Mona Lisa Darkening

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

WE were safe, the obor vanquished. But tension still rang in the air like a thick toxic cloud after the threat was gone. A different sort of tension from before when they had been battling the creature.

I had watched with bated breath as Gordane left my side and flew in to save the fallen gargoyle. Watched as the obor barely missed smashing them both into a bloody pulp. Watched as Gordane had slapped a hand on the obor's snout, and it had started to turn to stone. Watched as Vlad had laid a hand against the rump and done the same from the opposite end. I had glimpsed the final solidified product for one frozen blink of time, and in that moment, knowledge had suddenly dawned. The bizarre statues that I had seen in the palace had been actual existing creatures frozen into stone by Gordane!

I had a moment to think — No wonder Miles wouldn't allow Gordane to touch him in the arena. Another moment to puzzle over why being eaten alive by frenzied werebeasts was preferable to being frozen into stone by a gargoyle — it seemed a relatively painless death, as such. There had to be something more to it. Then a ghastly thought entered my mind.

Did the frozen creatures continue to remain aware, even after their physical body had been turned to stone?

I watched as the obor blew apart into a million dusty stone fragments, and thought, Well, no suffering or lingering awareness for that one.

Before all the dust had finished settling on the ground, I was running across the rocky debris. Gryphon met me halfway and swept me into his arms. God, how wonderful they felt — solid, strong, real.

"Mona Lisa." His voice sounded the same, the same sweet dark melody I had missed so much. His arms held me tight, his body pressed to mine… all that was unchanged, just no heartbeat. But, hey, I didn't have one either. I giggled a little hysterically at that thought, and Gryphon pulled back to gaze at me.

There. Another change: his eyes. Once a lovely azure blue like the sky on a clear spring day, they were lighter and brighter now, almost shockingly vivid. And there was a light tan on his skin. But, oh, he was still Gryphon, still my lost love. Tears filled my eyes.

"Don't cry."

"Gryphon." Wiping my tears away, I saw Halcyon come to us. With one hand wrapped around Gryphon's waist, I drew Halcyon into our embrace. "You came," I said, drawing back to gaze at them. "You both came for me."

"Of course," Halcyon said. "We will always come for you."

"How long before the doorway closes," Gryphon asked, gazing at the Demon Prince.

"What doorway?" I asked.

"The one my father opened in the sealed gate between our realms." Turning to Gryphon, he said, "A few hours before it closes. We had best start making our way back."

My frown cleared. "Oh, we have plenty of time then."

"Not if we have to walk," Halcyon said.

"Don't be silly," I said, squeezing his hand. "Our gargoyle friends can fly us there. We don't have to walk."

"We may need to." There was something in Halcyon's eyes, some knowledge that unsettled me, as he said, "We should go now before another battle begins."

"Another battle?" I asked.

"Between the two gargoyles who turned the creature to stone."

"Between Vlad and Gordane? Why would they fight each other?" I asked, and became aware once more of that odd tension. A tension that stretched thick and tight like an invisible rope between Vlad and Gordane as they stared at each other from across the obor's crumbled remains.

"Only one gargoyle among their people should have the power to turn flesh to rock — their king. The two may fight each other, to see which of them will be the gargoyle ruler," Halcyon said.

Sucking in a breath — habit again — I broke away from Halcyon and Gryphon and rushed between the two gargoyles who were approaching each other like gunslingers, hands by their sides. Not drawing yet, but ready to.

"Gordane. Vlad. Tell me you two aren't going to foolishly fight each other." Only now, after Halcyon's revelation, did I see how evenly matched the two of them were — in their powerful physiques, in the proud full curve of their horns, larger and thicker than the other gargoyles.

"I do not wish to fight you," Gordane said, speaking to Vlad over my head. Both had stopped several feet away from me. "It was not my intent to challenge you, only to aid you in immobilizing the beast."

"In doing so, you revealed possession of a power that only a true king should possess," Vlad said.

"Because I am a true king, of my own city-state. And I am loathe to forsake that title and position, already secured, for something I am far less certain I can attain. I am content with my kingdom here in the desert lands. I have no wish to try for your crown. My only desire is to seek a bond-mate from the females of our kind."

"Upon further thought," Vlad said slowly, "any female gargoyle you choose will be unlikely to leave her home in the clean high reaches for the cursed lower grounds, no matter how lavish your desert palace may be. I would not force her out against her wishes, nor could I tolerate your returned presence to our mountaintop, now that I am fully aware of your power. It would be foolish of me to do so."

