The Oath, Book 2 of The Coven Series

Chapter Fifteen

~Xavier's Secret ~

Did he just say...Gargoyle? As in stone monsters Gargoyle? No freaking way!

"I'm being serious here, Xavier! Stop being stupid. You are not a statue that sits on top of a church."

He laughed and extended a hand. It started to change. Clawed, paw-like hands replaced Xavier's human ones and then started to turn to stone before my eyes. I scrambled back, my eyes wide. It only made Xavier laugh harder.

"That's not funny!" I yelled, fear making me lash out. "I...you...what the hell, Xavier?"

"I did warn you that you didn't want to know the truth," he said, his hand now back to normal, his eyes a little more hooded.

Well, he had me there. He did warn me. Still...a Gargoyle? Those were big creepy statues that used to scare me to death when I was little. Dad teased me unmercifully about it.

"So...stone people, huh?" I asked after a moment, not sure what to say.

He arched a brow, but I could see that I'd hurt his feelings. He wasn't smiling anymore, and the laughter had fled from his eyes. He threw me for a minute. I hadn't been expecting stone creatures. After all the horror movies I'd watched about them growing up, who could blame me for getting scared at first?

"We've been around since the beginning of time itself," he said softly, staring into the flames. "We used to be able to pick and choose whom we served, but after the Great War in Heaven, we were...enslaved."

"Enslaved?" The horror of that one word went through me. No one should ever be a slave to anyone or anything. It wasn't right.

Xavier nodded. "We became the pets of Angels. They use us to watch over their charges, but that is not what we are meant to do, only what we have become. It's why you're so important, Melinda."

"What?" I asked, confused.

"You're our salvation." His black eyes turned to me. "If you screw this up, we lose any chance we have at our freedom."

Well, damn. What the hell had I gotten myself into? I was supposed to emancipate the Gargoyles from the Angels? Nowhere in the job description of witch did it say I was supposed to do that! How in the world would I even go about it?

"Hold up, I'm confused," I told him. "What do you mean by me being your salvation? How am I supposed to help free you?"

Xavier sighed. "It's a long story."

"I'm assuming we have the time, since you told Gran I'd be home tonight, so spill."

He chuckled. "Not afraid of me anymore?"

"Terrified," I said truthfully, "but you shouldn't be anyone's slave, Xavier. If I can help you, I will. Just promise not to eat me or anything, okay?"

A laugh burst out, and the sound vibrated through me. "We don't eat people, Rose."

"Then what do you eat?" I asked.

"The same things you do, pizza, burgers, gummy bears."

Well, he certainly didn't eat any healthier than I did. "So...is that why you smell like stones? Because you are stone?"

He gave me a bemused look. "No one's ever picked up on that scent before. What do I smell like to you?"

"Very earthy, usually, but sometimes you smell like the rocks in our garden at home. I'm not sure how to describe how stone smells. It's...well, it's...hard, cold, but soothing too."