As Elisa rode the elevator up to the castle, she felt her heart racing erratically. She leaned against the railing and tried some deep breaths to calm her racing heart, but the panicky feeling would not ease.
Why did she feel so anxious?
Was she worried about her job?
Was she worried about her relationship with Goliath?
Was she worried because last year Thailog had come horrifyingly close to killing the love of her life and she was afraid history would repeat itself?
What was it about Halloween?
As the elevator slowed and came to a complete stop, Elisa found herself pinned to the back wall of the car. Her heart was racing, but at the same time it felt like something was compressing her chest. Something inside her was screaming for her to run. To flee. Like if she turned around right that moment, a jaguar would be lying in wait behind her, ready to pounce.
The doors of the elevator opened and a wall of booming music, flashing lights, and the cacophony of a party in full swing, hit her in the face. The walls of the elevator felt like they were closing in on her, and she struggled to breathe. Her chest felt tighter. Her vision narrowed. She reached out a shaky hand for the button to close the elevator doors when a man dressed as a World War II Army Medic popped up in her narrow range of vision.
"Elisa! Are you alright?" Dr. Sato asked, seeing the sheer panic on her face.
"I—" she took a deep, shaky breath. The shock of seeing him had snapped her a little out of her panic spiral. "I'm fine. Just… felt a little sick from the elevator ride up. Sometimes it gets to me like that." She laughed hoping she was successfully masking how badly she was shaking, though the light jingle of her bracelets didn't help.
"Here, let me help," Dr. Sato said as he gave her his hand. She took it reluctantly, though as she did, she realized how much she actually needed his support to step out of the elevator and into the Great Hall.
The place had been decorated to look like a fairytale forest. Tall, silvery trees glittered in lights that flashed cool tones of blue, green, and purple. Fog creeped along the floor along flat, glowing toadstools that lined a path and lit up like foxfire when stepped on as they led under the chandelier towards the open bar and banquet tables piled high with food. Large swaths of black and white silk draped across the room and the chandelier. A few anchored directly to the ceiling were used by aerial acrobats who rolled themselves up and down, dancing and contorting themselves at great heights in brilliant costumes that shimmered in the low, atmospheric lighting.
The place was packed to an overwhelming degree. Even with Dr. Sato standing next to her, she felt like a ship lost at sea, and she looked around apprehensively for any other familiar faces to help anchor her. She spotted ADA Margot Yale and her husband, Brendan Quarters, first. They were standing by the bar. Margot was dressed in a tight, black vinyl catsuit while Brendan was bedecked in the rubbery cape and cowl of a trust-fund vigilante. They looked like they were squabbling, per usual. Elisa rolled her eyes.
Sweeping the crowd again, Elisa spotted their hosts, Xanatos and Fox, next. Fox wore a closely-fitted mermaid cut dress, the same hue as her azure eyes. The thin veil fitted to a tiara on her head, spilled down her back over her lush, titian hair braided loosely down her back. She stood near her husband, who was dressed in a plum and gold knee-length cotte over an ivory high-collared shirt, a short red cape, and a short sword slung from his belt. Elisa knew the true origin of those costumes, they had been gifted to them from Prince Malcolm in 975, but everyone else at the party probably thought they were just beautiful recreations of 10th century garb.
Although her gaze remained momentarily fixed on the self-appointed king and queen of the ball, a different presence suddenly ensnared her other senses.
Goliath.
She knew he was there before she even saw him.
It didn't matter that she was surrounded by a tumultuous crowd—to Elisa, Goliath's magnetism was palpable, like no one else was in the room. She could feel his eyes on her, drawing her in. She turned, and found him immediately. He was standing away from the crowd against the wall, arms folded pensively across his chest. He looked tense and broody.
His expression pained her, and Elisa felt a sudden pang of remorse about their fight the night before. She steeled herself, nervous for his reaction. But to her surprise, his whole countenance changed when their eyes locked, and he looked as though an immense weight had suddenly been lifted. Seeing him light up like that, even after all that had passed between them hours before, stole her breath away. She felt an excited rush in her abdomen that wasn't a holdover from her elevator ride up. One look from him, and she got butterflies.
