Page 94 of A Highland Gargoyle's Lucky Star
Then warm energy enters my body, and I still.
This is the magic of the ley line. And the power of my mate.
“Noah?” I croak out.
“Yes, Elryk, it’s me. Everything’s okay now. I’m fine and everyone else is safe. It’s over. Please, please, don’t hurt yourself anymore.”
Another blink and the last of the misty red fades away, and I find myself staring up into Noah’s crying face. Tears stream down his cheeks, and wrenching sobs rack his small body.
“Are you hurt?” I ask, my voice a raspy whisper.
Noah rubs at his face with one hand and gives me a watery smile. “I’m fine, you big, stupid idiot. You’re the one who’s hurt!”
The blood from earlier is gone, which makes something inside me calm.
“Dinnae cry, mo ghràidh.” My heart clenches in my chest, and I reach a shaky hand up to cup his face.
“Of course, I’m going to cry, you jerk! You nearly got yourself killed. Who said you needed to go and defeat the Sluagh horde all by yourself? That was a dumbass move, mister, and you better never do it again,” he demands angrily between sobs.
I finally notice Braewyn kneeling next to my mate, a look of profound relief and exhaustion washing over his face.
“I was worried you might not come back to us, Elryk.”
“What are you talking about?”
His expression turns more serious than I think I’ve ever seen it be in my life. “You went into berserker mode.”
My lungs seize and I stop breathing.
We’ve all heard the legends among our kind, but never witnessed it.
Until now.
I make a move to sit up, but Braewyn and Noah urge me to stay where I am.
“We have healers on the way,” Braewyn explains softly, “so don’t move. You might make some of your injuries worse.”
“Injuries?” I rasp. “But I dinnae hurt.”
Noah lays his head down on my chest and lets loose with a fresh round of sobs that break my heart.
What have I done?
Braewyn’s eyes are full of concern and empathy. “You probably can’t feel any pain right now because of the excess adrenaline and magic coursing through your body, my friend. As it fades, you’ll feel everything.”
I bite my lip as this part of the legend comes back to me. “How bad is it?”
He swallows hard, but he’s honest. “You’ll live, but I expect you’ll have to spend a lot longer in the medical wing of the castle than you’ll probably want to.”
“Fucking hell,” I whisper, and then cough.
Noah pulls back and wipes at his puffy eyes and snotty nose.
I flash him a faint smile. “You’re right, you are a bit of a fugly crier, my love.” My chuckle makes me cough again.
He scowls at me. “I know I am. If you remember correctly, that’s why I told you not to ever make me cry.”
“I’m sorry, my love.”
