Chapter 6
Chapter Six
Jodrick
She drops like a stone.
One second, she's smiling, whispering sweet thanks into the air like a secret prayer, and the next—gone.
Limp.
Crumpled on the nursery floor with that cat circling over her, hissing at me like I’m some kind of monster.
Okay, I guess I am.
Panic slams into me with the force of a thousand years.
I'm through the walls before I even realize I've moved, stone skin crackling as it shifts into flesh, wings snapping back just in time to keep from knocking over half the room.
I fall to my knees beside her, my hands trembling as I lift her up.
The cat hisses again and headbutts my legs in warning before sitting back to glare at me, as if daring me to do something wrong. All I can focus on in the moment is our pretty mate, passed out.
"Avalon," I breathe, brushing a curl from her cheek. "Oh no, no, no. Come on, little human."
She's so warm.
So soft.
And much lighter than I imagined. Her weight settles against my chest like she belongs there—and I suppose, she does, considering who she is to me.
I inhale her scent—something sweet with a hint of the forbidden—and it nearly undoes me.
I know I shouldn't have spoken to her. Viraat is going to be furious with me.
But she asked. She wanted us. She had need of us. Her guardians. What was I supposed to do? Ignore her?
No. Viraat can be as mad as he wants.
It was time.
I cradle her carefully, standing in one fluid motion. "Well, little human. I'll just have to remind you later, that you asked for this."
My feet know the path better than my head does and I make the way back up to the turret and tower both Viraat and I call our home. I hold her close the whole way, one hand cupping the back of her head like she's the most precious thing I've ever carried.
Because she is.
The wind greets us before we even reach the roof, cool and sharp with the smallest bite. The moment I step onto the stone terrace I feel Viraat's presence.
He's perched in his usual spot, wings outstretched, eyes narrowed like he's been waiting for an excuse to be mad at me. Which I suppose is very much like him.
"What did you do?" he growls, his voice low and lethal.
"Nothing." I shrug. "Okay, so I spoke to her, and she passed out."
"You spoke to her?" he shouts, his voice so loud it sounds like boulders crashing against each other.
"Hush!" I urge before continuing my explanation. "She spoke first. She asked for us, Viraat." I clutch Avalon tighter against me. "She thanked me for the book you wanted her to have, and then she asked for a way to come and sit with us, read with us."
"She's not ready." He shakes his head in denial. "She's going to wake up, see us and run for the hills, and it will be all on you."
This time I shake my head at him. He's so worried about losing her, which is ironic as he still refuses to admit he wants her to stay, wants her as a mate.
Even though he's been helping me collect gifts.
"Not to mention," his rant carries on, "she could have hit her head!"
"She's fine." My tone is hard now. I don't want to fight, but I will. "She got a fright, that is all."
Viraat steps forward then, a warning gleam in his eye. "Well now that you've had your fill and groped at her, take her back downstairs before she wakes up."
I laugh. The sound comes out harsh, hard and bitter. "Go fuck yourself, Viraat."
His nostrils flare and the sound of stone hitting stone fills the air. We stare each other down, tension crackling between us. He's breathing heavier and I know I've pushed too far, but I'm beyond caring.
"She's ours," I say softly, with a conviction that roots into the ancient stone beneath our feet. "She's made for us. And I'm not hiding from her anymore."
Then, just as Viraat's mouth opens to respond, the smallest sound breaks between us.
A sleepy hum.
A breath catching in a throat.
I look down.
Dammit.
Am I really ready for this?
What if she does run from us?
Her lashes flutter, and her lips part as her eyes slowly blink open—dazed and impossibly beautiful.
She stares up at me for a long moment.
"Hi," she whispers.
And I swear my ancient heart skips a beat.
Her voice is slightly raspy, but there's no fear in her tone. Not even a flicker of it.
That hits me harder than anything else.
I blink down at her, unsure if I'm the one dreaming.
She's awake. Awake. And not looking at me like I'm some kind of monster or creature from her nightmare.
"Hello, little human," I murmur, brushing a curl away from her forehead. I try my best to keep my voice gentle and soft. "You fainted."
Her brow scrunches a little. "I did? Well that's embarrassing."
"You did." I glance toward Viraat, who's standing off to the side, arms crossed, silent. I don't care if he disapproves. "And there's nothing to be embarrassed about. I gave you quite the fright. But as I heard your plea, I carried you up here so you could come sit with the stone guardians."
She shifts slightly in my arms, and I almost pull her closer on instinct. But then she sits up a little, her hand resting lightly on my chest, just over where my heart beats when I'm not in my stone form.
She studies me. Slowly. Reverently.
"You're the gargoyles that sit atop the manor?" she asks softly, like it's something sacred.
"We are," I respond, nodding toward my brother in arms.
Her attention jumps to him, and her eyes widen slightly before she focuses back on me.
Her lips part in a slow, bright smile. "I knew it!"
That stuns me. "You knew?"
She shrugs. "I had a feeling," she says, glancing briefly at the spot where our stone selves would stand guard in the day. She slowly traces the ridges of my horns and her soft touch makes me shiver.
"It's you, isn't it? You've been leaving me the gifts?"
I nod once. "Yes, my brother and I."
"What do I call you?" she asked, looking at me from under her lashes.
It's on the tip of my tongue to tell her 'yours', but even I know that would be pushing it too far.
"I am Jodrick of House Verdant. And my brother is Viraat of House Sardar. We have been the guardians of Stonebound Manor for longer than I'd care to admit."
Her eyes glitter in the dim light, and she lets out the softest sigh. "Promise me this isn't a dream, Jodrick?"
Her question... her plea... undoes me.
"It's no dream, little human. You're awake."
I feel Viraat's stare burning holes into my back, but I don't care. He might have wanted to try and fool her into believing this was all the byproduct of some kind of fanciful dream. I'm done with all of that.
"I have so many questions," Avalon whispers to me, her gaze focused on me.
I've never felt so seen in my life.
"And I have answers for you, dear one," I respond before looking up at the position of the moon in the sky. "And a fair bit of time to give them to you, too."
She smiles at me again, the warmth of her joy filling me. Then she leans in slowly, her hand sliding up to cup my jaw. Her touch is so warm and sure.
Avalon tilts her face up, and presses her lips gently to mine.
My whole world stills.
Her kiss is soft and sweet. She pulls back just a breath, eyes wide and searching, and I know something has shifted between us.
Now that I've had a taste, there isn't a chance in heaven or hell that I'll ever let her go again.
Viraat be damned.