And the only way I’ll ever be free is if the people who’ve used their magic to hurt and torment me my entire life finally disappear.
Permanently.
Draegan’s brows lift, his eyes flashing with a hint of surprise, but he quickly schools his features. “All of that can be arranged.”
“Rock on.” I smile, my anger already cooling. “Get it? Rock? Because of the whole gargoyle—okay, never mind. What do you need from me?”
“The Archmage has something of great value to us. So you, little mortal, are going to help us figure out how to steal it. In exchange, we will feed you, clothe you, shelter you, and protect you from your enemies until such a time comes when we can eliminate those enemies altogether.”
“Can I get a new room?”
“Are you going to trash that one too?”
“No. My trashing bedroom days are over. Promise.”
“There are three additional guest suites in the manor—pick one that’s to your liking.”
“Draegan. Did anyone ever tell you you’re a brilliant negotiator?”
The tiniest flicker of a smile touches his lips. “Many times. Usually from the other end of a gun, but I’m glad that won’t be required tonight.”
I roll my eyes. “And the house rules you mentioned?”
“We sleep in our stone forms on the roof during the daylight hours, which means you’ll need to readjust your schedule as well. If you’re thinking of making another break for it while the rest of us slumber, you should know that Rook is a genius with security systems. If you take so much as a single step beyond the property line during the day, the system will electrocute you into a state of temporary paralysis, photograph you where you stand, and send a text to the Archmage with the precise GPS coordinates of your location. The paralysis should wear off just in time for their arrival, so you can enjoy the tender reunion I’m sure you’re all looking forward to.”
“It won’t be a problem,” I assure him. “I’m a night person anyway, and I have no intentions of reneging on our dealorelectrocuting myself, as fun as that sounds.”
“Excellent. I’m sure we’ll all get along famously, then.”
I laugh. “Maybe we can start our own TV show. Real World, Gargoyle HQ.”
Draegan’s smile fades, his icy demeanor locking back into place. After a long beat, he holds out his clawed hand and says, “We have a deal, then?”
The fire hisses and pops, and I stare down at those sharp claws knowing that once I accept, there’s no going back.
My entire life, people have been using me. In my formative years, I was a pincushion for magical healers and quacks. All through school, people—witches and mages my own age as well as the teachers—pretended to be my friends in order to get closer to my father, only to stab me in the back when things didn’t go as they’d hoped. I was bullied, tortured, and hurt in ways that still haunt my nightmares.
And worst of all, my own father—my only living relative—used me in a failed attempt to secure his own standing in a society of cruel mages who would just as soon spit on his grave as they would shake his hand.
Now, the men of shadow and stone—thegargoylesof shadow and stone—want to use me, too. I should hate them for it.
But there’s one difference between the gargoyles and the people who’ve been controlling me my entire life.
The gargoyles are at least being honest about it.
The image of the Eight of Swords floats through my mind again, and this time, it’s not the blindfold or the cage I see, but the castle jutting out on the rise behind her.
Sometimes, the path to freedom comes from a place you least expect.
I take Draegan’s hand, ignoring the shiver that rolls through me as he tightens his grip, his claws scraping my skin.
“We have a deal, Draegan Caldwell.”
Chapter Nineteen
AUGUSTINE
I’ve been out of my stone form all of twenty minutes, and already the girl has me wishing I’d been cursed as a permanent statue instead of a guardian who comes alive the minute night falls.
