Stone Guardian(89)
Taneasha made sure the door was closed before walked to stand before Larissa and started talking again. “Miss Miller, I need to talk to you about something important. But before we start, I need you to promise you won’t get upset with me.”
Oh no. Was Taneasha pregnant? On drugs? Larissa took her hand. “I promise I’ll never get upset. I always want you to feel like you can come to me.”
Taneasha nodded, licking her lips. “Miss Miller… I’m studying magic.”
It was so far from what she was expecting that full comprehension took several long moments. “Excuse me?”
“My mom forbade it, but I love it so much. I have a gift for it, my Master – that’s what you call your magic teacher – he told me so.”
This was not good. This was very not good, and Larissa’s stomach dropped as negative possibilities for the girl in front of her flitted through her mind. “Taneasha, this is serious. You can’t practice without the proper guidance. Magic is regulated for a reason, and it is always forbidden within the city.”
“I know, but I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to learn. My family would never have permitted it if I asked them.”
No, Larissa knew enough about Taneasha’s family to know it was not even the remotest possibility. Larissa ran her hands through her hair. She was bound by oath to report this, but if she did, this girl would be severely punished. “Taneasha-”
Before Larissa could complete the sentence, Taneasha broke in. “Miss Miller, I told you this because something bad is happening to you.”
That caught Larissa’s attention. “What?”
“My Master says that once you start learning magic, you begin to feel when things aren’t right with the people you care about, and…well…” Taneasha blushed and looked away, then brought her attention back to Larissa. “Anyway, I’ve been having a bad feeling about you, so I’ve been casting spells, on my own and with my Master’s help. They are meant for your protection and your welfare. And I’ve discovered some things.”
Taneasha looked around. From her backpack, she brought forward a globe. “Don’t touch this, just look.”
Larissa looked into the ball. She was looking from someone’s point of view, though whose eyes she was seeing through was anyone’s guess.
The mystery person walked into a large grove. From the looks of the grounds it had to be sometime in Summer, early Autumn at the latest.
As soon as the mystery person laid eyes on the female in the distance, he stopped.
It was the Oracle. She was wearing more than what she wore at the club, but not by much. A diaphanous white gown, with a square neck but high slits running along both thighs. She wore a gold collar and large gold cuff bracelets.
“Very punctual, Clan Leader of the Gargoyles.”
And Terak’s voice answered back, “I am grateful I can say the same for you, Oracle.”
Larissa was seeing through Terak’s eyes.
She wasn’t going to invade Terak’s mind like this. About to pick up the globe and give it back to Taneasha, her hand paused when she heard the Oracle say, “Her name is Larissa Miller.”
“And what care I about a human woman? Gargoyles are not bodyguards, nor are we your lackeys.”
“I am not asking you to watch the woman for my sake, Clan Leader, but for you and for your Clan.”
“What do you mean?”
“She is connected the future of your Clan. Guard her well.” With that pronouncement, the Oracle turned to leave.
“What do you mean?” Terak called after her. “How is she important? What am I to guard her against? I demand answers.”
The Oracle looked over her shoulder and smiled. “Feel free to make an appointment then. I believe I’m free in a few years.”
The scene shifted, and now as Terak Larissa was looking upon many arguing Gargoyles. Valry stood. “Have we sunk so low as to bow before the Oracle?”
“The Oracle has never been wrong,” called a voice from the back.
“How can she be, when she makes such vague pronouncements? Merely by the act of being observed, this human becomes important to our Clan as she has taken our Mennak away from us for long periods of time. We have no use for the outside world, especially for a woman such as this, one who lives in the confines of the human-only city. Think she cares about Gargoyles?”
A large sound of agreement followed the words, shouts and stomping of feet. Malek stood. “While I will not say I am in complete disagreement with Valry’s words, I am not so eager to cast off the words of the Oracle. I would wish to observe the human for a period of time. What can that hurt?”