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Souls of the Night – Vol 3
18.
Musical accompaniment for the first half of the chapter:
Youtube: watch?v=oGAhoSwqMWA
Fleur East - Size (Official Audio) – 2.15 min
(Lyrics at the End)
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"You look wonderful Prickly," Alexander murmured as Ares stood in front of the large mirror in Tachi's tailor's shop.
"Yes. I didn't think that more clothes could make you more attractive. But just the thought of taking them off...," Flora whispered into his other ear with a devilish smile as not only Alex played the devil on Ares' shoulder, but she did too. The angels were on break. The gargoyle blushed intensely and Alex and Flora giggled softly as his spines stood up on his forearms. The white shirt that Tachi had tailored was meant to be rolled up to the elbows and had a button placket, but as with most gargoyles, it was only fake, as their tops had to be closed at the back. The silver threads in the shirt matched the subtle silver fleur-de-lis embroidery on his black trousers.
"Isn't that too ... what's the word ... flashy for dinner with your parents?"
"For a servant, you mean?" teased Alexander, but he was only met with Ares' serious expression.
"But no," Alexander said, stroking the fabric of his pants. 150 dollars a square meter. It was actually Alexander's Christmas present to Tachi, who had really wanted the fabric back then ... only to realize that all the members of her damn clan were fashion philistines who didn't want delicate floral patterns embroidered on their clothes, not even Angela!
"You look perfect. Every inch of you looks perfect - they'll notice. After all, I'm telling them today that you and Flora are ... well, not quite my servants. Unless, of course, you want to keep the game going outside the bedroom to keep us both in a constant state of pre-erection." As Alexander spoke, Flora stroked the skin between his wings. Ares drew in a breath and trembled as if he were shuddering intensely.
"Could you please not get any bodily fluids on my creations and the materials stored here? This is actually a sex-free zone," grumbled Tachi, who loved to hear how others reacted to her creations but didn't want to witness other people's foreplay.
Alexander turned around with a broad grin and approached her.
"Tachi, I don't have to tell you this. But you've outdone yourself."
Tachi gave a restrained but pleased chuckle as her human brother gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"You don't have to tell me. But you can. I have to say-," Tachi's gaze went to Ares, who turned to her at that moment. Both gargoyles smiled at each other. "I have to say, Ares isn't quite as big an asshole as I thought he was when he knocked Fu out. It's nice to work on someone big with a swimmer's physique. He has fantastic proportions."
"Thanks Tachi, how could I ever think you were just a mere hatchling," Ares said, not quite knowing how to handle the praise of a younger female for his character and body. He simply stroked the fabric of his pants, which he was still unaccustomed to, in embarrassment.
"I have mercy for those who realize their serious mistake," Tachi said with cool blandness and put aside the fabrics that would be used for the next garments for Ares. She had big plans for the repentant, long-suffering gargoyle. He would have a larger and more exquisite wardrobe than Nashville had in its most famed days (which she could barely remember anyway because she was too young).
"I hope you ordered lots of wickedly expensive fabrics and materials to outfit Ares and Flora," Alex said as he looked at his watch. They would have to hurry.
"Oh!" Tachi looked at Flora in astonishment. Once again in a light linen dress as she could only grow natural fibers on her body, of course.
Simple- but cute and suitable for pretty much any occasion and any other color her "skin" could take on. The fact that none of it had seams fascinated Tachi. But just the thought of an organza dress or brocade embroidery being torn apart by wildly thrashing tentacle roots made her grumble in frustration. She cleared her throat, not wanting to offend the owner of her borrowed mastercard or Flora for that matter.
"Um... of course I can tailor something for Flora. I make things for Aunt Fox all the time. Only... that's actually..."
She rubbed the back of her neck and shook her white hair. A rare look of sheepishness on her face.
"Say what you think. No one will be angry with you," Alex assured her.
"I ... find it difficult to tailor something for someone who can change shape. How should I ... the clothes would be destroyed if you lost your human form again."
The girl lowered her eyes. "Sorry - but I can't tailor anything if I suspect it will be ruined anyway. Maybe for special occasions but ... not all the time. Nathaniel regularly torches his clothes but he's a bum who wears cheap jeans and hoodies - a typical guy. That wouldn't do you, Flora, justice at all. Making expensive, elaborate pieces only for them to be ruined ... that would hurt me."
