Tempest awoke with a start. Rogue jumped on the bed and with great enthusiasm licked her with his giant tongue.
“Rogue, you scared me half to death,” she scolded holding a hand over her heart.
“You slept late, Tempest! Ryder said you should sleep.”
She looked around the room, wondering whether it had all been a dream, but the tenderness she felt between her legs told her it had been real.
Tempest yawned and stretched. She couldn’t remember ever feeling so wonderful. “So where is our savior?”
“Outside.”
“Doesn’t he ever come in?” she muttered more to herself than Rogue.
“Come on, Tempest. Come outside. There’s no snow!” He jumped off the bed, bounding up and down.
She laughed, and then stopped, shaking her head. “I like this feeling. I like feeling happy.”
“Me, too, Tempest. Can we stay with him, or at least stay here?”
The covers felt like heaven. She almost froze in place, not wanting to do anything that might break the spell she seemed to be in.
“I’m not sure about that, Rogue. We are still on Misfit Mountain, and until we are far away from Fedor, I don’t think it would be wise to believe it will always be like this.” She pushed the covers away and slid to the edge of the bed.
“We are leaving today.” His tiny wings thumped.
There was nothing to keep her from laughing. The gargdog was happy, and she’d be wrong to take this moment away from him. “You’re right! Now, if you’ll wait outside, I’ll freshen up and be right out to join you.”
He spun around, running into the chair and toppling it over. Without looking back, he thumped his way down the hall.
Sadness crept into her soul. Why couldn’t all this be real? Nothing would mean more to her. She moved toward the closet off to the right. Anything she could want stared at her when the doors opened. Of course, she chose only the garments that would fully cover her bare skin, but going against her better judgment, she decided on the color black, something she wouldn’t typically do; black would stand out on white—the white snow. After brushing her hair, she made a braid and secured it up on the top of her head out of the way. She pulled on a pair of shoes, which fit perfectly. It had been so long since she’d worn a properly fitting pair of shoes, they almost felt awkward.
She left the special room and buried the happy memories deep in her heart.
Outside, the bright sun caused her to squint and hold her arm up over her eyes. Rogue jumped to her side and ran circles around her. It seemed odd to watch him run with his large body.
“It’s nice here, Tempest.”
“Yes, it is, Rogue.” Pretty colored flowers and lush foliage of green surrounded them. “It’s almost like being in a dream.”
A gust of wind hit them, and she ducked out of instinct.
Ryder landed a short distance away.
Her cheeks turned hot. After what they’d shared last night, she’d almost forgotten about this side of him.
He folded his wings behind him and walked toward her. “Did you sleep well?”
She smiled and bent her head shyly. “I don’t think I’ve ever slept so well.”
“Good.”
“Did you sleep?”
“It is not necessary for gargoyles to sleep. We rest when in our formidable stone position, but we never truly sleep.”
“That would explain why or how you left the first night in the cave. You just waited for me to fall asleep,” she said, annoyed.
He crossed his arms over his chest and straightened up. “It was necessary for me to leave.”
“Yes, but you told me you wouldn’t.”
“Are you ready to go?” he asked, changing the subject.
She hesitated. “I guess we are.”
“I don’t know what to expect once we break through the dimension. He pointed to the belt that fit snugly at his waist. “Rogue, this is for you. You will ride on my back and secure yourself by holding on to the leather with your teeth. Do not let go. Tempest, I will carry you in my arms. Any questions?”
Rogue sat at his feet, waiting.
Tempest chewed at her finger, unsure. “Are you sure this will work?”
“No. I’m not sure about anything anymore.”
“Oh.”
“Well, let’s go.” In three steps, he’d scooped her up in his massive arms.
It took a moment before Tempest opened her eyes and took a breath of air. She stared up into his dark eyes, feeling the warming sensation throughout her body. She wanted to kiss him, but settled for licking her lips. His eyes bore into hers for a moment as if he could see straight through to her soul.
He looked away, speaking to Rogue. “Jump, and hang on tight.”
She closed her eyes and turned her head into his chest. The feeling of his powerful legs pushing off the ground sent her heart fluttering. He was so strong, but she knew the other side of him, the one he hid from others—his feelings of insecurity, telling himself he wasn’t worthy to be a gargoyle, how when he’d lost his eye, he’d wished he’d died in the fight.
The wind blew strong, and the higher they flew, the more dark and cold it got. She shivered and gathered the courage to look down. Everything looked so tiny, but what really caught her attention was how small the patch of lush green was. Everything else around them remained white and cold.
The snow began to fall and her heart sank. A beautiful dream had disappeared almost as fast as they flew. Try as she might to see above, it seemed impossible. Every now and again, she’d catch a glimpse of the sky, which shone like gold. She smiled and held on to the small piece of hope buried in her heart.
