Princess Ashanti 2.0
Denigoddess2001@aol.com
08/16/01
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GARGOYLES. THEY BELONG TO DISNEY. I DO NOT OWN X-MEN. THEY BELONG TO MARVEL. PLEASE DO NOT SUE.
[Bracketed words indicate thoughts/ psychic communication]
Wren screamed loudly as the bounced along the topsy-turvy tunnel affectionately called the slipstream. The maelstrom of colors was a blur as the duo accelerated through the tunnel. Bolts of energy crackled like lightning as the made their way over the bumps of the space-time corridor.
[I never get used to this.] She found enough sanity to form a cohesive thought as he bellowed and she shrieked. Wren wrapped her arms tightly around her mate as they flew through the slipstream. She knew enough to let her body go slack because impact would be rough on both of them. She hoped luck would be with them and let a bit of luckmagick preceded them in their landing.
The charged environment of sonic noise ceased to torment her ears and jar her teeth. Instead, a warm breeze blew through her hair. She poked her head up from Demetrius' chest to see that he was quite disoriented from the giddiness caused by the tunnel. They were also falling at a rapid rate. She knew they were in trouble when they passed through a layer of clouds.
"Come on, Demetrius!" She slapped his face. "Snap out of it. I don't have my pilot's license. You're the one with the wings."
Demetrius' head drooped limply into her shoulder. Wren roughly grabbed hold of a large white tuff of hair and jerked back his head. He was unconscious. "Oh, shit. Oh, shit. OH, SHIT!"
Their rate of descent accelerated and Wren began saying a final prayer before she met her maker. She started that prayer with a scream.
"Don't worry now, Lass.." A thick Scottish burr greeted her ears. "I've got ye."
She felt their ascent suddenly stilled as an extra set of talons found their way underneath Demetrius' strong arms. She looked down to recognize that familiar tan. She picked up the scent of old leather on concrete. Only one gargoyle smelled that way and sounded like that.
"Hudson!" Wren longed to burst free from her mate's winged embrace. "Oh, by the Dragon, thank God you showed up when you did."
"We're home? Do you mean Caledon Isle, Atalanta, Veda, Adrienne, X-Men, Sentinels, the whole nine yards?" She barely contained her excitement. "Please tell it's true.
"Aye, Lass. Ye vanished almost two weeks ago from your Linoma estate and ye had us scared out of our wits. Veda received a vision that we should fly high on patrol this night." She smiled as she saw the clan elder wink. He took a deep breath and gave her a sly smile. "Ye and Demetrius are mated, aren't ye?"
"Officially, yes. It's a long story." She sighed happily. She noticed that his grip on Demetrius was beginning to slip."
"Aye, Wren. It's good to hear yer voice." His warm reply gave her great comfort. "Now, let go and Atalanta will catch you. You're too heavy for me to carry ye both."
"No way in HELL am I letting her get her talons into me." Wren exploded. "She drop me at the first opportunity."
"Not that it wouldnae be my pleasure, Human." The familiar alto filled her ears.
"You know, even your voice is a sweet sound for sore ears." The insult flowed from Wren before she could stop it.
"Lassies, sheathe yer talons and work together." Hudson's chastisement reminded them of their location. "I can't carry the young sire for much longer and he has a rather nasty talon scratch on his shoulder."
"Nor should you, Elder." Lavender eyes opened to meet Hudson's steady gaze. "Methinks the slipstream hexed with its wily turns."
"Aye, Lad. Ye have a rather large goose egg growin' on yer head."
"Wren? Where is Wren?" Demetrius spread his wings and quickly glanced around as he took an updraft in mid-flight.
"She is well and in your arms, lad." The elder assured the young warrior. "Ye need not worry. The lass won't harm your mate."
"It's not Wren, I'm worried about." The dark warrior pointed upwards to the heavy crimson moon. "I know that moon well."
"Aye, Lad. 'Tis a Breeder's Moon. Many of the unbonded males and females will be flying high tonight. It's good ye came home."
"It's good to be here, My Elder." The warmth of Demetrius' words touched Hudson's heart.
"I'm just glad to be back in our own dimension." Wren regretted letting her fear getting the better of her. She knew her talons slashed those marks upon his skin. She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Can you get us to land?"
"Nay, Milady. Vertigo assaults me." Dizziness was a common symptom that plagued Demetrius when they emerged from the slipstream. "Go with Atalanta. No harm will befall her."
"I think you'd do better to worry about her." Wren Nightkind let loose her hold. "On my mark, Atalanta."
"Donnae be tellin' me what to do, human. I can catch you. I'll also catch some horrible disease knowing my luck."
Wren literally bit her tongue so that another barbed comment didn't escape her lips. She smacked her lips in the sweet anticipation of unloading her surprise and the unsuspecting Gargoyle. Now, she knew she was on better ground to deal with the venomous vixen that held such an obvious prejudice for humans.
She watched Hudson and Demetrius land nearby in the courtyard of Castle Ex Cathedra of Caledon Isle. She turned to look into the bright blue eyes of the golden Gargoyle carrying her. She suddenly felt herself no longer being held and falling through the air. Wren felt her backside impact heartily with the stone beneath her. She yelped in pain with the impact. Atalanta smirked as she landed gracefully beside her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I lost my grasp." There was no missing that sneer.
"Bullshit." The response came through gritted teeth.
"Temper, vermin. Rabid animals are often killed for hostile displays." The unmistakable warning left nothing to the imagination. "Accidents can happen."
Wren stood there stunned. She knew that Atalanta held a grudge against humans. She never knew that it extended to cheerfully threatening to commit murder. Wren said nothing but growled at the golden Gargoyle. She knew her eyes blazed with a vermilion flame usually reserved for Gargoyle dames. She heard that gasp of surprise. She almost gloated when she noticed Atalanta's jaw drop about three inches.
"You're right." The mid-September moon illuminated the dark expression on Wren's face. "I'm just enough of a Mutant to alter luck. You could fall down and break your neck with a snap of my fingers."
"You wouldn't dare. Ye haven't the backbone."
"You don't have the true Gargoyle fortitude to find out." She longed to sink five talons into the soft flesh of the Dame's throat. "I've had just about enough of your snide remarks and veiled threats. Leave me and my mate alone. Don't come near us. Don't talk to us. Let's let bygones remain that way and be civil to each other."
"Mate?" The word hung in the air.
"Yes, Demetrius and I are mates." Wren said with more bravado than she felt.
[Wren one, Atalanta zero.] The young Nightkind walked over to check upon her mate's condition. She pushed aside any further thoughts of Atalanta as she rushed to Demetrius' side. "Dem, are you all right?"
"My shoulder will heal, Milady." He replied softly. He gazed at the smoldering Dame standing only a few yards away. "Atalanta is pensive this night."
"That's an understatement." She snorted.
"What words passed between you and she, Wren?" Concern laid heavily in his question.
"Oh, she only threatened to drop me and then kill me." The young woman dusted the gravel from her blouse. "I'm not too worried about it. Just let it go, Demetrius."
"She WHAT???" Lavender eyes blazed in blinding fury. "How dare she?"
"Don't worry about it. She'll get over it." She attempted to soothe the savage protector with unfurled wings. He roared in pain as aggravated the wounds in his shoulder. She saw that the wounds were fresh and deep from her fear she felt during the fall. "We need to get you to the infirmary. It's probably long way until morning if the warriors are still out on patrol."
Wren fought to push aside the horrible green monster taunting her to forget her good manners and her conscience. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to be the damned golden goose strongly in the chops and give her a black eye. [Wouldn't be worth it, she'd be healed by tomorrow night. Damn.]
Wren rarely felt the influences of pettiness and revenge. This particular night, the urges pulled at her as the moon did the tide. [Oh, what the hell, I might as well have a little fun. After all, I might only get one chance.]
Wren giggled softly. She pressed herself seductively close to the sculpted contours of Demetrius' physique and seductively nipped his neck. He purred in pure masculine need. His voice came out somewhere between a groan and a rumble. "Wren...."
"Kiss me, Demetrius, as a Sire kisses his mate." Her eyes became dark with latent desire.
"Sires...don't kiss mates... Wren." His breathing became heavy and labored with the sudden onslaught of desire caused by their kiss. She didn't have to ask him twice.
