Chapter Two
Chapter Two
S he’d returned.
An ethereal figure bathed in moonlight, her presence was a siren’s call he couldn’t ignore.
Aldric watched from his perch hidden in the alcove, his once emerald eyes fixed upon her graceful movements. Each step she took echoed through the silent night, drawing her closer to where he lay hidden in stone.
Excitement thrummed just beneath his granite skin. He hadn’t expected to see her again so soon, if ever. Humans rarely ventured up the roof of the old cathedral at this hour. And yet, here she was, a vision of beauty and mystery that stirred something deep within his ancient soul.
As she neared the cathedral wall, Aldric’s heart quickened. He willed her to stop, to turn back before it was too late. But she continued walking forward, oblivious to his presence. Her hand reached out, fingers brushing against the weathered stone as she leaned in for a closer look.
Aldric’s mind raced. If she touched him instead of a normal stone, she could unleash a trigger that could undo centuries of isolation in an instant. If only he could warn her or whisper for her to step away. He didn’t understand why he wanted her to turn away, but he did.
But stone lips could not speak, and she pressed onward. Her delicate touch grazed over his thigh, a thigh she likely didn’t think twice about as she leaned closer to inspect his stone face. A tremor ran through Aldric’s form as ancient magic stirred to life. The woman gasped, likely feeling the faint vibration beneath her fingertips, unaware of the powerful forces she had just unleashed.
A deafening boom tore through the peaceful night, shattering its tranquility into a million sharp fragments. The sound echoed off the walls of Aldric’s stone prison, causing spiderweb-like cracks to race across its surface. Each fissure radiated with an eerie glow, casting jagged lines of light and shadows throughout the darkness.
The woman stumbled back, her eyes wide with shock as the human in stone burst forth, centuries of confinement crumbling away.
Aldric damn near stumbled forward, his muscles weak as his foot touched the ground for the first time in two centuries. He wobbled for a moment, and then the weakness was gone, replaced by the confinements of the curse that ensured he was fit to protect in either form. He stood before her, a towering presence draped in darkness. The moon’s rays would no doubt catch on the sharp angles of his face, making him every bit as intimidating as his stone facade. His wings would no doubt scare her more than his breaking free from stone.
The woman’s breath caught in her throat, fear and fascination warring in her gaze. She took a step back, poised to flee, but Aldric moved with preternatural speed. His hand shot out, fingers wrapping around her bicep in a firm, but gentle, grip.
Warmth radiated under his palm with the first touch of human skin he’d experienced in lifetimes. It sent a jolt through his system, awakening sensations long forgotten. The softness of her flesh, the racing pulse beneath his fingertips—it was almost too much to bear.
“Please, don’t run.” Aldric’s voice was a low rumble, echoing with the weight of ages. “I mean you no harm.”
The woman trembled beneath his touch, her jade eyes searching his face even as they stayed wide with her fear. She gasped and tried to wrench free, but his grip held firm.
Aldric regarded her with a mix of caution and intrigue, his chiseled features an unreadable mask. He took a deep, deliberate breath, savoring the sensation of air filling his lungs for the first time in ages. When he finally spoke, his voice rumbled with the weight of centuries.
“I mean you no harm.” He repeated, assuming she spoke English. “I understand this must be terrifying, but since you’ve woken me, you need to remain calm.”
A piercing scream tore from her throat, shattering the cathedral’s silence. Aldric reacted instinctively, his hand flying up to cover her mouth, muffling the sound. Her eyes widened in terror as she struggled against his unyielding grip.
“Hush,” he murmured, his voice low and urgent. “I swear on my honor, I will not harm you. But I cannot allow your cries to echo through this silent night or down into the cathedral below.”
She stilled beneath his touch, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Aldric’s gaze traveled over her delicate features, taking in the soft curve of her cheek and the wild tangle of her hair. A fierce protectiveness surged through him, mingling with a primal attraction he hadn’t felt in centuries.
How fragile she seemed, how breakable, compared to his immortal form. He could snuff out her life in an instant. The dark thought sent a shudder through him. No, those violent impulses belonged to a distant past, to the time before his imprisonment. He was a protector, a guardian. His purpose was to shield, not destroy.
He kept his hand firmly pressed against her lips, ignoring the way her warmth seeped into his stone-cold skin. “I am Aldric, a guardian of this cathedral. You have awoken me from an ancient curse, one that has bound me to this place for longer than I care to remember.”
Her brow furrowed, confusion warring with fear in her eyes. Aldric slowly removed his hand from her mouth, half-expecting her to scream again. But she remained silent, watching him warily.
“A curse?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Aldric nodded, a weary sigh escaping him. “I was once a man, long ago. But a sorceress condemned me and others in my line of work to a half-life in stone when we failed to save the cathedral from a fire set by those who do not like the way we worshipped here. Through her curse, only by the light of the moon could I walk as flesh and blood, and even then, I was bound to these grounds and I will never again appear only human. When she died, even that small gift was removed, leaving me here with nothing to do but watch if someone came to the rooftop.”
