“Jax,” I said softly. “She keeps calling me Elian. Even that night after they shot us. She said, and I quote, ‘it’s like I always say,Elian… Nothing in Midnight is ever what it should be.’ And just now she did it again—Elian.”
“That’s your name, asshole. How much Dream have youhad?”
“That’s not my name in Midnight. Gem only ever called me Saint.”
His eyes widened as he considered the implications. “You think she’s trying to tell us something?”
Another stake slammed into the wall behind us.
“Shut the fuck up and get to work, boys,” Gem shouted across the room, “or the next one’s going in your fucking skull. And don’t think you’re getting off easy either, demon. We’re taking bets on who gets to pluck out that eye the minute you give us any shit.”
I blew out a breath, my heart sinking into my stomach. “Guess that answers that.”
22
HALEY
How’s things, babygirl?”
A deep, gravelly voice rumbled across the common room, and I couldn’t help the ear-to-ear grin that stretched across my face.
Abandoning my latest failed magickal experiment at the dining table, I ran to my gargoyle, giggling like a schoolgirl as he swept me up in his powerful embrace, spinning me around.
“What are you doing here?” I asked when he finally set me back down. I handed over the notebook I’d started carrying in case he needed to scrawl out a message. “I thought you’d be out in the fields for another few hours.”
He pushed away the notebook. “Starshowers closed us down early. Thought I’d come check on my girl.”
I grinned again, loving the sound of that voice rumbling through his chest. He was in his human form now, fully clothed, his blond hair hanging in loose waves to his shoulders. I couldn’t help but lean in for another hug, wrapping my arms around his waist and pressing my head to his chest. His heart beat strong and steady against my ear.
“So many words in one sentence?” I teased.
“For you? Hell yeah.” He laughed, the rich sound of it reverberating through his chest, making my heart skip.
Hudson never spoke in front of the guys, and after everything that happened the night of the feast, he hadn’t spoken out loud to me either. I didn’t push him—just assumed he’d retreated into his old strong, silent protector mode.
But now, the first time we’d been alone together since he’d rescued me from the Sanctuary last week, it seemed he was ready to talk again.
And I was more than ready to listen.
“Hudson,” I said softly, pulling back to look up into his chocolate-brown eyes, “what happened the night of the feast? I was so worried about you.”
A current of white-hot fury swirled in his eyes—a darkness I’d never before seen in my sweet, protective gargoyle. “Ambushed by some fuckers from my past who ain’t got no business calling themselves gargoyles.”
“Ambushed?” My heart slammed against my ribs. “But… who? Keradoc’s guards?”
“Not exactly. See, I knew something was up that night. Saw Saint and Jax running off with Gem, felt like you were in trouble too. I searched everywhere, finally spotted you tied up in that throne room. But that’s when they nabbed me.”
He told me the story of the attack, the spelled bullets, how they’d imprisoned him.
“Oh my God,” I gasped. “But… How did you get out of that?”
“Like I said, I knew you were in trouble. I could feel it. And I wasn’t about to stay locked up like a statue when my girl needed me. So I got out, made my way back to the city, and found you and Jax in the chokeweed. You know the rest.”
I shook my head, still marveling at him. I still had so many questions, though. How did he break that spell? And who were his attackers?
“And these… these guys from your past,” I said. “They’re… dead, I’m assuming? Hoping?”
Hudson laughed, but it was dark and hollow, like something scraping along the basement floor. “Yeah, babygirl. They’re dead. They don’t know it yet, but they’ll get that memo soon enough.”
