Page 110 of The Stone Secret
I wanted to believe him, but after everything we’d been through, the whole sentence sounded like a fairy tale.
* * *
Curi walkedme back to the elite quarters but refused to leave until I confirmed that the elites were back.
I let him into the foyer. “Wait here while I go check.”
“Nope,” he said. “You might lie to me. I’m coming with you.”
“You aren’t even supposed to be in here.”
“I don’t care.” He crossed his arms. “So elevator or stairs?”
I rolled my eyes and headed for the elevator.
It was a tight fit with us both inside, but my body had become attuned to proximity with Curi, so it didn’t bother me.
The main lounge was empty.
“Looks like no one’s home,” Curi said.
“They might be in the observatory watchtower.”
“I’ve always wanted to see the view from up there.”
He wasn’t supposed to be in the elite quarters, let alone the watchtower, but after the day I’d had, the thought of hanging out by myself wasn’t appealing.
We took the stairs this time. I stopped off on Serath’s floor then Orix and Prasan’s on the off chance one of them was home. But no.
“I’m sure they won’t mind me staying till they get back,” Curi said.
The observatory watchtower was bathed in starlight, Prasan’s computer running in the background, green lines scrolling across the screen. A shadow shot out from behind Orix’s favorite seating spot.
“Taz, hey, boy.”
He allowed me to pet him.
“You have a cat?”
“Taz is kinda the house mascot. One of Orix’s saves.”
“I heard he had a thing for pussy, but I thought…” He shook his head in confusion.
I stifled a laugh. “He has a thing for catsandfor pussy. The man’s a hussy, but he has a heart of gold.”
Taz purred as if in agreement.
Curi crouched to pet him, and Taz allowed it.
“His eyes, wow, they’re gorgeous,” Curi said.
“I know.”
“We weren’t allowed to keep any animals.”
“Pets aren’t really a thing in the human world either.”
“No, I suppose they’re not.” Curi gave a heartfelt sigh. “But they are in Arcadia, just not for the male or alpha female goyles.”
