, do you?”
“What an absurd question,” Jenna scoffed, pulling Melanie to her feet and leading her back into Vaughn’s room. “It’s a simple quest.”
The two girls exchanged a wry look and started to giggle at the weirdness of the whole situation. Going on a quest sounded so fantastical but Melanie had already accepted that there was more to this world than met the eye. Briefly she wondered what kind of adventure Jenna was going to be going on, if she was going to meet other mythological creatures that weren’t so mythological. And why were the fates suddenly so willing to share their secrets?
“Can I go with you?” Melanie asked, wanting to protect her sister, wanting to do something, anything, to get Vaughn back.
“Unfortunately, that’s not possible,” Rhys said from the door. The two girls spun around and saw the handsome man standing there with his arms crossed over his broad chest. With a lazy smile, he kept his gaze on Jenna, even though Melanie was standing there wearing only a towel. “I only wanted to let you girls know that the arrangements have already been made and we leave in a few days.”
“That was quick,” Jenna said, her pulse fluttering madly at her throat.
With a casual shrug, Rhys grinned, “Omari works fast.”
Licking her lips, Melanie forced herself to meet Rhys’s eyes, to see the truth in his answer, “Will it work?”
His eyes scanned her face, seeing the determination and the need to hear the truth, “There is the chance that it will work but it depends on how convincing Jenna and I are as a couple.”
His words didn’t make any sense and Melanie made a face, making Rhys chuckle, “Omari said that Mother might be willing to part with a very rare element that might bring Vaughn back.”
“Is it risky?” she asked in a small voice.
Rhys shook his head, “Nah. The worst scenario is that she says no but Omari seems to think that is unlikely.”
After a few moments of silence, with Rhys and Jenna ogling one another, Melanie’s doubts and fears overwhelmed her because it seemed that anything having to do with Omari came with hidden strings. “Is it a trap?”
Rhys laughed at that, looking at her with sympathy in his brown eyes as he shook his head no, “I don’t anticipate any complications.”
“How do you even know Omari?”
“How do you?” he retorted, his eyes sparkling. The room fell silent as Melanie contemplated the possibility of getting Vaughn back and Jenna and Rhys contemplated each other. It was eerily reminiscent of how she had been wildly attracted to Vaughn when he was a stranger, a lifetime ago. Rhys and Jenna were looking at each other as if they had finally found the missing piece of their souls.
“Would you seriously consider it, Rhys? Even after, well, everything?” Melanie whispered, startling Rhys out of his perusal of Jenna. He turned his head and looked at her, understanding in his eyes.
He glanced at Jenna and a slow smile spread across his face as he looked at Melanie once more. “I don’t know but if I do, you can bet your ass that it will be worth it.”
“I suppose there’s no point in my telling you to be careful.”
His eyes sparkled as he shook his head no and started to walk back out the door when he came to a sudden stop. “Oh!” Rhys exclaimed, spinning back around and crossing the room to Jenna, digging something out of his pocket. He pulled out a long chain and handed it to Jenna, “Omari asked me to give this to you. It’s a protection charm.”
It was almost the twin to the amulet he had given to Melanie, except Jenna’s stone was slightly darker. She watched as Jenna absently took the necklace and slipped it over her head, her eyes never leaving Rhys’s face. “Tell him I said, ‘Thanks.’”
“Will do,” Rhys grinned, reaching out and running a finger over the magical charm. Melanie cleared her throat and he took the hint, leaving the girls to their own devices once more.
With a heartfelt sigh, Jenna looked at Melanie and widened her eyes in realization that Melanie was still only wearing a towel, “Do you have anything to put on?”
Melanie’s face colored a bit as she walked over to the large closet and opened it up, “The guys moved my stuff in here a few days ago.”
Letting out a low whistle, Jenna followed Melanie into the walk-in, admiring all of the masculine clothes lining the walls. Vaughn’s scent was strongest in the large room and Melanie closed her eyes to inhale deeply, breathing him in. A wave of melancholy washed through her and another tear slid down her cheek.
