Granite Kiss (13 page)

The woman of his heart, his true love, stood before him, confusion and hurt marring her beautiful features. His inability to confess his emotions was destroying Elena.

“Elena.” He reached for her as she opened the bedroom door.

“I said I need some air,” she said, and walked down the short hall. “I’m leaving, Zander.”

“If you leave, I cannot protect you when the sun rises,” he pleaded as he followed her.

“I don’t need your protection.” She turned to meet his gaze. “I need you. I want you. Don’t you understand? Your stone form through the day, and your human-gargoyle form at night. Your wings, talons, the tail, I want the whole of you. And I will not play second best to a dead woman’s memory. She isn’t even worthy of your thoughts. I deserve more. Good night, Zander.”

Before he could respond, she left the penthouse, closing the door behind her.

For several moments Zander stood, staring blankly at the closed door before finally uttering, “Yes, my love, you deserve more than I can give you.”

“So, you’re just going to let her walk away?” Adan said from the open terrace door.

Zander spun around and spewed a mighty roar.

Unconcerned and undeterred, Adan crossed his arms over his broad chest and leaned against the frame of the sliding door. “Feel better now, beast?”

“No,” Zander admitted.

“Then for the love of the gods, go after her.”

“To what end, Adan? I am a beast, a monster of the night,” Zander snapped. “What can I give her? What kind of life do you think we can have together?”

“True love conquers all, old friend,” Adan said.

“You know not what you speak.”

“You are correct. I was fourteen years when the king’s men captured me. I’d never known love. But hear this, beast, I would give anything–anything at all–to have a woman look at me the way Elena does you.”

Several silent moments ticked away between them.

“Why don’t you allow Elena the opportunity to tell you what she thinks? What she wants out of a relationship. She already made her feelings abundantly clear where you are concerned. Her heart knows its love for you–although I don’t know why. You are an obstinate pain in the ass.”

“She is too young to know what she wants, Adan.”

“Right. Like at eighteen years you were grown up enough to know you wanted a princess you could never have.”

Zander cast him a glance, warning Adan to choose his words carefully.

“She is a twenty-eight year old woman, with a good head on her shoulders,” Adan said.

“Precisely. Twenty-eight is just a babe.”

“You got that right, she is a babe.” Adan ducked his head as Zander drilled a clay vase at him from the other side of the room. The sound of pottery shattering on the roof of the building echoed loudly. “Things are different in this day, old man,” he continued calmly. “Life for mortals is too short. We have an eternity. Go after her. Allow yourself to be happy. Permit Elena to enjoy the happiness you bring her.”

Several more moments passed before Zander nodded in agreement.

“I sense her discontent. I will allow Elena some time for her anger to cool, and then I will go to her,” Zander said. “So, uh, you want to come along for the flight? You know, get out and stretch your wings?”

“Chicken shit,” Adan teased.

“I am not!”

“You’re such a big baby.”

* * * *

Elena ran down several flights of stairs, and stood alone on the thirty-eighth floor, waiting for the elevator. A broad spectrum of emotions plagued her. The love of her life remained upstairs, and he had allowed her to simply walk away from him. She didn’t care that Zander was different from her. Elena loved him. She loved everything about him. He was open, and honest, and she believed with all her heart that when he was mortal he had been an exceptional man.

With every fiber of her being, Elena wanted to break the fucking curse. She
needed
to. Not for herself, but for Zander. If nothing were to be between them, at least she could give him his life back.

The elevator arrived, and the oversized door slid open. She stepped inside and pressed the button for the lobby. Watching the numbers flash on the display screen as the elevator descended, Elena’s body screamed at her to press the emergency stop button and go back up to the penthouse. She just couldn’t bring herself to do it. If Zander wanted her to stay, he wouldn’t have allowed her to leave the suite in the first place.

Elena needed some time alone. She’d been cooped up in the penthouse for a couple of days and needed some space. Maybe she should head to her apartment and get on with her life.

On autopilot, she stepped off the elevator in the lobby and made her way out the front door. The doorman offered to flag down a taxi, but as steamed as she was, Elena decided a walk would help clear her head.

Twenty minutes later Elena looked around, realizing she’d taken a wrong turn somewhere. She found herself disoriented as she turned in a circle in an attempt to pinpoint a familiar landmark. The deserted street seemed darker than it had only moments before. A shuffling sound from behind had her spinning on her heel. A few feet away an elderly man walking with the aid of a cane approached.

Odd. Why on earth would an elderly man be wandering the streets alone in the middle of the night?
What the hell was
she
doing out at this hour by herself, when she could be snuggled up against the comforting, protective body of her beloved gargoyle? Well, she was out here because she’d been unreasonable, saying hurtful things to Zander due to her own insecurities.

“You look lost, deary.” The old man’s voice crackled as he spoke. “Can I offer you some directions?”

Although the voice of her deceased grandmother echoed in the back of Elena’s mind reminding her ‘not to speak to strangers’, Elena felt sorry for the old man.
How harmless could a little old man be?
she told the nagging voice in her head. He appeared to be having great difficulty, even with the assistance of the cane, and she felt the need to offer him some help.

“I’m just a little unfamiliar with this area,” she replied, closing the distance between her and the man. “Here,” she said, taking his free palm in hers. “Let me give you a hand. Do you live nearby?”

