Chapter 6
Roman meandered through Larissa’s grandmother’s backyard, peeking at various plants growing in a greenhouse. The cats watched him from hiding spots—the black one took cover behind hosta leaves, while the other two peered at him from behind an azalea bush. He bent down and offered his hand to the black one. It eyed him with wariness, but he remained patient. Trust took time.
After almost a minute, the black cat’s curiosity won out. It came over to sniff his hand. He allowed it to, making sure not to make any sudden moves that would scare it. After it sauntered off, he approached the other two, but a telepathic message interrupted him.
It was from one of his sentries, Franco.
Roman, someone was just acting suspicious near the portal.
Shit. Roman clenched his hands into fists. Tell me what happened.
Vidal and I thought he might be another curious human, peeking around the crime scene. He kept glancing at us, but we were cloaked. Something about him was off. He wore a long black trench coat on a warm July night. He also wore dark sunglasses and a hood that covered most of his face.
Did he say anything? Roman asked.
No. He kept circling the area, casting surreptitious glances our way. I approached him while Vidal guarded the portal. He walked away at a brisk pace, as if he wanted to hurry, but not draw attention by fleeing. I called to him, and said, “Excuse me, can I help you?” He ran, slipping behind the bandstand. Once I caught up, he’d disappeared.
Roman paced along one edge of the greenhouse. How long ago did this happen?
Moments ago, Franco replied. Unfortunately, I can’t determine if this is a demon or not. Their scent remains all over the area, but their dark magic that masked it likely lingers as well. I hurried back to Vidal. He didn’t sense any trouble at the portal. But, we’re wary.
I’m flying there now. Keep Arto and me posted if anything else develops.
Will do, Commander.
After Roman signed off with Franco, he contacted Arto and filled him in.
Notify the others as to what happened and to look out for someone of that description.
After he reentered the house, Larissa caught his gaze. She drew her brows together.
“What is it?”
“I have to leave,” he said. “A situation requires my attention.” He turned to her grandmother and put his hand over his heart in the gargoyle way. “Thank you for your hospitality. I hope we meet again soon.”
She nodded. “As do I, Roman.”
He led Larissa outside and into her car to prevent anyone nearby from overhearing their conversation. “One of my sentries reported someone acting odd near the portal. I need to check on it.”
She groaned. “Oh no.”
Her troubled expression made him want to whisk her away to someplace safe where she’d never have to face any more threats. But, he couldn’t abandon his duty. He could reduce her anxiety, though. No need to concern her about the possibility of a demon until he knew for sure.
“It might be nothing, Larissa,” he said in a reassuring tone. “Don’t worry.”
“I should go with you,” she declared.
Oh, he’d wished that she would. After finally reuniting with his mate, the last thing he wanted to do was leave her. But, he had to think about what was best for her. “You have enough going on here. You shouldn’t leave. Like I said, I just need to scout it out.”
With a tense nod, she said, “I understand.”
“We’ll get together again as soon as we can.”
She tapped her fingers along the side of her leg. “It seems like all we’re doing is running from one crisis to another. Can we meet up at my place later tonight?”
He cupped her cheek and caressed it. “I’d like that more than anything. If I can make it, I’ll be there.” He searched her eyes. Many things could interfere with that happening, especially if they had a situation with a demon to contend with.
He lowered his head to hers. The moment his lips touched hers, his body sang with the electrical buzz that only came from the touch of a true mate. She softened in his arms, the way he guessed she only did for him. Bit by bit, he was breaking in, finding his way through the cracks to the remarkable woman within.
When he pressed his body to hers in the front seat, all he wanted to do was lay her back and kiss every inch of her. It compounded his conflict. He’d only just found his mate. They should have days on end with nothing else to do but get to know each other better. Discover each other’s likes and dislikes. Explore each other’s bodies and seek out pleasure.
But, he had to leave and investigate a potential threat.
With utmost reluctance, he pulled his lips from hers. He dragged his body away, but his fingers lingered on her torso.
He had to move. They couldn’t have a repeat of the battle with the demons, not with the city still shell-shocked and in mourning.
The sense of urgency shoved him into motion.
He opened the car door and found a spot behind a shed where he cloaked himself and shifted into winged form. When he stepped out, Larissa’s lips parted. She watched him with a wondrous stare. She was one of the few humans who could see him, see through his magic—it had been an early sign indicating she wasn’t a typical human.
“Goodbye, Roman.” Her dark eyes fixed on him.
He sensed her underlying sorrow by her expression. Gods, he hated leaving her this way. All he wanted to do was take her in his arms and kiss away whatever torment she felt. She’d asked him to come here, and already, he’d had to abandon his promise to be there for her.
“I’ll get in touch with you as soon as possible.”
He flapped his wings and ascended into the sky above her grandmother’s house. After confirming he had a clear flight path before him, he glanced over his shoulder. She was barely visible.
And soon, he couldn’t see her at all.
He gulped down his regret on leaving her. Duty commanded it. Pulling himself together, he concentrated on the journey. Flight helped soothe the ache of parting with his mate, as well, alleviating the pang to a more manageable level. He sensed flight for a gargoyle was like yoga or meditation for humans–distress didn’t feel as pronounced as it had before the session.
As he soared over the residences, he let the summer breeze feather over his tougher gargoyle hide, calming the tension building within. Although he’d prefer to fly at night to aid in concealment, summer was the best time to fly. It lacked the blistering bite of winter’s cold kiss, and it wasn’t hot like a desert on a midsummer’s day. Although some of the humid days in the city could tempt him to change his opinion.
