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I GLANCED UP AND SPOTTED a scaly creature with bulging eyes. As it approached, its massive shape stood out against the night sky. I squinted and did a double-take when I noticed a hooded man riding on its back. He was holding a sword high in the air, like some kind of brave warrior. The creature he flew on let out a hideous cry. Paralyzed by fear, I held on tightly to Jesse as it flew toward us at a tremendous speed.
“If he attacks, we fight,” Grant said.
“He means us no harm,” Jesse said, sounding sure of himself.
Julie gripped his arm. She had every right to be scared, for the monstrous creature with snarling teeth and a hideous face was the stuff of nightmares. I even felt my legs trembling beneath me. The gargoyle was clearly powerful, and we had no idea what it would do. Jesse gripped my shaking hands, and that helped to quell some of the trembling.
The fiendish demon landed on the ground, sending up a mushroom cloud of dirt and debris. A chorus of snorts echoed from above, and other gargoyles started to land all around us, as if they’d called some secret meeting we had no idea about. We would have to face them, for they had us completely surrounded. The creatures were mesmerizing but frightening at the same time with their menacing faces.
A big group of men, all armed with swords, maneuvered around the gargoyles, coming in our direction. They were dressed in hooded cloaks, brown cloth that hung down to the ground, with matching loincloths underneath. They were barefoot, but they walked through the snow as if they were frolicking through a spring meadow. They were all of an impressive physique, their chests and arms rippling with muscles, adorned with black tattoos. One bore the mark of a spiraling dragon, covering his entire left arm. Another warrior’s chest was inked with a spectacular array of lines and symbols. My gaze shot to the next warrior, who had perfectly symmetrical swirls and unique shapes running down his shoulder and neck. The men were as gorgeous as they were frightening. If they could tame gargoyles enough to ride them, there wasn’t anything they couldn’t do. Unless they were gargoyles in human form. At this point, I had no idea.
A man with swirling blond hair walked over. He carefully scrutinized each of us, as if trying to make out who and what we were.
“Pourquoi enfreignez-vous sur notre territoire sacré?” the man asked.
“Nous cherchons la protection contre nos ennemis,” Jesse said. “Je dois parler à mon père, Ethan Masterson.”
“What did he say?” Julie asked.
“Why are we on their territory?” Jesse responded. “I told him I need to talk to my father.”
“Don’t they speak English?” she whispered.
“Our entire community speaks Latin, English, French, and Italian,” the man said. “Would you prefer for us to speak in English?”
“Yes, please,” Julie said.
He stared at us once again.
“Do any of you speak French besides the Leyna?” he asked.
“Grant and Taylor speak some, and the others speak English,” Jesse answered.
“What strange bedfellows you are,” he said. “Are you of varying clans?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Just think of us as one giant Halloween party,” Julie chimed in.
He smiled at me, then gazed at all of us one more time. “We have a human girl, a Leyna, a regular vampire, and two werewolves. Quite the odd mix of creatures.”
“We’re all friends, traveling together,” I said. “We come in peace.”
I couldn’t help but notice they all had French accents. I was the biggest sucker when it came to foreign accents, especially French, Australian, and Italian. It was very sexy in the least, not to mention romantic. It just conjured up images of the Eiffel Tower, romance, and quaint cafés. I also loved the way the words sounded, almost poetic.
He glanced at the man with a tribal tattoo on his arm. “I say we save Ethan’s son and feed the rest to the gargoyles as a midnight snack.”
Julie stepped forward to protest.
Instantly, all swords were drawn toward her.
I swallowed hard, wondering how they could dream that we could be any kind of threat against so many powerful enemies. I jumped in to smooth out the situation. “She means you no harm. She’s quite harmless. It’s just that we’ve come a long way, and—”
The warriors drew closer.
“Stand down!” the head warrior said. “I want to hear what the pretty werewolf has to say.”
“If you don’t help us, we’re dead,” Julie said. “We’re being tracked by all kinds of immortal enemies, and they find us wherever we go. As my friend said, we come in peace. We’re just asking for a little help, because we have run out of options. You’re our last hope. Please help us.”
Wings flapped, and I glanced up and saw another gargoyle barreling toward us. It stopped right above our heads, fluttering its huge wings. “Bonjour!” the rider said.
“They wish to communicate in English,” a knight informed him.
He smiled. “Then let me speak my very best English. You are asking for our help. If our people do decide to help you, then you won’t be tracked here. You’re on safe ground, sanctuary,” the rider assured us.
The creature and rider landed next to us in a flurry of dirt.
“We are grateful,” I said. “Even if we could just stay for a few nights—”
“How long you may stay is yet to be determined.” The rider effortlessly slid down the creature.
The gargoyle stood upright, digging its huge claws into the earth, making a huge rut. I didn’t want to think about what those nails would do to me. Talk about a deep-tissue massage...
He looked like a medieval warrior king, a guardian who would battle evil and protected his castle at all costs. His long, black hair was tied back in a ponytail, and he was dressed like the others. I was speechless as I stared at his chiseled chest, his powerful shoulders, and his washboard abs. There was a tattoo of a gargoyle face over the left side of his chest and his left shoulder; the artistic precession was mesmerizing. I didn’t know if he was human or vampire or maybe something else.
“Hello,” I said.
“I am Lyon.”
“Lyon?” Jesse said in recognition.
Lyon’s entire face lit up as he stared at Jesse. Jesse seemed overwhelmed as old memories flooded through him.
“They know each other,” Julie whispered to me.
I smiled.
“I remember everything,” Jesse said. “I can’t believe I’d forgotten all of this...and you. But everything is coming back at record speed.”
