Page 11 of Gargoyle Reaper

“Right. That.” Archer coughed into his fist. “We need to have a serious conversation about that later.”

“We will.” Ezekiel grinned. “I’m looking forward to being alone with you.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

Sweat beaded on Archer’s upper lip, despite the chill of the December air. His senses seemed out of whack, as if his body could use a reboot.

“Come on, my angel. It’s go time. Once we have the relic, I’ll let Cassiel and Darius know to begin the distraction.”

Archer eyed the large, imposing doors that led to the bank’s interior. “Do we know whether any of the bank employees are on the other team? Or are the things that mangled my home completely inhuman?”

Ezekiel pressed his lips in a severe line, and Archer sensed things could go south in the bank pretty quickly.

“Unfortunately, we’ve had some recent defectors. Once a gargoyle is completely infected by a demon and turns to shadow, they become a hideous creature that isn’t visible to a mere mortal. But until then, they can seem like any other gargoyle when we take on our human form.”

Human form? Archer hadn’t thought to ask about that. Was Ezekiel going to morph into some kind of stone statue all the time? He added that to his long list of questions for later.

“Can I see them?” The last thing he wanted was a demonic monster to sneak up on him.

Ezekiel nodded. “Yes. Another advantage to being Nephilim.”

“Oh boy.” Archer dragged his fingers through his mussed hair. The day wasn’t even half over, and he was a wreck. Then again, his big plans of a shower and falling into bed had beenunceremoniously disrupted. “Well, at least they can’t get the jump on me, right?”

“Stay behind me,” said Ezekiel, his gaze boring into Archer. “I won’t allow anything to happen to you.”

“I’m not a big wimp, you know,” he mumbled.

Ezekiel wrapped an arm around his waist. “That’s not what I’m inferring. It’s that you don’t have experience fighting a supernatural.”

Archer rubbed the back of his neck. “Point taken. But I won’t run.”

“I know you won’t,” Ezekiel whispered in his ear, the gargoyle’s heated breath fanning across his chilled skin. Archer shivered, but not from the cold.

Archer cleared his throat. “So, we ready?”

Ezekiel released his hand then straightened his collar and cuffs. The meticulously dressed Slayer was not only hot as fuck, but he commanded attention with his confident demeanor and striking features. The not-so-subtle appraising glances from both men and women passing by woke up a tinge of jealousy inside Archer. Yet somehow, he knew he had nothing to worry about where Ezekiel was concerned. No one had ever looked at him before the way Ezekiel did.

As they entered the bank, Archer’s senses went into overdrive. The pull from the relic intensified, almost painful in its urgency. He scanned the lobby, half-expecting to see shadowy figures lurking in corners, but everything appeared normal. Customers queued in lines, tellers counting money, Festive holiday decorations, and two security guards standing stoically by the doors.

Ezekiel guided Archer to a quieter area near the safe deposit boxes. “Remember, act natural. We're just here to access your box.”

Archer nodded, fumbling in his pocket for the key. His hands trembled slightly as he approached the attendant's desk. “I need to get into a safe deposit box,” he said, keeping his voice steady. “I received the key and this letter from the owner’s attorney this morning.”

The attendant smiled blandly. “Of course, sir. May I see the letter and some ID?”

While they went through the motions of confirming his information, Ezekiel remained close by his side, his body heat becoming oddly distracting, considering the dire circumstances. He shifted his position, keeping his expression flat as he fought the desire coursing through him. Sure, it had been a minute since he gotten laid, but this was ridiculous.

“Archer?” Ezekiel’s voice startled him out of his trance. “She needs your signature in the log.”

“Huh?” Archer blinked a few times and scrubbed his face with one hand. “Right, sorry.”

After finishing up the perfunctory paperwork, they followed the attendant into the section containing the safe deposit boxes,

As they entered the vault, the pull intensified to an almost unbearable level. Archer’s hand shook as he inserted the key into the lock. With a soft click, the box slid open. Inside lay a small, ornate wooden box adorned with intricate carvings. The moment Archer touched it, a jolt of energy surged through him. He gasped, nearly dropping the box.

"Easy," Ezekiel said, steadying Archer’s hands. "Let's get this somewhere more private."

They thanked the attendant and hurried to a secluded corner of the bank. Archer’s fingers itched to open the box, but Ezekiel shook his head minutely.

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