Page 80 of Cherished By the Gargoyle
“No.” My chest tightens painfully. “Stay with me, Auri. Please.”
“I can’t.” A tear escapes her lashes and rolls down her cheek. “But you must be careful. She knows you’re coming.”
Desperate, I reach for her, but my hand passes straight through her form. Panic grips me as she vanishes briefly and then reappears. “Auri?”
“I can’t stay,” she says, her voice fading. “Be careful. The witch knows you’re—”
I inhale sharply as she disappears, staring at the empty space where she once stood. “Auri!”
“I love you,” she whispers. “Always.” Hope flares as her voice echoes in my mind.
It was her. I know it was… and that means she’s still fighting.
“Come, my friend.” Ryllen kneels at my side and rests a hand on my shoulder. “We must focus. Once we end the witch, it will free Aurora from the curse.”
I look toward the mountain in the distance where the Goblin witch waits in her dark castle. My claws curl into fists, the promise in my chest burning like fire. “We will end this tonight,” I vow. The wind stirs, carrying the scent of blood and smoke, and I rise slowly, wings unfurling. “I will not stop until Malvara is dead. I swear it to the old gods and the new.”
CHAPTER 53
THALRIC
The forest gives way to stone as we approach Malvara’s castle. The black rocks that line the path are slick with moisture. Pale green mist swirls around our feet and ankles, and the air stinks of sulfur and blood.
Ryllen walks beside me, his sword drawn, the faint blue runes along the blade the only light in this cursed place. Each flicker of it casts our shadows across the walls, and in every reflection, I see movement that shouldn’t be there—figures twisting, reaching, whispering.
“This place is full of dark magic,” Ryllen mutters. “It’s practically pulsing through the stones.”
“I feel it too,” I murmur.
When we reach the front entrance, the doors are already open. Worry ripples through me, but I push it back down. Determination fills me. Auri is counting on us, and I refuse to turn back.
“The witch is powerful,” Ryllen adds. “Whatever happens, we must stay together.”
I nod as we step into the castle. The front entryway opens into a cavern. The ground is cracked and uneven, pools of glowing green liquid bubbling in the fissures.
At the far end of the chamber, Malvara is seated on an iron throne.
“The devoted Gargoyle and the Prophesied Prince.” Her eyes gleam like twin pools of obsidian as a sinister smile curves her mouth. Her gaze flicks to Ryllen first, then slides to me. “And yet only one of you carries the princess’s heart.”
Rage burns hot under my skin as a growl builds in my chest.
Malvara rises from her throne. A necklace with a green crystal in the shape of a heart glows brightly against her throat. “Do you know what it feels like, Gargoyle, as I slowly drain a lifeforce to replenish my youth?”
“The only thing you’ll experience this night is death,” I snarl. “Even if it’s the last thing I do.”
Ryllen moves to my side, magic sparking in his hand.
“You think the curse will die with me.” She laughs darkly. “But you’re wrong, Gargoyle. You cannot kill what was born from a bargain.”
“Then tell me how to break it,” I snarl, wings flaring wide. “Tell me what must be done, and I’ll grant you a quick death—a mercy you don’t deserve.”
“There’s the monster beneath the noble vow.” She tilts her head, the green crystal at her throat pulsing brighter, bathing her in eerie light. “Maribel was a fool to think her spell could overcome mine. A kiss could never undo what was sealed in blood and promise. My magic is bound to the old laws. It demands payment.”
“Then you’ll tell me what it wants.” I curl my hands into fists. “Or I’ll give you a slow, painful death.”
“I think not,” she hisses. “I’ll be the one to end you.”
Without warning, green magic flares bright in her palm. With a flick of her wrist, she sends it arcing toward me like lightning.
