Page 9 of Guarded by the Gargoyle (Hidden Hollow #3)

7

WILLOW

I came back to consciousness slowly. As the world swam into focus, I saw two anxious faces looking down at me.

One of them was Goody Albright…and the other was the face of the stone gargoyle-angel who had somehow come to life.

He was back to being an angel again, which was a big relief—his gargoyle side was absolutely terrifying. But he was also holding me in his arms, cradled against his chest. I noticed that even though he was now a living, breathing man—or gargoyle-angel or whatever—his skin was still the same pearly gray it had been back when he was still a statue. A “Garden Guardian,” as Goody Albright had called him.

The look of worry on his chiseled features changed to one of relief when he saw me open my eyes.

“There you are, Mistress,” he rumbled—he had an extremely deep voice. “Thank the Heavens above. Are you well?”

“I…I think so.” I shifted uncomfortably. Other than Carlo grabbing my face, this was the closest I’d been to any man since my divorce two years ago and it made me nervous— really nervous. I no longer trusted anyone who was male—be he human, angel, or gargoyle. If he had a penis, I didn’t want him close to me.

“Kael says you fainted,” Goody Albright said, frowning anxiously at me. She pronounced the name “Kay-elle.”

“Who?” I asked. Then my eyes flew up to the enormous male that was holding me. Oh— he must be Kael. Not that I cared—I just wanted to get down—to get away from him.

“Let me go!” I demanded, struggling in his arms. He must be massively strong if he could hold my chunky ass off the ground for so long. Which only made me want to get away from him more.

“My goodness, Willow—whatever is the matter?” Goody Albright exclaimed.

“What’s the matter? How can you ask me that?” I gasped. “This…this thing—your gargoyle-angel came to life and grabbed me!”

“I did not ‘grab’ you, Mistress,” the gargoyle-angel said with impressive dignity. “I caught you when you were falling—as I will always save you when you are in danger.”

“Stop calling me Mistress!” I exclaimed. “I’m not your Mistress.”

“You hold my key,” he pointed out, nodding at the small gold key still in my hand. “You touched me in my stone form and wished for my help—therefore you are my Mistress.”

“No, I’m not!” I protested.

“Oh dear…” Goody Albright murmured.

“What? What is it?” I demanded. “I can tell you’re thinking something bad—tell me what it is.”

“Well, it’s just that since you do hold the key to his locket and you apparently did wish for his help, I’m afraid you really are his Mistress now, Willow dear.”

“What?” I squeaked. “You can’t be serious!”

“I’m afraid so. The two of you have entered into a magical contract that is legally binding,” she told me. “As long as you hold the key, he must protect you.”

“I’ll take care of that right now,” I said. I gripped the tiny golden key tight for a moment, then threw it across the garden.

It didn’t go very far—it wasn’t easy to throw anything while I was being cradled against the chest of a recently-stone giant gargoyle-angel—but I did my best.

However, it didn’t do a damn bit of good. I heard a soft ringing sound, ting-ting-ting, and then there was a golden glimmer between my breasts and I saw that the key had reappeared like magic. Which was probably exactly what had happened—magic, I thought ruefully. The damn thing had even found itself a new chain to hang on to replace the one I had broken in my mad dash to get away from the Hell Hound. It looked like pure gold and it was clasped firmly around my neck.

“Mistress, please do not attempt to get rid of me. I only wish to guard you.” The look on the gargoyle-angel’s face was hurt—as though I had rejected him romantically. “Forgive me for frightening you earlier and allowing my demonic visage to come out—I was overcome with Wrath at the idea that someone had harmed you,” he said.

“Nobody harmed me!” I exclaimed, and then remembered Carlo grabbing my face earlier. “Okay, well my ex did grab me, but this is nothing to what he used to do.”

“What? What else did he do?” His stone-grey face was suddenly like a thundercloud and it occurred to me that though his skin was still the same color as marble, his body actually felt like it was made of muscle—a lot of muscle. There wasn’t a spare inch of fat on him anywhere. Not that I cared—I just wanted to get down.

“Look, put me down—we can’t keep talking while you’re holding me—you’ll hurt your back,” I said, trying to give him a reason to let me go.

He frowned in apparent confusion.

“I will? How?”

Goddess, did I really have to spell it out for him? Apparently so.

“Because I’m too heavy—I’m not thin,” I emphasized.

His eyes—which were an improbable pale silver—were suddenly half-lidded.

“I know that Mistress—you have the curves of a goddess.”

“The what of a who? Never mind,” I said, before he could either repeat himself or say something even worse. “Just put me down. Now.”

Reluctantly, I thought, he set me down on my feet. Then he immediately knelt in front of me again.

