One of the many servers takes our order for two pints of harvest ale, a small cottage round of bread, and a square of orange cheese.
“Do you feel good about what you’re wearing to the party?” Laini asks, her gaze sliding from my shaded face under my hood to my chest and back.
I actually love that she so often takes in my body and appears to enjoy what she sees. “I do. I’ll even take off my cloak for dancing if you think I won’t scare everyone away.” My stomach drops a bit as I imagine the scene of everyone finding out my secret, but I force the trepidation away and study Laini’s lovely face.
“You should,” she says. “You’re not going to frighten anyone.”
I wish I was as certain as she is. “When they see my wings, they’ll know I’m Allysium.” I’m making progress with admitting what I am. Normally, this type of conversation would make me too nauseated to eat. Laini eases my nerves, my soul, and my heart. “They’ll know the horrors I’m capable of. Are you certain you want to deal with that type of attention?”
She waves off my concern, but I know she’s nervous from the way she’s fiddling with the hem of her dress. Such a brave person. She impresses me at every turn.
“We will handle it together,” she says. “You’ve been here this long and haven’t done anything but save us all from bad magical weather. No one can say a word different.”
“They don’t know my past,” I say. “Except for Rustion.”
Laini wrinkles her nose. “He won’t mention anything, and you know it. And your past is just that. The past. You went through something, and you’re different now.”
“I wish I could claim I know how to stop what happened from happening again, but Laini, Idon’t. I hate to bring down our nice moment here, but I must be certain you’re ready for the risk we’re taking.”
Her blue eyes settle on me, and her gaze is scorchingly sincere. “You’re worth the risk, Rom. I’ve never met someone as kind and strong as you. You’re perfect.”
“I’m no such thing.”
“No one is, really. But I think you might be a version of perfect for me.” Her gaze slips, and her cheeks flush a rosy pink.
I reach out to touch her flushed skin just as the server arrives with our refreshment. We raise a glass to Rustion, and soon, we’re discussing everything from our favorite foods—hers is honey and strawberries, while mine is venison with rosemary and mint sauce—to what we do when stuck inside during winter. The ale is crisp and not overly sweet. It’s very refreshing and provides a nice, cold compliment to the bronze bowls of flickering flames beside our table. I break off a hunk of the warm bread and chew it slowly, savoring the salty buttery taste.
“Winter will be here sooner than you think,” she warns. “Leafshire’s cold weather comes on quickly. The snow will start a week from the party. Mark my words.”
The weather is already leaning toward snow; I feel the change in my gargoyle blood. “I look forward to it. More time for reading and doing puzzles.”
She smiles broadly and finishes the cheese. “And sketching and weaving!”
“You’ll be rather busy with Rustion’s tapestry job, I assume.”
She snorts and pushes a lock of her hair away from her face. “Don’t put the unicorn before the carriage, please. You’ll make me too nervous.”
I chuckle. “Sorry. But I do believe you’ll win. I’d bet every coin I have.”
She grins sheepishly, and I take her hand. It’s so small compared to mine, even though she isn’t the smallest human female I’ve seen. She’s actually fairly tall. But compared to a gargoyle…
Calluses mark her fingers where her weaving and basic chores have toughened her skin. I like that about her. She’s living her life. Blue dye stains her forefinger, and I rub the digit with my thumb, taking absolute joy in just holding her hand under the table.
I reach deep inside myself to check on my stone magic. It’s rumbling and cracking deep down, like ice in a ravine, but it’s quiet enough fornow. I still wonder why I didn’t lose control of my magic when I was pleasuring Laini after drinking that bespelled tea. I was definitely not in control in some ways. Perhaps the tea kept my focus on Laini. Does that mean I can control my magic if we make love? I will only find out through practice. My body tenses with want and excitement, and I can hardly sit still. It seems Laini is ready for the risk. I’ll go slow when we move forward and check on my magic often.
I can do this. I can. I must.
“Good morn, you two!” A tall, thin male with light skin and a beard grins at us.
“Master Grumlin!” Laini gestures toward me with her ale. “This is Romulus, our tower watch guard.”
“Nice to meet you, good fellow,” Grumlin says as he extends a hand.
I shake it gently, and the simmering warmth of sleeping magic washes through our hands. I blink up at the male. We both have magic.
“That doesn’t usually happen…” I don’t know what to say.
Grumlin chuckles. “I’m a wizard. I don’t have much magic these days. My bones are too old to hold it properly.”