A few buildings pierced through the abundance of low-level houses of the suburbs below. More appeared as he flew over Waltham and its high-tech corridor along Route 128. He veered east as he headed in and spotted the Charles River. It was more peaceful to fly over water than traffic-clogged highways with pollution rising to penetrate his nostrils. He’d swear all that smog left a layer of grimy dust on his wings. Since they were good to him, he’d take care of them and not subject them to unnecessary hardships.
He crossed Storrow Drive and headed east to the Boston Common. Within minutes, the green pasture, part of what Bostonians called the Emerald Necklace, stood out amid the surrounding congestion of the roads that traversed the perimeter. The Common appeared like an inviting, peaceful refuge.
Except for the sections cordoned off with police tape.
Would Larissa have been part of the investigation had she not been put on leave?
Maybe. Maybe not. He didn’t know how police investigations functioned. The Boston Police Department was divided into districts. He’d looked into their organization at a basic level when he’d been assigned as commander in Boston. How they’d respond when it came to disasters like the demon attack remained a mystery. Humans were woefully ignorant when it came to things they didn’t understand.
Once he approached the portal, he descended. He landed on the grass a dozen feet from his sentries and approached Franco and Vidal.
Franco kept his black hair cut short into a military style. He’d been assigned to the Boston division from Rome. Vidal was from Normandy and stood a couple of inches taller, and his body was leaner than Franco’s. He kept his sandy hair longer and more relaxed, much like his personality. While Franco stood tall with a military bearing, Vidal was easier-going and more adaptable. Despite—or perhaps due to—their different personalities, they worked well together.
“Commander,” Franco said in his thick Italian accent and placed his hand on his heart.
Vidal repeated the gesture.
Roman nodded. “Show me where it all happened.”
Franco pointed behind Roman. “Come this way.”
Roman scanned their surroundings as they walked outward from the portal. People milled about, strolling over the sidewalks and grass. No signs of sinister activity.
Then, why did the air cast that vibe?
“Right about here,” Franco said.
Roman inhaled, trying to get a read on the scents. One stood out—that loathsome odor of those malevolent creatures.
“Yes, one was here,” he stated. “But, you’re right–it’s difficult to read how recently.”
The demons had used some type of dark magic during the eclipse that had worked like an aphrodisiac, luring humans into a trap. That floral-scent had also masked the intruders’ odor, clouding the Stone Sentries’ ability to detect them.
Shit. Nothing was certain. How the hell should Roman respond?
He went over what he learned from the Council in Paris after he’d reported the attack.
“The demons slipped in through a portal in the Boston Common. Since it happened during the eclipse of the red Supermoon, I’m guessing the timing is somehow connected.”
“Indeed,” Veronique, one of the councilors, had replied. “Astronomical occurrences like that of the moon can cause significant disturbances in the universe. The demons likely knew of this and likely seized upon the opportunity to break through into our realm. What is the current state of the portal?”
“I sealed it after we forced the demons into the portal. Two of my sentries have been on guard since, and all appears to be undisturbed. What worries me is whether they are truly gone or destroyed.”
“By beheading them, you have severed the mind-body lifeline, so you have likely destroyed them. But, our experiences with demons slipping through portals are limited. They have been rare since the incident with your father.”
Rage had fired through Roman’s veins, his pulse taking off like wildfire in the wind. He’d been a young boy when demons had attacked his village in the Algarve on the southern coast of Portugal. His father had been killed, and Roman had vowed to avenge his death. When he’d finally had the chance on Saturday night, it had been a struggle not to succumb to the bloodlust. It wasn’t the way of the gargoyle. They watched over the world and protected against danger. He had to remind himself that he was a leader, responsible for keeping everyone safe, and not slip into a blind quest for vengeance.
Including his mate.
“When it comes to immortal beings and dark magic, nothing is for certain,” Veronique had added.
Roman had suppressed a groan. He’d hoped for a more definite answer affirming that the demons had been absolutely destroyed, although he knew that might not necessarily be the case. And, others could have escaped to hide in the city.
“Have there been any other disturbances in other cities?” he’d asked.
“None that we are aware of, at this point. All divisions are on notice. Since the eclipse has passed, the opportunity for demons to slip through is likely over.”
Roman pieced what he’d learned from Veronique with the latest findings. The demons likely couldn’t slip through the closed portal, but they could have escaped into the city.
He took uneasy steps as he returned with Franco to the portal where Vidal remained on watch.
“Did you get a sense for what he wanted?” he asked them both.
Franco cocked his head. “I don’t think he meant to engage, but by the way he assessed us, I worried he might have been trying to access the portal.”
“With two gargoyles guarding it,” Vidal added, “he likely gauged whether it was worth fighting them both or to watch from a distance while trying to figure out another tactic.”
Roman clucked his tongue. He had to rethink his decision with the portal. They had sealed it to keep more demons from coming through. With a possible threat of one still in this realm, was it still the best option? If a demon was trying to find a way out through the portal, hell, Roman would escort it for the voyage. One fewer threat to deal with.
But, if the gargoyles reopened the portal and allowed vengeful, waiting demons to slip back in, Roman could be unleashing another wave of fresh hell upon the city.
So, opening the portal wasn’t the optimal option. If the being was, indeed, a demon, the gargoyles would have to fight it. Destroy it for good.
Nothing was clear.
And so, he struggled with the most suitable response to a vague threat. Reopening the portal was an unenticing option, but how else could they shove a demon back to their hellish realm?