The large one, Yenifer, growled in response.

  I held out my hands to her, looking to Jericho for help. He nodded to Yenifer, and she backed off. Nice.

  “We good out here?” Greg asked, approaching cautiously. “Because the others are antsy to know what’s what.”

  “Tell them we’re settled,” I said, “and that our new friend here has found her family.”

  The gargoyles were embracing, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

  “Something’s funny?” Jericho asked.

  “Ah, just that I thought we were going to have to fight actual gargoyles and figured I’d piss myself. You know, mind going back to those Saturday morning cartoons.”

  “What was the name of that show?” he asked.

  I frowned, unsure if he was messing with me. “Gargoyles.”

  “Ah. Aptly named.”

  Turning back to Greg, I nodded my appreciation and said, “Let them know. Anyone who wants to come out and meet our new friends is welcome.” Then I eyed Jericho, and added, “You can say the same for yours, lurking back there.”

  He grinned like he’d been caught, then waved a hand, causing a little light to flutter away to the tree line. As his team approached, he introduced them.

  “We aren’t all here, he said, but this is Megha.” He indicated the Asian one with her hair in buns, though she no longer had the strange monster or hands in anything’s head. She did, I noticed, have a small, black creature on her shoulder, looking at me. I considered Basty, wondering if the two might be related in some way.

  “Bob,” Megha said, noticing my look. She put a hand up and the creature moved to her hand.

  “Good to meet you,” I replied.

  “And that there’s Steph,” Jericho said next, indicating the witch with the white hair. “She has her knights, who you met in a sense. They’re… from another time.” Next came the gargoyles, landing one after the other. He introduced the golden one as Aerona, the next as Ebrill, the larger one as Koredelia, and the one we’d already met, Yenifer.

  I made introductions on our side, too, and asked what their deal was.

  “Find the others,” he said. “Our plan is to go to Egypt, to a place called the temple of Khonsu. We’re preparing and doing some research first. That’s where the rest of my team is. But yeah, we need to be ready. Plus,” he nodded to Yenifer, “when we found her, she was under someone else’s control. We can’t have that.”

  “It wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows for us either,” I replied, thinking of Akame. I’d had to fight Devasla before getting her to our side, to say nothing of the way Akame had tried to drown me, or of Greg’s betrayal when I first met him in Japan.

  “So you get it,” he said, turning to eye his own gargoyles in discussion with Gloran, their newest addition. “This is all kind of crazy.”

  “You’re a normal human, too?”

  He nodded. “Or… was. Even before all this, I had some sort of latent ability. I didn’t accept it for what it was until all this came together.”

  “And that was?”

  “Transmutation, I guess.”

  I stared, unsure what that meant, but it sounded cool. We raised bottles, then drank for a moment in silence.

  “You sent a call for help?” a voice asked, and we turned to see the Protector there, slipping off a winged lion. Red and Pucky were on one side, the cat ladies on the other, and several others behind him. “Looks like the only help you need is in devouring those hot dogs.”

  I chuckled, then stood and gestured to Jericho. “We were under attack, but it seems it was a misunderstanding.”

  “Actually, I sent the call,” Ahlaksiz cut in, holding her thigh and cringing.

  “Ahhh. Are you hurt?”

  She frowned, growling, “I’ve had worse.”

  “If you—”

  “Move on.”

  Considering how annoyed she looked, I did as she said. Eyeing the Protector, then Jericho, I asked, “You all know each other?”

  The Protector stared hard at the man, frowning. “I don’t believe we do.”

  Jericho stood, hand extended. “Name’s Jay.”

  “Jack,” the Protector replied. “I trust you explained why you attacked them?”

  “Hold the phone,” Red said, stepping forward and turning to take in the gargoyles. “I don’t know the man, but I know them…”

  “Excuse me?” Ebrill asked.

  “Not in this state, but as you once were.” Red paced in front of them. “You were the ones that lived in Avalon before everything changed.”

  “How do you know this?” Jack asked.

  “Arthur told me about them.”