Vlad's words had both Gordane and I tensing. Vlad, what are you doing? I silently screamed. Gordane might not fight Vlad over the crown of gargoyle king, but he would fight him for access to a female of his kind. If the only access to them was by being king, then he would challenge Vlad for that right.

Mona Louisa said, Vlad would rather meet the challenge and decide it here and now. Her voice startled me. I'd forgotten her for a minute.

So Vlad is deliberately goading Gordane into challenging him? It seemed rather stupid to me, but seemed to make complete sense to Mona Louisa.

"Sire," Gordane said, dropping his head down in a deep bow. "My oath upon our most sacred high eyrie that I am no threat to you or your rule." His head lifted. "Not unless you deliberately make me one. I ask for only a short period of time to seek out a bond-mate among our women."

They assessed each other, two powerful gargoyle rulers.

"King Vlad." I didn't know his proper title but it had to be something close to that. "Please. You promised that Gordane would have that chance."

"So I did," Vlad murmured, studying Gordane intently. "And so he will, but only for a fortnight," he said finally. "Is that agreed?"

Gordane nodded. "Agreed, sire. I offer you my deep gratitude."

"Do not thank me yet. I allow you only opportunity. The rest — convincing the female you have chosen to leave with you — will be entirely up to you."

"Opportunity will be enough," Gordane said.

"We shall see. You have been long away from our people. Your skills may have grown rusty.

"What skills?" I asked.

"His sexual ones. That is how we court among our kind," Vlad explained.

"Oh, well, I'm not sure about the charm, Gordane may have to practice up on that," I said, making Gordane scowl. "But I can vouch for his sexual skills. He's had plenty of practice." A low growl, two low growls behind me, suddenly made me realize how my words could be taken.

"I meant plenty of practice on other women" I hastened to add, looking exasperatedly at Gryphon and Halcyon — where the growls were coming from. "He has an entire hareem of at least eighty women, for Pete's sake."

Thankfully, the menacing growls subsided.

When the hell had they become so jealous? I wondered. Gryphon, I could understand, he'd shown signs of jealousy before. But not Halcyon, not from him.

"When we entered this other realm," Halcyon said. And I felt him then in my mind, in that demon part that was his own blood. "I'm sorry. Being in this realm has changed something in me. Made my control more slippery."

I eyed him uncertainly. "Then perhaps it would be best if we left right away." I turned back to the two gargoyles. "Everything square with you guys?"

"Square?" Vlad asked.

"I mean, is everything agreed between you two?"

Vlad nodded.

"Okay, great, now back to our regular show," I said, and got strange looks from the two gargoyles. "Too much television," I said, confusing them further. "What, no television down here? Well, that settles it. I definitely can't stay now." Heady relief mixed with something else, something that had to do with Gryphon, with seeing him, being so close to him once more, seemed to make a giddy stream of nonsense pour out of my mouth.

I closed my mouth and focused on the most important thing now. "Can you guys give us a lift to the gate… the doorway… whatever it is that will allow us to leave this realm? I could probably shift into my vulture form — " My mutant vulture/human/tiger form, to be more precise." — but I'd rather not make two trips carrying first Halcyon and then Gryphon. Plus, more important, I don't know where we're supposed to go."

"Of course," Vlad said. "We shall gladly take you there."

"Sire, if I may, I would ask to fly Mona Lisa this final distance," Gordane said, bowing as he made his request.

Vlad nodded, cordially enough, if a bit stiff. "Of course, you may carry her. And I and my men will assist the demons."

He paired up with Halcyon, another gargoyle with Gryphon, and then we were off the ground, into the air once more, with Gordane's arms secure around me, my own clinging tight to his wide shoulders.

"Why?" Gordane asked softly.

"Why what?"

"Why did you intercede on my behalf with Vlad when you had nothing to gain by helping me?"

"Because I was here, and able to."

"You are kind."

"Why does that surprise you?"

"Because kind is not a word many would use to describe me." He touched my neck, stroked delicately over where the bruises had been, faded away now.

"You're kind when you wish to be," I murmured as memory of that brief and intimate time of sensual pleasure flashed between us.

"Only when it serves my needs."

I laid my hand over his stroking fingers. "You should try to be kind more often, Gordane. It sits very well upon you. As a ruler, you have a duty to show kindness and mercy to those under your care."

"You see me that way. As under your care," he said perceptively.

