Page 80 of The Gargoyle and the Songbird

Whatever else she meant to say is lost as she flings herself forward, small arms cinching around my waist as she presses her face to my stomach.

“Hey, hey,” I soothe, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. “You’ll see me again before you know it. At my next concert, right? Only this time, you’ll actually be in the audience. No crashing through spacetime, okay?”

“I promise,” Karisse mumbles, voice muffled by the fabric of my shirt. “I’ll be good.”

One by one, I commit each beloved face to memory—Mariah’s kind eyes, Thorak’s crooked grin, Dad’s careworn smile. The roots that have kept me grounded. The branches that have helped me grow.

With a deep, shuddering breath, I turn to give Mariah one more big hug.

“I can’t wait to be an auntie,” I whisper into her hair. “I’m so happy for you and proud of you.”

“I’m proud of you too, songbird,” Mariah says, tears streaming down her face freely now. I choke my tears back, determined not to give in—if I start crying I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to leave.

“Don’t forget, I need a bump update from you every single day,” I instruct her, mock-stern. “With pictures!”

Mariah laughs wetly.

Sighing, I wave a final goodbye to everyone and slide into the passenger seat, scooping Minx onto my lap. It’s only once Graeme’s pulled past the Moonflower and towards the edge of town that I finally give into my own tears.

I know I should be happy and proud. I’m going back to an amazing music career, with my amazing tour coming up fast.

I helped everyone by using my magic to speed up Velda’s healing, freeing the town from the crazy winter storm.

Perhaps most importantly, I helped Velda embrace joy again.

But ironically, all I can feel right now is grief.

30

ECCO

The heavy door swings open with a hushed whoosh as Graeme and I step into my apartment. Minx leaps gracefully from my arms, her paws barely making a sound as they touch down on the polished floors. She pads cautiously through the space, her big eyes wide and wary, her glowkitten senses alert.

It’s only been a few weeks since we were here, but I can’t blame her for not recognizing her home.

It’s not very homey to me, either.

I try to shake off the unease that settles over me as I gaze around at the familiar yet foreign surroundings. The minimalist sofa, sleek kitchen appliances, the jaw-dropping windows and that incredible city view—it all so cold and impersonal compared to the warm, intimate charm of the Moonflower Inn.

Forcing a cheery smile, I turn to Graeme. “Well, I guess you can upgrade to the master bedroom with me now! No more cramped little guest room for you.”

But Graeme’s features are etched with somber lines as he takes my hands gently in his larger ones.

“Ecco,” he starts, his deep voice brimming with pent-up emotion. “You know I can’t live here with you. You know about the agreement I made with my uncle.”

I nod slowly, my throat constricting painfully as I fight back the sting of tears.

Of course I know about his sacred pact, his oath to return to his clan, to take up his rightful place as their leader and protector. But I’ve been shoving that knowledge down, down, down, clinging naively to the hope that if I just pretended it wasn’t real, everything would somehow magically resolve itself.

Standing here now, seeing the tortured look in Graeme’s eyes, I know I can’t hide from the truth any longer. The future I’ve been imagining for us, together, here—it’s splintering apart before my very eyes.

“When do you have to go back to the stronghold?” I manage to choke out.

“Tomorrow,” Graeme says.

My heart clenches violently, but I swallow the desperate pleas rising in my throat. I can’t ask him to abandon his responsibilities, his family, his very purpose—not for me.

Not even for us.

---