Angel's Breath

Angel's Breath

By Rina, 2000

Gargoyles rightfully belong to Disney and Buena Visa. This is a nonprofit fan fiction. All characters, except those from the original show, were created by Rina. Please email me with your comments at rina560@hotmail.com

Demona's voice: "Previously, on Gargoyles:"

From "The Mirror":

Hudson: "It's not just a mirror, lass. It's Titania's mirror. Titania, queen of the third race."

Elisa: " Third race?"

Broadway: "You know, gargoyles, humans, and Oberon's children."

From "Cloud Fathers":

Elisa: "Beth? Dad?!"

Beth Maza: "Sis!"

From "The Darkest of Promises":

"There," Demona said, carefully placing the pane of glass beside her. She lithely crawled through, her son quickly following. It was dark in here, though that was of no consequence to keen gargoyle eyes. They moved past the display cases, Demona's long tail lashing excitedly as she saw her goal. It was a gray-black gem, carved into the shapes of twin hands holding a silver orb.

"The Orb of Ze'aih," she told Jericho.

"What is it?" He questioned, stooping down to study it.

"It supposedly is a cursed object crafted by the demon Ze'aih and is capable of mass destruction." She smiled. "Which is why I want it."

* *

The Past

Time Unknown

Golden moonlight, a rich shade of yellow, washed over the tall trees of a land that was both blessed and cursed by magic. Underneath a huge willow tree, whose thin, feathery branches seemed to disappear into the clear pool beside it, was a cloaked man, kneeling. A gray-haired woman dressed in robes of pure white lay near him, her delicate hand clasped tightly in his. Her pale green eyes were still beautiful, even though Death loomed in them.

"My love," the man whispered softly, the woman's wrinkled face breaking into a gentle smile. With her other hand, she touched his cheek, hidden within the shimmering folds of black cloth. The light of life slowly dimmed from her green eyes, and her hand fell limply. Bowing his head in grief, the cloaked man uttered a single word, tainted with his sorrow.

"Eve…"

* *

Present

Arnold Dezro hated to be alone, especially on dark nights such as this one. The moon wasn't even out, and the single white light from the towering streetlight was not enough to keep the thick, eerie shadows away. Shoving his hands deep into his worn pockets, the elderly man tried to speed up, listening to the sounds of his own heavy breathing. Sometimes he wondered why he kept the shop open so late at night, and why he always had to walk home alone. He and Tina couldn't afford a car either, not with the high cost of running the corner grocery store.

The sounds of footsteps startled him, and Arnold turned around slowly. There was nothing, though, except for the black, vacant stare of the decrepit buildings that loomed around him like giant beasts. He hurried up trying hard to ignore the cold sweat dripping down his brow.

Maybe he would make it home…

"Hey, old man," someone called out harshly, and Arnold stopped, his heart racing in his chest like some trapped animal. Shaking, he gazed over his shoulder, watching the four men creep out from the shadows, the streetlight illuminating their cruel visages. The leader, a tall, lanky man with a tangled mass of red hair and black nails stepped forward, the silver ankh around his thin neck catching the white light.

Arnold backed up.

"Tell you what. You give us all of your cash, and we'll let you live," the leader said, grinning wickedly. Arnold felt the fluttering of his heart increase, and he struggled to breathe.

"I-I do-don't have much-,"

"Just give us the fucking money," the man snarled, pulling a sharp knife from the depths of his black coat. With quaking hands, Arnold did as he was told, and gave the tattered wallet to the red-haired man. The gang leader seemed disappointed with the lack of bills, and he scowled at the elderly man.

"Well. Guess we gotta kill you, huh?"

Behind him, the other members laughed.

"Please, don't. I-," Arnold started, his face ashen.

"Shut up!" the other man screamed, and struck him hard. Arnold hit the cracked sidewalk, wincing as he felt warm blood trickle from his burst lip. The gang surrounded him, a pack of hyenas circling a dying gazelle. He stared up in terror, shocked when he heard another voice from the alleyway.

"Leave him alone."

The black-nailed hoodlum spun around to face the person who had spoken on Arnold's behalf. It was a woman, who body half-covered with golden armor, a strange creature with somber, clear eyes and midnight-black hair tied back into a braid. The silvery streetlight played across her face, and the bright red streaks slashed across it.

