Page 67 of Cherished By the Gargoyle
When I reach my cave, I press my forehead to the cold rock as my claws score deep lines in the stone. I don’t know which aches more—the hollowness in my chest or the knowledge that I am the one who carved it.
Tilting my head back, I release an anguished roar that echoes through the night even as resolve hardens me.
I will carry this pain, and I will turn it into armor. For her.
CHAPTER 44
AURORA
Dinner feels suffocating tonight. I sit rigidly. I can feel the weight of Thalric’s gaze on me from across the room, a heavy, burning presence I refuse to acknowledge.
Anger coils tightly within me, tangled mercilessly with the aching, raw hurt his words carved into my heart.
Ryllen sits across from me, and I try my best to focus on our conversation, but it’s hard.
Fiora’s warnings echo in my mind, cruelly vindicated by Thalric’s betrayal: Gargoyles don’t love as humans do. It’s obsession, not love. My heart twists painfully, even as something deep within whispers fiercely that it isn’t true.
Determination fills me. If Thalric won’t fight for us, then I will. As I look at Ryllen, I can’t help but think there’s still hope, some way to break this curse that binds us. The Fae prince has a good heart and he deserves more than a reluctant wife.
The candle flames sputter suddenly, the room darkening as a chill creeps across my skin. My mother’s laughter stops abruptly,replaced by tense silence. A faint, sickly sweet scent drifts through the air—rotting fruit and decay.
A swirl of green smoke appears in the center of the dining hall, growing swiftly. The air hums with dark, suffocating power. Ryllen leaps from his chair, immediately placing himself between me and the growing threat.
Thalric steps in front of me as well, his entire body rigid, wings flared defensively as he growls.
The smoke clears to reveal a striking Goblin woman. She has pointed elf-like ears and lavender skin. Black claws tip her fingers. Her amber, cat-like eyes scan the room like a predator searching for prey before they finally land upon me.
“Hello, Princess.” She smiles, revealing razor-sharp fangs. “I’ve been searching everywhere for you.”
Malvara.
Ryllen lifts his hands, magic flaring in his palm before he sends a bolt of light streaking toward her.
Malvara cackles in wicked delight as it dissipates harmlessly against an invisible shield. “Foolish prince,” she sneers. “Your magic is no match for mine.”
Fiora rises, power radiating from her alongside Lyria and Maribel. “You cannot defeat us combined, Malvara,” Fiora warns, her eyes blazing with anger and defiance.
Malvara tilts her head, eyes narrowed with cold amusement. “Ah, but I haven’t come to fight. I’ve come to offer a truce.” Her gaze settles on my parents. “I’ve come for what I’m due.”
“What do you mean?” my mother asks.
Malvara’s lips curl into a wicked smile as she turns to my father. “Did you never tell your beloved wife, your Majesty?” she taunts. “When your queen lay dying, you came to me. The price of her life was clear. Your payment was to be your firstborn child.”
Mother gasps, and my breath catches as I turn to face my father.
Stunned silence fills the room as everyone waits for him to respond, but when he turns to me I know Malvara speaks the truth when I see the pain and regret shadowing his features.
A muscle tics along the edge of his jaw as he levels a dark glare at Malvara.
“Tell me it isn’t true,” my mother whispers, voice shaking. “Tell me you didn’t—”
“I would have done anything to save you,” my father answers hoarsely, unable to meet her eyes. “When Aurora was born, I thought I could offer something else. But Malvara refused.”
“How delightful.” The Goblin’s laughter rings through the room, a harsh, mocking sound. “It seems you’ve been keeping secrets from those you claim to love.” Her eyes glitter cruelly as she turns back to my mother. “You can always replace her, your Majesty. You’re not too old for another child. But I will have the girl.”
She turns to me, a sinister smile curving her mouth. “Your life belongs to me.”
“You will never touch her,” Thalric snarls. “Not while I draw breath.”
