Page 20 of Monster Daddies
The witch in question leans over and pokes my chest. "Nope. Just friends. And honestly? I haven't kissed anyone in forever. What a way to break a dry streak, making out with a grumpy gorgeous gargoyle and his charming companion."
Her words hit like a stone to my chest.
Warm. Solid. Undeniable.
She could be ours.
The thought terrifies me.
Not because I'm worried about losing my freedom again.
But because we might lose her.
We will.
Her life is but a fleeting one.
Jodrick and I aren't meant to have things like this. Like her. A soft, living, breathing girl with laughter in her bones and stars in her eyes.
Jodrick must feel it too, because he glances over at me, then at Avalon, like he's weighing something heavy in his heart.
She catches the look and tilts her head, that ever-present sunshine in her smile dimming just a smidge with concern. "Is something the matter?"
Jodrick clears his throat. "No, little human, but there are things you should know, as we've been fated. And not all of them are pleasant."
Her smile doesn't falter. If anything, she leans forward eagerly, like she's desperate for us to share more with her.
I huff a breath and rub at the back of my neck. "It's quite clear you know we're the gargoyles that have been keeping watch on your roof," I say gruffly. "But what you might not be aware of is... during daylight hours, we're trapped in that state. Literal, immovable stone."
Her eyes widen, and for once, she's quiet.
Jodrick picks up the thread. "It's not so bad, we used to be cursed. Forced to guard the manor due to one of your ancestorstrapping us. But your mother and great-uncle freed us from servitude. So now we guard for honor."
Her face is a mix of emotions. Such a wide range, and all running across her features so quickly I can't get a handle on them. Not that I've ever really understood human emotions.
"So... you're just stuck?" she finally asks. "Like statues?"
"Exactly like statues," I mutter. "We're not dead, or asleep or anything, but it's damn close to it."
Her gaze shifts between us, thoughtful, serious in a way I hadn't expected. "So every morning... I'll lose you both." There's sorrow in her expression.
Jodrick nods.
Even though she looks sad, there's no fear, no disgust, no horror.
But more than anything, I sense determination.
"Well then," she says, voice brightening as she tucks her legs beneath her and grins. "I'll just have to be twice as bright for you when you're awake with me at night, wouldn't I? So you don't have to miss the sunshine anymore."
I blink.
Jodrick coughs.
That wasn't what I expected.
Well, if I'm being perfectly honest, I hadn't allowed myself to expectanything.
From the beginning, this tiny human hasn't met any of my expectations for her kind.
