Trouble with Gargoyles: an Urban Fantasy (Moonlight Dragon Book 3) (11 page)

"You know, you never included ex-girlfriends in your list of potential enemies," I teased during dessert. "I'd think that any woman who dated you would fight tooth and nail to keep you if you treated them like this."

He smiled and stirred his coffee. "My last girlfriend was born before your mother was born. This isn't something I do on a regular basis."

I did my best to hide how thrilled I was. "What was she?" My smile wavered. "Is she still alive?"

"She was a non-magickal." His eyes seemed darker. "She died a long time ago. Before she should have."

I was suddenly sorry I'd asked.

He curled his hands around the cup. "She was killed during an attack on me."

"The SOS?"

"No, it was a predator aiming to take out an heir to the Gargoyle Throne. The attack was inevitable and I should have—" He shook it off. "For a long time I hated myself for bringing a non-magickal into my life. She didn't deserve what I did to her. She would have lived a long, happy life had she not met me."

"You didn't do anything but love her," I insisted. "It's not your fault someone else killed her."

"It's been a long time, and I've mostly accepted that. But I came away from it vowing never to love another woman who couldn't defend herself." He reached across the table and took my hand. "Your power drew me in, Moody, I admit that. But for as important as that is for me, it's you, regular Anne Moody, who makes me want to take you to dinners like this every night."

"I honestly don't know why you think I'm anyone special. Without my dragon, I'm not that great."

"With your dragon or without it, you're more than who you see when you look in the mirror. If I were ever in danger, you would—and I quote, "fight tooth and nail"—to save me. Even as a guy who likes to believe I'll be the one doing the saving, that's an incredible turn-on. You, Anne Moody, turn me on like no woman ever has."

Feminine power had never felt so good. I shivered. He saw and didn't smile smugly. Rather, his chest rose with a deep breath, and he murmured, "We need to get out of here before I do something that will get us thrown out."

Vale paid the check with cash. I didn't know where he got his money from but I didn't bother to ask. This was a dream and I didn't want to wake from it, not yet.

"Can we go to the observation tower?" I asked once we'd exited the restaurant. "It's the next floor up."

"Another time. I've got other plans for you."

Of course, that filled my head with all sorts of images and all of them were better than a view of Las Vegas. We rode the elevator back down to the casino level and went outside. It was a bit of a mood killer returning to that rough neighborhood after the magical night we'd had. I was toying with the idea of suggesting we simply get a room at the Stratosphere. As if reading my mind, Vale drew us up short beside a retaining wall that separated the casino property from the residential area.

"You want to know more about me," he said as he faced me, taking my hands. "I understand. So I'm going to teach you something about me. About gargoyles." He grinned boyishly and released my hands. To my shock, he shrugged out of his jacket, folded it, and set it on the ground near the wall. Then he began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Is this a gargoyle strip tease?" I asked, glancing around to make sure we didn't have an audience.

"Something like that."

He had the shirt open. Shrugged it off. Next, he worked on his jeans.

"So this idea you had that would have had us thrown out of the restaurant," I said with a nervous chuckle, "that didn't have anything to do with public sex, did it? Because I might be down with that, but not in an alley where I'm afraid I'll be knifed or urinated on."

He grinned. "No, Moody."

I pretended to wipe sweat from my forehead. "Whew. So what are you showing me besides how hot you are?"

"The thing about gargoyles is that we crave altitude. The higher the better. It's something we can't control. Like an impulse."

I raised my eyes to the Stratosphere, towering over us like a giant white needle. "That's why you live right next to the tallest building in the city?"

"Exactly. But that's not enough for me." He toed off his shoes and then removed the last of his clothing. I took a long look because that's not a sight I was ever going to grow tired of. He held out his hand. "You'll have to trust me."

He was smiling, but I wondered if the question held deeper significance.

"I do," I said. It was true until something changed.

