Stone Maiden

by Tina Gerow

  Shock at the exchange caused Logan’s mouth to fall open, and he quickly closed it. “Sire?” demanded Logan. “Is she one of yours?”

  James shot Logan an irritated look. “Of course not. She would call any ancient, sire.”

  “What the hell is she?” Logan asked, wondering what kind of horrible creature he’d stumbled onto this time.

  “She’s a klatch witch,” Ariel answered. “They are a form of fairy whose sole purpose in life is to pursue earthly pleasures. They aren’t harmful creatures, but they are protective of their company.”

  Ariel started to sway on her feet and Logan reached out to steady her. “James, can you take her so Ariel can go back and lie down?” James motioned for Ariel to release her hold on the klatch witch, which she did. The witch immediately prostrated herself before James, touching her forehead to the floor before rising up on her knees in front of James in a very suggestive position.

  Charity chose that moment to open her dressing room door. All heads including the witch turned to face her.

  Charity took in the scene and then crossed her arms over her chest and stared at James with obvious distain. “Isn’t a public performance even a little kinky for you, James?”

  Logan sighed. “Charity, let’s go, we’re due on stage.” To James he said, “We’ll discuss your groupie there later.” Grabbing Charity’s arm, he led her forcefully toward the stage.

  Chapter Twelve

  Everyone disappeared leaving James alone with the klatch witch. He sighed. At least this one would probably talk. Klatch’s were extremely respectful of any ancient being, and wouldn’t purposefully cross James. “Rise and tell me your name, sister.” He used the ancient form of address for her.

  The woman rose and faced James, her curiosity evident even through her fear. “I am Delwyn of the First Order of Klatch.”

  First order meant she was almost as old as himself. The klatch were created in ancient Ireland as one of the first races of fairies. So what was such a powerful klatch doing attending to Logan herself? He knew most of the ancients treated the klatch like the lower class of the ancient beings. James decided to try a tact he knew none of the other ancients had done with her. “Delwyn,” he said and gave a short formal bow before her and took her hand in his, raising it to his lips and placing a soft kiss on the back. “Perhaps we can discuss this situation over some refreshments?” He stood straight and smiled his most charming smile.

  The look of utter shock on her face confirmed his strategy. Then, her face blossomed with happiness, her lips curved, and she took a deep breath, which enhanced the display of her impressive cleavage. “If it pleases you, Sire, then I am happy to accompany you.”

  Soon, they were both sitting comfortably in one of the dressing rooms, Delwyn enjoying her second glass of champagne.

  “Are you quite comfortable?” James asked. At her emphatic nod, he continued. “There’s no reason for our discussion to be uncivilized. I do understand that you hurting Logan’s gargoyle protector was purely out of instinct. She understands too, or you would be dead right now.” Of that, Logan had no doubt. Especially since Ariel looked more inconvenienced than injured.

  Delwyn’s gaze clouded for a moment before she smiled brightly once again. “Yes, Sire. I would never deliberately hurt a gargoyle. In fact I did not realize there were any of their ilk left until I smelled her blood on my fingers.”

  James leaned forward, keeping his face pleasant. “Now, Delwyn,” he said again, using her name deliberately. Those who knew your name within the realm of fairy had power over you and he knew she would not withhold it from him or any other ancient out of both fear and respect. “Let’s discuss why you are here tonight. Did someone send you to seek out Logan?”

  Delwyn emptied her glass of champagne and James smoothly refilled it even as she began to speak. “Yes, Sire. I was approached by another ancient, like yourself.” She gestured toward James and then took another sip of champagne. “I know not his name, but only that he wished for me to castrate the human.” She scowled and set down her glass on the mahogany table beside her.

  James knew that for a being such as this, who lived for all pleasures including sexual, such a request would resemble sacrilege. “Of course, I respectfully refused. For a moment, I thought he would kill me for my insolence and be done with it.”

  When she didn’t speak right away, James prompted her gently. “What happened, Delwyn? What did the ancient do then?”

  “After his face cleared of the storm clouds, he smiled. Bright as the sun, it was. Then he said he admired a woman of convictions—whatever those may be.” She waved away the word as if it were of no consequence.

