Fate's Roar

by Jalpa Williby

  “I’m right in front of you, Shane.” Samantha took his hand and guided it to her face. “See? I’m right here in front of you. I need you to focus on me. Hear my voice. Focus! You can do this. I need you to see me and come to me. I believe in you. Come find me.”

  Shane refused to give up. He continued to stare into the darkness, toward the direction of her voice. Concentrating very hard, he blinked several times, willing his eyes to work. She needed him. She believed in him.

  Suddenly, he saw the familiar amber eyes with gold specks staring back at him. As her entire face registered in his brain, he was sure his heart stopped beating.

  “Sammy,” he mouthed.

  She must have seen him trying to mouth her name because she was crying and laughing at the same time. Damien felt her tears tumble onto his face, as her emotions were unleashed.

  “Sammy.” This time, it was a whisper.

  “Shh, don’t try to talk,” she said in between her sobs. “You’re hurt pretty badly.”

  He was hurt badly? What was she talking about? Her entire face was swollen and bruised. And was that a black eye he saw on her?

  Samantha reached for something on the other side of her and then lifted his head. “You need to try to drink some of this water, Shane. You need to get hydrated.”

  He suddenly realized how dry his throat was, his body craving for that water. Slowly, he took a sip, trying to quench his thirst. As soon as the first swallow went down, he wanted more. Unable to stop himself, he finished the last drop.

  “Thank you,” he whispered.

  Samantha flashed a slight smile. “I’ve saved you some food. I knew you’d wake up.”

  Shane couldn’t fathom the thought of eating anything. He shook his head, turning away from the bowl of food Samantha was holding in front of him.

  “I think it’s oatmeal. I ate some earlier. I’m sorry, but it’s all I have.” Samantha brought the spoon to his mouth.

  “Can’t,” he whispered, resisting. He never even liked human food in the first place, and right now, he was in too much pain to have any desire to eat.

  “You will eat this, whether you like it or not. You need your energy. Come on, open your mouth,” Samantha commanded, determined to get the food in him.

  Reluctantly, Shane opened his mouth, slowly swallowing the food Samantha placed in his mouth. She was careful to put small amounts at a time, checking with each bite if he was able to tolerate it. She didn’t stop until the bowl was empty.

  Shane sighed as he stared at his beautiful Samantha. She was no longer the happy, free-spirited girl with her eyes always full of hope. Instead, she seemed utterly defeated, holding on to a thin thread of courage. He reached up to feel her face, keeping his touch gentle. He vowed to kill whoever hurt her like this. When she closed her eyes to his touch, he had to fight his own tears from falling.

  “What happened?” He needed to know everything.

  “Do you remember anything?” Samantha asked.

  Did he remember? He dug deep into his brain, and once he broke through the barrier, the memories came flooding back. Dear God, this was all his fault. Samantha was here because of him.

  “I’m sorry,” he mouthed, blinking his tears away. She didn’t need to see him any weaker than she’d already witnessed. She needed his strength right now.

  “No, shh!” Samantha shook her head. “Shane, you’re really hurt. I tried to protect you, but…listen, you’re in your human form right now. Can you change to your gargoyle form? Kelsey had told me you guys heal better as gargoyles.”

  Shane glanced down at himself and noticed he was indeed in his human form, completely naked. He didn’t remember shifting, though. He also saw the bruises and the cuts all over his body.

  “You must hurry, Shane. You have to heal before they come down here. I think only one of them is here right now, but once he gets the word out, the rest will be back.”

  Shane nodded and tried to shift into his gargoyle form. No matter how hard he tried, though, he remained a human. Soon, he was perspiring and breathing heavily from all of the attempts.

  “Stop,” Samantha said, frowning. “This is draining you. Maybe you’re too weak right now.”

  Could that be the reason? No, he should still be able to shift into his gargoyle form. He tried several more times, but it was useless.

  “Just remain lying there for now and try to get some rest. I think it’s going to be dawn soon anyway, so they won’t return until tomorrow night.”

