Chapter 11 – Shade
SHADE
Itransport to the woods outside the vampire’s mansion. Already I’d decided I loved this forest. It was bright, beautiful, and teaming with life. Which was exactly the opposite of the Underworld.
A shiver moves through me as I remember the dark place, and I realize my hand has unconsciously gone to my throat, as if the collar that had encircled my neck was still there. It takes a minute for me to calm my racing heart, to remember that I’m not Hades’s prisoner any more.
My boots seem loud as I crunch through the leaves, and I find myself gentling my steps as I move.
When my heartbeat starts to calm, my mind slides back to the gargoyle.
Every muscle in my body tenses. I like him.
I like the way he speaks to me. I like the way I feel safe speaking to him. And I love touching him.
Is that normal?
When I’d awakened to feel him thrusting against me, groaning in his sleep, I’d almost removed my robe and climbed on top of him.
It seemed a chance to try out this man and explore the desire between us.
But then I’d remembered that he was my prisoner of sorts.
I didn’t want him to think I was keeping him in my room to satisfy my curiosity.
So I’d done the only thing I could think of; I’d brought him pleasure. And yet, he didn’t seem happy about what had happened. Had I handled it in the wrong way?
For a second I considered asking my maid, but I immediately push the thought to the side.
I trusted her most out of the vampires in my home; however, I wasn’t a fool.
She worked for Lord Drac. Her loyalty was with him.
I had no doubt that anything I said would be immediately communicated with the man, and I feared what he’d do to Elliot if he knew I wasn’t torturing him.
I’m pondering why I’m worried about Lord Drac and Elliot when I hear a sound not far in front of me. Gentling my steps, I walk closer and closer until a small lake comes into view.
Frowning, I wonder what it was about the lake that disturbed me when a man comes exploding from the water.
My mouth goes dry. Even if it wasn’t sunny out, I’d have no doubt that he wasn’t a vampire.
He was too big, too thick, too muscular.
His hair was blond and dripping with water.
His skin was pale, but a massive tattoo covered one of his shoulders.
Again, I’m surprised by how attractive I find him. Do I just like my men large and naked?
And if I do, does that make me strange? Or do most women enjoy what I do?
He starts to climb out from the water, and my gaze slides down his belly. Water drips down the chiseled muscles, and when he climbs further out of the water I spot his massive cock.
I’m transfixed by it, even though it isn’t erect. It just seems…too big. Like a weapon that can’t quite fit the sheath a man is trying to stuff it into. Which is a strange thought.
“Are all males as well-endowed as you are?”
The man leaps back, eyes wide, and stares at me in shock.
Am I so frightening? I had done my best to cover my horns. And I knew my skin color was almost normal in the sunlight. Not such a deep shade of green to alarm anyone. Nor do I glow purple unless I will myself to, which I’m not.
I move closer. Beside my feet, I spot his clothes and a huge sword. Leaning down, I pick up his weapon and study it. It’s heavy and well-made.
“What do you want?” he asks, his breathing shaking his whole chest.
I look back at him. “I was just going for a walk and thought I could ask you about your huge cock.”
He stares at me.
I stare back at him and tilt my head.
Ah. I realize it too late. Lord Drac says I must get better with small talk and not be so direct. I’ve gone and scared the human.
“Nice weather, isn’t it?”
He looks from me to his sword. “Uh, yeah.”
“Do you have any hobbies?”
“Uh, no.”
I almost tell him that I kill evil people and drag them to the tunnels of the Underworld, but then can’t decide if that’s a hobby or my profession. Oh, and also if that might scare a human.
“I like gardening,” I tell him, deciding that seems normal enough.
“That’s…nice,” he says.
I smile. Small talk has been a success!
“So, do all men have as large cocks as you do?”
He stares at me again.
“I’ve only seen a few. People in the castle often have sex in public, but all the men have tiny cocks.
There’s a gargoyle with a huge one though.
” I pause. Do humans know about gargoyles?
“I mean, not a gargoyle. Those don’t exist. A man has a huge one, like yours, so I wondered if that was normal. ”
His entire body stiffens. “You live in the castle in these woods?”
I nod. “At least for a little while.”
“And you’ve seen a gargoyle there?”
“If they exist, then yes.”
His stunning light blue eyes hold mine. “Is he…still alive?”
“Yes.” Why wouldn’t he be?
The man looks relieved, which is when it hits me.
“You know Elliot.”
The look of relief is gone in an instant. “How do you know his name?”
“How do you know him?” I counter.
He seems not to trust me. Which makes me wonder if I should be trusting him so easily.
Suddenly, I feel uneasy. I don’t understand a lot about enemies. Shades probably have lots of enemies, but they don’t usually stay out of the Underworld long enough to have issues with them. But I get the strangest feeling this man might be dangerous to me. Elliot was, after all, sent to kill me.
I set his sword down. “I’m going to go.”
Turning, I start to walk back the way I came.
His wet body slams into me from behind, and we both hit the ground hard. I struggle beneath him, and he hisses and swears as he tries to subdue me. If I wasn’t so panicked, I’d teleport, but given my emotional state I doubt I could control where I ended up.
It might be more dangerous than this man himself.
So I freeze, deciding to see what he wants.
His hands pin my wrists to the ground above my head, and I look back at him. Ours eyes lock, and there’s uncertainty in his gaze.
Panting, I decide the hell with it. “Why are you on me?”