  James gestured to a tray of crab puffs and waited while she sampled one before he continued. “So, after he admired your convictions, then what did he say?”

  Delwyn slipped another crab puff between her lips and chewed thoughtfully. “Then he said he would offer me a trade. If I brought him Logan, he would allow me a night with his entire kiss.”

  James wasn’t shocked by the knowledge an ancient vampire was the one who approached her. Or that he’d offered her his kiss in return. Delwyn would prosper from the powerful energy gained through sex with an entire kiss of vampires, and since klatches were much more indestructible than any human and didn’t have issues with pain or the taking of blood, as long as it was done during sex, she was the perfect vampire playmate.

  “Delwyn,” he began. “You said you didn’t know the name of this ancient, did you hear anyone refer to him as anything but Master?”

  She shook her head, her auburn hair swinging lightly with the movement. “No, Sire. The only name I heard was for the one who brought me to the ancient. His name was Astor.”

  James’ temper bubbled higher. It had been the right decision to leave Astor in place until he figured out what he was up to. But that decision could have cost Logan his life.

  Oblivious to James’ internal anger, Delwyn said, “Sire, may I be so bold as to ask a question of you?”

  James nodded toward her. “What do you wish to know, Delwyn?”

  “The boy, Logan. He was immune to my powers. He was interested in my music, but not enthralled. It was almost as if he filed away my music for later use, analyzing it.” She looked distinctly irritated at the prospect. “He didn’t even look at my body. Does he have ancient blood running through his veins?”

  A smile curved James’ lips. He may not be able to acknowledge Logan, but he was glad that some good had come out of the bloodline for Logan, at least. Apparently, Logan had some powers no one was aware of, not even his own father.

  James leaned forward. “Just between you and I, Delwyn?” When she nodded, he continued. “He has very ancient blood and is protected by the Angel Gabriel and the Almighty, Herself.”

  Delwyn’s face looked stricken, and her half-full glass slipped from her hand to land on the carpet at her feet. “I did not know, Sire. Please, have mercy.” She slid out of her chair and onto her knees on the floor in front of James. “Please, Sire.”

  James shook his head and pulled her back up into her chair. “Delwyn. I’m not angry. Logan is fine, and you’ve helped me very much.” In the manner of fairies, her sunny smile came back in an instant.

  “Anything I can do to help one such as this, Sire, I’m more than willing to do.”

  “Let’s discuss where you were supposed to deliver him and then I’m going to make sure Gabriel protects you from harm until this other ancient is no longer a threat to Logan.”

  *****

  Ariel pushed inside her hotel room and gratefully sank down on the plush king-sized bed. Her lovely dress had been a total loss after the klatch witch’s tantrum, so she borrowed a shirt from one of the young men who had walked by them while they were holding the witch. Ariel may not have looked glamorous with a black t-shirt complete with a smiley face with a bullet hole in its head, covering the shredded top of her dress, but at least she wasn’t topless for her walk out to the car. />
  The limousine ride had been torture, and they had to stop twice so she could throw up on the side of the road. All the while, she heard Charity’s snide comments from the back seat. It made her wish gargoyles didn’t have such good hearing. Or alternately, that Charity would end up with lots of badly placed stretch marks.

  She kicked off her shoes and heard them thunk softly on the carpet before she closed her eyes, wishing she could just fall asleep and wake up feeling like herself again. Placing a hand gingerly over her chest, she winced as pain shot through her from the deep furrows. There hadn’t been time or privacy to turn to stone and heal them earlier. She needed to do it now before she lost all of her energy. But her body stubbornly remained still, her eyes closed, her stomach roiling.

  The soft slide of the hotel key in the door slot sounded just before the loud click of the lock releasing. “It’s just me,” Dara said inside her mind.

  Ariel was grateful, as the soft voice inside her mind was much less invasive than spoken words on her throbbing head. The bed dipped as Dara sat down next to her and touched a hand to Ariel’s forehead. “I’ve also called Gabriel.”

