The rising sun only made the exhaustion and the reality of what had happened more solid. Still, Terra Wade stared in awestruck wonder at the cathedral. Her eyes darted around trying to make sense of it all. It's primitive nature reminded her of medieval castles. This was hard to compare to the state-of-the-art facility she had just watched crumble into the earth.
Adam on the other hand was familiar with the building and tried to make sense of the night. His heart was finally slowing to a normal rhythm and he could feel the numerous bruises and minor cuts. The gash in his shoulder flared with fresh pain, he should probably let Terra take a look at it. Something inside of him felt excited for the first time in his long life. He had a soul. He was still far from human, but he could argue that he shared the most common factors of humanity.
"May I speak with you both?" The stern female voice broke whatever reveries the two were in. Adam looked at the gargoyle queen with concern. He had little trust for her now. Terra also looked at her in confusion. Leonore noticed how they reacted and took a deep breath.
"Because of the nature of this evening I must remind you of a few things, and lay down some rules." Adam tensed at this his muscles instinctively reacting. Leonore noticed this and her intense gaze softened slightly. "I mean neither of you any harm." She assured. Her green eyes looked the two over.
"Now, you both realize that the humans can not know the truth about last night. The entire Wessex Institute is gone, collapsed upon the underground chamber it was built on. Very little remains, they will be searching for you Dr. Wade."
"I know," Terra replied.
"Despite what you may think I must ask that you never again continue your research on reanimation." Terra sucked in a breath ready to protest. Leonore cut her off quickly. "There are demons that survived and there are others around the world. I do not doubt they will once again try to complete the reanimation process. Demons do not give up easily, which is why they continue to try to destroy the world. Many attempts on humanity have been made, but they never end in the full destruction of this world.
"But if they find anything that they can use to replicate the reanimation process, or if they can force you to help them, all of last night's hard work will be for naught." Leonore looked at Terra who worried her lower lip.
"I understand," She replied looking away. Three years of hard work gone, buried beneath the rubble of the Institute. "But I can't forget what I know. What if the demons come for me?" She asked.
Adam looked at Leonore intently he wanted to know what she planned to do with the two of them. She most certainly couldn't lock up a human. And would she dare to try that with him again? He didn't think so, but his trust in Leonore had worn thin. She'd lied to him twice. The first time had been so long ago, when she'd failed to tell him of Frankenstein's Journal. And then she'd lied to his face earlier, telling him she would help him escape from Naberius and then sending Gideon to kill him.
Perhaps she had not let him die because she owed him for keeping his end of the bargain despite her choice to break it.
Leonore noticed the curious light in his eyes and wondered just what had gotten into the creature. "I shall have a gargoyle keep watch over you. If the demons come for you he shall bring you here where you will be protected. It is my duty to protect humans Dr. Wade. I will give you sanctuary whenever you have need of it."
Terra nodded seemingly satisfied with the gargoyle queen's answer. "Thank you." She looked at the queen who gave her a gentle look. "I understand that you have been through a lot tonight, and your world has been shattered, but you must remain quiet about gargoyles and demons. Even speaking about Adam would be dangerous, not just because of the demons, but because humans will turn against you as well."
Terra nodded again looking away.
The world had changed considerably in less than twenty-four hours. Part of her wanted to cry right here in front of the gargoyle queen and Adam. The scientist in her remained firm in keeping up a calm façade until she could be alone. To keep the threatening tears at bay she searched the room for some kind of distraction.
Her eyes landed on a tapestry hanging from one of the gorgeous marble walls. It was a scene of an angel giving light to stone gargoyles. Perhaps it was the gargoyle's beginning. Terra thought the ancient weave was beautiful. The details, the colors, even the image was beautiful and perfectly preserved. There was no way it was not ancient probably almost as old as the gargoyles themselves. The cathedral they lived in was magnificent, full of color and beauty. And it made her eyes wander absorbing the vaulted ceilings, carved archways, columns, tapestries, and the stained glass windows. Everything was marvelous, but it held the secret that they were not human, they were holy warriors fighting to protect the world from hordes of demons.
It made Terra shudder at the thought. Her own boss had transformed into a hideous monster before her eyes. Now that was a monster. Something ugly and evil, that wished only for the destruction of the world. It made her wonder if the most evil men in history had been demons. She thought there was a good chance the answer was yes. Maybe she would ask about it later, if she had the chance.