“Melanie, there’s still hope,” Jenna said softly, taking Melanie’s hand and pulling her out of the closet after she grabbed a long-sleeved shirt and a pair of comfortable jeans. “Rhys and I will get him back.”
“But what if it doesn’t work?” Melanie asked softly, unable to prevent her doubts from flaring up. It was such a fine line between hope and despair, one she was having a difficult time treading. How long was this epic quest going to take? Was she going to have to live without her stone lover until the snow melted into spring, as spring blossomed into summer? Until the leaves changed colors and fell from the trees? How many seasons would pass before he was able to wake up? What if there was nothing at the end of the quest and Jenna was being sent off for no reason?
How long did she hold onto hope before she went mad?
“How did you ever get through it?” Melanie asked, letting her sister lead her over to a dressing table. She plopped down on the chair and looked up at Jenna.
Jenna smiled softly, “I had you.”
“I love you, Jenna,” Melanie whispered, feeling guilty because she, at least, had hope. When Jeremy had died, there was nothing and it had been so final. Even if Jenna and Rhys failed in their quest, Vaughn was still alive. He would be continuing his existence long after she was gone and that thought was nearly as depressing as learning to live without him.
“Now, stand up and let’s get you dressed,” Jenna urged, once more pulling Melanie to her feet. She gasped when Melanie dropped the towel, “My God, Lenni, you’ve lost so much weight! And you don't look anything like the photo that was on the news. How did I not notice sooner?”
Melanie cringed at the reminded of how Jenna learned about where she was. She was not going to feel sorry for herself any longer because despair was a useless emotion in her situation. “I’m sorry I didn’t call….”
“I knew something was wrong but it never occurred to me that you had been in a car accident.” Jenna was running her hands over Melanie’s skin, examining the fading scars. “But it’s as if the accident happened years ago and not a week and a half… how?”
“Armand,” Melanie answered, taking the clothes from Jenna and getting dressed. Now that she was cleaned and there was a kernel of hope growing within her, she finally became aware of the fact that she was standing around in her skin. She refused to think about the time she spent with Armand over the past few days as he healed her body because he had been her doctor and she had been his patient. “I swear I would have called, but….”
“Armand?” Jenna repeated, raising an eyebrow and smirking.
“It’s not what you think,” Melanie protested, fastening her pants closed. Facing her sister, she offered a small smile, “He’s very powerful.”
“And he's very protective of those he loves,” Jenna added with her unusually clear perception. “He’s not happy about Rhys going on this quest but because he loves you he will not object.”
“Why you?” Melanie asked abruptly, ignoring her sister’s statement. “Why do you have to go on this… quest? Why can’t Rhys go on his own?
”
“Does it matter?” Jenna asked, a slight blush staining her cheeks as she avoided Melanie’s gaze. “I’m going to Greece with a gorgeous man and I get to help my sister.”
Melanie’s grin split her face, “You like Rhys, don’t you? My sister has a crush on a boy,” Melanie sing-songed, joy bubbling up in her heart for her sister.
“Shut up,” Jenna growled, but couldn’t prevent a smile from forming.
“I am so happy for you,” Melanie beamed, taking her sister’s hands and dancing around the room. “He’s a great guy.”
“Don’t get your hopes so far up about Rhys and me,” Jenna warned. “We hardly know one another.”
“But you were drawn to him when he was a gargoyle….”
Jenna’s eyes widened in surprise as the connection was made in her brain and she fell down onto the bed as her legs gave out. Melanie rushed to her side, concerned, “I thought you knew….”
“I did,” Jenna managed. “I mean, I do know. I just hadn’t realized….”
Melanie chuckled as she sat down on the bed next to Jenna. Taking Jenna’s hand in her own, she grinned, “You have no idea.”
