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Zori stared at the alley she found herself in. Had she taken a wrong turn by accident? Vladik said it was a tiny hole-in-the-wall sort of establishment, but this felt wrong.
"You lost, little kitten?" a voice said, and she whirled around. Two men had appeared in the darkness.
"No, thanks. I'm fine. Just waiting on my boyfriend," Zori replied, her hand gripping her phone.
"He must be a terrible boyfriend to let you out alone and unprotected. You should come and play with us instead. We'll take good care of you," the second man said, and they began to close in on her.
Zori backed up. Her boot caught the edge of a patch of ice, and she went backwards, hitting her ass hard. "Fuck." She started to scramble backwards, trying to find her footing.
"Oops, let me help you, kitten," the first man said, getting closer.
"Stay back! I'm fine. Leave me alone." Zori hit the dial button on Vladik's number before the men grabbed her. Zori screamed and kicked out with her boots.
A ring tone tingled somewhere in the darkness, and then an unnatural roar shook the alley. Zori froze as something huge and winged dropped onto the street. The man who had her legs released her as he was ripped away and sent flying into a parked car with enough force to bend the door.
"What t-the fuck are you?!" the other man said, dropping Zori's arms and pulling out a handgun. He managed to fire off a single round that pinged off the creature's chest before its clawed hand grabbed it, crushing the man's hand and the gun. His scream was cut short as the creature grabbed him around the throat and slammed him once into the brick wall before dropping him.
Zori's eyes bugged out of her head as the creature turned on her. It looked down at her with blue gray eyes, and she stared back in wonder. It was the gargoyle from the roof of the building outside of her window.
"Zori? Are you hurt?" the creature asked. The voice was deeper, but she knew it.
"V-Vladik?" she stammered.
"Don't scream." The gargoyle's lips curved into a smile. There was a warm burst of air as the gargoyle in front of her shrank and changed into the man she'd met at the club. He lifted her up and placed her back on her feet. "Hey, puppy. Did they hurt you?"
"They didn't get a chance to," she replied, feeling numb. The men still hadn't moved. "I don't…. I…"
"Look at me, Zoria," Vladik said, and her gaze automatically went back to his. "It's okay. Let's get you somewhere warm, and I'll explain everything."
"Everything like how you're a gargoyle?" A hysterical laugh bubbled up Zori's throat. This was it. She had finally broken like her mother.
Vladik cupped her cold cheeks. "Puppy, stop. You're not going crazy, I swear it."
Something in his touch and tone reassured her, and she managed to stop and take a breath. She was shaking and freezing. Vladik shrugged off his wool lined leather jacket and wrapped it around her, enclosing her in heat. He put an arm around her.
"The restaurant isn't far. You were on the right track. You just didn't get far enough," he said, keeping his tone casual.
Zori didn't look back at the bodies they'd left in the street. Neither had moved. If it wasn't for Vladik…she didn't want to think about it. Whatever he was, he had saved her.
"T-Thank you," she said, blinking back the tears building in her eyes.
"You're welcome. And thank you for not screaming."
Zori still wasn't entirely sure she wasn't losing her mind. "You never know. I still might."
Vladik laughed and kissed the top of her head. "Okay, but do it after the pelmeni. I'm starving."
The restaurant was marked by a single yellow bulb over a faded red door. There were no windows to even show that people were inside, eating.
"This looks like the dodgiest place ever. There was no way I was going to find this on my own," she said, her voice still shaky.
"Don't let looks deceive you. This is invite only, and they make the best food in Moscow. It's a disguise to keep the tourists away," Vladik reassured her and opened the faded door. Warm, fragrant air hit Zori, and her stomach rumbled as they stepped inside. A plump woman with gray hair smiled at Vladik, and he bent to kiss her cheek.
"Who is this pretty girl you brought tonight? I didn't think you knew how to date," she said and looked Zori over. "He didn't kidnap you, did he?"
Zori laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, kind of."
"I'll make sure you eat well to make up for it, hmm?" the woman replied and patted Zori's cheek. "You are frozen solid! Take a seat, and I'll bring you somesbitento warm you up."
