Chapter 9 #2
He lifts a cowboy hat and slots it down over his horns as he clicks the microphone off and stalks off the field with his tail lashing behind him like an angry cat.
“That’s the most pleasant I’ve ever heard him be,” my mother mutters, glancing at me. “How you doing today, sweetheart? I hoped I’d see you at breakfast.”
I smile and pat her knee. “All good, Mama. Just busy, like always.”
“Don’t work yourself into a lather, dear,” she says sweetly, putting her arm around me. “You like to stay busy, I know that, but come to breakfast soon. We miss having you at home.” She leans in close, bring her mouth to my ear. “I’m outnumbered and it sucks.”
Holding back a laugh, I lean into her as the sheriff comes back on the microphone to let us know he’s going to place the glamour.
He stands on the sidelines up from us, and it’s as fascinating as ever to watch him mutter a spell to make everything appear human.
A glittering line of magic sinks down over the stadium, transforming all the monsters into human form.
The skyball pitch shifts and moves until it looks more like a football field.
It’s fascinating to look around and see monsters I’ve known my whole life in glamoured human form.
There’s Varek Shorthorn, the minotaur land developer, looking like Shrek’s human form with a huge square jaw, piercing chocolate eyes and a fantastic head of brown wavy hair.
Off to my left, Lemon looks like Lemon except her vampiric tats are gone and her eyes are a beautiful bright blue. Next to her, Furyon’s a dark-skinned human with white hair and pale blue eyes. Strikingly handsome.
A giant man with pitch-black hair tinged white at his temples stands on the sidelines, looking through one of the hallway entrances expectantly.
He’s got to be nearly seven feet tall and hugely muscular, his thighs barely contained by tight jeans and a white collared shirt open enough to reveal salt-and-pepper chest hair.
“Damn, Shroud looks good as a human,” my mom mutters.
Dad slaps her thigh with a little tsk. “Don’t be gettin’ any ideas, woman.”
She barks out a laugh.
Everyone acts normal around us as the giant screens announce the team will be coming onto the field shortly. Shroud brings his hands together, rubbing them like he can’t wait to do whatever’s next. I’ve never been more thankful for field-level seats so I can see what’s going on with the couple.
“There you are!” a small voice echoes up the entry corridor, and Shroud breaks into a huge grin, opening his big arms wide.
It takes a few seconds for a human woman to come into view.
She’s shortish, maybe five-foot-six; she jogs to him and then hops into his arms. Long chocolate hair cascades down her back in shiny waves.
She’s plump with a great ass hugged tight in cutesy jeans.
Shroud pulls her into his arms, closing his eyes as he buries his face in her neck. He says something quietly, but I can’t hear it from this far away.
Someone announces the team, and they come onto the field. I can’t pull my eyes from Shroud and the woman as he sets her down and takes both her hands. They have a brief exchange, and then she steps back, looking around as if uneasy.
Annnnnd that’s my cue. Pushing past Jasper, Jack, and Jace, I walk onto the sidelines and make my way toward the newcomer. When I halt next to her carrying the book, she looks over at me, her expression unsure.
“Hey, I’m Bluebell,” I chirp, holding a hand out for her.
She eyes it, looking between Shroud and me. “What’s going on here?”
“Welllll,” I wave at Shroud, “I’m guessing my friend here just let you know this town is actually a hidden monster town, and he’s not actually human, even though you met him looking like the hottie he is in this form.”
She puts a hand to her forehead, feeling like she’s expecting a fever. “I’m going crazy, that’s it. This is not happening.”
“Oh, it’s happening,” I say again, keeping my tone light. “We can prove it, and Shroud can go first, assuming he’s okay with that.”
“It’s still me, Vela,” Shroud says quietly. “I’m the same man who met you in that bar. The same man who’s been sending you gifts. The same man who asked you to come meet me today for the game. This is my team, and I’m a player. I’m not human; I’m a gargoyle.”
She takes a step closer to me. “No. Monsters aren’t real. This is…a dream. A weird dream. Am I drugged?” She’s starting to look like she might freak out.
The sheriff joins us, his shiny star badge clearly visible on the front of his tan uniform.
“Hey there, Vela, my name is Sheriff Bishop Rygold, and we’re mighty pleased to welcome you to Pine Gulch on behalf of my friend Shroud, here.
What these folks are telling you is true.
The arena and its inhabitants are glamoured to appear human, but most of us are monsters.
Shroud ‘n’ me? We’re gargoyles. But I asked my friend Bluebell there to join us because she’s human like you, although a black magic witch. She grew up here.”
“And I can answer any questions,” I offer.
“But why don’t we show you the truth of what we are?
It’s so fun, I promise. Makes the human world seem so blah in comparison.
