"How?"
An unpleasant sensation gripped my chest. I didn't like arguing with my best friend, even though I felt like it was necessary this time.
"There were no consequences to visiting the fountain except for my own health," I said.
Pascal cut me off with a snarky look. "Yeah, and there's no consequences to talking to Headmaster except formyhealth. Why's it okay for you to take risks but not me?"
I had no answer that would satisfy him. Frustrated, I blew out a breath. Why didn't he understand that I didn't want him to get in trouble because of me?
When I didn't respond, the corners of Pascal's mouth pulled into a tight grimace. He turned around and went back to kneading dough.
"I'm going to go sweep in the hall," I said, picking up my broom.
He didn't look over his shoulder. "Okay."
I paused at the base of the stairs. The last time I saw Headmaster, she was trudging to her office. She was likely still there now doing gods knew what.
I turned to the front door, feeling its beckoning call. The kids were all taken care of and the rest of my daily chores were relatively easy, and Headmaster wasn't hovering over me like a hawk.
Defiance flared up inside me. If she was ready to kick me to the curb on my birthday, what did it matter if I completed my chores properly or not? I didn't want to do Headmaster's bidding. I wanted to see Devereaux again.
I clutched the broom handle harder. It was early afternoon. Assuming Headmaster continued to ignore my existence for the rest of the day, I had plenty of time to make it there and back. Not that it would be an easy journey—I was still recovering from the terrible jolts in my leg from yesterday—but seeing Devereaux was worth it.
My stomach fluttered a bit at that realization. I hadn't felt this way towards anyone before. Why was Devereaux so special?
I quietly placed the broom in the cleaning area and cast one last glance up the stairs, making sure Headmaster hadn't exited her lair. It was quiet upstairs.
As I walked past the kitchen, I slowed down. Pascal didn't lift his head. He frowned as he kneaded the dough. Our argument weighed on me, but I wasn't backing down. If he got hurt because of me, I would never forgive myself.
I hesitated, wondering if I should let him know I was leaving for the fountain or not. In the end, I said nothing. We both needed to cool off. Besides, Pascal would be here when I returned. We could catch up on everything later tonight, just like we did last night.
8
Devereaux
The sun was warmer today,the sky a brighter shade of blue, and the clouds floated along lazily, looking soft as silk to touch.
After Florian left my presence and the sun crept over the horizon hours later, I was returned to my gargoyle form. The day began anew, but today has not been like other days. Before the fateful events of last night, my mind wandered, aimless and bored. There was no object to hold my attention. I could only wait. And wait. And wait.
I was still waiting. But now there was someone I was waitingfor.
He was no longer a figment of my imagination, a fantasy I conjured in my stony madness. He was not an apparition, a figure in a dissociative state, or a dream.
He was a real, living flesh-and-blood human with a beating heart.
Florian.
His name alone made me want to sigh wistfully. It was as soft and beautiful as the rest of him. I recalled the rich depths of his deep brown eyes, his hair the sweet color of flax, his sun-kissed skin... It was all proof of his existence in the world. In comparison to him, I was an abomination. My ghostly pale skin and my bound eyes were proof of my curse to only walk under the moon—not to mention the fact that I changed into a grotesque gargoyle every morning.
I was not good enough for Florian. That was the truth.
Yet I could not stop thinking about our meeting. How long had it been since my hands touched a human being? Since I held one in my arms? Perhaps never. I could not remember. But I yearned for him. I would have given anything to run my fingers along Florian's warm skin again, to feel his breath or the stray touch of his hair.
As another day occurred around me, people milled around the courtyard. Each new person drew my attention. My heart clenched with hope and beat faster until I realized I did not recognize them, and then my heart plunged into disappointment. None of these people were Florian, and so I did not care.
It was only him I wanted.
* * *
