Protecting her will be difficult if she insists on putting herself in harm’s way. Despite all my affection for her, she shows only fear of me, and when she asked me to protect her from afar, I felt…rejected.It is not a sensation I enjoy. Especially at the hand of someone I’ve handed power to.
As the car pulls away, Adrial steps away from the house and faces me, his smirk now a toothy grin. Under his human visage, he is always grinning. He’s been grinning from the beginning. Even in defeat, he grins.
Around me the bats screech.
“I’m sure of it now, the one who owns your name. Oh, delectableSum-m-mer,” he goads, tasting her name on his lips, licking them three times. “Such a pretty one, isn’t she? Not my type, but her innocence will be delicious to corrupt. You are too easy, gargoyle. If I had known you liked women, I would have paraded thousands in front of you.”
I stare at him, refusing to react.
“Who can resist me in this body?” he flexes the chest of his current form while the house lights cast him in bright light and long shadows. Even his eyes bulge from their sockets, popping out repellently. “I’m enchanting. The poor sap was all too easy to convince, polluting it with drugs and willing to do anything for more. Humans are so susceptible these days, so much fun.”
I swallow the urge to bite back, letting him preen.
“My silent friend,” he continues. “I believe I have the upper hand. I’ll have control over you yet. We could have so much fun together, you and I.”
Smug, he chuckles, his appearance returning to normal, and slips inside the house. From it, I smell sulfur and moist dirt. He will probably crawl into the basement and let his worms crawl out. My lips twist in disgust.
Havoc will follow him. It always does.
I retreat to the sky and find Summer’s vehicle as she drives down the main road.
The scents of humans gathering, of cooked food and alcohol, reach me, overcoming the lingering smoke and sulfur in my nose. Music plays from some of the structures. A few inhabitants gawk at the burnt building while nobody lingers. It’s unusually quiet for the center of a village, already caught in the shadow of a demon’s menace.
Summer drives past the edge of town, following the route I’ve learned. Soon the family reaches their farmhouse, and they make quick work of unloading the car and locking themselves inside for the night. I settle in a tree with my newfound bat companions.
Thirty minutes later, the lights in Summer’s bedroom turn on. She peeks at the balcony through the windows although she doesn’t open the doors. Her emotions are agitated—she’s scared again. Attempting to settle herself, her hands wrap around a ceramic cup.Good girl.
She’ll need her wits about her.
Adrial’s worms won’t be able to reach her so far above the ground.
Only the calm does not last long. She turns away from the window and paces the long, skinny room. Agitation blooms out from her and into me.
I fly from the tree, shifting through murky moonlight to perch on the roof of the house. I settle above her skylight as several bats join me.
She looks up, our eyes meet, and she swallows, frightful for a moment, and I become rigid in reply. This time, she does not tell me to leave. Even if she wanted me to keep my distance, I would never disappear.
We stare at each other—for hours it seems.
Through long, slow breaths, I exploit our bond, sending her the energy of safety, waves of my protection. Her eyes hood and finally settle as she succumbs. The empty cup tumbles from her grasp as she surrenders to sleep.
The night passes and the clouds dissipate. There will be clear skies tomorrow.
When dawn approaches, I feel the stiffness starting, spreading from the center of my body. Soon I’ll be forced to stillness, and I return to the shop, the hope she comes to find me burning in my chest.
Chapter10
Dazzled by Daylight
Summer
The alarm goes off,and I wake with a start, curling my arms over my chest and sucking in a sharp breath. My eyes go directly to my skylight, squinting as they adjust. The soft gray and gold of morning greet me, not an angular face with fangs and horns or wings with stiff ridges. Squinting harder at the clear skies, I drop my hand over my clock and turn off my alarm.
He’s gone. The bats too. Thank goodness it’s daytime.
Where did he go? Is he outside posing in the trees overlooking my parents’ house, or did he head back to the museum? I glance at the balcony—he isn’t there either. Untangling my legs from my blankets, I hesitate. I’m wet between my thighs. Glancing across my room to make sure I’m alone, I lift my blanket and run a hand down my pajama pants.
It’s not time for my monthly.
