Chapter Seventeen #2
“That’s what they called it. This crystalline structure was meant to protect and sustain the whole castle.
I would need to read this over more carefully, but it would seem that multiple paranormal groups collaborated to build it – not only gargoyles, but witches, druids, and even fae contributed runes. ”
Redford approached the largest crystal. “It’s absolutely beautiful, but how is it breathing, moving…you know what I mean? It’s still pulsing with energy even though no one has been down here for hundreds of years.”
“My guess would be that the last caretaker died without passing on the knowledge of how to maintain it, so it shut down, or fell asleep as such, so as to preserve its energy.” Damon set the document down carefully.
“That gives a whole new meaning to the caretaker’s cottage where we’re living.
But it would seem this structure – and I use that term loosely – is still functional. It’s basically taking a nap.”
“Can we wake it up?”
“Red…”
“I want to know what it does.” Redford’s hand hovered over the crystal’s surface. “My gargoyle needs to know.”
Damon could feel his mate’s pull toward the ancient magic. It made sense. Gargoyles were creatures of stone and protection, and the crystals were effectively both.
“Don’t you think we should find some decent light and read the documentation first? It was you who wanted to find a manual for it.”
“I just want a single touch, so I can read its purpose. These pretties are made of stone, when it’s all said and done, so they can’t hurt me.”
Damon moved to Redford’s side. “Well, I’m immune to magic, so they can’t hurt me either, which means we do it together or not at all.” He held out his hand.
“Together,” Redford smiled as he put his fingers in Damon’s palm. “Always with you.”
They pressed their free palms against the crystal simultaneously - Redford’s right hand and Damon’s left – and the reaction was immediate.
The crystal filled the room with a brilliant white light, and as Damon watched, it was as if he could see Redford the man and Redford’s gargoyle form superimposed over each other.
Glancing down at his hand, he realized the light was affecting him in the same way – showing both his human and hellhound forms.
The gargoyle reached for the stone, and so did Damon’s hellhound – instinctively supporting his mate.
Four spirits, stone in their bones, fire in their blood…the crystal can see that in us.
The entire tower trembled and one by one the other crystals blazed to life, their rhythmic pulsing synchronizing into a single massive heartbeat. The runes covering every surface were now glowing gold, and through the stone beneath his feet, Damon felt something vast and ancient stir.
Wake.
The word wasn’t spoken out loud, but it resonated through the crystal, and then through every single stone in the tower – hell, it was probably in every stone in the castle itself. Something…and Damon still didn’t have a clue what it was…was waking up.
“Red…” Damon tensed, ready to translocate himself and his mate to the Underworld if necessary.
“I can feel it,” Redford whispered. “The castle knows about us. It’s… damn it…the only word I can think of is this castle is awake.”
The brilliant light faded gradually, dimming until only a soft glow remained. But the heartbeat stayed steady as the crystals continued to pulse in unison.
Damon pulled his hand back, breaking the connection, and after a long moment, Redford did the same. They were both breathing hard, although Damon could feel his heart rate slow down to a steady jog.
“What did we just do?” Damon asked.
“I think...we woke the ‘heart’... The sanctuary’s original protective magic.”
Through the stone beneath his feet, Damon felt the castle’s awareness, not threatening in any way, but present all the same. It was difficult to tell, but Damon felt curious about it, and it would seem the castle was thinking the same thing about him.
“We should probably go for now,” Damon said, grabbing the vellum sheets and tucking them carefully inside of his jacket. “We need to read these papers and understand what this thing does… What the…?”
The tower trembled again, gentler this time. It was clear something else was happening. But even as Damon was tuning into his mate’s gargoyle, he sensed how the wards they’d spent weeks reinforcing were now weaving into the crystal heart’s protective magic.
“It’s helping,” Redford said, his excitement evident. “Tell me I’m wrong, or going plain loopy, but these crystals recognize us as having the same signatures Beatrice keyed her wards to.” His dark eyes found Damon’s. “It knows we belong here.”
Things could get messy if the crystal changes its mind, Damon thought, but he kept that one to himself. “We should probably leave,” he said out loud. “Research what we’ve found before we touch anything else.”
“Good idea.”
They left the chamber, the hidden door grinding closed behind them.
But as they climbed the spiral staircase, Damon felt the castle following their progress.
There wasn’t anything threatening in the awareness – more like curiosity and a sense of patience.
That made sense in a way. The castle had waited centuries for new caretakers.
Let us read the user manual before you go expecting stuff, please.