Page 9 of A Highland Gargoyle’s Lucky Star (Tales from the Tarot)

Chapter nine

Noah

Mama Delilah’s Daily Horoscope Reading

Unexpected revelations await you, Sagittarius. Are you ready to bravely face what lies ahead? The path is filled with danger but also many potential blessings. Keep your wits about you and weather the storm because the calm that follows may be the beginning of a bright new future.

B eing the only human in a room full of gargoyles ought to feel a lot stranger than it does, but there’s something about this amazing castle and all of the clan members that I’ve met so far have welcomed me and made me feel oddly at home.

The meeting room is a lot smaller than some of the other spaces on the ground floor of the castle, and it has a decidedly cozy feel to it. There’s a roaring fire going, but this room’s fireplace is far smaller than the cavernous one in the Great Hall. Plush sheepskin rugs line the floor and there are a variety of comfortable, oversized, high-backed armchairs with what appear to be convenient openings for wings and an enormous sofa sturdy enough to hold several massive gargoyles. When I take a seat on it, I sink into the soft material with a sigh.

“This is heavenly,” I whisper, then squeak a little when Elryk sits beside me.

Close beside me.

As in, thighs touching.

The heat radiating off him is enticing. His body is so much bigger than mine and makes me fantasize about how it would feel pressing me into a bed.

Or this couch.

Or any damn surface, really.

Play it cool, Noah.

I take several steadying breaths, but I can’t stop my eyes from fixating on Elryk’s muscular thighs. His kilt’s ridden up a little and they peek out at me from under the hem, taunting and tempting as hell.

Praise be to whoever came up with the kilt as a clothing garment!

I swallow back the bucket’s worth of drool pooling in my mouth as I vividly imagine what might be going on under that kilt—especially since he confirmed that he goes commando.

Friends, Noah. You were going to focus on being friends, not throwing yourself at him like a horny loser.

By the time I manage to tear my eyes away from his lap, I can’t help but admire the broad expanse of his massive gray chest too. When I scan up and meet his gorgeous jade-green eyes, I stop breathing at the desire I see burning in their depths.

The force of it threatens to scald me where I sit.

Fuck the friends-only nonsense. Right now, I’m one hundred percent certain I’m not the only one who’s feeling this sexual chemistry. Elryk looks like he wants to carry me off and have his wicked way with me.

If anyone asks, I’m so down for that.

Seriously. No one, and I mean no one, has ever looked at me with that kind of overwhelming intensity.

It’s thrilling and I fucking love it.

I’m a greedy little shit too because I already want more.

My heart rate picks up and my breathing becomes shallow while my cock tries to bust a hole through my now too-tight pants.

Poor clothing choice, Noah.

Still, I can’t tear my gaze away from Elryk’s eyes that glitter like emeralds in the light.

Fuck me. Now I’m getting sappy and poetic too?

Who cares? This could be the hottest fling of a lifetime. Even if your heart gets a little broken in the process, you’ll probably have plenty of sexy memories to keep you warm at night.

I try to cross my legs to hide my raging hard-on and wince in discomfort.

Maybe I should see if Elryk could lend me a kilt to wear? Might be a good idea if I’m going to keep popping wood every time I’m around him.

Elryk’s gaze never leaves mine, and I’m getting so lost in them that logic and reason have already bid me bon voyage and have sailed right out of my brain. The desire I see in his eyes burns hotter and hotter with each passing second and I start to worry we both might spontaneously combust if we don’t do something about it pronto.

I’m about ready to just lie back and let him ravish me right here and now. My balls are heavy and ache with need and my whole body is hypersensitized. The faintest touch of his thigh against mine makes me fight back a moan.

Look, I’m not an exhibitionist by nature, but I’d be willing to deal with everyone watching just to have him fuck me hard and fast before I lose my ever-loving mind.

My whole body starts trembling with need and I’m concentrating on regulating my breathing.

Elryk’s nostrils flare and he leans closer to inhale deeply.

I gasp.

“Mmmmm.”

I damn near come in my pants when that delicious purring rumble vibrates from deep in his chest.

“Fuck, that’s hot,” I whisper, then lick my lips.

Someone clears their throat loudly and I startle out of my lustful daze to find the clan leader, Kelwyn, regarding us with an amused smirk.

I immediately fold my hands in my lap to cover my hard-on.

Awwwkwaarrrddd.

“Ahem. If I could have everyone’s attention, please,” Kelwyn says, arching an eyebrow.

