Such a sad situation—
Something hit him. Something that felt like a giant, freaking stone. It slammed into him and he felt his right wing tear as he plummeted downward. Leo tried to fight, but he was held in an unbreakable grip. Stronger than anything he’d ever faced before.
He roared his fury and let the change sweep through him, a full-on transformation that he rarely allowed because he knew it was too dangerous. Thick, sharp scales broke through his skin, a long, winding tail snapped out from his body and—
“Can’t have that.” A voice that was a thick rumble. “You’re done.”
His gaze craned toward the man who’d attacked him. Only it wasn’t a man. It was a monster—half stone, half winged devil. All nightmare. And it was so strong.
“Done,” his attacker said again as he drove Leo straight down, sending the Lord of the Light crashing beneath the waves of the ocean.
***
“This is the end for you, Keri.” Rose put her hand on the other woman’s shoulder. They’d just docked and she knew that Simon would be showing soon. That means it is time for the human to get away. Keri blinked and stared up at her. “I want you to walk away from the dock. I want you to go back to your home and I want you to forget everything you learned about Simon and paranormal creatures.”
Keri stared up at her.
“Monsters aren’t real.” Rose forced a smile. “Tell me that.”
“Monsters aren’t real,” Keri repeated.
“Remember that. And go have a great, normal life, okay?”
Keri nodded, and then, without another word, she headed off the boat. She jumped onto the dock and landed easily. She didn’t look back as she left.
Rose’s shoulders sagged. One problem down. Hopefully. She bit her lower lip as she glanced around nervously. When would Simon be showing? Julian and Rayce were below deck, probably prowling like caged tigers, but they knew the drill.
Do not show yourselves. Not yet.
She heard the whoosh of wind picking up and her gaze shot upward. Hell. What part of low profile had Leo not understood? Seriously, if he messed this up for them again…
That’s not Leo.
A giant beast slammed into the boat—a beast that was a terrible combination of man and stone. Huge wings spread from his back. His face was distorted, his teeth enormous, and his blue eyes…
They blazed.
“Collecting you,” he rasped.
The boat shuddered beneath his weight.
She didn’t know who that guy was but…he was obviously Simon’s errand boy. She just hadn’t expected such a large errand boy. Or one with such big claws. And teeth. And massive wings.
And one made of stone. “What are you?” Rose whispered as she backed up.
He took a sliding step toward her.
Fear stole her breath.
***
“Something is wrong,” Julian said as his gaze shot upward. Someone—something—had just landed on the boat with a thud—and with enough force to send the whole boat rocking. He inhaled and his body tensed as he caught the new scents in the air. Brimstone. Magic. Fear. “Rose is afraid.” He lunged for the stairs that would take him above deck.
Rayce grabbed his shirt. The material tore. “Shit, man, wait! You know the plan! She’s supposed to get taken.”
He snarled at his friend. “She’s afraid.”
“That kind of goes along with the whole getting taken part. We knew this was going to happen. Now man up and do your job. We’ll track her. We’ll find the others. We’ll kill the freaking Collector—”
But a scream had just cut through Rayce’s words. Rose’s scream. And the boat rolled hard again. It shuddered—and the thing begin to sink.
He and Rayce both ran up the stairs. They exploded onto the deck to see that the place was being wrecked. Destroyed by a big, stone beast.
“Oh, fuck no,” Rayce said. “Tell me I’m not staring at—”
A gargoyle. He was—they were both staring at the massive figure of a stone gargoyle. One of the worst shifters out there.
And the bastard launched into the air, holding Rose tightly in his arms.
“No!” Julian bellowed.
“Relax.” Rayce slapped a hand against him. “You’ve seriously got to chill out. We knew someone would come for her. Granted, I don’t think we expected that guy…”
Gargoyles were supposed to be extinct. Fucking hell.
“It’s all right. We’ve got this.” Rayce sounded far too confident. “The plan is working just as she said. They took the bait.”
The gargoyle had taken her.
“Now we hunt…” Rayce glanced around the rapidly filling boat. “And we get out of here before we have to take a swim.”