Captivated by the Gargoyle: Stone Sentries 3

by Lisa Carlisle

  No one would hurt his mate.

  Larissa pulled her head off his chest. “I’m sorry—I shouldn’t waste any time.”

  It took several long breaths before he calmed the whirl of rage.

  “You’ve been through so much lately. It’s normal that you need to process it.”

  She shook her head. “Later.” She retrieved her sword with a determined look. “We need to find Janie.”

  Larissa ignored her trepidation as she soared with Roman over Boston. She’d already delayed their search enough, and she couldn’t waste any more time. Instead, she focused on his protective hold, knowing he’d never let her go.

  A summer breeze cooled her skin as they flew. They searched for Janie and the demon, peeking around buildings and billboards in the air and in alleys and other hidden nooks on the ground. The sound of traffic and scents of the restaurants were muted this high up, and the only winged beings they encountered were other gargoyles.

  Janie, where are you? She had to be terrified—if she was still alive.

  No, Larissa wouldn’t think of it. She’d already lost her grandmother. The bastards couldn’t take her best friend, too.

  Larissa and Roman concentrated on the Longwood area and spread out their search. As Roman carried her over the city, she sensed she was slowing him down. Although he was stronger than any man she’d met, her added weight and that of the weapons strapped to his back had to tire him. Damn, she was a hindrance in this search. All she wanted was to find Janie, but she might be making things worse. Perhaps, she should think of a better way to aid in the effort—or get out of the way.

  “We’ll head over to the portal,” Roman said.

  The grassy embankment soon appeared like a green oasis amid all the buildings downtown. No wonder it was dubbed the Emerald Necklace.

  They landed in the Boston Common about fifty feet away from where two of his sentries were guarding. The portal was there—and it was where the demons had slipped in.

  “I don’t see anything,” she said.

  “Neither do I,” Roman replied. “But, I can sense the temperature change and the magic there. I sealed the portal the night of the attack. Stone Sentries have been guarding it since.”

  “For others coming in?” she asked.

  “Or wanting out,” he replied.

  Apprehension wrapped around her as oppressively as demon wings. “That would mean you think there are more threats in the city.”

  “I can’t be certain. We know of three that remained in Boston, and we took out two of them.”

  “And most likely, the third one has Janie.”

  As they stepped closer to the two armed guards, both shifters snapped to attention. They pumped their hands over their hearts in some type of salute.

  Roman acknowledged them and asked, “Any activity?”

  “None, Commander.”

  Roman jutted out his jaw. “All right. Stay vigilant. Both the demon and Janie are out there.”

  As they walked from the guards, Roman pointed at the bandstand. “We think one was here a few days ago, but it disappeared.”

  “Was it the one who took Janie?”

  “It could be. Our sense of smell here is still off from the dark magic they’d used during the eclipse. It’s difficult to get a solid indication.” He turned to her. “Let’s head back into the air.”

  They broadened their search as they circled over the city. Every minute without sight of Janie heightened her anxiety. What if they never found her?

  She’d lost track of time, but when Roman suggested a break, they landed in a park. His chest heaved with deeper breaths.

  She bit her lip. “You must be exhausted from carrying me all this time.”

  “I don’t have the same limitations as a human,” he replied.

  “But, I’m slowing you down.”

  When Roman didn’t reply, she knew it was true. “You’d be able to search more effectively without a human albatross weighing you down.”

  His mouth dropped. “Larissa, you are no such thing!”

  “You know what I mean.” She gestured with both hands. “What I’m saying is that maybe I’m being too stubborn by insisting I accompany you on the search. Perhaps there’s something else I should do.”

  “You could keep an eye on Arto,” he suggested.

  The guilt smacked her anew. She nodded. “Of course.”

  “Plus, you can train with weapons in the arsenal.”

  Right. Because this shit-show with the demons wasn’t over. Not by a long shot.