I force a smile and Elryk stiffens but doesn’t move away from my side. Instead, he grabs a pillow and places it over his own lap.

Oh, my god, does he have a boner too? Because fuck this meeting, then. I say, let’s go and work out some of our mutual UST, baby!

Alas, my porntastic fantasies are not meant to be.

The mood in the room turns serious pretty quickly when the door opens and an older female gargoyle enters. She’s using a long cane that she moves in front of her as she walks, and her milky-white eyes are open and unblinking as she makes her way confidently into the room.

She takes a seat near Kelwyn and a hush falls over the group.

“Noah Price,” Kelwyn intones, “welcome to DarkWing Castle. You are our most honored guest. Keeping you safe is something we take seriously. No harm will come to you within these walls.”

I shift nervously in my seat, desperately willing my Elryk-induced erection away. Time and place, my buddy, no matter how sexy the gargoyle’s thighs are.

“Uh, yeah. Thanks. It’s cool to be breathing.” I can’t resist patting Elryk’s yummy thigh and his leg twitches. “Without this big guy, I’d be dead. And I’m sort of attached to being alive, so I appreciate the fact that you all were in the right place at the right time.” I give a nervous laugh. “What are the odds? My luck usually isn’t that good.”

Kelwyn casts a quick glance at the older woman gargoyle, who turns her unnerving gaze in my direction. I shiver. There’s a powerful but invisible aura to her that she must have been tamping down earlier, but now I can feel it like a wall of energy in the room. “I am the Oracle of the DarkWing clan. I am the one who foretold your coming.”

I blink at her. Vaguely, I recall Elryk saying something along these lines before, but I’d kind of shoved it to the side of my mind when my libido took the driver’s seat and all I could think about was getting closer to the hunky gargoyle.

I steal a glance at my savior, who remains oddly stone-faced—no pun intended.

He’s being a bit weird all of a sudden, and I find myself frowning.

I focus back on the Oracle. “You had, like, a vision about me or something?”

She inclines her head gracefully. “I foresaw that a Conduit would be coming to us in our time of need.”

I look around at all of the faces watching me and can’t help but be confused. “Um, I don’t know what this Conduit thing is. I’m just a guy who nearly got kidnapped and trafficked by a weirdo on the train.”

Although, now that I think about it, that was super strange. I really don’t know why I was targeted. Sure, I’m pretty decent-looking, but I can’t imagine that traffickers would be desperate enough to have me that they’d follow me on a train. Nor does it seem likely they hunt for victims on trains either. That would be highly inconvenient and riskier than most other options.

“You are the Conduit I have foreseen, Noah Price,” the Oracle says, interrupting my meandering thoughts.

“And what exactly is a Conduit?

Her answering smile is faint. “That is the more appropriate question to be asking.”

It’s my turn to arch an eyebrow at her. “Okay. Well, do you care to explain then?”

I hear Braewyn, who’s sitting on Elryk’s other side, snicker before he covers his mouth.

The Oracle, however, seems far from offended.

Her lips twitch. “The vision did not tell me that you would be so delightfully… feisty, but it is a good attribute for a Conduit to possess. You must be strong in spirit as well as character for what lies ahead.”

That doesn’t sound ominous or anything.

“You’re giving me all kinds of shades of mysterious right now, which is cool but also annoying. What exactly is it that you believe I’m supposed to do for you?”

She closes her eyes for a moment as if contemplating her next words.

“The DarkWing clan has long been charged by the Goddess with protecting a powerful magic that runs through our lands. It is centered around a ley line that feeds much of the magic in this world and is believed to be the first and most ancient source of magic in this realm. We are the Guardians destined to protect it from those who covet its power for themselves.”

My heart pounds in overdrive.

“Oh my freaking god. This is like something out of the movie, Highlander ! Are you guys immortal? Can you only be killed by someone chopping off your head?” I gasp and then whisper, “ There can be only one .”

Braewyn dissolves into knee-slapping laughter. “Hahahahaha! I bloody love this guy. So damn funny.”

Elryk grunts. “We are not immortal. Many things can kill us but decapitation definitely works.”

Braewyn wipes at his eyes, his laughter finally subsiding. “We’re tougher and harder to kill than a lot of species, longer-lived as well, but I’m afraid we aren’t like the characters from that film and television franchise.”

“Aw, nuts,” I mutter.

“Our clan works together to guard the line. We don’t battle each other, only the forces that try to attack us,” Elryk explains.

