Page 37 of Mushy Stuff (Guardian Mates #1)

I’m still in the kitchen when a hear a commotion coming from another part of the estate. With Lord Varik, this isn’t unusual, so I continue thoroughly cleaning the kitchen and packing up a few items I need.

A few minutes later, one of the guards runs into the kitchen. He’s out of breath and seems panicked. “It’s Lord Varik. He’s out of control. He has three guards glamoured and he’s going to kill Faylen, Osonia, and the human woman! Everyone that is able needs to come help!”

My heart drops when he says Faylen. I grab my biggest cleaver and shout, “Where?”

As he runs down the hall, he yells, “The human’s rooms! I’ll get more guards. ”

I’m running before he can even finish his sentence. Not my Faylen.

From across the house, I hear glass shattering. No! I push myself to run faster. Not Faylen. Not my sweet Faylen. Please, Gods.

I hear fighting, and then a scream. Everything goes silent as I turn the corridor to the human’s rooms. Not Faylen. Not Faylen. I chant this in time with my heartbeat.

I finally skid to a stop in the human’s doorway.

What I see is a blood bath. A Guardian is standing near the middle of the room, Lord Varik’s body at his feet.

Blood is everywhere. Osonia begins running for her male who is unconscious by a wall.

My eyes dart over the room, searching for Faylen.

I briefly note the human woman is standing beside the bed in a state of shock.

Then I find her. She has crumpled to her knees and she’s holding her hands as if they hurt. My heart hammers in my chest as I look over her, trying to assess injuries. Then she looks up at me. Our eyes meet, and I say quietly, “Faylen, are you well?”

Tears are rolling down her cheeks and she shakes her head in answer to me. I stride across the room, pick her up, and carry her out of the room.

She leans against my chest and cries as I take her to her room .

When we get there, I see that her bag is mostly packed and waiting. I set her on the bed and sit down beside her. She’s still cradling her hands to her chest. I gently say, “Faylen, let me see. What happened?” She sniffs and cries, but she allows me to gently pull her hands towards me.

I don’t understand what I’m looking at. Her skin is stained gold. It covers her hands and wrists and moves partway up her arms.

“Faylen, what happened?”

She sniffles, then chokes out, “He used his powers to restrain us. He covered them in gold.”

I look at her horrified. I’d heard rumors about the statues, but I always assumed that’s what they were—just rumors.

She continues, “The gold melted off when he died, but now they look like this, and they feel numb and tingle. He did it to my feet, too.”

She lifts her leg and pulls a boot off. Her feet are so delicate and small. I want to touch them, but I push that feeling away. I look at the skin—it’s stained gold as well, although it’s not as dark as her hands.

“Do they feel numb like your hands?”

She scrunches her forehead thinking about it. “They feel a little tingly, but not as bad as my hands. Maybe my boots helped protect them? ”

“Maybe so. Let’s get out of here. When we get to the nearest town, we will see a healer,” I say.

She nods. “Thank you, Allium. Thank you for coming for me.”

She looks at me with tears in her eyes, and my heart breaks. I cup her cheek. Her face looks so small and delicate compared to my massive hand and claws. “I should have come for you long ago. You never deserved anything he did to you.”

She leans into my palm and sighs. She looks at peace and unafraid for once. She’s looked afraid for so long, I’ve forgotten what she looks like when she’s happy.

I say, “I’m sorry I didn’t protect you, Faylen.”

She smiles softly. “Don’t feel guilty. I wouldn’t have let you do anything that could have cost you your job.”

I lean into her and kiss her soft lips.