Gargoyle (Woodland Creek)(38)

My shoulders slumped in defeat as I placed my red bag next to me on the cool ground. I wasn’t able to do anything. There was no adapting to this situation as Isaac had mentioned. If I had stayed, I would have hindered their search.

I blinked and stared as silver light shot up from the trees into the darkened sky, as if it were attached to the moon it flew so high. My breath caught. I cringed as Gargoyle roars filled the night air, my fingernails digging down into the dirt.

Just as I saw his family flying into the air, and dropping like bombs, only to shoot up into the air again, light firing from their bodies, a hand clamped down on my left shoulder. I jerked in alarm, my frightened gaze snapping up.

Caleb stared off into the distance, standing over me. He had just appeared out of nowhere. When he spoke, his words were quiet. “If you really want to be with him, a man of his caliber, in power and predator, I’ll tell you how you can help.”

I tried jumping to my feet, but his hand kept me sitting. “Yes, I want to help!”

Blunt words. “Then stay here.”

My nostrils flared in irritation. “How is that helping?”

“Know your limits, Kennedy. You can’t be with him if you’re dead.”

I swatted his hand away and turned my regard back to the fight that was taking place. My attention didn’t move from there. “But I was supposed to help. That’s what the wizard said.”

“You did help. They wouldn’t have found him tonight if it weren’t for you.”

I sucked in a sharp breath, ready to argue.

But when I glanced back…he was gone.





With my head resting on a pillow, I grumbled, “I didn’t do shit tonight.”

Isaac ran his fingers through my hair. “We took care of him, Kennedy. That was the whole point of going out there. How it happened is beside the point.”

I sighed quietly. “So what the hell was he doing?”

Isaac hummed quietly. “Well, he was trying to kill every shifter in Woodland Creek.”

My eyes widened. “Are you kidding me?”

“No.” He snorted. “You know that black fog in town?”

“How could I forget?”

“It was pulling all of the shifters powers from their bodies.”

I stared. “Why in the world would he want to do that?”

“He wanted their life force.” He grunted gently. “He had an addiction to energy.”

I blinked. “Like my mom with heroin.”

“Exactly.”

I tapped my fingers on his bare chest. “Why did the fog stop when I entered the protection of Hanna’s spell?”

His lips twitched. “Do you really want to know?”

I merely gazed at him.

“Because you held his father’s book, where he had stolen the original spell from. The book holds the power to it.”

My jaw gaped open. “The wizard was Vince’s dad?”

“Yes. And since his dad created that spell, and he gifted you with some of his power, you also felt the effect of it when the spell was put into action.” He shrugged a shoulder. “Caleb explained it all to me.”

“Wait, does that mean the “incident” was caused by Vince too? Did he steal power then?”

A soft shake of his head, a grin lifting his lips. “I believe that was Hanna’s work. Her way of placing us together since we never would have without a little influence.”

After a minute, I grumbled, “I still wish I could have done something.”

Isaac chuckled and pulled me in closer to his body, tucking the blankets around us more firmly. “You did, Kennedy.”

My lips smashed against his skin, I muttered, “What did I do other than get blisters?”

He paused. “They’re all gone, right?”

“Yes, they’re gone,” I groaned.

“Just checking.” He rubbed my back and rested his head above mine. “I’m going to tell you what Hanna said now since you think you’re useless.”

I blinked and attempted to keep the excitement from my voice. “I’m listening.”

“She told me, ‘With faith comes trust. With trust comes safety. And the woman who gives you all three will hold your heart.’”

I grinned against his skin, unable to speak.

He cleared his throat harshly. “Well? I told you. Now you’re supposed to tell me what Vince’s dad told you.” He paused. His Gargoyle huffed. “He was even more powerful than Hanna before his death. This has to be good.”

“Fine, I’ll tell you.” The morning sun began flittering into the windows, casting a golden glow over our exposed flesh. “He said, ‘You carry the salvation of this town with the true love of your life. The two of you will beat the night.’”

Isaac held still until his head rose, and he peered out the windows to the new day. He chuckled quietly, laying his head back above mine. “And we did beat the night. We both survived.”

My jaw slackened. “Damn! That’s what he meant?”

“Wizards have a funny way with words, Little One. Like when Hanna showed up at your apartment with Caleb. She said, ‘Perhaps you should pick one.’ That was her way of slapping me silly to make sure I wasn’t falling for our ex’s game plan.” He kissed my forehead as I snickered at his grumpy tone. “Now let’s go to sleep, and when we wake, we’ll go for lunch at The Bread Basket.” He hummed quietly. “And for the record, I think Hanna was right with her prediction.”