He transformed into his gargoyle form.
We're going for a ride. Whatever you do, don't scream.

~~~~~

I didn't scream, but only because my heart was blocking all sound from escaping my throat. While logically I knew that gargoyles must be able to fly at incredible speeds in order for Vale to make it to California and back before sunrise, I hadn't honestly appreciated just how fast that was. I shut my eyes and whimpered as Vale's gargoyle launched us from the ground into the sky, zooming alongside the white spine of the Stratosphere. The wind rushed by so quickly it sounded like a tornado in my ears.

Abruptly we slowed, and my stomach somersaulted unpleasantly. Slightly nauseous, I opened my eyes and immediately wished I hadn't. Vale's gargoyle held me by my arms while hovering just underneath the Top of the World restaurant where we'd just eaten. We were eight hundred feet up and tucked within the shadows of the support beams there.

"Oh, my god," I groaned when I made the poor decision to look down.

No, keep your eyes on me, Moody.

The gargoyle flew us to a small platform that was supported by the branching legs of the tower, just beneath the disc of the restaurant. Though the platform was the approximate size of a large Jacuzzi, I couldn't help feeling like I was balanced on something the size of a dinner plate. Vale's gargoyle settled almost delicately near the edge, like a pigeon, though I'd never make that comparison aloud. It blinked at me with its topaz eyes, something on its face signaling approval.

This is where you'll find me most nights.

I forced myself to calm down. The platform was flat and stable. It would take deliberate effort to slide off it and I wasn't about to make any effort. I craned my neck back and checked out the underside of the restaurant, watching how the apparatus slowly rotated. Distantly, from the other side of the tower, I heard the occasional scream of a tourist jumping off the roof in the controlled descent ride, which was like bungee jumping for the less adventurous.

Stretching out in front of me was the entire Las Vegas valley. It was gorgeous, like a platter full of jewels lit from within. The lights seemed even brighter and more colorful without a sheet of glass separating me from the view as had been the case during dinner.

"It's beautiful," I told Vale's gargoyle. "I can see the appeal."

I can't help myself from coming up here.
He sounded slightly sheepish.
I guess we're all subjected to the pull of our blood. We're victims to it, in a way.

I pictured his gargoyle in Paris, perched on rooftops, and I smiled. I found it endearing that it had substituted the Stratosphere for the Notre Dame cathedral.

"There's no chance anyone will spot you up here?" I asked his gargoyle. "People have zoom lenses. And what about maintenance workers and window washers?"

I only come up here after dark. During the day, when I'm in my statue form, I usually use the home I showed you.

"That's why there wasn't any furniture. You don't need any when you're a statue."

Bingo
.
I created a small space beneath the carpet and floorboards in the bedroom. Even if someone breaks in, they'll never find me.

I studied the gargoyle. "But you said 'usually'. Do you sometimes stay up here after sunrise?"

The gargoyle flicked its tail and fluttered its wings. I had learned that these were tells when it was uncomfortable.

I don't stay up here, no. I'd be unable to defend myself in my stone form. If I'm not in my home...I'm at yours.

I blinked. "What do you mean at mine? You always leave before the sky lightens."

I leave your bed, yes. But I don't go far. I like being close to you.
The gargoyle huffed and snapped its whip-like tail almost angrily.
I sit in your backyard, near the air conditioning unit.

I pictured it, his statue sitting there all alone like a garden gnome. I grinned like a buffoon.

"You're clingy!" I was delighted. "That's so adorable, Vale. Melanie's going to flip out."

Don't you dare tell her, Moody! I mean it. I'll leave you up here!

"I might need a bribe to keep silent," I purred. Oh, how I wished Vale were in his human form right then. I would have tackled him and kissed him until he fainted.

The gargoyle flared its wings. I thought I saw its topaz eyes flash, though I knew it couldn't be from anger.

Didn't anyone ever warn you not to taunt a gargoyle? We're vicious, sneaky monsters.

He was joking, but it was a splash of cold water on my ardor.