My folks met like this, actually. Totally adorable and disgustingly in love to this day.
" I flash a brighter smile and lift the welcome book. “We’ve literally got a welcome book for newbies!”
Vela barks out a disbelieving laugh, but waves at Shroud. “Okay, I guess. Show me the truth.”
Shroud smiles as the sheriff closes his eyes and whispers the glamouring spell. Everything happens in reverse, a glittering golden line moving out from the center of the arena toward us.
Vela squeaks and leaps over it when it passes beneath her. Then she jolts and shrieks again when she sees Shroud.
He wears the same clothing, but now he’s in full gargoyle form with beautiful dusky-purple skin and long arched horns. His wings are tucked tightly at his back, and he’s got his tail wrapped around a thigh, probably so he doesn’t wrap it around her and scare her to pieces.
“You’re safe,” I remind her when she backs into me with a hand over her heart. “You’re totally safe, Vela. We’re all friendly, and you can leave any time.”
Shroud lets out an unhappy noise at that comment, but it’s something I always say because it's every human’s first question.
Am I a prisoner?
“Shroud?” She takes a step closer to him. “I mean…you look like my Shroud but…am I dreaming?”
He unsnakes his tail then and wraps it around her wrist, using it to pull her closer. “No, my sweet. You’re not dreaming. It’s still me, and I am so, so glad you’re here. Normally, I’d play in the game, but I asked for this game off so we could watch it together. Will you sit with me?”
She eyes the tail around her wrist, then looks up at him. “Can I touch your face?”
Shroud dips low and watches her closely as she lifts a hand. She brushes her fingers down his nose and over his high cheekbones, then moves them to his square jaw.
“It’s you.” Her voice is awed, reverent as she moves her fingers to his horns. “And these?”
He shudders when she draws her fingertips along the length of his left horn.
“Sensitive,” he says gruffly.
She laughs. “Oh my God. I don’t know anything about you now!”
“You know all the important parts,” he corrects, “except for this. Shall we take our seats, my sweet? I can’t wait to introduce you to skyball.”
Her mouth drops open. “I thought you coached football!”
He shrugs. “Closest story I could go with, Vela.”
When he offers her his hand, she hesitates a moment then takes it, threading her fingers through his. I hand Shroud the welcome book for later—going through the scavenger hunt at the front will be the perfect way to introduce Vela to Pine Gulch.
As they make their way to two empty seats on the sidelines, the entire arena breaks out into cheers. The kiss cam moves to them, showing a shocked-looking Vela and beaming Shroud as they sit in the empty seats.
I follow them over, promising to be there after the game to tour downtown if she wants a human friend to accompany her. Unsurprisingly, she looks pretty okay with Shroud by her side, staring at him like she’s totally shell-shocked.
It’s always a little like that when we call humans from the outside world.
I’m sure it’s a weird experience for them to easily enter our town just because they feel drawn to it, and then for us to unglamour everything to reveal the ward that protects us from the outside world, and—oh, by the way—we’re all monsters.
Most of the humans who live in the haven system are some sort of witch, too.
The odd human has no magical ability at all, like my dad, but that’s less common.
Leaving Vela and Shroud to it, I return to my seat.
Uncharacteristic moroseness fills me as I sit between Jasper and my mother.
The game starts, and the players come onto the field, but I can’t stop my eyes from drifting to Vela and Shroud.
They’re engrossed in conversation, and he’s obviously enamored.
He’s missing the entire game, his head propped on his fingertips and one hand wrapped around her knee.
She talks emphatically, and the only time he even looks at the field is when she seems to ask a question about it.
Eventually, I pull my eyes from them and focus on the players. My mother leans over. “Did you do Hay’s wings? Looks awesome, sweetheart!”
I smile. “Yeah, he asked me to try. No idea how long it’ll keep, but it looks pretty badass, huh?”
Jack snorts. “Gaudy as hell. I’m gonna make fun of him after the game.”
I shake my head, fairly certain that the twins’ and Hadrian’s friendship is built on a foundation of their snarky nonsense and Hadrian’s utter unflappability.
It surprises me anew that it’s not Jace and Alk who are so close.
They’re more alike. But perhaps that’s precisely why they’re not drawn together.
On the other side of my father, Jasper sits with his head in a book about green magic.
Of my three brothers, he has to work the hardest, although he’s usually not inclined.
It’s the same because his magic is so damn strong when he chooses to apply himself.
In some ways it surprised me he wanted to study for the level-three mastery test. I don’t think Jack’ll ever bother with it.
Glancing at Vela and Shroud again, my heart leaps into my throat at seeing his huge fingers trailing up her jaw. He stares at her in absolute wonder, eyes hooded and the slightest smirk on his face.
And I know that look, because it’s the way Hadrian looked at me earlier.