I loved seeing Jesse so happy as his memories returned.
Lyon walked over to Jesse and hugged him warmly. “Hello, Jesse. It’s been a long time.”
“I’ve missed you so much.”
“How are Sam and Kierra?” he asked.
“They’re great.”
“Are they coming with your mother later?”
“Um, no.”
“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re here.” He gave him another big hug.
Jesse smiled at me. “This guy was like an uncle to me. I used to go cliff-diving with Lyon and my father when I was a boy.”
“Yes, and your mother hated it,” Lyon said.
Jesse laughed, suddenly at ease. “Yes, she did.”
“Those were glorious times.”
“I’m remembering everything, including how much I loved it here.”
“I think you will be comfortable here. We are modern when we go into town or leave the castle on missions, but we try to keep to our heritage when we’re here at home. Nevertheless, we have beds, dressers, toiletries, and much more. The Dark Ages are over. The queen hates it and wants no part of modern conveniences, but she cannot stop the clock from moving forward nor advancement with it.”
“So you have television and Internet?” Fred asked.
“I am afraid not,” Lyon said. “Perhaps someday.”
Jesse and Lyon talked for a few minutes and quickly caught up. The tension seemed to settle, and I wasn’t so quite on edge.
“What race are you?” Julie asked.
His light brown eyes sparkled as he glanced down at her. “I’m a gargoyle in human form. At night, we can shift between our forms quite easily. Would you rather talk to me in my other form?”
“I think we could communicate much better this way,” Julie said.
He smiled. “I lead the gargoyle armies at night. We spotted you the second you set foot in our territory. We’ve been following you for a while now.”
“Why didn’t you speak with us earlier?” Grant said.
“We do not consider you a threat.” He turned his attention to me. “As a human, you would’ve never gotten this far, for we would not typically allow it, but we made an exception since you are in the company of immortals.”
I put my hands in my pocket to warm them. “Well, thank you for giving us a chance.”
He pasted on a smile. “What business do you have at Northwood Fortress?”
“As we mentioned, we need protection,” I said softly. “We thought Jesse’s father could help us.” I tried to sound brave, but I was scared to death. The huge winged creature leaned closer to me. I could feel the gargoyle’s hot breath as it sniffed my hair. I tried to hold still as possible, my heart racing.
“Hmm. If Ethan Masterson’s son has returned here to ask for help, he must be in quite the bind.”
“I can’t believe you still remember me,” Jesse said.
“How could I forget the boy who once set my rug on fire?” He laughed.
“Are you sure that wasn’t Sam?” Jesse chuckled. “He didn’t take the divorce well. He was quite the fire-starter before my mother straightened him out.”
Lyon laughed again. “I suppose it could have been. I could never tell the difference between you two. You both look like your father.” He clapped Jesse’s shoulder. “You’ve grown into a fine young man.”
“Thank you.” Jesse gazed up at the castle. “I haven’t been here since I was five. I couldn’t remember much, but now, being here, it’s all coming back to me.”
Grant looked at him. “Coming back here has broken whatever spell your mom attempted to put on you. This proves she made you forget.”
“Spell?” Lyon asked.
Jesse nodded. “Yeah, my mom put me under some amnesia spell so I wouldn’t remember this place. I remember a tiny bit, but not much.”
“How manipulative! Are you mad at her? She had no right!”
“You’re absolutely right. And when I talk to her, she’s going to get it.”
“Other than the few updates I mentioned, the place is still the same,” Lyon said. “Except you’ll get to meet gargoyles now.”
“Yeah, I don’t remember that part.”
“Your mother went to great lengths to keep them hidden from you.”
“Seems she likes to hide stuff from me,” Jesse said resentfully.
“She just wanted to protect you. Speaking of Loraine, how is your mother?”
Jesse swallowed hard, knowing his mother was a touchy subject. “She’s fine.”
“Loraine?” I asked.
“My mother. She changed her name in Big Bear Lake so my father wouldn’t find her.”
“Oh,” I said.
Lyon nodded. “She was a dear friend. I miss her terribly. We all do.”
“She was very hurt,” Jesse said. “She took it...hard.”
“Yes, and that is understandable, but running away from her family here at Northwood Fortress was just wrong.”
“I had no control over her actions. I was merely a child.”
“I know, Jesse. You are an innocent victim. But it matters not. Today is a victorious day, and your father will be overcome with joy. He has been hunting for you for so long, as well as your brother and sister.”
“I-I had no idea he was looking for me,” Jesse said, shocked.
Lyon’s face lit up. “Of course he was. Our entire kingdom has been looking for you, Sam, and Kierra. We tried everything to find you, but you have been very well hidden.”
“Can you help us?” I asked.
“Our queen has a very generous heart,” he said, “and she knew and loved Jesse when he was just a tot. I am sure she will have no problem offering you solace here.”
I smiled. “We would be forever in your debt.”
“Can I see my father?” Jesse said anxiously.
“I will take you to him. He will be beyond delighted, and I know the queen will have mercy on you and help you in your precarious situation.”
“Thank you,” Jesse said.
“How do we get up there?” Julie said, pointing at the castle. “In case you didn’t notice, we don’t have wings.”
The first man we had encountered stepped closer. “No need, pretty little werewolf.”
“What?” Julie said.
We had our answer soon enough, for in a blur, powerful talons grabbed me under the arms and lifted me high in the air. I screamed, so startled by the instant flight that it knocked the wind out of me.
“Hey!” Julie screamed, caught in her own set of talons. “I didn’t even have a chance to check my bags in!”