Page 50 of Gaga for the Gargoyle
We exit the hospital, and I stop in my tracks.
“Brandon?” My ex-husband stands next to the back of a van, doors wide open. He looks...different. Disheveled. His light brown hair is ratted around his head, and he hasn’t shaved in weeks. His brown eyes almost seem glazed over. “What the hell are you doing here? And how did you find me?”
Before he can answer, a deep voice in the shadows to my right says, “A job well done, Elara. Brandon, put her in the van.”
“I’m sorry, Evangeline,” Elara whispers before Brandon pistol whips me.
My vision flickers, and I fall into my ex’s arms. “Why?”
“Because he promised me power,” he says, his voice void of emotion.
“You fucking dick,” I mumble, fading in and out of consciousness.
He drags me to the van and stuffs me inside. The last thing I see before passing out is a gargoyle who looks a lot like Xander.
Iwake up in a cold, dark room that smells like mildew. Water drips from somewhere, and the only light is a dulled bulb in the middle of the low ceiling. The space is empty except for a thin, dirty mattress where I lie.
“Finally,” says the same deep voice I heard before being knocked unconscious.
I scramble to my feet and teeter with dizziness from my head wound. My hands are tied in front of me, and I pull at the rope, trying to loosen it.
Not that I would have anywhere to go.
I scan the room for an exit, but there are no windows and only one door, which Brandon is currently blocking. He stands there in a zombified state.
What the hell is wrong with him?
My eyes fall to the dark corner where the voice came from, and a gargoyle emerges, stepping into the light.
“Who are you?” I ask.
“I’m Magnus.”
Wait. How do I know that name? Did Ihear it from Xander?
I gasp.
“You’re Xander’s brother?”
That’s why the gargoyle looks so familiar. He has the same lavender skin tone as Xander, same hair color except shorter, and his eyes are silver. The main difference is Magnus has a long face with sharp features, and Xander has a rugged appearance with a wide jaw and sculpted cheeks. Magnus is shorter by a couple inches too.
Elara wasn’t lying because her brother really was outside waiting for me—just not my king. Was Magnus the one who called and claimed there was unusual activity outside the hospital too?
“Xander’s told you about me?”
I ignore his question and ask my own. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because it’s time I get what I deserve, and that’s New York City.”
“But Xander is ki—”
“Xander has the ability to transfer his royal duties to me.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Because if he refuses, I’ll kill you. With no fated mate, he permanently turns to stone when he turns one thousand. Of course, him dying before giving me the throne makes things more difficult for me. Another gargoyle willbe sent in his place to assume royal duties. That’s why you’re here, short one. He will hand me the throne to save you.”
Tears fall down my cheeks, but I need to be strong. I can’t let Xander down by breaking apart.