I flushed. "Before, when I thought that this was to be my life… I would have accepted what you offered. Maybe even created a child with you." Poignant knowledge swelled between us for a moment. "But this way works out much better for everyone."

"Perhaps. Or perhaps not. We shall never know."

"No," I said softly, maybe even a bit tenderly. "We'll never know now."

Then the time for more words passed as we neared a small open ledge on the side of the mountain. Gordane shifted down toward it.

"Is that where the gate is?" I asked.

"Yes, our time together is almost at an end, and I find myself surprisingly sad to see you go."

"You flatter me," I said as we touched down featherlight on the narrow ledge. "I hope you find what you seek," I said softly as he set me down on my feet.

A cocky male grin creased his face. "I shall certainly have fun trying." Then more seriously. "And you, will you be happy?"

My gaze fell on my dark and beautiful Gryphon, on Halcyon, my elegant Demon Prince, as they landed on the ledge beside us a short distance away with their gargoyle escorts. "Oh yes. I will be very happy."

"The gate is just within," Halcyon said, walking inside.

The cave was much larger than it appeared on the outside, twice our height, with more than enough room to accommodate two demons, three gargoyles — the others still cruised on the winds above — and myself.

The gate, or rather the doorway, was just within, as Halcyon had said. Near the back wall, an eerie black field of energy undulated, like ore would look if it were melted into flowing form. A gargoyle, the one who had flown Gryphon, gasped at the sight. Vlad spoke softly to him, and the gargoyle backed out of the cave and hastily left.

"There is no need for you or Gordane to remain, either," I said to Vlad. "Thank you for bringing us here. For coming to Halcyon and Gryphon's aid. For everything you have done."

"Do not hasten us so quickly on our way," Vlad murmured. "We will stay until we know what your fate is to be."

Oh, yeah. That wasn't quite certain yet.

"Come," Halcyon said, apparently not seeing any point in waiting.

He held out a hand to me and I grasped it, felt Gryphon grip my other hand. Secure between the two of them, I walked to that eerie liquid doorway. Halcyon didn't stop. He didn't say any special incantation or exert any special power that I felt. He simply continued walking and passed right through it, disappearing from sight until all that remained of him was his hand wrapped around mine, pulling me forward until my fingers reached that black undulating essence and stopped there like it was something solid I could not pass through. Hot blistering pain had me screaming and releasing Halcyon's hand, wrenching myself violently back, cradling a hand that sizzled and burned with horrific pain.

Gryphon cradled me as I rocked in agony and awful discovery. "I can't pass through," I muttered, tears streaming down my face. Part of me had believed, had utterly believed that I would be able to walk through that doorway just like Halcyon. It was a staggering shock to find myself unable to. To find myself stuck here forever in NetherHell.

"I will stay here with you," Gryphon murmured in my ear.

"No!" I fought free of his arms and stood cradling the burnt, charred mess that was my hand. "No, just go, Gryphon. Leave!"

Halcyon stepped back through the gate, and I marveled at how easy it was for him to pass in and out of that black barrier. "Once the gate closes, it will not be reopened again," he said, looking at Gryphon and I.

"Just say the word, Mona Lisa," Vlad said, quietly drawing our attention to the two watching gargoyles, "and it can be as it was before with Gordane."

"What?" I had no idea what Vlad was talking about, and found it hard to concentrate on anything other than the blistering pain emanating from my hand.

"Your arrangement with him before. To become his bond-mate."

Gordane's face had gone utterly still.

"You're asking me to release you from your promise. To give Gordane a chance of finding a bond-mate among your people," I said slowly to the gargoyle king, finally comprehending what he proposed. "So Gordane would have no other option but to choose me as his bond-mate if he wants any hope of having a family, a child."

"You would be his queen," Vlad said.

"I would be his curse. No." I shook my head fiercely. "You promised him a chance. I ask that you keep your word. My not being able to cross the gate — it changes nothing."

"It changes everything," Vlad answered. "This is a hard realm. You must begin to think of your own survival here — what you will do, where you will go."

"I will be beside you," Gryphon said. The determination in his voice, his eyes, was frightening. I might be stuck here, but Gryphon didn't have to be. God! The ways this realm would change him — had already changed me — was too awful to imagine… or perhaps to easy to.

"We should first determine if you are truly stuck here," Halcyon said.

I stared at Halcyon. Raised my burnt hand up to him. Half of the blackened, blistered skin had split and peeled away from my fingers, exposing raw, gooey flesh, naked tendons and joints, uncovered bone. "I think this pretty much tells me that I am."

