Page 20 of When the Weaver Met the Gargoyle (Leafshire Cove Monsters #1)

Chapter 20

Romulus

I ’ve never been so worried in my entire life. The sky above Laini and Leafshire Cove grows darker with every second. I can’t fly quickly enough.

Laini is up in my tower, her sunny hair flying in the rising wind and her hand raised to me like she doesn’t know whether to wave or not. My mark shivers under my skin as if the wind is ruffling the rose petals around the small heart shape.

Lifting the speaking cone to her mouth, Laini shouts, “Use your magic! Make a shield!”

But I can’t. It’s too risky. Within minutes, I’m landing on the tower’s roof and climbing down to Laini. She steps back, her eyes wide. All I want to do is fly her away from here.

“We should leave.”

“You don’t want to just let Rustion and everyone else here suffer. You’re just scared.”

No one has ever spoken to me the way Laini does. “You’re right. I can’t make the shield.”

As if the storm senses my trepidation, lightning flashes in a magical scarlet shade, and the sky grumbles noisily. The sound of people calling out for younglings and slamming doors carries up from the streets.

“Just try, Rom. I believe in you.”

I lean out the far opening and examine the coming tumult of clouds and lightning. Flashes of blue, pink, and green dot the entire horizon.

My throat goes tight. “This is bad, Laini.”

“I know! That’s why I called for you.”

“You didn’t just ask for help.”

Her cheeks flush. “I wanted you to see that I’m not afraid of my feelings for you. I will remain a friend if that’s what you want, but I’m here, wanting you in any way I can have you.”

My heart swells. “Do you have a mark?”

She nods, her eyes filling. “Do you?”

“Aye.”

Her eyes close, then open again, and ferocious is the only way to describe her look now. “Use your magic, Romulus Greystone. Be the monster we need right now.”

Shaking my head, I spread my hands and reach inside for my power. This is a mistake. But she’s right that Leafshire Cove will be hammered into near oblivion by this level of storm if some solution doesn’t arrive soon. I must be that solution.

Visions of the abbess shouting down at me blink through my mind. Blowing out a breath, I shove those memories away. She isn’t here. And if someone like Laini believes in me, perhaps the abbess had it all wrong the entire time. Maybe the death in the last town truly wasn’t my fault.

“You are good,” Laini says. Her hand is on my forearm, and her gaze is imploring and genuine. “No matter what happened in your past. You are a force for good. It begins now. Bring out that magic, monster, and show us what you’ve got!”

A lightness fills me despite the fear tugging at my mind and the thunder smashing the air around us. I take encouragement from Laini’s touch and summon magic from deep within me. A snapping, cracking sensation rolls through me, and my blood goes stone cold as the magic rises. The tower sways slightly. Laini whimpers, but she keeps her hold on me. I eye the town below. The cobblestones lining the market area quake violently. I have to aim the magic carefully, or I’ll destroy everything and everyone in the path of the stones. Shingles fall from the roof to smash on the road, and I don’t think it’s just the wind. It’s my power drawing them free due to the mineral content in each shingle.

“You can do this, Rom.” Laini’s voice is serene. I’m amazed at her composure, considering the scent on the wind says the storm is nearly on us.

I sense the minerals in the cobblestones and focus on their exact make up, so I will only affect those specific rocks and not the ones buried below or those used in the walls of homes and shops. Invisible magic pours from my palms down to the roads. I picture the magic slithering down all the streets in town, blocking off the cobblestones that are too close to people, animals, or structures. Once I have the right stones cloaked in magic, I tug. Sweat beads on my forehead and drips down the back of my neck despite my cold skin and the way the power fills me with strength. Mentally, holding on to the exact borders I’ve created in the streets is a slippery thing. The wind whips through the tower openings, thrusting debris across my arms and face. Laini makes a small sound of surprise, but she keeps her hand in place on me and doesn’t falter .

I envision the cobblestones rising, rising, rising.

Magic swirls around me, and then it begins to scatter.

“No…”

The tower rumbles, and Laini gasps, her fingers almost leaving their perch on my arm. Lightning flashes scarlet and green, and the storm growls louder and more fiercely than anything I’ve experienced. I’m losing control. My power slips away, heading for the stone in the structures near the streets.

“I’m here,” Laini says above the sound of the storm and the rocks shifting everywhere.

My mate’s mark burns like a match lit under my skin, but it feels pleasant and steadying. I let the strength of our fragile bond, not fully formed yet, soak into my heart, soul, and magic.

