Trent sat in his living room having gotten a few hours of sleep. Only the light outside the windows told him that it was evening. Beth emerged from the hallway that led to the bedroom. She was sleep tousled, but awake and looking around. He flipped mindlessly through channels, but turned it off when he saw her. "You need food?""Coffee would be great.""There's some in the kitchen."She returned to him, a mug in her hands. She settled on the couch diagonal to the chair he occupied. "I talked to Maggie."He nodded. "I called Kel. I figured they would want to know. I advised them not to cut short their honeymoon.""Especially since we don't have a credible threat against me."Trent sighed. "Do you agree the situation at the party and the situation with your parents are odd?""Yes, but do they have anything to do with each other?""I don't believe in coincidences, Beth. They just don't happen."She shrugged then remained quiet. He wished he knew what was going on in her head. If he did,
Trent hated asking for help? How odd for someone trained in the military. They had to be a team from what she understood. He wasn't willing to let her be on his team. "Sit on the bed."He was too tall for her to deal with while he was on his feet. When he sat he was eye level with her. "Who used this hospital? I've never heard of it.""It's for people who are willing to pay and not use insurance. It's also used when a big name wants privacy."He nodded as she unwrapped his bandage. The burn didn't look much better than when she'd wrapped it the first time. "You are not healing. Let me have a doctor look at it.""Is it infected?""No.""Then no doctor."She frowned at him. "Then let me get some topical antibiotic." She left him in the room and returned with an ointment. She slathered it on as he winced a little then she put a fresh bandage on it. "There. All better.""You sound like my mother did. She would kiss it too.""You want me to kiss it?"Her heart stopped as he stared at her f
"You are," Donal said. "This arrest is just one of many that is going to happen. And if you make a statement to the cops you will have a bullseye on you.""I'm willing to take that risk. I should have gone to the cops," Beth said."You were scared," Trent said. Most people would not have handled the disruption to their lives as well as Beth had. She shrugged. "Have you found my parents?"Tex shook his head. "They are well hidden wherever they are, but if they are anywhere near here I'll find them Beth."Sean handed Beth a phone that couldn't be traced. "Thanks," she said. "I put Maggie's number in there and Trent's and of course ours," Sean said.She nodded. "Can we go make that statement?""Sure. We'll see you all later. I'll have my phone on. Call me day or night."Donal chuckled. "You don't understand that Tex may call you in the middle of the night. He'll be up with that new baby of his on his shoulder trying to get to the sender of the text."Trent shrugged. "It's important so
"Yes," Donal said. Beth tapped a finger on her bottom lip. She looked pointedly at Donal. "Are you a supernatural being?"Trent dodged that bullet for the moment."Yes. I'm a gargoyle."She crept close to him as if he were going to explode any minute. "You're a gargoyle? Like those things on the tops of buildings?""Something like that," Donal said. Trent admired his patience. Beth took two steps closer, studying Donal. "You can shift into a different form?""Yes."She cocked her head. "Would you do it for me?"Donal flicked his gaze to Trent who nodded. "Yes." Donal rose. "Don't be afraid. I will look scary, but you are in no danger."She nodded, wrapping her arms around herself her, gaze never leaving Donal. "I have to take off my clothes to do it," Donal said. "I'm a nurse. I've seen naked people before."Donal disrobed and transformed. Beth's eyes widened. Trent just hoped that Donal's claws didn't rip up his couch. Beth reached out her hand and touched Donal. Trent admired he
"Because Maggie is a fairy. I'm not supposed to tell you, but we are at war. With the goblins. They are taking over the world one institution at a time. We have to stop them and you knowing that Beth is probably a fairy will hasten that along."Trent studied him. "You think Beth is a fairy?""Yes. I don't know for sure. Only you can know that. She is probably your fairy or descendant from the fairy that your gargoyle ancestor protected."This was a lot to handle. Deke was a down-to-earth guy. He didn't have flights of fancy so why would he tell Trent this story? None of it made sense, but then again his need to protect Beth made no sense either. This could be his explanation. He wasn't sure he was ready to accept that.He glanced at Beth who paced near the stage. Maybe it did make sense?***So far the night had gone well. Beth was about to start her second set. Trent hadn't had to turn anyone away. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the entertainment instead of just having music. That ma
Beth was thankful that she wasn't afraid of heights and under different circumstances she might have enjoyed the flight over Center City. Instead she'd been terrified. Now she paced in a room in a house in West Philadelphia. A row house and they were on the end. She'd had the state of mind to memorize where she was. She didn't have her phone. It was still at Grotesque. Or wherever Trent was, she was sure. She'd learned early on not to rely on her parents so even if she knew where they were, she wouldn't have expected them to help her. She was on her own. Looking around the room, she was on the second floor. Out one window was a roof that she could jump onto, but could she jump down from there? Who waited for her at the bottom? Not knowing what was going to happen, she needed to take action. It was part of her training as a nurse.Standing by and awaiting her fate wasn't in her makeup. Her parents had never understood that. Standing a little back from the window she observed the yard
"No.""Yes Trent. Come on. Go back to gargoyle form and take me with you."Beth stood with her hands on her hips. He'd seen that stance more than once while she'd been working. She wasn't going to give in. His eyes fell closed. He didn't have a choice did he?"Fine."He transformed. He grabbed his backpack and he gently clutched her in his claws. Taking off he headed back to the house in West Philadelphia. A battle raged in the skies over Philadelphia and he hoped that no one was watching. Or maybe it was time for humans to discover what was going on. Maybe it was time for them to open their eyes and see that their world was very different than what they thought it was. He didn't consider himself a crusader and he'd have to talk to his fellow gargoyles. They might want to continue living under the radar. It wasn't his choice alone to make. On the other hand, the goblins were taking over the world. He couldn't stand by and let that happen. Donal and his wife stood on the roof and took
With Foley Security beefing up things at her apartment complex and there being no other threats as far as she could tell, Beth had insisted on resuming normal life. Well as normal as life could be after you found out that you were a fairy. She still hadn't embraced that fully.But Maggie, her best friend, was on her way over and maybe they'd figure it all out. What would her friend think?Beth buzzed Maggie up to her apartment. Part of the new security was cameras and only people in the apartments could let anyone in. It was a start. Beth hugged her best friend who had brought lunch for both of them to share. They chattered about her honeymoon and caught up on all sorts of things as they ate. Beth had never been reluctant to tell Maggie anything, but her realistic friend who had always been grounded in reality might react strangely to Beth's news."You clearly have something to say, Beth. You've been dancing around it all afternoon. Just spill it."They sat on her couch with mugs of t