  “Where are we?” he asked. He could hear his voice finally, although it was extremely hoarse. When he looked around, it looked like a dark cave.

  Samantha shook her head. “I have no idea,” she whispered.

  Shane reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. Kissing it, he touched her face with his other hand. Softly caressing the bruises, he said, “Who did this to you?”

  Samantha once again shook her head, looking away. “It doesn’t matter.”

  “It matters,” he hissed. “I want to know.”

  “Look, I’m telling you, you’re in a lot worse shape than me.”

  Shane knew she was right. Every inch of his body was in excruciating pain. But he could handle that pain. It was nothing compared to the agony he was feeling in his heart at the sight of her.

  “I failed you,” he whispered. “I was supposed to protect you. I’m gonna fix this, Sammy.”

  Samantha looked at him with sad eyes. “Hush, just rest for now. You’ve lost a lot of blood.” She then pointed to his thigh. When Shane shifted his eyes to the direction, she continued, “I don’t know what they did, but you had a nasty gash there. I wrapped up the wound with my undershirt. I had to stop the bleeding. I think it has at least slowed down.”

  Shane wasn’t worried about the wound. He didn’t care about his injuries. His only concern was Samantha’s welfare.

  “Come here.” He tugged at her arm, needing to feel her next to him. It was what had gotten him through his unconscious state. When he was ready to give up and let go, she wouldn’t allow it. She held him back, transferring her own strength into him. Now, greedily, he craved it again. When she lay next to him, he pulled her closer. It was the only sense of sanity he could hold onto right now—at least until his head cleared.

  “How long have I been out?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. You were brought down here about three days ago.”

  “If it’s going to be dawn soon, I’ll be turning into stone. I need to know everything I can.” Shane urged her to continue.

  “You won’t be turning into stone. At least you haven’t been while you were unconscious. You stayed human.”

  Shane frowned. How could that be possible? There was only one explanation for it. “How long have they had you?”

  “I’ve lost count. They got me from my apartment from L.A. Their names were Luther, Marco, and Jared—you know, the one who attacked you in Vegas. I couldn’t fight them off, Shane. I had no idea what they wanted. They flew with me and brought me here. When daytime arrived during our trip, they had me tied up while they turned into stone. I tried to escape, but it was impossible. Then I was brought here. I’ve been down here for at least a week. I have no idea what they want from me,” Samantha explained.

  “You’ve been in this hole by yourself for a week?” Shane was appalled. A lot more time had passed than he realized.

  When Samantha shuddered, Shane pulled her closer into his embrace. He couldn’t imagine the terrifying experience she had gone through.

  “When they brought you down here, I was relieved at first. I knew somehow you’d come looking for me. But then when I saw the state you were in…” Samantha couldn’t continue, as her voice began to tremble.

  “Shh, it’s okay,” he whispered.

  “No, it’s not. I thought you were dead. Then I realized you were still breathing. Your heart was still beating, but barely. I honestly didn’t think you were going to make it. And the thought of you dying right in front of me�
��” Samantha’s voice trailed off, and her tears flowed freely.

  Shane softly wiped her tears away. “I wanted to die—to just let go. It was you who wouldn’t let me. I could feel you, hear you.”

  “There was no way I was going to watch you die. They were horrible. Every time they’d come down, they’d hurt you even more,” she whispered.

  “I remember they’d try to hurt me, and then they’d take their anger out on you. Why did you distract them like that? Do you have any idea how many bruises you have? How swollen your face is?”

  Samantha shook her head and even chuckled. “You look worse, believe me.”

  Shane couldn’t laugh with her. He knew things would get worse if they didn’t get out of here. He wanted to get up and inspect the place, but he didn’t trust his body to move yet. He looked around and said, “This place looks like a cave. Have you checked to see if there’s a way out?”

  “I think it is an underground cave, but there’s no way out. There’s a metal door that’s always locked up around the corner there. That’s where they always enter. Once, I was able to sneak a peek out the door when they came, and I noticed stairs. That’s why I think they stay right upstairs. The three brothers rotate to guard this place. I know they don’t all stay at once up there, though, because I overheard them discussing who would be staying first.”

