The world was eerily quiet as they drove up to the mansion at top speed to check on Jurian. Kieran's panic was palpable as pulled up in the circular driveway and launched out of the vehicle telling Michelle and Ann to stay in the car. He swiftly returned with a sleeping Draven in his arms and strapped him into the car seat in the back with Ann, just in case.
Kieran dashed back inside and Ann looked at Michelle worriedly. She knew whoever had taken Peony would probably be tracking her as well.
How long until he follows my scent to the car?
"I'm going in," Ann said firmly.
Michelle's eyes shot wide open and she shook her head, "No, let Kieran and Jurian handle it."
"I get the feeling this is a little beyond them," Ann said. "And if he's going to hunt me, I want to keep Draven safe." Michelle seemed unsure, so Ann put her hand on her new found friend's shoulder, "Listen, I know you're a stone heart, too, and you want to help, but your son needs you more. Protect him."
Michelle nodded looking back at her sleeping son in the seat, then to Ann, "Be careful. Remember, I have healing power, so if someone is hurt…"
"I will," Ann assured her before darting out of the car, shutting the door quietly before running out of sight of the front door, hiding behind a nearby column. She could hear angry voices inside and peeked around the corner to see. A handsome man stood there, dressed in all green, looking a little ridiculous but handsome nonetheless. He had blond hair, lighter than Kieran's, and astonishingly green eyes, visibly even at her distance. He was staring at Jurian, who appeared to be frozen in place, then his eyes turned to her. Kieran also stood immobile, though he started yelling something at the man in green as Ann took off running around the side of the house.
He was after her; that much she was sure of. She ran as hard as she could over the plush green grass that led to the forest. Maybe she could hide there. Then she heard someone call out, calmly, "Stop now, human."
She kept running, a shiver running up her spine as she nearly tripped on a stick. Footsteps approached her and someone cursing, but she kept running. If that thing was going to chase her, she was going to at least try and get it as far away from her friends as possible.
"Stop! I command you to stop!" the voice called.
She almost laughed at how frustrated he sounded. She could guess he was used to getting his way. He might be the one who had used mind control on Jen to get Peony. She whipped her head around to take a look at him just as he blew out a cloud of green mist in her direction. She screamed and covered her face, but it passed around her as if there were an invisible bubble keeping it from coming in contact with her. She stopped.
What's going on?
"Stop, human," he said. "I'm not going to hurt you."
She was too tired to sprint anymore, so she whirled around to face him. Plus, she was emboldened by the fact he hadn't been able to affect her as he did the others. "What do you want? Where's Peony?" she asked.
"This?" he questioned, holding up a sack that was moving.
She narrowed her eyes, "You monster."
"She's comfortable. Maybe a little pissed," he said.
"What do you want? What are you doing here?" She looked over his odd, old-fashioned clothing, "Are you from Elric's time?"
"Elric?" the man asked raising a brow. "Is that what he goes by? Funny. Very modern. Nice of him to go around adjusting to life while the rest of us are frozen solid."
"That wasn't his decision," she snapped.
"I know. And I'll deal with the old woman in my own time. For now, I'm awake, I'm free, and I can run this whole world if I want to." He looked around him, stretching his long arms to the sky, "It is a great time to be a gargoyle."
Kieran and Jurian came running toward them across the lawn. Although this man wasn't as big as Elric, he was still huge and intimidating. Then there was the evil look in his eyes, one of someone with unbridled power who doesn't mind using it to get whatever they want.
"Oh, look, the cavalry has arrived."
She looked over at the pair, "Don't. He can't affect me. Just stay safe."
Kieran and Jurian stopped, looking shocked. The man in green scowled and looked down at her hand, "Give me that ring."
"No," she snapped.
"Give it to me," he demanded stepping toward her.
"No!"
He reached her and grabbed for her hand. Kieran and Jurian ran forward, but they were stopped when the man put up his hand and said, "Stop."
How can he do that?
She saw him gathering up green mist at his hands and looked at them in alarm, "Look out!"
A golden shield went up over them both, emanating from Jurian, shimmering in the light, just as the wave of green mist hit them, coming from the man's hands and breath.
He sighed in disappointment, "You're a pain in my ass, you know that?" He tugged on the ring. "Damn it! Gargoyles aren't supposed to give these up. You really are his mate, aren't you?"
"Yes," she lied. If she was going to die today, she was going to do it owning what she felt about him. Love. Possession. Tenderness.
"Oh, stop your disgusting thoughts. I can hear them." He formed a talon, "Fine, if I can't get it off, maybe I can cut it off."
