Secret of the Gargoyles (Gargoyle Guardian Chronicles Book 3) Read Online Free
Author: Rebecca Chastain
Defense squad would be dispatched to Reaper’s Ridge to subdue wayward storms, and even the elite FPD warriors couldn’t do much more than enforce a wide perimeter around the ridge.
Why did the baetyl have to be there?
“I can’t do this on my own. I’m going to need help,” I said.
“I’ll help,” Celeste said, and Oliver seconded her.
I nodded, not really listening. I would have preferred going to Kylie for assistance. She was my best friend and had helped me in the past, but she was out of town, covering the blooming of the Asking Tree for the Terra Haven Chronicle . Even if she had been available, she was a journalist at heart. Dangling exclusive information about gargoyle birthing grounds in her face, then telling her she had to keep it a secret, would be pure torture. More practically, she didn’t have the physical strength, magical know-how, or warrior training I’d need to survive Reaper’s Ridge. I needed the help of seasoned full-spectrum elementals. I needed Captain Grant Monaghan and his squad.
When I said as much to Celeste, she leapt to her feet and loomed over me. “You can’t tell anyone, especially not five more people.”
Despite her menacing stance, she didn’t scare me this time. I knew her posturing was born of fear, not a desire to hurt me. Nevertheless, I stood up, walking to Rourke’s side to put some space between myself and the incensed gryphon.
“You said you don’t know how much more time Rourke has. We need to work quickly, and I trust Captain Monaghan and his squad with my life. He was the one who led the efforts to save Rourke and the park.” He’d done more than that: It’d been Grant and his team of FPD warriors who had saved the city, and they’d trusted me to work alongside them to help injured gargoyles. If anyone could get us through the storms on Reaper’s Ridge, it was Grant’s team.
Grant also happened to be the only leader of an FPD squad that I was on a first-name basis with and the only one who would believe me if I said my perilous mission was necessary. More important, he and his squad were the only people I would trust with this secretive mission.
“They are not guardians. They cannot help,” Celeste insisted.
“I wouldn’t suggest we go to Grant’s squad unless I thought they were necessary and trustworthy,” I said. “Think about it. How would I get Rourke to the baetyl by myself? I can’t carry him, and even if I could, what about the others? How would I protect them from the wild storms? As much as I’d love to do this on my own, I need help. This isn’t a one-woman mission.”
Lacking the muscles to carry a gargoyle didn’t bother me, but admitting to being too weak as an elemental to protect them rankled. The gargoyles of Terra Haven depended on me. If I couldn’t be everything the gargoyles needed, then it was up to me to make sure I found others who could shore up my shortcomings.
It took an hour of circular arguments before I convinced Celeste, and when she finally agreed, she insisted we leave immediately. I concurred; we didn’t have any time to waste.
We exited the park together, with Oliver and I staying well clear of Celeste’s snapping tail. In the early days after the destruction of Focal Park, Oliver and I had drawn a lot of attention. Few gargoyles left their rooftop perches and fewer still walked the streets with a human companion. With Kylie’s front-page “Gargoyle Healer Saves Terra Haven” article fresh in everyone’s mind, complete with a picture of Oliver and me, we couldn’t have been more recognizable if we’d carried signs. But after a few weeks, the small crowds we’d drawn in our wake had faded. We’d become neighborhood fixtures and recipients of friendly waves and greetings, which I much preferred.
With Celeste stalking at my side, we were back to spectacle status. I ignored the stares and pointing fingers and concentrated on what I’d say to convince Captain Monaghan to help us.
Every few
Why did the baetyl have to be there?
“I can’t do this on my own. I’m going to need help,” I said.
“I’ll help,” Celeste said, and Oliver seconded her.
I nodded, not really listening. I would have preferred going to Kylie for assistance. She was my best friend and had helped me in the past, but she was out of town, covering the blooming of the Asking Tree for the Terra Haven Chronicle . Even if she had been available, she was a journalist at heart. Dangling exclusive information about gargoyle birthing grounds in her face, then telling her she had to keep it a secret, would be pure torture. More practically, she didn’t have the physical strength, magical know-how, or warrior training I’d need to survive Reaper’s Ridge. I needed the help of seasoned full-spectrum elementals. I needed Captain Grant Monaghan and his squad.
When I said as much to Celeste, she leapt to her feet and loomed over me. “You can’t tell anyone, especially not five more people.”
Despite her menacing stance, she didn’t scare me this time. I knew her posturing was born of fear, not a desire to hurt me. Nevertheless, I stood up, walking to Rourke’s side to put some space between myself and the incensed gryphon.
“You said you don’t know how much more time Rourke has. We need to work quickly, and I trust Captain Monaghan and his squad with my life. He was the one who led the efforts to save Rourke and the park.” He’d done more than that: It’d been Grant and his team of FPD warriors who had saved the city, and they’d trusted me to work alongside them to help injured gargoyles. If anyone could get us through the storms on Reaper’s Ridge, it was Grant’s team.
Grant also happened to be the only leader of an FPD squad that I was on a first-name basis with and the only one who would believe me if I said my perilous mission was necessary. More important, he and his squad were the only people I would trust with this secretive mission.
“They are not guardians. They cannot help,” Celeste insisted.
“I wouldn’t suggest we go to Grant’s squad unless I thought they were necessary and trustworthy,” I said. “Think about it. How would I get Rourke to the baetyl by myself? I can’t carry him, and even if I could, what about the others? How would I protect them from the wild storms? As much as I’d love to do this on my own, I need help. This isn’t a one-woman mission.”
Lacking the muscles to carry a gargoyle didn’t bother me, but admitting to being too weak as an elemental to protect them rankled. The gargoyles of Terra Haven depended on me. If I couldn’t be everything the gargoyles needed, then it was up to me to make sure I found others who could shore up my shortcomings.
It took an hour of circular arguments before I convinced Celeste, and when she finally agreed, she insisted we leave immediately. I concurred; we didn’t have any time to waste.
We exited the park together, with Oliver and I staying well clear of Celeste’s snapping tail. In the early days after the destruction of Focal Park, Oliver and I had drawn a lot of attention. Few gargoyles left their rooftop perches and fewer still walked the streets with a human companion. With Kylie’s front-page “Gargoyle Healer Saves Terra Haven” article fresh in everyone’s mind, complete with a picture of Oliver and me, we couldn’t have been more recognizable if we’d carried signs. But after a few weeks, the small crowds we’d drawn in our wake had faded. We’d become neighborhood fixtures and recipients of friendly waves and greetings, which I much preferred.
With Celeste stalking at my side, we were back to spectacle status. I ignored the stares and pointing fingers and concentrated on what I’d say to convince Captain Monaghan to help us.
Every few
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