"Has that ever stopped you?" She pulled his head to hers. She nibbled tenderly at his earlobe.
"By the Dragon, no!" He brought his lips down upon hers. He marked her as his mate with scent and kiss. Tongues mated with one another in an erotic dance of something much more passionate. The taste of cinnamon mingled with peaches for a sweet elixir that brought them both to the brink of complete abandon. Wren branded Demetrius as her Sire with gentle nips of his lips. She snaked her tail possessively around his calf and let it travel languidly upwards. It slipped beneath his loincloth and she twitched it playfully for all to see.
A loud, shrill snarl filled the early autumn air. Wren looked out the corner of her eye to see one very outraged, infuriated golden gargoyle. She saw the crimson flames burning in those eyes. She noticed the unfurled wings expanded to their impressive length. Wren's lips curled into a sly smirk of satisfaction when she knew her sneak attack struck home.
"Demetrius!" The scream rang in the night.
Demetrius was pulled abruptly from his passionate reverie by Atalanta's piercing cry. He saw the flood of tears streaming down her elegant golden cheeks. His eyes blazed with a Dame's wrath. He loosened his hold on his mate and turned toward his old friend.
"How could ye, Demetrius?" She managed to speak when she gathered some of her composure. "Ye knew I loved ye since we were both hatchlings. Ye promised me that we'd fly together on the next mating moon. We would have two were it not for the damned Vikings murdering us whilst we slept. How could ye contaminate yourself by mating with one who murdered us? And now, you lick some human and drink her juices like some animal! How can ye?"
"Atalanta!" The stern reply quieted her sobs. Demetrius closed his eyes and clasped his fists to his sides. He breathed deeply to calm himself. How females vexed him thus! He fought to bring gentleness to his voice. "Atalanta, that was a long time ago.... another time and another place. Our betrothal ended at our deaths. We were both free to find other mates."
"You declared that you wished to be MY mate." The words sliced through Wren. The guilt caved in and buried any feelings of vengeance. She almost felt the Dame's pain as her own. "You told me that you cared about me and wanted to be with me. Ye told me that ye adored me. "
Wren's brows raised in utter amazement at the turn in events. [Demetrius told me that he'd never had a mate.]
"I have always adored you as my rookery sister. You have always been dear to my heart, Atalanta. Now, we are free to choose whom we wish. We never sanctified that promise before the clan. We never consummated those vows." His words brought Wren relief. "We were released at death from those promises made in our youth."
"I waited a thousand years for you." Wren heard each shard being chipped away from Atalanta's breaking heart. "Now, you've paired with a HUMAN!! That is betrayal to me and to the clan. Her kind killed us. Now, you reek of her stench and she bears your mark. She beguiled you with her wiles and her human magic. She isn't worthy. She turn on ye when it suits her and she'll bed any man who sniffs at her skirts."
"Be careful with your words." The menacing tone caused shivers to dance along Wren's spine. Rarely did Demetrius assert his pure male prowess as he did at that moment. With ferocity she didn't know he possessed, he growled and wrapped his wings about Wren. "It is the love of a human that allowed me peace after a thousand years of unrest in the Shadowlands. It was the love of a human that allowed me to regain faith in my clan and my goddess. It was this human that showed me that the many should not be judged for the sins of a few dead Vikings."
Demetrius took Wren gently by the arm and led her away from the scene. Hudson looked struck be the entire exchange. The dark warrior glanced over his shoulder at the defeated Dame standing behind him with her broken heart in her hands. "You would do well to take that lesson to heart. I wish you well, Atalanta."
As they walked, none of the trio spoke. Hudson kept his counsel and Demetrius' grim expression prompted Wren to remain silent. They entered the castle and looked around for their clan leader. Wren glanced at her mate and she wanted answers, but his veiled gaze seemed to say 'NOT NOW.'
"Demetrius!" A voice called merrily from behind them. They turned to see a vision of alabaster skin and charcoal curls greet them. A little girl was cradled fast asleep in the woman's arms. Wren noticed the little girl had sable hair and ten perfect talons resting easily on the woman's shoulder. "You and Wren are back!"
"Adrienne!" He looked down at Wren silently asking her blessing to greet their friend. She nodded gladly and watched as the dark warrior strode towards the young woman. He slowed his approach and gazed lovingly down at the little girl resting in her arms. "It is good to see you. Is this Greer?"
"Oh, yes. " She planted a brief kiss against the dark sable tresses. "She and Shani were playing tag on the grounds."
"Your wee lass is tired so soon?" He asked in amazement. "She has grown like Scottish Heather in summer."
"She's young and her human blood allows her to be easily fatigued compared to her rookery siblings." Adrienne carefully shifted her wait so that Greer rested more comfortably on her hip. She motioned to the young woman standing silently behind the ebony Gargoyle. "Wren, let me take a look at you. It's been awhile."
Wren stepped closer into the light. The cap she wore hid the horns and the pointed ears. She pulled her tail closely behind her. She somehow felt like a freak for not being as she was when she left the island. Adrienne deeply inhaled and giggled. She cocked her head to the side and gave her a big smile. "Congratulations. You've picked a good Gargoyle."
"You know!?" Wren asked.
"I can tell." Adrienne swayed back and forth to steady the weight of her daughter on her hip. Greer stirred and whimpered. Her mother whispered soothing words into her ear. "You seem truly happy. You're practically glowing."
"I thought it was just because we passed a plutonium plant on the way here." She quipped.
"I know that smile anywhere. You are a woman loved by a Gargoyle. There's nothing else like it." Her daughter stirred again. Onyx eyes slowly opened to stair innocently at the couple in front of her. "I need to get Greer to bed. I think Shani tuckered her out."
"Where is Goliath?"
"He is out on patrol." Adrienne rocked the drowsy little girl into slumber.
"I thought you went back to New York." Wren voiced her surprise.
"Goliath and the others loved being with the clan too much to be parted with them for long." She shook her head in joyful exasperation. "I feel like Persephone. We now spend half the year in New York. Hudson, Goliath, Angela and the trio want to spend the other half here. Clan majority rules. So, we're here until October. Then, we'll go back to New York."
"Clan life keeps you busy."
"It does." Adrienne leaned her head a little closer to Wren. "I know why you left and I know this isn't any of my business. It's just that I know Goliath and I appreciated your expertise and presence here on the island. I think even Owen would be a bit less anal-retentive if you returned. We could use you and Demetrius here on Caledon."
"Well, we just returned and we just thought we'd visit." Wren successfully dodged the broad hint Adrienne sent her way. She looked at Demetrius. "We thought we'd be home in Linoma Bluffs. Neither one of us expected to land on Caledon Isle."
"Indeed." That dark resounding voice rumbled through the stone corridor. Wren turned to see the imposing figure of a lavender Gargoyle. His wings were regally cloaked about him. He made his way to the svelte woman and young girl standing beside them. "Here, My Raven, allow me."
"Thank you! She was getting heavy."
Wren looked at the dark-eyed lady that so captivated Goliath Wyvern. Her skin was olive but not the dark bronze of another woman she'd recently come to know. Her hair fell in ringlets about her shoulders in a shade of charcoal. It was not the elegant straight jet tresses of a certain detective. [She certainly isn't Elisa Maza. But that is a different time, a different world and a different place.]
"Papa..." A Tiny voice wailed softly into the large leviathan's shoulder. Wren watched fascinated as a gigantic taloned hand gently stroked those straight sable tresses of his daughter.
"Sleep now, Poppet." His low, deep voice seemed to entrance the little girl within seconds of hearing it. Quickly her head rested against his shoulder and she snuggled into the warmth of his wing. He walked beside the dark warrior and his mate in the stone corridor. "It is good to have you home, brother. Wren, welcome home."
"We are glad to be here." Demetrius replied. "We've had some harrowing adventures because of a certain relic in my mate's possession."
"Aye, the Annulus has a way of taking you where you need to be. Anything from Avalon is that way. Don't take any skiff rides." He nodded gravely. His eyes misted over mysterious and a faraway look glazed his features. "Are you home to stay?"
"I think not-" Demetrius began.