  That had my attention. Jericho, too, was staring at her with increased fascination. “Wait, hold up,” he said. “Did he mention me?”

  Red eyed him, confused. “Why you?”

  “I was sort of the one who made it happen,” he replied. “I got the Liahona—a magic item that allows me to do various things, including bringing Avalon back, restoring magic. All of that.”

  Another moment passed for her to assess him, then she shook her head. “I don’t think so. Arthur didn’t know anything about that, anyway. He spoke of a princess, of Rianne, and her inner circle.” Her eyes moved to Steph, narrowing. “And you?”

  “I wasn’t there,” she replied.

  “Okay.” Red turned back to Ebrill. “It’s an honor.”

  “More beers?” Arturo asked, bringing out a case of them.

  “Thanks, man,” Jericho said.

  The Protector considered, but shook his head. “Got work to do, and lately one of those things acts like four to me.”

  We gathered around a sculpture that resembled a wide, nude woman with snakes for hair and limbs. A monster that might have lived here before.

  Jericho swiped at the air, frowning. “Are there always so many mosquitos around here? There’s got to be a spell for that.”

  I chuckled but cocked my head. “You never really addressed that witch question.”

  He grinned, then shook his head. “It’s complicated.”

  “Well…” I glanced around, eyeing the beers and hotdogs. “Since we aren’t doing much else…”

  “The summarized version,” he said. Looking at those around him, he gestured to a gargoyle who was doing a healing spell over Ahlaksiz for her injury, helping the process along since it seemed they’d injured her during the attack. “Ebrill here was the first. Basically, I was dropped off to live with my aunt while going to school. This fancy, expensive place in D.C., and…”

  “You fucked it up already,” the witch with the knights said. She stepped up next to him, pulling her white hair back behind her ear as she leaned over to kiss his cheek. “Don’t be shy on my account. I’m not trying to hide my mistakes, considering how far we’ve come.”

  He nodded. “Right. I guess first would be Steph here. She was supposed to be my girlfriend but was using me to get into my aunt’s house, in search of something.”

  “Something, what?” Ahlaksiz asked.

  His eyes darted over, but he shook his head. Not full trust then, I guessed.

  “And then?” I asked, letting him get the story back on track.

  “Invasion, death… fighting.” He put a hand on Steph’s. “It was a trying time in our relationship.”

  That earned a scoff from Ebrill. “Is this our therapy session, finally? Long overdue.”

  “It’s weird, retelling it as if I’m living through it again.”

  “You don’t have to.”

  He met my gaze, then shook his head. “It’s okay. Point is, witches attacked, I found out I had a power I wasn’t aware of and managed to wake Ebrill. She was trapped in stone for a long time before that. Next came Kordelia, then we realized I was time-traveling in a sense, every time I went to sleep near one of them, and that was the key to finding the others.”

  “We weren’t always gargoyles,” the giant of a gargoyle said in a growl. “A long time ago, on Avalon—”

  “Wait, what?” Jack asked, looking up from where Pucky had been whispering in his ear.

  The gargoyle grunted at him but nodded. “I was saying, on Avalon we came under attack, and a spell made us what we are today. Put us under a long sleep, and Jericho here rescued us.”

  “But go back to that Avalon part. You—you were there?”

  “That’s right,” Ebrill said, sharing a look with the golden one nearby.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  Jack had a hand to his mouth, then eyed me. “Don’t tell me you’re connected to all this in some way, too? Arthur, Avalon, all of that?”

  “The sword, I knew it,” Steph said, stepping up next to Jericho. “The Protector’s sword looked just like it, they tell me.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said, standing in the middle of them and looking around as if I’d find answers on their faces. “Can someone explain what’s going on?”

  Silence followed, during which those creepy knights stepped up next to Steph, and one of them pulled back his hood. While his face had been nothing but shadow with red eyes underneath that hood, what remained now reminded me of Suiko, glowing and translucent in that same way.

  “I am Sir Galahad,” the man said. “I served the great King Arthur, and that is his sword.” He nodded to the blade in the Protector’s hand. “That is Excalibur.”

