lap. Her broken wing twitched painfully and her cheek ticked.
“Something wrong?” asked Chris lowly from across the table.
She looked up in shock. So used to being ignored, overlooked, forgotten, she assumed nobody was interested in what she was doing. “I… ah…”
“Is it your leg?” For a moment a fierce look of protectiveness flashed across his features.
Truthfully, she had not even thought about her leg since he wrapped it in plastic earlier. It tingled, but not from the burn. No, she had his soft touch to thank for that. She had never been touched in that way before, and it was so tender and surprising.
“No, I am fine,” she said quietly.
His face did not soften. “You looked like you were in pain.”
“I was,” Annis blurted and then remembered that she was not supposed to talk about her wing. Something her mother insisted on when Annis tried to tell her how much pain the broken wing caused her. You were born wrong, Annis, her mother told her, do not shame me more by calling attention to it. But her mother was not here. But did Annis really want to draw attention to it? Humans would already consider her a freak; they did not need to know she was a malfunctioning freak.
“It is nothing.”
Chris watched her for a few moments and decided not to pursue the matter. “In a few more hours you can have some more ibuprofen.”
Annis nodded. She did not like to say it, but she doubted the pills he gave her would make any difference. Only magic could help magical creatures.
He looked down. “I wish I could take you to a hospital.” A note of frustration entered his voice.
“Maybe one day, things will be different,” she murmured.
As he looked up, his eyes flickered with something she couldn’t identify. Could it be that he also lamented the situation? Did he wish she could walk out into the world with him, too? Or was that too much to hope for?
Annis passed the rest of her hamburger to Bob, who eagerly lapped up the treat.
Chapter Seven
Chris told Luc about Melissa’s upcoming visit. Luc grunted but did not seem overly concerned.
“I do not see it will be an issue. I will ensure that none of my gargoyles take to the skies that night.”
Chris nodded and stared out into the garden where a few of the males were fighting and joking with one another. “Have you heard anything from Blackthorne?”
“No, no one acting under his direction has approached the house.”
“I haven’t seen anything suspicious in town either – but maybe they’re just getting better at hiding and blending into crowds.” The last lot stomped around in black clothes, combat boots, and miserable scowls – they stuck out like sore thumbs amongst the tourists.
“This Agent Sanchez, does she have any reason to come to this house?”
“No, I can’t see that she does. All she knows is that a couple of drunk tourists thought they saw something in the sky.”
Luc narrowed his eyes. “You trust her? You trust she is not working for Blackthorne or someone like him?”
“Yes, without a doubt,” Chris answered immediately. Melissa was as straight as the day was long.
“Then I will not worry about her.”
“But you worry about Blackthorne?” Chris couldn’t deny that he’d endured a few sleepless nights worrying that Blackthorne might send mercenaries to the mansion to kill all the gargoyles. His insides squeezed painfully at the thought of Annis getting hurt. What if they turned up in the daytime to smash her to smithereens?!
“I worry because I do not know what he wants from my people or me. His family members have always been acolytes of Morgan Le Fay, and her wish was to rule the world with magic. Perhaps that is what he wishes too, and to use gargoyles as soldiers.”
Chris snorted. “No offense but that’s a pretty tall order. You guys are tough, but I can’t see you standing up to automatic weapons.”
Luc’s face
“Something wrong?” asked Chris lowly from across the table.
She looked up in shock. So used to being ignored, overlooked, forgotten, she assumed nobody was interested in what she was doing. “I… ah…”
“Is it your leg?” For a moment a fierce look of protectiveness flashed across his features.
Truthfully, she had not even thought about her leg since he wrapped it in plastic earlier. It tingled, but not from the burn. No, she had his soft touch to thank for that. She had never been touched in that way before, and it was so tender and surprising.
“No, I am fine,” she said quietly.
His face did not soften. “You looked like you were in pain.”
“I was,” Annis blurted and then remembered that she was not supposed to talk about her wing. Something her mother insisted on when Annis tried to tell her how much pain the broken wing caused her. You were born wrong, Annis, her mother told her, do not shame me more by calling attention to it. But her mother was not here. But did Annis really want to draw attention to it? Humans would already consider her a freak; they did not need to know she was a malfunctioning freak.
“It is nothing.”
Chris watched her for a few moments and decided not to pursue the matter. “In a few more hours you can have some more ibuprofen.”
Annis nodded. She did not like to say it, but she doubted the pills he gave her would make any difference. Only magic could help magical creatures.
He looked down. “I wish I could take you to a hospital.” A note of frustration entered his voice.
“Maybe one day, things will be different,” she murmured.
As he looked up, his eyes flickered with something she couldn’t identify. Could it be that he also lamented the situation? Did he wish she could walk out into the world with him, too? Or was that too much to hope for?
Annis passed the rest of her hamburger to Bob, who eagerly lapped up the treat.
Chapter Seven
Chris told Luc about Melissa’s upcoming visit. Luc grunted but did not seem overly concerned.
“I do not see it will be an issue. I will ensure that none of my gargoyles take to the skies that night.”
Chris nodded and stared out into the garden where a few of the males were fighting and joking with one another. “Have you heard anything from Blackthorne?”
“No, no one acting under his direction has approached the house.”
“I haven’t seen anything suspicious in town either – but maybe they’re just getting better at hiding and blending into crowds.” The last lot stomped around in black clothes, combat boots, and miserable scowls – they stuck out like sore thumbs amongst the tourists.
“This Agent Sanchez, does she have any reason to come to this house?”
“No, I can’t see that she does. All she knows is that a couple of drunk tourists thought they saw something in the sky.”
Luc narrowed his eyes. “You trust her? You trust she is not working for Blackthorne or someone like him?”
“Yes, without a doubt,” Chris answered immediately. Melissa was as straight as the day was long.
“Then I will not worry about her.”
“But you worry about Blackthorne?” Chris couldn’t deny that he’d endured a few sleepless nights worrying that Blackthorne might send mercenaries to the mansion to kill all the gargoyles. His insides squeezed painfully at the thought of Annis getting hurt. What if they turned up in the daytime to smash her to smithereens?!
“I worry because I do not know what he wants from my people or me. His family members have always been acolytes of Morgan Le Fay, and her wish was to rule the world with magic. Perhaps that is what he wishes too, and to use gargoyles as soldiers.”
Chris snorted. “No offense but that’s a pretty tall order. You guys are tough, but I can’t see you standing up to automatic weapons.”
Luc’s face
Similar Books