Every time.
"I'm okay now, Jay," Elisa said kindly to the doctor whose arm was still entwined with hers. She still felt shaky, but she no longer felt like the walls were closing in.
"Are you sure," Dr. Sato replied uneasily as he looked at her over the top of his glasses. "You look… off, Elisa, if you don't mind me saying so."
"I'm fine, really," she insisted, quickly pulling her arm out of his.
Dr. Sato noticed Goliath striding over, and instantly read between the lines.
"Well, if you need anything, I'll be here for a while," he said, slowly glancing from Elisa to Goliath, then pushing the glasses up on his nose.
"Thank you, Jay," Elisa said sincerely.
The doctor reluctantly left her side and gave a friendly nod to Goliath as the huge gargoyle walked up. Dr. Sato was still troubled by Elisa's complexion, but even he had to admit the elevators at the Eyrie Building could be a little dizzying at times. Moreover, he didn't feel right infringing on their privacy, especially under the circumstances. The significance of the date wasn't lost on him either. He remembered all too well how his eyes had been violently opened to the hidden world around them.
"Elisa," Goliath's voice resonated, thick and heavy, as he moved to close the distance between himself and his mate. She felt her body pull to him just from the sound of her name on his tongue.
Standing over her now, he looked down into her deep brown eyes, a touch of concern coloring his features. "I did not think you were coming."
"Why wouldn't I?" Elisa replied, blowing off his subtle reference to their fight as though nothing was amiss. She pulled herself up a little straighter, hoping he hadn't seen the way she'd struggled out of the elevator or the way she'd leaned on Dr. Sato for support. She casually brushed the back of a hand over her forehead, trying to make it look as though she was adjusting her hair, when in truth, she was wiping away the light sheen of perspiration from her ride up to the top of the building.
He stepped closer, and Elisa realized she didn't have to feign renewed calm. His commanding physical presence restored the comfort she craved. His mere proximity was a balm.
"I just assumed that you may be in need of some space due to our disagreement last night," Goliath said simply, as though that should explain everything.
"We've had arguments before, and we'll have arguments in the future," Elisa said, dismissing his concerns. She reached out for Goliath's hand. "We can talk about it more later, but for now… let's just have a good time, okay?"
Goliath lifted her hand up to his lips and kissed it.
"I would like nothing more," he said, and then his face fell. "But there is something I need to speak with you about first."
Elisa gave him a quizzical look as she tilted her head attentively.
"The odd happenings at the castle have greatly increased over the last few nights, and they cannot be ignored or explained away any longer. Attempts on lives have been made."
"What? Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Elisa said horrified. Her anxiety had calmed somewhat from Goliath's presence, but it spiked sharply again at the thought that someone was actively trying to murder her family.
"A lot has happened, and I tried… I did not have time to tell you last night, and events only worsened by the time I returned home to the castle. We are not talking about simple mischief anymore, Elisa. We are all in very real danger. Even so, Xanatos still went through with this party—despite my protestations. I will explain in greater detail later, but for now, we must remain vigil."
"Right," Elisa said, stunned. "What are we looking for?"
"That is entirely the problem. I have no idea," Goliath said, heavily. "We never see the attacks coming, and we have no idea who is doing it. Xanatos wants to pin it on Lexington, but I cannot see it."
"Yeah, that doesn't sit right," Elisa replied thoughtfully. "It's too bad Matt is no longer coming. I could have used his help."
"Oh?" It was Goliath's turn to be surprised.
"He called me just before I came over. He and his boyfriend are taking a break, and possibly parting ways. It sounds like they got into an argument and shit hit the fan right as they were getting ready to come here, and, as you can imagine, that spoiled any desire to attend a party."
"That is unfortunate. I was looking forward to meeting Dev, but considering the circumstances…"
"Yeah, not the best night to make introductions to the clan. I'm going to check on him later tonight, make sure he's doing okay."
