Page 32 of Fated to the Gargoyle

Wind slams down on us from the dark. Jalen drops out of the sky half-shifted, his massive wings spread wide, and the empty parking lot shudders when he lands. They fold away behind him while we’re still turning around.

“That would be why nothing has approached the building,” he says. “They know better.”

Sable and I trade a frown, then give the dragon our attention.

“Shadow Wolf Creek is a quiet town, and free of trouble. We work hard to keep it that way. Humans and supernaturals together.” Jalen strolls toward us and stops a polite arm’s length out, digging something from his pocket. “Don’t get me wrong, we’re not a perfect town. We have our setbacks. But we work to make this place a home, and that’s something I haven’t seen many humans open to doing.”

We nod at the same time.

“I made a bold assumption about you two last night, and I suppose I owe you an apology.” He tosses what he’s holding, and Sable snatches it out of the air. A coin sits in his open claw, gold gone dark with age, struck in an old-country mint neither of us has seen since the hammers came.

“Took that off one of her ghouls at the warehouse,” Jalen says. “Whatever this witch is after, my money says it looks a lot like that.” He flashes his teeth at me.

“This is old treasure,” I say, studying the coin without touching it.

“And you two share a history with witches. Any idea what she’s hunting for?”

We shake our heads, and I set him straight. “Our connection to witches goes back many generations. My brother and I have no direct dealings with them.”

“Sure you don’t,” he says, grinning wider.

“You apologized for making assumptions,” Sable says. “Now you’re making another.”

“You’ve got a point. But I’m a journalist. I fact-check everything.” Jalen pockets his hands and quits grinning. “I need your help.”

“Alright,” Sable says.

Jalen counts it off on two fingers. “A guard on Shadow Suds and one on the diner, until I figure out what this witch wants. If you catch one of her ghouls on the land, send up a dragon’s call. Don’t just kill them.”

Sable tosses the coin back, and Jalen snaps it out of the air without looking. “I’ll take the patrol over Shadow Suds,” Sable says.

My wings settle. “I will stay with my mate.”

“And the weekends?”

I give him a long look.

“Alright, man, look.” He puts his hands up. “I know you’re probably still pissed about how I outed you on my podcast.”

A growl rises in my chest.

“I think Treasure really likes Shadow Wolf Creek,” he says. “So what’s the plan? You complete the mate bond and drag her off to be a nomad forever? Or do you let her be comfortable and give her a real home?”

“I do not like you,” I tell him.

Jalen spreads his arms wide. “We’ve got time.”

Sable puts his hand on my shoulder. “Go to your mate, brother. The land can wait. I’ll look over the cabin on my way to Shadow Suds and handle the rest from here.”

“I like working with you better anyway,” Jalen tells him. “You’re way less grumpy.”

I leave them to each other and take to the sky.

Shadow Park sits empty at this hour, the lake holding the moon on its surface. I drop through the old oaks at the north end and land soft on the bank.

My mate deserves better than a hungry gargoyle at her door. The fish here run fat and easy, and I take what I need from the shallows, without ceremony. It’s an ugly way to eat. It would put her off her own dinner to watch it, and I file that thought away for later.

Our chests rest at the tree line, buried under boulders no human hands could move. I roll my boulder aside and dig the smallest chest from the earth. We didn’t haul these across an ocean to let them sit in the ground forever.