"What the hell did you just say?"

There was no reply.

Wielding the glittering knife in one hand, the gang leader rushed at the tall woman, who seemed to vanish. The thug glanced about, confused, and didn't have enough time to shriek when one of the iron fire escapes moved, writhing like an angry snake, and impaled him. Gurgling, the dead gang member slumped over, the metal spear protruding from his chest.

"Oh, shit," one of the survivors muttered, as they warily backed up, then ran for their lives. Arnold, now alone once more, looked down at the gang's leader, limply lying in a shallow pool of scarlet, his eyes wide with terror.

* *

"Just in time!" Brooklyn whooped, hopping over a table and landing on the couch, snatching up the remote as he did so.

"Alright!" Lexington shouted, scrambling across the tiled floor and taking his place beside his crimson brother. The television was switched on just as the third member of the Trio waddled in, carrying a large bowl of buttered popcorn.

"Has it started?" Broadway asked, plopping down in one of the reclining chairs.

"Shhhh!"

The show's theme music was playing when Hudson stepped into the huge room, eyeing the screen with distaste.

"What be all this, then?" The old Gargoyle inquired, folding his leathery brown wings across his shoulders.

"It's called Petersburg Mall," Broadway answered, between bites of popcorn.

Hudson glanced at the glowing screen, then raised one ridged eyebrow.

"It's a sort of gameshow," Lex explained, his eyes glowed to the television, "where eight contestants have to spend a month together in a mall in order to win two million dollars."

"Aye. Sounds like a foolish idea ta me."

"It's really great," Brooklyn piped up, settling back against the sofa. Hudson mumbled to himself about being surrounded by stupidity, and walked out of the room, his talons clicking on the bare floor. He was looking for Bronx, their guard dog, when suddenly he heard a soft weeping and saw a figure perched on the ledge outside.

It was Angela, he saw when he went outside, and she was sobbing quietly into her hands.

"What's the matter, lass?" Hudson questioned, concerned.

The young female looked up, her eyes brimming with tears.

"It's nothing."

"Doesna seem to be nothing. Tell ol' Hudson yer problem."

"I was thinking about my mother," Angela replied, folding her violet hands in her lap.

Hudson frowned. Demona had disappeared nearly three weeks ago, into another realm with Chaos and her demonic followers. Although he had to admit that deep down, he knew that she had deserved it, he couldn't tell that to her grieving daughter.

"Lass, Demona did many terrible things in her life. But what she did tha' day, givin' up her own life-perhaps she finally came ta see the light."

Angela sniffed.

"Do you think?"

Hudson put a comforting hand around her shoulder.

"Aye, I do."

* *

Captain Chavez gestured for Elisa Maza to come forward, flinging a thick file across her desk as she did so. The detective raised one dark eyebrow as she opened the manilla folder, dozens of grisly photographs tumbling out. A man had been horribly butchered, a bar of bloody metal impaled through his chest.

"Terrible, isn't it? But what I want to know is who did it. I mean, from the report, a fire escape was jammed through his chest," the captain told her.

"How is that possible?"

"We don't know," Chavez replied, steepling her fingers, "though you're going to find that out."

"Me?"

"You're one of my best detectives," she answered, smiling.

"I know, but my sister's in town…" Elisa protested.

"I'm sure you can work around that. When is she arriving?"

"Very soon. She's probably at the airport by now."

The captain smiled.

"Like I said, I'm sure that you can work around that."

* *

Beth Maza made her way around the milling people at the airport, her heavy luggage in tow. She puffed and struggled to pull the bags over to a row of cushioned chars, where she prepared to promptly fall into one. Where was Elisa?

A lanky man, his lean body hidden by a black overcoat, walked over to her.

"Do you need help with those?" He asked politely, putting his sunglasses in one of his pockets.

"Yeah. Thanks," she gasped, her face flushed from the effort and the fact that he was handsome. After the bags had been pushed beside the nearest chair, Beth plopped down.

"Thanks. I really appreciated that-what's your name?"

"Christian. Christian d'Armore."

"Nice to meet you, Christian. I'm Elizabeth Maza."

"Where are you headed?" The friendly man inquired, and Beth tried hard not to blush. God, he was something, with those dark eyes and chiseled face.

"To my sister's. She supposed to be here by now," she answered, silently cursing Elisa.