Goliath nodded.
"Speaking of clan…" Elisa said as she looked around for everyone. She hadn't noticed the others right away, but she finally spotted them as she had been speaking with Goliath, and she noticed how they weren't mingling or interacting the way they had the year before. Brooklyn and his family kept to themselves, Broadway and Angela stood apart, and Lexington was standing off alone. The only thing they shared was the same utterly deflated look on their faces.
"Are things really this bad?" she asked softly. Guilt wracked her as she realized she had been so concerned about her own problems that she hadn't paid enough attention to her clan. They'd been looking forward to Hallowen, as they did every year, and seeing their downtrodden dispositions and the cold distance they kept from one another was shocking.
"Worse," Goliath replied gravely.
"I should have—" Elisa stopped herself and breathed deeply. "I'm here now. We'll figure it out."
Goliath was immediately comforted by Elisa's words. Despite their argument and their own problems, he knew they would always work together to right the ship and prevent it from sinking. With Elisa by his side, he could do anything.
"Where are Coldstone and Coldfire?" Elisa asked, noting their absence.
Goliath scowled.
"Something interfered with their charging last night. They were critically low on power, so they must remain in stasis through the evening. Owen has reassured me that they're charging properly now," he replied.
"Well, that's certainly suspicious," Elisa replied.
"Aye," Goliath rumbled.
"What about the party? Anything else odd or concerning?" Elisa asked.
"Nothing out of the ordinary. That is, if you can consider this ordinary," Goliath said, gesturing to the hubbub going on around them.
Staring out at the throng of festive partygoers, all swathed in garish costumes and pretend finery, he was suddenly reminded of what humans often did to celebrate this particular occasion. He looked back at Elisa and, for the first time, truly noticed she was in costume. He had been too distracted by his fears for his clan, and for his relationship, to really appreciate that she too had decided to partake in the dress-up tradition.
He let his eyes wander over her, taking in every detail. Elisa wore a white, billowy, off-the-shoulder top that was cinched at the waist with a sequined scarf and a teal green corset. Her lower half was draped in layered swishy purple skirts that went to her ankles. Her raven hair was in wild waves, tied back with a scarf, and when she moved her hands or feet, a light jangling emitted from the multiple rings of thin metal that adorned them.
"Now, who are you this year?" he asked, amused.
Elisa spun, her purple skirts twirling about her legs.
"Esmerelda," she said. "From The Hunchback of Notre-Dame."
"She was the Roma woman in Victor Hugo's novel… the one who was framed for murder and hung for it," Goliath said, a little taken aback.
"Not in the animated movie version," Elisa corrected with a wink and an encore swish of her skirts.
"Hmm, how inaccurate," Goliath rumbled.
Elisa laughed lightly.
"You should dress up with me next year," she said. "I have a great couples costume idea… you'd make a fantastic Hercules."
Goliath laughed.
"Absolutely not."
"Oh, come on. Please?" Elisa begged.
"I have no need or desire to wear a costume," Goliath said with a sour look.
"Is there any way I could persuade you?" she said as she put a hand on his belt buckle.
"Hmmm, possibly…" Goliath said with a playful, bedroom growl as he slipped his hand onto her waist, practically engulfing her lean curves as he pulled her in closer. "but I imagine it will require a considerable amount of persuading."
The heat in Elisa's cheeks rose and she swallowed as she imagined his massive hands elsewhere on her body.
"Calm down ye two before ye ignite the room with yer flirtations," Hudson interjected, his tone mildly scolding but affectionate as he and his friend Jeffrey Robbins, who was dressed up like some sort of starfleet captain, approached the couple.
Elisa tried to hide her embarrassment while Goliath glanced nervously around to see if anyone else had seen or overheard them.
"Ach, it may be a wee crowded and distracting in here, I'll grant ye, but anyone with half a brain can put the pair o' ye together," Hudson said dismissively. "Ye weren't exactly being subtle."
Robbins chuckled in agreement with his friend.