  I sucked in a quick breath, awed, eyes on the sword. “No fucking way.”

  “It is Excalibur,” the Protector confirmed. “But it’s mine now. You can ask Arthur himself, some time. If you’d like to come back with me.”

  “You know where he is?” Galahad asked.

  “He trained me.”

  “Fucking hell,” Jericho said with a laugh. “Now I’d say it’s your turn.”

  Jack nodded, went over to grab a beer, and turned back our way as he opened it. Oddly, he didn’t drink it yet but simply stared at it as he spoke. “King Arthur’s situation was… complicated. He was revived by a Myth who had taken on the form of Morganna, and she tried to use him for her own ways. We stopped her, then went to Avalon and trained with him. That’s where he taught me to truly use Excalibur. There’s a bit more to it than that, and maybe I can tell you all the whole story someday. But honestly, it’s not over yet.”

  “Not for any of us,” I imagine,” Red said.

  I had my hands on my head, a bit overwhelmed with everything we’d just learned. Not only did we have a new friend who had gargoyles and witches on his side, but one of those witches traveled with at least one of Arthur’s Knights of the Roundtable. And then there was Jack, the Protector, who apparently knew King Arthur and had taken Excalibur from the man! Even crazier, it seemed there was some way to meet the legendary king.

  “I’m going to…” I couldn’t even finish the sentence, instead gesturing to the beers and excusing myself to grab another. The funny part was, I had an almost full one in my hand already. Staggering over, I set my beer down, then leaned over the table and glanced at Arturo, where he sat checking his phone.

  “You’d think I wouldn’t get service here,” Arturo said, “but Greg hooked it up.”

  “Please tell me you’re not playing Candy Crush in the middle of all this.”

  He laughed. “Nah, just… checking on old high school buddies.” Holding up his phone to show me, he grinned. “You think any one of them is living such an exciting life as I am? No, and that’s nowhere near as cool as what you’re doing.”

  “Did you hear that shit?” I said in a whisper. Leaning in, I gestured back at the others. “Fucking Arthur. Excalibur.”

  “Dude, when you’re surrounded by all this, I could find out Santa Clause lives next door and fucks the Easter Bunny on the side, and I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised.”

  “Good point, but… not a great image.”

  He chuckled. “It’s all relative.”

  I glanced back, watching Jack and Jericho exchange stories while the others mingled with some of the monsters. Many we’d saved were hesitant, not quick to trust this new group who had just attacked us, or the Protector and his Myths. My gaze lingered on Ahlaksiz and Bloodsong, speaking heatedly—or just excitedly?—with Ebrill. The golden gargoyle was talking to the Protector and Pucky, and I heard them mentioning Arthur over and over. It was exciting, but clearly, they had more going on there than I understood.

  “How are you okay with all this?” I asked Arturo.

  “Anyone who’s made love to a woman with six arms would understand.” He winked my way. “And yes, that means we fucked, and yes, her hands worked wonders.”

  “I don’t need to know.”

  He shrugged, then said, “Listen, man, is there more I should be doing around here? I feel like I should be working or something, but those other two, Greg and Yuki, they keep just telling me to take it easy, relax. I don’t mind that, but…”

  “Bored?”

  “Not in the slightest. More that I feel guilty. This is the high life, man.”

  “You want work to do,” Randi said, slithering over and hitting him with her malicious smile. “I’ve got something in mind.”

  “That so?”

  “Careful,” I whispered to my boy.

  He grinned, then winked at me before turning back her way. “What’s it about?”

  “Movies. I like your look and think we can make something happen.”

  “This for real?” Arturo asked, turning my way.

  I shrugged, but said, “You’ve heard of Rand Jacobson.”

  “Yeah, ‘course.”

  “There you go.” I motioned to Randi, and she chuckled, transforming into her male counterpart. Nude, of course, but I’d gotten used to that.

  Arturo nearly fell back off his chair. When he recovered, he said, “Shit, warn me next time.” Then his eyes widened with recognition. “Wait, hold the front door. You’re really him? Him her?”