"I could give you a ride. If you'd like one," Christian told her.

"S-sure!"

What luck! Beth thought happily.

* *

Phil's Comic Book Shop was unusually quiet this morning, and the owner sighed as he got down on his knees and began to organize the newest batch of Spiderman comic books. He was a plump little man, who hated physical exertion but liked children, who frequently visited his store.

The little bell above the shop's door rang as someone walked in. Looking over the clear shelf, Phil saw a woman walk in, headed straight for the counter. He almost snickered. She looked like something straight of a comic, golden armor covering an inhumanely beautiful frame. Well, then again, costumed people weren't abnormal around here-he had once met a gang of Klingons on their way to a Star Trek convention.

"Can I help you?" He questioned, standing up and brushing off his khaki pants.

"Yes," the woman said, her almost white eyes gazing at the various posters and models, "I am looking for someone."

"Uh, sure. Maybe I can help."

The black-haired woman leaned over the counter, giving Phil a good view of her ample cleavage.

"I am looking for this man," she said, giving him a black and white photo of a thin man with dark eyes.

"Nope. Haven't seen him," he said, shrugging.

"Damn!" The strange woman screamed, and brought her fists down on top of the shelf. Phil watched in horrified fascination as the counter shattered into pieces.

"Hey!" He yelled furiously, as she turned to leave, "you're gonna have to pay for that."

Then she disappeared in a thick cloud of black smoke. Literally, vanished.

Phil stood there with his jaw hanging open.

"Or maybe not."

* *

When the phone began to ring as Elisa walked into her apartment, she dove for it. Beth's voice was on the other line.

"Sis, I'm sorry, but the captain-,"

"It's okay," her sister interrupted, "in fact, I met the cutest guy at the airport, and he brought me home. We have everything in common, and he's so handsome."

"Really?" Elisa heaved a sigh of relief. Thank God Beth wasn't mad at her. It wasn't her fault, after all, that Chavez had forced her into this case.

"Anyway, we talked almost all day, and he says that he wants to see me again!" Beth's voice was filled with excitement.

A dark, winged shape appeared outside of her window and gently knocked on the glass. It was Goliath.

"I have to go, Sis. Talk to you later," Elisa told her sister, then hung up and went to let the Gargoyle in. There was a concerned expression on his face, and so she asked him to tell her what was wrong.

"I have heard of this recent murder, Elisa," he said quietly, his deep voice tinged with uneasiness.

"So who do you think it was? Demona?"

Goliath folded his wings over his broad shoulders and shook his head slowly.

"No. Though it looks like her handiwork, she could not have done it," the Gargoyle replied, referring to the fact that Demona was trapped in another realm with Chaos and her demonic servant.

"Then who? Hyena and Jackal?" Elisa asked, speaking of the twin cyborgs.

"No. They are thieves, not murderers."

"Well, we checked the murder weapon. There were no fingerprints," the detective informed him.

Goliath tilted his head, perplexed.

"How can that be?"

"I don't know, "she said helplessly, collapsing into a reclining chair and shrugging.

* *

"Yeah, I'm going to invite Mom and Dad over too. I want all of you to meet Christian," Beth announced the next day.

"I don't know. I'm kind of busy," Elisa said, as the two walked past several quaint shops and cafes.

"C'mon. It'll be fun. And Christian's a great guy, I assure you."

They stopped before a small candy store, where rows of frosted cookies and chocolates were carefully arranged on white, lacy paper. Elisa shoved her hands deep into her pockets and bit her lower lip. If she hadn't left Beth stranded at the airport, then perhaps she could have said no without feeling guilty.

"Aren't you guys moving a little fast?"

"No. I mean, do you know when you're sure you've found the perfect guy? That's Christian," Beth responded, lighting tracing a fingertip over the glass.

That's Goliath, Elisa thought to herself.

"Where's Elisa?" Angela asked, looking up from the thick book that she was reading.

"She's seeing her family," Hudson started, before the Trio began trying to hush him.

"Are ye still watching tha' foolishness?" The old Gargoyle demanded. He grinned secretly at Angela, who returned the smirk.

"It's not foolish!" Lexington protested, as Brooklyn raised the volume and sipped at his soda.

"They're about to vote someone out of the mall!" Broadway declared, ripping open a huge bag of potato chips, most of its contents spilling on the floor. Lex exuberantly nodded, his eyes gleaming with excitement.