  Ariel forced open her eyes as shock traveled through her foggy brain. If Dara had summoned the angel, it meant it was beyond Dara’s power to heal her. Not a good sign, especially since this was the first time since their creation Dara couldn’t heal anything that plagued her.

  Before she had time to worry about it, the scent of cinnamon filled the room making Ariel gag. Dara held up the trash can and Ariel leaned over just in time for her empty stomach to stubbornly try to turn her inside out again.

  At the cool touch of Gabriel’s hand against the back of her neck, the nausea and headache receded instantly. Placing a hand to her chest, she discovered the furrows were also gone as if they’d never been. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, sagging with relief against her sister for a moment, grateful her body was back to normal. “Thanks, Gabriel. I don’t think I could’ve handled much more of that.”

  “Don’t worry, I’ve taken care of it for tonight, and it will only last a few more months.”

  Liquid ice spread through Ariel’s veins as the words penetrated her brain. She sat up and snapped her head around to stare at Gabriel. “What?” She tried to form a cohesive sentence inside her mind and finally had to settle for, “What the hell is wrong with me?”

  Gabriel sat down next to her on the bed and Dara took Ariel’s hand in her own. Ariel squeezed it in thanks for the much-needed support.

  “What are you trying not to tell me, Gabriel.” Ariel stared at the angel hard, as a slow smile bloomed across his face.

  “Congratulations, Ariel. You’re pregnant.”

  Time slowed as a vortex of conflicting emotions rushed through her body at lightening speed, in great rolling waves.

  Pregnant?

  There was no way after everything that happened she could be pregnant. Gabriel must be joking, he often liked to tease those in his charge. Hell, he’d teased her for centuries. She shook her head, trying to find her balance. Finally, logic intruded and her head cleared enough to perform some quick calculations.

  In the last two hundred years, she’d had sex exactly twice, and both of those times were with Logan. But after nine centuries of periods, Ariel was extremely sure of her own cycle. Feeling more confident, she stood and faced Gabriel defiantly with her arms crossed over her chest, her chin thrust upward. “Gabriel, the timing doesn’t work out. I wasn’t even close to ovulating.”

  Gabriel smile positively glowed and he gestured toward the heavens. “Her will be done.”

  The back of Ariel’s neck prickled, her mouth fell open and a bowling ball lodged in her stomach. The realization of what Gabriel implied spread through her like wildfire, the conflicting pool of emotions washed over her again, threatening to drown her.

  She was pregnant…with Logan’s baby.

  Ariel’s legs buckled under her and she sat down hard on the floor, afraid she would fall if she tried to take the few extra steps to the bed. “Oh, dear Lord, I’d been about to turn to stone to heal,” she whispered under her breath in horror. The gargoyles had learned the hard way with Kefira that turning to stone while you were pregnant would abort the baby.

  Gabriel made an upward motion with his hand and Ariel floated up to a sitting position in mid air. “You need to take better care of yourself than that, Lioness of God. After all, there are two of you now. And besides, you didn’t turn to stone and all is well with the baby.”

  Dara turned to Gabriel. “Do you mean to say God altered her cycle so she could become pregnant? Does this have anything to do with the prophecy?”

  Ariel gasped. She’d forgotten all about that. Tears burned at the back of her eyes. “Oh no…the prophecy.” She looked between Dara and Gabriel in growing horror. “If Charity is carrying the child of Logan’s blood, then I must be carrying the daughter of his destiny.”

  Gabriel remained quiet and looked at Ariel with sympathy obvious in his eyes.

  Dara pierced him with a stern glare. “Maybe it’s time you told us about the prophecy, Gabriel. I think protecting Ariel and the baby are worth the risk of everyone knowing.”

  Gabriel shook his head slowly. “I cannot. Prophecies are not mine to reveal to anyone. Only Alonna or a human with free will can divulge the details. Alonna has her own orders from the Almighty.”

  A shimmer appeared in the air and quickly coalesced into Alonna. “You summoned me, Gabriel?”

  “I did not summon you,” Gabriel chided. “And you very well know it. You just wanted to have an excuse to be here.”