Tachi looked up as Flora stepped up to her, her gaze utterly gentle and understanding at the distress of the young otherwise overbearing, superior female.
"Oh, Tachi. I understand that. But I can assure you that I would handle your precious works of art with care. The fact that I can't control my shape really only occurred because of my departure from Avalon. I'm stable now," she looked at Ares and Alex. Her two husbands smiled in agreement as she leaned over to Tachi, stroking her shoulder gently, touching her skin.
When she did that ... her form began to change. Since Tachi had been looking down, her eyes widened at the sight of the small human feet, which, together with the white cloth shoes, deformed under the hurried bustle of thousands of small rootlets, melted together, morphed in a flowing process and all at once Gargoyle claws clicked on the ground like her own. Not red, however, but intensely green. She looked up with huge eyes and gasped as she saw a green female gargoyle in front of her with a humanoid Flora-face. Apart from that, the dress was the only thing that had remained largely the same. Flora raised her wings, which were like Tachis but whose lighter wing skins had a silver edge like the leaves of a silver willow. She looked like a gargoyle ... but not really. The illusion was beautiful if intentionally not as good as her human one. The ten inch long horn on her forehead looked like gnarled wood and her hair was visibly not hair but hundreds of very thin blond gossamer willow vines with tiny golden yellow leaves hanging from them. The tail Flora lifted had wooden thorns at the end.
Tachi's horrified expression also seemed to be worth its weight in gold, as the trio in front of her laughed cheerfully.
"How do you like that, Tachi? If you want, you can use the same sewing pattern as for Angela. I'm still working on the shape but I like it when people can always see where I'm from." She stroked her smoothly hanging vines, which grew out of her head, a little bashfully.
Alexander crossed his arms with his "I saw that coming" look. "We were lacking a blonde in the clan. Love the style," he commented crisply and Ares nodded.
"Same pattern as for Angela?" Tachi said a little breathlessly because she had just forgotten how to breathe.
"Yes. With these back and coccyx parts to fold down," said Flora cheerfully.
"We really need to get to my parents. We don't want to disgrace ourselves before we drop the bomb, do we?" said Alexander, pulling Flora away from Tachi.
But the red female suddenly clung to Flora's arm. "Stop!" she exclaimed and hissed at Alexander. "She stays with me! I have to measure her! Forget about same cut as Angela. Every customer will be measured - in human AND gargoyle form. It's outrageous to present something like that to me and then just fuck off."
"They're my parents, Tachi!" laughed Alexander, thrilled that he had been able to rile up his clan sister like that. And damn it, he only had his mates as witnesses.
Alex gently wrestled his sweetheart's arm from the clawed fingers of the agitated red female.
"I'll send her over right after dinner," he promised and Flora happily confirmed while her form changed back to that of a "human", eliciting a sad chirp from Tachi.
When all three were already at the door, Tachi faced them with glowing eyes, but she lost the fire immediately after her "Wait!". She raised her hands frantically. "One minute! Give me one minute!"
Then she jumped away, almost tripping over her stool, disappearing into the next room where she noisily rummaged around, cursing, dropping plastic boxes, probably throwing everything around in search of whatever. Then she came back with several things, her face grim as if she were preparing to go to war.
"Here. For the look," she said, holding out a bolero jacket made of the same fabric as Ares' pants to Flora. Black with the silver fleur-de-lis embroidery.
"Oh, can I really?" Flora breathed as she let Tachi help her into the top.
"Don't make a big deal out of it. Angela didn't want it then and it would be a waste otherwise." She folded up the fabric at the back and attached it with the subtle snaps.
"You're great Tachi," Ares said, looking stupidly enamored as Flora turned around in her new jacket so he could admire her.
"I know, no sucking up, please. And this for you." Tachi threw Alex a tie with the same pattern.
The billionaire's son's eyes widened. "Who did you make this for?"
"Don't ask," Tachi grumbled and Alex, while tying his tie, smirked and refrained from mentioning that if he also appeared in partner look with the others, it would be pretty obvious even for people with normal intelligence quotients to recognize them as love triangle participants. It didn't even take half as much brainpower as his parents had. But well - if they were going down - then with waving flags and loud fanfare. Although he didn't really expect to "go down" or expect any great drama. Such scenes were for "normal people". They had never been a normal family. He had already foreseen everything and prepared his partners.