She winced back as a stream of fire came toward them. Or was it fire? It was black and shimmery, as if made from millions of tiny black diamonds, and it filled the air making it impossible to see as they ducked for cover. When she stood, she saw a shimmering black shield hovering over her and her friends, separating them from the man in green.
"Aloys," Elric's voice said as a giant creature landed in front of them.
He had to be the size of a large house, giant and shimmering. His body was like a cross between a silverback gorilla, a man, and a bat. Thickly muscled from head to toe. His ears ended in points, his huge wings like black leather. He stood on his feet like he normally would but was much more massive and his skin looked like smooth, charcoal-colored marble. His black eyes glared at the man he had called Aloys.
Somehow, someway, he came back for them.
Her captor had been separated from her by the cloud of black gems, allowing her to run to Kieran and Jurian, joining them behind Jurian's gold shield.
"I'm sorry," Jurian said through gritted teeth. "When he told us to stop, we had to."
"Fucking ancients," Kieran said in irritation. "Those are unfair powers."
"Totally unbalanced," Jurian said. "Are Michelle and Draven safe?"
She nodded, "They're safe. I told her to stay there with the car locked. I don't think he cares about them. He's only obsessed with anything involving Elric."
"Must be an old grudge match," Jurian said.
They watched as Aloys walked back, looking up at Elric's gargoyle form.
"Well, look at you," he said sarcastically. "All big and bad again. I'd heard you were stuck on a leash."
"Unfortunately for you, not any longer," Elric said. He blew another black cloud at his opponent, but the man vanished. Instead growing into a giant gargoyle with green-toned gray skin that showed most in his leathery wings. His eyes, however, had become a toxic-looking yellow. He laughed and Ann covered her ears, never wanting to hear such a sound again.
"So it comes down to this, a century later. You and me, again."
"Do you never tire of this? Do you never want more?" Elric asked.
Aloys shook his head, "More than treasure and power? I don't think so." He grinned, "You have no idea what is coming. You and the others. The one who freed me has plans for you. It's going to get fun."
"Not for you," Elric said rising to his full height.
He lifted into the air, and Aloys did as well. They circled, making the grass and trees bend away from the force of the wind they generated. Ann put her hands up, watching him. Elric was breathtaking. She wondered if she would be scared when she saw him, but she was only in awe. And thankful he was there, even in a form unlike anything she had seen before, she felt so much tenderness for him.
Be careful, Elric, she thought.
He looked at her for a moment, she knew he heard her. Aloys took that moment to send a bright, fiery blaze of green and yellow fire flying at him. Elric beat his wings, sending the poison spray back, and flew higher, spiraling into the air. Aloys watched for a moment and then flew up toward him, and those on the ground all watched in rapt attention as the two ancient gargoyles collided in the air, wrapping together and beating their wings as talons and fangs clashed.
She held her breath, one hand over her mouth as she saw one getting closer. It was Aloys. She put her arms up, bracing herself as it came screeching toward them, opening his mouth to spit fire, then suddenly stopped as a black cloud engulfed him from behind. The cloud came closer, the dragon possibly inside it and then stopped, something black fell to the ground with a heavy thunk.
The ground shook, Ann, Kieran, and Jurian let out a pent-up breath. They looked over to see the shape of a man encased in shimmering black stone. The giant, almost black gargoyle that was Elric landed behind him and transformed. He was wearing the same clothes he had worn when he'd left. He stumbled to his knees for a moment before pushing himself back up. He walked over to the black shaped on the ground and roughly tore off the part of the shell over the head, baring Aloys's face.
Aloys looked furious, "No fair! You're always using your diamond power to contain my beast. It's cheap, and you know it."
"What is cheap is coming back to life and attacking a kitten and human as fast as you can," Elric retorted punching the other man across his jaw.
Aloys spat and shook his head, "You like this, don't you? Punching someone helpless."
"When that someone is you? Always."
Ann cocked her head in confusion.
"You can all come out now. I used diamond to force him into his smallest form. He is unable to draw even his toxic breath right now."
Aloys glared at them malevolently. Ann couldn't tell if it was truly someone evil or just a stupid rivalry. Kieran and Jurian approached cautiously looking nervous about the whole situation.
"I'm going to check on Shelly and Draven," Jurian said and Kieran nodded.
Kieran walked forward slightly in front of her as they approached the two ancient gargoyles. Elric was so breathtakingly handsome. He stepped in front of Aloys, looking at her worriedly and she couldn't resist running into his arms. She could think of her anger or fear at that moment, just how happy she was to see him again, awake, alive, and there for her as he'd always said he would be. His arms closed around her feeling like home, as they always did and she tried not to cry at how wonderful it felt.