  “Yes. Those are good ideas.” Why hadn’t she thought of either? She grunted. Likely because a demon had taken her best friend, and her first instinct was to do whatever the fuck she could to find Janie.

  “Okay, let’s head over.”

  Several minutes later, they’d arrived at the compound. Roman handed her the sword. Then, he showed her where Arto rested, in a small room with not much more than a bed and a bedside table. He appeared younger in sleep—like Janie had while she’d been in the coma.

  After they exited his room and Roman closed the door, he said, “I see the worry etched on your face. He’ll recover with time, Larissa.”

  “How can you be sure?”

  “We don’t have the same physiology as humans. It would be better for him to rest in stone outdoors, but I don’t want him left alone out there. Shifter healing is—well—magical would be the best word to describe it.”

  She nodded. “That’s a concept I’m accepting more and more lately.”

  “You remember how to get to the arsenal?”

  “I do.”

  “I’m going to take care of some things, and then, I’ll meet you there before I head back out.”

  He kissed her and walked down the hall. She headed into the arsenal. The shine from all the silver made her suck in a breath. God, it was wondrous.

  She raised her sword with both hands. She planted her feet, imagined a demon before her, and swung high, aiming for its neck.

  Awkward. She repeated the effort a few more times and groaned. She was a cop, not a samurai. Although she’d trained in close hand-to-hand combat and defensive tactics, the police academy didn’t include training with ancient-looking swords to battle demons.

  “What’s wrong?”

  She turned at hearing Roman’s voice. “I’m not used to this type of weapon. It feels strange.”

  “But you’re a quick learner.” He smiled. “Think of how you managed to project such a force. Without you, we wouldn’t have been able to blast the demons back.”

  That night, he’d encouraged her to project her energy to him, and he’d combined it with gargoyle magic to push the demons back into the portal. How that had all worked, she didn’t know.

  She waved the sword. The physical presence of it in her hand also provided a sense of security that her magical energy lacked.

  “You already know how to defend yourself, but let me show you some tips to help you do so with a sword.”

  He opened a door on the opposite end from where they’d entered. It led to an open space with a mirror on one wall. The other walls were lined with free-standing punching bags, two mannequins, massive free weights, and endless other training equipment.

  Roman stepped behind her. “Face your opponent. Left foot forward.” He placed his hands on her hips and positioned her in the correct stance.

  His breath warmed the back of her neck. She tried to ignore the tingles of awareness that spread throughout her with him being so close, and to focus on the matter at hand.

  How could he ignite such a reaction in her, even when anxiety of the situation was present? Perhaps, it was her unprecedented level of attraction to him. Or, perhaps it was enhanced by the stress of the situation. They’d both encountered demons. He’d likely face one again. And, it could be fatal.

  “Yes, perfect,” he said and stepped away. The absence of his body left her suddenly cool. Now, it was better. She wouldn’t be distracted with sensual thought
s. She took a deep breath to refocus.

  Roman picked out a sword from the rack and faced her. “Hold the sword at shoulder level, keeping your arms bent.” When she did, he added, “Step forward and to the right to avoid a potential counter-strike, and then strike from above.” He demonstrated the action with the sword. “Remember to aim at the neck.”

  “Okay.” She tried to emulate his actions. She wasn’t as smooth as he’d been with his movement, but not as awkward as she’d been when she’d tried on her own.

  “I need to head out,” he said.

  She caught a hint of reluctance in his voice. “Okay. I’ll keep an eye on Arto.”

  “You’re a natural,” he said. “Keep doing what you’re doing.”

  “Will do, Commander,” she said, noting the term his sentries used to address him.

  He smiled and kissed her. He stared at her like he might never see her again.

  “I’ll send one of my sentries back here. And I’ll return as soon as possible.” He then turned and exited the room.

  She fixed her gaze on him as he walked out. The masculine lines of his body. The contours of his muscles. The black hair that reached his shoulders. He had the body of a warrior.

  Her warrior.

