Page 52 of The Stone Curse
Orix rolled his eyes. “Yeah, that one. And tell him I missed his furry face.”
It was my turn to roll my eyes. “Sure.”
The rest of the meal passed quickly, but my attention kept going to Touron, to his plate where one pizza crust sat.
My goyle friend who loved his food had barely eaten.
I had no doubt how the meeting with Selas had gone now. It was time for me to be there for him, just like he was always there for me.
It wasgood to be walking and not cramped into a metal can on wheels. My legs thanked me for the exercise as we made our way down the winding path toward the main building.
It was prime time on campus with goyles milling about and enjoying the moonlight, many in their gargoyle beast forms, wings out to take to the air. I couldn’t help but wonder what it would feel like to have wings. To fly on my own steam.
Beside me, Touron seemed lost in his own thoughts, but a muscle in his jaw jumped the longer I studied his profile.
He exhaled softly. “Go on, then, ask me.”
He sounded resigned, and that hurt my heart. “You don’t have to talk about it if you don’t want to. We can just walk. I just…I’m here, Tor, and I’m sorry that I didn’t check on you sooner.”
He glanced my way with a frown. “What? Don’t…don’t do that. You have enough on your plate.”
“Never too much to care about my friends. I love you, Touron, and I hate seeing you in pain.”
He swallowed hard. “You’re in pain too.”
“It doesn’t mean I can’t be here for you. I want to be here for you. Please.”
He dropped his gaze to the gravel, boots crunching with each step. “She broke up with me.”
“You told her you loved her, didn’t you?”
“No.” He looked across at me, indignant. “I did not say that. But…I didn’t have to. She read it in my aura.”
“Oh fuck.”
“Yeah, I forgot she could do that. I guess I’m walking around with hearts floating around my head or something.” He gave a weak smile. “She told me she isn’t coming back to the academy either.”
“I’m sorry, Tor. I wish there was something I could do to help.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever feel this way about anyone, ever. I love her, Cam. It fucking hurts.”
“I know.” I reached out and took his hand. “I know.”
“I’m such a dick. It’s worse for you.”
“Not worse, just…different. Serath is gone, but Selas is still here. Two kinds of pain, each as awful as the other.”
“Your dream…Do you really think he was reaching out to you?”
My pulse quickened. “It seems silly now.”
“I know, but…we never saw a body. They took him.”
“There was no way he could survive the wound that thing inflicted on him.”
“Maybe…but what do we know about the graynite abilities? About their technology or their medical facilities.”
My stupid heart beat faster with each word. “You really think he might be alive?”