"Ha! 'Tis nothing more than stupidity that rots yer brains! Why, when I was young, we entertained ourselves!" Hudson shouted, puffing out his chest.

"Yeah, and look how he turned out," Brooklyn whispered, snickering.

"What be that? What did ye just say, ye insolent knave!"

"I said, 'You're right, Hudson.'"

"Dona lie to me!" The old one ranted, before Angela stepped off of her stool and led him out.

* *

The silence at the table would have been overwhelming, if not for Beth's perkiness and endless conversation topics.

"Christian's a corporate lawyer, sent to settle legal matters at Nightstone Unlimited since the president disappeared," Beth explained, taking a slice of garlic bread and smiling broadly, "isn't that right?"

Elisa, whose plate of spaghetti sat uneaten, felt her heart pound faster when Christian nodded, his black eyes boring through her soul. Well, he's definitely creepy, she thought, shifting in her chair uneasily.

"So, Christian, do you have any family?"

The man's unnerving gaze shifting from Elisa to her father, who had asked the question. He almost smiled, and pushed back his equally black hair.

"No." The simple word, spoken in a resounding, eerie voice, made Elisa involuntarily shudder. Nervously, she picked up one of the paper napkins and balled it up in her fist.

Everyone waited for him to share more, but he didn't make a sound.

Elisa's father coughed, ending the dreadful silence.

"I'm so sorry. Did they die?"

"No, they're still alive. In a way."

Mrs. Maza raised one eyebrow and glanced over at her husband, her expression one of confusion. Then, looking back at the table, she picked up her glass and sipped slowly.

Again, that horrible silence, so heavy that it was almost tangible.

"Well, it's nice that they're still, er, alive," Elisa's father said, trying in vain to grin.

Christian didn't reply.

Beth, meanwhile, was busy shoveling in food, oblivious to her family's awkwardness.

"Before he became a lawyer, he studied archeology, like I am. We got into a wonderful conversation about ancient Mesopotamia," she said, putting her fork down and folding her hands, beaming.

"You studied archeology? That's a quite fascinating subject," Mrs. Maza commented.

"Yes. It is."

Nothing more.

Again, Elisa's father coughed, this time standing.

"Excuse me. I have to go meet some, um, friends. Nice meeting ya, Christian," he said, backing away quickly.

"Look at the time! Better go start the dishes," his wife chipped in, whisking away her dirty plates and vanishing into the tiny kitchen.

"Hey, thanks Mom! Dinner was great!" Beth shouted out to her mother, then said, "hey, let's go out for coffee or something."

Elisa smiled inwardly, glad to be out of this place and away from Beth's freakish boyfriend.

"You too, Sis."

Damn.

* *

Owen, the assistant to David Xanatos, one of the richest men in the world, steadily climbed the stone steps to meet the Gargoyles. The recent murder was bothering him, and it stank of magic. It was a dark, narrow staircase, and he couldn't see much except for the thick curtain of blackness. He did, however, hear someone behind him and sensed another fae. Turning, his wooden face contorted with a mixture of fear and loathing when he saw his pursuer.

It was no other than Alecto, chief assassin of Oberon whose lust for blood was equal to that of a demon's. Moonlight washed across her lithe body and armor, her clear white eyes laughing at him with mad glee.

"Alecto," Owen greeted her coldly.

"Puck," she responded, her sadistic grin making her face even more feral.

"What do you want?" He asked, ignoring the fact that she was referring to his alter ego.

"I've come to complete a job from Lord Oberon," she responded, her raven braid swaying as she walked up to meet him.

"And what's that got to do with me?"

"I want you to stay out of my way," Alecto bluntly stated.

"Of course. Now, leave."

"Ah, giving me the cold shoulder, eh? You certainly wouldn't have done that five centuries ago, when you begged to make love to me," the assassin hissed. Owen tried hard not to blush, and succeeded. Instead, he continued his march up the steps, and soon Alecto, finding that her remark had not humiliated him, faded into a wisp of dark smoke.

* *

Elisa tried hard not to show her displeasure as they made their way down the crowded street, the warm air ruffling their hair. She keep her eyes to the ground, listening as the tow lovers chatted, Beth doing much of the taking.

