Page 9

E lle was scary as fuck. Maybe that was why he was so smitten with her.

That and the mate bond had kicked in. He felt it tugging tighter the longer he spent in her presence.

Gods, his mate was a fae from a far-off realm, and she was stunning with her long hair and blue eyes.

She wasn’t scared to wield a knife. Why did he find that hot?

Because she’s fierce like Tessa.

Someone knocked on the door, and Anthony rose from the sofa.

He opened it wide enough for the server to push a cart into the suite.

Elle waited until the food was on the table and Anthony had signed the receipt before joining him.

He poured two cups of coffee, placing Elle’s in front of her, before dumping several packets of sugar into his.

He then added milk from a miniature pitcher, stirred it with a spoon, took a sip, and smacked his lips. “Ah, that’s good.”

Elle laughed as she added a splash of milk to her own cup, then dug into her breakfast. They ate in comfortable silence.

She took her time, but Anthony shoveled it in like he hadn’t eaten in days.

He wasn’t starving, but he did want to finish so they could talk.

When he caught her staring, he muttered, “What?” Elle shook her head, hiding her smile behind her coffee cup.

When he was finished, Anthony pushed back his plate, clasped his hands over his abs, and asked, “Will you tell me about your realm and people? How you ended up with Grevolus?”

Elle sat back with her coffee mug cradled in her hands.

“Evyndral is made up of five lands. Evyndral proper is where the dragons live. Summerland, where I’m from, and Springmire are where the D?nthúlú or light fae, live.

Winterhaven, where Grevolus is from, and Autumnvale are where the Und?nthú, or dark fae, live.

I’m sure you’re familiar with Earthen history, so imagine a time around the 1600s, and that would be our realm.

We have no electricity, no running water.

“I grew up in a wonderful family with parents who loved me and my siblings. Yari and Thran are quite a bit older, and they’re twins.

I never thought I was anyone other than the daughter of Ballymar and Lorhana of Summerland, until one day I was practicing with my bow while the twins were sparring with swords, and my father came looking for me.

By that time my mother had been killed. Grevolus demanded that I was his child, and I was taken to the elders where my blood was tested against both Grevolus’s and Ballymar’s.

That proved he was my sire. He took me that day to Winterhaven where I no longer felt loved.

He, his mate, Asherah, and their son, Tovin, treated me like a slave.

The dark queen wasn’t as good to her people as the light queen, so we didn’t have much.

I had lived with them for ten years when I was dragged into a battle between the dark and the dragons.

“For many years, or what we call sun cycles, the fae and dragons lived in peace.

The goddess D?nthú had two daughters, Zarina and Melisandra, with the fae god Xeníus.

Years later, D?nthú fell in love with the dragon king Mórdrake.

Xeníus became jealous, and he conspired with Melisandra against the dragon king.

Melisandra turned against her mother and sister, and in doing so, the two factions of fae – light and dark – were born.

D?nthú joined forces with her lover, and together, they defeated Xeníus.

Before he was defeated, Xeníus gave Melisandra weapons that could destroy the dragons.

When the fae were divided, Zarina was given rule over the light court and Melisandra the dark, but only after she agreed to a treaty of peace against the dragons.

“That held for three hundred years until the dark attacked the dragons. Melisandra wasn’t punished because she proved to the goddess she wasn’t in Evyndral when it happened.

A lot of lives were lost on both sides, and as recompense, the goddess offered the light fae as guardians to the dragons.

There are trials held, and only the strongest and bravest of light fae are chosen to be on the royal dragon guard.

My siblings trained for the dragon guard trials daily, and they taught me as well with swords, knives, and a bow.

I dreamed of one day fighting alongside them even though I was only twenty-five.

You have to be an adult to be considered for the guard, you see. ”

“But you were twenty-five.”

Elle smiled. “I was but a child. Fae aren’t considered adults until they reach one hundred sun cycles.”

Anthony dropped his hands and sat forward. “You’re a child?”

Elle laughed, but he didn’t find it funny.

“Maybe that’s the wrong way to word it? Fae age differently than other beings.

Yes, I was young, but I wasn’t a child like you consider one on Earth.