"We're considering it." Wren replied at the same time. Demetrius looked at her with a raised ridge-brow. She stared at him intently. His dark, grim features lit up in a brilliant smile. She heard the intake of his breath.
[Milady?] He questioned her.
[This is your home. Now, it's mine. I won't keep you away from your clan for too long. That isn't the Gargoyle way.]
[I understand not. I thought Linoma Bluffs was our home.] His mental reply carried astonishment at this recent turn of event.
[So did I. I didn't realize just how much the bond between clan mates contributed to your well-being. To take you away from your clan is almost committing blasphemy.]
[Wren, what of Summerlands? Your job at Xanatos?]
[Can't we do both? I have a laptop, a fax machine, and a digital phone. With the Internet, I can work from any location in the world. Besides, don't we want to touch base with clan and family?]
[And find peace with Atalanta?]
[DON'T PUSH IT!!]
The rest of the night was spent catching up on recent events. She knew that if felt natural and right to be back in Castle Ex Cathedra. She longed for her old office and her old bedchamber. Wren decided that she would gladly give her tail simply to be on the Xanatos payroll on Caledon Isle. She also knew that Xanatos made it a policy not to rehire employees who quit. [Then again, he might make an exception.]
*******
Morning came too quickly for all. Melancholy settled upon Demetrius when he watched his rookery brothers and sisters take their places along the parapets of Cair Ex Cathedra. He missed facing the East to greet the day as he fell into slumber. They watched as each majestic Gargoyle assumed a ferocious pose and became Scottish granite.
Sad eyes found a dark amethyst gaze as he stared into the beauty of the North Sea surrounding Caledon Isle. Wren looked up and knew that he felt isolation in not being able to join his clan in stone slumber. His heart weighed heavily with the harsh words exchanged between he and his rookery sister, Atalanta. He walked away from Wren and strode toward the statue of the Gargoyle Dame holding her mace high in the air. With wings unfurled and hair blowing in the breeze, she looked like Lady Liberty ready for battle.
"Do you know that we are on the eve of a Breeder's Moon?" He spoke into the morning air.
"I thought that wasn't here for another five years." Wren blinked and remembered to breathe.
"Veda miscalculated because of the thousand year purgatory. She did not account for the leap years." His words remained carefully neutral. "The Dames are readying themselves for coupling. Some unbonded males are preparing dens. Mated pairs become anxious for breeding. Warriors ready themselves for battle to select the finest mates. The skies will be lively with the mating flights this night."
"And this makes you sad?" Wren dared to voice her unspoken thoughts. She didn't want to look into his eyes at that particular moment. "Are you wishing to mate with Atalanta?"
"NO!" He bellowed and turned about. Wren thought she saw his human eyes blaze with Gargoyle fury. "I now understand why you and Atalanta were challenging one another."
"Care to clue me in on it? I'm at a loss." Wren grew weary of his sympathy for the golden babe with the muscle-man arms.
"Your scent and her scent tell me that you are ready to breed."
"Demetrius, I'm not a Gargoyle." She began to remind him.
"We are of one heart, one mind, and one body, Milady." He wrapped his wings about her. Her fear was a thousand prines barring any into her innermost mind. No amount of heartmagick allowed him past her mental barriers. "I am of human blood as you are of Gargoyle. Now, that we are of the other, we assume many traits not always akin to what we know. Do you not the feel the rising zeal for freedom demand satisfaction?"
Was that the tenseness and the anticipation tingeing her thoughts these past few moments. It made sense and it explained her unusually dynamic mindset on this particular evening. Wren cursed all the unseen complications of their recent transformations. The aloofness gradually parted so that apprehension peaked through and touch Demetrius' quick and agile mind. He knew her question before she spoke aloud.
"Nay, Milady I think not. You will not lay an egg." Demetrius kept his gaze fixed on Atalanta's stone form. "You responded to her challenge with all the ferocity of a Dame. She noticed your scent and our mating marks on one another. She will challenge you."
"She hasn't the right." Wren spat. "You and I are committed to one another."
"It is the Gargoyle way." Demetrius pressed his lips into her russet mane. He inhaled Wren's scent of peaches, melon, and kiwi. "She does not recognize you as clan and she will not relent."
"That's all well and good, Demetrius." Wren's anger laced her words. "But, we've already decided that you and I will forge our way. I'm not going to get into a catfight because some female has a jealous fit over you."
"I am not asking you to enter combat with her." His dark features were shadowed in the silhouette cast by the statue. "I am asking you to engage in a chase with me."
"What?" She shook her head. He had her absolutely befuddled. "What do you mean?"
"Milady, without wings you cannot fly." Demetrius turned to face her. "I wish not to let this Breeder's Moon go by on the night of the Autumn Equinox. I wish to give chase."
"Mating flight is where Gargoyles fly and chase each other in the air and then Mid-air Mamba?" She asked carefully.
"Crudely put, but yes." He didn't care for the not-so-subtle changes in Wren's usually gentle and proper demeanor. As of late, she had been confrontational and temperamental. Aggression was not a normal trait of his Ladylove. Demetrius attributed the harsh change in her personality to the oncoming night of the Breeder's Moon. "I wish to share this night with you, Wren. I spoke of it with Goliath in the previous dimension and also here. I long to give chase to you as one would in flight."
"Oh." She felt like the heartless criminal that stole candy from a small toddler. "Demetrius, don't take this the wrong way, but, it's too soon for me. I need time to assimilate everything that's happened to us."
"Milady Wren," Demetrius bent down and knelt on one denim-clad knee. "Would thou honor me with a merry chase on the night of the Breeder's Moon? I shall have another den awaiting us. I have proven myself a worthy lover and provider. Allow me to prove myself worthy as a mate and as a member of my clan by giving you an egg. My love for you prompts me to love you fiercely and well. May our love bring the sweet knowing of a hatchling into this world and into our clan?"
What did she say to such a sincere declaration? She knew that these were the formal words of an ancient ritual dating back thousands of years. The automatic barriers shot upwards instantly blocking him access to her most private thoughts. [I'm not ready for a child or an egg. I want more time to think about this. We're not married. We're not financially stable. We haven't even been together a year. I want to learn more about this new body before I commit myself to an egg or a child. How do I tell him that I'm not ready?]
Her silence told Demetrius everything that he needed to know. His eyes fell to the ground. If he had wings during the day, Wren would have sworn they were drooping. "You wish not to allow our love to bring forth a hatchling; a little one?"
"[Think, Summers, think!] She hoped her gift of words didn't choose that moment to fail her. She sought perfect words to put together her thoughts and feelings on the matter.
"You are worthy as a mate and too your clan. However, I am not ready to have a child. I want to know you longer and love you for a while. I want to acclimate myself to our situation and to this new body of mine. Please don't be hurt that I just want to wait."
Silence.
No words were spoken.
The awkwardness hung between them as a thick veil concealing them from each other.
[I don't want to lose you but it's too soon. Please try and understand.]
She felt her mate's disappointment chill her like a frigid wind in winter. His sadness avalanched over her. Rejection cracked his granite heart. Anguish spread through him and touched her mind. The chasm widened into a canyon. Tears pricked at her eyes. "I want to honor the custom. I'm just not ready to have a child."
He framed her face in his large talons. Tenderly his lips descended to hers. His sorrow lessened with that kiss of cherished adoration. Wren trembled at the possibility that they would break apart if she didn't give him a hatchling.
"We have a lifetime for children, Milady." His waxen grin echoed his dejection at her words. "Yet, it is a prudent course for us being still new to one another."
"You're not angry?"
"Nay, Milady. I had only wished to be with you this night."
"Couldn't we practice for the real thing?" Her brightness tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Would it be impossible to make a merry chase and just take precautions not to get me with child?"
"You still wish to participate?" Two unshed tears disappeared as happiness overtook the ebony warrior. "Would you give me a merry mating match?"
"I'll make it a night you won't forget." She promised with two fingers pressed against his lips. "Do I get a head start?"
"You have fifteen minutes." His eyes glowed with the rumble that resounded deep from his throat.
"Just watch me!" Wren impulsively stuck out her tongue and dashed into the castle.
