Page 44 of Knight's End
That made me wake right the sard up. “What?”
"I just want to see if there's anywhere I can help. I need to practice my healing."
My throat closed a little, though I realized the necessity of his actions. "You be careful. I don't need a hero. I need a healer."
He nodded. I got out of bed and wrapped my arms around his middle. “Don’t get close to Isla—if she’s still out there.”
“Ryan’s soldiers report she’s moved north to meet up with Raj’s forces. More of them are setting sail.”
I leaned up on my tiptoes and muttered in his ear, "Save some of that rage for later for me."
He smiled wide as he pulled back. "Anything you want, Bloss Boss." Then he left.
Jorad came in with a tray, but I ignored it since my knights were gone. My mind turned to the day ahead—a day full of torture with stubborn, infantile rocks.
As I’d predicted, the gargoyles listened to me. And only me. If I wasn’t directly commanding them, the stupid beasts milled about the courtyard, knocking over frozen residents like a game of bowls or skittles. Jorad ending up asking several soldiers to spend the day clearing the courtyard of frozen citizens. I watched as Ryan’s men passed, carrying courtiers frozen mid-run by their heads and feet, hefting them over their shoulders like sacks of wheat, even dragging them on boards. The guards filled two ballrooms with frozen people.
That was another nightmare I’d have to deal with—when they finally unfroze and found themselves staring at a different world. But that was tomorrow’s problem. I had to solve today’s. Unfortunately, the gargoyles were just like other young animals. If I wasn’t giving them direct orders, or Jace and his unfrozen staff members weren’t struggling to get them to line up in formations, the stupid things liked to wrestle. Seven-foot boulders with wings wrestling was a bad idea. One of the more playful gargoyles fell into a crater left by the explosion and couldn’t get out. He snuffled and snorted and even whined piteously when I looked down on his stone face. But what he thought was pouting, was actually a horrific display of his tusks. We left him there. One less roaming, quisby stone to worry about.
Donaloo didn’t help a whit. He danced around the courtyard like a jester tempting bulls to gore him. If others hadn’t been watching, I might have let the gargoyles nip at him a bit. The fact that the man took so little seriously—when my people were dying—made me grind my teeth. He’d already done so much. But was there more he could do? Could he be creating a mirror spell or a shield for my entire kingdom? Was it fair for me to want him to stretch himself so thin—Donaloo attempted to frog-hop over a gargoyle who’d splayed out on the ground. It was a poor decision, because his old legs didn’t have the strength to clear it. He flopped backward and landed on his ass. And laughed.
Dini was not nearly as amused. “You could have crushed me if you’d fallen forward, you old fool!”
“Get out of my head, then,” he’d told her.
I was working so hard. I was so focused. So much was at stake—and they were playing children’s games. And causing a racket. I wanted to shake him. I wanted to pull off one of Dini’s petals. If we’d been at the tavern … a fantasy of all the spit that would drip down Donaloo’s face filled my mind.
That’s not nice, Dove,a familiar voice said in my head.
I twisted in my seat on top of Pony. Then I slid down his back. I ran across the courtyard, dodging the dumb beasts. “Sit!” I screamed—my feet bouncing and the cobblestones shaking as the tonnage-total of their asses hit the ground at the same moment. But I ignored that. Two of my knights stood under the archway at the entrance to the courtyard. I threw my arms around Quinn. “You’re back!” I squealed in his ear. “The nightmare’s over!”
He hugged me close and spun me around. He sent me a mental image of him whirling me in a field of flowers. It didn’t have the illusory power of his old magic, but I understood the sentiment.
“I’m so happy to have you back,” I whispered. I kissed his neck lightly, then his lips. I caressed his cheek and had to hold back tears. But, as always, Quinn wanted to get playful. He smacked my ass and bit my lip. So, I bit back. I bit a little too hard. His lower lip started to bleed. He dabbed at it with his shirt sleeve.
“Oh, Quinn! I’m sorry!”
“Are you playing favorites again?” Declan called as he and Ryan walked up.
I turned to protest as Blue started laughing.
“She is! Completely ignored me.”
Quinn held his hands up, pretending he was intimidated by Declan.It wasn’t me. It was all her,he thought at all of us.
Stop that!I swung out to smack him and he jumped away.
Quinn brushed against a gargoyle, his stained shirtsleeve touching the beast just as he thought,You’d better kiss them all and even the score. Come on now, give out the kisses.
The gargoyle next to us shifted and stood. It stuck its face between Quinn and I, nudging us apart with its nostrils. And then the beast gave Quinn’s mouth a long, lingering lick.
Quinn’s face contorted in horror. Mine scrunched in mirth.
Behind us, Declan gave a whoop of joy. “Sarding hell! Finally!”
I turned and looked at him. “You’ve been waiting for a gargoyle to kiss Quinn?”
Declan grinned. “Nope. That’s just a bonus. I’ve been trying to figure out how you control the beasts. And now we know.”
He scratched his own palm and walked a few steps toward the lazing gargoyle that Donaloo had failed to hurtle. Declan swiped a line of red over the beast. The gargoyle launched straight up into the air, circled, and then landed back in place, right next to Declan.
My blond knight turned to Quinn and I; his excitement palpable. “Gargoyles form blood bonds.”