One hundred is the age of maturity, and any time before that, you are still under your parents’ care unless you find your mate. ”

“Oh, thank the gods. Please continue.” Anthony sat back in his chair.

Elle refilled her coffee and began where she left off.

“Another three hundred years passed, but this time, Melisandra called on the dark to attack the dragons again. Grevolus was among the dark who fought against the dragons, and he insisted I fight with them. Long story short, the dark fae were losing the battle, and Grevolus insisted I hide him and my half-brother, Tovin, in the shadows so we could escape. Then the portal opened, and he dragged me through. Tovin wasn’t quick enough, and the portal closed, trapping his head on one side, and his body on the other. ”

“Where did you end up?”

“On a beach in South Carolina. Imagine traveling through time from the 1600s to today, where you encounter a foreign land with cars and tall buildings and electric lights everywhere without speaking the language. I had no idea what sand was, and I had never seen a body of water as large as the ocean.”

“Where was your stepmother in all this?”

Elle’s face darkened. “During the battle, she was tasked with watching me. Grevolus instructed her to stand with me so I couldn’t run off.

She noticed I was aiming my arrows at the dark fae instead of the light or dragons, and we got into an argument.

She threatened to kill me the way she had my mother, so I got the dagger she was holding away from her and plunged it into her chest.”

“Does Grevolus know that?”

“He does, but he’s evil and cares more about himself than anyone else, his mate included.”

“How did you survive? How long have you been here?”

“We’ve been here four years. I created a language translator out of driftwood so I could understand what the humans were saying, but we stole food and hid away in abandoned buildings while learning what was what.

Grevolus thought that since my sister had been here, she must have had help, and he instructed me to find whoever aided her while in this realm.

He quickly figured out that was impossible, so he insisted I learn all I could about humans and how they made money.

Back in Winterhaven, fae bartered everything, but that doesn’t happen here, so he decided stealing was the only way we would get by.

At first, it was taking ATM cards and withdrawing as much as allowed, which isn’t a lot.

He told me if I didn’t figure out a way to get more, he would kill me. ”

Elle placed her mug down and stood, pacing the living area.

Anthony wanted to go to her, so he did. He stepped in front of her and gently gripped her upper arms. “Elle, I don’t blame you.

You already said you were waiting on your siblings to come find you, so you did what you had to in order to survive. ”

Surprising Anthony, Elle leaned her cheek against his chest and wrapped her arms around his back. “That doesn’t make it right, though.”

“It also doesn’t make it wrong, Sweetheart.” He kissed her hair, rubbing a hand up and down her back. “Once you get to know me and my Clan, you’ll understand we’ve done things to survive too, and some of those are worse than taking money.”

Elle leaned back to look up at him. “I still don’t know what you are.”

“I’m a Gargoyle. I have a beast inside, and when I call him forth, I have fangs, claws, and wings.

The males of my kind have nearly impenetrable skin.

Should you have stabbed me earlier, the blade would have bounced off unless you went for my neck.

” Anthony touched Elle’s skin under her chin.

“We can only be slain by decapitation or a few select poisons, which are rare in this world.”

“Can I see you in your other form?”

Anthony was glad they were in a suite, since it was large enough to accommodate his wings. “Move over by the door please.” When Elle did as he asked, Anthony stepped to the middle of the room, removed his shirt, and called forth his wings.

Elle’s eyes widened. “They’re stunning,” she whispered. “And your fangs?” Anthony let his sharp teeth drop, and he held out a hand, lengthening his claws. When she gasped, he recalled both. “Can I touch your wings, or is that asking too much?”

Tony retracted them. “That is reserved for one’s mate because they’re sensitive. Elle, you mentioned Grevolus and Asherah were mates. Were they fated?”

“I don’t know what that means,” she admitted, returning to her seat at the table.

“Gargoyles believe in the fates. Supernatural entities who choose the perfect being as our other half. Until we meet them, we can spend time with anyone we wish, but once we meet our fated mate, all others cease to exist.”

“Oh, like the dragons.” Elle got a far-away look in her eye mentioning the beasts. “They can choose a consort until they meet their intended. Do you also get a mark on your skin when that happens?”