I did not expect Argon to still be present upon my return, but there he was, leaning his back against the castle wall, almost as if he was waiting for me.
I stopped before him. It was hard enough to see his face with the dark hood, but standing away from the moonlight like this, he melted into shadows.
"Let us speak openly now that Florian is gone," I said. "And I am warning you now that I do not wish to play games."
Argon tilted his head, allowing just enough light to illuminate his small smile. For a moment I had the delirious idea that Argon was like me somehow, a gargoyle or other foul creature in disguise. But his hands looked human. At least, the color was in the range of human skin. I could not see it well from my distance and I did not want to get any closer.
"Yes, I owe you an explanation, Devereaux," Argon said calmly. "I'm sorry for springing this on you. I only wanted to make sure your... friend made it home safely."
The way he deliberately paused between words did not fly over my head. My eyes narrowed behind my blindfold.
"You still have not told me who you are, besides your name. And I want to know why you know mine."
"Why is it so important who I am?" Argon asked casually. "Isn't it more important that you're alive? That you're human?"
"I am not this way all the time."
"No. You're not."
I did not trust Argon. He knew too much. But despite this, I craved his company now that Florian was gone. Even more than that, I craved his knowledge.
"What do you know about me?" I demanded. Unlike with Florian and other humans, I was not scared of Argon finding out the truth about me—assuming he did not already know.
There was a smile in Argon's voice. "I know everything. Don't worry."
"I am not worried. I am suspicious."
He chuckled. "Don't be. I'm not trying to hurt you or Florian. It's the opposite, actually. I want to help you."
I did not know what answer I expected, but it was not this. Some of my suspicion drained away. "Why?"
Argon raised his head. His hood slipped back, revealing yellow eyes that stabbed me like daggers. "Because I created you."
The admission shook me to the core. I froze, unable to move or react. I did not know how to process this knowledge.
"Created?" I echoed.
"That's right."
I felt a rush of anger. "Then you did this to me? You imprisoned me as a gargoyle?"
Argon's voice was patient. "No, Devereaux. I didn't do anything to you. Maybe it'll make more sense if I explain it this way..." He glanced up at the empty top of the fountain, where I would return come morning. "Before I came along, you didn't exist. You were a soulless gargoyle. A stone statue."
I put my hand to my temple as an ache flared within my skull. "Soulless?"
"Yes. I put a soul inside you and gave you the ability to change into a human form."
The ground swayed beneath me. My legs felt unsteady.
"How? Why?" I asked.
Argon's smile was grim. "We'll be here until sunrise if I get into that, and then I'll look crazy for babbling to a gargoyle."
I frowned. It was not fair that he skirted an explanation that way. However, Argon apparently realized this. He went on. "I can't tell you how, but I will tell you why. I owe you that much."
Argon looked down at his hand, opening and closing his fingers. From this distance, it looked like a normal human hand to me. Why did he bother clothing himself in such a restrictive way? What was it he did not want anyone to see? Did it have something to do with why I wore this blindfold?
"A long time ago, I made a grave mistake. Now I'm trying to fix it." Argon clenched his fist to the point where it looked painful, and then let go.
