Page 19 of Stolen By the Gargoyle
He leaned close. I hadn’t even been aware of how close he was before then, but now I was hyper aware of his proximity. Of how he smelled like embers from a dying fire and something else earthy.
He was so close I could taste him on my breath and I sucked in air, breathing in his essence.
“Tell me more,” he whispered. He was genuinely curious, he wanted to understand.
I couldn’t begin to explain how grateful I felt for that. And maybe my anxiety hadn’t entirely melted away, but when he showed interest, and when I talked about myself, it could almost have felt like we were friends.
And so I spoke, and he spoke.
I gifted him an insight to my hopes and dreams, about adventures I always dreamt I would have and a childhood I remembered fondly. His claws traced exposed, old scars, and I found myself whispering the stories of each one. We learned each other’s favorite foods and favorite things. It was no surprise I had more to share than he did. At least, a softer life than his.
“I enjoy hearing evil men writhe in pain,” he’d said, when I asked him his favorite song.
That wasn’t exactly what I’d had in mind.
It was strange to find ourselves with such stark cultural differences. We came from different worlds, different dimensions, and more often than not, I found myself elaborating on strictly human things, and then specifically, Mexican culture. I also needed him to go into detail about his own world, one I had yet to understand fully, but was curious about.
It went on for hours, until I felt myself leaning back on the nest of pillows, exhaustion and sleep claiming me for its own.
All the while Nazzar threaded his fingers through mine…
…and he didn’t once let me go.
She fell asleep clutchingto my hand. At the delicate skin of her wrist, I could feel the soft beating of her pulse. I could not expel her voice from my mind. She filled the cavern with the melodious sound of the stories from her childhood and the names of all her favorite objects. And even I, with as little interaction as I had had with the humans, could hear the wistfulness in her voice as she spoke.
She missed her things.
She missed her life.
I suddenly understood what it was she was attempting to tell me earlier.
I am a human.
I have needs.
Fool that I was, I had not understood until this very moment what it was she needed.
It was because I had lived in the Underworld for so long, moving through a life of torture and battle, that I had not stopped to think about the material aspect of life.
Of course she needed things. She needed gifts and jewels and garments.
An idea formed in my head. It was risky. Dangerous, even. If I were to do this and be caught, it could be the end of me.
But the sole purpose my brothers and I had sought out to seek mates, the reason we had created these traditions, was to prove not only to them that we could protect and provide–that we were worthy–but also to ourselves as well.
With that in mind, I made my decision.
After ensuring she was truly asleep, I once again left the sanctuary of the cave. This time, I traveled further than I had earlier. I flew to where the sand made way to an oasis rife with palm trees and beaches. To where a hill crested over the Underworld and a black tower looked down upon the land.
I circled Castle Death, the spires like spears that jutted towards a darkening sky and a storm of clouds. Open windows were everywhere, the Lords of the Underworld comfortable in their home knowing that their special wards of magic protected them. No demon was allowed entry into their space when they had wards protecting them from trespassers.
I was not just any demon. I was a part of them. A sliver of their essence lived in me, for I had been created for them, by them, to serve them. I knew what my purpose was in the Underworld, but over time, we had grown into our own beings, gaining our own consciousness. Our own wants and desires. We were no longer their puppets or unfeeling soldiers.
We had become so much more.
The skies suddenly opened up and rain began pouring down, pelting against my skin. I flew near an open window, blending to the darkness, as I peeked over the edge to peer inside. I did notknow the layout of their home, so it took me several tries before I found the window I was searching for.
I flattened myself against the side of the castle, the sound of my wingbeats drowned out by the thunder and lightning that cracked overhead. I watched the scene before me unfold, glancing at those inside.