“You…were leaving,” he tells me, as if I should already know.
“So?”
His gaze locks with mine. “Elliot is my friend.”
For some reason, his words calm me a little. I can’t imagine Elliot having a dangerous friend. Even though he says he came to the castle to kill me, I don’t think he could’ve gone through with it.
I shift beneath him, and I’m surprised when I feel his cock harden behind me. An image of him naked forms in my mind. I wish I could turn around and see what he looks like hard.
“You’re aroused,” I say.
He curses. “I’m not.”
I rub my ass against him. “It feels like you are.”
His cheeks turn red. “This isn’t…I’m not trying to…you’re going to help me get Elliot back.”
“I don’t want to give him back. I like him.”
He stares at me as if I’m nuts. “You understand how dangerous it is for a gargoyle to be caught by vampires, right? They’ll kill him.”
I shake my head. “They gave him to me, and I won’t kill him or even hurt him. If anything, I want to bring him pleasure.”
He swears again. “Who are you?”
“I…I don’t have a name exactly. I haven’t been alive long enough to decide on one. But everyone calls me Shade.”
He blinks slowly. “You’re the shade?”
I nod and smile.
“The dangerous monster…”
Dangerous monster? “I kill those who hurt innocents in violent ways. Does that make me a dangerous monster?”
“I don’t...” He pauses and shakes his head. “Listen, we need to get Elliot out of there. No matter what you think, you’re not going to be able to protect him from the vampires if they want to hurt him.”
I flash my teeth. “I’m not afraid of the vampires, but they are afraid of me.”
“Shade—“
“You didn’t tell me your name,” I say.
He takes a minute to answer. “I’m Cody.”
“Are you a gargoyle, Cody?”
He doesn’t answer, but I see the truth in his face.
“So, do I just find all gargoyles attractive then?”
“All gargoyles?” he repeats.
“You and Elliot. You both make me want to have sex with you.”
His brows rise high. “That’s, uh…gargoyles aren’t interested in things like that.”
I wiggle against his hard dick again. “Are you sure?”
He’s back to breathing hard, but the way he breathes changes. He holds my wrists a little looser, and his gaze sweeps over me. A shiver of something unknown moves through me, and when our gazes lock again, I get the strangest feeling he’s going to kiss me.
But then he shakes himself, as if trying to awaken from a dream. “We need to get Elliot back. Please.”
I want to help him, he seems so sincere, but I think of my time with Elliot. “Why? You don’t appreciate him. You think his injury makes him weak. If he were mine, I would kiss his leg every chance I got. I would keep him safe and enjoy him in a way gargoyles don’t seem capable of.”
Again, he looks confused. “Elliot is my brother. My family. I don’t care about his injury, and I know he wouldn’t want to be a prisoner.”
A prisoner. The word rolls through me. I was a prisoner.
I would never want him to feel the way I did when I imagined my life trapped in the Underworld.
“If he wants to leave, I’ll help you. But only if he wants to leave.”
He nods and then his heavy body lifts above me. I turn around and he remains poised over me, studying my face. I reach up and touch his smooth chin. Uncertainty flares to life in his eyes.
“What will happen after you rescue him? Will you…just go?”
He clears his throat. “I’m…not sure.”
“I hope you’ll stay close,” I tell him, speaking the truth.
I like this gargoyle too. And Elliot. Even if they plan to kill me.
Suddenly, a horrible pain tears through me. I squeeze my eyes closed and bite down on a scream of pain as I reach up and grip my head.
“What’s wrong?” Cody asks.
Tears slip down my cheeks as I sense the woman being beaten. Death hovers above her and the man who hurts her.
Usually I don’t feel this pull until the victim is dead. I always hurry when they’re still alive.
“I have to go. A human woman is going to die if I don’t.”
And then, I teleport away.
Lord Drac will be mad. He tells me to ignore these calls, and I’ve tried to. I’ve pushed the calls so far down inside of me that instead of dozens of screams overwhelming me from minute to minute, it’s only the occasional one that seems to force past my barriers.
Drac wants to tell me which people to pursue. But this time, I have to act when the victim’s scream isn’t a death-scream. When the victim still has a chance.
I can’t ignore what I was born to do.
Walking through the living room of the filthy house, I move down the hall. In my ears, the sound of two hearts racing fills my ears. I hear the woman scream again. I hear her cry.
And then, I’m there. Behind the man. His hands raised above his head to deliver another blow.
My hand curls around the back of his neck.
He looks back at me, his eyes wide.
My gaze goes to the woman. “Bad men get punished. He’ll never hurt you again.”
Before either of them can respond, I snap his neck then teleport again, tearing his soul from his body along with me.
The man’s scream swirls all around, and he stumbles as we land in the dark tunnels of the Underworld.
“What? Where?”
“Bad people get punished,” I say. “In this life or the next.”
All I can see are the pupils of his eyes as his gaze meets mine, but then I look at his hands. The woman’s blood coats the shadowy fists of his soul-figure. And anger rises inside of me.
I release my powers like releasing a breath and blast him down through the tunnels. He’ll explode out of the darkness onto the bank of the river. And even though he doesn’t have a coin, the other shades will take him to the fate he deserves.
One time I remained and watched.
Then decided never to watch again.
Wrapping my arms around myself, I teleport away, wishing I could forget about blood and death and shadows. If only this wasn’t what I was made for.