Page 58 of Hidden By the Gargoyle

“Because I have a bargain for you,” he murmured.

Though he didn’t appear to be any closer, his voice sounded next to my ear, as though he was right behind me.

When I glanced over my shoulder, I gasped and jumped back, my bare foot landing on a rock and rolling my ankle. I bit back a cry of pain and forced myself to remain standing, even though the joint immediately began to throb.

There was a man standing not two feet from me, but his body was formed out of black smoke and shadows. His features still weren’t discernible in the darkness of the cave. Nothing except for his eyes. They gleamed with the same purple lightning that Sommerton had wielded just days ago.

“Would you like to hear my offer?” he asked, his voice tinged with amusement, as though he enjoyed frightening me.

“Sure,” I lied. I had to keep him talking until Dax either heard me talking in my sleep and woke me or I woke up on my own.

There was another deep laugh.

I shivered, hoping by the goddess that he didn’t do that again. It hurt me to hear it.

“Though I know you’re merely humoring me, I’m still going to share my bargain with you anyway,” he said. “You see, I need you to wake my brother. Your power is the key, but it’s a key that only works once—at the moment your power truly manifests. Too early or too late and the door will remain locked, and my brother trapped.”

I interrupted him. “But my power already has manifested,” I said. “I used magic just last night.”

He shook his head. “No, no, that wasn’t a manifestation. A power like yours, a magic as strong as yours, leaks through. That’s what you’re using now, the surplus that escapes the binding. When that barrier between you and your magic breaks down, you won’t be able to contain the first rush of power. It will pour forth from you like a geyser. That’s what will free my brother. I can sense it rising in you, little witch. I’m sure you feel it too. A moment where your body can’t contain itself. Like your skin will split in two. The higher the magic rises, the more often you will feel that sensation, as though you’ll burst if you don’t release it.”

I shook my head. “I haven’t felt that yet.”

Not to the extreme he was describing, anyway.

“You will,” he whispered. “The power will pulse from you, a little here, a little there, as it grows. Like the small tremors in the earth that precede a volcanic eruption.”

“How will I know when it’s just a…pulse as you call it or my power manifesting?” I asked.

“You’ll feel it.”

I barely refrained from rolling my eyes. Lovely. He’d been so clear until now.

“My bargain is this, witch,” he said. “If you wake my brother and free him from his prison, I will give you your heart’s desire.”

“My heart’s desire can’t be given to me by you,” I replied, thinking that the only thing I wanted was for Dax to love me the way I loved him. To want to be with me the way I wanted to be with him.

“But I can, Allison. The gargoyle may be immune to much of my magic, but not in this. His heart is just as susceptible as a human’s. Especially when it’s clear that he already cares for you in his own way.”

I tried to hide my wince, but I knew I failed, even before he spoke.

“Surely you know that he can’t give you what you want on your own?” he asked, prowling closer to me. “It won’t matter what you say or do, the gargoyle has built a wall around his heart. Even one as powerful as you won’t be able to scale it alone. You’ll need my help.”

“I—”

Suddenly, he was right in front of me, leaning down so that I looked directly into his eyes. My heart hammered in my chest because he’d moved so quickly, I hadn’t been able to react at all.

He looked a great deal like Talant, but his beauty was cruel and cold. His face was molded from sharp lines and deep shadows. My imagination couldn’t have conjured up a better visage for an evil god. He was breathtaking…and terrifying.

“You should know, Allison.” He leaned even closer. I could smell him then, woodsmoke and spice. It would have been a wonderful scent had I not already longed for the aroma of pine and snow. “You would not need to bespell me if you chose me. I would be more than willing to give you anything and everything you want.”

My entire body froze. Was he…

His cheek brushed mine as he brought his mouth to my ear. “We would be unstoppable together. In every way.”

Yep, he was hitting on me.

Chills erupted on my arms and legs. Dear goddess, I did not want this being to have the hots for me. No way, no how.

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