Goliath shook off his ill-timed discussion with Lexington as he walked a ways down the east corridor, hoping he'd picked the right hallway. Just as he was wondering where exactly Elisa had disappeared to, a small gray door to a nearby supply closet opened, and she reached out and grabbed his belt. He took the hint and playfully let her pull him inside the closet before she shut the door behind them.

It was a small space, and Goliath took up most of it. Their bodies were pressed tightly together almost without meaning to. The only illumination came from an exposed lightbulb hanging suspended from the ceiling, casting a soft light over the myriad of maintenance tools and cleaning supplies clustered on a nearby row of shelves. He had to duck to avoid hitting the light as he crowded in next to her.

"Elisa, why are we in a closet?" Goliath muttered amusedly as he tried to arrange his wings in a way that would be comfortable but still out of the way.

Elisa slid her hands up his chest and stood on her toes to press her mouth to his. Goliath melted into her sweet embrace, wrapping his arms around her as he kissed her back. He thought that perhaps she was seeking a brief interlude together away from prying eyes, but her kiss rapidly took on a desperate, needful edge. Her lips, her tongue warred hungrily with his own. She pressed her body harder against his, her arms tightened around his neck. When she intentionally found the arm of one of his wings and gripped it tightly, forcing a groan from his throat, he knew she wanted much more than just a few kisses in a closet.

"Are you trying to have your way with me?" Goliath purred against her lips.

"Aren't I always?" she replied coyly.

"Need I remind you that we are at the castle, in the midst of an ongoing party with over a hundred people in attendance?" The vibration of the pounding music traveling through the stone walls, rattling the cans of paint in the corner, only served to underscore that fact.

"I don't care," Elisa said as she lifted her skirts and guided one of his hands to the juncture between her thighs. She was so wet, she had soaked through her panties.

"Stars, Elisa," Goliath growled.

In that small space, her intoxicating scent was nearly overwhelming to him, making his nostrils flare. She smelled of lust and lavender. Sex and salt. Instinct took over his better judgment, and he backed her up against the wall, his other arm still around her waist, cradling her protectively, as he slipped his fingers inside her underwear and caressed the warm, slick flesh that he craved so ardently.

Elisa whimpered softly, a greedy little sigh that begged for more as her hands clenched down tighter upon the base of his wings. He hissed through his teeth and felt his cock harden even more.

Goliath knew what they were doing was unwise. The castle was teeming with people—people they were supposed to be protecting—but he felt utterly starved for her. And jalapeña, she was so eager and wanting, and so damned delectable, he simply could not resist the temptation.

"The door cannot be locked from within," the better side of his nature pointed out, the one that wasn't cursing him for not taking her already. It seemed unlikely anyone would be looking for a mop or a broom, but it was still possible. Admittedly, the danger of discovery made it all the more thrilling, but he wanted to be sure Elisa was aware of those risks.

"Then you'd better hurry," she countered.

Goliath growled before his mouth sought hers once more, kissing her eagerly. Elisa's hands delved into his hair in answer, kissing him with her fingertips—in the way of his kind. He moaned at the sensation, relishing the intimacy of her caress. His lips then parted from hers and moved down along her jaw, staking a claim everywhere they touched. He soon arrived at her left earlobe, and nibbled it delicately, mindful of his fangs.

"Perhaps we need a stocking," he whispered, a hint of mirth in his voice.

"A what?" she moaned weakly, confused by the suggestion, but too distracted by his touch to give it much thought.

"For the… uh, doorknob, I believe."

"Oh, ha! A sock—you mean a sock! I forgot I told you about that," Elisa giggled. "I don't think we want to draw that kind of attention."

But her giggles soon devolved into gasps of pleasure as his fingers continued to work her, expertly sliding over and around the bud of nerves between her thighs that turned her into a quivering puddle at his touch alone.

Goliath smiled inwardly at the effect he had on her. But he was hungry for more, and quickly upped the ante, thrusting his hand even deeper into her panties.

He was immediately rewarded by Elisa's strained whimpers as his thick fingers worked their magic upon her, squeezing and coaxing her clit between them. His mouth moved down to her neck, his tongue on the pulse of her throat, tasting the salt on her skin.

Elisa closed her eyes and bit her lower lip as every inch of her tensed with pleasure. The buzzing in her head faded to a dull hum as carnal rapture grew and spread throughout her whole body, stoked by her lover's hand between her legs and his mouth, now below her collarbone—working its way lower still. Goliath pulled the bodice of her costume down exposing her breasts before taking one into his mouth. His tongue laved the hardened tip as his fangs left soft pin pricks of pleasure in her tender flesh, eliciting involuntary moans that she tried and failed to muffle.