Halcyon knelt down beside me and gently cradled my injured hand. I felt him move within my mind, his presence like the gentle brush of a bird's wing.

The wrenching pain faded away.

The sheer relief of it contrarily caused more tears to spring up in my eyes. "You took away the pain. I didn't know you could do that."

"Only with you, because of our link. The pain is still there. I just blocked your mind's reception of it."

"Whatever you did, Halcyon, it feels wonderful. God. Thank you."

"Do not thank me yet. I may be about to cause you even worse pain."

I brushed the tears away. "Worse pain? I don't think that's possible. What do you mean?"

"There is one other thing we can attempt, Mona Lisa. But it depends on how badly you wish to return to the living realm."

"Pretty damn badly. What other thing can we attempt?"

"I can try to separate Mona Louisa's dead essence from your living one. I believe that is what prevents you from crossing."

And he might be able to do that, I realized, because part of her dead essence was him, his own blood. I felt Mona Louisa's attention sharpen within me.

"What will happen to her — to Mona Louisa?" I asked. "Will she be able to exist here separately?"

"I do not know. Nor do I know what will happen to you. If you will even survive the sundering of your spirits. Even if you do, you may still not be able to cross the doorway."

"Put like that, how could I resist?" Yeah, there was some sarcasm, but it was truthful sarcasm on my part. Any chance, any chance at all, I was willing to take. Still, the concept shocked me: separating out the demon dead part that was Mona Louisa from the rest of me.

"But wouldn't taking out her demon part be defeating the whole purpose?" I asked. "Isn't being a demon what allows you to cross this doorway?"

"The gate is more of a barrier to keep in the condemned — in this case, Mona Louisa's dheu spirit. I believe that is all that prevents you from crossing the doorway, but it is only speculation on my part. I do not know for certain."

Within me, I felt Mona Louisa give her consent. Yes, she thought, I will risk the sundering. The possibility of existing here separately, as my own individual being once more, is worth the risk. She thought in this realm, with her greater strength, she had a chance of existing apart from me.

Gryphon saw my answer in my eyes. "No," he said, his blue eyes glittering with that eerie brightness. "Don't risk yourself this way. We could stay here together in this realm."

"No, we can't. You can't stay here, no matter what happens to me. This place changes you. You don't know the horror you would become."

"Mona Lisa." He grasped my uninjured hand, held it tightly. "I beg of you. Do not risk this sundering of yourself."

"I have to, Gryphon." I pulled my hand gently out of his. "You know it's not in me to do anything else. It's all or nothing for me." With my eyes, I implored him to understand and forgive me.

Turning, I walked to Halcyon. "Okay, let's do this." Brave words. But when the moment came — and it came all too quickly, with the bending of his head and the lowering of his lips to mine — fear stabbed through me.

Halcyon did not kiss me or touch me in any way. He simply brought his lips down an inch away from mine and inhaled. With that first breath, I felt a tugging within me. Not a gentle tug, but a hard steady pull, as if a giant fishhook had latched into me and was starting to peel away my innermost lining, ripping it out. I swallowed the screams until the pain became too much to bear anymore, then I threw back my head and screamed — terrible shrieks, guttural cries, instinctively pulling away from Halcyon. He touched me then, gripped my shoulders to hold me still. To keep me close to him as he continued to rip Mona Louisa out of me.

A white vapor condensed in the air. Slowly become visible as he drew her out. It felt like I was being torn apart, sundered in truth. It was terrible agony, unbearable pain. Worse than any she or I had ever known.

We won't survive!

We cannot survive this!

Our twin voices screamed the words through our minds. Then the words spilled out our mouths in two different voices, startling us. A brief flare of hope — he's succeeding! — then spasms began to shake our body as he continued to split us apart. Spasms that became alarming convulsions.

He's killing us!

I opened my mouth to scream: No! Stop! But another convulsion seized me in its grip and shook my body so cruelly I couldn't speak.

With a final yanking pull, Mona Louisa was brutally torn free of my flesh, leaving behind a jagged tear that I felt deep inside. All ceased — the screams, the violent paroxysms of my body. All froze for one suspended moment. Then I breathed, took in a shuddering breath, and found myself outwardly whole. No blood splattered my body. No innards were pulled out, hanging obscenely outside my body, the way it had felt.