My power swells inside me and levels out. I grit my teeth and curl my fingers, seizing the magic and forcing it back into the borders I’ve set in my mind. The stone magic shudders and thrashes like a wild unicorn, but I hold fast. I must. I cannot fail.

Spark flies into the tower, his fur ruffled, and the air around him suffused with his sparkling fire. Laini reaches her free hand to him and directs him to her shoulder. He nuzzles closely and eyes me with hope, a look that matches Laini’s gaze.

The mate’s mark tingles and sends comfort through my blood as I set my gaze on Laini and Spark. I am their protector. This is what an Allysium gargoyle is meant to be. I will never fail them.

My magic surges, and the cobblestones I’ve ordered to rise into the air do so exactly as I planned. I lift them higher.

“Rom!” Laini’s voice is surprised, but she sounds pleased.

The rounded stones soar into the sky above Leafshire Cove. I draw my palms closer, and the rock draws into a giant roof over the entire town. I can feel the absence of cover over Rustion’s outer grounds and fields, so I twist my hand to drag stones from the wild areas beyond the tilled land. I flatten one hand, and those rocks provide another roof for Rustion, for the male who has been so good to me. I am still sweating, but I feel unstoppable and fully in control of my power.

The cobblestone roof blocks out the lightning. When the lashing rain begins and the magical sparkles begin to fall, I turn my hands and curl the edges of the two roofs I’ve created so that they block the colorful torrent .

I see faces peering from a few windows, their eyes wide in wonder.

Laini’s smile is the best reward for my work. “It’s wonderful.”

The storm rages over us, snapping and whipping rain. A portion of the strong winds blow through, knocking over a few carts left down in the marketplace. A small trail of sparkling storm magic dances across the town fountain, so I lead a thread of my will down into the earth and snag a handful of little stones. At my silent command, the tiny rocks burst through the exposed ground and encircle the damaging magic.

Thunder booms again, but after a few moments, the system passes onward and dissipates like a nightmare in the morning. I release the sphere of stones encasing the wild magic, and it trails the rest of the storm, leaving town without doing more than snagging a few leaves from the trees planted here and there.

Feeling more alive than I have in my entire life, more powerful and in control than ever, I lower the cobblestones back into their proper lines and rows in the streets of Leafshire Cove. I urge the rocks from Rustion’s lands—so clear in my mind’s eye—to return to their rightful place under the dirt in the wild borders of his property. The ground trembles with a final wave of my stone magic, and then all is back to the way it was before I flew over the walls.

A cheer crescendos over the tower, and Laini hugs me tightly.

“You’re a miracle!”

I crush her to me as I lean over the tower opening and grin at those gathered.

“They love you, Rom,” Laini says under the applause and happy shouts.

It’s too good to be true. The townsfolk really are happy with my stone magic. No one appears hurt or worse… Kaya, the baker, is there waving beside Grumlin and Delixian, who dip their heads and smile at me. Tully winks and draws a line with her wand. Three nearly transparent, purple birds flit from the end and fly toward us. Laini giggles as Tully’s birds chirp and land on my horns.

“Fantastic work, Romulus!” Rustion calls out as he and Nisa walk from the back of the crowd.

Behind them, Leo, Harton, and Tam stew, but no one pays them a moment of attention, though Nisa takes a second to smack the back of Leo’s head. Laini snorts beside me as Leo’s mouth falls open, and she barks something at him that I can’t make out. He shakes his head, but he stops glaring at me .

“Thank you, my lord!” I call back to Rustion, keenly aware of Laini’s soft and rose-scented body pressed against mine.

A shout has all of our heads turning. A very tall orc, two goblins, and a human male push through the townsfolk and toward Leo. They’re dressed in the brightly dyed clothing popular in gambling dens.

“This male has a debt that’s gone unpaid for over two months. We come to collect the coin or to take him to the king.”

“What is this about?” Laini whispers to me, her eyes wide.

“No idea,” I say. “They have the look of gamblers with those red vests and all. Rustion never mentioned Leo having debt, so maybe he didn’t know.”

Leo raises his hands. His face is flushed. “Fellows, let’s talk. My father is Lord Mayor of this town, and I’m sure he’ll take care of you.” He smiles that slick, awful smile of his. “Let’s head to the tavern and have an ale.”