  “Tell me who you’ve seen here.” Shane needed to know exactly whom he was up against.

  “I’ve only seen Jared, Luther, and Marco. They told me they’re Camille’s brothers. Have you pissed her off lately?” Samantha asked.

  “I guess you can say that. So, you haven’t seen their father at all?” Shane wondered where Master Roman had disappeared. He had a feeling Master Roman was the reason why he couldn’t shift into a gargoyle anymore. They were absolutely forbidden to use their powers like this. Since he was already breaking rules, Shane knew Master Roman would do whatever it took to get his point across.

  “I’ve only seen the three brothers,” Samantha answered, shaking her head.

  Shane lifted Samantha’s chin up to meet his eyes. “Did they ever say what they wanted? Why they’re keeping us down here?”

  “No, they haven’t. I kept asking what they wanted, but they just laughed.”

  Shane wondered why Damien hadn’t tracked him down yet. As brothers, he should be able to feel where he is. But then again, if Shane was now turned into a human, that would mean all connections with his gargoyle world would be lost. Damien would no longer be able to sense Shane because it would be as if he didn’t exist anymore. He then remembered his ring.

  “Do you still have that bracelet on, Sammy? The one I gave you?”

  “Err, yeah, why?”

  “I want you to take my ring and fasten it onto the bracelet.”

  “Why?” Samantha frowned, not understanding his line of thinking.

  “Trust me, I have an idea.” He took his ring off. “Let me see the bracelet.” When she held out her hand, he unfastened the bracelet and slipped his ring in with the other stones. He then placed it back on her wrist and secured it.

  As soon as it was back on her, Samantha gasped, pulling her arm away.

  “What’s wrong?” Shane asked, worried.

  “Did you feel that? I felt a shock…like electricity going through me.”

  Shane narrowed his eyes, thinking what that could mean. “How do you feel now?”

  “Okay, but different. A little more energy somehow, stronger even. Why is that? Is it the ring?”

  “I’m not sure. I think it may be the combination of the ring and the bracelet. It is made from stones from my clan. The reason I had you wear the ring is because I think Damien may be able to find us if you had it on. That’s how I was able to track Damien and Kelsey down from that burning house years ago. Kelsey was wearing his ring. If he had it on, I wouldn’t have been able to sense him at all because he was turned into a human at that time. When we turn permanently like that, we lose all connection to our gargoyle world.”

  “Look, if we get out of this alive, you’ll have to explain everything to me. I want to understand.”

  “Okay, let’s figure out how to get out of here. I gotta start moving. I think you’ll need to help me to my feet,” Shane said, trying to move.

  Samantha sat up and assisted Shane to get into a sitting position. He winced when he felt stabbing pain in his side. Out of breath, he had to lean his back against the wall.

  “Are you okay?” Samantha stared at him intently.

  “May have some broken ribs,” he responded, still breathless. He tried to control his pain, pushing it out of his mind. Smiling apologetically to Samantha, he said, “I’m useless.”

  “No, you’re already helping me more than you know. You’re giving me hope, Shane. I almost gave up, but now, with you by my side, I have renowned strength. We’re gonna fight. And if we don’t make it, at least we’re gonna die fighting.”

  “Brave words, but I’m not gonna let you die, Sammy. I’m gonna get you out of here.” Shane paused, trying to catch his breath. “Okay, now I need you to help me on my feet.”

  “Are you sure you’re ready for it?” Samantha still sounded worried.

  “We don’t have a choice. Do you think it’s dawn already?”

  “I’m not sure, but the fact that nobody has come down yet tells me maybe it is.”

  “Listen, Sammy, if I don’t turn into a stone, that means I’ve been permanently turned into a human. That’s not a good sign for us because I wouldn’t be able to use any of my gargoyle powers.”

  Sammy frowned in surprise. “What do you mean? How can you be turned like that?”

