Gargouille Ch. 06

Jonas gave the Laird a startled look and seemed shaken by the question. "I ..." he began, then stopped as Eyon sighed and gave him a dismissive look.

A soft chuckle broke the silence.

"Dane of Dunked!" Kieran's voice was angry. "Ye have something to say?"

Kieran was upset to see the gargoyle there. There was no love loss between them. The last time he saw the Lowlander was three years ago when they had had a heated argument during one of the weekly clan meetings.

"No, my Laird," he replied, his tone mocking.

Kieran smiled and with a contemptuous shrug of the shoulders, he said scornfully, "I only know ye as a coward, why are ye even here?"

Launching himself from his chair, face pale with fury, Dane growled, "I am no coward."

He paused suddenly, for while Kieran stood unmoving, his eyes said it all, they were chilling and deadly. Dane's expression became terrified and fretful. He made sure to stay clear away from Kieran because, of course, he was afraid to die, but he still fought to hold his tongue.

Kieran watched the foolish gargoyle's outbreak of rage in silent mockery. "What will ye do, Sassenach?" asked Kieran sharply.

Shifting uncomfortably, Dane cast a frightened look towards Laird Eyon. The Laird wore a dark scowl.

Eyon did not feign surprise; Kieran's hatred of the Dunked gargoyle was madness in him. He remembered the angry words they had exchanged when Dane had presented the Elders with the notion that Laird Mac Thomas, Kieran's father, should be taken off the council, as he was all but a corpse since his wife had died. When Dane had named a new member, his sire, Kieran had declared war.

When the Elders had protested that the young gargoyle was no warrior, or match for Kieran, Dane had replied, "I see no warrior here, only a washed up gargoyle."

Not even Eyon had been able to calm that storm. Dane had suffered a concussion that day and Kieran had stormed out in a cold rage. It had taken another loss of one of their brethren to reconcile them. Neill's death and the grief they had shared over his passing to stone state had ended their standoff. Sighing, he looked at the scene before him. Now was not the time.

Dane knew better than to defy Kieran when the wrath was on him. If the years had not quenched Kieran's thirst for revenge, no words of his would help. At a loss at what to do, Eyon's eyes narrowed as Dane of Dunked fell to his knees. "Spare me, my Liege! Have a heart."

Kieran stared down with contempt at the pleading Lowlander. Compassion for cowards had never been one of his virtues. Turning back to face the others, Kieran said simply, "Leave my presence."

Dane seemed distressed by this order and paused a moment before he replied, "My Liege, ye want me to leave?"

No one said a word for several minutes. Then Eyon spoke up. Something cold moved in his eyes. "I believe ye were told to leave," he stated.

There were many murmurs of agreement.

The young gargoyle looked as though he was going to protest. Instead, he lowered his eyes respectfully and managed a weak nod. Then he turned and fled from the room, holding his head.

The occupants watched him flee. Silence reigned for long moments. No one spoke and the silence was painful. Suddenly, Pierce cleared his throat and addressed the group, drawing attention to himself.

"He'll remember that, Laird Kieran," Pierce warned.

The look he received from Kieran could have turned him to stone.

Kieran sneered. "And ye'd be telling me this because?"

"Sorry, my Laird." Pierce apologized nervously, clearly afraid of Kieran's anger. Briefly, he wondered what it would be like to have a duel with the Laird and decided that he would rather not know. Bad enough to face other shifters every day, a fight with Kieran was too dreadful to even contemplate.

Mumbling a curse word in Gaelic, Eyon pointed out dryly, "The lad is right."

"Well I pray that he is," Kieran replied, "If he forgets, Pierce can be a good lap dog and remind him." He looked over at Pierce, who stood motionless.

Kieran glanced around the room. "Do ye know how I long to kill someone? Wait until I get a hold of his kinsfolk, Bhaltair."

A smile touched Eyon's lips. "I do believe ye mean it."

Eyon then turned and addressed the group. "We know nothing of who this enemy could be. Does any one have any ideas at all?"

"Unfortunately not," someone grumbled.

Eyon glanced over at Kieran. The two men just stared at each other, a silent message passing between them. Then, understanding his cousin's meaning, Eyon nodded in agreement.

Kieran sighed. The anger was leaving him as suddenly as it had come. He couldn't think straight these last few days. Everything angered him, the clan, his father, even Eyon. He knew Eyon was just as riled up.