  * * *

  Two hours later, Larissa ran into a woman in the seating area wearing all black, the way Roman did. Larissa had just left Arto’s room after checking on him. She’d exhausted herself trying to train with weapons, lacking the proper form and techniques that would make her most effective. The woman stood a good nine inches taller than Larissa. She had to be around six feet-three inches, if not taller. Her dirty-blonde hair was pulled into a ponytail at the base of her neck. And with her stern look, she loomed intimidating as fuck.

  “I’m Talia,” the woman said without a smile. “Roman sent me.”

  “You’re an—um—,” Larissa stammered.

  “Gargoyle shifter,” Talia replied. “One of the Stone Sentries.”

  “Um, yes,” Larissa said.

  Talia grinned. “By your surprised expression, I’m not who you are expecting?”

  Larissa reddened. Why was she reacting so strangely? She was one of the few female police officers in her district. A female team member shouldn’t be foreign to her. And, yet it was. Perhaps because she had never seen a female gargoyle shifter. Nor had she imagined what one would look like.

  “Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  Talia snorted as if the idea of her being offended was ridiculous. “The Stone Sentry Council sent me to replace the loss of one of the sentries killed by the demons.”

  “Oh.” A dark thought entered Larissa’s mind. If something happened to Roman, would this council send a commander to replace him? Or, would Arto take over?

  So much of this world remained a mystery to her. She equated it to the police force when she could. It was easy to do in some cases, like with structures and rank.

  In others, not so much.

  “Did Roman send you to train me because we’re both female?”

  “No.” Talia replied. “He sent me because I’m the best sword fighter on this team.”

  A hint of a smile showed at the corner of Talia’s mouth.

  Larissa smiled and then full out laughed. She liked Talia already.

  Her smile vanished, and her expression turned serious again.

  Stony.

  Talia clapped her hands, snapping Larissa into silence. “Come.” She marched down the hall.

  Larissa followed her into the arsenal. Talia picked out a sword and strode over to Larissa with the bearing of a drill instructor.

  “You have a lot to learn and not much time to do so. Next, we’re going to work on defending against a thrust and counterattacking your opponent. Pick your sword.”

  Larissa picked the same sword she’d been using. It probably had a particular name to distinguish it from the other curved and long blades in the room. Talia likely knew the names and features of each one of them, but now wasn’t the time for an academic lesson. Larissa needed to learn how to wield a sword effectively to combat a demon.

  Talia strode ahead into the training room.

  Talia positioned herself opposite Larissa. “Take your stance.”

  How freaking weird. She never thought she would be training with a female gargoyle shifter to counter a demon threat. She took a stance the way that Roman had taught her. Talia lunged forward and clashed her sword against Larissa’s, sending it crashing to the floor. Larissa stared at the sword and then Talia, not even sure what had happened.

  Talia snorted. “Ah, yes. You don’t have our strength.” She clucked her tongue. “We’ll have to make some adjustments to accommodate for your weaknesses.”

  Weaknesses? Sure, Larissa wasn’t a gargoyle shifter, but that didn’t mean she was weak.

  She stood straighter, still several inches below Talia’s towering figure. “I may not have gargoyle strength, but I have witch blood.”

  Talia tilted her head with a ghost of a smile. “Pick up your sword, witch, and let’s see what you’ve got.”

  Her smile was more frightening than her stony stare.

  Larissa wouldn’t let the overwhelming shifter intimidate her. She took a focused breath and faced her formidable opponent. She raised her sword. “I’m ready.”

  Clang. Talia brought her sword down on Larissa’s, disarming her once again.

  Shit. She scrambled for the sword and hurried to her feet to face Talia.

  Talia appraised her with a keen eye. “We’ll start from the beginning.”

  Chapter 5

  The heat of the water soothed Larissa’s aching muscles. She never wanted to leave the shower. But, damn, she couldn’t stay there all day. She had to drag herself out and check on Arto again.

