“Yeah?” she said nonchalantly.
“Do you know anything about it? Has Sofia mentioned it?” Shane knew if Samantha had spoken to her mother about Justin, she was getting pretty serious about him.
“Sofia has not mentioned it to me.” Kelsey took a deep breath. “I guess I might as well show you.” Kelsey went into her bedroom and came out with a magazine. “You need to know…Sammy made it on the cover of US Weekly magazine.”
Shane snatched the magazine from her, only to see a picture of Samantha and Justin together, rushing into a limousine. The headlines read, “Justin Manning and Samantha Jordan Are the New Hot Item.” Dropping the magazine back on the table, Shane had to turn away. The gut-wrenching pain was too much to bear.
“But you know how paparazzi blow things out of proportion. For all we know, they may have just bumped into one another.” Kelsey tried to reassure him in her gentle way.
“No, Kelsey. I’m a big boy, and I can handle the truth. It’s obvious they went to dinner or something and got caught by paparazzi. Anyway, looks like she’s happy in her relationship.”
Kelsey sighed. “You can’t really read much from a picture.”
“I saw her with him almost two months ago. Even at that time, I could tell they really liked one another. If it wasn’t working out, she would have broken up with him. It is what it is. I want her to be happy, and if he makes her happy, so be it. He has a lot more to offer than me, that’s for sure.”
“You’ll never really know, though, will you?” Kelsey asked.
Shane frowned, turning to face her. “What do you mean?”
“You’ll never know if he has more to offer. You’re just accepting it. How do you know that for sure if you’re not even willing to take the chance and find out for yourself? What are you scared of, Shane?”
Taking a deep breath, he shook his head. “Look at me, Kelsey. I’m a nobody. I’m a fuckin’ gargoyle! I turn into a stone during the day. I don’t even have a job. The money I have is what has been in my family for centuries.”
“And your point being?” Kelsey asked. “I thank my lucky stars every day for Damien.”
“Besides, Camille and her brothers are nuts. I won’t risk Sammy’s life like that.”
“Damien already told you that he would stand by your side. He would never let you deal with them on your own.”
“Why would I want to put Damien in danger? Outside of that whole mess, though, Sammy is clearly happy. The right thing to do would be to allow her to go on with her life with a decent guy like Justin.” Shane rubbed his temple, upset that Kelsey wouldn’t stop.
“Or go fight for her. That’s what I would have wanted. I would have been really disappointed if Damien hadn’t fought for me. In the past, you would have seen this as a challenge. But with Sammy, you’re running. Why? I ask you again, what are you scared of?”
Shane sat down and rested his head in his hands. “I guess I’m scared of what her decision would be. I couldn’t bear to open my heart and soul to her and have her reject me. I don’t think I could go on, Kelsey.”
“So, you’d rather walk away? You’d prefer to never find out for sure because you’re scared of rejection? Really? You’ll always be left to wonder, Shane. That’s what you want?” Kelsey was pushing him, and Shane cringed at the truth of her words.
Shane sighed as he thought about what she was saying. “Thanks, Kelsey. Guess I needed to hear that. I got some soul searching to do. I’ll catch you later.”
After leaving Kelsey, he ended up at his favorite spot on top of the Empire State Building, thinking about what he should do next. Seeing Samantha holding hands with Justin while they were rushing into the limo did a number on Shane. She was his, damn it! He would do anything to see her right here, right now.
With a lot on his mind, Shane headed back to Camille’s. He needed to keep peace with her and play her little game to ensure everybody’s safety. He had already made up his mind on what he needed to do. He will ask The Council to transform him to fully human. The Council was getting together to address their affairs in couple of weeks. Shane decided that he would meet with them on that day. He would plead his case, and he would pull the law that stated he had the right to choose if he wanted to be transformed to full gargoyle or full human. It was the perfect answer. Camille wouldn’t want to go near him if he was a human. She hated them.