  Alonna ignored him and fluttered over to land on Ariel’s shoulder. “Giant cousin, don’t fret so. I’m very happy for you.” She clapped her tiny hands together. “Just think, a baby.” Her voice took on a dreamy quality.

  Ariel took a breath to respond to Alonna, but Dara cut her off. “Alonna. We think it’s time we discussed the prophecy. We can’t keep Ariel safe if we don’t know what’s going on.”

  Alonna cocked her head as if assessing her options. “Some people are not meant to hear all pieces of the prophecy, some are meant only to hear one. But for my giant cousins, I can share another piece yet.”

  Dara turned to Ariel. “Let me get everyone in here and then Alonna can fill us in as much as she can. Hopefully between what you, James and Logan know, we’ll have the whole thing.”

  Ariel wrapped her arms around her stomach and began to rock gently back and forth. “Not Logan. I don’t want Logan to know,” she said, not meeting Dara’s eyes. “And not James—he would definitely want to tell Logan.”

  Dara stood and crossed to her sister laying a gentle hand on her shoulder. “But, Logan’s the father. He has every right to know.”

  Ariel forced herself to meet Dara’s troubled gaze. “He can’t. The fate of the world rests on this, Dara. Please promise me, Logan must never know.”

  Dara opened her mouth to argue, but Alonna fluttered up into her line of sight, forestalling her objection. “James can know this new piece, but not the man-thing. As much as I like him, I have shared all I dare with him.” Alonna landed back on Ariel’s shoulder. “Mayhap, we should start with your sisters and you can best decide how to proceed from there.”

  Dara nodded toward Alonna. “All right. We’ve always trusted you, Alonna, we aren’t going to stop now.” And then to Ariel, she said, “But I still think you should tell Logan about the baby.”

  Ariel squeezed her eyes tight against the tears and rocked back and forth more urgently. “Please, just get Odeda and Kefira.”

  Within minutes, Ariel’s sisters gathered around her. They all sat on the king-sized bed, Ariel leaned against the headboard, a pillow cradled in her lap like a shield against the inevitable. Gabriel sat in the corner, hovering above the TV, his brow furrowed, his blue eyes dark with concern. Alonna perched on the headboard beside Ariel, her tiny feet swinging lightly over the side.

  Odeda kicked off her sh
oes and leaned back more comfortably on the bed. “I had to tell a whopper of a lie to get James to stay with Charity and Logan. I told him gargoyles have a special ritual at ‘that time of the month’ and then he shut his mouth, practically shoving us out the door.”

  A small smile curved her lips at the thought of James’ discomfort with feminine hygiene, but soon the seriousness of the moment weighed on her once again as she realized what she’d have to tell her sisters. She closed her eyes and said a quick prayer for strength.

  “Granted,” Gabriel murmured from the corner.

  Ariel glared over at him. “If you’re not willing to help fill everyone in about the prophecy, then you’re welcome to go.”

  When Gabriel only continued to sit and look at her with concern clear on his face, she returned her attention to her sisters.

  Alonna cleared her throat, which sounded like bells clacking together. “I can not repeat the part of the prophecy I shared with the man-thing. It was his choice to share it with the one who holds his heart, and hers to share it with you now. Once she’s done, I can add one more piece.”

  “How long is this freaking prophecy, anyway?” asked Odeda with obvious frustration.

  “Prophesies as a rule, are quite large. But since this one affects the war between good and evil, it’s the largest I know of.”

  Odeda sighed. “Great. I thought it was a rhetorical question, but I think I liked not knowing better.”

  Kefira reached out and laid a comforting hand on Ariel’s ankle. “Tell us, Ariel. We can tackle anything together.”

  Ariel looked into her sister’s face and swallowed hard against a sob, which threatened to bubble out of her throat. Until now, she hadn’t realized how hard this would be. But remembering Kefira’s own lost child, Ariel realized she might be slicing old wounds open at the same time she shared her news. She buried her face in her hands, prolonging the inevitable, then looked up into Kefira’s face as she spoke. “Well, before we get to the prophecy, Gabriel just told me I’m pregnant.”