Page 3 of Mated to the Gargoyle
Someonehad to stay here and protect the library.Humantechnology could be tampered with, but not much could get by a gargoyle on watch.Thewitch who’d requested help from theStoneSentrieshad insisted on the importance of not leaving the library unguarded.Beyondthe collectibles and fine art were secrets—likely more than we’d ever know.AndAnyawas still here.Ibreathed easier at being able to stay and ensure she was safe.She’dgone downstairs into the special collections to shelve a book that she’d shown me whileIwatched from my perch.Itcertainly looked like a collectible with the brown leather binding and embedded gems.
Primarily,Ialternated shifts withMarcandLucas we protected this area in the outskirts ofMontreal, most specifically, this library.Notmuch had happened in the six monthsIstood guard here—until a young reference librarian with striking, long, auburn hair began her first day four months ago.SomethingaboutAnyaimmediately captured my interest.Iliked to watch her as she progressed through her orderly routines of lining books or papers perfectly parallel on her desk.Whenshe began to stay after hours to have some quiet time to read,Igrew to enjoy our time alone together—not that she knewIwas there.
Myaffection for her grew as well as a need to protect her, andIrequested more shifts inside the library.Thatwas fine withMarcandLuc.Theypreferred to guard outside under the sun or moon with the breeze cooling their stone wings.Butfor me to be stationed outside or in another part of the city whileIknewAnyawas so close would be torment.
Overthe past couple of months, she’d begun to talk to me when she stayed after hours, even giving me a name.She’drevealed that she enjoyed being in the library surrounded by her stone friends rather than going home alone.
IwishedIcould summon the courage to reveal myself to her as more than stone.Assomeone who lived and breathed andcraved.Theway she spoke to me, as if sheknewme, gave me hope that one day a human and gargoyle could form an attachment.
Butthat wasn’t likely to happen.
Instead,Iremained nearby, silent yet still enjoying the hours we spent together in comfortable silence.I’dexperience her joy when something pleased her.Orher irritation about something that bothered her.Istood by, her quiet sounding board, as she released streams of consciousness, utterly delightful to my ears.Themore timeIwas with her, the moreAnyaenchanted me.Andthat was a problemIdidn’t know how to face.
Ahuman and gargoyle?Thatwas unheard of in my clan.Yes,I’dheard stories of those pairings in other parts of the world, butI’dnever seen it happen.Thehuman world was oneIobserved from afar.HowcouldIhave grown so attached to a human?
Especiallysomeone who didn’t even knowIexisted.
Thatpredicament was oneIdidn’t know where to begin to tackle.HowwouldAnyareact to knowing the statue she talked to and joked with understood every word she’d said?Everystory, every aggravation, every silly pun?Andsaw her excited little dances when something made her happy?Shethought she was alone.Iknew so much about her and yet she thoughtIwas simply lifeless decor.Anornament.Amere statue.
Whatwould she do if she learned the statue near her desk could actually think, see, feel, and—yearn?
Thelonging grew more each day.Andwith it, so did my fear of revealing my true nature toAnya.Becauseif she recoiled from me, gazed at me in horror…
Therewas noif.Thatwas the only possible scenario.Nowoman would embrace what she could only fathom was unnatural—a monster.Thatwas why it was better to keep my feelings secret, buried under this cold, hard stone exterior.IfIkept my heart protected, it wouldn’t break, andIwouldn’t feel the anguish of her rejection.
Aloud thud sounded from below.Ihomed in on it.Itsounded like it was coming from downstairs, from a different direction from whereI’dlast heardAnya.Wasit a patron who had ended up locked in after hours?
Isearched in each direction from my stony eyes, as much asIcould see in my vast peripheral vision, but didn’t see anything here on the upper level.
Andno alarms had gone off.Humansand their foolish reliance on technology, which had so many flaws.
Itcould have been someone working late, just likeAnya, or returning to the building.Itcould have been a patron who’d missed the notifications about the library closing—or purposefully hid to stay in the library.Staffdid sweeps of the stacks and the restrooms and other hidden nooks to ensure nobody would be stuck inside.ButIsensed it wasn’t quite so innocent.
LucandMarc, did you see anyone enter the library before you left?
No,they both replied.
Becareful,Isaid.Evenwith magic to protect us,I’dnever underestimate the destructive nature of fire.
Footstepssounded.Theyweren’tAnya’s.Iknew the cadence of her steps.Morethan one person was moving downstairs, and with the way they rushed and spoke in hushed tones, it became clear that this wasn’t a simple case of an innocent human here after hours.
Someonehad broken in.Worse, it was whileAnyawas here.
Shit.Ilistened for the intruders’ movements, hoping—desperately hoping—they weren’t anywhere nearAnya.Butshe was downstairs and they were downstairs…
Ihad to protect her, no matter what.
CHAPTER3
ANYA
Mypulse jolted up a notch asIlistened.Wassomeone out there?Afterseveral seconds of silence,Ireassured myself that it was nothing.Itmust have been one of our harmless library “ghosts” again, wandering the old building after hours.Nothingto worry about.
Icarefully shelved the book and noted its location soIwould be able to find it again tomorrow.ThenIclimbed down the ladder and exited the special collections room, locking it behind me.Iheaded up the stairs to return to my desk soIcould grab my purse beforeIleft.Thesound of footsteps echoed off the tile on the lower level, alerting me thatIwasn’t alone.
Withmy heartbeat echoing in my ears,Ilooked over my shoulder in slow motion.
Twomen advanced, both wearing all black.Ilocked gazes with one, and we both froze as we stared at each other in surprise.