  Talia had been relentless, pushing Larissa to learn the proper tactics to parry, thrust, defend, and counterattack for hours. She insisted they practice over and over until Larissa responded almost instantly using muscle memory. The repetition had been grueling, but worth it. She groaned. Would she be able to fight a demon, if and when that time came?

  She’d found her overnight bag in Roman’s room, which one of the sentries must have retrieved. After she dressed in a pair of brown shorts and a red tank top, she checked on Arto. No apparent progress. God, she hoped what Roman had said was true and that shifter healing was doing its magic. If he didn’t wake…

  Larissa buried that thought before it yanked her into a pit of despair. The demons had dragged her to that state enough already. Being paralyzed by depression wouldn’t help anyone. She had to keep moving forward—training, preparing, whatever she could do.

  After closing Arto’s door, she walked down to the seating area and glanced out the vast floor-to-ceiling windows. She scanned the night sky. Few stars shone through slate clouds that signaled a summer storm might be approaching soon. No signs of demons or Janie. Where was she? Was she all right?

  “What is it, my mate?”

  She turned at Roman’s voice, heart fluttering with relief at his return. He’d called her his mate, and she was slowly accepting the deep connection that conveyed. She caught his penetrating stare. Those deep amber eyes with gold flecks. He was striking. No, more than that—captivating. She resisted letting out a moan, as if she’d tasted the first decadent morsel of a rich, chocolate cake.

  When he opened his arms, she rushed into his embrace. He was back. Safe. What about Janie?

  She stepped back. “Any updates?” she asked with more hope in her voice than she felt.

  His expression turned grim. “I’m afraid not.” He eyed her. “You look exhausted. Did Talia train you?”

  She nodded. “And then some. I just checked on Arto. He’s still the same.”

  Roman said, “I was headed to his room to check on him when I spotted you. He needs rest. As do you.”

  “I feel like I could sleep for three days,” she agreed. “At the same time, I don’t know what to do with myself. All this r
estless energy is churning inside me, like I’m a weed struggling to cling to soil in Nana’s tumbling composter. Whether it’s anxiety, impatience, or who knows what, I can’t sit still and wait while not knowing what’s happened to her.”

  “Uncertainty is often more difficult than knowing the truth, even if it’s ugly,” he replied.

  True. She nodded. Her mind had conjured the most unimaginable scenarios—well, unimaginable until she’d learned that demons existed. She raised a brow. “Have I warned you about my impatience, yet?”

  He laughed. “You don’t have to. It’s quite apparent. You rarely sit still. You’re always prowling like a feline shifter.”

  “Oh geez,” she said. “Are you going to tell me they exist, too?”

  He cocked his head. “Naturally, we are not the only shifters in the world,” he replied. “With time, I will tell all you want to know.” He gestured in a circular motion. “How did it go with Talia?”

  Larissa grinned. “She kicked my ass.”

  Roman narrowed his eyes. “Literally?”

  “No,” Larissa replied. “But, she is tough. She pushed me hard. My arms ache from holding the sword and all those repetitive motions, but I’m glad. She taught me a lot in such a short time.”

  “Good,” Roman said. “I’m glad we have her on our side. And that she’s trained you to defend yourself against a threat.”

  No explanation of the threat was necessary. Strange how something she never thought possible was now ever-present.

  “Have you eaten?” He asked.

  “No.”

  “Then we’ll dine together.”

  She stared out the window and her pulse quickened. “But, what about Janie?”

  “All my sentries are searching for her. I only have two hours here before I switch shifts with one of them. Someone will watch over you and Arto at all times. We all need to restore our energy with food and rest, or we’ll be ineffective when we need to be at our best.”

  “Ah, right,” she murmured in acknowledgment. Exhaustion and depleted energy would diminish their effectiveness. And, he was here to protect her and Arto. Her throat itched with discomfort. After what had happened to him earlier, and with her slowing Roman down during his search, she wasn’t going to question his plans. He was a commander of a supernatural team, something she knew shit about.