"I may be blind, but I could tell the two of you were a couple just by the tone in your voices," he said. "But don't worry, I know how to keep a secret. 'Don't ask, don't tell,' as they say in the service."
Elisa's eyes widened in surprise at what Jeffrey Robbins was alluding to and the fact Hudson seemed unphased by it, though perhaps he didn't understand the bans on specific personal relationships in the armed forces.
"Ye remember my friend, Robbins?" Hudson said, reintroducing his friend.
"Yes, Jeffrey. It's good to see you again," Goliath said. He'd been worried about Robbins being at the castle tonight, but Hudson hadn't been informed about what occurred last night before he'd brought Jeffrey over. The best they could do at this point was stay vigilant and defend him should anything happen. Or, better yet, offer to take him home as soon as possible.
Robbins extended his hand, and Goliath clasped it, shaking heartily.
"Thank you for having me," Robbins said, warmly. "And who is the young woman accompanying you?"
"Elisa Maza. We haven't met before," she interjected, a smile in her voice. Robbins extended his hand out in her direction, and she shook it warmly.
"Hudson has spoken quite fondly of you. You're a detective, right?"
"I am," she replied.
"And I'll bet you're as lovely as Hudson has described," Robbins said kindly, placing another hand over hers.
"More so, even," Goliath added, beaming at Elisa who gave him a soft, affectionate smile in return.
And then Robbins turned toward a vacant spot next to Elisa as if keying into something that the rest of them had not.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ignore you. Another of your clan?" Robbins said, extending his hand out to the empty space next to Elisa.
The three exchanged a confused look.
"There's no one there, my friend. It's just the three o' us," Hudson said gently.
"Really? I could have sworn…" Robbins said, confused as he awkwardly retracted his hand.
Elisa felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end. The spot next to her was clearly empty but now that Robbins mentioned it, she felt… something. Like there was someone taking up space next to her, and if she listened just hard enough she could almost hear… breathing, or if she reached out her hand, it would touch solid flesh instead of air. She almost tried, but something inside her yelled at her not to. That same primal, instinctual impulse she'd felt in the elevator started to rear its head again, screaming at her to survive, to flee, to scream, and then…
Nothing.
The fight or flight sensation mysteriously evaporated, like she'd just held her hand over a candle, but immediately pulled it away to safety the instant the flame had started to burn. But just as one troubling sensation dissipated, another rose up in its wake. It wasn't the same run or die sort of fear. Rather, it was the all-too-familiar anxiousness that seeped into her bones, causing a different kind of problem. The crippling kind. Though she tried to ignore it, she felt it bubble up inside her, tightening her lungs, suffocating her. The room suddenly felt hot, and stifling, like all the oxygen had been taken out of it.
"Strange," Robbins said and then laughed. "I'm getting old and dotty."
"We are in a large room full of people, I imagine the acoustics make it challenging for someone who relies heavily on their sense of hearing," Goliath said, trying to keep his tone level. But his suspicions were raised, and he took a protective step closer to Elisa.
"Yes, of course. That must be it," Robbins agreed, but there was a tiny shred of doubt in his voice as well.
Elisa couldn't concentrate on the conversation. It was muffled, like she was hearing it from underwater, and her vision was starting to tunnel again. She needed to get out. Quickly.
"Nice to finally meet you, Jeffrey." Elisa tried to keep her words minimal, to maintain her control, but she heard how panicked her voice sounded in her own ears. "If you'll excuse me… I just need a minute."
She picked up her skirts and strode quickly away toward the doors that led out to the courtyard.
"Was it something I said?" Robbins mused aloud.
Hudson raised a speculative brow at Goliath. He shook his head as if to say he didn't know either.
"I will check on her," Goliath said and followed his mate outside.
...
...
Elisa stepped out of Xanatos's party, away from the noisy chatter that was feeding her anxiety, and into the cool night air. She gulped down a few deep breaths of sweet oxygen and tried to slow her pounding heart.
