“Oh man, I thought I ate well, but this…I could eat like this every day and be perfectly content. I think when I get home, I’ll take more care with my meals.” I looked at Kipa. “You too, Wolf-Boy. We’re going to see what we can rustle up that might rival this.”
Kipa snorted. “Yes, ma’am.”
When we were settled into our meal, Dek asked, “All right, you said you had some questions about gargoyles?”
“Yes, I do. So, here’s my situation. Some time ago, I won a young gargoyle—very young—in a poker game from a demon. The demon had cut off his wings, and the poor baby was hurting. I took him home and I tended to his wounds, and I found a witch who could cast a memory spell on him so he would forget about his early life and forget that he ever had wings. He’s been with me over fifty years, and he has…oh…about the mentality of a child around eight years old—using human years.” I described his size.
“How do you get along?” Dek asked.
“We’ve formed an intense bond. I love him and he loves me, and he gets anxiety disorder when I’m away too long. I found out that he’s multilingual—apparently he only needs to hear a language to understand it. He also has a power that I’ve seen twice, and both times he’s blanked out and forgotten all about the incidents.” I told Dek about the incident with Jim Morrison’s spirit, and then the aztrophyllia. “He has…what I call laser eyes. He was able to see the aztrophyllia even though it was invisible, and he shot a beam of light at it and made it let go of me. I need to know if these are common to the gargoyle race, or does he have some special powers that make him unique?”
Dek set down his spoon, propping it against the bowl, and walked over to his bookcase. He trailed his finger over the spines till he came to one volume, and he pulled it out. As he returned, he handed it to me. “Here, you can borrow this.”
I opened it up, expecting not to be able to read the language, but it was written in a Fae dialect that I knew. The title page read “Gargoyles In Their Natural Environment” and I flipped to the contents page. The chapters included different types of gargoyles—apparently there were more than one—and the different environments they were found in, the principal traits of each species of gargoyle, their powers and abilities and innate nature, the care and feeding of each species, and finally, essays on what was apparently a great mystery about them.
“From what I know about gargoyles, the ability to speak multiple languages is innate among most of the species. And what you call the laser-eye power is normal among the gargoyle elite. It grows as they grow. I can only think that he must have come from a royal family line. Demons prize owning gargoyles for several reasons. They make effective bodyguards, for one thing, but they’re also good ransom material if you can steal one from one of the royal bloodlines in the gargoyle world.”
I stared at the book. “Royalty? You mean Raj could be a prince?”
“Probably a minor noble that’s connected to the crown. If he’d been a prince, the demon wouldn’t have cut off his wings because they’d never recoup their money. In fact, I wonder if the demon tried to extort a ransom and the family refused to pay, leaving your Raj to a life of captivity and torture.” Dek scowled. “One thing to know about gargoyles is their society is harsh and they aren’t kind to any of their own who are disabled or lacking in any sense of the word.”
“That I knew,” I murmured. I flipped through the book. “This looks in-depth.”
“Yes, and it’s all factual. That author is an excellent researcher. He lives in the great city of TirNaNog.”
“The one near where I live, or its mother-city?” I asked, flipping through the pages. “Do you mind if I make a copy of this before I give it back to you?”
“Of course you may. And I’m speaking of the mother-city of TirNaNog.”
TirNaNog was the city of the Dark Fae, and Navane was the city of the Light Fae. Both were ancient and sprawling, and they were at constant war with one another. But over on Earth, the smaller cities—named after the original—kept their warring in check. Somewhat. My friends Herne and Ember were in charge of the Wild Hunt Agency and their main purpose was to ensure that collateral damage—from petty bickering between the two—didn’t splash over into the human realm.
“I’ve never seen the original cities. I’m not sure I want to, given the depths of their animosity toward one another. And I’m sure they wouldn’t hesitate to aim that animosity toward the Ante-Fae, either. They don’t like the fact that we’re their predecessors and stronger and more cunning than any of them—Light or Dark.” I had friends who were Fae but most of them seemed to be on the outs…the black sheep of the family or rejected by their lineage for one reason or another.
“Yes, well, you aren’t missing anything unless you like beautiful architecture. Even within the city walls, you can feel the sense of arrogance seeping through the air. They don’t welcome my kind there either, so we have something in common.” Dek shrugged. “No skin off my nose. But the author who wrote that book lives there, and he’s on the outskirts of society. Most of the Fae are unconcerned about anyone who isn’t one of their own.”
I wanted to begin reading the book right there, but that would be rude. So we finished our lunch, talking about other things, and then Kipa stood.
“I hate to eat and run, but we should get back home and start working on the wards against the aztrophyllia. I know we put up another one this morning, but I’m not sure how well it’s going to work.” He motioned for me to stand. “I’ll get our coats—”
“No,” Dek said. “You’re my guests, I’ll get them. Besides, they’re in one of my guest rooms and Avan is asleep in there.”
As he slipped out, I turned to Kipa. “You can actually get me in to see Van…what the hell is his name again?”
“Väinämöinen. And yes, he happens to be a friend of mine. He’s also one of Tapio’s friends and we had a lot of boys’ nights until…” He stopped, a sheepish look on his face.
“Until you tried to seduce his wife. You dolt!” I said, smacking him on the arm. “I wish you’d apologize for real so that you could go back to Mielikki’s Arrow without feeling like you’re on probation.”
Kipa laughed. “I’ll try, love. I’ll try.”
Chapter Thirteen
Holding the book as if it were precious cargo, I made my farewell to Dek, whom I decided I liked and then we headed back toward the portal through which we had come. I carried the gargoyle guide with me, making certain it was safely stowed away in my backpack.
The snow fell steadily, blotting out most of the sounds. I loved the way snow muffled everything. It felt like nature’s bubble wrap, cushioning even the strongest blows. Once we were at the edge of Dek’s home, Kipa changed into his wolf form again, and I climbed on his back as his mighty hind legs propelled us along the path, back to the hill and up the slippery surface.
By the time we reached the portal, I was deep in thought. The process to take care of Lenny involved far more than I had thought it would, and for the first time, I questioned whether I enjoyed putting myself out there for others. Dek’s cabin had seemed so safe and cozy, and while I wasn’t cut out for living out in the wilderness, I had a sudden desire to curl up at home and quit chasing down dragons and demons and ghosts and ghouls.