Midnight. Christi Whitney J.

of the stairs. She ran her hand over the wooden railing.

      ‘Markus was not my first charge,’ she said, turning her gaze to the fire. ‘During the first several hundred years of our existence, gargoyles remained statues far longer than they were alive, only awakened when there was a threat, sealed to Roma as needed. But as clans began fighting amongst themselves, gargoyles were used as weapons, rather than guardians. The Sobrasi were formed to regulate the shadow world, but eventually, they came to care more for the power and wealth that control brought them.’

      ‘But Markus was not one of those,’ I said.

      ‘No.’ Esmeralda turned her attention to the fire. ‘There were still noble Sobrasi back then. When awakened, gargoyles were given time to acclimate to their surroundings before being sealed to a Gypsy. Markus was the Sobrasi tasked with assimilating them. I was under his care.’

      I frowned. ‘So you weren’t his guardian?’

      ‘Not at first. At that time, every member of the Sobrasi had their own guardian, and I had been selected for someone else. But Markus and I … there was something between us. Something I’d never experienced.’ Ezzie’s eyes glazed over in memory. ‘He went against the head of the Sobrasi and chose me instead.’ She looked back at me. ‘It did not win him much favor among them.’

      ‘How did you … I mean, how did you fall in love?’

      The expression on her face shifted. ‘Even before we were sealed, I felt connected to him. He wasn’t like my past charges. With those, the bond had been strong, but it was born out of a protective duty, a deep and compelling calling. But with Markus …’ Esmeralda hesitated, and I saw the corner of her eye twitch, the only evidence of whatever emotions she was dealing with. She sighed. ‘I don’t know why it happened to us. Why we were the ones to be cursed.’

      ‘How could your relationship be a curse?’

      ‘Because it got him killed.’

      ‘Ezzie.’

      ‘Please,’ she said, holding up her hand. ‘I don’t wish to continue speaking about me. I’ve spent many years trying to move forward.’ She moved to her chair and sat in front of me. ‘But you haven’t asked me the real question yet. The one that concerns you most.’

      Ezzie waited patiently.

      I fumbled with my pendant. ‘How was it possible? Shadowen are …’

       Creatures.

      I didn’t want to say the word aloud. But Ezzie seemed to know it, anyway. She perched on the edge of her chair, reminding me of a cat about to pounce. Her eyes locked onto mine with a fierce intensity.

      ‘When shadowen were first created, they were indeed, creatures of stone, brought to life. The grotesques were once noble beasts, charged with protecting holy places and innocent Roma. Until the blood feuds ripped the Old Clans apart and mutilated the shadow world in the process. Then chimeras were crafted to be even more brutal. You must remember, gargoyles were fashioned by the Roma to fight those evils.’