“Mistress,” he rumbled, bowing his head. “Please forgive me for disturbing you. I wished only to help.”

“Well you can help by leaving me alone,” I said briskly.

“Alas, I cannot—I am bound to you,” he said.

I looked at Goody Albright who seemed to know a lot about this kind of thing.

“Is that right? Does he have to stay with me?”

“I’m afraid so, my dear,” she said. “But consider—this could be a good thing. Didn’t you tell me that you have several people after you right now who wish to do you harm?”

“Where are they?” Kael’s eyes began glowing red—which was exactly what they’d done before he morphed fully into his scary-ugly gargoyle form. “I will kill them for daring to threaten you, Mistress!”

“Would you please stop calling me that? My name is Willow,” I said. “And you don’t need to worry about them—they’re not here.”

“Tell me their names and I will seek them out.” His eyes were still glowing. “I will tear them limb from limb—they will not live to see another sunrise!”

The offer was tempting, I must admit—especially in Carlo’s case. But a dismembered policeman would only cause me more trouble, not less. The New Orleans PD takes the murder of their own very seriously and a disgruntled ex-wife would probably be high on their suspect list.

“Thank you for the offer, but no,” I said firmly. “I can handle things myself without ‘tearing anyone limb-from-limb.’”

“Very well.” He nodded gravely. “Then I will wait until you order me to dispatch your enemies.”

“I’m not going to ask you to ‘dispatch’ anyone. And would you please get up?” I asked. I felt ridiculous—like some kind of queen with an overeager knight kneeling before her, offering to go slay a dragon or something.

“As you wish, Mistress. Forgive me— Willow,” he rumbled, rising to his feet.

The minute he was up, I almost wished I hadn’t told him to stop kneeling. He really was massive—he towered over me and the top of my head didn’t even reach his muscular shoulder.

“Okay, well…” I wasn’t sure what to do next. I looked at Goody Albright. “Can I see that guest cottage now?”

“Oh, certainly my dear. This way.”

She started down the garden path and I followed her, trying to ignore the fact that Kael was right behind me. At the far end of the garden and through a grove of trees, there was an adorable little cottage with two window boxes, right in front, overflowing with flowers. It was so tiny I thought it would probably be the size of a small studio apartment inside. I didn’t mind the size though—I just wanted a place to sleep for the night. And next morning, I was going to get up early and use the heavy lion-head key to draw a door back home so I could check on the shop and Miss Sassy.

“This is the Flower Bower,” Goody Albright said proudly, opening the door and gesturing me inside. “I do hope you don’t have any allergies to plants or flowers, though—this isn’t the sort of place for people with those problems.”

“Oh no—I work with medicinal herbs and flowers at the shop all the time,” I assured her. “I’m sure I’ll be fine.”

I started to step through the door, and then noticed that Kael was about to follow me.

“Nope, I don’t think so.” I turned to face him. “You are not coming in here with me.”

He frowned down at me.

“Why not?”

“How about because I’m not letting a strange man—or gargoyle or angel or whatever you are—into the place I’m planning to sleep,” I snapped. “I don’t even know you.”

His frown deepened.

“What is there to know? I am your protector. But how can I protect you if I’m not with you?”

“That’s your problem, not mine,” I informed him. “All I know is that you’re not coming in with me.”

The hurt look returned to his face—as though he couldn’t understand why I wouldn’t allow him to just come on in and make himself at home.

“Mistress, I would never harm you,” he rumbled. “I wish only to serve you in any way you desire and to keep you safe.”

I felt a part of me melting—the part that had been locked in ice ever since the first time Carlo hit me. But I still wasn’t going to give in.

“Look, it’s not you, it’s me,” I told him. “I just don’t trust men. I’m sorry.”

Then I got angry with myself for apologizing—I shouldn’t care about his feelings. I didn’t know him—I had never met him before he’d come to life and declared himself my “protector.” I had every right to deny him entrance to the place I was going to sleep. I would be vulnerable—especially to a magical being who was twice my size. How dare he demand entrance ten minutes after he’d met me?

I waited to hear his answer with all those angry, scared thoughts in my head, ready to spill out of my mouth if he protested again.

But the huge gargoyle only nodded.

“I understand,” he murmured. “A male hurt you and now you fear to trust another.”

“Well…something like that.” I cleared my throat and looked back at Goody Albright. She hadn’t said anything but she’d been watching our exchange closely. Behind her horn-rimmed glasses, her sharp eyes gleamed with interest.

“Well, since you’ve settled your sleeping arrangements, let me show you the Flower Bower’s amenities, my dear,” she said to me.

“Oh, thank you.” I nodded and followed her into the tiny cottage, letting the door shut in Kael’s face.