"Peony!" she said, pulling back and Elric looked over the grass to the little black dome.
Together they ran over to it while they heard Aloys struggling with his prison, Kieran watching over him. She knelt by the little dome as Elric lifted it up to look under it. The tiny kitten trembled, then sniffed the air and leapt into Elric's lap. She sighed and sat next to them, leaning on Elric's shoulder feeling her body sag in relief. She reached over to run a finger over Peony's soft head as she let out tiny, indignant meows as if she, too, were upset with Elric for leaving.
"I apologize, sweetie," Elric said. He looked at Ann, "I was stupid."
"Don't you dare ever leave me again," she said pulling his face to look at her with both hands.
His dark eyes were wary, as if he still didn't know how mad she was. Flaming mad. Burning mad. Mad enough to love him for the rest of her life. She yanked him in hard for a kiss and he groaned and put his arm up around her. His tongue dove in her mouth and she met it with hers in a hot, twisted embrace that said how much she had missed him. Peony was between them and let out a little mew, they sat back breathless.
"Like I said, don't you ever think of doing that again," she said.
"I could never do it again if I tried," he replied, putting a hand over hers.
She looked at his neck, "Your collar is gone. How did that happen?"
"The Oracle felt since I was willing to sacrifice my own happiness for what I believed was the safety of a human, it should come off. I was terrified, but it worked out."
"What do you want to do with this guy?" Kieran asked as he poke Aloys in the forehead.
"We shall call the Oracle. She will decide what to do with him," Elric said.
There was a tremendous cracking sound, the black cocoon split into shards as a green-gray shape took form, bolting into the sky.
Aloys, once again in gargoyle form, though weak, cackled down at them, "Not this time, Nyrelric."
Then he was gone, disappearing in a green puff of smoke through the clouds. They all stood gaping in his direction.
Elric shook his head and stood, "Good riddance."
He helped Ann to her feet as she asked, "What if he comes back?"
"He will, most assuredly," Elric said. "But it is only a matter of time before he, too, is collared. As you can see, he is no match for me. It drives him mad."
Ann blinked, "So you've fought him before?"
"All the time. I suppose you could say we were rivals."
She shook her head, "You're nothing like him."
"I worry more about who woke him. Whoever is doing this and who other gargoyles they have access to. After this, our lab will be locked down, and I doubt anyone else will be able to break in and wake up one of the others I knew. But there may have been others on other continents." She gaped and he put his arm around her, "Are you regretting this? Staying with a shifter when the world is about to be complicated?"
She took Peony from Elric and hugged the kitten to her, listening to her purr. She looked over at Kieran, who was walking toward Jurian, Michelle, and Draven, hugging them close.
"No," she said calmly, "because it's not complicated at all."
"No?" he asked, slipping his arm around her waist and giving her a playful squeeze.
"No, it's the simplest thing in the world. I love you. You love me. We'll get through it all together." She smiled at the others, "With some help."
He nodded, touched by her statement.
"Besides, we have the Oracle who collared you on our side, right?"
"Yes. You will likely meet her at some point. Perhaps soon," he stated running a hand through his rich, dark hair. How she missed seeing that hair in the short time he'd been gone.
"I'm fine with that," she said. "I'm fine with all of it."
When they reached Michelle and the others, Michelle ran forward to hug Ann. Then slapped Elric across the face making all the men flinch.
Elric scowled at her, "What was that for?"
"Leaving us," Michelle said and gave him a fast hug. "And that's for coming back." She stepped back against her pair of big gargoyles, both of whom looked extremely possessive. "You better take care of her."
"I will. She is the greatest treasure I have ever found."
"Speaking of which, you have access to your treasure now, right?"
Elric cocked his head, "You want to go see it?"
She shook her head, "Right now, I just want to go home and rest." Her eyes wandered over him suggestively, "And see how well you can grovel."
"Oh, I can grovel. I can grovel extremely well. Even on my knees, if necessary," he said, one side of his mouth tilting up in a salacious grin.
"Think of the child!" Kieran said covering Draven's ears.
"Yeah, get a room," Jurien said with a smirk.
Michelle looked at them apologetically, "You'd think these two weren't the biggest pervs on the planet."
"I guess it's a gargoyle thing," Ann said and they all laughed. "All right," she said turning to Elric, who borrowed car keys from Kieran, "let's head out."