The light to my darkness.
She claimed I saved her, but she’s the one who saved me. She saved me from a life of solitude. A life of emptiness. A life where I never experienced true love.
And now, she saved me from a warspear wound.
I wake to a heavy weight on my chest. My eyes struggle to focus, and I panic when I see nothing but blackness.
Everything is vibrating.
“Potato!” a familiar voice calls out. “Get off him!”
The cat springs off my chest and I humph.
Okay.
I’m not dying.
And now I can see.
It was just the cat… trying to kill me.
“He wasn’t trying to kill you,” Farrah snorts.
The feline—now sitting at the foot of the bed… on my legs—meows as if agreeing with Farrah.
“I was hoping you’d stay awake long enough this time to eat,” Farrah says, carrying a tray to the bed. “Don’t worry. I didn’t make it. I ordered from a deli down the street.”
I sit up and she sets the tray on my lap. Pancakes, eggs, and bacon fill a plate with a mug of coffee beside it.
“I ordered two servings since I know you eat a lot.”
“Iama big, ravenous monster, you know,” I say with a smirk.
She sits next to my knees. Potato remains perched at the end of the bed, staring at me. Or maybe he’s staring at my food.
“How are you feeling?” she asks, placing a hand on my leg.
“Better.” I stab into the pancakes and shove the food into my mouth. I close my eyes and chew, appreciating the taste. “How long have I been asleep?”
Farrah frowns. “Two weeks. You woke up yesterday but only for a minute before passing out again. Evangeline and Claudia said that was a good sign and that you’d likely be fully awake today.”
I nod. I’ve known gargoyles who’ve been injured by a warspear to sleep longer. Months even. I set the fork down and lift my shirt. The wound is healed but a nasty scar has been left. I was lucky. The toxin from a warspear can spread fast, and once it reaches our heart and brain, there’s no saving us.
My friend, Thorne, was slashed on his face. Thankfully, a gargoyle medic was nearby when it happened, and they were able to seep out the poison before it got deep enough. It took months for him to fully recover, and it left a huge scar across his face.
I still ache, but it’s somewhat bearable.
“The witches believe my blood helped you heal. And Xander explained that gargoyles are stronger with a fated mate. If I hadn’t been there…”
She sniffs,swiping a tear away.
I palm her cheek, and she leans into my touch. “But you were there. My little hero.”
She smiles and kisses my palm. The bond between us purrs with satisfaction.
I pick up my fork to continue eating. “So, what did I miss?”
Farrah exhales. “A lot. The witch that created the first vampire escaped.”
