Another Wednesday. I’m ignoring TV today, preferring to get lost in new words for my WIP, with occasional forays into the words of favorite authors. Today’s #1lineWed theme is **DOUBLE**. How many of you are singing (or humming) the old Doublemint Gum jingle? 🙋🏼‍♀️ This snippet is fairly self-explanatory. At least I hope it is because truthfully? I’m not exactly sure what the Scooby gang is up to…
****
The gargoyle, feet planted on the sidewalk, partially sat atop the wall along the Pont de la Tournelle Bridge, his back to the view of Notre Dame Cathedral tourists lined up to see. Today, the walkway remained mostly empty. The cathedral, home to the Gargoyle Sentinels, had been partially demolished in the battle against the rogues. Seeing the magnificent architecture hidden by a spiderweb of scaffolding hurt in a way he couldn’t explain.

“You are sure he is here?” Roman asked the werewolf standing next to him.

Caleb’s eyes were focused on a barge making slow headway up the Seine. “Pretty sure.”

“Why would the dragon come to Paris? Athens is his demesne.”

“Where’s Sade?” Caleb glanced up in time to catch the change in the gargoyle’s expression as understanding washed over the other magick. “Yeah. That’s why.”

“Where is Sinjen?”

“That’s a good question. Back in Washington, I guess.”

“Washington and not Chicago?”

“Don’t ask, Roman.”

“Because you do not know or because you do not want to be in the middle?”

“Yes.”

“What about the fae?”

Caleb let out a long-suffering sigh. “You know Ariel won’t keep his nose out of this once he catches wind of it.”

“Of course not. We will bring him up to speed once he arrives.”

Caleb returned his focus to the barge, his action catching Roman’s attention.

“What do you find so fascinating down there?”

“There’s a witch on that barge. Casting a spell.”

Roman concentrated, eyes narrowed on the barge. “There is, yes.”

Caleb turned a sharp gaze on Roman. “Your witchling?”

“No. Verity is with Crevan.”

“Then who?”

“We should find out.”

Huge, leathery wings unfolded as Roman shifted into his real form. With one hard down beat, he lifted into the air and sailed out over the water in pursuit of the barge. Caleb raced across the bridge and scrambled down one of the bridge abutments to the walkway lining the Seine. He loped past moored barges, his eye on the prize. Suddenly, Roman halted in the sky hovering before turning around to double back in the opposite direction. The werewolf slowed.

“Stay with the barge!” Roman shouted as he passed. “Guard the witch.”

Guard the witch? What had Roman discovered that he didn’t know? Still, he trusted the gargoyle so he turned on the speed. Even in human form, he could run with the wind. He reached the Pont de Sully bridge ahead of the barge. Using a moored canal boat as a springboard, he vaulted onto the suspect houseboat. The cloying odor of fresh magic invaded his nose and lungs but he ignored it, focusing instead on the scent of fear wafted up from below deck.

Two burly men emerged, mirror images of each other. “Talk about double trouble,” Caleb muttered. The good news—they were human. The bad—one held a gun to a girl’s head. That’s when he caught the hint of sparkling glitter behind the man with the weapon.

“Better late than never,” he called out.
****
Three guesses as to who just showed up. 😉 Writers, any double words you want to share? Readers, what would you double up on, given the opportunity?