When they came to a corner store that sold coffee and honey buns, Beth dug into her purse and pulled out some money.

"Sis, could you go get the stuff?"

"Alright," Elisa agreed, glad to be out of Christian's field of vision.

"I want a cappuccino, cinnamon on top. What do you want, Christian?"

"Just some black coffee would be fine," he answered, looking at the couples around him.

"Get whatever you want, sis. We'll be outside," Beth announced, sitting down in one of the wicker chairs and motioning for her boyfriend to join her. The air inside of the shop was redolent of rich coffee and warm cinnamon buns. As Elisa waited in line, she gazed out the large window, where Christian and her sister were passionately kissing, the golden moonlight giving the scene a romantic quality.

"Sorry to interrupt you two," Elisa said, when she finally returned.

Beth grinned and hugged Christian.

"S'okay, Sis. Hey, do you guys want to see a movie?"

"I can't," Elisa replied, trying hard to think of an excuse. She was exhausted, especially with this new case that had led to a virtual dead end, and the fact that Christian leered at her made her wary.

"I have to go too, Beth," he said suddenly, brushing aside a lock of her raven hair, "I have to start on that Nightstone Unlimited case tomorrow." Beth seemed deeply disappointed, but finally gave in. They got into Christian's black car, and he drove Elisa's sister home. Though Elisa hated the fact of being alone with the man in the car, she was quiet.

* *

"Goliath, may I have a word with you?" Owen asked. The Gargoyle leader looked out over the parapets; dawn was still a few hours away.

"Yes?"

"I believe Elisa may be in trouble."

"Why do you say that?" Goliath inquired, concerned.

"I have just received a visit from an old acquaintance."

"Who?"

"Alecto, chief assassin of the fae. I am afraid-,"

Owen did not have a chance to continue, for Goliath had already jumped off the roof, in search of Elisa.

It felt odd being alone in the car with Christian; his very presence made the air chillier. Elisa did not look at him; instead, she held her half-filled coffee cup in one hand and propped her head on the other, gazing out the window at the starless night. The other did not say a word, his eyes blacker than the dark sky. Why Beth found him so interesting was difficult to figure out. The man was creepier than Dracula, for Christ's sake.

Finally, he pulled up to her apartment, and carefully stepped out after thanking him.

"No problem," he said, and his stone face practically cracked with the forced smile.

Elisa shuddered. Her shoes made a soft din on the steps as she mounted them, clutching the tepid cup of coffee in her hand. She fumbled for her key, trying to keep her eyes open, despite the fact that her heavy eyelids seemed to have a will of their own. The sound of rapid footsteps briefly caught her attention. Thinking it was Christian come back to return something, she glanced up.

Nothing.

Elisa went back to unlocking the door, her muscles violently tensing when she felt a presence behind her. Her mane of ebony hair moved with her as she turned, only to see a strange woman standing there, staring. The detective had never seen anyone like her, except for the Pack, who had since broken up.

Athletic, lithe, the woman was tall, her revealing gold armor tightly fitting to her body. Her hair was blacker than Elisa's, tied back into a long braid that swept down the length of her back. Bright scarlet streaks were slashed across her tanned face, and her clear eyes were unnerving, to say the least. Her tattooed ears were curved upward, like some animal's.

"Do I know you?" Elisa demanded, clutching the key in one hand and the coffee in the other.

The woman, who resembled some sort of Amazon, took a step forward.

"Have you seen this man?" She asked, holding up a photo of Christian. Elisa sucked in her breath and bravely stared back.

"Why?"

"Tell me where he is, mortal!" Apparently the armored woman had just lost her temper. Elisa instinctively backed up, only to have a gauntleted hand roughly grasp her own. Struggling to free herself, the detective writhed and yanked, then splashed the coffee in her attacker's face.

The other woman hissed like a burnt cat and loosened her grip. Elisa turned to flee, only to be hit squarely in the back with a green blast of pure energy. She fell awkwardly, her head violently making contact with the bare floor.

"I will kill you if I have to, mortal," the armored woman sneered, putting her hands on her hips. Her eyes were glowing a hellish green, the supernatural light illuminating her face. Elisa had time before another figure slammed into her, knocking her against the wall. She scrambled up and sucked in her breath when she recognized her savior.

Christian.

