Page 38 of Fated to the Gargoyle
Thegargoyles, who appeared to be unscathed by the fire, paused.
“That’sright.”Calixchuckled. “Tellyour commander thatIhave his precious witch.There’snothing any of you can do.Iwon.”
Theweight of my mistake sank through me.
Calixdescended, and within seconds, we landed on the ground before the library.Hepointed at the front door.
Hisfeathered wings retracted into his back while the rest of his body reshaped.Withina blink,Calixstood before me, tall and deceptively handsome with long blond hair—the figureI’drun from in the past now claimed me captive.
“Neverrun from me again, littleEloise.I’llalways come back and find a way to get to you.”
Mybreath caught in my throat, then came in rough pants. “Why?”Idemanded. “Whatdo you want from me?”
Hetook my hair into his hand and let it slip through his fingers. “Everything.”
Bilerose in my throat beforeIbit it back.
Hesniffed at me, andIhunched my shoulders. “Thereare two witches.Whichone does the prophecy refer to?Ithought it was your sister, but there’s something about you that makes me wonder…”
Awitch will grow in power with the aid of the grimoire.
Wethought it wasAnya.Afterall, she’d been able to defeatCalixby using the grimoire and our grandmother’s magic.ButIsure as hell wouldn’t admit that to him as that could put her in more danger.
Iforced myself to lie, if only to protectAnya.
“Yes, it’s me.”
Calixcackled. “You’llhave the chance to prove it.ButImay take you both with me, just to be sure.Youcan both serve at my side.”
“Noway.”Ipunched his chest, yet he didn’t react—not even wince. “Never!”
Hegrabbed my wrists. “Youdon’t have a choice.”
Ishuddered but then forced my chin up an inch. “Whynot?”
“Becauseif you don’t do asIsay,I’llburn down this entire city—starting with your grandmother’s precious library.”
Ascream attempted to slide its way through my lips, butIstifled it.HeknewIwasAdelaide’sgranddaughter even after she’d hidden it so well over the years.Iwouldn’t admit to anything.
“Youwouldn’t.”
Hesneered. “Oh, wouldn’tI?Whodo you think set the other fires in the city?”
Iblinked, trying to understand it all.
“Why?”Mylips parted in disbelief. “Whywould you do that?”
“Victoria—whom you know asAdelaide—andIhave a long history.Shewas the most powerful womanI’dever encountered.Shethought faking your deaths and changing your names would fool me?”Hesnorted. “Ha!”
Puzzlepieces from my murky past formed into pictures in my mind—the mere idea one of absolute horror.
“Didyou—Areyou?”
“What’sthe matter, littleEloise?” he mocked. “Havingtrouble forming a question?”
Iglared over my shoulder at this bird-creature and barked out, “Didyou burn my parents’ house down?”
Ifthat was true, that would make him a lot older than he looked and countless times more dangerous.Yet, considering how he’dappeared to come back from the dead, perhaps that restarted his biological clock to some degree.
