Page 17 of Stone Lover
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Surah renewedher focus on the research over the next two weeks, taking over Cole’s notes, and in general, making herself rabidly unpleasant to work for. Too many times she’d promised Malin an answer only to face the quickly hidden disappointment when it turned out to not be quite enough. On her way to the lab, a call camethrough.
“Yo, boss lady,” Cole's voice blared through the piece, excited face filling the small screen on herwrist.
Surah winced. “I can hearyou.”
“I think I’ve got it. The cultures–you’ve gotta get here now. I need anassistant.”
The irony. “Isn’tMab-”
“Dissertation. Just get here,yo?”
Surah picked up her pace, nearly running to get to her garage. For the hundredth time she cursed her lackadaisical approach to condo hunting. She could have afforded something with an attached garage, but at the time she hadn’t really cared–proximity to campus was the most importantthing.
A sense honed by years of Kausar’s training alerted Surah early enough that she was prepared when she saw two males step from behind an antique truck, the kind with manual doors–broke grad student transport. They were gargoyles, recognizable by the square line of shoulders and jaw, the olive-gold skin and slanted dark eyes. The way they moved, as if always ready to launch themselves into the sky, though the sun mostly trapped them in human form. Still dangerous, though. A half-strength gargoyle on foot was still far deadlier than a human, evenarmed.
Surah stopped far enough away for conversation, tugging at her braid with an irritated sigh. “So to what do I owe the non-pleasure? I paid my taxes. And I don’t owe Geza any money. I won that bet fair andsquare.”
The two thugs had no sense of humor, their expressions unchanging. “Councilor Lavinia would like you to reconsider your position regarding the medicalresearch.”
“And if I don’treconfuckingsider?”
“We are here to make you regret that decision.Permanently.”
“Well, that’s about what I figured.” She’d thought about it two weeks ago when Lavinia made her stance known, anticipating what her reaction would be to refusal. Surah’d discreetly contracted plain-clothes security. She’d already pushed the panic button on her wrist and expected that any momentnow—
–yup. A tall, gangly looking fellow in a short-sleeved plain shirt and ripped cargoes walked towards them, a pierced female at his side. They both carriedairboards.
“Hey, Suri, what’sdoin’?”
“Go away, humans,” one of the gargoyles growled. “We have business with this one that doesn’t involveyou.”
The girl scratched her chin, almost apologetic, slanting wicked, black-lined eyes at Surah. “Do you want us to go away? These wankers don’t look sofriendly.”
The gargoyle nearest the girl made a move towards her. Surah let go of her braid, wondering if she should dust off her training and help. It had been a long time since she’d been in a melee–because she was a lover, not a fighter. And besides, once she’d gone into medicine, she’d been considered a non-combatant, anyway. Not quite someone entitled to a gargoyle’s protection, but not warrior statuseither.
Surah learned in the next few minutes that airboards were dangerous weapons. The two wielded them with a deftness that spoke of practice and training. But the warriors had, maybe, centuries of honing on the humans. Surah saw her two bodyguards were being taxed andsighed.
And stepped into thefight.
One of the warriors broke off and engaged Surah, the other struggling with the two humans. Surah registered the crack of a board upside a hard head, but didn’t have time to worry about the others. She took a defensive position with the ease that came from having it forcibly knocked into her by an older Malin, and Malin’s irate weapons master,Kausar.
The male attacked in a flurry of blows. Surah countered, a grin stretching her lips as the familiar moves flowed from her body–creaky at first, which should have gotten her killed, but she was lighter. Faster. And didn’t have the incredible handicap of a warrior’s ego egging her into an offensive position. Surah continued to defend, breaking off and circling to assess her opponent for weakness, and torest.
Shattering glass, a thump of a body against metal and the blaring of an alarm. A moment later the sound of heels on pavement and an exclaimed sound.Humans.
Engaging again, Surah stifled a curse as a swift blow to her knee collapsed her to the ground. She ignored the pain, the sudden weakness, and rolled fast, avoiding the stomping boots of her assailant. Man, chivalry was dead. She rolled right into the other fight. The human man gave Surah enough cover to scissor to her feet—and she realized with a wince that her knee wouldn’t let her do anything fancier than yell for morehelp.
Sirens in the background alerted them all. By mutual decision Surah, her guards, and Lavinia’s warriors broke away, eyeing each other from a decent distance. The police didn’t really like open daylight combat in populatedareas.
“Well?” She tried to keep the pain from her voice. Her knee throbbed, and she was tired. If she were smart, she’d visit Kausar soon–but he’d just tattle to Mali, and then shit would really hit the fan.Damnit.
One of the gargoyles smiled, though it wasn’t friendly, and bowed, mocking. “We’ll catch you later, half-human.”
Everyone cleared the parking lot, disappearing from sight just as a squad drone descended from thesky.
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