The delectation of his touch was so intense, it was excruciating. But it still wasn't enough. She needed more. She needed to be filled by him, to feel him fuck her until the desperate, aching emptiness she felt between her thighs was annihilated.

"I need you inside me," she demanded with a fierce growl, digging her nails into the back of his scalp.

Goliath snarled at her words. He was so hard it hurt, with his cock straining painfully against his loincloth. In one swift, swooping motion, lifted her up and pressed her against the wall, knocking over a bucket in his haste. He pulled her panties down with his tail while his hands gripped her thighs, spreading them wide in midair, before quickly stepping forward and closing the space between them again. A second later, his tail slid back up between their bodies and took over caressing Elisa's swollen clit, eliciting more gasps. As she writhed, he slid a massive hand from her thigh to her buttocks, keeping her suspended against the wall using the great expanse of his left palm. With his other hand, he frantically undid the belt cinching his loincloth.

The unfastened buckle hit the floor with a heavy metallic thud, dragging his loincloth with it. His cock, now freed from its confines, jutted out impressively, practically defying gravity given the sheer size and weight of it. Elisa practically salivated as she anticipated every gloriously thick inch of him pushing inside her.

Goliath gripped his shaft while shifting his weight on his feet. He could feel Elisa brace herself as he pressed the head of his cock against her, both of them eagerly anticipating that first delicious moment when he parted her flesh, just before filling and stretching her to her absolute limit. Sucking in a deep breath, he moved his hand back to her ass, spreading her cheeks, his talons biting slightly into her sensitized flesh. Then he sunk into her with one swift thrust.

Elisa cried out loudly with rapturous delight as her body eagerly took him in, embracing him with molten, wet heat. Her hands were still entwined in the thick shock of his sable hair when he entered her, and she clenched two great fistfulls and yanked down hard in her frenzy—so much so that it was almost painful for him, but more tantalizing than anything.

Goliath ground his teeth and stifled a deep, guttural groan, though doing so tested the bounds of his self-control. He paused ever so briefly, savoring the intimacy of being sheathed to the hilt, then he withdrew and thrust into her again, making her cry out even louder.

"Shhhh. We don't want to draw attention," he whispered between his own hoarse gasps.

"I can't help it," Elisa moaned, and she raked her nails across his shoulders and down his back. "You feel so damn good."

Goliath growled and pressed his mouth to hers again, devouring her and silencing her all at once. It was a little tricky to kiss her and thrust inside her at the same time considering their height difference, but he made it work. He pumped into her, trying not to be too aggressive with his movements given the delicate skin of her back was still pressed firmly against the hard stone wall. He also felt a bit harried by the threat of discovery, and he was keenly aware that the more vigorously he drove into her, the louder she grew. Like throwing fuel on the flames.

"Harder," she moaned against him, and bit his jaw, urging him on.

Goliath snarled, unleashing a feral sound that ripped involuntarily from his throat and vibrated violently between them. Her entreatments, coupled with her carnal touch, had snapped his tightly-grasped restraint, and he finally yielded to her unwavering demands. Pinning her up higher against the wall to maximize his leverage, he let his hips crash against hers, thrusting in earnest, moving deeper inside her.

Abandoning all efforts to stay quiet, he now grunted and growled with each stroke, the din of his cries co-mingling with hers. Their flesh slapped together loudly, while Elisa's bracelets and anklets jangled in time to the rhythmic undulation of their lovemaking. Somewhere in the room a broom fell to the floor, knocked over by Goliath's wings. It clattered loudly, but was nearly drowned out by the sounds of their lovemaking.

As his tail caressed her from without, and his cock from within, the joyous tension in Elisa's body surged to an almost perilous height. She could barely hang on, let alone remain silent about it. Her hands sought the base of his wings again, this time for purchase. The ache inside her had reached a peak, inundating every limb and pore in her body until it had nowhere else to go. A heartbeat later, she shattered, tossing her head back and crying out in exuberant relief, while her fingers clamped down hard as she came.

The sensation of his lover's nails digging exquisitely into his wings marked Goliath's own breaking point, pushing him over the edge. He followed her into release, thrashing his great wings wildly in the tiny space and nearly shattering the lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. It swung precariously from its cord, painting long swaths of oscillating light and shadow over their entangled bodies, beads of sweat glinting in the light as they came down from their high together.

...

...