*******
Wren knew that every moment meant one percent of one hundred that she had a chance of evading Demetrius. He was a born predator with keen senses. His night sight was far superior. His sense of smell was as keen as any wolf or tiger in the wild. His instincts for the hunt were stronger and purer; unfettered by the trappings of civilization and society. He possessed superior strength, speed, and agility.
[Gargoyles protect. Gargoyles also find the scent, take to the hunt, and capture the prey; pure and simple.]
Wren knew possessing recently acquired Gargoyle traits didn't mean automatic victory against her pursuer.
[Linear thinking is the way he works. Creativity is often learned but seldom initiated.] Wren made her way inside the castle door and bolted it shut. [How do I outrun a male born to hunt?]
[I outfox them. Humanity is adaptable and creative. Let's put that mercurial and playful nature to work. It won't be a straight line.] The light of inspiration brightened her mind with a plethora of ideas.
Wren knew he depended upon scent to find her. She knew that the kitchen was on the floor only a few yards from where she stood. She dashed madly to Broadway's inner sanctum.
She looked for a second exit. She thanked the Powers-That-Be that Cair Ex Cathedra had doors that opened and closed in every room.
[It's the ONLY way in and out. Oh-oh.] Wren's thoughts sped through her mind as she considered her options.
She went quickly from cupboard to cupboard rummaging wildly for the spices. A broad smile crossed her features when she found exactly what she sought: the spice cupboard. She noticed two large pepper mills standing proudly in the cupboard. She grabbed one and looped it inside of her leather belt. She took the other and began to grind the pepper within it. She spread a thick layer over the expanse of the stone kitchen floor.
She noticed an open cupboard with a rope at the end of the kitchen.
[What have we here?] She made her way over to it. [Oh, please! Let it be what I think it is.]
She noticed the rope was new and looped over a pulley. She saw that right above her a platform dangled. She excitedly pulled on the rope and the platform descended. She let forth a whoop of delight that gave her plan new life. [Thank God for dumbwaiters.]
Wren worked to cramp herself into the small space of the cupboard. She pulled the doors shut and maneuvered and pulled herself upwards to the next floor. Arm over arm, Wren strained to move the wait of her and the platform. The roughness of the rope cut into her hands. The burning in her muscles informed her that she strained herself beyond her normal capabilities.
[The Things I do for love.] The wry thought brought a chuckle into her throat. [Seven months ago, I sat in a cushy office in New York researching blood spells for Owen. Now, I stuck in a musty dumbwaiter in the North Sea trying to outrun a Gargoyle. I think I need a shrink.]
She felt a catch of the platform. She cocked her head and saw a lit of light shining into the dark shaft. With a solid push, the slats gave way to reveal a lavish bedchamber adorned in violet scarves and scented candles. Wren inhaled deeply and took in the combined aromas of incense, roses, and musk.
She smelled Goliath's scent. She caught a faint echo of Adrienne's favorite perfume.
[What a way to throw Dem off the scent.]
She peeked cautiously into the room and found it empty. She made her way across the chamber to the open window. She looked outwards and saw that she was two stories from the ground.
[Wrong direction. It's time to change.] She saw Demetrius looking at the full crimson moon hovering in the sky above them. She noticed that he took to all fours and sniffed the ground. She knew the fifteen minutes were over. [Time to go down.]
She waited until she saw him enter the castle. Wren quickly discarded her socks and shoes and stuffed them neatly under the end of Adrienne and Goliath's bed. She looked down at her feet and saw ten short talons where toes usually resided. She took the pepper mill and dusted her shoes with the spice.
She went to the sill of the window and climbed atop it. [I HATE heights.]
Carefully, she tested her theory. She curved her fingers in a crooked fashion. She gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, prayed for endorphins to start working and slammed her talons into the side of the sill. She heard the crunch of stone beneath her talons. Cautiously, she opened one eye. There was no pain of impacting her hand upon solid stone. She opened the other eye and found five sleek talons embedded to the second knuckle in hard castle rock.
[Oooh, this new form has its advantages. If Gargoyles can climb up stone walls, why can't they climb down as if they were going down a ladder?]
She kept her eyes planted firmly on the outside wall. She reached out as far as her arm allowed and embedded her right hand deeply within the granite. She reached around the sill and slowly did the same with her right foot. She followed suit with her left hand and finally her left foot. She never took her eyes from the stone.
Foot by foot, Wren pulled alternate limbs from the rock and attempted her descent down the wall. She made it halfway before loose mortar made her loose her foothold. She heard the rolling of loose mortar fall to the ground. Then, the stone gave way. Wren felt cool air soar past her at a rapid rate. Her backside took the brunt of the impact when the ground rose to greet her.
[Okay in theory and not great in application. It can be perfected with technique.] She made a mental note to take a few classes in rock climbing at her first opportunity.
Wren knew that Demetrius wouldn't be fooled for long by pepper. She ran wildly around the perimeter of the castle until she reached the main entrance. She sprinted across the courtyard and returned to the same door she had been through only moments before the chase began. She again entered that same corridor.
[Too bad the hunter can't become the prey.] She lamented. A sharp pain in her side let Wren knew that she was definitely not in peak physical condition. [Where do I take it from here?]
"How do I catch a Gargoyle?" She asked aloud.
Wren knew that the only place strong enough to hold a Gargoyle was a dungeon. Xanatos had restored the castle at the end of the previous year. She knew he equipped the dungeon with several force-field holding cells and converted it to a cargo bay. An evil thought entered her quick mind.
[Find a really good mousetrap.]
She skulked in the shadows until she came to a door that led to her desired location. Wren opened it and made her way down the long, winding stone staircase to the lower levels of the dungeon. She noted that it was easier for her to see at night. The hall was pitch dark; yet, she made out the faint silhouette of the stairs. With growing speed she skipped down the crumbling stone stairs scattering rock as she went.
At the bottom she felt for a light switch. The light illuminated the entire main core of the dungeon. Wren saw four holding cells full of supplies and packing crates. She also noticed one was empty. She walked forward and saw a control panel. She acted on a whim and punched in her security code. The force field activated as a thin blue veil of energy from floor to ceiling.
"Oh, yeah!" She whispered feeling triumph. "Now, let's turn the tables on make this chase a bit more to my liking."
She removed her jacket and placed it within the holding cell. She placed a couple of light crates in front of it so that only the sleeve remained insight. She took some of the packing cushion material and stuffed the arm to give it fullness. She tucked it in upon itself so that a lack of a hand wasn't obvious.
Now, she waited.
And waited.
And Waited.
A half an hour later passed according to the clock on the wall. She heard a scuffle at the end of the stairs. She nervously crouched behind some piled crates and remained still in the shadows. She heard the gentle padding of feet making their way into the main core of the dungeon/ cargo bay. The light shown brightly and Demetrius entered her view in all his masculine predatory glory.
He kneeled close to the ground and sniffed. She watched him stalk her former path to the empty holding cell. She knew he saw her jacket when his tail flicked in satisfaction. His wings flared slightly. Wren knew in Gargoyle body language that such an action meant surprise.
"Wren! Wren? Are you well?" He rushed forward to the pile of crates. Wren saw that from his vantage point that it looked as though she were buried beneath them. There was no turning back now. Wren stole the opportunity to rush to the control panel and activate the force field.
The hum of energy filled the room and he turned to see Wren standing there with a very satisfied look upon her face. He cloaked his wings and walked forward until only the thin blue veil of energy separated them. He tentatively tapped the field with a talon and drew it back. The shock from the energy barrier was enough to make him think twice before breaching it.
"Milady, what mischief is this?" His brow furrowed in dismay.
"The Hunter has now become the captured." Wren walked the length of the holding cell and surveyed her handiwork. "I decided that I wanted to turn the tables."
"Turn the tables? I do not understand this strange turn-of-phrase." He cocked his head. His eyes formed the silent question 'why.'
"I wanted to see if the hunter could become the hunted. I wanted to know if human ingenuity could stand against pure Gargoyle ability. You wanted a merry chase and I gave you one. Little did you know that you would be caught in your own hunt."
"Now, what will you do with me?" He asked. Demetrius smiled at this wily, cunning siren standing only inches from him.
"I'm going to have my way with you."
The energy wall went down and she stepped into the cell.