In the next instant, a scorching pain stabbed her in the chest. The intensity left her breathless. As they continued up, and she could see sparkles of silver dancing all around them, fire consumed her from the inside out. She screamed in agony, unable to breathe. Her lungs ceased to allow her a breath of air. It was as if she was drowning, with no oxygen, and at the same time she burned from the inside out. She struggled in Ryder’s arms, fighting what seemed to be an inevitable death, until her vision blurred and turned from grey to black.
* * *
Ryder stopped in mid air looking down at her. “What is wrong with…” his words trailed off. Tempest’s lips and skin had turned dark-blue. She hung limp in his arms. “What the fuck?” Not only was she blue in color, but she was hot—burning-up hot. He held a large finger to her neck. There was no pulse.
He felt the small weight on his back leave. His eyes widened in disbelief as Rogue plummeted to the ground, unmoving.
What went wrong? She can’t be dead, she just can’t be.
The tiny silver sparks dancing around them grew in size. The pixies were back, the same ones that had brought him to the mountain. The tiny sprites were no larger than his talons. They spoke rapidly and in a flurry. Were they pointing to the ground? One of them flew right into his face and poked him in the cheek with a definitive motion to the ground. Without thinking twice, he clutched Tempest close and dove for the ground, realizing that once again, Rogue needed to be caught. Like before, he caught up to the gargdog free-falling in the air and snagged him by the collar.
A hundred feet before they hit the ground, he opened his wings to slow their descent. Rogue lay unmoving in the green grass, while Ryder gently laid Tempest in the thick soft moss. With a swipe of his claw he removed her shirt, desperately trying to discover what could be wrong with her.
“Breathe, Tempest! Breathe!”
He’d been so focused on Tempest that he’d ignored his own pain. He clenched his fist, angry for the searing pain in the palm of his hand.
“What do you want from us?” he yelled up into the sky. Helplessness overwhelmed him as he reached down to her similar scar with his. Her words echoed in his mind.
“Maybe we were meant to be together.”
His large hand covered her chest, and at the exact moment of contact, their scars melded together. He struggled to keep upright as the world spun. His vision blurred and he blinked, trying to understand what he saw. He was looking up at himself…as if he was inside her head.
Fuck! That’s exactly it.
He was inside her head, feeling what she felt and seeing what she would see.
With all his might, before he lost consciousness, he yanked his hand away from her body. Falling backward, he caught his breath before leaning back over her.
Her gasp of air caught him by surprise, and no other sight in the world would have made him happier. Slowly, her eyes opened and tears flowed down her cheeks.
“Am I dead?”
He shook his head. “No, sweetie, you’re just fine.”
“What happened, Ryder? I only remember a terrible pain, and I couldn’t breathe.” She tried to push herself up. He placed his arm around her waist, helping her forward.
Her hand flew to her mouth with a shriek. “Rogue!”
Ryder’s gaze followed hers. She struggled forward to the beast. “Why would you do this? Put him back immediately,” she screamed with anger.
He stared at the gargdog. He hadn’t turned him to stone. “Tempest, I didn’t do this.” He stood and moved to Rogue’s side. “I’m puzzled.”
“Please change him back,” Tempest cried.
He placed his hand on the gargdog’s stone form where it lay in the grass. “I would if I could, but I can’t. I didn’t turn him to stone.”
She continued to cry, curling her body up and around Rogue’s form. “I’m so sorry. I should have never agreed to try and leave this mountain. I should have listened to Fedor.”
Ryder’s blood boiled at the sound of her desperation. He bent over and picked her up, holding her so she could see the anger that must be reflected in his eyes. “I don’t ever want to hear you say that again! Do you hear me? Beasts like Fedor thrive on words like yours. I will figure this out, and I will get you off this hell-forsaken mountain and back to Levare.”
Her eyes were wide, perhaps out of fear, or maybe just shock at how harshly he spoke.
After placing her back on the ground, he realized—as did she—that she stood in front of him wearing no top. With a wave of his hand, she stood fully clothed as before. He then turned to Rogue.
What was I thinking? I could have killed her today. It was a stupid move. I should have done more testing, instead of just assuming I could whisk her back to Levare.
Something very powerful seemed to be at work. A true gargoyle had the ability to transform to stone at any given time, but Rogue wasn’t a true gargoyle. Why or who had placed such a wicked spell on the creature. He closed his eyes, concentrating on removing the spell the animal seemed to be under, but deep down, he knew it was useless.
Could this be the way Fedor planned on keeping them under control? If it is, how does he manage to wield such power?
“I hate to ask you this, Tempest, but what else can you tell me about this Fedor? You said he told you leaving here wouldn’t be possible. Do you know why?”
Her shoulders slumped.
His heart was heavy, as he imagined the pain she would feel drudging up memories of the decrepit old slime ball.
“I don’t know. He would just remind me that I would never leave here and that he would be the best thing I’d ever have.” She paused, staring at the ground. “I preferred death to that.”
He pushed a bit harder. “I hate to ask you this, but when he touched you, do you remember anything that stood out at all?”