Even now, her need for knowledge kept her calm and inquisitive. She was exhausted, but she was also very much in the dark about a lot of things. And she hated not knowing. That's why she was a scientist. Because she wanted to learn things, wanted to know how the world worked, wanted to know the truth now that she knew there were things beyond the world of men.
Leonore turned to Adam. He immediately stiffened. His muscles instinctively coiled, ready to launch him into whatever defensive action he might need. When she saw this her green eyes softened.
"Adam," she began gently. "I can see in your eyes that you have changed. It is truly remarkable that after all these years you've finally managed to obtain a soul. Take pride in that fact Adam, it is a sign that God has chosen you to do great things. He has marked you as his." Adam thought he was hearing her wrong, was she pleased with him? Could she ever truly be proud of his actions? He looked at her his blue eyes searching her set features for a sign that she wasn't sincere. His eyes met hers and he knew her sentiment was genuine.
"However, your soul comes at a price," an edge of warning returned to her voice. "You can no longer live out your days blindly disregarding the laws of this world. If you have a soul, you can be judged. And God's judgment is pure. If you allow yourself to live like you have, then you will surely be punished."
Adam nodded. "I understand my situation." He replied in that dry hoarse voice of his. Terra listened as quietly as Adam had when Leonore was talking with her.
"You have a choice to make Adam, what will you do now?" Leonore asked.
Adam's blue eyes reflected his clear decision. "I'll continue descending demons, but not because they are threatening me, because they threaten the entire world. I will hunt them to ensure this world remains."
The corners of Leonore's lips turned upward slightly. Adam blinked, was that a smile on her lips? It vanished quickly though and he couldn't be sure.
"Then you have my blessing. The Order shall supply you with the necessary tools. But be warned that if you commit any act that goes against our laws we will take whatever action required to subdue you." Adam could sense the power of that threat. He nodded his head in understanding.
"I hope you will trust me again Adam, I am sorry for the mistakes I have made."
"You did what you thought was right. I will try to trust you Leonore, but understand that it is hard for me." Adam replied darkly.
"Good." Leonore seemed satisfied with both of them. "I have had rooms prepared for you both to rest. I know you must be exhausted." She raised her hand, her cloak lifting around her. "When you are restored I wish to converse with you about other business."
Terra nodded, "Thank you, your Majesty." She murmured the pain of her bruises and her sheer exhaustion making her weak. Adam nodded a low noise emitting from his throat.
A male gargoyle appeared and bowed his head to his queen. "Hezekiah, take them to their rooms." Leonore ordered. He nodded and gestured for the two to follow him.
Terra had been focusing on standing and now that she had to move her body felt heavier and more like jelly as she started forward. She stumbled a little and Adam reacted. He grasped her arm and steadied her. "Can you walk?" He asked.
She shrugged, unsure if she could even speak. Adam leaned towards her and she put her arm over his shoulder. "Thank you." She whispered. Adam grunted in response as he bore most of her weight while they followed Hezekiah.
Neither of them saw Leonore turn to watch them leave. She noticed how they trusted each other. There was a curious light in the gargoyle queen's green eyes as she watched them limp after Hezekiah. She knew she would never understand Adam, as he had said he was 'like none other.' But Terra was human, perhaps as a scientist she had a special interest in Adam scientifically.
"What is it about the human that made him change Barachel?" She asked a male gargoyle that approached his eyes also on them. He brushed the long dark curls from his hair.
"I do not know Majesty."
"I should like to understand those two better. They come from such different worlds, and yet he risked his own life to save hers. He would never have done that before." She turned away as they vanished around a corner. An idea struck Leonore, "Perhaps she awoke some dead emotions deep inside of him."
Barachel cleared his throat, politely telling her that he had more important things to discuss.
"What is the final count of this night?"
Barachel hung his head. "The sixteen from the attack, Gideon, and another two at Wessex. We have lost nineteen."
Leonore hung her head. "We shall remember their sacrifices." She breathed as she started down another corridor. "May they find peace in Heaven."
"He ascended Gideon, will you grant him forgiveness?" Barachel asked. He was obviously unwilling to let the deed go unpunished.