The momentary silence was broken when Kieran said, "Pierce, can ye do some searching?"

The young gargoyle was startled, but he did not dare look his Laird in the eyes.

"Speak up, young man," said Laird Callum.

Pierce looked swiftly from one Laird to the other. He began to answer with a movement of his head so slight that the occupants wondered if they had imagined it. The lad's lips were moving and they realized that he was speaking. Having missed the first of his words, they listened intently to catch the rest, hoping to make sense of his rumblings.

"Cat got your goddamn tongue, boy?" drawled Lee Donovan, his southern accent deep and commanding.

There was another silence around the table. The fire snapped and crackled. Pierce surveyed the men's eyes, some bright and watchful, others angry. Only Kieran and Eyon's were unreadable. He grimaced, praying for the meeting to be over.

Eyon eyes softened and he regarded Pierce with patience; he noted the youth's fear and spoke softly. "Take yer time, lad. We're listening."

Pierce smiled and continued.

****

Since it was bound to be a long stint, they left strict instruction that Nicole, their treasure, was to be guarded at all times. Another gargoyle was left to oversee her safety until they returned.

As they prepared to depart, Eyon's mind drifted, lost in memories, remembering the feel of Nicole's soft body against his muscular one. His cock twitched and he cursed himself. He did not need the distraction now.

"I promise, Lieges, that ye won't be disappointed with me. I will guard yer mate with my life." Roan's voice pulled him from his reverie.

His lips tightened as he remembered his last discussion with the young gargoyle. He hadn't been that impressed. "I hope for yer sake, Roan, that ye're right. I would hate for ye to spend the rest of yer young life in stones or as stone. We'll be back within a matter of days." He stretched his hand out and grabbed the man. "See that no harm befalls her." Eyon warned him.

Roan blinked, alarmed, although he wasn't surprised by the Laird's behavior. For a moment he was speechless. "I will Laird Eyon, Laird Kieran," he croaked. He felt the heated look of Kieran burning holes in his back. He stumbled as Eyon abruptly released him and walked away. He then turned and watched as they shape-shifted into their natural form, stepping outside and taking flight into the night.

****

For the next three days Nicole was left at the mansion with the numerous servants of the household, but otherwise quite alone. The first day she spends in solitude, brooding about having neither friends, nor family, only a house full of staff. At nights she found herself eager for the men to return. Since their departure, Nicole was always dragging herself to get out of bed, to eat breakfast, lunch and sometimes dinner.

Nicole suffered from this indoor isolation, crying most of the time. But despite the isolative feeling, Nicole was anxious to discover- what beauty lies out doors. Nicole was bored beyond belief, not that she had to be. As much Nicole felt alone, she was not; the staff had been doing every thing in their powers to make her a part of the family, and had tried several times to engage her in the running of the household. Nicole wanted to get involve. It was just that she didn't feel useful.

By nature, Nicole was an active out-door person. Now, she exudes absolutely no spark or virility. Making her self unhappy, and for what reason? She just couldn't stand to watch herself mope around the bedroom anymore. . And there was nothing new to discover--accept—going out doors, that is.

This she did on the second day.

Nicole, determined to spend that morning exploring the outside grounds, opened the door and spoke to Roan. He jumped, as if startled. Nicole stifled a smile. She pretended as if she wasn't aware that he was guarding her. Roan was a burly oaf of a man with a barrel chest, which he carried well due to his height. He had a fiery head of hair set atop a handsome, devilish face that was always smiling.

He was always lurking in the background. Wherever she was, he was there also. Yet, he never infringed on her privacy. Nicole knew the men had left him to guard her and she thought the whole affair silly. As she looked at Roan's flushed face, she lifted her gaze to his eyes and asked him to call Alana to her room. He gave her a warm look, then bowed and left to do her bidding.

When Alana arrived Nicole made her purpose known.

"It will be my pleasure to accompany you, my lady," said Alana, as she detached a blue apron from around her waist, folded it neatly, then placed it on a side table near the door, signifying her readiness to attend her mistress. Nicole said nothing as she was led outdoors.

The large mansion was well situated and commanded stunning views across parts of the mountains of Colonsay. Access to the mansion was either by air or sea. At the west side of the mansion, there was a splendid garden; it would be difficult to imagine a less promising place to establish a garden...Nicole was speechless.