While Tachi put a waist belt made of filigree rhinestones on the completely enchanted Flora, which matched Ares' silver threads and the small buttons on his shirt, the nature nymph laughed bashfully like a schoolgirl. "I feel like a princess," she whispered, looking in the mirror.
"All three of us feel like that! Tachi has her own magic," Alex joked, almost forgetting the worry he was carrying in his stomach after talking to Owen about Nathaniel's condition and re-transformation.
"Enough of this. Off to your parents," Tachi said defensively and managed to push all three of them towards the door as if they were the ones who had forced her to stay longer and not the other way around.
"And you two call me sister from now on and come back here after dinner," she ordered, glaring at Ares and Flora and slamming the door.
"Yes, sister," they both said in unison and then burst into childishly enthusiastic giggles.
God, Alex loved his family. Now it was time for the serious part of the evening.
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"You shouldn't waste your last nights watching that idiot." Broadway yawned loudly even though they hadn't been awake long, but immediately after a hurried breakfast I had insisted on taking up my guard post outside Jussuf's apartment in Gravesend. I'd been doing that since the night I hadn't made it past the railroad tunnel.
"As long as I'm still a gargoyle, I feel better keeping an eye on him."
Broadway grinned, his gaze going to the windows of Jussuf's place where my nemesis was pacing back and forth, visibly annoyed, arguing with someone on the phone.
"Do you think we're seeing Lexington's magic at work right now?"
I chuckled softly.
I had thought it would upset me deeply to see him again - even from a distance and without him noticing me. And yes, the first night had made my heart pound with old, horrible memories, so much so that I'd felt nauseous all the time. But Lexington had promised he'd take care of Jussuf - more than ever since we knew he might be targeting my brother to take my place as an accountant/whipping boy/sexual outlet for frustration and perversion.
Lexington had promised that he would keep Jussuf on his toes so that Hassan would be the last of his thoughts. He'd been crashing Jussuf's email accounts for a week, changing his passwords to all the sites where he ordered supplies for his company, manipulating his bank accounts so he wasn't even listed with those banks anymore, flooding him with automated mail from every government agency in New York, even having his driver's license suspended and canceling every single order Jussuf had placed regarding the wedding. No hall, no cake, the wedding planner even thought he was dead. Everything had to be clarified by Jussuf Masoud from his landline phone (which he had had to buy new) because his cell phone kept having bugs for some unknown reason and sometimes he even lost contact from his landline phone in the middle of a call.
Yes, making Lexington Wywern your enemy could drive you insane without my favorite frog prince even stepping foot out his door.
"I can even hear Jussuf screaming all the way over here," I said with devilish glee, reveling in the sight of my former torturer stomping around his living room like a little kid, head red and eyes popping with rage, arguing with someone on the phone and probably assuring the wedding caterer that he was NOT dead and his accounts were covered.
Finally, Jussuf hung up, rubbed his forehead, then wandered into his kitchen (from our vantage point, Broadway and I had a view of every one of his rooms except the bathroom and bedroom). There he drank straight from the bottle of Raki.
"If my parents knew that their perfect soon-to-be son-in-law was drinking the forty percent alcohol here, they'd reconsider the engagement," I muttered, seriously tempted to take a photo of him standing there with his head tilted back. But then the moment was already over. Jussuf poured several tablets into his hand from a plastic jar.
"Aaaand here comes the Valium," Broadway hummed.
"Oooor it's the ulcer pills," I said, slapping Broadway's upraised hand for a high eight.
Broadway's cell phone made a noise and he pulled it out and read the message. Then he smacked on his thighs and stood up.
"I have to admit, slowly destroying a baddie mentally and financially instead of physically harming him or putting him behind bars is very satisfying in a -" he waved his hand in the air with a grin as he searched for the word "- in a cunning, back-stabbing Lexington way. But Goliath's done with his hazmat security training, which he missed last week because he wanted to spend Elisa's days off with her. I'm meeting him in Williamsburg as arranged."
I let Broadway pull me to my feet but watched Jussuf's suffering for a bit longer. Not even my sister had been with him in the last week. Jussuf was probably so unbearable outside his four walls that everyone was having second thoughts about the wedding - that would be a desirable development.
