Page 52 of Never Been Gargoyled
She looked up at me with curiosity but took my hand without question. I lifted her into my arms and flew her upstairs, stopping outside the bathroom door.
“Close your eyes,” I said, lowering her to her feet.
“Feydin, what are you doing?” She sounded startled, but her eyes were sparkling with a touch of humor already.
“Trust me.”
She closed her eyes, and I guided her into the bathroom. The space glowed with warm light from the candles I'd lit. Steam rose from the tub, carrying the scent of the flower petals scattered across the surface. The wine and pastry waited on the small table beside the tub, along with her book.
“Open them,” I said softly.
Her eyes flew open, and she gasped. She stared at the bath, then at the wine, then at me. Her expression was sofull of wonder and a light that looked almost like love that it stole my breath.
“You did all this for me?” she asked.
“I want you to relax, to find peace again. I promise this will work out alright.”
The words hung between us, and I realized I'd made a vow I might not be able to keep. Rebecca could win in court, and Dazy would lose the estate. But for the first time since I'd bonded myself to this crumbling building and the wild gardens around it, I was willing to leave.
If Dazy had to go, I would follow.
The thought should’ve terrified me. This place had been my sanctuary, my purpose, my entire world since I fled France years ago. But looking at her now, seeing the tears still clinging to her lashes and the grateful smile spreading across her face, I knew with absolute certainty that home wasn't a place anymore.
It was wherever this woman laid her head at night.
“Thank you.” She stepped closer to me. “This is beautiful.”
“You deserve only beautiful things.”
Reaching up, she touched my cheek, her fingers warm against my skin. “What did I do to deserveyou?”
Everything. She'd woken me from stone sleep with the joy she found in the world around her. She'd brought life back to the gardens with her gentle hands. She'd made me feel useful and wanted and…
Loved.
Because that's what this was. This overwhelming need to protect her, to provide for her, to make herhappy. This ache in my chest when she smiled and the way my heart floundered when she looked at me. This wasn't just the mating bond anymore.
I was completely, utterly in love with Dazy.
“I should let you bathe.” I eased away before I did something foolish like confess my feelings when she was emotionally vulnerable.
“Will you stay close? I mean, not in here, but…” She blushed. “I don't want to be alone right now.”
“I'll be in the library. Call if you need anything.”
She nodded, and I forced myself to leave, closing the door behind me. In the hallway, I leaned against the wall and tried to process what had happened.
I'd revealed my hand completely. The bath, the flowers, the careful attention to every detail that might bring her comfort. This was pure gargoyle courting behavior. If she understood what it meant, she'd know exactly how I felt about her.
But humans didn't know about gargoyle customs. Maybe she'd think I was being helpful. Sweet, as she kept calling me. Was this something friends did for each other?
I made my way to the library and settled at the large desk, pulling out my phone to continue researching Rebecca's case. But my mind kept wandering upstairs, imagining Dazy sinking into the warm water, her skin flushed from the heat, flower petals clinging to her curves.
Focus, I told myself sternly. She needs you to find a legal solution, not fantasize abouther in her bath.
I searched through case law, looking for precedents that might help us. Biological children who'd successfully contested wills. Adopted children who'd failed to prove inheritance rights. The outcomes seemed to depend heavily on the specific circumstances and the quality of legal representation.
My phone buzzed with a text from the colleague who specialized in estate law.