Other parts of the garden provided the house with fruit and vegetables, growing raspberries and strawberries. It would be difficult to imagine a less promising place to establish a garden, especially in a region where the weather can be so unpredictable. Scottish climate was a challenge.

Alana told her that Eyon's mother had had a lifelong passion for gardening, and that Eyon had oversaw the development of the two gardens. Nicole was speechless, as she couldn't envision Eyon planting flowers and fruits.

Later, she was taken to a marshy type area which was watered by what seemed like a river or a lake, which flowed below the courtyard and south wing of the mansion. Another eye popping feature was on the roof of the mansion there was a platform, which could be used as a private area to sit out on or to observe the surrounding grounds? Nicole was amazed and could scarcely believe her eyes; ...the exterior was just as splendid as the interior. She was now mistress of this domain, but at what price?

Later, she was taken to a marshy type area which was watered by what seemed like a river or a lake that flowed below the courtyard and south wing of the mansion. Another eye popping feature was the roof of the mansion; it had a raised platform, which could be used as a private area to observe the surrounding grounds.

Nicole was amazed and could scarcely believe her eyes; the exterior was just as splendid as the interior. She was now mistress of this domain, but at what price?

She glanced around curiously as Alana pointed toward the distant mountain. "I grew up in those mountains, right near the border of Ireland."

Nicole smiled. "That's wonderful. Did the men grow up there also?" She turned an inquiring glance to Alana.

Alana looked thoughtfully at her mistress, wondering how much to disclose. "Well, yes and no," she finally replied.

Nicole's gaze narrowed, but it held a hint of laughter. Alana couldn't seem to meet her eyes; she kept looking over Nicole's shoulder.

A rustling sound came from behind them, sounding like a nest of flapping birds. Nicole turned to see Moira approaching. She paused and curtsied and her cheeks were pinkish. "Begging yer pardon, my lady, but there be a missive for ye. It's from the Lairds, madam."

Nicole sighed and took the letter from her. It seems I can get no answers from these people. She made her way back to the manor, followed closely by Alana and Moira. Halfway there, the trio was met by Roan. "Are ye ready to go back to the house, my lady?" he asked her.

She nodded her head, suddenly feeling tired.

Roan nodded and escorted her to back to the manor. "Have a good nap, my lady," he said as he opened the bedroom door for her.

"Thank you, Roan," she smiled as he bowed and closed the door. Nicole then eagerly tore open the letter.

Several hours later however, Nicole was not asleep. She lay in silent wakefulness. An overwhelming cascade of thoughts and emotions screamed and rammed at her skull before subsiding to a dull throb and a whisper. She had eventually fallen asleep sometime after midnight.

It had been a very tiring three days. Night after night, she sat up staring out into space, certain that she was in the twilight zone, and hoping that she would wake up. But, that evening, she was rereading the message she had gotten from the men. It wasn't apparent who penned it, since she wasn't familiar with their penmanship. The content however, had both startled and pleased her. It was filled with apologies and said that they would be home in the evening of that third day. It ended with, our treasure, we love you.

Did they? Should she believe them? Devon had said the same words, but they weren't Devon. Maybe she was just seeing them through a distorted lens; one warped by an old, good for nothing ex-boyfriend and the humiliation she had endured at Donna's viper tongue.

Perhaps I'm only a sexually frustrated accountant after all, she thought miserably. Sighing loudly, she glanced over at the bedside clock; it was nearly suppertime.

She remained miserable as her thoughts drifted to yesterday.

It was almost midnight. Unable to sleep, Nicole was still up when Alana had knocked and slowly opened the door. At Nicole's enquiring look, she smiled and handed her mobile phone to her.

For a long time, Nicole had just stared at it, gawking at the small instrument; certain if she blinked it would disappear.

"The Lairds said you would be needing this," Alana said, her voice soft and musical.

Something seemed different about Alana but Nicole couldn't quite place it. She looked almost like an ethereal being. Was she a gargoyle also? A muscle in Nicole's jaw twitched as her senses became sharper. Confused, she looked away from Alana.

"Thank you," she replied, attempting to smile. "I would like some privacy."

"Of course, my lady." Alana left then, curtseying as per usual. Nicole just rolled her eyes.