"You're gliding straight to the castle," I heard him say behind me where Broadway was stretching. It wasn't an order but it wasn't a question either. Broadway had his daddy tone, which he didn't often have but which was so cute even if he was patronizing me.
"I promise."
"No detours, Nate."
"'No, not me. I'm cool." I looked at him with a grin and made a circular motion with my wrist and finger, which looked pretty because I was creating a dancing ring of fire.
Broad gave me another stern look. "I'm serious, hotshot."
"Me too!" I said with a laugh and made the scout cross over my chest.
"I'm about to fly to the castle. I have obligations too, you know. Lex and I will take Heather on patrol when her class is over. The little one insists on spending time with Gargoyle-Nate before he becomes dull Human-Nate."
Broadway's smile wavered a little at my words before he chuckled.
"Can't blame Lex," he said.
"I meant Heather!" I laughted.
"Just have fun," Broadway said, giving me his fang-spiked gorilla grin, then he jumped off the roof and glided north.
I stretched and shook out my hair before rearranging my hairband so my manbun wouldn't come undone in flight again.
I watched as Jussuf almost punched out the lights in the kitchen and living room in exhausted frustration and then disappeared into the bedroom with the nearly empty bottle. It had probably been the Valium after all.
I briefly wondered if it wasn't disgusting what Lex (we) were doing to Jussuf. We were robbing him of his strength and, yes, if you want to put it in a more theatrical way, his spirit with these intangible attacks. And yet I didn't feel bad in the slightest - I even celebrated his impending nervous breakdown just like the others. I had realized since Nashville at the latest that many things were not black and white. Gargoyles were no saints and sometimes truly spiteful and vicious when it was justified. They were just as exposed to temptations of all kinds of wickedness as humans, they were no better than them in any way, even if they often managed to walk a little more on the good side through clan and code. Nevertheless. Weren't we better than Jussuf, who had subjected me to years of manipulation and psychological torture before the physical ordeal really began?
But I thought of Jussuf and my heart wanted retribution, wanted to make sure he never did to another person what he had done to me. I knew it wasn't just my gargoyle heart. People rarely changed and if we didn't deal radically with Jussuf he would eventually recover and simply find a new family to manipulate or a new victim. I didn't have the slightest idea what this radicalism would look like, what would make him stray from his course forever and ever. Even when I was human again, I would have to think hard about it with Lex, the clan, maybe Doctor Davis. We would have to act before the wedding. It was barely seven weeks until then.
I shook my head to let my thoughts dissipate. Then I hopped onto the roof ledge and let myself tip forward, falling two stories before opening my wings and gliding away barely five yards above street level. I laughed as people pointed at me and cars honked their horns when they saw me - not entirely unusual behavior from drivers spotting gargoyles, although it wasn't always joy that made them honk. I gained height to avoid distracting road users and perhaps provoking an accident. How indifferent you became as a gargoyle to human reactions to you. As a human, I had always avoided being seen, walking around with my shoulders hunched and my head down, either in my own world to forget my hostile environment or weighed down by pain and depression. I knew I wouldn't be like this when I became human again.
Alexander's words on my first night as a gargoyle had come true. This had been a kind of liberation, had given me the distance I needed, had opened up new perspectives that would help me live better as a human. I lay back in the wind current that carried me, humming at the comforting feeling of the air above and below my wings. I would miss this so much. This magical gargoyle body with its fire and wind powers and bestial urges was hard to keep in check and I would be glad to be just Nathaniel Sharif again but who wouldn't love and miss this feeling of ultimate freedom?
Maybe ... once I was back in my human skin and had solved the Jussuf problem with Lexington's help, maybe I would take a course. Maybe gliding. Or hang gliding with one of those delta gliders - yes, that was closer to the winds, that sounded good. I could still glide with Lex! That's as close as I would get as a human to the gliding flight of a gargoyle.
Like every night for the past week, I glided leisurely across the less-lit patch of earth where Green Wood Cemetery lay quietly. Sometimes the chapels and buildings were ornately lit, the paths full of night-walking people when there were art events or serenading musicians wending among the headstones filling the grounds with more life, or the Greenwood at Night events helping to maintain the site where so many famous people were laid to rest in sometimes pompous tombs and stunning mausoleums. But tonight it was ... well, as if it had died out. Apart from the echoing cry that reached me clearly even at a height of 50 yards and made me backpedal in the air. My eyes instantly flew over the ground.