He gestured to the towering spires above them, the intricate carvings that adorned the walls. “Before the sorceress’s death, I watched over this place, protecting those who seek solace within its walls. And now, through some twist of fate, your touch has freed me from my prison. If I had to guess, I would assume you are of her bloodline and your touch could wake the lot of us.”
The woman took a step back, her gaze darting to the cathedral’s entrance. Aldric tensed, ready to stop her if she tried to flee. But to his surprise, she stayed put, her curiosity seemingly outweighing her fear.
“I don’t understand,” she murmured, shaking her head. “How could I have broken the curse? Why wouldn’t you attack me? You could crush me with a single muscular arm!”
He took a cautious step towards her, his voice softening as he decided to answer her second question first. “I mean you no ill will. My sole purpose is to safeguard this cathedral and those within it. You have nothing to fear from me.”
She hesitated for a long moment, searching his face for any sign of deceit. Finally, she nodded, some of the tension easing from her shoulders.
“I believe you. I think,” she said softly. “But this is all so strange, so impossible...”
Aldric offered her a faint smile, the gesture feeling foreign on his lips. “I understand your confusion. But I assure you, this is no dream or madness. You have stumbled upon a world beyond the veil of the ordinary.”
The woman’s eyes darted back and forth, her breath coming in short gasps as she dealt with what he knew would leave her in a state of confusion. “This can’t be real. I must be losing my mind.” She pressed her palms against her temples, squeezing her eyes shut. “Wake up, wake up, wake up,” she chanted under her breath.
Aldric’s heart clenched at her distress. He couldn’t bear to see her suffering, questioning her own sanity because of him. In a swift motion, he closed the distance between them and gently grasped her shoulders, turning her to face him.
“Look at me,” he urged, his voice low and soothing. “You are not crazy. I am as real as the stone beneath your feet, and the stars above us.”
Her eyes fluttered open, meeting his intense gaze. At that moment, Aldric knew there was only one way to convince her of the truth, as only such a thing would convince him if he were in her shoes. He leaned in, his lips capturing hers in a searing kiss. The sensation was electric, igniting a fire within him that had lain dormant for centuries.
She stiffened at first, caught off guard by the unexpected touch. But gradually, she melted into his embrace, her lips moving tentatively against his as if unsure of how to respond. Her body trembled with a mix of nervousness and excitement as Aldric’s hand slid up to cradle the back of her head, pulling her closer. Their lips moved in a dance, their bodies pressed tightly together, igniting a fire within them both. Aldric’s longing and passion poured forth, consuming them both in that single, heated moment. Time seemed to stand still as they lost themselves in each other’s arms, completely lost in the intensity of their connection.
With great reluctance, he broke away, his breathing ragged. “Do you believe me now?” he whispered, resting his forehead against hers.
She didn’t move, her eyes still wide, but now with wonder and a hint of desire. Aldric felt a surge of hope, a glimmer of possibility that he had never dared to imagine.
“I assure you that nothing can feel that real in your dreams. That awakening is real. All I can offer you is the chance to come again tomorrow during the day. To see that I am still here, but stone. Though now I can perch myself in a better location to watch over the people.”
“This is absolutely insane.” She muttered even as her fingers moved over her lips. “I came up because I felt I had to, and fell in love with the view and knew I needed to paint the city from this vantage point before classes resumed.” She blinked rapidly. “And now I’ve woken some fucking gargoyle from centuries ago who kisses like a god damn rockstar.” Her lips formed an “o” as if she didn’t mean to say that list part.
“I’m not certain what exactly a rockstar is, but I did not mean to upset you. I am also grateful for this and have hope you can do this for the others when you are willing.”
“Crazy. I’ve lost my mind and instead of returning to teaching, I’m going into a looney bin.”
“You are free to go,” he said softly, stepping back. “I will not keep you here against your will. But know that if you choose to return, I will be waiting for you, every night, in this very spot once the moonlight touches my stone prison.”
He turned away, his heart heavy with the thought of letting her go, but he knew he could not force her to stay, to accept the strange and mysterious world he inhabited.
With a graceful leap, Aldric scaled the cathedral wall, his form blending into the shadows as he climbed higher and higher. From his perch atop the turret, he watched her retreating figure, a silent prayer on his lips that she would find her way back to him.
As the night wind whispered around him, Aldric renewed his vow to protect the cathedral and all who sought refuge within its walls. He had been given a second chance, a reason to hope, and he would not squander it. If she returned he would explain why he thought she woke him.
For the first time in centuries, he felt truly alive, his heart beating with the promise of something more.
He knew one thing for certain, he was going to save the others even if it meant sacrificing this beautiful woman with her fiery red hair and vibrant green eyes so similar to his own.