I breathed, not habit but need, real need, and sank slowly down to my knees. In front of me was Mona Louisa's vapory form. She shimmered for a moment like an ethereal spirit, the detail and outline of her sharp and vivid. We stared at each other, amazed, awed. Then her shimmering form dulled and she began to fade, to disappear.

"No!" I cried, moving forward. But another reached her first. Gordane stretched out a gray gargoyle finger and touched that fading essence. And with that one light touch, her fading spirit began to take corporeal form. Flesh spilled onto Mona Louisa, filled in the outline of her shimmering spirit. His touch gave her substance, a solid and real body.

"How did you do that?" Mona Louisa asked, standing before Gordane splendidly real, splendidly naked.

With a surprising bit of gallantry, Gordane removed his shirt and covered her with it. "My touch solidifies things. It seemed what your spirit needed."

"Miraculous." I said awed.

"Not what one often says of our ability," Gordane murmured dryly.

"Thank you, Gordane. You saved her." I was grateful for his intervention. My feelings toward Mona Louisa had changed somehow from hate into something else. She had been a part of me. And that had changed things. Had changed her — both of us.

Gordane shrugged his broad shoulders. "You did not seem to want her to dissipate."

"So you helped her."

"Yes, though she may wish later that I had simply let her go. NetherHell is not an easy place to exist."

"I seem to have a knack for surviving, though," Mona Louisa said. "You have my sincere gratitude, Lord Gordane. Especially if you return me to my Miles."

The corners of his mouth curved up in a slight smile. "My wings are at your service. And you are correct. Miles seems more yours now than mine."

"Despite that, I think both our services will prove quite useful to you," she murmured, sliding her hand through his offered arm.

Mona Louisa was indeed a survivor. And I had no doubt she would see well to the business of surviving here — had begun to, already, it seemed. All that was left was to see if it worked. If, now that she was no longer a part of me, I would be able to cross through the doorway and leave NetherHell.

Gryphon laid his fingers gently on my arm. My hand was visibly starting to heal, bits of blackened flesh falling away, new healthy pink tissue replacing it. A reassuring sight. I had wondered for a moment if the damage was to be permanent. "Can you walk?" he asked.

"Yeah, I can walk." I would have crawled had I needed to, but walking was much better.

"Shall we try again?" Halcyon asked. He stood on my other side, not making any effort to touch me. I'd known he was there. Had been aware of him in a hypersensitive sort of way. But I hadn't been able to look at him yet. I forced myself to meet his gaze now, with the memory of the pain he had caused me still raw and fresh.

The pain wasn't his fault, I told myself. But the sharp, vivid pain memory of my body still made me shrink back from him, unsettled by his nearness.

A wounded look passed through his eyes before he blanked out all expression from his face. He took a step back, and gestured to the black undulating doorway. "Go on."

This time it was Gryphon who led me to the gate. Gryphon who held my hand. He stopped in front of the doorway. "It's up to you," he said, leaving the choice up to me. To try or not to try.

With my fingers entwined with his, my hand trembling wildly — his rock steady — I lifted our hands and touched the doorway. Our fingers sank through as if nothing was there, disappearing through the surface. No burning flesh, no flash of pain. Nothing but a mild brush of energy across my skin.

"It worked." I turned back to Halcyon, elated. "It worked!"

Relief filled his eyes, and was the last thing I saw as I stepped through the doorway with Gryphon. It was like walking into the room next door — effortless, pain-free. I left NetherHell, my last glimpse that of Halcyon, passed through smothering darkness, and emerged on the other side with Blaec, the High Lord of Hell — an older version of Halcyon — waiting for us there.

"Thank the darkness. You found her," Blaec said, looked unbearably strained and weary. "Where is Halcyon?"

"Just behind us," Gryphon said. But his voice sounded funny. His hand, wrapped around mine, clenched tight, painfully tight. "Blood… I smell blood." Slowly Gryphon turned to me and said in that funny voice, "Let go."

Every hair on my body was suddenly standing up on end. "What?"

"Let go of my hand… and run!"

I abruptly realized why his voice sounded so strangely garbled. He had fangs! The shock of seeing them on Gryphon and realizing again what he was — demon! — had me dropping his hand.

"No, don't run!" Blaec said. But it was too late. Blind instinct had taken over. I ran. And Gryphon came after me.

I made it only into the next room before he was on me. His sharp nails sank into my shoulder, my hip. His fangs ripped savagely into my neck. I had a moment to think — It's not real. It's just a nightmare, a horrible nightmare. Then blood-filled darkness sucked me screaming down into its scary depths.