Jasper Read online

  The pirate looking Gargoyle didn’t disappoint when he responded, “Aye, Love.” Tessa ran upstairs to do her part, and Trevor went into Jasper’s room and lay back down beside him. It was the same spot he’d been in most of the day. Tessa smiled when she entered the room and opened the window. She stopped at the bedside and pressed her hand to Jasper’s cheek before going to the next room.

  Lilly made her way upstairs and used her hand to direct the smoke to the corners of the room as well as around the door. She whispered to herself what sounded like a prayer as she worked. Before she left the room, she focused some of the smoke to the area around him and Jasper. When she was finished, she went on to the next room. As she walked down the hall a few minutes later, she stuck her head in the door. “You can close the window if you like. It will take me about an hour to prepare the serum and then it will need to simmer a couple of hours. After that, we will start the ritual. If you haven’t slept today, I suggest you try to rest.”

  “Thank you for coming all this way.”

  “It’s what family does,” Lilly said.

  He thought about that as she went back downstairs. It wasn’t the first time someone had said that to him. This was his family now, whether he had accepted it or not. He didn’t think he was hurting Jasper when he wrapped his arm around him. At least he hoped not. He lay next to Jasper quietly. Even though Lilly said to talk to him, he needed to just be there with him. He had spent most of the day talking to him, and he was afraid Jasper would get tired of his voice. He studied Jasper’s face some more. His fangs were pressing into his lower lip, but they weren’t cutting him. Trevor reckoned after almost five hundred years one would get used to the sharp teeth.

  Trevor closed his eyes, letting the sounds of his new family downstairs soothe him. Frey had brought Travis and Matthew by earlier, but Travis was dealing with his own demons. Trevor insisted they go back home and take care of Abbi. Laughter from downstairs woke him from a short, peaceful nap.

  Trevor sat up and rubbed his eyes then made his way to the kitchen. He was interested to see what Lilly was doing. As much as he wanted to be with Jasper, Trevor wanted to watch Lilly prepare the antidote more. He fully expected there to be a cauldron hanging over a fire outside. Instead, the witch was at the kitchen counter crushing something in a black granite mortar. There was a boiler on the stove, and she added the contents of the mortar to the pot. Next, she measured out several other ingredients and added them, stirring slowly.

  “What did you put in there?” he asked.

  “I’m using sabina, juniper berries, hellebore, and lavender. Once this simmers for a while, we’ll ask Julian to draw your blood, and I will add it to the mixture.”

  Trevor went into the living room where Gregor, Tessa, Rafael, and Kaya were talking to Dominic. He leaned against the wall, not wanting to interrupt Gargoyle business. They didn’t ask him to leave, so he eased closer, taking a seat. Dominic did most of the talking, telling about how things were going in his territory. Trevor noticed his speech remained constant, even when he was animated, unlike Jasper whose brogue only came out when he was upset. Trevor wondered at the difference in the two Gargoyles. Why would one embrace his past, clinging to it all these years later while the other kept his buried?

  Trevor returned to the kitchen where Lilly was humming again while stirring the contents of the pot. “Would you like for me to take over?” he asked her.

  “I would appreciate it. Truth be told, I need to pee,” she said and handed off the wooden spoon. “Clockwise. Always stir clockwise.”

  Trevor continued the slow, circular motion, letting the monotony of the movement settle in to his spirit. He stared down into the potion, wondering what each ingredient’s purpose was. He was always interested in the whys and hows of things. It was one reason he spent so much time after the autopsy was finished digging just a little deeper.

  Lilly checked on Trevor before going into the living room. He continued stirring, switching hands every so often. When Lilly returned from the living room, the others accompanied her. “Trevor, I’ll take over here. The males are going to get Jasper. I need you to clear off the table and move the chairs back so we can place him there, and I’ll have room to work.

  He did as instructed. Gregor and Julian carried Jasper downstairs, placing his muscular body on the sturdy table. Trevor placed Jasper’s hands on his stomach.

  “Now, I’m going to need your blood.”