What is wrong with me? She questioned herself, despairingly. Why can't I keep it together for one goddamn minute?!
She glanced around and realized with horror where she was standing. This was where Thailog had fought the clan—exactly one year ago on this very night. Where Goliath had been seriously wounded. Where he had nearly—
Elisa looked down at her hands in horror.
They were caked with his blood again. She could feel the thick, sticky viscosity of it. The scent of iron and copper filling her nose and overpowering her senses. It was so real, so vivid, she could almost taste the scent of it on her tongue.
She blinked, and suddenly, just like what she'd experienced in the castle, the sensation disappeared, and her hands were clean. She turned them this way and that under the outdoor lights, jingling her bracelets, searching for any vestige of the blood she'd just seen. But there wasn't a trace to be found.
She shuddered and felt as if she might retch.
"Are you alright?" she heard Goliath's voice behind her, and she nearly jumped out of her skin. Then she felt his large, warm hands on her shoulders. The weight of them was comforting, and she closed her eyes momentarily, grateful for his calming presence.
"I'm fine," she lied, trying to sound sincere.
Goliath's chest rumbled lightly, voicing his doubt.
"No… not really," she admitted. "I was just remembering."
"Last Halloween?" Goliath said quietly, and he resisted the urge to touch the faded line on his abdomen where Thailog had stabbed him. It had been so deep, so mortal, that even a year's worth of stone sleep couldn't totally erase it.
Elisa nodded.
"You told me you loved me that night for the first time," Elisa said.
"It wasn't the first time," Goliath reminded her.
"But we thought it was," Elisa said quietly.
"True," Goliath acquiesced, and then his voice lowered as he grew sentimental. "And in less than two months, we will make our love official."
"It's already official. The ceremony is mostly for the sake of my family," Elisa pointed out.
"Not at all for yourself?" Goliath pressed lightly.
"Ok… fine," Elisa said with a light laugh in her voice. "A little for myself, too."
Goliath leaned down and pressed a kiss to her hair, and she leaned back into him.
"I am sorry about our fight last night, and for the things I said," Goliath said apologetically. "You were right. I was jealous, and I let it get the better of me. I have been stressed by the ever-present threats to our lives, the fissures I've seen growing among the clan, this city's inability to accept our kind, and by having to share this castle with the likes of Xanatos," Goliath growled, casting a reproachful eye towards the hosts of the party on the other side of the Great Hall.
"But in addition to those pressures, I see now that I have also been feeling possessive toward you since our engagement. I let that selfish impulse get the better of me, and for that, there is no excuse. You have a whole life outside of our relationship, and that should not change just because we are together. "
"Your suspicions of Jason weren't totally unfounded," Elisa said, and she turned to face him. "I called Rikers this afternoon to see if Jason had taken my name off his authorized visitors list. Just as you had suspected, he hadn't."
"Is it possible he is still planning to remove you but has not had the chance yet?"
"Maybe." Elisa shrugged.
Goliath inhaled deeply.
"If you still wish to visit him and try to help him, I will support you. Truly, this time. You are a kind and generous person, and I will not hold you back from doing what you need to do, and being who you are."
"I don't know what I want to do, Goliath. I don't want to lead him on, or worry you, but I fear that if he is left completely alone, he will let his old prejudices fester. I truly believe he's at a crucial juncture. His brother, Jon…" Elisa paused as she remembered what Jason had told her yesterday and that she had forgotten to pass along. "Jon Canmore is John Castaway, the leader of the Quarrymen."
"What?" Goliath said with disbelief.
"I know. I could hardly believe it when Jason told me."
"How is that possible?"
"I don't know. Someone is bankrolling him, but Jason implied that it's not the Canmore family."
"That… explains much," Goliath said, stunned.
"It sure does," Elisa said angrily. "Jason can still be valuable to us, especially against Castaway. He told me the truth about his brother even though he could have easily kept that information from me. He's been trying to work past his old prejudices and his trauma… and he's come a long way. I don't want to give up on him. Not yet."