"No! Please!"
A woman's voice! I realized in horror and plunged into the depths. I landed away from the lighted paths on the slope of a hill on one of the many raised grave slabs. I spun around on all fours. My claws scratched agitatedly over the weathered writing of some name.
No matter what was going on here, I had to let my clan know what was going on, even if it was just so they could keep an eye on me through the communication system. I tapped my headset, which instantly sent a shrill feedback noise into my ear that made me yelp and rip the little thing off my head. Never mind. What were cell phones for? I frantically fished it out - only to see that I didn't have a single bar, not a bit of reception.
"Shit," I hissed as "No! Please!" sounded again, this time very close to me. Under old-growth trees on the crest of a hillock stood a Gothic Revival-style pavilion. And although I couldn't see any flashlight lights or anything else, I could hear whimpering coming from there! The stone structure wasn't big enough to hide many people from my view so maybe it was just this woman and her attacker. I had no support and I couldn't call anyone at the moment. But I would surely be able to save a woman in distress. I wasn't a fighter, but the man who might be harming a defenceless woman didn't know that. I jumped off the tomb slab, stood up and ran towards the magnificent square memorial, which was open on all sides and supported by numerous pillars. As I jumped over the steps, I only saw the inscription Pierrepont in the margin.
"Don't move! Guardian citizen of New York!" I snarled and jumped onto the almost chest-high sarcophagus inside. Of course, my line was a lie because I hadn't even taken the GC exam, I wasn't even an apprentice. But I had heard the others say, growl, snarl and shout this formal phrase so often that it had become second nature to me. But ... the tomb was empty. I spun around again, irritated. But it didn't smell of recent humans and certainly not of fear. The scream went through my bones again and made me crouch down, it was so loud. And then another whimpering "No. Please," which echoed in the tomb. What was being played here? Eyes blazing, I leaned over the sarcophagus and looked down at the floor on the other side, growling. There was a small voice recorder on the floor.
My mouth opened in mute horror. I whirled around because I felt rather than heard something (someone) here and saw huge glowing eyes for a second before something hit me hard on the head. Lexington? my brain spat out as a final thought.
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Soooo, I almost forgot that I wanted to add more music (soundtrack)! But I have 80 percent of the music in my head for Graziella and Nash ... strange. I love Nathaniel and Lex's story but I don't have this God-this piece-of-music-definitely-fits-in urge. Whatever. Either you seek the music and listen to it or you ignore it - it's not bad but some songs fit like a glove.
Next chapter! Trigger warning because of a dinner with the in-laws (and because of what Nathaniel experiences.) Both unpleasant.
Musical accompaniment for the first half of the chapter:
(Fleur East - Size (Official Audio) – 2.15 min
Just
My
Size
You got that new
I think I like that
Ain't even looking at the price tag (I want it)
Go ahead and show me where to swipe that
Cuz i'm just tryna get that nice swag (I want it)
I ain't even really looking at the logo
Just wanna see you double tapping on my photo
You make me look pretty, like i'm in Manolo
Yes, anything less is a no-no
Bet you wanna know
How I look so dope
They all want that
Boy, you're just my
Fit my body right
I know what i like
Looks like she on that
Boy, you're just my
[CHORUS]
Not too loose
Not too tight
Take you home
You're just my size
Put you on
Feels so right
I'll take it off
You're just my size
You're just my size
I'm spending money like i'm all go (ha ha)
In every colour, size, and model (I want it)
Your body's my favorite designer
You're tailor made to my desire
Bet you wanna know
How I look so dope
They all want that
Boy, you're just my
Fit my body right
I know what i like
Looks like she on that
Boy, you're just my
[CHORUS]
Not too loose
Not too tight
Take you home
You're just my size
Put you on
Feels so right
I'll take it off
You're just my size
Yup, I'll take it all
Yup, I'll take it all
Yup, I'll take it all
You're just my size
Yup, I'll take it all
Yup, I'll take it all
Yup, I'll take it all
You're just my size
You're just my size