  “I thought you added it at the last minute.”

  “I do. You’ve been stirring the potion for almost two hours.”

  “Julian, if you would draw Trevor’s blood.”

  “How much do you need?”

  “Only a drop.”

  Lilly’s ceremonial athame was lying on the counter next to a couple of candles and a box of salt. He grabbed the knife and walked over to the boiler. Trevor sliced open the tip of his finger, letting several drops of blood fall into the simmering mixture.

  “That’ll work, too,” she said with a laugh. Trevor rinsed the blade of her knife and replaced it with the other items. He pulled a paper towel off the roll and dabbed at the cut on his finger.

  Julian shook his head and placed his black bag on the counter out of the way.

  “Once I strain the mixture, I will need you to get it ready in the syringe.”

  “Doesn’t it need to cool off?” Julian asked as he got what he needed out of his bag.

  “By the time I’m ready for you to administer the injection, it will be cool enough.” Lilly turned the stove eye off and removed the pot from the heat. She poured the contents through a strainer into a small bowl, handing it to Julian. She then took both candles, one black, one white, and placed them on the table on either side of Jasper’s waist. When that was done, she told Julian, “Go ahead and get the syringe ready. I need you to stand on his left side near the black candle. Trevor, you stand next to the white one. I will stand at his head. Please take your places.”

  As he took his place, Trevor wondered where everyone else had gone. Surely they would want to be there in case Jasper woke up. Julian stepped next to the black candle, the antidote ready to go. Lilly lit first the white then the black candle. Next, she took the box of salt and enclosed the four of them in a wide circle. “Do not touch the salt,” she instructed.

  Lilly placed the box on the floor next to her foot and said, “Julian when I start the incantation, you release the potion into his bloodstream. Trevor, place your hands on his body and don’t remove them until I’ve spoken the words three times through. Everyone ready?”

  Trevor and Julian nodded, and Lilly placed her hands on Jasper’s cheeks.

  “Blessed goddess I call on thee

  Let this evil poison flee

  Remove the curse that Theron cast

  Send his revenge back to the past”

  Trevor placed his hands on Jasper’s arm while Julian injected the dark red liquid into his lover’s body. Lilly repeated the words two more times.

  “So mote it be,” were her final words before blowing out the black, then the white candle.

  “Now, we wait.” Lilly stepped out of the circle and asked Trevor, “Where’s the broom?”

  “It’s in the laundry room. I’ll get it.” He retrieved the broom while Lilly cleaned up the mess in the kitchen. Julian took Jasper back to his bedroom. By the time Trevor had the salt cleaned up and the chairs back where they belonged, the house was full of Gargoyles.

  “I asked everyone to wait outside. I needed only positive energy in the house while I performed the spell,” Lilly whispered.

  Trevor wondered who she felt negative energy from. It didn’t take him long to figure it out. Urijah and Sixx were talking in low voices, Uri looking ready to blow a gasket. Trevor returned the broom to the laundry room and walked over to the Viking. His faced softened marginally when he looked at Trevor. “Theron has returned to Greece.” Trevor nodded and walked away. There was nothing he could add to their conversation. He made his
way upstairs, closing the door to the bedroom where he’d shared his body with the man lying stone still on the bed. He sat down beside Jasper, brushing his bangs off his forehead before leaning down to kiss him. He let his lips linger on Jasper’s, trying to pass his emotions through the kiss. It was in that moment he realized he wanted to be Jasper’s mate. Forever. If, no when, Jasper woke up, he was going to tell him how he felt.

  Trevor loved his Gargoyle.

  Chapter Thirty

  Dante was a mess. He didn’t know what to say to Trevor to make him understand how he was feeling. Jasper was a brother to Dante, even if he’d only been on the East Coast for a short while. Trevor, however, was like a son to Dante, and he only wanted what was best for him. He tried to give Trevor space to handle things the way he felt he needed to. Jasper was his mate after all. Dante had gone after Isabelle and Connor, handling that situation his way. Nikolas had gone after Sophia the way he felt was best. Dante understood how Trevor was feeling. Granted, Trevor wasn’t a Gargoyle and probably felt even more helpless, knowing there was an evil bastard Gargoyle running around. But he understood.

