Granite Kiss (8 page)

“The air is too cool for your flesh tonight,” Zander said. “Let us move inside where you will be more comfortable.”

Elena nodded and stood up.

Entering the suite, she wandered toward a sofa and sat down. When everyone had taken a seat and appeared settled, Elena repeated her question.

“How did you become gargoyles?”

“A spell was cast upon us,” Zander said. “For all eternity, we were cursed to take the form that you now see before you.”

“When? And why?” she asked. “Who did you piss off enough to turn you to statues?”

“You are curious, young one.” Kenyon chuckled.

Elena glared at him from across the room.

“My apologies, milady.” He chuckled again. “I thought your earlier warning was for Zander alone.”

“Well, things were very different in the days when we were cursed,” Mabon began. “Though the six of us knew nothing of one another, the only common thread we shared was that each of our villages was ruled by a mad and evil king, Xavier.”

“That’s my last name,” Elena said.

The gargoyles exchanged glances.

“
Perhaps a coincidence,
” Henrik projected.

“Remember, I can hear you,” Elena told him.

“Sorry, milady,” he said. “We speak through thought most often, it is merely habit.”

Elena shrugged. “It’s okay. I just thought I should remind you. You know, in case you want to say something in private.”

“Understood.” Zander offered her a wink.

“Okay, so what did you all do?” She curled her feet to the side as she got comfortable on the corner of the couch.

“I was caught stealing one of his highness’s royal chickens, so my mother could feed my ten younger siblings,” Adan said. “For weeks the king threatened to cut off my hands.”

“Over a chicken?”

“Remember, we are talking a very long time ago, Elena,” Zander reminded her.

“How long ago?”

“The year was seventeen-ninety-two.”

Elena seemed to give that some thought. “Still seems rather extreme to chop off someone’s hand for taking a chicken to feed their family.” She shook her head. “The word ‘barbaric’ comes to mind.”

“During his reign, the king outlawed alcohol–for the commoners,” Henrik began, and met her curious gaze. “Magnus and I built a still in the forest and were trading our forbidden libation for sundry items for our families. When word reached the castle, the king’s men came for us. We were thrown in the dungeon, and were there near two years before Zander’s arrival.”

Elena looked to Zander for him to confess his sin. He was saved, for the moment, from telling her when Mabon spoke up.

“I made the mistake of taking a swing at one of the king’s knights,” he said. “It was in the marketplace, and the man had taken a piece of fruit without payment.”

“I was simply a drifter,” Kenyon said as he reached for the last piece of pizza from the lone box he’d placed on the coffee table. “I was sleeping in the woods after traveling for a day. A poke by the end of a spear woke me, and I next found myself locked in the dungeon.”

“And I thought the judicial system bit now,” Elena muttered.

Silent minutes passed before all eyes settled upon Zander. He attempted to ignore the looks by absently picking at the toppings of his pizza.

“Well?” Adan prompted. “Your turn, Zander.”

Elena needed her questions answered, and Zander was fine with that, sort of. Her curiosity and genuine interest just might be able to bring him some comfort in his tortured existence. But was it really necessary for her to hear about his past indiscretion?

A low rumble sounded in Zander’s chest.

“I was, uh,” Zander stammered, unable to find the right words. “I was found...in the company of a princess,” he managed to finally blurt out.

“Well, what the hell is wrong with that?” Elena asked, her face scrunched up in confusion. It didn’t take long for her to put two and two together. “Oh,” she murmured. Something then flickered in her eyes, something resembling... “Were you raping her?”

Although he’d expected it, the question still caught Zander off guard. It was after he shouted, “No!” that he realized there was no insinuation in her voice. “My apologies for hollering.”

Elena nodded. “She was your lover then?”

“Well, no...yes...not exactly.” He groaned in frustration.

“It’s okay, Zander, I don’t need the details.” Elena shifted uncomfortably on the sofa. “Thank you for answering my question and satisfying my curiosity.”

“I will tell you more,” Zander offered, almost pleading.

He needed Elena to know Princess Aceline was someone from his past, way in the past, although she was someone he thought he loved. Now, for the first time since the day in the meadow, Zander looked forward to the future.

A future he intended to share with Elena.

“It isn’t necessary,” she assured him with a genuine smile. When her hand settled on his thigh, he covered it with his own. “All right, now I know your crimes, or sins rather,” she said. “Tell me about the curse. How it came about. Whatever you recall.”

“We remember as if it were yesterday,” Zander told her.

“It was early July when the guards wrenched us from our dank, musty cells,” Mabon began.

“Dark,” Adan continued. “It was still dark. Only one guard carried a torch.”

“We were bound and chained together,” Henrik said, absently rubbing his wrists as if still feeling the metal tight around his flesh. “Then led to the tallest turret of the castle.”

“The king stood waiting for us, beside him a wizard.” Kenyon then chuckled, from nerves not amusement. “I’d always thought wizards where just fictional characters of folklore.”

Magnus stood and walked toward the open door of the terrace. “The king spoke, before the wizard began chanting in a foreign language, I think Latin. The mist...eerie, yet it carried a sweet odor.”

“With this and for all eternity, I cast a spell of humility over you,” the gargoyles stated in unison.

