She bustles in, makes me tea, and drinks it with me in silence. Then she walks me upstairs to my bedroom and helps me out of my dress and shoes. I fall into bed in my underclothes, and she tucks the covers under my chin as Spark finds a comfortable spot at my side.
Tully sits on the bed and takes my hand. “You won the tapestry contest.”
My heart shivers, and I squeeze my eyes shut. I thought being a successful weaver was all I wanted. I was so wrong.
“Oh, good,” I say lamely.
Tully clicks her tongue like a worried hen. “We are going to figure this out. And no, don’t worry. Even though I intensely, superbly wish I could zap Leo into a million tiny ugly pieces, I won’t. We will find another way to fix this. Do you know where Romulus went? I only heard that he left.”
The sound of his name cracks my heart, and I set a hand over my chest where that tingling feeling is bothering meagain. “I don’t know.”
“All right. Just sleep. I’ll be back in the morning.” She smoothes my hair away from my face and pats Spark on the nose.
Before she leaves the room, I clear my throat. “Tully, thank you.”
She turns and gives me a genuine smile. “We’re friends. It’s what we do.”
As I listen to her witch boots click down the steps, I rub at the spot on my chest. I untie my bralette’s tiny ribbon, and I gasp.
Between my breasts, a gray image shows on my fair skin.
Two gargoyle wings around a stylized heart. Spark leans over and sniffs at me.
“It’s… It is a…” My voice shakes as the implications spin through my mind.
I can’t believe it. I am mate-marked.
Chapter 18
Romulus
My entire body tenses as I fly away from Leafshire Cove and Laini. I don’t want to leave. But I must. For her safety. A tingling heat sears my chest, and my wings beat too slowly. I drop in altitude by several feet before I can get them working properly again. When I do, I soar down to a copse of fir trees beyond the town walls. I drop my bag on the ground and unlace the three-quarters opening on the front of my tunic.
Dark Mountain, save me, I am marked.
The black lines curve and loop to create a heart surrounded by the loose petals of a rose. I smile even as my heart is breaking. I knew roses were her scent, her earth connection. I wonder…
Does Laini have a mate’s mark too? They onlyappear if the person is fully committed. Of course, they can be ignored, and they will fade if the couple decides not to remain together. I suppose that’s how my mark will be. It will simply disappear after a few moons have come and gone. Sadness laces my blood and weakens my legs. I lean against one of the tall firs and look up into the branches. Dawn is just beginning to pour light over the stars. I can’t find the moon anymore. I swallow, my throat dry and hot. The town walls are the gray of my skin, and I imagine they are an extension of me, protecting Laini inside. I rub at the mate’s mark and exhale. I can’t fly farther away right now. The mark will burn too intensely. I’ll stay here, hidden, and keep watch over Laini’s town, just in case. Just to ease the insistence of the mark. The magic wants me to return to her side and fulfill the mating bond. I can’t do that, but I can stay here just for a while and hope the mark fades enough so I can leave Laini alone and safe without my interference. How long will it take for the mark to fade?
I try to remember what I learned from the books the abbess gave me, tomes that detailed the lives of magical creatures. The only snippet I can recall—besides the basic mate’s mark information—is something about what mating does to stone magic.What was it? I pinch the bridge of my nose and attempt to visualize the writing. But it’s no use. I can’t bring it out of the depths of my memory.
It doesn’t matter anyway. I will never fully mate with anyone. I will remain alone and pray to the Dark Mountain that Laini someday finds the love she truly deserves.
I settle at the base of the fir, my gaze on the town walls. The pain of leaving Laini and seeing the tears she shed for me pushes any thought of sleep far away, but I know I’m doing the right thing. I’ll remain here for a day. Maybe two. Then, I’ll force myself to endure the mark’s burn and fly far, far away from the one I treasure above all.
Chapter 19
Laini
The market is thick with shoppers. At the greenhouse cart, I select a small cabbage, three tomatoes, and the last of the purple wishberries. It’s wonderful having the money to buy what I need now. Rustion sent the first payment for the tapestry last night. But I wish I was making this meal for more than just myself. A memory of Rom in his apron blinks through my mind, and I bite my lip. Stones, it is painful to think of him. My mate’s mark warms and tingles.
“Did your gargoyle suitor truly leave for good?” Delixian is eyeing some winter squash beside me.
I take a breath. “I think he’ll return, but we decided to just be friends.”
“Really? Then, when he returns, can I introducehim to my niece? I think they’d get along very well. Or is it wrong of me to even ask?”
I grip my basket of vegetables tighter like somehow it can portal me back home immediately. “Of course, you can.” Forcing a smile, I wave goodbye and hurry away.
