Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
DUMONT
W hy was that tiny human in the yellow sundress running away from me? She’d pointed up at me and trembled in fear before she took off in a sprint. I was cloaked with my magic, so she shouldn’t even be able to see me. Scanning both land and sky for any discernible threats revealed nothing. Which proved what she feared was me.
“ Eloise , stop,” Anya shouted as she ran after the blonde woman, who soon slowed and turned back to Anya .
I flew over here to ensure that Hugo got Anya back safely. After reports about possible demon sightings—with them flying toward Montreal — I wouldn’t leave Hugo alone to protect her. Two sentries on my team, Luc and Marc , were on watch in stone form mounted outside the library. We knew better than to leave it unprotected. My duty as commander of the Stone Sentries in Montreal was to protect this city and its people, most especially with this library and those within it.
As I approached Hugo , I slowed my descent as I put my feet down and landed. “ Who is that woman and why is she running like that?”
“ That’s Anya’s sister, Eloise .” Hugo’s gaze followed the two women darting across the tree-lined paths of the campus, which was quiet this time of night. “ Apparently , she can also see through our magic.”
“ Huh ,” I grunted. Not only could we cloak ourselves to fly without being seen, we could also shift to appear human. Otherwise , they’d all react in fear the way this woman did. “ Interesting .”
We thought Anya’s ability might be because she had witch blood or due to being Hugo’s mate. Since this woman was related to Anya …
“ Maybe she has her family’s magic as well,” I noted.
Hugo nodded slowly. “ Perhaps . That’s what Anya suggested.”
In recent weeks, Anya had learned she was Adelaide Lebonne’s granddaughter. Adelaide had hired us to protect her beloved library. She’d also wanted us to watch over her granddaughters—except we’d only found one. The other—presumably this woman who had finally stopped running and listened to Anya while casting frightened glances over at Hugo and me—had been impossible to find.
Until now.
“ Have you told Anya ?” I asked Hugo .
With the recent intel, we needed to get Anya to safety.
“ Yes . Then we realized this might affect Eloise as well. She was the one who brought the grimoire here to get it to a safe place. She was being followed.”
I rubbed my jaw as I put the pieces together. We hadn’t known the identity of the mysterious woman who had brought the book to the library. Now , not only was she here, but she was Anya’s sister and Adelaide’s granddaughter.
Which meant…
“ Shit , she could be in danger as well.”
Hugo met my eyes and gave me a somber nod. “ I agree.”
I exhaled. “ Does she know?”
He shook his head. “ No . We haven’t had a chance to tell her yet.”
I glanced over at her, now dozens of feet away on the campus grounds. Pretty . Long blonde hair tousled from running. Chest rising and falling from escalated breathing. Attractive curves. And narrowing her eyes with suspicion as she stared at me from behind black-framed glasses.
Wonderful .
“ Perhaps Anya should tell her what’s going on,” I said. With that expression, she definitely didn’t want to hear it from us.
Anya beckoned for Eloise to come with her toward us. Eloise stared at me with wariness, but took slow steps following her sister.
“ It’s okay, Eloise .” Anya nudged her by the arm. “ Trust me, I reacted the same way when I first met Hugo , but I was mistaken. The gargoyles are protectors and would never harm you.”
Despite Anya’s reassuring words, Eloise’s wary expression didn’t change.
“ It’s true,” I stated, addressing Eloise . “ My name is Dumont and I’m here to ensure your sister is safe.” I placed a hand on my chest. “ Your grandmother hired us to do so.”
Eloise’s brows arched high. “ Did you meet her?”
“ Yes . She was a wonderful woman.” And a gifted witch. I took a small step closer to Eloise . “ She asked us to protect you as well. But we didn’t know who or where you were.”
Eloise edged her chin up an inch but didn’t reply.
“ Don’t be afraid of me,” I continued. “ I know my appearance might be jarring but I mean you no harm. You have my word.” I bent forward in a small bow.
Her scent reached me—a mystical, floral aroma with hints of the ocean. Every molecule in my body fired with awareness, and I froze.
“ What are you doing?” she asked, her tone clipped with wariness.
Good question. With shock rattling my systems, I remained leaning forward in a semi-bow. I wasn’t sure I could regulate any part of my body—not when both brain and body collided with recognition of what this meant.
“ Dumont , are you all right?” Hugo asked.
Why was I still frozen like a fool? Like I’d suddenly shifted into my stone form.
Focus . I was a commander, a leader, not some silly creature who was easily enamored. Forcing myself to straighten, I attempted to respond like someone in control of his emotions.
“ Yes , I was just contemplating the situation.” It wasn’t exactly a lie since I was attempting to wrestle with what this unanticipated reaction to her meant.
Because all my instincts were telling me one thing: this woman who had just fled from me in fear and eyed me with distrust—she was my mate.