Chapter 90
CHAPTER NINETY
Ellery
“We have to make sure they don’t kill Ryker and the children,” I said around a mouthful of apple. “That will be the tricky part.”
Scarlet rested her hand on my arm. “We will figure it out.”
“Let’s go sit by some light,” Luna said.
Indon bowed his head in acquiescence. We moved over to the wall and settled in a circle with some of the other amsirah. The gargoyles stayed standing and alert, but their postures weren’t menacing or overwhelming.
“Are you sure you wouldn’t like something to eat?” Ruby asked the gargoyles when we’d all settled near some lanterns. “We have some dried venison.”
“We don’t eat meat,” Indon said.
I was sure their shocked expressions had mirrored my own when I heard this revelation. “What do you eat?” Luna asked.
“Rocks and other forest debris.”
“Like sticks?” another amsirah blurted.
“Sometimes, but we prefer rocks.”
Another amsirah chuckled, but when the gargoyles remained stoic, their laughter trailed away. They glanced nervously around before shifting deeper into the shadows.
“Are you serious?” Luna blurted.
When Indon smiled at them, a few amsirah cringed. I scowled at them, but I understood their reaction. They would get used to the large, extremely deadly creatures; until then, the gargoyles were frightening, and their smiles didn’t help ease that.
“I’m very serious; we enjoy rocks. My favorites are the black ones,” Indon said.
“You have a preference?” I couldn’t keep the laughter from my voice as I asked this.
“Oh yes, very much so. The black ones taste the best.”
“I prefer the gray,” the smallest of the three gargoyles said. Until she spoke, I hadn’t realized she was a female.
“I prefer the red ones,” the third gargoyle said. He was smaller than Indon, but not by much.
“And you are?” I asked.
“I am Avex,” the gargoyle who preferred red rocks said.
“And I’m Kevi,” the female said.
“It’s nice to meet you,” I replied. “More formally.”
They both smiled, which was something they shouldn’t do if they wanted to put anyone at ease, but I smiled back at him.
“And you’ve been locked away all this time?” Luna asked.
“Yes, your ancestors turned on us and sealed us away for hundreds of thousands of years,” Indon said.
Everyone exchanged an uneasy look at this revelation. I remained silent; I’d let the gargoyles reveal as much of their history as they chose to.
“How awful,” Ruby murmured.
“It was not pleasant,” Kevi said.
“How did they manage to lock you away?” Luna asked.
“That secret was lost to time,” I lied easily.
I wasn’t sure how the gargoyles would have responded to her, but this secret was better kept hidden. When Luna’s eyes narrowed on me, I kept my face impassive.
Few knew what was taken from the gargoyles and what I’d done to awaken them. It would stay that way.
I trusted Luna, but this was one secret I’d take to my grave, and I hoped the others would too. The gargoyles deserved their freedom, and they would have it.
Only Ryker or I could imprison them again, and that wouldn’t happen. However, there could be future generations of lightning bearers who might get greedy and decide to cage these amazing creatures. I wouldn’t give them the key to doing so.
“How did you free them?” Luna asked.
“My lightning was the key.”
Luna didn’t seem as doubtful about this answer; without knowing about the stone, it made sense. As long as the gargoyles possessed the stone, no one outside of me, Callan, Ryker, Tucker, Scarlet, and Ianto would know of its existence.
That was far too many for my liking, but I trusted them to take the secret to their graves. There was no reason for anyone else to know about it.
“Okay,” I said as I finished my apple and clapped my hands together before diving back into Ruby’s bag for some jerky. “Let’s plot an insurrection.”