  It hadn’t taken Urijah long to get the information out of Kallisto’s sidekick. Theron was back in Greece, leaving them behind to make sure Jasper was dead. If he happened to wake up, they were to kill Trevor. Kallisto was still being held at a secure location, somewhere deep in the basement of the Pen.

  Dante was sitting on the front porch of Jasper’s home, one he had helped build many years ago. It was along the same floorplan as Gregor’s home that he and Dante built from the ground up. Dante enjoyed being a medical examiner, but he missed the days of building something with his hands, especially something as grand as a home.

  Car lights flickered through the trees as another Clan member came to check on Jasper. Trevor probably wished they would all go home. Dane’s work car came into view, and Dante reached out to gauge his mood. Ever since Marley had been assaulted, Dane had been on a mission to make sure the man responsible never touched her again. Dante had come really close to giving Dane a lecture on how Gargoyles were there to protect humans, not do them harm when he remembered dragging Alexi to the bottom of the sea. He had been human, but Dante didn’t hesitate to make sure he would never bother Isabelle or Connor again. If he lectured Dane, he would have to have a talk with Trevor who took down a human. Things weren’t so cut and dried when mates were being threatened, so he let Dane handle the man however he saw fit.

  “Dante, how did it go?” Dane asked, referring to Lilly’s antidote.

  “I’m assuming it went according to plan. I’ve never seen a wiccan ritual performed before.”

  Dane started to say something, but kept the thought to himself. It was probably the same one they all were having regarding Dane’s and Isabelle’s next oldest sister.

  “I’d like to meet my sister. Is she in the house?”

  Dante nodded. He could see the family resemblance in Dane and the woman who had hopefully done what the Gargoyles couldn’t – heal one of their own. If Julian had been given enough time, he probably could have figured something out. That was just it; they hadn’t known how much time Jasper had. Dane clapped him on the shoulder before going in search of Lilly.

  Dante had called Isabelle once it was over, letting her know what happened. She was going to come meet her sister the next day when things settled down a bit. He looked to the sky, the moon beckoning to him. That bright beacon called to them all, drawing their shifter to the forefront. He was tempted to unfurl his wings and fly home, just to set eyes on Isabelle before she went to sleep. He could be there in less than five minutes. Her beautiful face and her soft lips made up his mind. He stood and began unbuttoning his shirt when his phone rang.

  “Hello, Beautiful. I was just on my way to see you.”

  “Connor had another vision. You might want to come take a look at what he has drawn.”

  “I’ll be right there.” He hung up and removed his shirt, tying it around his waist. He made his way out into Jasper’s front yard where he called forth his wings and launched himself upward. It was less than five minutes when he walked into his home.

  Isabelle was sitting at the kitchen table, a drawing lying in front of her. She didn’t say a word. Instead, she held the paper out for him to see. Dante was quiet as he studied the image his six year-old son had conjured.

  Taking a term from Tessa’s dictionary, Dante muttered, “Well, hell.”

  Time passed the same way it did before Lilly made the potion. Trevor stayed by Jasper’s side for the most part. The only time he left was when he needed to use the bathroom or shower. Priscilla had offered to come cook for those who remained with him. She and Maria worked tirelessly to keep the Clan fed. Lilly and Dominic went to spend the night at Gregor’s, but returned the next morning.

  Travis and Matthew stayed most of the day, trying to keep his spirits up. The weather took a shitty turn, going from mild sunshine to cold rain. Trevor spent New Year’s Eve snuggled up next to Jasper, giving him a kiss at the stroke of midnight. New Year’s Day came, and Rafael and Kaya once again postponed the wedding. Trevor tried to convince them to go ahead with the ceremony, but Kaya refused. Having been Jasper’s boss, she held a special place in her heart for him and wanted to wait until he could be there.

