Free Stone Guardian by Danielle Monsch Page A

“I’d rather not everyone know, thank you.”
    Olivia leaned closer, her voice lowering. “Are you kidding me, zombies?”
    “Yeah, zombies. And those two who visited me wanted to know why.”
    Olivia’s body shook as if in preparation for the answer. “And why were you?”
    “I have no idea.”
    Disbelief was as evident on Olivia’s face as it had been on both Terak’s and Fallon’s. “You have no idea?”
    “None. I think it was an accident and they attacked the wrong woman, but everyone around me seems determined to believe I was attacked on purpose.”
    Olivia pulled back then, angling away from Larissa, her hand smoothing her brown curls back. “It seems likely that attack was on purpose. Necromancers don’t make many mistakes.”
    “And what would you know about necromancers?” This was new. Olivia had never expressed any personal knowledge of the other races before.
    Olivia shrugged, the movement the height of nonchalance. “Only what everyone else knows. Mages that powerful probably don’t make mistakes.” Changing the subject, Olivia motioned to the book Larissa had open. “What’s that? Going to teach gargoyles?”
    It was Larissa’s turn to shrug. This part she didn’t want to mention to Olivia. “After my attack, I thought it would be a good idea to be a little more concerned with the other races. They seemed interesting.”
    Olivia studied the picture, tapping the drawn gargoyle with one long red nail. “I would have chosen another race to start with. Outside of necromancers, I can’t think of any creature I’d want to meet less.”
    “Why do you say that?”
    “Because, if they had nothing to hide, they’d be part of the world amongst all the other creatures. Hell, you can even find necromancer clubs in certain areas.”
    Which was disturbing, but considering how vampires had been romanticized and fetishized in the Human Realm before the collision, the fact those clubs existed wasn’t as shocking as it should have been. “Maybe they’re afraid. It can’t be easy to enter the world when you’ve always shunned it before.”
    “Well, yeah, or maybe they are as evil as the necromancers but don’t have that dark, sexy-charm swagger to cover their deviousness.”
    Deviousness. There was no word she could think of less right to describe Terak. No, he wasn’t telling her everything, but it seemed to come from a place of protection, not slyness.
    Then again, she could be fooling herself.
    “Olivia, have you ever left the city?”
    “Why, are you thinking of taking a long weekend or something? Your dad would flip.”
    “No, it’s just…” Larissa looked down at the picture again. “I’m starting to think about what I don’t know. It never occurred to me before, but the attack has me thinking on things.”
    The bell rang, and Olivia stood. “I have class next period so I got to get going. If you need to talk, I’ll be free tonight.”
    Larissa shook her head. “I’m fine. Really.”
    Olivia looked dubious, but nodded her acceptance. “If you change your mind, give me a call.”
    When she left, Larissa stared down at the drawing in the book, at the large wings and sharp claws. The picture was terrifying and it was not nearly as impressive as seeing them in moving flesh.
    Emulating Olivia, she stroked the snarling face on the picture. Terrifying, yes, but she couldn’t quite remember ever feeling so warm as when she had been enfolded in Terak’s wings.
    Larissa looked out of the nearby window. Was a gargoyle nearby, watching her? The sun was shining today, a light wind whipping the occasional leaf past the glass. How could a gargoyle exist on a day like today? They belonged to the night, to full moons and dark clouds and the wind howling through trees.
    They certainly didn’t get involved with people like her, boring people with a too stifling family and a regular job. She had no money problems, no social life… hell, she hadn’t even had a steady boyfriend yet.