*********
Denigoddess2001@aol.com
08/16/01
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN GARGOYLES. THEY BELONG TO DISNEY. I DO NOT OWN X-MEN. THEY BELONG TO MARVEL. PLEASE DO NOT SUE.
[Bracketed words indicate thoughts/ psychic communication]
Wren screamed loudly as the bounced along the topsy-turvy tunnel affectionately called the slipstream. The maelstrom of colors was a blur as the duo accelerated through the tunnel. Bolts of energy crackled like lightning as the made their way over the bumps of the space-time corridor.
[I never get used to this.] She found enough sanity to form a cohesive thought as he bellowed and she shrieked. Wren wrapped her arms tightly around her mate as they flew through the slipstream. She knew enough to let her body go slack because impact would be rough on both of them. She hoped luck would be with them and let a bit of luckmagick preceded them in their landing.
The charged environment of sonic noise ceased to torment her ears and jar her teeth. Instead, a warm breeze blew through her hair. She poked her head up from Demetrius' chest to see that he was quite disoriented from the giddiness caused by the tunnel. They were also falling at a rapid rate. She knew they were in trouble when they passed through a layer of clouds.
"Come on, Demetrius!" She slapped his face. "Snap out of it. I don't have my pilot's license. You're the one with the wings."
Demetrius' head drooped limply into her shoulder. Wren roughly grabbed hold of a large white tuff of hair and jerked back his head. He was unconscious. "Oh, shit. Oh, shit. OH, SHIT!"
Their rate of descent accelerated and Wren began saying a final prayer before she met her maker. She started that prayer with a scream.
"Don't worry now, Lass.." A thick Scottish burr greeted her ears. "I've got ye."
She felt their ascent suddenly stilled as an extra set of talons found their way underneath Demetrius' strong arms. She looked down to recognize that familiar tan. She picked up the scent of old leather on concrete. Only one gargoyle smelled that way and sounded like that.
"Hudson!" Wren longed to burst free from her mate's winged embrace. "Oh, by the Dragon, thank God you showed up when you did."
"We're home? Do you mean Caledon Isle, Atalanta, Veda, Adrienne, X-Men, Sentinels, the whole nine yards?" She barely contained her excitement. "Please tell it's true.
"Aye, Lass. Ye vanished almost two weeks ago from your Linoma estate and ye had us scared out of our wits. Veda received a vision that we should fly high on patrol this night." She smiled as she saw the clan elder wink. He took a deep breath and gave her a sly smile. "Ye and Demetrius are mated, aren't ye?"
"Officially, yes. It's a long story." She sighed happily. She noticed that his grip on Demetrius was beginning to slip."
"Aye, Wren. It's good to hear yer voice." His warm reply gave her great comfort. "Now, let go and Atalanta will catch you. You're too heavy for me to carry ye both."
"No way in HELL am I letting her get her talons into me." Wren exploded. "She drop me at the first opportunity."
"Not that it wouldnae be my pleasure, Human." The familiar alto filled her ears.
"You know, even your voice is a sweet sound for sore ears." The insult flowed from Wren before she could stop it.
"Lassies, sheathe yer talons and work together." Hudson's chastisement reminded them of their location. "I can't carry the young sire for much longer and he has a rather nasty talon scratch on his shoulder."
"Nor should you, Elder." Lavender eyes opened to meet Hudson's steady gaze. "Methinks the slipstream hexed with its wily turns."
"Aye, Lad. Ye have a rather large goose egg growin' on yer head."
"Wren? Where is Wren?" Demetrius spread his wings and quickly glanced around as he took an updraft in mid-flight.
"She is well and in your arms, lad." The elder assured the young warrior. "Ye need not worry. The lass won't harm your mate."
"It's not Wren, I'm worried about." The dark warrior pointed upwards to the heavy crimson moon. "I know that moon well."
"Aye, Lad. 'Tis a Breeder's Moon. Many of the unbonded males and females will be flying high tonight. It's good ye came home."
"It's good to be here, My Elder." The warmth of Demetrius' words touched Hudson's heart.
"I'm just glad to be back in our own dimension." Wren regretted letting her fear getting the better of her. She knew her talons slashed those marks upon his skin. She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek. "Can you get us to land?"
"Nay, Milady. Vertigo assaults me." Dizziness was a common symptom that plagued Demetrius when they emerged from the slipstream. "Go with Atalanta. No harm will befall her."
"I think you'd do better to worry about her." Wren Nightkind let loose her hold. "On my mark, Atalanta."
"Donnae be tellin' me what to do, human. I can catch you. I'll also catch some horrible disease knowing my luck."
Wren literally bit her tongue so that another barbed comment didn't escape her lips. She smacked her lips in the sweet anticipation of unloading her surprise and the unsuspecting Gargoyle. Now, she knew she was on better ground to deal with the venomous vixen that held such an obvious prejudice for humans.
She watched Hudson and Demetrius land nearby in the courtyard of Castle Ex Cathedra of Caledon Isle. She turned to look into the bright blue eyes of the golden Gargoyle carrying her. She suddenly felt herself no longer being held and falling through the air. Wren felt her backside impact heartily with the stone beneath her. She yelped in pain with the impact. Atalanta smirked as she landed gracefully beside her.
"Oh, I'm so sorry. I lost my grasp." There was no missing that sneer.
"Bullshit." The response came through gritted teeth.
"Temper, vermin. Rabid animals are often killed for hostile displays." The unmistakable warning left nothing to the imagination. "Accidents can happen."
Wren stood there stunned. She knew that Atalanta held a grudge against humans. She never knew that it extended to cheerfully threatening to commit murder. Wren said nothing but growled at the golden Gargoyle. She knew her eyes blazed with a vermilion flame usually reserved for Gargoyle dames. She heard that gasp of surprise. She almost gloated when she noticed Atalanta's jaw drop about three inches.
"You're right." The mid-September moon illuminated the dark expression on Wren's face. "I'm just enough of a Mutant to alter luck. You could fall down and break your neck with a snap of my fingers."
"You wouldn't dare. Ye haven't the backbone."
"You don't have the true Gargoyle fortitude to find out." She longed to sink five talons into the soft flesh of the Dame's throat. "I've had just about enough of your snide remarks and veiled threats. Leave me and my mate alone. Don't come near us. Don't talk to us. Let's let bygones remain that way and be civil to each other."
"Mate?" The word hung in the air.
"Yes, Demetrius and I are mates." Wren said with more bravado than she felt.
[Wren one, Atalanta zero.] The young Nightkind walked over to check upon her mate's condition. She pushed aside any further thoughts of Atalanta as she rushed to Demetrius' side. "Dem, are you all right?"
"My shoulder will heal, Milady." He replied softly. He gazed at the smoldering Dame standing only a few yards away. "Atalanta is pensive this night."
"That's an understatement." She snorted.
"What words passed between you and she, Wren?" Concern laid heavily in his question.
"Oh, she only threatened to drop me and then kill me." The young woman dusted the gravel from her blouse. "I'm not too worried about it. Just let it go, Demetrius."
"She WHAT???" Lavender eyes blazed in blinding fury. "How dare she?"
"Don't worry about it. She'll get over it." She attempted to soothe the savage protector with unfurled wings. He roared in pain as aggravated the wounds in his shoulder. She saw that the wounds were fresh and deep from her fear she felt during the fall. "We need to get you to the infirmary. It's probably long way until morning if the warriors are still out on patrol."
Wren fought to push aside the horrible green monster taunting her to forget her good manners and her conscience. At that moment, she wanted nothing more than to be the damned golden goose strongly in the chops and give her a black eye. [Wouldn't be worth it, she'd be healed by tomorrow night. Damn.]
Wren rarely felt the influences of pettiness and revenge. This particular night, the urges pulled at her as the moon did the tide. [Oh, what the hell, I might as well have a little fun. After all, I might only get one chance.]
Wren giggled softly. She pressed herself seductively close to the sculpted contours of Demetrius' physique and seductively nipped his neck. He purred in pure masculine need. His voice came out somewhere between a groan and a rumble. "Wren...."
"Kiss me, Demetrius, as a Sire kisses his mate." Her eyes became dark with latent desire.
"Sires...don't kiss mates... Wren." His breathing became heavy and labored with the sudden onslaught of desire caused by their kiss. She didn't have to ask him twice.