“I see. So you all guard this magical line from weirdos who want to roll up and be all Sauron-like in their agenda to become some evil lord of the universe or something?”

“Aye, that pretty much sums it up,” Braewyn says.

Kelwyn studies me for a moment. “There are sometimes lone individuals who seek power solely for themselves, but in other instances, we have many who come to battle us en masse. The DarkWing clan has successfully fended off all such attempts over the centuries, but we find ourselves in a difficult position now, one we’ve never faced before.”

I glance at Elryk, who’s getting stiffer by the moment and not in a good way.

“So what exactly is the issue right now?” I ask.

“Not all members of our clan are born with the destiny to protect the line,” the Oracle chimes in. “Only those born with inherent magical gifts are designated as Guardians. They are required to stay here in service of the clan for their entire lives.”

My eyes widen. “They can’t leave? Sounds a bit like a prison sentence, if you ask me.”

Kelwyn sighs. “It is not an easy burden to bear, but it is an honor and privilege to have been gifted by the Goddess with abilities to safeguard not only our own people but the rest of the world. You must understand, Noah, if the power of the ley line were to fall into the wrong hands, it could spell doom for our entire realm.”

This is definitely some heavy shit. But I still don’t understand where I fit into the whole situation.

“Although there is much danger and hardship associated with being a Guardian,” the Oracle explains, “it also comes with great reward.”I give an awkward chuckle. “Well, I sure as shit would hope so. Wouldn’t want to think this goddess you all believe in is just expecting you to be self-sacrificing schmucks with no compensation.”

The Oracle smiles softly. “The reward the Guardians receive is the promise of a fated mate.”

My mouth hangs open. “No shit. That’s a real thing?”

Everyone nods solemnly.

“Is it like the stuff I’ve encountered in books? I’ve only read about the fated mates thing in romance novels.” I flush a little. “I’ve dabbled in a few of the Otherkind ones by Ryder St. James, but I thought a lot of that was just fiction.”

“Some depictions of fated mates in human culture are accurate, and others are not,” the Oracle says. “What I can tell you is that fated mates have been chosen long ago by the Goddess and destined to be together. A guardian’s fated mate is one who always possesses a power or ability that complements their own and helps them better undertake their duty while also better safeguarding them from danger.”

“Wow, that sounds pretty cool. It’d be nice to have a partner who could help you with your work, I’m sure.” I frown. “Is that all the bond is?”

Kelwyn coughs. “No, of course not. That is but one aspect. Mates also feel an instant and powerful attraction, an almost mystical pull toward each other, that cannot be denied. For them, there will be no other, only their fated mate or mates. They will be united in the kind of powerful union only that magical dynamic can produce. Their lives and souls are intertwined and connected forever after they complete their union.”

It sounds kinda romantic, but also a smidge terrifying.

I look around. “So, how many of you are with your fated mates so far?”

There’s an uncomfortable silence, and the only sound in the room for a moment is the crackling of the logs on the fire.

Eventually the Oracle speaks again. “We have gone far too long without the appearance of a fated mate among our kind. However, my most recent visions have foretold that things will now change with the coming of the Conduit. Other fated mates will also come to bond with members of our clan, thus strengthening our ranks and our ability to protect the line.”

Wait .

Hold up a minute. Did she say…?

“ Other fated mates?” I manage to whisper.

She turns those mysterious eyes on me. “Aye, Noah Price. You’ve already felt the pull that Kelwyn described, have ye not? You are the fated mate of our clan’s Barrier Master, Elryk DarkWing.”

My head whips to the side to stare at Mr. Sexy Thighs. His jade-green eyes regard me with a strange mixture of yearning and sorrow that I can’t fully understand.

However, I also can’t deny the Oracle’s words. So much of what she’s saying would explain the unusual strength and immediacy of my attraction to Elryk, and my desire to know him better. To share our bodies with one another. To touch him and have him touch me.

But all of this is incredibly overwhelming. I don’t even know where to begin.

“Hold up. I don’t have any magical powers. How can I be a fated mate without them?”

Knowing my luck, they’ve made some kind of terrible mistake.

The Oracle shakes her head. “You are a Conduit, Noah Price. Although you may not have realized your power until recently. Most likely the moment you arrived in London.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking abou—”

I freeze, my mind immediately flicking back to that bizarre moment when the plane touched down and it felt like I’d been electrocuted or struck by lightning while sitting in my seat.

Talk about the worst case of static shock, ever!

Then there were the times after that when I would experience similar electrical zings when I touched certain folks.

