Then the wind tore it from my grasp, scattering the petals across the dark sky.
“Thank you for hearing me out, Haley,” Keradoc said. Leaning in close, he brushed a chaste kiss to my cheek that left me aching for more of him—for more of the dark, delicious things I had no business wanting.
Not from our captor. Our warlord. Our mystery that deepened with every passing hour I spent in his unnerving presence.
He glanced away and lifted his hand, signaling to the gargoyle who’d flown us here.
It was time to return. To tell the guys about what I’d learned. About what I knew in my heart must be done.
“Take her back to the castle,” he commanded, and the gargoyle saluted in response.
“What about you?” I asked. “You’re not coming?”
“I need to meet with the tower guards and prepare them for the new arrivals. I’ll see you back home later though to continue our conversation.”
Back home.
I nodded, a faint smile touching my lips, and then Keradoc was gone, heading off in search of the tower guards.
I watched until he reached the top of the gatehouse, then descended what I assumed were stairs that led to the bottom. Taking a deep breath, I took a few more minutes to gather my thoughts, gazing out across the black lands of Midnight. The flickering lights over the desert had finally dissipated, and I wondered whether that meant Melantha’s forces had stopped for the night.
Whatever it was, though, I knew it was just a temporary pause. Keradoc was right—Melantha was coming. I couldfeelit.
And I would be right here waiting for her arrival, more than ready to roll out the red carpet for that traitorous bitch.
With a surge of determination and a newfound sense of purpose, I turned to the guard and let him know I was ready to go back to the castle. To my guys and the undoubtedly long night of conversations ahead.
The gargoyle nodded and reached for me, but in his dark eyes I saw the glint of something malicious.
My instincts prickled, and I took a step backward, trying to shake off his hold. “On second thought, maybe I’ll just wait for Ker—”
“No take-backs, witch.” Tightening the already uncomfortable embrace, he jerked me against his chest and leaped over the wall, sailing away from Amaranth City.
Out of the darkness, two more gargoyles appeared at our sides, the trio zooming me out across the moat. On the far edge, I caught sight of a shepherd’s wagon drawn by two mares, the whole rig facing away from the crossing, as if waiting to return to the wilds of Midnight.
Waiting for cargo.
Witchcargo, to be precise.
Even before the two fae riders came into view atop the mares, I knew what was happening. These psycho gargoyles and their fae accomplices were planning to kidnap me.
I struggled in midair, my arms mostly pinned to my sides, my fingers reaching for the hilt of my dagger, stretching… just a little farther, and…
Got it.
Hudson had once told me a gargoyle’s only weak spot was the throat—a soft bit of flesh just begging for a well-aimed arrow. I didn’t have that, and his throat was too far away to reach with my dagger.
But I did have magick—unconstrained, now that Keradoc had uncuffed me—and just enough wiggle room to draw blood.
I nicked my thumb with the blade and whispered a quick attack spell, hoping like hell my aim was true.
A blast of red light exploded from my palms, slamming into his throat and sending him reeling.
A howl of pain pierced the night sky, the gargoyle spinning through the air as he tried in vain to hold on to me. His grip loosened, and I kicked and fought as hard as I could, jabbing my blade up into his belly.
It wasn’t enough to slice through the thick hide—just enough to make him recoil.
To make him drop me.
