Page 69 of Cherished By the Gargoyle
My father steps forward. “The wards must be strengthened immediately. If Malvara broke through our protections once, she’ll do it again.”
Ryllen nods in agreement. “Malvara’s power is unlike anything I’ve felt. The air is still thick with her suffocating magic.”
Fiora nods as well. “I agree.”
Malvara will not stop,” my father continues. “The witch wants the princess as payment for her bargain. Our only hope now is that Maribel’s counterspell will hold.”
The room stills.
“It will work,” Maribel says, turning to my father. She looks at Ryllen. “But Aurora must remain close to her fated prince. The prophecy named him as her shield.”
“Can it work even without marriage?” the king asks.
Maribel turns to the king. “A spell is a living thing,” she says. “It breathes through intent and grows stronger through the layers woven into it. When I shaped the counterspell, I bound it with more than magic. I bound it with meaning.”
She glances toward Aurora, then Ryllen. “Malvara’s curse was forged in blood and obsession. To fight it, I needed something purer… something the gods themselves would recognize. So I wove a second layer into the spell: a bond consecrated before the gods. The vow of marriage.”
Her gaze drifts briefly to the king and queen, then back to Aurora. “A marriage bond is sacred. It’s not merely words or ceremony, it’s a declaration written in the soul. When sealed, it strengthens the magic it touches. It gives shape and permanence to intent.”
Aurora’s brow furrows. “You’re saying… it won’t work unless—”
“Itmaywork,” Maribel interrupts, “but not as strongly. Without the vow, the spell is a single thread standing against a storm. With it, it becomes a tapestry woven with faith, devotion, and will.”
Silence ripples through the chamber.
“Then, there is no choice,” the king says, his expression full of resolve as he turns to his daughter. “You must marry at once.”
Aurora’s lips part, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Marry… tonight?”
Ryllen turns to her, his eyes full of the same resolve I see in the king. He is a good male, and I’ve no doubt that he will do whatever is necessary to save Aurora. Even if it means committing to a marriage without love.
“It must be done,” her father says, his voice brooking no argument. “Else you risk succumbing to the witch’s dark power.”
My breath catches and my wings flare involuntarily. Aurora’s gaze finds mine, searching… pleading for me to protest. For me to sayno.
But I cannot, because her father is right. This may be the only way to keep her alive. Maribel’s spell lessens Malvara’s—trading death for a curse of enchanted sleep that can be broken by Ryllen. But there is still a risk, that without the bond of marriage, it may not be strong enough to overcome the ancient and powerful dark magic Malvara wove into the curse.
I force myself to stay still. To say nothing, even as Aurora’s eyes fill with pain. Her shock giving way to fury, then heartbreak. And gods, I feel every flicker of it like a blade through my chest.
She looks at me as if I’ve betrayed her all over again.
And in a way, I have.
The firelight dances across her face, catching on the tears she refuses to let fall. She lifts her chin, proud even now, but the hurt in her eyes burns hotter than flame.
I want to pull her into my arms. To tell her I would trade my soul to take this from her. That I would face Malvara myself, if it meant she’d never know this pain. But the words won’t come. They’d only make it worse.
So I stand silent, and my silence damns me.
The king gives his order to prepare the chapel, and Ryllen bows his head solemnly.
Curling my hands into fists, my sharp claws dig into my palms as Aurora turns away from me.
Next to my father, I remain rooted in place, because duty demands it… because love has no place here.
Lowering my head, I close my eyes as my stone heart cracks deep within. This is the price of keeping her safe and I love her enough to bear it.
CHAPTER 46
