Page 90 of The Stone Initiation
“We can hang out with her until she’s tired,” Shar said.
“Hey.” I waved my hands at them. “Shecan hear you and she’s fine. I have the crutch, and Chlobe said the swelling should be gone by tomorrow even with the slower healing, so you guys are good to go get on with your evening.” I glanced at the bedside clock. “It’s only five, and the goyle day is just beginning.” Shit…wait. “I’m supposed to meet Selas for training at six…” Serath had given me a phone, but he’d said to call him after seven, and by that time Selas would already be at the clearing.
“Can one of you please meet her in the clearing and let her know I can’t make it.”
“I’ll go,” Touron said.
“I’ll grab us a bite to eat,” Shar said.
My stomach rumbled in agreement with that plan. “Thanks guys. You’re the best.”
I slumped against my pillows as the door closed behind them and replayed our win today. It was such a small silly thing, but it felt so good to not get crushed out there. My ankle throbbed in disagreement but fuck it. It was worth it.
I must have fallen asleep because when I opened my eyes the room was dark. A covered plate sat on my bedside table along with a couple of bottles of water.
The glowing numbers on my clock showed it to be seven forty-five.
Urgh, I sat up, wincing as the movement set my ankle throbbing again and reached for the water. Damn, I was thirsty. I drained the bottle and peeked at the food. A doorstop sandwich.
My stomach growled angrily. Fine. I scoffed it down and was immediately thirsty again. Thank goodness Shar had left a couple of bottles for me. Feeling almost human, I leaned across to retrieve the mobile phone from my drawer. There was only one number programmed into it.
I hit call.
It rang twice before he answered. “Cameron.” He said my name like a prayer of relief. “How are you? Your ankle…”
A smile tugged at my lips. “It’s better. I’ll be fine by tomorrow. I’m sorry, I would have called earlier but I fell asleep.”
“Don’t apologize. Sleep is healing. But I’m glad you called.”
“Were you waiting?” Why did I ask that?
He exhaled softly. “Yes.”
My heart fluttered. “How’s your day been?”
“Uneventful.” He paused for a moment. “About what happened in the coffee shop today…I want you to know, not everyone feels that way. Youdobelong here, Cameron. You’re a gargoyle.”
My throat pinched. “Really? That isn’t what you said the first time we met.”
He sighed. “The first time I saw you I knew you were mine. I have a cuff on my ankle which allows me to detect a potential mate. It heats when one is close. It heated that day.”
“So, you hoped I’d leave.”
“Yes,” he admitted. “For both our sakes. The cuff has since been modified to help mute the affect the bond has on me.”
“You were muted in the forest last night?”
He chuckles softly. “I know. I know. It needs work, but this…Talking to you like this helps. I think.”
The clawing need that usually assaulted me in his presence was absent when we spoke like this. Instead, my pulse fluttered, and my belly quivered. “I think you’re right.” There was a sound like the wind in the background. “Where are you?”
“In the observatory tower. You can see the whole academy campus from here, and beyond the walls.”
“Describe what you see.” I settled back against my pillows, letting his voice wash over me.
“Mountains, capped by moonlight. Lush, dark canopies speckled with starlight. And the vastness of night spreading up and outward to infinity.”
“I wish I could see it.” My throat thickened. “To be able to fly…To see the world from that perspective.”
