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Wednesday Morning
Dark Haven Library
It had been quiet as the sun crept above the horizon. The dingy light streamed in through the large windows in the library, but I felt like I hadn’t been able to move in hours. Even as the sounds of the battle faded, I couldn’t shake the gargoyle who’d claimed me as his mate.
A dark figure moved in and I glanced to the side, gasping as it split into two. Great. The hallucinations were coming to join the party. My head was already hurting, so I simply ignored the dark being for now.
“What’s wrong?” Hiro whispered as he stirred on the floor next to me. What we needed was a bed, supplies, and some furniture. Drake had rejoined the fight despite my protests, so it was just us, Layne, and Crew here.
A loud smack and splinter of wood had me jumping to my feet. I lunged for my dagger and gripped it, waiting to see who’d broken through our seal.
“Harlow!” Kol’s voice was harsh, and I grimaced as it made my head hurt more fiercely.
“What do you want?” I bit out, clutching my dagger like it might save me from the monstrous man in front of me. Though, man was hardly the right term.
“You,” he said simply before calling out behind him. “Stravos.” A second gargoyle followed him in, standing at attention before my supposed mate.
“Yes?” the second gargoyle asked. He was smaller than Kol, with short silver hair and gentler features. He was more human than his counterpart but only in his face, his body was the same dark stone, wings, and dangerous claws.
“Your new command is to oversee this library and follow my mate wherever she goes. Keep them safe at all costs. If she’s with me, protect the others. They’re apparently important to her.”
The words shocked me. Apparently the tin man had a heart after all. Or stone man, I guess.
“Why would I go anywhere with you?”
He blinked down at me without a hint of emotion. “You’re my mate. If I want you by my side you will join me.”
“You don’t get to just call me a mate and tell me where to go,” I challenged him. “That’s not how this world works, plus I have plenty of ‘mates’ already.”
His eyes narrowed and when he spoke his voice was so low it was distorted.
“Other... Mates?” Clearly hearing wasn’t his strong suit, this wasn’t the first time we’ve had this conversation.
I gestured to Hiro who was already by my side. “Hiro and his alter are mine, as is Drake, the half demon with me before, and I’m sure you’re familiar with the demon commander.” The final nail in the coffin of his composure was mentioning Monty.
“I tried to tell him,” Monty said with amusement as he popped in behind me. “You’re quickly ruining any chance you had. How sad.” The sarcasm was strong enough that Layne was cracking up behind us.
“We don’t have time for this mate shit,” I said with a sigh, glancing around at the library. “There are no beds here, barely any supplies—outside of what Drake found us—and we’ll need our medicine to survive this shit.”
“Drake said he was handling our meds,” Layne chimed in. Good. I’d hate to send a demon for them. That sounded like a disaster waiting to happen.
“Then I’ll leave your winged friends to be your errand boys,” Monty said as he brushed his lips over my ear. “I’ll be back for you later.”
With that he was gone, and I shivered at the chill his absence brought. Layne was already jumping into action.
“Can you get us beds?” Layne was asking Kol who stared down at her like she was a strange creature he couldn’t figure out.
Wanting to see it play out, I simply stayed quiet, crossing my arms and staring him down.
Kol pulled out a horn and blew. I slammed my hands over my ears, but in moments he had a small troop of gargoyles at the ready, barking out orders and fulfilling our requests.
It may have been a small, stupid thing for them, however, I was genuinely grateful for a bed. The gesture didn’t mean I would fall at his feet. But maybe I’d at least hear him out.
* * *
Harlow
Friday Evening
