Page 33 of Cherish

“We arestillyoung,” she snaps back, but there’s no bite to her words.

“Yes, you are, dear,” he agrees with a twinkle in his eyes, and I can tell this is an argument they have often. “I, on the other hand, am as old and weathered as a stone and need my beauty rest. So let me pass and give you two women some time to catch up so we can all head to bed soon.”

She gives an elaborate sniff but moves to the side.

“I’ll be back in a bit, Grace, to say good night.”

“Okay,” I say, but he’s already halfway down the hall.

The Bloodletter ushers me into the sitting area of her suite with a flourish, murmuring under her breath, “He’s still very young, too.”

Something in her tone makes me pause, study her unlined face. All the talk tonight about humans and immortals has me asking, “Will you outlive Grandfather?”

I don’t know how long gargoyles live, though I assumed very, very long. But now, I’m not so sure, and suddenly I need to know.

“Gargoyles live a very long time,” she answers, then adds softly, “but not as long as vampires. Not as long as gods.”

My stomach twists as her words sink in. She will outlive her mate, my grandfather, and the sadness turns her eyes into a swirling green as dark as a forest.

“I’m so sorry, Grandmother,” I choke out. Then I force myself to ask, “I’m a demigod. Does that mean I am immortal as well?”

“Yes, Grace. You and Hudson will be mated for all eternity.”

For a moment, the idea of eternity stretches out endlessly before me. I simply can’t take it in.

And then I realize, Hudson didn’t know I was a demigod when he fell in love with me, became my mate. Come to think of it, neither did Jaxon. My heart blossoms with pain, passion, and disbelief. Could it be these two beautiful boys chose to be mated to me even knowing an eternity of sorrow awaited them after I was gone?

The same sorrow that awaits my grandmother.

The Bloodletter is not the touchy-feely sort of family, but I can’t help myself. I throw myself into her arms and squeeze her tight as I repeat, “I am so sorry, Grandmother.”

She squeezes me back for a second, maybe even two, but then she sets me aside, blinking away any moisture in her eyes as she points across the room to an elaborate chess table framed by two blue chairs. “Come along, Grace. Let’s play a game, shall we?”

“Of course,” I reply, accepting the subject change as I cross to the chessboard.

She falters for a moment as she moves to sit but recovers quickly and slides into her chair. I sit across from her, then watch as she reaches out and picks up the king that was laying on its side, standing it upright as she arranges all her chess pieces in their proper starting positions.

As our eyes meet across the board, I can’t help thinking this is going to be much more than a game. And while I’m nowhere near prepared to match wits with my grandmother—I mean, who is?—I’ve got no choice. I need answers, and if this is the way to get them, then so be it.

I take a deep breath and begin to organize my own pieces as well.

“You’re white,” she says as we both finish with our setup. “Which means you’ve got first move.”

I stare at the board for several seconds, trying to figure out where to start. Chess isn’t exactly my game, but I’ve watched Hudson play himself enough to have a few opening moves spinning in my brain. In the end, though, I pick up the marble pawn in front of my king and move it out two spaces. It’s an opening I saw my father make countless times while playing with Heather’s father, so I feel fairly certain I haven’t embarrassed myself yet.

That is, until the Bloodletter says, “So your first instinct is to expose your queen, then?”

Okay, so not a game. Or at least, notjusta game. Big surprise.

Ignoring her question, I ask my own instead. “I think Heather was right. You’ve got an idea of how I can convince the Shadow Queen to cure Mekhi, don’t you?”

She moves the pawn in front of her king to directly in front of the pawn I just moved, exposing her queen as well, although I don’t point this out the way she did to me. “Of course I do, Grace.” She looks up at me with the swirling green eyes I’ve finally grown used to. “But so do you.”

Do I? I wasn’t aware I had any idea how to bargain with the Shadow Queen, but as I examine the board and everything I’ve heard today, I realize Idohave an idea.

Still, I’m not sure it’s therightidea. I think it over as I study the board for my next move. Knight or bishop?

In the end, I go with my knight, shifting it on the king’s side diagonal to my moved pawn, then lean back and state, “The Shadow Queen would do anything, even risk poisoning an army, to save her daughters. I can use that.”

---