"Ah. Just the person I was looking for," the woman said coolly, wiping the back of her mouth and reaching for a gleaming sword that was strapped to her back, the shiny metal catching the overhead light.

"It's silver, demon. It will send you back from the pit you crawled from," she continued. Christian took a step back warily. Unknown to Elisa, silver affected his race in the same way that iron did the fae. Legends had spread from this fact; ancient folklore had spoken of the power of the metal against evil creatures, notably the demons.

With a shrill war cry, the golden-armored woman leapt at the startled man, who dodged her wild slashing. Her sword gleamed wickedly as she glowered at him, like a tensed panther.

"I shall bring your head back to Oberon!"

She lunged again, but Christian narrowly avoided it, throwing a blow of his own. Crouching and then springing up with uncanny grace, the woman landed on a solid kick on Christian's chin, her razor blade missing his face by a scant inch. Elisa looked at both of them, confused, then decided to help, one way or another.

"Hey, you! Yeah, you!" Elisa called out, trying to draw the armed woman's attention away from Christian, who lay on the floor. As she turned, her eyes lit by greenish-yellow light, he pushed himself up, wiping at the thin trickle of black blood that spilled from his mouth before the detective could notice.

"I will kill you next, mort-,"

It was at that second that Christian's clenched fist began to glow a deep red. A bolt of dark crimson shot from one hand, and the Amazon did not have time to nimbly move aside. With widened eyes, Elisa watched, shocked, as she smashed through the wall and fell of sight.

Christian turned and stared at her, the minutes passing like thick molasses. His face was horribly contorted, mouth agape to reveal jagged teeth , his eyes seething with hell fire. Elisa did the only thing that one could have done at such a moment.

She ran.

Without looking back once, she fled into her apartment, her breath coming out in ragged gasps. A figure moved out of the black shadows, slithering across the room and stopping before the startled detective as she drew her gun.

* *

"My God," Elisa whispered, her dark eyes wide. "What the hell are you?"

Christian tried to smile and hold up his hands in an unthreatening manner, but soon found the detective's gun in his face.

"Answer me, damn it!"

"You wouldn't believe me…"

"Try me," she said quietly, pointing the pistol at the man's chest and trying hard to keep her hands from shaking.

Christian reluctantly backed up, then slowly sat down on the sofa, watching Elisa uneasily.

"I want to know the whole story, pal. I want to know exactly who you are and who that crazy woman was that was following you."

There was a long pause, and the man gazed down at the floor sorrowfully.

"I am sorry for deceiving you and your sister. I-I owe you the truth." Christian looked up, his black eyes gleaming with a eerie light as they bored through Elisa's very soul.

* *

"Hey," Brooklyn called out to Owen, who was sitting at a large desk in the building's lobby. "Have ya seen Goliath?"

Owen adjusted his wire glasses.

"He went to find Elisa."

* *

"My real name is Saar," Christian started, folding his hands in his lap.

Elisa chewed her lower lip, still aiming her weapon at him.

"So what are you? A fae?"

Christian grinned crookedly at her, sending shivers down the length of her spine.

"No."

"Then what-?"

"You wanted my whole story, so I shall give it to you. All of it." The eyes were bottomless pools now, no longer human at all.

"You have heard of Sairthi? Of Chaos?"

Elisa's heart thundered within her chest, beads of sweat forming on her forehead. Of course she had-the experience with Demona was going to be hard to forget.

"Y-yes. Why?"

"Chaos birthed two races. One was just like her, malicious and twisted. They were her Children, but you humans call them demons," Christian, no, Saar, explained, his voice low.

Although Elisa knew that she shouldn't listen, she couldn't tear herself away, a helpless Pandora awaiting her fate.

"The other race was the fae, Oberon's Children. They were opposed to Chaos, and a schism formed between them and the demons."

The detective sat down across from Saar, mouth agape but gun steady. The ebony eyed man paused.

"I was brought up to despise the fae, brainwashed by my father Ze'aih," the demon told her.

"But I fell in love with one of Oberon's Children. She was a beautiful, golden-haired fae named Eve."

Eve. The name made Elisa clench her teeth and reluctantly she lowered the gun.

"My God. Not-,"

"Yes. And when Oberon found out, he robbed her of her magic and turned her into a mortal. But we still had children together. They later called themselves humans," Saar said, and the detective struggled to breathe.

