Page 35 of Fire in Stone

“Usually, we spend the night on perches outside the castle walls,” he explained with a soft laugh at my reaction. “They are thick stone beams, carved into the mountainside. They aren’t easily accessible to outsiders, which makes it safer. But we have inside perches, too. They’re similar to your beds and used to rest through the day or to recline during celebration feasts. And, yes, they can be used for what you had in mind, too. Though gargoyles often mate in the sky, while flying.”

“That’s not what I… How do you know what I had in mind, anyway?” I turned away from him, trying to hide my blush. The close, intimate proximity to him heated me from the inside.

He stroked my cheekbone with the back of his fingers.

“Oh, Amber. I’ve lived long enough to know how to read this color on a woman’s face.”

His lips parted slightly, as if in invitation. He had such kissable lips, full and elegantly shaped, they were the warmest shade of brown-red. But he couldn’t kiss me without breaking his promise. If I ever wanted to taste him again, I had to do it myself.

I desperately searched for something to say that would get my mind off his mouth. He’d said he lived long enough, but I still didn’t know how long that was.

“How old are you, Elex?”

“One hundred and thirteen years.”

“Wow.” I stared at him. “You don’t look over a quarter of that.”

He gave me a carefree smile. “And I won’t look any older than I do now for the next three-and-a-half centuries or so. A fae’s lifespan is about five hundred years.”

“Long life with almost as long youth? Nice.” I tried to wrap my mind around the existence of an entirely new species, so different from anything I knew. “Tell me about your family. Do you have brothers or sisters?”

I realized this was a wrong thing to bring up the moment the words left my mouth. There was a big chance everyone he knew and loved would either be dead or not born yet when he came back.

His smile was gone, and I was kicking myself for not thinking it through before asking that question.

“I have a younger brother.Hadorwill have.Depending on what time I’ll end up in when I get back.”

“Sorry. It was insensitive of me to ask,” I mumbled.

“It’s all right.” He stroked my back again, as if I were the one needing comforting. “I’ve had enough time to think about all of this, Amber. I’ve accepted the fact that I may never see my family alive again. They’ll mourn me, but life will go on without me. My brother will become the next king. The kingdom will be in good hands under his rule. All I want at this point is to see the black mountains of Dakath once again.”

“I hope you’ll see them. I hope you’ll see them soon.” I wished it for him with all my heart.

He looked past me, staring into the distance for a few moments. His voice sounded dreamy when he spoke again. “The mountains are beautiful in the winter, Amber. The snow sparkles in the sunlight like diamonds. In the spring, snow poppies bloom. Crimson blankets of them cover the mountainside, making it look like sunset spilled from the sky onto the ground.”

“It does sound stunning.” I loved listening to his voice. Deep, with a soft rumble, it sounded soothing, weaving the tales about a far-away land I never knew existed before today.

“People of Dakath are wary of outsiders, for obvious reasons,” he continued. “As strong as we are during the day, we’re vulnerable at night. When we had visitors from other kingdoms, my father would place dragon guards outside of their windows and doors. Even if the visitors woke up at night, the stone dragons would prevent them from opening doors or windows, stopping them from wandering around the castle at night.”

“Smart,” I agreed. “I’d love to be a dragon, too. The ability to spew fire at anyone who crossed me could come in handy.”

“Only male gargoyles shift into dragons, have wings, and spew fire. Our women can’t fly.”

“How unfair. But also, kind of typical.” I scoffed, making him chuckle.

“Gargoyle men don’t see their strength as an advantage but as a responsibility. In Dakath, women are cherished and protected. They’re our healers and the keepers of the hearth.”

The reverence in his voice and the warmth in his expression proved he was telling the truth. Or at least, he believed it was the truth.

“Do gargoyles fall in love and get married?” Why did I ask that? I had no desire to discuss love with him.

But he was already answering, “Marriages are usually a state business, especially in the royal family. There is not much space for love, really.”

“So, a bride for a prince would be selected by the state?”

“Right. The king and the Royal Council would have more say in that matter than any feelings the couple may have for each other. At the time when thebrackstook me, I didn’t have a bride selected for me. But the search had been ongoing for decades.”

“Why so long? It couldn’t bethathard to find a woman willing to marry you.” I couldn’t resist a glance up at his handsome face and was met with one of his confident smiles. “Or are you just too picky?”

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