Sucking in a deep breath she nodded. “I remember his thoughts…he wanted to marry me…to own me…and to…”
Ryder reached for her hand, which she quickly pulled out of his reach. “This is me, not Fedor,” he reminded. Again, he reached for her hand, and this time, met only minimal resistance.
“I’m wondering about anything else you might have seen—anything that struck you as odd?”
She smiled. “I like your touch, but sometimes I’m still scared.” Slowly, she pulled away from him and moved to Rogue’s side, then slumped down beside him.
“There’s a woman and a horrid looking creature. I don’t understand. One minute he seems to be with the beauty, but then I see him with the creature. She does things to him.”
“I think I know who you are referring to,” he ground out with clenched fists.
“You do?” Her eyes went wide. “How is that possible?”
“I decided to follow Fedor the night I left you in the cave.
“What else? Anything you remember.”
“Oh. He likes to drink. He’s really mean to the sneers. I don’t think they’re bad, they’re just trying to survive…like Rogue and I. I often wonder what they were before they came here.
“Sorry. I’m wandering. He stares at a cabinet where the alcohol is kept. I see it often in his thoughts. It’s how I know he likes his alcohol. The drinks are kept in an ice cabinet, and there are beautiful ice crystals illuminating everything. I’ve never seen anything like them. They really are wonderful. He picks these icicles up and stares at them frequently—one in particular. I don’t know why.”
Ryder remembered the way Fedor insisted the women show him the “stone”. Somehow, the two had to be linked.
How am I going to get them out of this mess? Can I leave the fucked-up mountain, or am I stuck, too? And what do the pixies have to do with all of this?
He knew what he had to do.
“Tempest, I know what I’m about to say won’t go over well.” He bent down, kneeling on the ground in front of her. “I have to see if I can leave here and get some answers.”
She held her breath and swallowed, and then shook her head slowly. “You won’t come back,” she said softly.
“I will come back.”
“What if you can’t?”
He held her tiny face between his giant paws. “Nothing will keep me from coming back.”
Her misty green eyes held him captive. She moved closer and pressed her lips to his. Instantly, the fire inside him built. With one arm, he scooped her against his body, letting her consume his senses. The kiss turned to a raging inferno.
Her tongue traced the outline of his lips, and he pulled her harder into him, kissing her with a ferocity that almost scared him. Her yelp startled him, and he pushed back to see a small trail of blood leaving her lower lip.
He shoved himself away from her.
Shit! What was I thinking?
He was still in gargoyle form. His fanged canine teeth had hurt her. He quickly turned away from her shocked stare.
“I’m sorry, Tempest. I forgot I was in this form.”
He heard her footfalls coming closer, and then felt her fingertips trace over a portion of his wings. The beast inside him roared at her seductive touch as she traced the webbed area of his wings. He spun around, putting her an arm’s length away.
She provocatively licked the blood from her lip. “You have sharp teeth,” she purred, rubbing her cheek on his hand, which still held her away from him.
“Tempest, we can’t do this.”
“Why not?” she cooed, kissing one of his long claws.
“Because I’m far to large and dangerous like this.”
“What if I never see you again?”
He closed his eyes and jumped away from her again. He’d never let any female touch him while he was in gargoyle form. He could hurt her. She barely came up to his torso in height.
“You will see me again. I promise.”
“You don’t even want me. I am a misfit after all. What kind of life will I have if I ever do leave here?”
He let out a big breath and approached her. “You are nothing but perfect.”
She slumped to the ground and sat. “But you don’t want me.”
The sadness in her voice sliced through him like a blade. He sank down in front of her. “I do want you.”
She looked up at him with a weak smile, and then over to Rogue. “I wish I could have Rogue back while you’re gone.”
“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I wish the same.”
She lifted her chin. “I’ll be okay.”
Every little move she made drove him insane with desire. “I know you’ll be okay. I won’t be gone long. Maybe I’ll dream of you again,” he teased with a smirk.
She swatted at him. “I hope you do.”
He stood and reached down for her to take his hand. “I want you to stay in the cabin. And don’t leave it to go anywhere. Is that clear?”
“Now you’re giving me orders,” she protested.
“Only for your safety. I can place a spell to keep everything out, but I can’t keep you in.”
“Can you keep the Vemlers out?”
“I hope so.”
“Ryder, can you put Rogue by the cabin so I can watch him?”
“Yes, of course. It might be better to place his figure outside the cabin so he can keep watch. It is what gargoyles do, you know. I bet he’s keeping watch even though he’s in this state.”
Tempest moved toward the gargdog. “Do you really think so?” She petted his stone head.
Ryder wasn’t sure what had happened to the creature but his thoughts put a smile on her face, and that was good. “Yes, I do think he’ll be watching you.”
She did smile. “I’ll feel better believing that thought.”
“Let’s get you back to the cabin.” He gently bent and picked up Rogue before making his way ahead of Tempest through the trees to the sanctuary.
Please let this protect her while I’m away.