Page 85 of Facade

Their eyes.

Aiden’s talons.

Even their build—not as large as Ryker, but bigger than all of the Fae. Bigger than Dimitri. And though they pretended they didn’t have superior hearing, I knew they did. It would also explain why Ryker wanted me to hide his and Aniah’s scent when I returned to the spring. Aiden refused to tell me what sort of beings he or Malachai were. But I could see what they were, clear as fucking day.

They’re Gargoyles.

The truth clanged through my head painfully. Bile rose in my throat from the overload of emotions from the monster, to the truth of Ryker, of them. Of myself.

My body folded over, vomiting violently, even though not much came up.

Aiden ran for me, leaping over everything that lay in his path until he stopped at my side, placing a hand on my back until I was done heaving.

I stood, wiping my mouth with the back of my frozen coat sleeve.

“What happened?” he demanded, the tone of the captain booming.

His jacket had been discarded, shirt shredded across the front, similar to Ryker’s. Blood soaked through the fabric—I didn’t care. He’s a Gargoyle.

“What happened?” he asked again, tone softer. “Where are you hurt?” He made quick, efficient work of searching my face, arms, torso—everywhere. I just stared at him, trying but failing to hide my disbelief.

“You’re head.” He ripped a strip from his shirt and held it there. Malachai approached, that ever-assessing gaze narrowing as he looked me over.

“I-I’m fine. Thanks,” I finally stammered, taking the cloth from him.

“I believe frostbite and hypothermia are a bigger concern,” Malachai said, face pensive. Do they know? Do they already know what I am?

Malachai took off his heavy leather jacket and silently offered it to me. His eyes lingered on my shoulder where the acidic drool had burned through. I quickly pulled my sopping hair over the spot as I snatched his jacket, biting down on my cheek to swallow the cry of pain threatening to spill past my lips as I slid mine off and put his on. Malachai only raised a brow, his expression unreadable, but said nothing to Aiden.

“How are your markings?” Aiden grabbed my hands to inspect them, but I pulled them away quickly, shoving them deep in the jacket pockets.

“Yeah… they’re fine. They were burning earlier, but I must have passed out or fallen off Luna, and that’s when I hit my head.” A deeper instinct bristled inside me, as if that other part of me—the Gargoyle—recognized one of her own. Yet, she screamed to stay quiet. My skin prickled as my gut twisted harder.

“Luna let you ride her?” His eyebrows shot up. I nodded.

“Are any of you injured? Is that… blood?” I asked, quickly changing the subject.

Aiden studied me a moment, jaw tight.

“We’re fine. It was a nasty pair of useo’s, however, one ran off. It took a bit of work from the three of us to kill the one.”

Can’t believe that there’s a fucking name for that demonic beast. Even harder to believe there was another one out there. The thought that there might be more roaming the lands was enough to make me shudder.

Is that why their hearing didn’t pick up on our own battle? Or had it been good timing with the storm?

“Its claws got me when I tried to free Dimitri’s leg from its jaws. He nearly lost it. We might still be in trouble if we don’t get him to a healer. The poison in those things’ mouths is a nasty sort, but it’s slow-moving. It’s the poison in the tail you need to worry about. That’ll kill you instantly.”

I blanched. Not at the lesson, or even Dimitri’s leg. Rather, because I thought of Ryker and the bloody wound on his shoulder where the useo had sunk its teeth.

Surely Aniah could heal him, right? Worry settled in my bones. I couldn’t stand the thought of him being in pain. Especially when it was to save me.

“We were headed this way to hunt it down when we realized you and Luna were gone.” Silence stretched a moment before Aiden linked his hands behind his back and said, “I feared the worst, thinking the useo could’ve gotten you.” He briefly glanced behind me. “Or that you were making another run for it.”

“Where would I even go?” I smiled tightly, the laugh that slipped out sharp and hollow. “I have a so-called family that abandoned me. I was always a freak to the other humans at Castle Aurelia. And other beings despise me for being what I am. So you can cross friends off that list, too.” I kicked a rock, sending it flying into a tree. Aiden didn’t even flinch, his stare unwavering. “Maybe this isn’t my realm at all. Maybe that’s why I’m so different.” A cold sweat spread as I threw my bait out, silently begging that he take it. Or maybe I was just feverish at this point.

“If this isn’t your realm, then where do you think you came from?” The way his mouth curved up unnerved me. It was the same smile he'd given me many times since meeting him. The same that sent butterflies flitting through my stomach. Only this time I saw it for what it was—fake. Deliberate. A mask he'd perfected.

Rising anger fueled my boldness.