Page 61 of Gaga for the Gargoyle
He smiles wide enough to show off his fangs, the cocky bastard.
“You, however, owe me a kingdom.”
“I don’t owe you shit.”
He paces casually, his hands behind his back.
“How did you fake the transfer of power? Was it your mate’s witch mother?”
I shrug.
“That’s fine, Xander. My soldiers will find her. They’re already in your building. I could use another witch to do my bidding.”
I vaguely hear Evangeline behind me, searching the debris. She’s yelling Locheran’s name, but her voice is nearly swallowed by the wind filtering into the penthouse sixty floors above ground.
I mentally check in with her, making sure she’s staying off her broken leg. When she assures me she’s fine, I walk further into the destroyed living room toward a long, narrow cabinet where I keep one of my warspears hidden. I hope it’s still locked in place and not lost in the destruction.
“What I still haven’t figured out is why you’re doing this. You have a coveted role as father’s second. You are heir to the Paris throne. He’s got to be, what, a few hundred years from retirement?”
My brother scoffs, his wings expanding, and he fists his hands at his side. He’s preparing to fight.
When I finally get to the spot where I’ve hidden my weapon, I reveal my own wings. It blocks his view, and I use my tail to extract the warspear.
“Father won’t allow me to rule Paris and you know it. I may be first born, but too much responsibility was put on me as a child. I grew up too fast and rebelled. I was young and stupid, but I learned my lesson. I changed, yet he doesn’t care. He will always see me as a fuck up.”
I got him,I hear Evangeline say in my head.
I answer back.
Tell him to take you to your mother. He must protect the both of you until this is over. Magnus wants to kidnapMira for her powers.
Before she can answer, Magnus lunges for me. I move out of the way just in time, and he falls into a pile of glass and wood.
The battle begins.
I send the silent command for my soldiers to fight, and chaos erupts outside. Gargoyles collide with Magnus’s army. My soldiers are carrying weapons to maim and kill: battle axes, spears, swords, and war scythes, to name a few. Some of my soldiers use their fangs to tear holes into throats while others slice open stomachs with their claws.
My attention turns back to my brother.
He’s holding his own warspear now.
“What’s more important, little brother? Killing me or saving your mate?”
Another explosion blows down the front door of the penthouse and a gargoyle who I recognize as one of my father’s soldiers enters, dragging Evangeline in by the neck.
Traitor.
“No!”
I move to kill this asshole, but Magnus tsks at me.
“Take one more step, and he will end her life.”
A roar erupts from my chest, and I hurl the warspear at my brother. He dodges it, and I use the diversion to run for him, grabbing him by the neck and catapulting us outside like a cannonball.
We thrash our wings to keep us airborne as we brawl. He uses his tail to try and stab me with his warspear, but I’m stronger now that I’ve mated with Evangeline.I’m faster.He misses with every jab, allowing me to pummel his face with punches, and I don’t hold back. I hit him square in the nose, and blood pours out. I extract my claws and slice them down his chest, peeling open his marble-like skin.
All he does is laugh.