"Has that ever stopped you?" She pulled his head to hers. She nibbled tenderly at his earlobe.
"By the Dragon, no!" He brought his lips down upon hers. He marked her as his mate with scent and kiss. Tongues mated with one another in an erotic dance of something much more passionate. The taste of cinnamon mingled with peaches for a sweet elixir that brought them both to the brink of complete abandon. Wren branded Demetrius as her Sire with gentle nips of his lips. She snaked her tail possessively around his calf and let it travel languidly upwards. It slipped beneath his loincloth and she twitched it playfully for all to see.
A loud, shrill snarl filled the early autumn air. Wren looked out the corner of her eye to see one very outraged, infuriated golden gargoyle. She saw the crimson flames burning in those eyes. She noticed the unfurled wings expanded to their impressive length. Wren's lips curled into a sly smirk of satisfaction when she knew her sneak attack struck home.
"Demetrius!" The scream rang in the night.
Demetrius was pulled abruptly from his passionate reverie by Atalanta's piercing cry. He saw the flood of tears streaming down her elegant golden cheeks. His eyes blazed with a Dame's wrath. He loosened his hold on his mate and turned toward his old friend.
"How could ye, Demetrius?" She managed to speak when she gathered some of her composure. "Ye knew I loved ye since we were both hatchlings. Ye promised me that we'd fly together on the next mating moon. We would have two were it not for the damned Vikings murdering us whilst we slept. How could ye contaminate yourself by mating with one who murdered us? And now, you lick some human and drink her juices like some animal! How can ye?"
"Atalanta!" The stern reply quieted her sobs. Demetrius closed his eyes and clasped his fists to his sides. He breathed deeply to calm himself. How females vexed him thus! He fought to bring gentleness to his voice. "Atalanta, that was a long time ago.... another time and another place. Our betrothal ended at our deaths. We were both free to find other mates."
"You declared that you wished to be MY mate." The words sliced through Wren. The guilt caved in and buried any feelings of vengeance. She almost felt the Dame's pain as her own. "You told me that you cared about me and wanted to be with me. Ye told me that ye adored me. "
Wren's brows raised in utter amazement at the turn in events. [Demetrius told me that he'd never had a mate.]
"I have always adored you as my rookery sister. You have always been dear to my heart, Atalanta. Now, we are free to choose whom we wish. We never sanctified that promise before the clan. We never consummated those vows." His words brought Wren relief. "We were released at death from those promises made in our youth."
"I waited a thousand years for you." Wren heard each shard being chipped away from Atalanta's breaking heart. "Now, you've paired with a HUMAN!! That is betrayal to me and to the clan. Her kind killed us. Now, you reek of her stench and she bears your mark. She beguiled you with her wiles and her human magic. She isn't worthy. She turn on ye when it suits her and she'll bed any man who sniffs at her skirts."
"Be careful with your words." The menacing tone caused shivers to dance along Wren's spine. Rarely did Demetrius assert his pure male prowess as he did at that moment. With ferocity she didn't know he possessed, he growled and wrapped his wings about Wren. "It is the love of a human that allowed me peace after a thousand years of unrest in the Shadowlands. It was the love of a human that allowed me to regain faith in my clan and my goddess. It was this human that showed me that the many should not be judged for the sins of a few dead Vikings."
Demetrius took Wren gently by the arm and led her away from the scene. Hudson looked struck be the entire exchange. The dark warrior glanced over his shoulder at the defeated Dame standing behind him with her broken heart in her hands. "You would do well to take that lesson to heart. I wish you well, Atalanta."
As they walked, none of the trio spoke. Hudson kept his counsel and Demetrius' grim expression prompted Wren to remain silent. They entered the castle and looked around for their clan leader. Wren glanced at her mate and she wanted answers, but his veiled gaze seemed to say 'NOT NOW.'
"Demetrius!" A voice called merrily from behind them. They turned to see a vision of alabaster skin and charcoal curls greet them. A little girl was cradled fast asleep in the woman's arms. Wren noticed the little girl had sable hair and ten perfect talons resting easily on the woman's shoulder. "You and Wren are back!"
"Adrienne!" He looked down at Wren silently asking her blessing to greet their friend. She nodded gladly and watched as the dark warrior strode towards the young woman. He slowed his approach and gazed lovingly down at the little girl resting in her arms. "It is good to see you. Is this Greer?"
"Oh, yes. " She planted a brief kiss against the dark sable tresses. "She and Shani were playing tag on the grounds."
"Your wee lass is tired so soon?" He asked in amazement. "She has grown like Scottish Heather in summer."
"She's young and her human blood allows her to be easily fatigued compared to her rookery siblings." Adrienne carefully shifted her wait so that Greer rested more comfortably on her hip. She motioned to the young woman standing silently behind the ebony Gargoyle. "Wren, let me take a look at you. It's been awhile."
Wren stepped closer into the light. The cap she wore hid the horns and the pointed ears. She pulled her tail closely behind her. She somehow felt like a freak for not being as she was when she left the island. Adrienne deeply inhaled and giggled. She cocked her head to the side and gave her a big smile. "Congratulations. You've picked a good Gargoyle."
"You know!?" Wren asked.
"I can tell." Adrienne swayed back and forth to steady the weight of her daughter on her hip. Greer stirred and whimpered. Her mother whispered soothing words into her ear. "You seem truly happy. You're practically glowing."
"I thought it was just because we passed a plutonium plant on the way here." She quipped.
"I know that smile anywhere. You are a woman loved by a Gargoyle. There's nothing else like it." Her daughter stirred again. Onyx eyes slowly opened to stair innocently at the couple in front of her. "I need to get Greer to bed. I think Shani tuckered her out."
"Where is Goliath?"
"He is out on patrol." Adrienne rocked the drowsy little girl into slumber.
"I thought you went back to New York." Wren voiced her surprise.
"Goliath and the others loved being with the clan too much to be parted with them for long." She shook her head in joyful exasperation. "I feel like Persephone. We now spend half the year in New York. Hudson, Goliath, Angela and the trio want to spend the other half here. Clan majority rules. So, we're here until October. Then, we'll go back to New York."
"Clan life keeps you busy."
"It does." Adrienne leaned her head a little closer to Wren. "I know why you left and I know this isn't any of my business. It's just that I know Goliath and I appreciated your expertise and presence here on the island. I think even Owen would be a bit less anal-retentive if you returned. We could use you and Demetrius here on Caledon."
"Well, we just returned and we just thought we'd visit." Wren successfully dodged the broad hint Adrienne sent her way. She looked at Demetrius. "We thought we'd be home in Linoma Bluffs. Neither one of us expected to land on Caledon Isle."
"Indeed." That dark resounding voice rumbled through the stone corridor. Wren turned to see the imposing figure of a lavender Gargoyle. His wings were regally cloaked about him. He made his way to the svelte woman and young girl standing beside them. "Here, My Raven, allow me."
"Thank you! She was getting heavy."
Wren looked at the dark-eyed lady that so captivated Goliath Wyvern. Her skin was olive but not the dark bronze of another woman she'd recently come to know. Her hair fell in ringlets about her shoulders in a shade of charcoal. It was not the elegant straight jet tresses of a certain detective. [She certainly isn't Elisa Maza. But that is a different time, a different world and a different place.]
"Papa..." A Tiny voice wailed softly into the large leviathan's shoulder. Wren watched fascinated as a gigantic taloned hand gently stroked those straight sable tresses of his daughter.
"Sleep now, Poppet." His low, deep voice seemed to entrance the little girl within seconds of hearing it. Quickly her head rested against his shoulder and she snuggled into the warmth of his wing. He walked beside the dark warrior and his mate in the stone corridor. "It is good to have you home, brother. Wren, welcome home."
"We are glad to be here." Demetrius replied. "We've had some harrowing adventures because of a certain relic in my mate's possession."
"Aye, the Annulus has a way of taking you where you need to be. Anything from Avalon is that way. Don't take any skiff rides." He nodded gravely. His eyes misted over mysterious and a faraway look glazed his features. "Are you home to stay?"
"I think not-" Demetrius began.