"I sent Gideon to kill him, and he repaid me by showing us the hideout of our enemies. The world is still standing and humanity will not be enslaved. I owe Adam for that. Forgiveness is the greatest thing I can bestow upon him now. As a leader it is my duty to show the grace of God."
Barachel nodded, silenced by Leonore's words.
The gargoyle queen retired to her chambers to rest and pray. She too needed to recover from the events of the night.
Adam and Terra followed Hezekiah silently. Neither one knew just how to say what they wanted to. When the gargoyle stopped he turned and gestured to a pair of doors across each from each other. "The left is for the lady, and the right is yours Adam."
"Thank you." Terra said forcing a smile. She was so tired.
Hezekiah smiled at her, "If you require anything else I shall be just outside of your room, simply come to the balcony."
He turned to Adam the charm melting away into a stern façade, a poor attempt to hide his disgust. "Thank you." Adam said quietly.
Hezekiah nodded and walked briskly down the corridor.
Terra slowly pulled away from Adam who kept a hand on her elbow. "How are you?" He asked.
"Tired." Terra replied She placed her free hand on the wall to steady herself. "I want to thank you Adam, for saving my life tonight."
Adam looked at her surprised. Never in his life had a human thanked him. "You're welcome." He whispered.
Terra giggled. "I've never thanked a reanimated corpse before." Her bright blue eyes glistened despite the fatigue in them. "You are truly amazing Adam." She added quietly.
"No," He murmured back. "I'm just some madman's creation." Once again his self-depreciation made her angry.
"Why do you do that to yourself?" She asked in agitation.
"No one has ever valued me." Adam replied matter-of-factly.
"I do." She replied. "If you hadn't come to rescue me I'd be dead right now and the world would be a bigger mess than it already is. You are a hero, the world may never know about you, but I do."
Adam was once again shocked by her words to him. Every time he called himself a monster she contradicted him. It made him feel good to know that someone saw past the surgical scars and the unnatural events that had created him.
"Thank you," He said. "It was the way you spoke to me in my apartment. And just now. You don't treat me like a monster." In his eyes there was more that he wanted to say, but he wasn't much for talking. She saw it though. How much he appreciated her treating him like a man, calling him out on his behavior in a way that had made him think about himself, and the fact that she valued him.
"Because you aren't one." Terra whispered. She leaned towards him then. Adam stiffened as her face neared his. She kissed his right cheek quickly feeling the scars against her lips and pulled away to catch his reaction.
Adam was frozen in place his blue eyes wide. He'd never been touched like that before. His complete and utter surprise was priceless. She smiled at him. "For saving me." She said as she turned to her room. "I'll see you later." Terra said, "Sleep well, Adam."
He gave her a deep throaty rasp in response. "You as well." He added as she opened her door. When she had closed it Adam finally moved. He brushed his fingers on his cheek where she had kissed him.
Is that what a companion does? He asked himself. Or perhaps a friend? He figured it was a little of both. Adam felt the muscles in his face twitch trying to smile. His brain was confused after the number of events that had happened during the night. He turned to his door and opened it. Inside was an old bed covered in blankets and ready for him. He kicked off his boots knowing he could sleep without fear of being attacked.
He removed his coat and jacket and lowered himself to the bed. He stared at the ceiling before turning to the lit candles next to his bed and blew them out. In the darkness he closed his eyes and steadied his breath.
Exhaustion turned off his excited thoughts slowly. As his breathing evened out and he relaxed he drifted into a peaceful sleep. He slept better than he had in a long time. Maybe because for the first time in over two hundred years he was no longer alone.
Terra lay in her own bed slightly embarrassed by her bold action. In the darkness she could feel the slight warmth in her cheeks. She figured Adam wouldn't take it the wrong way, it was a friendly kiss. It held no deeper meaning and she was sure he'd only stood frozen and shocked because he'd never been kissed before. It was quite possible that no one had ever truly showed him kindness. As she tried to block out the images in her head she smiled. Even with all the destruction that had happened there was still a lot of hope.
She was already formulating a new theory about electrophysiology. And she had Adam to thank for it. Of course she would need his help to get started. If he was willing. She would never force him to do anything against his will.
But even she could not fight the exhaustion as her brain worked on theories and formulas. In only a few minutes her mind had shut down. The scientist fell asleep with a smile on her face.