Page 66 of Charming Her Monsters

“You hurt Jade!” Impatient with how fast I’m removing myself from Calder, Flint easily lifts me off the phoenix and sets me behind him.

Still surprised by his ability to touch me and how he didn’t seem to be affected at all, I stand stunned while the two argue.

“I was training her.” Calder scrambles up to his feet and glares up at the taller gargoyle.

“She cried out.” Flint takes a menacing step toward Calder.

“Hey, Flint.” I step to the side to get both of their attention. “I’m okay. He was training me.”

He doesn’t look at me. Instead, he glares at the phoenix. “What. Did. You. Do?”

“I zapped her senses when she tried to enter my mind. It’s not damaging. She needs to know what’s possible so she can protect herself.”

“You did it so you could inflict pain,” Flint snarls.

Wow. This protective side of Flint is turning me on.

Calder dares to look away from Flint. He asks me, sounding put out, “Are you alright?”

“I think so. It stung, but I suppose I learned my lesson not to go poking around in your mind.” I mutter, “I won’t do that again.”

“See, it’s fine,” Calder says to Flint, taking a step back. “I get you are protective of… innocents, but Jade needs to learn how to shield herself. She also had an early lesson in someone defending their shields. Not all of us have your innate ability.”

“You have an innate ability?” I ask, hoping to steer this confrontation into a more friendly chat.

“My mind is sealed off from others.” The big guy turns and his pale gray eyes gaze into mine. “Except for the one who I would have a bond with.”

“Like a bonded mate? Or could it be one of your pack?”

“With a mate match.” He frowns slightly and heads to the door. “Come, both of you. Time to eat. We need to keep your strength up.”

I look at Calder with anare you okayexpression.

He shrugs it off and gestures for me to go first.

“Don’t forget my treats!” Trouble shouts at us as Calder attempts to shut his broken door.

“If you stay in here and behave, I’ll bring you something extra good,” Calder bargains.

“Fine,” Trouble grumbles.

When Calder turns to follow me down the stairs, I’m standing there watching him with adoration. “Thank you,” I say softly.

“For what?”

“For taking such good care of them.”

He sighs wearily and walks toward me and herds me toward the stairs. “But I messed up too. I shouldn’t have been so obsessed with your guilt or innocence and been more attentive to what was right under my nose. It’s understandable for you not to know about Floofer, since you didn’t know about magic. But there’s no excuse for me. I was just blinded by my pain and anger.”

“You had just lost Osen, then I showed up. It’s totally understandable why you didn’t like me. And I was a witch on top of it. I don’t even like witches now.”

As we join him in the kitchen, Flint watches me as he readies the plates for us to eat. “You don’t have to dislike your own kind. Maxum’s old acquaintance, Amira, was a testament to a witch doing good. She didn’t have to come to help you and Calder.”

“I wish I would have been awake to talk to her phoenix mate,” Calder says with sorrow in his voice.

“You don’t get to meet many of your kind?” I ask.

“No, we are adyingspecies—pun intended.” He states it so plainly, I have to take a moment to get beyond my sadness for his kind.

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