Chapter Sixteen #2
“Well, we’re keeping you.” Kolton found the bottle in the fridge and rolled it in his hands a few times. Redford felt a short spark of magic and guessed Kolton was heating the milk. “Simon, you could borrow Redford whenever Warner’s fussy. He’s pack now, you know.”
“I’m not borrowing anyone,” Simon said, but he was smiling. “Though I wouldn’t object to visiting frequently.”
“The cottage has guest rooms now.” Damon gestured toward the hallway. “Two of them, fully furnished. You’re welcome anytime.”
Redford felt Damon’s contentment – a deep settled feeling that resonated with Redford’s gargoyle. Houses were amazing in the way they were built to protect their occupants from the elements, but it was people who made a home and family.
“Should we see the tower?” Simon asked, standing. “Before Warner realizes he’s supposed to be miserable?”
They bundled Warner into a carrier that Kolton wore strapped to his chest, so Kolton could feed the little one at the same time, before they all headed up the hillside. Simon stopped at the base of the east tower, his head tilted.
“Can you hear them?” Redford asked.
“The stones are humming.” It was clear Simon couldn’t believe he was hearing it. “Is this…?”
“They sang when I first arrived.” Redford moved to Simon’s side. “That’s how I knew Damon was my mate.”
“I heard them, very vaguely at the hospital whenever Kolton was in the building, too, but they were nothing like this.” Simon pressed his palm against the tower wall.
“There’s so much magic in these stones…” He trailed off, shaking his head as he moved his hand again.
“It’s in the foundation and somehow has woven through every stone that’s here. ”
“I figured that was Beatrice’s wards.”
“She was a true mistress of her craft.” Simon moved along the wall, his hand never losing contact with the stone.
“It’s simply incredible, and I’ve genuinely never seen or felt anything like it.
The spell work is integrated into the mortar itself, and she’s not just relied on protection spells.
I can sense calming magic and other spells that reinforce the structure.
This whole tower was always meant to be a sanctuary. ”
Redford was conscious of Damon and Kolton following him and Simon as they entered the tower.
Inside, Redford winced because the damage was still really bad.
But beneath it all, Redford could feel what Simon had sensed – the magic was still there, humming with power, waiting for someone with some skills to help repair the physical side of things.
As they made their way to the third floor, Redford purposefully didn’t say anything, waiting to see if Simon could sense the hidden room. He’d missed it, and it was Damon’s hellhound senses that found it originally, but when they reached the landing, Simon stopped abruptly.
“There.” He pointed to the exact wall where Damon had found the hidden chamber. “Something’s behind there. I can feel it.”
“That’s where we found the documents,” Damon said from behind them. “A journal, letters, and a logbook. Proof of everything this place was.”
Simon pressed both palms against the wall, his eyes closing.
“There’s more, so much more. Older magic of some kind...
Not just Beatrice’s wards, but...” His breath hitched.
“Redford, back me up here, or tell me my senses are wrong. This is gargoyle magic that was woven into the foundation probably decades or even centuries before she arrived.”
Redford didn’t need to touch the stones to confirm that, but he pressed his own hand to the wall anyway. “Yes, you can feel the resonance. It’s gargoyle protection wards.”
“I can’t believe it, after all these years being told so many times that gargoyles only looked out for themselves,” Simon whispered. “But this is a classic example of how it didn’t need to be that way. The gargoyles that built this place, made it safe for others – all others.”
“Which is one of the big reasons we’re going to restore it.” Redford met Simon’s gaze. “Not just the structure, but the original purpose behind the castle.”
“You’re talking about rebuilding the sanctuary?” Simon’s eyes were incredibly wide. “Can that be done? Can we do that?”
“We’re seriously considering it. There’s a pack alpha in Inverness who wants to discuss reopening Duncarrick officially, once the renovations are done.” Looking over his shoulder, Redford flashed his mate a smile. He could feel Damon’s pride running through him as if it was his own.
“I’ll help.” Simon turned, surveying the damage with fresh eyes. “Clearly the foundation needs to be fixed first, and then the wards. If we reinforce everything the original owners and Beatrice did and then add our own protections, we can make this tower unbreakable.”
“You can do all that, babe?” Kolton asked from the doorway, Warner still strapped to his chest. The little one had fallen asleep again.
“Not on my own, but with two gargoyles working together?” Simon glanced at Redford. “Absolutely.”
Warner started fussing again as they descended to ground level. Redford took him from Kolton, and the baby settled immediately against his shoulder.
“You’re definitely visiting regularly,” Kolton decided. “That’s not even fair.”