* * * *

A violent shudder wracked Elena’s body. She didn’t bother to try to tamp it. It was abhorrent what had happened to these men. Elena needed to help them, but how?

Their story would be unbelievable to anyone else’s ear, but Elena was a believer in faith, destiny and the desire of the Fates. The Fates ruled all, and there was a reason she’d been brought into the lives of these six men, and vice versa.

A lover of a good mystery, Elena now had the biggest one she’d ever encountered placed in her hands.

“Well, if it’s just a spell, it can be broken. Right? Doesn’t that make sense?” she asked simply. “Now, keep in mind, this is new to me, but I do love a challenge. What we need to do is figure out the elements of the incantation. From there we should be able to find a way to break it. First, let’s eliminate things you guys have already tried.”

Zander stood and began to pace the floor. “We thought it was the land which bound us to the spell, as we have always remained in this one spot. Throughout the years, no matter what structure was erected, our statues have been placed atop. It makes no difference what great distance we fly off to, when we wake at nightfall, we are right back up here on the top of this building.”

“Hmm.” This was like a fairy tale, complete with monsters, wizards, an evil king, a princess and true love.

True love.

A smile curled her lips as she met their eyes. She had an idea.

“Have you ever tried the ‘frog theory’?” she asked.

“What’s the frog theory?” Magnus asked.

The rest of the men shrugged, looking as confused as their friend.

“Haven’t you guys heard of anything?” She laughed. “You know, the girl kisses the frog and he turns into a handsome prince. The kiss breaks the evil witch’s curse. What have we got to lose, huh?”

Six pairs of bulging shoulders shrugged.

Elena stood and walked across the floor toward Henrik, who leaned against the frame leading into the kitchen. Placing her hands on either side of his face, Elena stood on her tiptoes, pulled him down to her and pressed her lips to his. As she opened her eyes, Henrik stared back at her wide-eyed and appeared to be holding his breath. Pulling away from him, Elena saw his eyes shift to look over her shoulder, knowing he made eye contact with Zander. Henrik’s body stiffened a moment before he placed his big hands on her shoulders, and took a couple of steps away.

“Hmm.” She stared at him in confusion. “You’re still a beast.”

“Thanks,” he grumbled low.

“No offense,” she offered quickly.

“None taken,” he assured with an uneasy grin.

Turning on her heel, Elena eyed Adan crouched several feet away and walked toward him. She bent at the waist, cupped his face as she had Henrik’s, and leaned into him. As her lips met his, a savage growl from behind reverberated through her.

The hardening of her nipples at the possessive sound stunned her.

Once again standing, Elena glanced around at the six men studying her. Their appearance remained unchanged.

“Are you planning on working your way around the room?” Zander snarled, when her gaze landed on him. At his sides his huge hands clenched into tight fists. His eyes had taken on an eerie amber glow.

Undeterred by his tone, Elena squared her shoulders. “No,” she replied in a sullen tone. “I guess my theory didn’t work. My kiss must not have what it takes to break a centuries’ old spell cast by a powerful wizard. Besides, it’s not like I’m a princess or anything like that.” Blowing out a sigh, Elena shrugged. “It was a silly thought. But I suppose it was worth a try.”

“That is a matter of opinion.” Zander’s tone revealed restrained irritation.

“Well, I don’t know, Elena,” Adan said, standing up behind her. Settling his hands on her hips, he lowered his head so his chin rested on her shoulder. Elena knew his eyes locked with Zander’s. “Maybe we should give the kissing thing one more shot...you know, let’s try putting a little more feeling into it.”

A loud growl filled the suite and all but Adan pulled himself to full height and squared his shoulders.

Adan’s throaty chuckle seemed to relieve the sudden tension in the suite. “I’d better take a rain check on the lip-lock, babe,” he said, before moving away from her.

“All right, guys. I need to go to my apartment to pick up my laptop. Then swing by the library where I work to gather some resources,” Elena stated. “I’m not sure how just yet, but we are going to find a way to break this damn curse.”

* * * *

Elena’s enthusiasm brought him excitement. If anyone could bring an end to their cursed existence, Zander believed Elena could. She possessed some sort of mystical aura of her own. He couldn’t quite figure it out, but there was something about her that had him believing in, and looking forward to, ‘happily ever after’.

Zander brushed past Adan as he escorted Elena out to the terrace with his hand placed against the small of her back.

“What was with the He-Man act in there?” she asked, looking up at him.

“Nothing,” he mumbled low as they neared the ledge of the building.

When she turned, he could tell by her expression she wasn’t about to let his earlier antics die a quiet death. Taking away the opportunity to lecture him, Zander gathered Elena against his chest and leapt into the air, climbing high into the night sky. Elena shrieked, wrapping her arms and legs around him, burying her face in the crook of his neck.

At that moment, Zander found himself pleased with Elena’s fear of flying. Sure, he knew it was unscrupulous of him to take advantage of that fear, but he didn’t care. Wrapped around his frame, the heat of her body seeped into him, and her feminine scent swirled teasingly under his nose.

“I just ate. I’m going to throw up,” he heard her murmur. Her warm breath caressed his cool flesh.

Tightening his grip on her body, Zander whispered in her ear, “Just think of a happy place.” A thought flashed in his mind as the tips of her erect nipples pressed against his chest. “You are happy in my arms?” he asked, encouraged, and surprised.