Goliath cupped her chin and gazed down at her. "Your ability to see the good in people is something I have always admired. You are an incredible woman, Elisa Maza."
"Do you really think that, or are you just trying to butter me up?" Elisa said as she put a hand on his abdomen. Her palm rested lightly on his belt buckle as her fingers grazed his skin tantalizingly.
One corner of Goliath's mouth slid up in a wry grin.
"Can both things not be true?" he said, and he leaned in to kiss her, but then paused as he looked cautiously around.
"I don't think anyone is watching," Elisa whispered with a seductive smile, taking a step into the shadows and away from the glowing lanterns hanging from the castle walls.
He followed and then pulled her to him tightly, kissing her with vigor. The sensation of his mouth against hers shoved everything into the background as it set every inch of her body ablaze with want and need. She released a pleased little moan which only made his kiss harder, more desperate. It had been weeks since they'd mated while gliding for the first time. As thrilling as that experience had been, it also marked the last time they'd made love of any kind, and the drought had been torturous. They were both starved for intimacy, for touch, for release.
In the near darkness of the new moon, they felt bolder, reckless, and let the kiss burn on. Hunger and need rose sharply between them, and all of Elisa's anxieties and fears became minor background noise as her desire for him surged. He was the only thing that made the awful noise in her head quieter.
After a few blissful moments, Elisa pulled back. "I wish you could take me home right now," she said breathlessly, but she knew they couldn't leave the castle and the party to a potential attack.
"I want that—I want you—more than anything," Goliath growled ardently. His stress levels were incredibly high at the moment, too, and a little romantic respite to work off the edge sounded incredibly alluring.
Elisa looked disappointed briefly, and then she got a look on her face that Goliath had grown to be wary of. Or excited by. Often both.
"I have an idea," she said grinning mischievously as she stepped out of his arms.
Goliath cocked a brow at her as she walked away, not wanting her out of his embrace.
"Meet me in the closet down the corridor off the Great Hall in five minutes," she said as she walked toward the doors that led inside.
Goliath's lower brow rose up to meet the other in a look of surprise.
He was about to ask her which corridor and which closet specifically, but Elisa slipped away before he could, giving him one last fleeting glance before she disappeared inside. He stood out on the parapets for a moment, impatiently waiting to seek her out and discover what game she was playing, when Lexington appeared suddenly in front of him.
"Hey, Goliath, do you have a minute?" he asked, startling the large gargoyle who was lost in a haze, thinking of his mate.
"A minute, I suppose," he replied offhandedly, still staring towards the door Elisa had just stepped through, his tail swishing back and forth like a cat with mischievous intent.
"There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about," Lex started, rubbing his neck nervously.
"Oh?" Goliath said absentmindedly, his gaze distant.
"Something about me personally… about my time in London last year."
"I see," Goliath said, but he wasn't looking at the younger gargoyle, he was still looking off somewhere past him.
"I met someone there, in the London Clan, and I think I've developed feelings for them. I don't know for sure because I haven't really had any experiences with this kind of thing, and I thought maybe I needed to go back to London to be sure—"
"Back to London?" Goliath said, his attention snapping to Lexington. He'd only been half listening to Lex, but he keyed in when he mentioned the city an entire ocean away. "You wish to return to England?"
"I need to know if my feelings are—"
"How would we get you there? Last time it was Macbeth who took you. I do not have the means," Goliath interjected.
"I was thinking maybe Xanatos—"
Goliath made a dismissive hand gesture, cutting Lexington off.
"Now is not the time, nor do I wish to be further in Xanatos's debt. We are already beholden to him for allowing us to live in the castle, and it's possible we may not live here much longer. Lines have been drawn."
"I know, but, Goliath—" Lex pleaded.
"We will discuss the matter later," Goliath said, putting an end to any further talk on the subject.
"I… fine, whatever you say," Lex replied, slumping dejectedly.
Goliath left him then and he walked back into the castle. Lexington stayed out on the parapets, feeling more morose and misunderstood than ever before.