Page 12 of Celestial Shadows

“He won’t. I was careful,” I say with a grimace. “But he’s so strong. Stronger than the Chasm alone would have made him.” He’s too powerful. Strangely so. I look up at Pyre as something dawns on me. “Is it possible Elioth found a way to syphon excess power from the ethers?”

“Yes, I believe it is possible.”

Then hope is already lost.

CHAPTER SIX

DRAGAN

Mortal Ruins

I awake to find Myerdoth standing above me. “What is it?” I ask.

“The gargoyles have awakened, Dragan. Zir says the ritual worked, but the stone needed several nights of direct moonlight for the magic to flourish.” He stands and tosses me the Grimoire.

I can’t hide my shock. “I can’t… I can’t believe it.”

“Well, believe it,” Myerdoth answers and actually smiles, which is rare for the gargoyle. “Pyre suggested we take our new recruits to the glade to train. As their creator, they’ll have most of your knowledge already, but controlling their abilities will take time.”

“Time we don’t have,” I add.

He nods. “Time we don’t have.”

“Eilish... does she know?”

Myerdoth shakes his head and opens the door for me as I take my leave. My companion and I part ways along the way to the war room. When I throw open the doors and stride inside, I find Eilish staring down at the map with a frown on her face. She looks at me and frowns as she then slides to the floor with her head in her hands. I move to kneel before her.

“Are you alright, Eilish?” She is beautiful, strong and courageous, but I see the dark circles beneath her eyes and the tension in her muscles. The pheromones of her lovers still permeate her skin, so I know it isn’t hunger that’s distressing her. I wrap my arms around her and she allows me to hold her.

“So many lives relying on me…” she presses her forehead against mine. “I need help, Dragan. We can’t do this on our own.”

“I have something to show you. Maybe it will ease your worries.”

I help her stand, lifting her from the floor. We walk through the double doors and wave to the guards. They allow us to leave through the gate. Eilish is quiet on our walk through the city. She answers my prodding questions with a simple nod or sigh. I keep her close as we approach the water and the wind gets colder. Eilish is happy to snuggle against my side as we work our way through the uneven sands. Though the city itself is a graveyard, there’s so much life on the beach.

“We’re here.”

Large drag marks and symbols cover the ground, but there are no gargoyles. Myerdoth drops down from the sky in front of us. Eilish grips my hand and squeezes as a happy smile appears on her face. Four stone beasts land in the sands in a perfect formation just beside him.

Eilish appears surprised to see them, of course, but when she turns to face me, her surprise grows. “Dragan, how are they able to be in the daylight?”

“Myerdoth?” I ask, not sure of the answer, myself.

He nods at us both. “The short answer is… Pyre.” Eilish and I both laugh at that. Myerdoth continues. “We’ve given them the choice to remain nocturnal or embrace the light. There’s a possibility that many will still prefer the night, but having a choice is what makes all the difference.”

Eilish approaches each of them, studying each one of them closely. Clearly, she’s impressed. “Why are they still made of stone? Why aren’t they flesh, like you?”

Myerdoth answers this question, as well. “The stone will shed in a few days.”

“It takes a long time for gargoyles to build up a flesh form and when it first grows, it’s still very thin,” I add. “The stone acts as an exoskeleton until the process is complete.”

“Do they have names?” she asks.

“They will get names and ranks once they mature completely,” I reply. “But, as you see, we now have more warriors for your army.”

“That... thank you, Dragan. I know you did this to restore your people, but I’m grateful you thought of the Vindication, as well.” She returns to me, sliding beneath my arms to hold me tight around my middle. “Belroth says he’s working on more golems, as well. At this rate, half of our forces will be birthed from stone.”

I turn Eilish towards the beach and we walk along the water’s edge. The water is a clear blue that seems far too large to be anything but an illusion.

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