"We're considering it." Wren replied at the same time. Demetrius looked at her with a raised ridge-brow. She stared at him intently. His dark, grim features lit up in a brilliant smile. She heard the intake of his breath.
[Milady?] He questioned her.
[This is your home. Now, it's mine. I won't keep you away from your clan for too long. That isn't the Gargoyle way.]
[I understand not. I thought Linoma Bluffs was our home.] His mental reply carried astonishment at this recent turn of event.
[So did I. I didn't realize just how much the bond between clan mates contributed to your well-being. To take you away from your clan is almost committing blasphemy.]
[Wren, what of Summerlands? Your job at Xanatos?]
[Can't we do both? I have a laptop, a fax machine, and a digital phone. With the Internet, I can work from any location in the world. Besides, don't we want to touch base with clan and family?]
[And find peace with Atalanta?]
[DON'T PUSH IT!!]
The rest of the night was spent catching up on recent events. She knew that if felt natural and right to be back in Castle Ex Cathedra. She longed for her old office and her old bedchamber. Wren decided that she would gladly give her tail simply to be on the Xanatos payroll on Caledon Isle. She also knew that Xanatos made it a policy not to rehire employees who quit. [Then again, he might make an exception.]
*******
Morning came too quickly for all. Melancholy settled upon Demetrius when he watched his rookery brothers and sisters take their places along the parapets of Cair Ex Cathedra. He missed facing the East to greet the day as he fell into slumber. They watched as each majestic Gargoyle assumed a ferocious pose and became Scottish granite.
Sad eyes found a dark amethyst gaze as he stared into the beauty of the North Sea surrounding Caledon Isle. Wren looked up and knew that he felt isolation in not being able to join his clan in stone slumber. His heart weighed heavily with the harsh words exchanged between he and his rookery sister, Atalanta. He walked away from Wren and strode toward the statue of the Gargoyle Dame holding her mace high in the air. With wings unfurled and hair blowing in the breeze, she looked like Lady Liberty ready for battle.
"Do you know that we are on the eve of a Breeder's Moon?" He spoke into the morning air.
"I thought that wasn't here for another five years." Wren blinked and remembered to breathe.
"Veda miscalculated because of the thousand year purgatory. She did not account for the leap years." His words remained carefully neutral. "The Dames are readying themselves for coupling. Some unbonded males are preparing dens. Mated pairs become anxious for breeding. Warriors ready themselves for battle to select the finest mates. The skies will be lively with the mating flights this night."
"And this makes you sad?" Wren dared to voice her unspoken thoughts. She didn't want to look into his eyes at that particular moment. "Are you wishing to mate with Atalanta?"
"NO!" He bellowed and turned about. Wren thought she saw his human eyes blaze with Gargoyle fury. "I now understand why you and Atalanta were challenging one another."
"Care to clue me in on it? I'm at a loss." Wren grew weary of his sympathy for the golden babe with the muscle-man arms.
"Your scent and her scent tell me that you are ready to breed."
"Demetrius, I'm not a Gargoyle." She began to remind him.
"We are of one heart, one mind, and one body, Milady." He wrapped his wings about her. Her fear was a thousand prines barring any into her innermost mind. No amount of heartmagick allowed him past her mental barriers. "I am of human blood as you are of Gargoyle. Now, that we are of the other, we assume many traits not always akin to what we know. Do you not the feel the rising zeal for freedom demand satisfaction?"
Was that the tenseness and the anticipation tingeing her thoughts these past few moments. It made sense and it explained her unusually dynamic mindset on this particular evening. Wren cursed all the unseen complications of their recent transformations. The aloofness gradually parted so that apprehension peaked through and touch Demetrius' quick and agile mind. He knew her question before she spoke aloud.
"Nay, Milady I think not. You will not lay an egg." Demetrius kept his gaze fixed on Atalanta's stone form. "You responded to her challenge with all the ferocity of a Dame. She noticed your scent and our mating marks on one another. She will challenge you."
"She hasn't the right." Wren spat. "You and I are committed to one another."
"It is the Gargoyle way." Demetrius pressed his lips into her russet mane. He inhaled Wren's scent of peaches, melon, and kiwi. "She does not recognize you as clan and she will not relent."
"That's all well and good, Demetrius." Wren's anger laced her words. "But, we've already decided that you and I will forge our way. I'm not going to get into a catfight because some female has a jealous fit over you."
"I am not asking you to enter combat with her." His dark features were shadowed in the silhouette cast by the statue. "I am asking you to engage in a chase with me."
"What?" She shook her head. He had her absolutely befuddled. "What do you mean?"
"Milady, without wings you cannot fly." Demetrius turned to face her. "I wish not to let this Breeder's Moon go by on the night of the Autumn Equinox. I wish to give chase."
"Mating flight is where Gargoyles fly and chase each other in the air and then Mid-air Mamba?" She asked carefully.
"Crudely put, but yes." He didn't care for the not-so-subtle changes in Wren's usually gentle and proper demeanor. As of late, she had been confrontational and temperamental. Aggression was not a normal trait of his Ladylove. Demetrius attributed the harsh change in her personality to the oncoming night of the Breeder's Moon. "I wish to share this night with you, Wren. I spoke of it with Goliath in the previous dimension and also here. I long to give chase to you as one would in flight."
"Oh." She felt like the heartless criminal that stole candy from a small toddler. "Demetrius, don't take this the wrong way, but, it's too soon for me. I need time to assimilate everything that's happened to us."
"Milady Wren," Demetrius bent down and knelt on one denim-clad knee. "Would thou honor me with a merry chase on the night of the Breeder's Moon? I shall have another den awaiting us. I have proven myself a worthy lover and provider. Allow me to prove myself worthy as a mate and as a member of my clan by giving you an egg. My love for you prompts me to love you fiercely and well. May our love bring the sweet knowing of a hatchling into this world and into our clan?"
What did she say to such a sincere declaration? She knew that these were the formal words of an ancient ritual dating back thousands of years. The automatic barriers shot upwards instantly blocking him access to her most private thoughts. [I'm not ready for a child or an egg. I want more time to think about this. We're not married. We're not financially stable. We haven't even been together a year. I want to learn more about this new body before I commit myself to an egg or a child. How do I tell him that I'm not ready?]
Her silence told Demetrius everything that he needed to know. His eyes fell to the ground. If he had wings during the day, Wren would have sworn they were drooping. "You wish not to allow our love to bring forth a hatchling; a little one?"
"[Think, Summers, think!] She hoped her gift of words didn't choose that moment to fail her. She sought perfect words to put together her thoughts and feelings on the matter.
"You are worthy as a mate and too your clan. However, I am not ready to have a child. I want to know you longer and love you for a while. I want to acclimate myself to our situation and to this new body of mine. Please don't be hurt that I just want to wait."
Silence.
No words were spoken.
The awkwardness hung between them as a thick veil concealing them from each other.
[I don't want to lose you but it's too soon. Please try and understand.]
She felt her mate's disappointment chill her like a frigid wind in winter. His sadness avalanched over her. Rejection cracked his granite heart. Anguish spread through him and touched her mind. The chasm widened into a canyon. Tears pricked at her eyes. "I want to honor the custom. I'm just not ready to have a child."
He framed her face in his large talons. Tenderly his lips descended to hers. His sorrow lessened with that kiss of cherished adoration. Wren trembled at the possibility that they would break apart if she didn't give him a hatchling.
"We have a lifetime for children, Milady." His waxen grin echoed his dejection at her words. "Yet, it is a prudent course for us being still new to one another."
"You're not angry?"
"Nay, Milady. I had only wished to be with you this night."
"Couldn't we practice for the real thing?" Her brightness tugged at the corner of his mouth. "Would it be impossible to make a merry chase and just take precautions not to get me with child?"
"You still wish to participate?" Two unshed tears disappeared as happiness overtook the ebony warrior. "Would you give me a merry mating match?"
"I'll make it a night you won't forget." She promised with two fingers pressed against his lips. "Do I get a head start?"
"You have fifteen minutes." His eyes glowed with the rumble that resounded deep from his throat.
"Just watch me!" Wren impulsively stuck out her tongue and dashed into the castle.