A little tipsy from a few cocktails, Brendan Quarters stumbled down the hallway in search of a bathroom. He soon came upon a small gray door and wondered whether it was what he'd been searching for. Just as he reached out for the knob, a high pitched wail followed by a loud, menacing roar emanated from within. Startled by the noise, he jerked his hand back and tripped over his own feet, barely catching himself. Brendan immediately looked around for the speakers, or some other sound system, but couldn't spot one.

"Geez, Xanatos must have shelled out good money for the special effects around here," he muttered, shaking himself off. "That sounded waaaay too life-like."

The abrupt shock had cleared his haze, and he suddenly remembered where the bathrooms were from last year's party and quickly carried on down the hall… this time, a bit more warily.

...

...

Hudson and Robbins made their way through the throng of people over to the tables laden with food and drink. The elder gargoyle helped his friend get a plate of refreshments, describing the array of beverages and hors d'oeuvres as best he could, and then plopping the selected morsels on the plate. But despite the gaiety around them, he noticed Robbins was being unusually quiet. After the clan had filled Hudson in on the events of the previous night, and Goliath's lingering fears about the Halloween party, he immediately offered to take his friend home. Jeffrey had insisted on staying, however, convinced Hudson would protect him should anything go awry. Despite Jeffrey's decision to stay, he'd withdrawn slightly, acting much more reserved compared to his behavior earlier in the evening after they'd first arrived and made their introductions.

"Are ye alright, Jeffrey?" Hudson asked.

"I'm not sure," Robbins said quietly. "but something feels off."

"How so?"

"You know that feeling you get when you're alone in a room… but you could swear you're not really alone? Like you're being watched?" Jeffrey asked cautiously.

Hudson himself had been growing uneasy the last few weeks, but hearing Jeffrey describe the same feeling made the hair on the back of his neck stand up worse than ever before. It didn't matter that they were in a party surrounded by other guests; he knew in his gut that it wasn't the crowd making them both feel watched.

"I ken what yer saying," he replied in a serious tone, subconsciously touching the scar over his left eye. He glanced about the room, looking for anything amiss, while his hand went for the sword at his side… until he recalled it was missing. "There's somethin' horribly wrong here. Has been for some time."

"What should we do?" Robbins asked, clutching his cane.

"We go look for Goliath. I have a feelin' we're gonna have to help evacuate the castle imminently, and then I'm takin' ye home," Hudson said, setting down their plates. Robbins took Hudson's arm, and they walked away in search of the large lavender gargoyle.

...

...

Goliath reached up and caught the swinging lightbulb, steadying it so the dim illumination spread out evenly again. He studied his mate carefully as they put their clothing back into place. She was being unusually quiet and looked somewhat dejected, and that worried and perplexed him, especially considering he'd done his absolute best to sate her.

"My love, what is troubling you?" he asked while buckling his belt.

"Nothing. I'm fine," Elisa sighed, fixing some errant strands of hair back into place as best she could. She gave him a weak smile.

Goliath frowned. Anytime Elisa said she was "fine," he immediately knew she wasn't, and the pleasant ephemera of their liaison vanished instantly.

"Are you still angry with me over our fight?" he asked.

Elisa pressed a hand to her forehead, frustration starting to bloom into a headache.

"No," she replied dismissively. She truly wasn't mad, but she didn't feel good, either. She'd hoped sex would alleviate the vice tightening inside of her chest, and it had… temporarily. But with their tryst now over, her anxiety was creeping right back in. She felt trapped inside her own head again.

Goliath looked at her unconvinced which only made her feel more anxious and frustrated. She tried hard to ignore his gaze, and distracted herself by looking around for an item of clothing she had yet to find instead.

"Have you seen my—" she started.

Goliath lifted his tail up, her panties dangling daintily from the tip.

"Thanks," she said with a weak smile as she retrieved them, but then winced at how damp and cold they felt. She considered ditching them altogether, but decided against it, and slipped them back on.

"We should get back to the party," she said as she smoothed out her skirt, signaling to him that she clearly didn't want to talk about what was really bothering her.

Goliath wanted to push the issue and get Elisa to open up—to talk to him—but before he could endeavor to do so, she'd already reached for the door handle and tried to turn it. To their mutual surprise, the doorknob wouldn't budge.

Confused, Elisa jiggled it again, but it still would not turn.

"I thought you said these doors don't lock," she said.

"Not from the inside," Goliath clarified as he reached out and tested the door himself.

"So it's locked from the outside?"

"Apparently," he murmured. "Which begs the question."

"Did we lock ourselves in?" Elisa asked.

"Or did someone else?" Goliath finished ominously.

Just as he said those words, the light above them went out, and they were plunged into pitch-black darkness.