Shane frowned as he thought about how Camille and her brothers would react. Would they go after Sammy if he did turn into a full human? Of course, at that point, Camille would not have any desire to be with him. But she would still want her revenge. If he were a human, he definitely wouldn’t be able to fight them. Shane rubbed his forehead, trying to devise a plan. He would have to tell The Council about his fear for Samantha’s life. He would ask for their protection. He believed The Council would protect Samantha since she was an innocent human.
Suddenly hopeful that his plan may work, Shane sighed in relief. Once he was transformed, he’d find Samantha and confess his true feelings for her. If she still rejected him, he vowed to fight for her love for the rest of his human life. All of the weight he’d been carrying lifted from his chest now that he’d decided what he was going to do. He finally felt free.
Camille picked up the shift in his mood immediately once he reached her quarters. “My, my, aren’t you in a good mood today? What’s the occasion?”
“No occasion. Just enjoyed my time with my nephew and niece.” He didn’t want her to get suspicious.
“Well, I’ll have you know that I had a great night also,” she gloated.
“Yeah?” Shane tried to give her the attention she was obviously seeking.
“Yes, it’s been a delightful night indeed.” She approached him and kissed his cheek.
Shane cringed inwardly, knowing she was up to something. There was no way she’d act this victorious if she didn’t have something brewing. Stepping away from her, he said, “Stop playing games. If you have something to say, say it.”
“Oh my darling, Shane, patience was never your virtue. Soon enough, though…”
Tired of her, Shane left to look for some of his clan buddies. He found Rennik and several other guys hanging around in the workout room.
Nicholas, one of the younger gargoyles from his clan, said, “Well, there’s the stranger! Where have you been, man?”
“I’ve been around,” Shane said, picking up the weights to lift.
Seth approached him and began lifting with Shane. “Good to see you, man. You’ve been kinda staying to yourself. We were just concerned.”
“I know. I just got a lot of shit to figure out.”
“We may not be your blood brothers, but we’re still your brothers. We’re here, whatever you need from us,” Rennik chimed in.
Shane knew that the members of the clan looked out for one another. These guys were like family, especially Rennik. They’d heard that Shane had taken The Oath toward Camille, but they also knew Shane enough to recognize it wasn’t by choice. Although they had no idea of the details of what had transpired, it didn’t matter. Their main concern was for their “brother.”
“I love you guys, you know that. And thanks, that means a lot to me. Who’s ready to go into the ring with me? I need to get some of this energy out.” Shane challenged the gargoyles.
They already knew Shane was the strongest out of the bunch, but it was still great fun trying to beat him. He was fierce, and training against him would make them the baddest gargoyles out there.
By the time Shane was done with his workout, the sun was about to rise. He decided to crash in Seth’s quarters until he woke up again the next night.
Twenty
Waiting to meet with The Council was much harder than he’d anticipated. Now that he’d made up his mind on what he wanted to do, Shane didn’t want anything to slow down his plans.
As he was sitting on top of the Empire State Building, he rehearsed in his mind what he would say to Samantha when he saw her. He woul
d just lay it all out, no matter the consequences. He owed her the truth.
“Shane!” Damien landed next to him.
“Hey,” he replied. Shane had already felt Damien approaching, so he wasn’t surprised to see him. He could immediately sense that he was in distraught, though. “What’s wrong?”
“Have you tried to contact Sammy?”
“No, why?” Shane asked. Although he had Samantha’s phone number, he’d never tell her what he needed to say over the phone.
“Sofia called Kelsey. She said she was worried because she hadn’t heard from Sammy in days. She said Sammy calls her multiple times each day, but she hasn’t even returned any of her calls.”
Shane jumped up. “Something’s wrong—I can feel it.”
“Kelsey used her connections with the force and had LAPD check out Sammy’s apartment. They didn’t find her there, but they also found nothing unusual,” Damien explained. “But I don’t like this.”