*******
Wren knew that every moment meant one percent of one hundred that she had a chance of evading Demetrius. He was a born predator with keen senses. His night sight was far superior. His sense of smell was as keen as any wolf or tiger in the wild. His instincts for the hunt were stronger and purer; unfettered by the trappings of civilization and society. He possessed superior strength, speed, and agility.
[Gargoyles protect. Gargoyles also find the scent, take to the hunt, and capture the prey; pure and simple.]
Wren knew possessing recently acquired Gargoyle traits didn't mean automatic victory against her pursuer.
[Linear thinking is the way he works. Creativity is often learned but seldom initiated.] Wren made her way inside the castle door and bolted it shut. [How do I outrun a male born to hunt?]
[I outfox them. Humanity is adaptable and creative. Let's put that mercurial and playful nature to work. It won't be a straight line.] The light of inspiration brightened her mind with a plethora of ideas.
Wren knew he depended upon scent to find her. She knew that the kitchen was on the floor only a few yards from where she stood. She dashed madly to Broadway's inner sanctum.
She looked for a second exit. She thanked the Powers-That-Be that Cair Ex Cathedra had doors that opened and closed in every room.
[It's the ONLY way in and out. Oh-oh.] Wren's thoughts sped through her mind as she considered her options.
She went quickly from cupboard to cupboard rummaging wildly for the spices. A broad smile crossed her features when she found exactly what she sought: the spice cupboard. She noticed two large pepper mills standing proudly in the cupboard. She grabbed one and looped it inside of her leather belt. She took the other and began to grind the pepper within it. She spread a thick layer over the expanse of the stone kitchen floor.
She noticed an open cupboard with a rope at the end of the kitchen.
[What have we here?] She made her way over to it. [Oh, please! Let it be what I think it is.]
She noticed the rope was new and looped over a pulley. She saw that right above her a platform dangled. She excitedly pulled on the rope and the platform descended. She let forth a whoop of delight that gave her plan new life. [Thank God for dumbwaiters.]
Wren worked to cramp herself into the small space of the cupboard. She pulled the doors shut and maneuvered and pulled herself upwards to the next floor. Arm over arm, Wren strained to move the wait of her and the platform. The roughness of the rope cut into her hands. The burning in her muscles informed her that she strained herself beyond her normal capabilities.
[The Things I do for love.] The wry thought brought a chuckle into her throat. [Seven months ago, I sat in a cushy office in New York researching blood spells for Owen. Now, I stuck in a musty dumbwaiter in the North Sea trying to outrun a Gargoyle. I think I need a shrink.]
She felt a catch of the platform. She cocked her head and saw a lit of light shining into the dark shaft. With a solid push, the slats gave way to reveal a lavish bedchamber adorned in violet scarves and scented candles. Wren inhaled deeply and took in the combined aromas of incense, roses, and musk.
She smelled Goliath's scent. She caught a faint echo of Adrienne's favorite perfume.
[What a way to throw Dem off the scent.]
She peeked cautiously into the room and found it empty. She made her way across the chamber to the open window. She looked outwards and saw that she was two stories from the ground.
[Wrong direction. It's time to change.] She saw Demetrius looking at the full crimson moon hovering in the sky above them. She noticed that he took to all fours and sniffed the ground. She knew the fifteen minutes were over. [Time to go down.]
She waited until she saw him enter the castle. Wren quickly discarded her socks and shoes and stuffed them neatly under the end of Adrienne and Goliath's bed. She looked down at her feet and saw ten short talons where toes usually resided. She took the pepper mill and dusted her shoes with the spice.
She went to the sill of the window and climbed atop it. [I HATE heights.]
Carefully, she tested her theory. She curved her fingers in a crooked fashion. She gritted her teeth, closed her eyes, prayed for endorphins to start working and slammed her talons into the side of the sill. She heard the crunch of stone beneath her talons. Cautiously, she opened one eye. There was no pain of impacting her hand upon solid stone. She opened the other eye and found five sleek talons embedded to the second knuckle in hard castle rock.
[Oooh, this new form has its advantages. If Gargoyles can climb up stone walls, why can't they climb down as if they were going down a ladder?]
She kept her eyes planted firmly on the outside wall. She reached out as far as her arm allowed and embedded her right hand deeply within the granite. She reached around the sill and slowly did the same with her right foot. She followed suit with her left hand and finally her left foot. She never took her eyes from the stone.
Foot by foot, Wren pulled alternate limbs from the rock and attempted her descent down the wall. She made it halfway before loose mortar made her loose her foothold. She heard the rolling of loose mortar fall to the ground. Then, the stone gave way. Wren felt cool air soar past her at a rapid rate. Her backside took the brunt of the impact when the ground rose to greet her.
[Okay in theory and not great in application. It can be perfected with technique.] She made a mental note to take a few classes in rock climbing at her first opportunity.
Wren knew that Demetrius wouldn't be fooled for long by pepper. She ran wildly around the perimeter of the castle until she reached the main entrance. She sprinted across the courtyard and returned to the same door she had been through only moments before the chase began. She again entered that same corridor.
[Too bad the hunter can't become the prey.] She lamented. A sharp pain in her side let Wren knew that she was definitely not in peak physical condition. [Where do I take it from here?]
"How do I catch a Gargoyle?" She asked aloud.
Wren knew that the only place strong enough to hold a Gargoyle was a dungeon. Xanatos had restored the castle at the end of the previous year. She knew he equipped the dungeon with several force-field holding cells and converted it to a cargo bay. An evil thought entered her quick mind.
[Find a really good mousetrap.]
She skulked in the shadows until she came to a door that led to her desired location. Wren opened it and made her way down the long, winding stone staircase to the lower levels of the dungeon. She noted that it was easier for her to see at night. The hall was pitch dark; yet, she made out the faint silhouette of the stairs. With growing speed she skipped down the crumbling stone stairs scattering rock as she went.
At the bottom she felt for a light switch. The light illuminated the entire main core of the dungeon. Wren saw four holding cells full of supplies and packing crates. She also noticed one was empty. She walked forward and saw a control panel. She acted on a whim and punched in her security code. The force field activated as a thin blue veil of energy from floor to ceiling.
"Oh, yeah!" She whispered feeling triumph. "Now, let's turn the tables on make this chase a bit more to my liking."
She removed her jacket and placed it within the holding cell. She placed a couple of light crates in front of it so that only the sleeve remained insight. She took some of the packing cushion material and stuffed the arm to give it fullness. She tucked it in upon itself so that a lack of a hand wasn't obvious.
Now, she waited.
And waited.
And Waited.
A half an hour later passed according to the clock on the wall. She heard a scuffle at the end of the stairs. She nervously crouched behind some piled crates and remained still in the shadows. She heard the gentle padding of feet making their way into the main core of the dungeon/ cargo bay. The light shown brightly and Demetrius entered her view in all his masculine predatory glory.
He kneeled close to the ground and sniffed. She watched him stalk her former path to the empty holding cell. She knew he saw her jacket when his tail flicked in satisfaction. His wings flared slightly. Wren knew in Gargoyle body language that such an action meant surprise.
"Wren! Wren? Are you well?" He rushed forward to the pile of crates. Wren saw that from his vantage point that it looked as though she were buried beneath them. There was no turning back now. Wren stole the opportunity to rush to the control panel and activate the force field.
The hum of energy filled the room and he turned to see Wren standing there with a very satisfied look upon her face. He cloaked his wings and walked forward until only the thin blue veil of energy separated them. He tentatively tapped the field with a talon and drew it back. The shock from the energy barrier was enough to make him think twice before breaching it.
"Milady, what mischief is this?" His brow furrowed in dismay.
"The Hunter has now become the captured." Wren walked the length of the holding cell and surveyed her handiwork. "I decided that I wanted to turn the tables."
"Turn the tables? I do not understand this strange turn-of-phrase." He cocked his head. His eyes formed the silent question 'why.'
"I wanted to see if the hunter could become the hunted. I wanted to know if human ingenuity could stand against pure Gargoyle ability. You wanted a merry chase and I gave you one. Little did you know that you would be caught in your own hunt."
"Now, what will you do with me?" He asked. Demetrius smiled at this wily, cunning siren standing only inches from him.
"I'm going to have my way with you."
The energy wall went down and she stepped into the cell.
*********