Stone Guardian(21)

Larissa swiveled in the chair and stood, needing space. “I don’t know why the zombies were there. I wasn’t even supposed to go out that night. It was a spur of the moment decision to join my dad’s poker game. I think it was a coincidence, nothing more.”

Fallon stood as well, and Larissa conceded that Fallon rising to her full height was a much more impressive scene than she could ever pull off. “What about the gargoyle?”

“What about him?” Good, no cracks in her vocals. Learning to deflect her father’s questions was paying off in unexpected ways.

Fallon’s eyebrow arched at that. “He flew away with you. You were gone for a considerable length of time. Are you telling me that happens to you every day?”

“Of course not. I don’t know why he was there either. He flew me away, and I guess when he decided it was safe, he brought me back?”

“That simple?”

“Well, at the time it wasn’t! At the time I was scared to death. Actually, I’m still sleeping with my lights on. But I don’t know what to tell you when I have no clue why what happened on Friday night… happened. Zombies attacked, you appeared, the gargoyle appeared. The more time that passes, the more it becomes a blur in my head, which is good, because I want to forget it!”

Fallon stared at her like she was a bug under a microscope. Breathing as she did in her yoga class, Larissa quieted her mind, quieted her body. She would not give away anything to his woman. No matter what assurances Fallon gave, the little warning bell in the back of her skull was still sounding an alert.

Fallon’s body relaxed, the signal to Larissa that she won this round. At least she wouldn’t be kidnapped right now, but Larissa didn’t need the thinning of Fallon’s mouth to tell her that the amazon was not yet finished with her. “By all means, you know nothing and the gargoyle flew you around for a couple hours before taking you home. Why, it almost sounds romantic.”

“I need to get back to my class now.”

“Of course, who am I to deprive those poor children of their education? Then again, Laire is probably educating them beyond their wildest dreams.” Fallon went to the door and opened it, then turned and motioned for Larissa to precede her out.

Larissa entered her classroom to her students scribbling notes with a frenetic intensity, their expressions sharpened as they seldom were for any of her lectures.

Then she heard the Japanese woman speak.

“Yes, I do realize men who have an orc ancestor tend to be really ugly, but that’s why they invented paper bags. Trust me, as long as a guy knows he’s getting some, he’ll wear a pink bunny costume if that’s what’s needed to seal the deal. What matters here and what you need to remember is guys that have some orc in them are hung like nobody’s business. If you like your men large and dominating, make a beeline for them.”

“What about elves?” called a male student.

“Elves are ridiculously high maintenance. If that’s fine with you, the key for elves is the ears and the back. Sure, they like the other areas fine, but you want to make one a little puddle of goo, spend ten minutes massaging their back. It’s practically a sure thing after that.”

“What are you telling my students?” While Larissa’s squeaky tone may not have been what one would call commanding, it did stop the small woman from talking.

“I was answering questions. They are woefully unprepared to enter the real world,” Laire said, turning back to a student in the front with her hand up.

“I think that’s enough question and answer. Let’s go,” said Fallon, a quick movement of her head signaling the other woman to get off the desk.

“But, Fallon, they need educated. You wouldn’t believe the misconceptions they had about how to have sex with a shifter.”

Fallon walked over to the desk and grabbed the woman’s ear, walking toward the door without waiting to see if Laire was on her feet yet. “Ow, Fallon, ow! Let go, I’m coming, I’m coming!”

“Goodbye, Miss Miller,” Fallon said. Larissa didn’t have to be a mind reader to see the for now Fallon mentally added onto the end of that sentence.

Fallon walked toward the door, pulling the small woman behind her. “I knew I should have brought Aislynn,” Fallon said as they left the classroom.

Laire’s snort was loud and clear though her voice was fading, their steps indicating they were walking away from the classroom. “Good idea to bring an elf amongst hormonal high school seniors. Do you really think Ais wants to be the jerk-off fantasy of the graduating class… OWWWWWWWWW!”