“Me neither. That’s not like her. She would call her mother,” Shane agreed.
“Do you think she’s at her boyfriend’s place?” Damien asked, trying to stay rational.
“Even if she were, she would have called her mom back. I can’t stay around here, Damien. I’m going there and checking things out myself.”
“I’m already a step ahead of you. I think we should take the red eye flight. It’ll get us there faster. If we try to fly there, it would take several days.”
“What do you mean we?” Shane asked, shaking his head.
“I’m going with you. Trust me, it’s better this way. You can’t just disappear; Camille will instantly become suspicious. Just tell her you’re going on a trip with your brother…that we need this bonding time,” Damien explained.
“Do you honestly think I give a shit about what Camille thinks right now? I just want to leave immediately.”
“I understand, Shane, but you don’t want to make any mistakes right now by acting impulsively. Listen, I’ll pack some clothes for us, and I’ll meet you at the airport in forty-five minutes. The flight leaves in couple of hours. Go tell Camille we’re going on our trip.”
Shane sighed, but he knew Damien was right. Although he was reluctant to see Camille, he decided to just get it over with. He nodded in agreement and soared off the building, his wings flapping hard to gain speed.
Within half an hour, Shane was already in his human form, waiting for Damien impatiently by the airport. When he arrived, Damien already had their boarding passes.
“What did Camille say?” Damien asked.
“She said to have fun. I just left because I can’t deal with her drama right now,” Shane answered.
“The flight is gonna take over five hours, but we should be good because of the time change. We should still have couple of hours left before the sun rises.” Damien was thinking out loud.
“Yeah, I thought of that. Good thing we’re gaining three extra hours of the night. This flight is going to be longest flight of my life, though,” Shane mumbled, shaking his head in frustration. “I tried to text and call her earlier just because I couldn’t take it anymore. But there was nothing. Has Kelsey been able to find out anything more?”
“Not really. She asked LAPD if they could swing by her boyfriend’s place just to check. They were reluctant because it’s not protocol. There’s been no missing person report filed yet. Sofia is hoping Sammy is fine and just has been too busy to call her. She was getting ready to fly out there, but Kelsey convinced her to let us check it out first. LAPD did end up investigating the guy’s residence as a favor to Kelsey, but still nothing.”
“Was he there? Did he answer the door? I swear, if he even touched her, so help me God.” The mere thought engulfed Shane with fury.
“He wasn’t even there. They found out he’s actually on a tour,” Damien mumbled, lost in thought as they boarded the plane.
Somehow, Shane survived the flight. As soon as they landed, both brothers shifted into gargoyles when they found a secluded place and headed straight to Samantha’s apartment. Shane noticed a storm was rolling in, as the clouds grumbled in the distance. The wind moaned and lamented, making their flight difficult. But Shane pushed harder, desperate to find Samantha. Within minutes, they landed on her balcony. Prying open the sliding door, they entered cautiously.
As soon as they stepped inside, Shane turned to Damien. “Damn!” He knew they were too late; the scent still lingered in Samantha’s apartment.
“I smell gargoyles. Whose scent is that?” Damien investigated the place for clues.
“Camille’s brothers,” Shane choked the words out. The walls were closing in on him. This couldn’t be real. Shane was completely helpless as the horrific nightmare unfolded before his eyes. Deep within his core, a flame of fury ignited, and he knew it was just a matter of time before it would explode. He took a deep, shaky breath, trying to hold onto even an ounce of sanity. “There’s still couple of hours left before sunrise. I’m going to comb the city. I can pick out their scent if they’re still around.”
“I have a feeling they’re long gone, but I’ll do the same. Be careful, Shane, the storm is getting nasty out there. I’ll meet you back at headquarters in an hour.”
