Page 3 of Enchanted By the Gargoyle

Tamsin

Iglance up at the clock and sigh. It’s only seven in the evening, and I have another forty minutes or so before I bundle Beryl up to take her over to the Wrydwood Cabins. My shop has been pretty slow today, but that isn’t unusual for a Tuesday. Beryl is on the floor, batting around a small, damaged geode that I gave her to play with. The bell above the door chimes, and I see my fellow Coven member step in, Sybil.

She stops dead in the middle of the floor, eyes wide as she spots Beryl. I plug my ears because I already know what is about to happen.

“Aiiiiiieeeeeee!! Tamsin! You didn’t tell me you got a cat! Oh. My. Gosh!” Sybil scoops Beryl into her arms like a baby, rocking her back and forth and cooing. “Aren’t you just the most precious, most fluffiest, most baby of baby cats to ever LIVE?”

“Wow. No one would ever know that you like cats. Really,” I deadpan. Beryl does look like she is enjoying all the fuss; however, her bright green eyes are half-closed, and a purr so deep it sounds like it should come from a lion, not a kitten.

Sybil is ignoring me entirely at this point, choosing to converse with me through Beryl. “Oh, she is just being a meany head. Maybe she doesn’t appreciate you like I do? Maybe I should just catnap you right here and now, what do you say to that?”

“I’m not sure I can even keep her. I found her over by the cabins, and I’m taking her over there in a bit to see if she belongs to anyone.” I pause, looking a the clock again, checking the time. “Although I’m definitely hoping she doesn’t, so I can keep her. She just popped out when I was healing the node.”

“Really?” Sybil waggles her eyebrows at me. “Maybe she’s your familiar. You’ve never had one before. Or maybe it’s just the CDS in action.”

“CDS? What’s that stand for?”

Sybils eyes practically pop out of her head. “You’ve never heard of the CDS? Oh boy, now Iknowyou’re not really a cat person. It’s the ‘Cat Distribution System,’ a worldwide theory that when someone is ready for a cat, the Energy of the Cat will just go ahead and make one available to you. That’s how I found my cats.” Her fingers are scratching Beryl behind the ears, turning my kitten into goo. Well, hopefully my kitten.

“Alright, I’m glad you met. She clearly loves you, but I’m pretty sure I’m keeping her. The owner of the cabins is going to walk the property with me to see if we can find her owner. I’m hoping no one will be home.” Reaching for her, Sybil tucks her into my arms, giving her a little pat on the head with the pad of her forefinger.

“The owner of the cabins?” She leans her elbows on the counter, tucking her hands under her chin. Her gaze keepsstraying to Beryl, who lets out the cutest little yawn, showing off her tiny pink mouth.

“Yeah. I called him yesterday. I don’t understand how he runs his business at all. He’s never there, no one ever sees him in town, and when he answered the phone, he sounded like he would rather be doing anything else than talking to me,” I shrug.

“Well, maybe he’s not human.” Sybil points out.

“Oh,” I stop what I’m doing. “I didn't think of that.”

“Too distracted by this cutie. You’ll find out soon enough, only witches can see through the veil. You fixed that node, right? Everything go okay with that?” Sybil is still playing with Beryl’s fur, and I take advantage of her distracted mind and decide not to reveal that I got so weak my knees gave out.

“Yeah. All good over there. No biggie.”

Sybil shines her gorgeous smile at me, making my guts squirm at the lie I told her.

“Good. Maybe the cabin owner is a hottie with a body, and you two will end up together. I could give a little nudge in the right direction.” She winks at me.

“Oh my goddess, Sybil! Just because your powers are all love and gooey emotions doesnotmean I need a love potion! And this guy sounds like the exactoppositeof a ‘hottie with a body.’ Who even says that anymore? You know the year 2000 was 25 years ago, right?” I snort as Sybil rolls her eyes.

“Okay, okay, I surrender. Well, I will instead send up some energy that the cabins are deserted and no one can come forward to claim this little kitty cat, how about that?”

“You know who does have a hot bod is the stone gargoyle in the cabin parking lot. Which is sad that I stopped to take a good look yesterday.” I pause. “I’m a lost cause, aren’t I?”

Sybil purses her lips, the corners of which are twitching. “Am I hearing you right? You lusted after a statue?”

“Yes, you heard me right.” The more her gaze bores into me, the more pathetic I feel. “I may or may not have had alone time last night thinking of it. Is that bad? Am I totally hopeless?”

“No, not bad. Inspiration can come from all places, but maybe you need to just get out there more? Or maybe I just need to dose you with a love potion so that this cabin owner will ravish you tonight!” She says cheerfully. Too cheerfully.

I shake my head, swinging my bag over my shoulder and grabbing my keys. “No, thank you! This dude is a hot mess, I could tell over the phone. Come with me through the front while I lock up, and I’ll hug you goodbye.”

???

Sybil is never going to let me live this down. Maybe I can just gloss over the details of this encounter, but I doubt it. She’s the kind of witch who will eventually tug it out of you, whether you want to reveal it or not. And the thing is, Ezren is hot. The kind of hot that makes tingles go down my spine and straight into my panties. All my fantasies from last night, when I spent somequalitytime with my vibrator and this guy was the main attraction, come rushing back, flushing my face beet red.

And definitely not human. His dark grey skin, familiar bulging muscles, and heavy brow make me gasp when he stepsout of his office wearing a deep blue plaid shirt that looks a wee bit too tight and jeans that hug his rounded ass.

I’m sorry to say that I almost dropped Beryl when his wings unfurled behind him.He’s the gargoyle!I glance back at the dias and see that to me, it looks completely empty, but to humans, they see a convincing holographic replica, thanks to the veil masking Ezren’s absence each evening. The puzzle pieces are coming together, and as he walks toward me with his back hunched and hands shoved in his pockets, I see the dark hollows under his eyes, and the general exhausted energy suffocating him.

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