tightened. “No, indeed. Perhaps that was the purpose of the experiments they were doing that resulted in Twenty-Six.”
“Bullet-proof gargoyles?”
He rolled his enormous shoulders. “Perhaps. Twenty-Six could only glean that they wanted gargoyles that would not be forced to sleep during the day. Their other purposes in creating her and her late kin are still a mystery.”
“At least that doctor won’t be creating any more gargoyles.” Chris didn’t think he’d forget the sight of the doctor getting fried on his own electrified fence.
“No, but we do not know if Blackthorne has found a replacement for him, and we still do not know if he has any more gargoyles hidden somewhere for his experiments. He used live gargoyles to create Twenty-Six and unless they are dead, they are out there somewhere.”
“I can ask some old colleagues in the Portland PD to do a little digging. Maybe even Sanchez could poke around.” Luc looked at him, and Chris held up his hands. “You can trust her, I swear.”
He nodded and grunted.
“You think Blackthorne fancies himself as ruler of the world?” An incredible, almost cartoonish goal, but given how the world was changing, perhaps not completely out of the way.
Luc huffed. “Perhaps, although I doubt he has enough power. If he did, he would be able to wake the gargoyles himself.”
Chris nodded and looked at his watch. “I better get Brenda home.”
“She would be welcome to stay here.”
Yeah, she’d love that he thought in irritation. “She’s a teenage girl; she needs some boundaries. I let her stay here, she’d never do her homework and never finish school.”
“That may be true, but having more females around helps calm the males somewhat.”
“Too much testosterone, huh?” Chris chuckled.
Luc gave him a blank look. “Having her and Kylie around is perhaps useful in reminding the males that there is hope that they may be able to mate with a human also. Of the unmated gargoyles, there are only two females to six males, and Twenty-Six behaves in a more human manner than gargoyle. It is,” he thought about the next word carefully before deciding on, “concerning.”
Chris didn’t say anything. He thought of Annis surrounded by the enormous, single male gargoyles of her clan and his chest constricted.
“Perhaps I worry for nothing,” said Luc. “Maggie and Andrew are returning tomorrow with a new gargoyle, and two more puzzles are almost unlocked. Perhaps they will all be females.”
“The professor sure didn’t make things easy for you.”
“No, but if the puzzles had been easy to decipher, then my brothers and sisters would already be lost.”
Chris left him on that maudlin note, and Luc grunted a goodbye. He had to drag Brenda home; she was annoyed about not getting more time with Ric – but given that it was a school night…
As they drove the short distance home, Brenda regaled him with the stories Ric had told her, unaware of his dangerous mood. He could not stand to hear of Ric the almighty gargoyle at the best of times. Now, he was considering the fact that there was the possibility that six male gargoyles each viewed Annis as the only female in the world.
*
“How is your leg, dear?” asked Bea.
Annis gazed down at her plastic wrapped appendage and gave it a wiggle. “It feels fine. I think it will heal while I sleep.”
“I’m sorry I can’t heal magical creatures, only humans. But I’m glad Chris was here to take care of you. He is a kind man.”
Annis blushed, remembering the feel of his skin against hers. She drew her wings closer around her body. “Yes. Why is he not mated?” she blurted.
Bea blinked at her. “I believe he was married, but his wife died a few years ago. I am not sure about the circumstances, but I don’t think he dates much if at all.”
“Oh.” Annis stroked her hands up and down her wings, a nervous habit. “Perhaps
“Bullet-proof gargoyles?”
He rolled his enormous shoulders. “Perhaps. Twenty-Six could only glean that they wanted gargoyles that would not be forced to sleep during the day. Their other purposes in creating her and her late kin are still a mystery.”
“At least that doctor won’t be creating any more gargoyles.” Chris didn’t think he’d forget the sight of the doctor getting fried on his own electrified fence.
“No, but we do not know if Blackthorne has found a replacement for him, and we still do not know if he has any more gargoyles hidden somewhere for his experiments. He used live gargoyles to create Twenty-Six and unless they are dead, they are out there somewhere.”
“I can ask some old colleagues in the Portland PD to do a little digging. Maybe even Sanchez could poke around.” Luc looked at him, and Chris held up his hands. “You can trust her, I swear.”
He nodded and grunted.
“You think Blackthorne fancies himself as ruler of the world?” An incredible, almost cartoonish goal, but given how the world was changing, perhaps not completely out of the way.
Luc huffed. “Perhaps, although I doubt he has enough power. If he did, he would be able to wake the gargoyles himself.”
Chris nodded and looked at his watch. “I better get Brenda home.”
“She would be welcome to stay here.”
Yeah, she’d love that he thought in irritation. “She’s a teenage girl; she needs some boundaries. I let her stay here, she’d never do her homework and never finish school.”
“That may be true, but having more females around helps calm the males somewhat.”
“Too much testosterone, huh?” Chris chuckled.
Luc gave him a blank look. “Having her and Kylie around is perhaps useful in reminding the males that there is hope that they may be able to mate with a human also. Of the unmated gargoyles, there are only two females to six males, and Twenty-Six behaves in a more human manner than gargoyle. It is,” he thought about the next word carefully before deciding on, “concerning.”
Chris didn’t say anything. He thought of Annis surrounded by the enormous, single male gargoyles of her clan and his chest constricted.
“Perhaps I worry for nothing,” said Luc. “Maggie and Andrew are returning tomorrow with a new gargoyle, and two more puzzles are almost unlocked. Perhaps they will all be females.”
“The professor sure didn’t make things easy for you.”
“No, but if the puzzles had been easy to decipher, then my brothers and sisters would already be lost.”
Chris left him on that maudlin note, and Luc grunted a goodbye. He had to drag Brenda home; she was annoyed about not getting more time with Ric – but given that it was a school night…
As they drove the short distance home, Brenda regaled him with the stories Ric had told her, unaware of his dangerous mood. He could not stand to hear of Ric the almighty gargoyle at the best of times. Now, he was considering the fact that there was the possibility that six male gargoyles each viewed Annis as the only female in the world.
*
“How is your leg, dear?” asked Bea.
Annis gazed down at her plastic wrapped appendage and gave it a wiggle. “It feels fine. I think it will heal while I sleep.”
“I’m sorry I can’t heal magical creatures, only humans. But I’m glad Chris was here to take care of you. He is a kind man.”
Annis blushed, remembering the feel of his skin against hers. She drew her wings closer around her body. “Yes. Why is he not mated?” she blurted.
Bea blinked at her. “I believe he was married, but his wife died a few years ago. I am not sure about the circumstances, but I don’t think he dates much if at all.”
“Oh.” Annis stroked her hands up and down her wings, a nervous habit. “Perhaps
Similar Books