With a brief nod, Shane leapt toward the night sky and into the eye of the storm. Mother Nature showed no mercy as the darkness swallowed him. The wind whipped through the air, slicing his body ferociously. Lightning flashed around him, one after another, followed by the deafening sound of thunder. As the cries from the heaven echoed in the sky, Shane’s heart trembled. He wanted to scream Samantha’s name, hoping somehow she would hear him. He at least wanted her to know that he was looking for her and wouldn’t stop until he found her.
Shane had never flown with such fierce determination, fighting the brutal wind, rain, and hail. He flew high and low, using his acute gargoyle senses to pick up any sign of Samantha. The more time lapsed, the harder his heart pounded against his chest. He circled the city and the outskirts twice around with desperate urgency.
He continued to battle the storm, his body receiving a brutal beating. The pounding of the ice mixture on his wings as well as the whirling of the powerful winds would have flung any other gargoyle across town. But, Shane didn’t notice any of it. He didn’t hear the storm’s fury. He didn’t feel the excruciating pain in his muscles, for the pain in his heart masked everything else.
Exhausted and defeated, he landed hard on top of one of the buildings. Completely drained, his legs could no longer support him, and he collapsed down to his knees. He looked up at the dark, angry clouds, and the web of lightning slicing through the blackness. It was as if the gods had sent the storm to punish him—to make him pay for his sins. Unable to take it anymore, Shane lifted his arms and roared in frustration as the sound of thunder boomed violently around him. It was a roar of fury and agony combined. It was a roar begging for help from up above. But, Mother Nature whipped him even more furiously, taunting him.
Shane had no idea how he made it back to the headquarters. Some small part of him was able to think rationally and guided him to Damien. His brother was already there, waiting anxiously for him.
“I was hoping you’d make it back in time,” Damien said, pulling Shane in for brief hug.
From his worried face, Shane figured Damien didn’t have any luck either. “Anything?” he asked reluctantly.
Damien shook his head. “I did speak with some of the local gargoyles here at the headquarters. They said Camille’s brothers were here four nights ago, but said they were just passing through. They stayed here for one day and left as soon as they woke up.”
“Did they say to anybody where they were heading?” Shane’s heart was racing.
“No, they didn’t. But at least we know it was three nights ago that Sammy was taken.”
Shane took a deep shaky breath. “Damien, please tell me you think they haven’t hurt her.”
Damien grabbed his brother’s arms. “They haven’t hurt her. I promi
se you, Shane. They’re using her to get to you. If they do anything to her, she’s useless to them.”
“We have to head back. I know Camille knows exactly what’s happened. She’s been acting strange…unusually happy. You know, like she’s up to something. Wait ‘till I get my hands on her. I swear, I’m gonna kill her.”
“Stay calm, brother. You’ll want them to lead you to Samantha first before killing anybody. And I agree, we have to head back. The sun is about to rise, so there’s nothing we can do now. But I’ve already filled Kelsey in on everything, and she’s booked us a redeye flight as soon as we awaken. With the three-hour difference in the time zone, though, we’ll be cutting it close. There will only be couple of hours before sunrise once we arrive.”
“These are the times when I curse being a gargoyle. Precious time will be wasted while we wait as useless stoned statues. What I wouldn’t do to be a human right now.”
“That’s what I used to think, but it almost got me killed. No, Shane, you’ll need your gargoyle powers more than ever now. Come on, let’s find a place to crash,” Damien said, leading the way.
Twenty-one
By the time Shane and Damien landed back in New York, it was already past four in the morning. Shane barely had survived the flight, sick with worry.
“I’m going to go find Camille now,” Shane said as soon as they exited the airport.
“You’re running out of time. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow night. We can plan this better, and I can go with you. Who knows what she might be up to?” Damien said, trying to offer a rational plan.
“No, I won’t wait another full day. We’ve lost too much crucial time. God only knows what they’re doing to Sammy. She must be terrified. Besides, I can handle Camille. She won’t talk at all if she sees you with me. Let me go by myself and see what I can find out.”