Tentatively, she looked at the phone, staring in disbelief. She shook her head to regain her focus. There were more important things to do right then, rather than dwell on why she was given the phone. Hands shaking, she started to dial 999, only to stop. A bubble welled up in the back of her parched throat, almost choking her. She closed her eyes and swallowed. If she called, what would she say? She was sleeping with two mythical creatures that wouldn't let her leave? There was a thought, a thought that made her laugh.

They would no doubt classify her as insane and lock her away. Instead, Nicole scrolled through her contacts for 'mom', then pressed the phone icon. After four rings, she heard, "Who is this?" The voice sounded annoyed. It had been late, well past midnight.

"It's me, mom," Nicole squeaked.

"Nicole! My God," her mom had cried, "I called the police three times. What in blazes is going on?" Her voice sounded hoarse as if she had been crying. Cursing is more like it, thought Nicole.

Nicole felt guilty and began to apologize, only for her mom to cut her off.

"You can be so uncaring at times, Nicole, leaving me to worry so much. Once again you thought of no one else but yourself. "

Nicole closed her eyes and gritted her teeth as anger flared through her. Leave it to her mom to make it about herself.

Nicole wanted to cut off the phone in her mom's ears, but she knew it would make matters worse; her mom was a true termagant. After thirty minutes of scolding, she later hung up the phone, feeling drained of energy. She hadn't gotten a word in. Her mom had dominated the conversation.

Seething with anger, Nicole checked her emails. Her head throbbed. There were one hundred and twenty new messages. She clicked to her inbox and scrolled through. Most of the messages were from work, her mother or Keisha. She sighed and opened the last email from Keisha, which had been sent two days ago.

To: nicky_dl

From: sweetness4re

Subject: Hiya sweetie

Nicky D, I bet you are too busy to call...lol. I heard all is well anyway, so call when free, you lucky bitch.

Love, Keisha

Nicole reread the message over and over in a trance. How did Keisha know she was okay? Someone had to have told her. Who did she know at work that knew Keisha?

Well, there was Ewan, and only because Keisha normally stopped by the Bank during lunch and kept nagging Nicole to introduce them, gushing about how hot he was. Nicole had reluctantly given in. Could Ewan have told her?

As soon as she had this thought, the answer was blatantly clear. Keisha was sleeping with Nicole's boss. No wonder the bitch had forgotten to pick her up from the airport. Nicole was seething with anger by the time she typed a response.

From: nicky_dl

To: sweetness4re

Subject: Hiya slapper

Are you sleeping with my boss? Damn it, Keisha. Why?

Nicole

Nicole threw the phone on the floor and slumped down on the bed. Why? A frustrated tear ran down the side of her face. Can I trust no one?

She just hoped the cutting email pissed Keisha off so she would call. Calling her a slapper would no doubt do the job. Hell, no one liked to be called a whore. Nicole wanted to cuss out someone. As for Ewan, god help him when she spoke to or saw him again. Bloody ingrate, how dare he!

She accepted the part that she was to be blamed as well. Maybe if she hadn't slept with Kieran in the first place, she wouldn't be in this predicament. Sighing, she rubbed her aching forehead. There wasn't much point pondering since she couldn't be sure.

The sound of an owl's hoot snapped Nicole out of her jumbled reverie; bring her back to the present. Dusk was beginning to fall when she got up, quickly donned some warm attire and quietly slipped out of the manor undetected. Roan wasn't stationed at her door and she was happy for that. She needed some fresh air to clear her foggy mind.

Tonight, Nicole wanted only to see the stars and smell the fresh air before the men returned. She hated being cooped up inside the large mansion.

Outside, Nicole swallowed a lungful of the cold evening air and began her slow walk towards the lake. She couldn't help but notice the bright full moon as it illuminated the sky. It really was a beautiful sight to see. She stood at the edge of the water, smiling and looking around the island. She could see nothing but water. How the hell do they travel? Did they fly everywhere? She wondered. There was no boat or even a helicopter in sight, no one to rescue her.

"Where's that fucker Christopher Columbus when you needed him," Nicole said out loud, "Bloody bastard would no doubt enslave my black ass." She laughed at her own jest.

And then, what was supposed to be a quiet time to reflect turned into a nightmare. Listening to the soft burble of the rushing water, she began to hum a soft melody from the tune 'What a difference a day makes.'

Lost in her own thoughts, Nicole was unaware that she was being watched, and not by the guard at her door. So she never heard the figure that approached her and forcefully grabbed her by the arm, which caused her to startle in alarm.