Rustion’s features have gone flat as he regards first his son and then the group of newcomers. “I don’t have anything to do with this. Leo, you best take care of the problems you create.” He turns his back on his son and faces the tower again.

Nisa presses a fist to her mouth, then joins Rustion in giving Leo her back.

“Father? Mother?” Leo’s voice stutters, and he begins to grab for Rustion and Nisa, rage painting his face in harsh lines. “You think you’re so much better than me,” he snarls.

Rustion whirls and grips Leo’s raised hand. “Shut your gob before I shut it for you, Son. Maybe after some time in the king’s dungeons, you’ll figure out how to behave. I’m sorry I didn’t teach you myself earlier.”

Nisa nods, her eyes blazing with righteous anger.

Laini shakes a little, and I hold her more tightly against me.

“I’m glad they’re finally standing up to him,” she whispers.

Rustion and Nisa step back, and the gamblers seize Leo. Leo roars as they drag him away. Tam and Harton shuffle their feet, mumble something, and then drift off down a side street.

The crowd shouts, lifting hands in their cheering. Rustion and Nisa smile sadly, hold one another close, and look up at us .

Rustion gives me a meaningful nod and a brighter smile. “Thanks again, Romulus! And Laini, too, because I’m pretty sure she was part of that magic.”

“She assuredly was!” I call back, squeezing Laini, who grins.

Rustion waves a hand. “I apologize for not solving the problem of my son earlier. To both of you, I am sorry.”

“Me too!” Nisa shouts up, her fingers cupping her mouth.

We give them a wave as the townsfolk begin singing a harvest song about goats, wheat, and the trouble with small glasses of beer. Everyone but us makes their way toward the tavern, and I hope Rustion and Nisa can be comforted by the company.

I face Laini, and the world falls away. The sunlight bursting through the last of the storm’s dark clouds streams over her face. Her golden hair, soft-looking cheek, and pert little mouth are illuminated in a way that takes my breath. Trepidation fills those blue eyes of hers, and I can no longer stand it.

Nothing will stop me from trying to be her true mate in every way. Unless…

“Do you still want me?” I ask, my voice rough from the magic and my desperate heart.

A smile like the sunrise itself breaks over her face, and she takes my hand in hers. “Most definitely.”

I begin to say something, but I decide it’s time for action. I pull her to me and kiss her relentlessly. She tastes like perfection, salty and floral, and just so Laini. Her body melts against mine, and I lift her and take her inside. I throw her onto the bed, and she laughs, eyes shining. I leap onto her and drop kisses over her forehead, down her cheeks, along her throat, and over the rise of her breasts. My mate’s mark is warm and tingling as I drag my talons down her chest to hook onto the neckline of her dress. I tug the fabric down and free one of her gorgeous breasts. Her head drops back as I flick my forked tongue over her nipple and massage her with my palm and fingers.

“Rom…”

“Aye, my love? Your skin smells divine…”

She runs a hand over one of my horns, and pleasure pulses down my scalp and over my entire body. I can’t help but moan.

“I wondered if they were sensitive like your wings,” she says, her voice tinged with a mischievous tone that has me rock hard.

“Your guess was correct,” I rasp out as she strokes my other horn and then tickles the edge of my ear.

“And the tips of your pointed ears?”

“Yes. Those too.”

“It’s like you’re made for pleasure.”

I rise on my elbows and look down into her face. “Ready for another surprise?”

She nods emphatically. I take her hand and direct it down my body to the crest above my cock. I hum, and the vibration echoes in my crest.

“Oh!” Her eyes meet mine, and her surprised look turns molten. “Let’s give this a try.”

She grips my crest and squeezes lightly. I shudder, and my hips buck of their own volition.

“Ooo, you like that, do you?” Her slender fingers massage my crest, and then she’s using her other hand to stroke my length, too.

My mate’s mark tingles and the urge to solidify our mating bond shivers through me like a gust of fresh air.

I take one of her wrists and lock my gaze on her. “Laini, will you complete the mate bond with me? I will wait if you’re not ready.” I hold completely still and pray to the Dark Mountain she will accept me. I’ve never longed so powerfully for something. “I will adore any part of you that you’re willing to give,” I say, using a version of what she so kindly said to me the night I left. I want her to know I appreciate how she supported me with no expectations when I was overwrought. “You are everything to me, my flower. I will be at your side in exactly the way you want. Take the lead here and tell me what you want. Do you want to complete the mate bond?”