"Yeah, I've heard that quite a lot recently," I admitted grimly.

You know I would never hurt you. Or anyone who didn't deserve it.

"That leaves the door open for some judgment calls, though, don't you think?"

If someone or a creature attacks those who are close to me, I will retaliate, Moody. I won't apologize for that. Just like Gareth tonight. He's lucky he got off easy.

"That's fair. It's just cruelty I'm having a lot of problems with. But that doesn't apply to you." I smiled at the gargoyle, a bit wistfully. "You and I are a real pair, huh? No one wants to invite us to their parties. We're too scary."

We don't need them. We only need each other.

"Who knew sneaky gargoyles could be so romantic," I murmured. I gazed out at the city again. Normally, I could've gotten lost in the view, spending hours admiring the lights against the craggy shadows of the mountains around us. But I'd had my fill. "Take me down now, please. I want to be with Vale the man."

I won't ever complain about hearing--

I saw the dark form in the corner of my eye half a second before I felt claws curl around my arms and yank me off the platform. I screamed instinctually, thinking I had been knocked off. But whatever had me didn't release me; it was carrying me. I heard another scream, somewhat distant: it was one of the jumpers on the other side. Hopefully my own scream would be attributed to just another thrill-seeker.

I looked above my outstretched arms. A gargoyle beat its wings furiously above me. It was slightly larger than Vale's gargoyle, but was otherwise similar in build and coloring with the exception of a long, jagged scar that ran diagonally across its face, just missing eyes that were the exact same shade of topaz as Vale's.

"Xaran!" I gasped.

It startled the gargoyle, prompting it to look down at me. When Vale's gargoyle barreled hard into it the two gargoyles went spinning—

—and I dropped like a stone.

I was too terrified to scream again. My lungs were rising up beneath my collarbones. My only chance was Lucky, even though I knew that potentially hundreds of people below and farther down the Strip would see him. But what choice did I have? Die to keep my secret? I wasn't that noble…

Before I could call him out I was snatched up in firm claws again.

No dragon! They'll see.

"Vale," I choked out in relief. I tipped my head back to look up at my familiar, beloved gargoyle. "Let me down. Please!"

I shut my eyes as his gargoyle raced through the air at top speed again so nobody would be able to make out what we were.

When the toes of my shoes dragged on asphalt again, Vale's gargoyle released me. I staggered up against the retaining wall, clinging to it with my fingertips like Spider-Man. I didn't have a fear of heights, but another experience like that and I'd think seriously about changing my stance. I gasped for breath and willed my heart rate to go down. Behind me, I heard Vale's gargoyle launch itself into the air again.

I craned my neck back to watch the blur of the aerial battle between the two gargoyles. I doubted any non-magickal, seeing them, would have understood what they were. From this distance they resembled fighting bats.

Knowing the truth, I clutched my hands to my chest, shocked that two brothers could fight each other like this. The two dark figures moved too swiftly for me to tell who was winning or if either of them was hurt. Surely as brothers they wouldn't draw blood?

Then again, I knew pretty much nothing about Vale's relationship with Xaran. They might very well be enemies. Maybe Xaran resented Vale for not joining him in overthrowing the demon who sat on the Gargoyle Throne. Maybe Vale was territorial, and would treat Xaran like he would any other interloper on his turf. I wished that Uncle James had included gargoyles in the guide he'd written for me. I could have used some information about the species.

I can't even call up Orlaton for help. The kid doesn't trust me.

That was a punch to the gut, a reminder that my date with Vale tonight hadn't changed a fundamental truth: the magickal community of Las Vegas believed I was the champion of the Oddsmakers, and the Oddsmakers themselves were horrible beings. As I watched the gargoyles race after each other, collide, break apart, and resume the cycle, I had to question whether what was going on up there had something to do with me. What if Xaran believed, like Kleure, that I was a danger?