Page 45 of The Gargoyle and the Songbird

Our handshake is brief and awkward. Caldor’s eyes dart around the room, as if searching for an escape route.

“I can’t stay,” Caldor says, his words clipped. “I’m sorry I don’t have time to catch up. I hope you’re well.”

Before I can respond, Caldor hurries away, weaving through the crowd of parents and children. I watch as he makes his way to the corner of the room, where a half-gargoyle girl waits, her light gray features lighting up at the sight of her father.

And then it hits me, the realization slamming into my chest like a physical blow.

Caldor has settled down, started a family in this unlikely town.

Ecco appears at my side. Her gaze skirts over me, gentle and concerned. Then, her hand brushes against mine, a feather-light touch that sends sparks racing up my arm.

I want to lean into her, into the warmth of her compassion, but I force myself to pull away and maintain the distance between us.

“Are you okay?” Ecco asks softly, her violet eyes searching mine. “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

I shake my head. “I’m fine,” I say, my voice sharper than I intend. “Just… surprised, that’s all.”

Ecco nods, her gaze still tinged with worry. “Was that someone you know?”

I hesitate, torn between the desire to confide in her and the need to keep my past locked away. But as I look into her eyes, I can’t help opening up.

“His name is Caldor,” I say. “He’s a gargoyle, obviously. A former clanmate. But he left, years ago, without a word. I never thought I’d see him again, let alone here, in Elderberry Falls.”

Ecco’s eyes widen, her lips parting in surprise.

“Jessa’s friend Allegra is his daughter!” she whispers, her gaze drifting to where Caldor stands with the half-gargoyle girl. “I’ve met him before I think, years ago, but I had no idea he was from—from your home.”

I nod, my own gaze following hers. “I didn’t know he’d come here. It’s not… it’s not something that happens often, a gargoyle starting a family outside of the stronghold.”

“You’re surprised he left the clan,” she says softly, her words more statement than question. “That he chose a different path.”

I nod, searching for the right words. “To leave the clan, it goes against everything we’re raised to believe. I’ve mentioned this to you, but the Grigori gargoyles have a sacred duty to guard the Black Mountains pass. We pledge our lives in service of it. If we’re not at the stronghold, we’re working as bodyguards to earnmoney to keep our clan operational. My parents died in service of the clan when I was a child.”

Ecco’s eyes glisten. “I’m so sorry to hear that, Graeme. Who raised you?”

“My uncle, who leads the Grigori warriors,” I tell her. “I’m his heir and will take his place soon.”

Ecco’s face is hard to read, but she squeezes my hand in encouragement. “What does that mean?” she asks. “What does your clan guard against?”

I keep going, sharing more with her than I’ve shared with anyone outside the stronghold. “We protect the pass from the dark magic beings on the other side. Vampires, shadow mages, demons… they’re a threat to both the magical and human realms. It’s our duty to stand against them, to protect the innocent from their malevolence.”

Ecco is quiet for a long moment.

When she speaks again, there’s a note of gentle skepticism in her voice. “But have there been any actual attacks, any concrete threats in recent memory?”

I can hear the undertones of her question and I try not to scoff. As usual, she’s trying to look on the bright side. She knows nothing of the true dangers out there.

“There haven’t been any overt acts of aggression in decades,” I say. “But that’s because of the Grigori, because of our reputation as fearsome guardians. If we were to let our guard down, to show any weakness...”

Ecco slowly shakes her head. “Or maybe the world has changed, Graeme. Maybe the old tales of dark magic and monstrous threats are just that—tales, born of a time when fear and prejudice ruled over understanding and cooperation.”

She gestures to the last few families around us getting their children bundled up for the snow, to the eclectic mix of magical creatures and monsters that call Elderberry Falls home.

“Look at this place,” Ecco says, “at the way different species live and work together in harmony. My next-door neighbor growing up was a demon, and he was the kindest, most gentle soul you could ever hope to meet.”

A surge of frustration rises within me, my jaw clenching as I struggle to rein in my temper.

How can she be so naïve, so blind to the darkness that lurks just beyond the veil of her sheltered existence?

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