3. To Be With You
Even though the weather was still warm, the days were growing shorter and it was only a matter of time before the weather turned completely. None of that mattered to Mary though because Mr. Scott had notified her aunt's house had sold. In the beginning Mary hadn't been certain if she should stay, now the thought of going back seemed wrong. She knew one of the reasons for that feeling was Aiden, even if most of that time she told herself that feeling wasn't entirely logical. What couldn't be denied though was that she had grown closer to him with each passing night.
They still worked to locate the others, though now she knew for certain that four had been destroyed. Those that remained of the eight original names and two more that he had been able to remember were completely unaccounted for. It was as if they never existed. Mary had begun looking for them as fine art pieces, but that was slow and tedious since private collections were just that, private. Their owners didn't tend to post pictures online. She'd posted several messages on discussion boards in hopes someone; somewhere might give her a lead.
The situation was made even more difficult by the fact that she had no idea what any of the missing ones looked like. She had tried to mention this to Aiden tactfully by asking if all of his kind were so handsome. If she had been looking for a realistic statue of a man everyone reading her message would know what that meant. Since gargoyles were creatures of fantasy to most people, there was no such thing as a "realistic gargoyle". She had hoped to be able to post a description of him. Unfortunately she found out that his kind were a great deal more varied than humans. She would worry about what to do if she found a likely candidate with the right provenance when that happened.
The library was another project that continued to frustrate both of them. Between them, Mary thought they must have explored every inch of the house, including the attic, even though it didn't fit Ambrose's description of 'downstairs'. They did find several of his journals and Mary had started to read through them, hoping that he might have left more clues without realizing it. After Mr. Scott called though, all of that had been put aside for a bit. She went into the village and bought a new dress, the first new item of clothing she had ever purchased for herself without needing someone else's approval. She supposed it would still be considered conservative by most standards, but the soft pink garment hugged her slim frame in all the right places. The short sleeves fluttered lightly around her arms, an impression that was echoed by the knee length skirt. Her hair, which she never wore in any particular style, was twisted into a simple, but flattering bun. She was admiring the effect when Aiden came in. He looked confused at first.
"Are you going out for the evening?" He asked, keeping his distance. Mary had noticed that in the past few weeks he had grown almost possessive. She had become friends with a couple of the ladies from the village and he didn't mind that, but if she met with a man for any reason he seemed almost angry. It was beyond her why, she had no interest in any of them.
"No." She smiled. "I just found out today that Aunt Patrice's house was sold."
When Mr. Scott first discussed the idea with her she had been reluctant. It was the only home she had ever known, but she knew that she didn't want to go back either. She decided that if she went back, there would be plenty of other houses to choose from.
"You will stay then?" A smile was beginning on his full lips.
"If you don't mind." She felt a blush color her cheeks. "I think this is your house more than mine."
He smiled broadly and pulled her close. As he lifted her off of her feet his lips came down on hers. Mary whimpered softly at first, her body tense against his. Still, the touch of his mouth made her head spin and her heart race and she slipped her arms around his neck. Slowly he lowered her to her feet again. His lips left hers and Mary gripped his arms, her body trembling as she looked up at him.
"I have frightened you." He said softly, his thumb stroking her deeply blushing cheek. The tip of the single talon grazed her eyebrow lightly. She lowered her eyes and leaned against him.
"At first." Mary said, her voice quivering. His arms wrapped around her.
"And now?" He asked softly, one hand cradled her head. Mary looked up at him.
"Now I don't know what I feel, but I know it isn't fear." He picked her up and walked out onto the balcony. The night was unseasonably warm, but but there was a chill in the air. Mary relaxed against him until she noticed he was heading directly for the railing. "What are you doing?"
"I have something to show you." He said, stepping up onto the railing. Mary hid her face as he stepped off of it as easily as she would step off of the landing on the stairs. She braced herself for the impact with the ground, but it never came. She raised her head and saw the dark ground slipping past below them. His wings beat rhythmically and she pressed closer against him. She had never considered the fact that he flew, let alone that he would take her with him. Mary began to relax in his arms. When she had just about caught her breath he descended into what looked like a pool of unbroken darkness. His arms never lost their stable hold on her as he shifted the orientation of his body. Mary barely felt the change as his feet touched the ground again. He sat down and let Mary rest in his lap.
"Did you think that I would drop you child?" He whispered, a small smile on his lips.
"I guess it's a little silly but I never pictured you flying." Mary said, her eyes adjusting to the darkness slowly. Now that the wind was no longer rushing in her ears she heard the soft sounds of water lapping at a shoreline. She realized that they were sitting in the middle of a small lake on an island that was little more than a pile of rocks. They were surrounded on all sides by trees, and she heard the soft rustling of the breeze in the undergrowth.
"I should have warned you." He spoke softly, letting her look around. The longer they sat there the more Mary's eyes adjusted. The starlight sparkled off the surface of the water and she could pick out the shapes of individual trees and shrubs along the shoreline.
"Where are we?" She asked finally, her voice as quiet as his. She didn't want to break the stillness of the place.
"I do not think it has a name, but we are still on your property. This place is all but inaccessible by ground because it is surrounded by brambles." He stroked her arm, his head rested against hers.
"It's beautiful." She said, feeling her heart start to race again.
"You are beautiful." He lifted her chin and even in the darkness she could see his eyes.
"It's just the dress." Her voice quivered.
"No, it is not. It is the lady wearing it." He leaned close to her, his face inches from hers. "I do not wish to frighten you again." Mary moved forward, her lips brushed his very lightly and lingered. His hand held the back of her neck and his tongue caressed her lips.
Mary moaned softly and turned to face him more. Her lips quivered and then parted under his gentle insistence. She felt his soft growling moan as much as she heard it, his tongue slipped into her mouth and began to carefully explore. Mary found that she could hardly breathe. It was as if the world itself had stopped while his mouth was on hers. After what seemed like a blissful eternity he moved away from her. Mary relaxed against his chest, her eyes closed. He held her carefully.
"I have brought no other here." He said after several minutes of silence. Mary looked up at him.