She spent the next hour telling Jenna about Vaughn. It was good to be able to talk with her sister and she hadn’t realized how much she craved Jenna’s opinion until they were able to talk openly about the true nature of Vaughn and his brothers.
In a few days, Jenna was going to be flying off to Greece with Vaughn’s brother. It was hard not to get her hopes up that someday soon Rhys and Jenna would fall in love and Vaughn would be returned to her.
Chapter Twenty
Melanie found that if she closed her eyes and held her body perfectly still, she could almost feel Vaughn, if not his physical body than his spirit. He surrounded her, embracing her and protecting her. And as long as she lay cradled in his stone arms, she could almost pretend that he was still with her. Feeling him and not having him made it impossible not to think about getting him back or how long it was going to take, or whether the insane plan was even going to work. Her doubts and fears warred with her blossoming hope and she felt as if she were going mad with conflicting emotions. Seeing the remorse on the little imps’ faces was no consolation.
After her sister and Rhys left on their grand adventure to the Mediterranean last week, Melanie spent most of her time on the roof. She had settled into a routine of sorts, reading or having a one-sided conversation with Vaughn during the day and sleeping in his bed at night. Her dreams were… intense and they felt so damn real. It was hard to wake up in the morning knowing that Vaughn was stone and she was still alone.
She had just finished reading one of favorite novels to him when she sighed and snuggled further into his rocky embrace. It was amazing how she was able to find a comfortable position draped over marble limbs but somehow she managed. It was nearly nightfall and the sun would be setting shortly which meant Armand would be waking soon and that had become a bit awkward. Ever since he made the offer to take Vaughn’s place and her subsequent refusal, he had been avoiding her, which was frustrating. She had thought that after he had healed her body so completely they had formed a friendship of sorts.
Maybe he was still a little angry that she allowed Vaughn to get in this untenable situation to begin with. But that didn’t make any sense. He had forgiven her when she showed up battered and broken and told him that she had wanted to complete the ritual. If he hadn’t forgiven her, why had he spent so much time healing her? If he wanted to punish her, he could have let her heal naturally, letting the pain linger as long as possible.
He had been particularly unsociable after the decision was made that Rhys and Jenna were going to go to Greece to find a way to get Vaughn back, which Armand desperately wanted. He probably felt helpless that he wasn’t the one going on the trip, something Melanie could understand. She didn’t like being left behind either, especially when there was a possibility that a cure could be found.
Would it be considered a cure? Vaughn wasn’t really sick so there was nothing to cure. If she were to die, he would be made whole once more. They were only looking for a way to circumvent the rules so he didn’t have to sleep for sixty or seventy years. Even though she didn’t understand most of the rules regarding gargoyles and their rituals, she was pretty sure that nothing short of a miracle or her death could bring him back.
There was no way of knowing how long Rhys and Jenna were going to take, assuming they were able to find whatever they were looking for. They were searching for a miracle but that seemed so fantastical as to not quite be real.
Since her sister left, Melanie had only spent some time with her family, knowing that it wasn’t enough. Her parents were worried about her, of course, but with Jenna half way around the world, their focus had to be on Ferris, which was as it should be. Besides, it wasn’t like Melanie could tell her parents what was wrong, that the love of her life had been turned to stone and would remain that way until she was gone. Who would believe that?
Of course, she was sitting in her stone lover’s lap, watching the setting of the sun and knowing that had he never given up his nights, he would be transforming into her gorgeous Vaughn in a few minutes.
“Oh, Vaughn,” she sighed, pressing a kiss to the hard column of his throat before resting her head against him. She knew that eventually she was going to have to return to the real world but for now… for now she was with Vaughn. “I wish you were here.”
“What would you do to have that wish come true?’
