Page 11 of Hidden By the Gargoyle

The room went dark, only the faintest hint of moonlight peeked around the blinds that were over the windows.

I heard Dax shift under his blanket before he said, “Goodnight, Ally.”

I scowled at the ceiling but answered, “Night, Dax.”

With that, I turned over on my right side, facing away from the nightstand, and snuggled deeper under the comforter. The bed was a lot more comfortable than I expected.

So comfortable that I fell asleep before I was done being irritated with Dax.

* * *

The cave was cool,but not uncomfortable. A fire burned merrily within a circle of big stones and hundreds of candles flickered along the bottom of the cave walls and on top of outcroppings of rocks or freestanding boulders.

This was how the cave always looked when I came here in my dreams.

Though there was a new addition to the floor—an enormous cushion that was approximately the size of Dax’s bed. Pillows and furs were strewn across it, piled up into cozy places to curl up or recline. It looked like the orgy pit of some conquering nomadic leader.

I rolled my eyes at the sight, but moved toward it anyway because the air was becoming chillier.

I didn’t hear anything, but I knew that he was lurking. I could always sense him, lingering in the shadows and waiting for me to say something.

As usual, I remained silent. I sat next to a tall pile of pillows, crossing my legs and leaning my back against them. I dragged a soft fur over my legs to protect them from the crisp air. The fire wasn’t big enough to warm the entire cave.

“You’re late tonight,” he finally said, his shape emerging from the darkness.

I shrugged, brushing a hand over the fur. “I had something to take care of.”

As he drew closer, the candlelight revealed the sculpted bones of his face. I studied him, wondering why I couldn’t have found him attractive. He was beautiful, easily one of the best-looking men I’d ever seen. Period.

But other than being able to appreciate his prettiness, I felt not an iota of attraction.

He was nice to look at, fun to talk to, but there was no spark. No chemistry at all.

That didn’t stop him from trying to flirt with me when we first started talking. It had taken him a while to let that behavior go. I had a feeling that it was a sort of shield he put up to keep me at a distance.

Now, neither of us were as guarded.

“You look stressed,” he said, plopping down on the cushion a few feet from me.

He reclined on his side, resting his weight on his elbow. As usual, he was shirtless, but he wore rough trousers that were held up with a strip of cloth knotted around his waist.

“I am.”

“Want to talk about it?”

I sighed. “Not really, but I’m going to because you’re here and there’s no one else I can discuss it with.”

He smirked at me, his black eyes sparkling in the candlelight.

I pulled my knees up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. “There’s a warlock after me. One who is practicing dark magic.”

His gaze sharpened and his body tensed. “Why?”

“He wants to wake you and discovered that I’m the key. He tried to attack me today.” I shivered, remembering the way Sommerton had looked, hovering in the center of a maelstrom. Sinister was probably the best description.

He moved quickly, sitting up to stare at me. “What?” he barked, his voice even sharper than his stare.

“I’m safe, Talant,” I continued. “I’m being guarded by a gargoyle.”

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