Harvest of Holidays by Tracy Cooper-Posey Read Free Book Online Page B

the gargoyles had betrayed them to demons. That time was long before even Nick had been born, wending back to ancient times when tribes ruled the lands and the Romans were just crossing the Tiber to build their new city.
    “I am Tally Connors,” she confirmed. “But you knew that. It’s why you’re here. Your plans to lure me into the river valley last October didn’t work. Now you’ve come to me.”
    Valdeg’s lip curled up again, and Tally realized that this was his version of smiling. “I come to deliver a message.”
    “From Lirgon?”
    “The first among us bids you leave us in peace.” Valdeg’s tongue protruded for a second. “That is all.”
    “Stop eating humans, and we might.”
    “Then we would die.”
    “Then I guess we can’t leave you in peace.” Tally spoke the words with more than half her mind busy calculating, assessing. What did Valdeg really want? She didn’t for a moment believe he was here to deliver a message. The clan had proved throughout the ages that they were only interested in the well-being of the Stonebrood Clan. They had lied, cheated and betrayed everyone, even other gargoyles, to improve their lot by an inch or two. They had even sacrificed themselves to forward the clan’s ambitions.
    Their ultimate aim was unguessable. She didn’t have enough information. But this was an unplanned opportunity that she would be mad to pass up. “Who is helping you?” she demanded. “You have a human in your employ. Give me the name.”
    “Let you kill a most useful menial?” Valdeg’s smile this time showed the upper reaches of his fangs and his tongue lolled. Was the rolling tongue laughter?
    He hadn’t denied that a human was helping them, but the evidence had been overwhelmingly convincing. She didn’t need his confirmation.
    “What will you give me for the name, hunter?” Valdeg finished.
    Tally stared at him, her mind reeling. “You would betray the one that is helping you? Of course you would, if it was to your advantage.” But what advantage would it give them to get rid of whoever was building their bombs and sniffing out personal information about the hunters, using human information systems? “But why give him up?” she asked. “He gave you my address. He’s clearly useful, still.”
    “Your address and your alliance with the other human. Connors.”
    “He’s a hunter, too.”
    Valdeg let his tongue out once more. “Hunter, no. A human with skills, that is all.”
    Tally clenched the sword tighter. “Skills to find all of you.”
    “But you were the one whose instincts told you I was here. You are standing before me. He is not. Where are his instincts?” Valdeg’s tongue swiped over his mouth. “He is not a hunter.” He said it dismissively.
    “It’s Carson that you want?”
    The light in his eyes blazed for a moment, bright behind the inner lids. “We want peace,” he said and Tally knew that it was true. They did want peace; but their peace meant freedom to slaughter humans whenever the urge to feed rose, which was at least once a month. “You, all of you, will not give it to us. You didn’t, before. The Sherwood swore an oath to see us ended, yet he is a creature humans used to hunt just like us.”
    Did they resent Nick’s mission to exterminate them? Did they hate Nick in particular?
    Valdeg stretched, lifting himself up from the squat he was sitting in. The top of his thick head almost brushed the ceiling. Then he settled again. “The menial betrayed us. You know where he is.”
    The two simple sentences spoke volumes. Tally could feel her chest tighten and her heart race. They would give her the name because she could tell them where to find him and deal with him. Which meant he was known to her.
    He .
    “He’s one of us. A hunter,” Tally breathed, thick horror choking her. In all the months while she formed and confirmed her theory that a human was helping them, she had never once considered it was one of them. The idea was