reunion.â
â Oui ,â Levet agreed, waving his hands in a shooing gesture as he sternly reminded himself that he was no longer afraid of the evil creatures whoâd tormented him his entire childhood. âSo, go away.â
A hint of vapor curled from Claudineâs nostril. She didnât have the fire of her mother, but she could belch a foul cloud of smoke.
âI donât know how you had your name returned to the Wall, but I warn you, I wonât be satisfied until you are once again shunned,â she growled.
âSo you seek to revoke Motherâs direct proclamation?â Levet mocked. âPerhaps youâve even decided itâs time to challenge her to become the doyenne?â
Ian took a hasty step away from Claudine. As if afraid of being contaminated.
A legitimate fear.
Berthe would destroy anyone who even hinted at mutiny.
Claudine shook her massive head. âMother would never have revoked your banishment.â
âI assure you that she did.â
The gray eyes narrowed with suspicion. âHow?â
Levet gave another shooing wave. âGo ask her.â
âIâm asking you.â
Levet rolled his eyes. Heâd known word of his return to the Guild wouldnât make his family happy, but he was in no mood for yet another répugnant confrontation.
âI simply revealed my part in saving the world from utter destruction. How could she not include such a hero in the Guild?â
âLiar.â Claudine stomped her foot, making the ground quake. âYou are a pathetic weakling that offers nothing but shame.â
Levet heaved a resigned sigh. âAs I said, go ask her yourself.â
â Non .â A dangerous expression twisted his sisterâs ugly face. She didnât like being thwarted. Especially not by her deformed, height-challenged younger brother. âYou might have deceived Mother into returning you to the Guild, but I intend to make sure itâs a short stay.â
He spread his wings, resisting the urge to take yet another step closer to the vampire.
He was a hero.... Hear him roar.
âYou donât have the power to shun me.â
Claudine pulled back her lips to expose her tusks in a visible threat.
âPerhaps not, but I have the power to kill you.â
Levet blinked in shock. It was against Gargoyle law to kill another gargoyle unless they were banished.
Or unless a formal challenge had been issued. And really, who wanted to deal with the paperwork?
âIâm a member of the Guild,â he reminded his whack-a-doodle of a relative.
âNot for long.â
Raising her hands, which had claws long enough to skewer Levet, Claudine stepped forward, reluctantly followed by her partner in crime, Ian.
Levet squared his shoulders, summoning the last of his fading power.
â Merde ,â Elijah snapped, clearly at the end of his patience. âI told you to stay back.â
âThis is Guild business, vampire,â Ian growled. âYou donât want to interfere.â
âWhat I want is to be left alone with the woman I love,â Elijah informed them, a smile curving his lips at Vallaâs gasp of shock. âAnd if that means killing you to accomplish that goal, then thatâs what Iâll do.â
âLove?â Valla squeaked, her hands pressed over her heart. âDid you say you love me?â
Elijah turned to wrap the bemused nymph in his arms even as the two gargoyles took another step forward.
âUmmm . . . maybe we could discuss this later?â Levet murmured, delighted that the foolish vampire had at last confessed his feelings, but wishing heâd chosen a more suitable time and place.
For all his newfound confidence, he was fairly certain he couldnât defeat two full-grown gargoyles at the same time.
Even Batman had a sidekick.
Indifferent to the danger, Elijah studied Vallaâs upturned face with open adoration.
âOf course I love
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