Just two more days,I told myself as I hurried toward the house.Two more days and then you’ll never have to hold yourself back again.
As I climbed the steps of the porch I briefly wondered if the ice-cold showers that human men took to check their lust worked on gargoyles. I’d bet not at all, but I was willing to try anything at this point.
But two hours later after a long, icy cold shower, I was just as horny as I’d been before.
Human men were so lucky.
Twenty-One
Icould tell that Cash had reached his breaking point the morning of the autumnal equinox.
He’d been lethargic throughout our morning chores and had barely gotten inside the house before collapsing onto the couch and falling fast asleep. I’d never actually seen Cash sleep before. He usually lay with me in the guest room upstairs until I fell asleep and was gone long before I awoke, so I wasn’t sure how much rest he got during the night.
“Cash?” I murmured softly, brushing the stray lock of long, dark hair off of his brow. He didn’t stir, but the furrow in his brow smoothed at my touch so I flattened my palm against his forehead, watching his stiff frame relax even further.
“Can gargoyles get fevers?” I asked out loud to myself.
Cash’s typically cool stone skindidfeel warmer than usual.
Pulling my phone out of my pocket I tried to google whether or not gargoyles could get sick, but nothing came up. Not surprising considering how secretive gargoyles were about their species.
So my next best bet was Effie.
She answered on the third ring, not even bothering with a greeting. “How goes your mini-vacation, are you guys banging yet?”
“No, we are not. Are you sitting at the desk asking me that question?” Effie was covering the desk for the shop while I was out.
There was a pause.
“...no,” Effie lied.
“Yes she is,” Dallan’s voice came through the speaker of the phone. “And there’s a horrified selkie sitting in the waiting room.”
“Snitch,” I heard her hiss at him. “The selkie is fine, isn’t that right, Mirella?”
“Actually—” a shy feminine voice began but Effie quickly cut her off.
“See? She’s totally fine, besides Dallan is here to take her back to her appointment.”
“Ask her when she’s coming back,” Dallan said, sounding completely exasperated.
Effie snorted. “She’s not coming back until after she and Cash defile every surface of their house and seal that bond of theirs.”
My nose scrunched at her words because, while it would probably be true, she didn’t need to say it out loud. “Not in front of the selkie, Effie,” I scolded.
“Mirella already went into the back to get the scariest skull tattoo I’ve ever seen. She looks like something straight out of a Barbie movie, and yet she has the insides of a serial killer,” Effie said with a laugh and I could almost hear her shaking her head as she spoke.
Cash made a noise in his sleep, reminding me of my reason for calling Effie in the first place. “Hey, do you know if gargoyles can get fevers?”
“Is Cash okay?” Effie asked, her tone shifting immediately to that of a worried mother hen.
“I think so, but he’s been pretty groggy all day and he’s taking an actual nap on the couch right now,” I told her, trying not to let the worry I was feeling seep into my voice.
“Hang on,” Effie said and I could hear her standing up from the desk. “Dallan! Question!”
“I’m kind of in the middle of stenciling Mirella’s back, Eff, what is it?” Dallan asked, clearly annoyed by the interruption.
“I’ll finish the stencil, you talk to Daphne,” Effie said and the sound of the phone being passed around filled my ears. “Wow, Mirella, that sure is an interesting skull. What’s supposed to be coming out of the eyes?”