  “Only Master Gargoyles have that power. Camille’s father is one of the Master Gargoyles, and I think he must have turned me,” Shane explained, brushing his hand through his hair.

  Samantha tensed, her full lips thinning into a straight line as she clenched her jaw. “You sure know how to pick ‘em, don’t you?”

  Shane sighed, resting his head back against the wall. He never imagined this was the direction his life would end up.

  “I’m sorry. I know I’m not helping,” Samantha said.

  Shane shook his head. “No, I deserve that and more. I’m the one who’s sorry. They went after you to get at me. If it weren’t for me, you would never be in this mess.”

  Samantha grabbed his face with her hands and forced him to look at her. “Don’t you know if I was gonna be in any type of mess, I’d rather it be with you? Besides, I’m glad I’m here. I brought you back from death, buddy! Don’t you forget it! Now, let’s get you on your feet.”

  Shane laughed. “Yes, ma’am! I don’t know how you can still joke around in these dire circumstances. Only you, little Sammy.”

  He leaned into her while she helped him up. “News flash, I’m not so little anymore,” she said.

  Shane pushed with his good leg with all his strength, ignoring the pain that was screaming at him. Somehow, he came to standing. Although he was leaning quite a bit on Samantha with unbearable pain, the fact that she was by his side kept him going.

  “Yeah, so I noticed,” he mumbled. He suddenly remembered he was completely naked. Typically, he had no problem with being nude; he actually preferred it. But being naked around Samantha somehow made him acutely aware of it. “Sorry for my lack of clothing.”

  “It’s nothing I haven’t seen before,” she replied, raising her eyebrow.

  Shane narrowed his eyes at her. “I didn’t need to hear that,” he muttered as his chest tightened.

  Samantha shrugged her shoulders. “Besides, you gave me the full view when I was only ten. How can a girl possibly forget such a sight?” she teased, batting her eyes.

  “You’ll never let me forget that, will you? If I remember correctly, it couldn’t be helped. At that time, my sole purpose was to save Damien and Kelsey. I didn’t realize I was going to run into a ten-year-old girl and that my powers wouldn’t work on her to make her forget such a view me.�
�

  “Hey, who said I was complaining?” Samantha said, hiding her smile. “Like I said, it was a sight I could never forget.”

  Shane shook his head, trying to focus on the task at hand. “Okay, I think my legs are getting used to standing. At least the good one is. I wanna see that exit you were talking about. Ready to carry this heavy weight?”

  “Let’s go, big guy.” Samantha helped him step forward.

  Twenty-four

  Shane was having difficulty putting weight on his wounded, left leg, but Samantha was helping him on that side, so he was slowly able to move forward. Sharp pain was shooting up his left leg, but Shane didn’t even flinch. This was no time to worry about pain. He needed to figure out how to get them out of there.

  When they reached the doorway, Shane’s heart sank. There would be no way they could break out of the large, metal door. Even still, he attempted to shake it and investigated to see if he could somehow manage to unlock it. The door wouldn’t even budge.

  “Okay, let’s look at the rest of this cave. How large is it? Have you looked everywhere? Maybe there’s another way out?” He knew he was grasping at straws, but it was still best to be sure.

  “I checked everywhere. Trust me, there’s nothing.”

  “Humor me and take me to every inch of this place.”

  Both continued their search, and Shane felt a little stronger with each step. He inspected every corner of the cave and checked the walls for even the slightest weakness. When he noticed the toilet on the far end of the cave, he said, “How the hell did they get a toilet down here?”

  “It’s just one of those portable kind. It’s disgusting.” Samantha wrinkled her nose in disgust.

  “I’m about to use it, disgusting or not.”

  “Oh, err, are you going to be able to stand by yourself, or do you need my help?” Samantha stumbled over her words.

  “You’d help me if I needed you to?” Shane teased, smirking at her.

  “Do you need help or not?” she snapped.

  “Nah, there’s nothing appealing about watching a man take a piss. I’ll spare you the experience. I think I’m good.”