  “Yes,” she replied, and I nodded confirmation before saying, “Wait, you get him in something, I hope you’ve got room for me, too.”

  She eyed me, then turned to look at all the others. “Mr. Monster Summoner? I think you’re going to be damn busy.”

  “Here and there,” I admitted. Although, looking at all these badasses got me thinking. Maybe there wouldn’t be as much need as I thought? Yeah, we would want to figure out the STP and monster orgs, and the hunter issue back in the monster world, but… was I the best to deal with it? I couldn’t imagine why they’d even need me.

  Her eyes were on me, curious, as if weighing me the same way I was weighing myself. My legs shook suddenly, head spinning.

  “It’s late,” I noted, realizing how hard exhaustion was starting to take over. “All I’m saying is, it sounds fun. If there’s room.”

  “We’re sticking around then?” Lizzy asked, also joining us. She glanced at Rand, scowled, and said, “Please, put it away.”

  Rand turned back into Randi.

  “You did your part,” I said. “And Rand can serve us well, I think. It makes sense you stick around in case others come back. We’ll need to know who they are, and how to speak with them.”

  “I mean, will they let us? After…” She glanced at a group that included Kinara and Milrae, and I caught her drift.

  “Ah, that conversation again…”

  “What conversation is that, exactly?” Randi asked, and Arturo was looking at me with curiosity.

  Shit, this wasn’t the time. Not to these two, either, as neither were exactly tight-lipped. I motioned to Lizzy to follow me, and said, “Excuse us.”

  When we were out of earshot of the others—even with some having advanced hearing—I said, “We haven’t exactly had that conversation yet.”

  “Damn.” She caressed her metal arm, working her metal fingers as she looked down at them. “Don’t you think that’d be better to get over with sooner than later? I mean, rip that Band-aid off, man.”

  “What happened between us isn’t a Band-aid, and I assure you, I’ll tell them. Of course, I have to. Just… not sure how.”

  “I can.”

  I guffawed, then shook my head vehemently. “Please, let me figure it out.”

  Suiko was floating our way, so I shook my head and started walking over to meet her. Hopefully, Lizzy could keep a secret until I could figure this out. Maybe they wouldn’t even care? Then again, maybe they’d castrate me.

  It hadn’t been my fault, exactly. Still, I had no idea.

  “Damn, it feels good to be a gangster,” she said, spinning and showing off her transparency again. “Joking. I heard that playing when some teens were by the river having a party once, a few years back. I meant to say, damn, it feels good to be myself again.”

  “I don’t understand what they did to you,” I admitted.

  “Since they have those knights, they’ve learned how to bring them back a bit, too. It’s not permanent, I imagine, as this one, too, sort of vanished.”

  Taking her hands in mine, I was glad to feel their ghostly presence as confirmation of what she was.

  “You were on your way to sleep?” she asked but saw in my eyes the answer. “Come, I’ll go with you. But say bye to the Protector. They’re not staying the night.”

  “The gargoyles are?”

  She nodded. “Since they don’t have a home at the moment, and we could benefit by having gargoyles on the lookout at night, yes. Jericho is already casting extra wards with that one named Ebrill, so I don’t think we’ll have much to worry about tonight.”

  We headed over to the Protector’s team, thanked them for their help, and apologized about losing the sun disk. Then they headed off, promising we would meet again soon.

  “Going to sleep so soon?” the witch called Megha asked—the one with the Asian look who’d had her hands in the now gone monster.

  I shrugged. “Day walkers. Yeah.”

  She looked at Jericho thoughtfully, then pointed out, “That’s great, actually. Most of us work on a night schedule now, so we’ll take one of the farther houses and stay out of your hair.”

  “You need anything,” Jericho added, “let us know.”

  Ebrill had her hand in his hair, and said, “We’ll try to keep the noise to a minimum.”

  I had a feeling their team operated similarly to my own. Since I’d heard the Protector had a similar setup with his ladies, I had to chuckle to myself after thanking them and heading into the house. What would an outsider think about these three guys that had multiple female lovers each? Maybe they’d assume we were part of a Mormon community or something.