  As time dragged on, Trevor was afraid that day would never come. Lilly told him to talk to Jasper, so he did. He reclined next to his lover’s still body and placed his arm over him. “Jas, I’m here. I hope my arm isn’t hurting you, but I want you to feel me with you. Lilly’s here to help. You don’t know her, but she’s Dominic’s mate. I reckon you don’t know him either since he’s from New Orleans, and you’ve never mentioned being there. You know how you were a Redshank a long time ago? I’d bet my latest Superman comic book this Dominic was a pirate. Lilly’s a witch. I never believed in magic before now, but I felt her power when she touched me. I’ve seen what Dante can do when he uses his shifter voodoo to calm people, and he can communicate with Connor. Then there’s Connor. He can see the future. Well, sort of. He got it wrong when he drew the picture of me with Theron and his sister. Dante said his visions weren’t set in stone. I don’t know why Dante’s mad at me. I didn’t think he’d be one to give up so soon on you. I’m not giving up, Jas. I won’t give up on you.”

  “I’m sorry if you felt that about me, Trevor,” Dante said from the door. “I wasn’t giving up on Jasper.” Dante finally came to talk to Trevor. He asked, “May I come in?”

  “Sure.”

  “I want to apologize for my behavior these last few days. You are more than an assistant to me, and I didn’t know how to shelter you from your pain. Instead of helping you through it, I basically abandoned you. Will you please forgive me?”

  Trevor was stunned. “I thought you were mad at me for wanting to help Jasper.”

  “Not mad. I was worried. I was also skeptical about Lilly, but then I realized we had nothing to lose.”

  “He’s not waking up.”

  “He may have lost hope.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “There’s something you should know. When I found Jasper, there was a note in his hand. Theron took great pains to choose the last victim. He looked like you. Not exactly, but enough that if someone were already distraught when they saw the corpse, they would mistake him for you. I’m afraid that was the scenario in the examination room. I found Jasper on the floor, the note from Theron in his hand.”

  “What did the note say?”

  “You couldn’t keep him alive. It is more than likely Jasper thought it was you lying on that table. You said Connor got the drawing wrong, but I don’t think he did. I think the picture wasn’t of you but the victim who looked like you.”

  “So you think Jasper is not in there fighting because he thinks I’m dead?”

  “It would make sense. He has nothing left to fight for.”

  “Then obviously he can’t hear me talking to him. There’s got to be somethin
g else I can do.” He leaned over and brushed his lips across Jasper’s hairy jaw.

  “Trevor…”

  He looked up at his boss.

  “Have you given any more thought to the mate bond?”

  “Yes. When he wakes up, I’m going to tell him to bite me. I won’t let him go one more minute without knowing how I feel.”

  “I’m glad to hear you say that. I want you both to be happy, but that also means I get to keep you around a while longer.” Dante winked and stood. “I’ll leave you two alone. If you get hungry, there’s plenty of food downstairs. I’ll bring you something.”

  “Thanks, Boss.”

  He has nothing to fight for.

  Dante’s words swirled around and around inside Trevor’s head. If talking wouldn’t get through to Jasper, then what would? Trevor played with Jasper’s fangs. One day, hopefully soon, these fangs were going to puncture Trevor’s skin. Would it hurt? Probably no more than a tattoo gun skimming along his body inserting ink. He tentatively touched his fingertip to one of the sharp canines. He pulled back as the blood dotted his skin. Jasper would bite him. Would he drink his blood? Would he like it? He stuck his finger in his mouth, sucking the coppery liquid. When another drop eked its way out, Trevor had a thought. He rubbed his fingertip along Jasper’s lips.

  The blood did nothing more than give a rosy color to his plump lips. Trevor squeezed his finger, drawing forth more blood. This time he parted Jasper’s lips and allowed the blood to drop into his mouth. If he could only get some on his tongue. Trevor was afraid to pry Jasper’s mouth open and stick his finger in there without something holding it open. With his luck, Jasper’s jaws would clamp down and bite his fingertip clean off. Then he’d swallow it and choke. Trevor couldn’t do the Heimlich on a paralyzed Gargoyle.