“Many Otherkind sensed you the moment you arrived and alerted us to your presence. Do you recall anything that happened that might corroborate what I am saying?”

I swallow nervously. “Maybe.”

She nods. “You have not yet learned how to use your ability, Noah, but

we can teach you. And we must if you are to help us.”

Shit just got real and went in a direction I was not expecting.

“Look, I’m not exactly ‘Chosen One’ material. I have a legacy of bad luck and attracting trouble that’s far from desirable in a savior-type. Trust me, I don’t think I could possibly be of benefit to your clan. For real. I’m more likely to cause problems for you.”

“The bad luck you speak of is no doubt some misfortune because your powers have been unable to materialize until now. Your so-called bad luck means they’ve been trying to manifest but you needed to be here, in the lands of your forebears, before that could happen.”

“I don’t know what that means,” I admit.

“Most likely, one of your ancestors was fae and passed down an ability rarely found outside of their kind,” Kelwyn says. “Most Conduits that we’ve documented have at least some fae in their lineage.”

I try not to lose it as my whole world shifts on its axis.

“I know I have some ancestors from England and Scotland way back in our family tree. It’s one of the reasons I always wanted to come here, but it’s probably from quite a long time ago. How could I possibly possess some kind of power no one else in our family has had for as long as any of us can remember?”

“Fae genetics are… complicated,” Kelwyn says. “Sometimes powers skip multiple generations before manifesting again.”

“For the sake of argument, let’s say that’s true. If I have these powers, what are they and what exactly does a Conduit do with them?”

I’m getting more and more nervous that nobody’s explained this to me, yet.

The Oracle turns her attention to Elryk. “Would you care to explain to your fated mate, Barrier Master?”

Elryk’s hands clench around the pillow in his lap, the short dark claws at his fingertips scoring the fabric for a moment. Finally, he looks into my eyes. “A Conduit has the ability to share magical energy with others. They can draw energy out of someone or give them more than they possess on their own. They can also tap into raw magical energy sources, like the ley line, and funnel that energy to others to greatly enhance their existing powers and abilities.”

My eyes widen. “So, like a supercharger battery pack?”

Braewyn snickers. “Not a bad analogy.”

Elryk scowls at him.

I hesitantly reach out a hand and touch Elryk’s arm, feeling that familiar zing that courses through me before I pull back.

“Is that electrical charge I feel when I touch you or other Otherkind part of this Conduit power?”

Because now that I’m thinking back on it, the only times I’ve experienced this sensation were when I met the little old lady brownie at the airport and that hunky orc paramedic, and then Elryk. It hasn’t happened with a human. It didn’t happen with Malcolm on the train.

Elryk nods. “Aye, ’tis a power that can only enhance magical powers of species that already possess magic of some kind.”

“In other words, most humans are out?”

He nods. “Apart from mages or witches and their ilk, who are human in appearance but technically part-fae in their genetics.”

“I know this must be a lot to take in right now, Noah,” Kelwyn says, “but we need your help. Elryk is our last and only Barrier Master in the clan. No others have been born to us for far too long. When his grandfather passed, the burden of maintaining the barrier fell to him alone. Elryk is incredibly powerful, even among our kind and the many barrier masters who came before him, but the barrier is too much to be maintained by one person alone—especially against powerful threats. That’s where your ability can aid him as nothing else can.”

I stare at Elryk. “Is that true?”

He gives a solemn nod.

I swallow. “And is it true that I’m your fated mate?”

Eventually, he nods, but from the conflicted look on his face, I get the impression he’s not exactly happy about the fact.

Not gonna lie. That kind of pisses me off.

He’s fucking lucky to have an awesome guy like me as his fated mate!

The Oracle rises to her feet as if sensing the vibes change. “We should give these two some time alone to talk. But please know, we are here to support you and keep you safe, Noah. We are also prepared to answer any questions that you may have. However, do not doubt your importance to us and how desperately we need your help. Great danger is coming our way, and time is of the essence.” She turns to Elryk. “Barrier Master, take this time to speak honest and true with your mate. Conceal nothing and let the Goddess’ will shine through. She brought you two together because she knew in her divine wisdom that you were meant for each other. Trust in her judgment, as you always have, and everything will be as it is meant to be.”

The other gargoyles quietly file out of the room and close the door behind us.

With a pounding heart and a tumult of questions rolling around in my head, I decide it’s about time to get some new and very different answers—from the supersexy gargoyle who’s also, apparently, my fated mate.