Melanie opened her eyes when she heard the familiar voice laughing at her from only a few feet away. Omari should have looked outlandish in his vibrant purple robes and startling green tunic with gray and white striped trousers, but he made it work. It didn’t hurt that he was unnaturally beautiful, with his long, white hair and wise, hazel eyes. He grinned, “Do you spend all of your time out here sitting like a lovelorn fool?”
Straightening, she slid out of Vaughn’s lap and smoothed the wrinkles of her dress. She could feel her cheeks burning but she offered the eccentric man a smile, “Omari; how do you always know where to find me?”
Instead of answering her, Omari grinned, “I told you that I’d see you soon.”
“It’s been three weeks.” Three weeks of unbelievable depths of despair and the fragile kernel of hope that insisted on planting itself deep within her and sprouting wings. “You didn’t even say hello when you stopped by last time.”
"Your point?” he asked, arching an eyebrow. Waving away anything she might have said, he continued, “I’m here now so you don’t have to wait any longer.”
“Wait for what?” she asked, bewildered and unsure what he meant by that statement. He simply looked at her in disbelief and she felt the blush heating her cheeks as she belatedly realized he was talking about Vaughn. But then, wasn’t he the one who sent Rhys and Jenna on their quest, to bring Vaughn back? Why would he do that? “Why would you send my sister off with Rhys if you had the remedy?”
“They would never have taken a chance had I not given it to them.” He casually shrugged his shoulders, not caring about the bombshell he had just laid at Melanie’s feet.
She stared at him in wonder. Who was he? “Why are you doing this?”
“I look after what is mine,” he said with an eloquent smile and a sparkle in his eyes.
“I’m not yours,” she frowned, unconsciously glancing behind her because she was Vaughn’s. Surely he knew that?
“I never said that,” he said with a halted laugh. He stretched out his arm towards her and held out a vial filled with a thick, slightly sinister looking, greenish-brown liquid. “I brought you something. Now, drink up.”
Dazed, overwhelmed, Melanie took the small glass bottle, mindlessly drinking it down without questioning what it was or why he was giving it to her. The flavor exploded in her mouth, a cross between rusty nails, concrete and pus, startling her from whatever trance she had fallen into. Her face twisted into a revolted grimace as she spit. �
�What was it?”
Before she received an answer, the sun sank completely beneath the skyline and the movement of Armand behind her caught her attention. Unthinkingly, she turned and watched as the stone griffin transformed into the gloriously naked Armand. She watched as he flexed his sleekly elegant muscles, oblivious of her perusal. His butt was taut and curved to perfection, his thighs were thick and solid and he could have easily been a model for the covers of romance novels.
If she were honest with herself, she would have to admit that he was probably even more perfect than Vaughn, though it seemed impossible to be more perfect. Didn’t perfect imply, well, perfection? How could someone be more perfect? And yet, Armand’s body was flawless, with his gleaming skin and sculpted muscles. When he turned and caught her staring, she blushed to the roots of her hair and quickly turned away, but not before noticing that he was as physically well-endowed as Vaughn. Armand was perfection but Vaughn was perfect for her.
“Who are you talking to?” Armand asked. She could hear the rustling of material and knew that he was putting on his robe that he now kept nearby since she moved in and started spending all of her time on the roof.
Melanie looked around and realized that Omari had disappeared. Bemused, she shook her head and faced the now-robed Armand. “I guess no one. I thought you had normal hearing when you were stone?”
He smiled slightly, “I wish to give you privacy with Vaughn so I… close my ears.”
“Ah,” she nodded, not quite understanding but appreciating the gesture none-the-less. He started to go inside but suddenly she didn’t want to be alone on the roof anymore with the reminder that Vaughn was still stone. “What are your plans tonight?”
“I have some business to take care of inside,” he didn’t quite meet her eyes when he talked to her anymore, as if he was slightly uncomfortable around her. Strangely, the thought was enough to make her laugh, though she kept it to herself. Armand was the most self-possessed person she knew and he would be comfortable standing naked in a roomful of nuns. “Will you be staying with Vaughn?”
