Free Dream of Me by Magenta Phoenix Page A

a stony expression, she pointed an accusing finger at him as she spoke. “That’s twice now that you’ve scared the hell out of me. Do it again and I promise I will rip your wings off, Birdman.” She could tell that he didn’t take her threat seriously as he smiled at her widely and laughed.

    Relaxing, he willed his wings away with a simple thought as he took a small step away from her. “Do you recognize this place?” he asked, turning away from her.

    Rubbing a shaky hand against her face, Elena turned to look around her. It was their dream place. She remembered night after night of being in this place with him, being held by him. Her body burned with the memory of his strong arms around her as they lay on the cool ground. Shaking her head to clear the image away, her eyes turned to look at his back that faced her. It was the first time she’d actually seen him from behind before.

    And what a behind it is…

    However her eyes didn’t focus on his muscular buttocks — alright maybe just a little bit. Instead her gaze was drawn to the alluring and confusing sight of his bare back. There were no marks where his wings were or if they’d ever been there. She couldn’t get the sight out of her mind of his dark dragon-like wings she’d seen sprout from his back moments ago. He was magnificent. Her dreams of him had not done him justice. But that didn’t answer her question of what he was.

    “You brought me here in our dreams,” she whispered, sliding down the trunk of the tree to sit on the soft grass. “Why did we come here?”

    Turning around to face her, he slowly drew closer as his eyes took in the beauty around them with a content smile. The serenity of the pounding waterfall heard in the distance and the lush emerald colors brought an inner peace that he’d not know for some time. “This was my private place. I use to come here as a boy when nightmares of war and death became too much. It’s also the place I shared with you. I have never trusted anyone enough to bring them here. A fitting place as any to tell you the truth about what I am.”

    His words warmed her heart, but she forced herself to remain unaffected. What did she really know about him? Was he really a harmless — attractive lamb or a wolf in sheep’s clothing? She needed facts before she gave into her girly side and trusted the man before her. “What are you?” she gently asked as she crossed her legs in front of her. Releasing a slow breath, Kieran leaned his back against a tree as his began his tale.

    “Many centuries ago, my people existed in your world and for a time both our species lived peacefully together. Your people gave my kind a name — gargoyle. But not much after that did your people turned against us. We were accused of being demons — abominations of evil. We were hunted and many were killed all because of our unique gifts.”

    “Gargoyles? That can’t be. Gargoyles are myths. The only time I’ve even heard of them is people placing stone statues around their home. Many believe they offer protection, but they look nothing like you do. You look human — except for your wings, wherever they went to,” she said, pointing at his lack of wings.

    He smirked back at her. “Our wings are a part of our inner magic; we call upon them when needed. Besides our sou’tali our wings are our most precious possession. It is a risk to have them displayed all the time.”

    Rolling her eyes, Elena mumbled, “Plus it must make doorways challenging.”

    Shaking his head at her softly muttered words, he continued, “Deep within all Garmorian’s is the need to safe guard any weaker than themselves. Our honor demands it. For a time we did provide protection to your people, but we were soon seen as a threat. Seeing that there could be no peaceful coexistence between us, we fled. It is said that it was then that the veil was formed between our two worlds by our Goddess. Since then no Garmorian has entered the human world,