Gargoyles in the Attic

Gargoyles in the Attic

by

Autumn Dawn

PUBLISHED BY:

Autumn Dawn on Smashwords

EDITED BY:

Judy Stone

Cover Artist: Gabby Beaudreault

stonewrightediting.blogspot.com

Gargoyles in the Attic

Copyright © 2014 by Autumn Dawn

www.autumndawnbooks.com

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The author acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of various products referenced in this work of fiction, which have been used without permission. The publication/use of these trademarks is not authorized, associated with, or sponsored by the trademark owners.

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Gargoyles in the Attic

Gargoyle Howl is more interested in bacon than candy, but he finds a sweet thing in chocolatier Fiona Creed. Can he charm her human parents, or will his romance turn sour?

A short story set in the world of Iron & Hemlock.

16,000 words

Chapter 1

It won’t work, wife.

Jordan blinked and accepted a cup of fennel & mint tea from her husband. He’d added honey, and she inhaled the steam gratefully. She’d barely begun to show, but nausea plagued her constantly. Toast and tea had become staples. What do you mean?

Griffin nodded at the cello player across the drawing room. It was twilight and a maid was lighting the gaslights, making the cello gleam. The soft light cast the mute girl in a romantic glow, the cello giving her voice, making it soar.

A gargoyle watched her, his expression rapt as he swayed gently to the haunting melody. Thin and purple, he had busy white hair, oversize gargoyle feet and a black leather kilt. A long, sheathed dagger hung at his belt.

He loves the music, not the girl. Or rather, Lance feels protective of her. What you see is a gargoyle’s natural protective instinct. They would never make it as a couple.

Jordan raised a brow. Oh?

Indeed. Gargoyles are brutal lovers, my heart. Teeth, claws, thick hides… They have powerful instincts that are perfect for each other, but too much for a delicate human. However, they make excellent guardians. He’s hers.

Hm. And how do you know about gargoyle mating habits? she asked archly. Griffin had a certain reputation before they met, and she wouldn’t doubt he’d had a former paranormal flame.

Of course, Griffin had been known to sprout claws of his own.

We’ve had gargoyles in the family for a long time, darling. Men talk.

I see. It’s just as well. Abby is young and magic makes her nervous. I think she’s happy here, but she needs to see the wider world. A talent like hers belongs on the world’s stage, and I want to see her shine. Abby was an orphan. Jordan heard her playing on a street corner with her father’s battered old violin and struck up a conversation. She’d offered the girl a position as nanny, saying Abby’s music would help her active daughter sleep. She’d also mentioned that Abby was welcome to play any instrument in the music room. Once the girl had time to adjust to the house, she’d supplied lessons.

Jordan was very fond of her, and Abby repaid the favor by taking excellent care of Jordan’s daughter.

Jordan placed a hand on her gently rounded stomach and smiled, thinking of the future. How are Rook and Cachet settling in? I know she would have preferred a cave, but Rook was firm on staying in the house. Has the attic room been satisfactory? The house had made a nursery especially for them, making it accessible only through the balcony and lining a nest with sweet smelling dried plants like rush, lavender and mint. It had also supplied soft, colorful cloth to help insulate the two precious eggs.

Why don’t you ask him? Griffin said, escorting her to the dining room. She won’t leave the eggs, but he’ll be at dinner. He brings her gossip with her food.

Jordan grinned and entered the room, clapping her hands as her toddler abandoned her Uncle Rook with a squeal and crawled to her mother. Quick as a squirrel, Aurora Rose was almost a year old and ruled her uncles with her cute baby ways. Jordan couldn’t blame them; the pretty blue eyes and silky blond hair were just a bonus. Hello, sweetie! Are you hungry? She strapped the wiggling girl in the wooden highchair and sat next to her. How is Cachet, Rook? Still feeling broody?

He grinned, flashing fangs. They gleamed as white as his hair, practically glowing against his ebony skin. "I told her she should visit with you, but she can’t stand to the leave the eggs. It is her first clutch," he said with pride. He loved his mate and hovered over the eggs when he wasn’t fetching food.

I understand. She’ll be a good mother. Jordan accepted a serving of roast chicken and almond rice. Butter made her queasy for some reason, so the cook, Mrs. Y, had switched to olive oil. Milk was also curdling her stomach, so Mrs. Y had suggested almond milk, which worked well. Jordan suspected Mrs. Y was quietly replacing all dairy for Jordan’s sake. While she appreciated the delicious new dishes Mrs. Y produced, she had to admit that she still craved cheese.

She’d kill for a good pizza.

Grimacing, she concentrated on the excellent mushrooms in sherry. If she’d kill for a pizza, she’d walk a mile for Mrs. Y’s mushrooms.

I received a letter today, Griffin announced. He’d been dining in his human form for the last week, patrolling the grounds as a griffin with his brothers. With the women brooding, they’d been even more security cautious. A few months ago an elf threatened Cachet’s young, and they weren’t about to let anything happen to them. It had a small sketch. He passed the empty envelope, letting the others smell it.

This is a female gargoyle! Lance exclaimed, causing a stir. Where’s the sketch? His brows rose as Griffin passed it to him.

What did the letter say? Samhain, his pooka brother, looked up from his bucket of chopped raw goat with interest. His stallion’s hide was black and he had a place at the table, but it was easier to eat from buckets on the floor.

She claims to be acquainted with Mrs. Black, Griffin said, referring to Cachet’s deceased grandmother. She said Mrs. Black spoke highly of our family and asked about her welfare, since her letters have gone unanswered.

She doesn’t know? Jordan asked, accepting the sketch. Because of her connection with the house, Jordan saw below the glamour of a pretty young woman with dark hair to the gargoyle beneath. She was blue with curling ram’s horns and black hair, and her wing claws clasped under her chin, making her wings resemble a cloak.

She lives in Italy, so she had no way of knowing. The letter is written in French; she fled from the Purge as a child with kindly circus folks. They adopted her, retired from the circus and started a bakery and pastry shop. She’s a candy maker.

Chocolatier, Sage corrected. Currently in the form of a giant white owl, the shape shifter winked at his sister-in-law. "Considering how fond you are of chocolate, I thought you’d appreciate the distinction.

Jordan’s eyes widened. She frequently bought large orders of cocoa powder, as well as scouting the local chocolate shops for the latest chocolate sensation. She was extremely grateful that she’d traveled back in time to a society that had chocolate, but the chocolate bar hadn’t been invented yet. She was working with Mrs. Y to produce a truly delicious cocoa cake, and their pudding was soul salving, but they hadn’t mastered the art of chocolate. The idea of having a master chocolatier in the family was extremely exciting. That’s so cool! You’re not messing with me, are you?

Griffin smiled at her enthusiasm. I should mention that this is not our first exchange of letters. I sent Sage to investigate before telling the rest of you. I didn’t want anyone to be disappointed. He glanced at Vicious, who frowned. They’d been taken in by an elf disguised as a young gargoyle female, and Vic had been particularly disappointed. She’s genuine, her name is Fiona Creed, and her family is coming for a visit.

A furious rush of