"Lies…"she choked out, raising the gun once more, the silver moonlight glinting off of the polished metal. Before she could react, he reached out and touched her temple, and saw a lush valley within her mind. There was a figure in black robes, its crimson eyes glowing inhumanly, and a blonde haired woman, her large, pale green eyes and angular face with its pointed ears marking her as a fae.

Elisa gasped.

"Have you ever wondered why humans are better at magic? He snorted. "The Gargoyle Demona was alive for a millennium but still could be defeated by the Arch-Mage, who had lived only a mere fraction of the time."

Elisa didn't say anything but lowered her eyes.

"The Gargoyles are little more than stone statues brought to life by Oberon to fight his parent, Sairthi," the empty eyed demon hissed.

"What?"

Saar seemed to take delight in her surprise.

"Of course. There is no way you could know. When Chaos tried to return, Oberon created an entire race to fight it. And he cursed them for betraying him. You, my dear, are something more."

She didn't protest and only felt a strange, dull pain deep inside.

"What-what happened to Eve?"

"She died, the first fae to do so. But my fate is a much lonelier one."

"So who was that woman?" Elisa inquired weakly.

" It is Alecto, one of the fae's assassins. She hunts me because Oberon wills it," replied Saar, "and will kill anyone who stands in her way."

"I don-I don't understand…why did you come here?"

"I cannot suffer to be alone for eternity…"

Elisa felt her heart sink. If this…this…creature spoke the truth, then her sister would be dating an ancient demon who was also the father of humanity! Before she could say another word, however, she saw a winged shape appear outside of her window.

"Goliath, no-," she started, before Saar whirled, his eyes flaring blood red.

The Gargoyle saw this, and he assumed that this tall, lanky man must be the fae assassin that Owen had spoke of. He thought little of the consequences of battling a supernatural when he crashed through the window, showering glass everywhere. All he could see was that Elisa was in danger. Pouncing on the gaunt man, he ignored Elisa's frantic screams until he was heaved aside like a flimsy doll. The detective watched in horror as Goliath slammed into the wall and Christian got up, his real, demonic face showing.

A car passed by the apartment, filling the room with white light and illuminating the ancient demon, who now held the Gargoyle by his throat. He was snarling, thick froth dribbling from his mouth as he struggled against Saar.

"Let him go!" Elisa shouted, but to no avail. The demon seemed bent on ripping Goliath's spine from his body. The detective launched herself at Saar, only to roughly be thrown aside. She wasn't sure what to do; she had seen how well guns worked against supernatural creatures. But that fae, Alecto, had said something about silver…

There was no silver within sight, except for an ornate candleholder that sat upon her bookshelf, gathering dust. She grabbed it, just as Goliath began to go limp, and whacked Christian, or Saar, or whatever the thing was over the head. The demon fell bonelessly to the ground, sprawling out like a lumpy bag of potatoes. A thin trail of black fluid dripped from his slack mouth, and Elisa gritted her teeth in disgust.

She helped Goliath up the best that she could, even as she saw Saar pull himself up, eyes glowing with hatred.

"I saved you, and this is the thanks that I get?" He hissed, eyes narrowed. Elisa held her silver weapon up defiantly, meeting the demon's cold stare.

"Why are you here?" she repeated, Goliath's drooping head against her shoulder.

"I've already told you, you ungrateful wench. And there's little that you can do to stop me," he whispered fiercely, disappearing in a thin cloud of smoke.

* *

"And ye say he was a demon?" Hudson asked the next night, furrowing his brow.

"Yes. At least, that's what he claimed," Elisa answered, looking over at Owen, whose hands were crossed over his narrow chest, "are-are there really demons? Is his story true?"

Owen adjusted his glasses and responded, "Yes. I am afraid so. And demons aren't exactly forgiving creatures." Elisa nervously chewed her lip at this; she had neglected to tell the Gargoyles about what Saar had informed about their race.

"Do-do you think he's actually after my sister?"

Owen/Puck grimly nodded.

* *

Humming to herself, Beth added some tomatoes to her huge bowl of salad. This was going to be a great night! When the doorbell rang, she smiled happily and wiped her hands on a dishtowel. Scurrying over to the door, she greeted Christian. He returned the grin, his eyes glittering darkly.

"So nice to see you again, Beth…"

* *

Goliath's Voice: "To be continued…"