“Oh, that is really very sweet, deary,” he said, and his voice began to change. No longer was it the crackling, aged voice of an old man, but the timbre had grown deep, sinister, and the man’s hand had turned cold.

Elena tried to wrench her hand free, but the man held tight. The strength in his frail looking fingers took her by surprise. A cold breeze began to swirl around them, seeming to concentrate around the man. It circled from the ground up, and within seconds, before her eyes stood a man who appeared not much older than Elena herself. She attempted to draw breath and found herself unable to.

Standing well over six feet and clad in black leather, his long ebony hair blew behind him in the wind.

Elena hadn’t even realized his free hand cupped her face until his chilling voice filled her ears.

“How foolish of the pathetic farm boy to let down his guard where you are concerned. Yet quite fortunate for me, you have walked right into my clutches.” The pad of his thumb brushed against her cheek. “You truly are a beauty. You remind me of my daughter, Aceline.”

Elena gasped, and her knees threatened to buckle.

“No,” she whimpered.

“Yes, milady. I am certain by now, the beasts have told you a great deal about me. It
is
me. In the flesh.”

“But...but...”

“You have her blue eyes. And my sturdy chin.” Pride filled his voice as he studied her face. “I am certain it is hard for you to believe, but you are a descendant of myself, the great–and rumored ruthless–King Xavier.” A smug grin lifted his lips. “And you, my child, are the key to destroying the curse which will free the worthless farm boy and his criminal cohorts.”

Elena stared openmouthed at the man standing in front of her. If she were to believe what she’d just been told, Elena looked into the face of her great-great–Christ, she didn’t know how many greats–grandfather. This was impossible.
Absolutely impossible.

“H-how?”

“How what, my child?” He grinned menacingly, continuing to brush his thumb along her cheek. “How is it that you find yourself looking at your ancient ancestor, who doesn’t look much older than yourself? Or how you are the key to destroying a centuries’ old curse?”

From the depths of her soul, Elena summoned every ounce of her courage and felt her confidence renew. “Both,” she demanded. Pulling away from his touch, she nearly jumped out of her skin as anger flared in the king’s eyes.

“Back in the day, my wizard bestowed powers upon me, which I have–how do you say–‘tweaked’ to suit my evil needs. It is a shame you will never bear witness to the wonderful carnage I will one day soon release upon mankind.” His throaty chuckle made Elena’s skin crawl. “You have seen with your own eyes, mere men can be transformed into grotesques by chanting the spell of humility, however, my child, throughout the centuries I have learned to create far more dangerous creatures.”

“
Zander,
” Elena called out in her mind. “
Oh, Zander, please hear me.
”

“In answer to your second question–”

“You really haven’t answered the first to my satisfaction,” she snapped.

A nonchalant shrug was his reply. “After today, milady, it will mean nothing. I am certain you have figured out you are Zander’s true love.” He stopped as if waiting for her to answer. “Your kiss will break the curse placed upon him back in seventeen-ninety-two.”

The revelation startled Elena. “But, I have kissed Zander. Deeply, and with all my heart. Yet he still holds the form of a gargoyle.”

Xavier’s laughter turned her stomach.

“You must kiss one another on All Hollow’s Eve, my child.”

“That’s today!”

“Yes. A kiss on this day will allow Zander to take his mortal form once again. Then, the two of you must consummate your love for one another.” With a disgusted look on his face, Xavier continued. “If he spills his vile seed within your womb, the final incantation of the spell will be unwoven and the farm boy will be freed.”

Elena gasped.

“That is correct, my child.” The king grinned. “It is within your power. Always has been.” Leaning down, he placed a light kiss on the tip of her nose. “The secret ingredient to the curse and its demise is your love of Halloween.”

The guys were right. I am the key. I can break Zander’s curse!

Xavier began pulling Elena along the sidewalk at a rapid pace.

“The farm boy thought he could outsmart me by keeping you hidden in his lair. But how fortunate for me you finally realized how worthless he is and walked away from him. Unfortunately, your sudden awakening has come too late and has not earned you any points with me. I have already decided you are a liability in my plan, not an asset. You became tainted the moment you allowed that worthless miscreant to put his hands on you. You are a descendant of royalty, child, what were you thinking?”

“Where are you taking me?” Elena demanded, and began hitting Xavier with her free hand.

“To your death.”

“The hell you are,” she hollered and attempted to add a kick or two along with her punches.

“Such a hellcat, you are. Your spirit would have served you well in my day. Ah, how you remind me of my sweet Aceline.”

“Let me go, you son-of-a-bitch,” Elena snarled as she struggled.

“I will warn you only once, child, to stop fighting me. You are no match for my magic or my strength, and although I am going to kill you, I do not want to hurt you before it is time.”

With her life on the line, Elena fought back with everything she had. She continued to punch and claw at Xavier, cursing obscenities, praying for Zander to come for her. She would fight this evil king to her dying breath.

Without warning, Xavier spun around, raising his free hand to his face, palm up, and blew. An iridescent powder clouded around her face, stinging her eyes. Elena gasped, drawing the sweet smelling dust into her lungs. With a cough and a sputter as she tried to catch her breath, her knees buckled and she collapsed against the king as the world darkened around her. Just before she fell into complete unconsciousness, Elena heard his voice grow fainter, and fainter.