Page 64 of Hidden By the Gargoyle

Dax looked down at me. “Let’s get you inside where it’s warm.”

As he had earlier, he carried me up the steps and into the cabin, straight to the couch. Dax settled me on the cushions, covering me with the blanket that I’d left on the back of the couch after my nap, and headed straight for the woodstove.

Once the fire was started, he came back to the couch, scooping me up before he sat back on the cushions, holding me in his lap.

He tucked the blanket around me before pressing my head into his chest. I shivered for a bit longer until the heat of his body and the fire began to warm me.

“Can you tell me what happened tonight?” he finally asked.

I hiccupped. “I can, but it’s a long story.”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

“Just…don’t ask too many questions until I get through the entire story, okay?”

“Okay.”

I took a deep breath and told him about waking up in the dark cave and the entity that claimed to be Talant’s brother. Though I left out the part about him offering me my heart’s desire. And his offer to give me anything and everything I wanted if I gave him ace to a lot more than my magic. I had a suspicion that Dax would lose his shit if he found out about either of those things.

I also told him how I managed to escape to Talant’s cave and how Talant warned me what to expect when my magic pulsed.

True to his word, Dax listened to everything I said. He didn’t ask any questions. He merely held me close, stroking my back or my hair as I talked.

When I finished by telling him that some instinct inside me was screaming that I had to be outside and away from the cabin before I released my magic, he pressed his lips to the side of my head.

“That’s everything that happened until the moment when you woke up.”

He remained silent.

Worried, I asked, “Do you have any questions?”

“Not so much a question, more like a request.”

I tilted my head back to look at him. “What’s that?”

“Ask your aunt to stop you from dreamwalking. I’m sure there’s something she can do.”

I stiffened in his lap. “What?”

“You’re not safe when you dreamwalk. I can’t protect you if I can’t follow you.”

I sat up, leaning away from him. “I need to dreamwalk, Dax. Talant is going to have to train me to use my magic. He understands what I am and how my power works. He’s the only one who can help me.”

Dax scowled at me. “It’s not safe.”

“I understand that, but it doesn’t mean it’s not necessary,” I argued.

“Ally, you need to stop. At least until we capture Sommerton and whoever it is that’s possessing him, and make sure he can’t harm you.”

I jumped out of his lap, whirling to face him and propping my hands on my hips. I was no longer cold. “Dax, you don’t understand. If I don’t receive some kind of training in my power before I manifest, I may hurt someone. Even kill someone. I may be in danger from Sommerton and Talant’s creepy brother, buteveryonearound me is in danger from me until I know how to control my magic!”

He got to his feet, his jaw working, but he didn’t argue. Probably because it would be difficult to refute what I’d just said.

The sound of Dax’s cell phone ringing interrupted the tense silence between us. It was still upstairs in the loft.

He ignored it, still staring at me with indigo eyes.

“Dax, you need to answer it. It could be important.”

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