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"When I said come to my apartment earlier," Ekon states, stepping into his house. Connected to his ring finger, lies the red string. "I didn't mean you could invite Eos."

Ekon's eyes flash between brown and gray before settling on the latter when his eyes lock on mine. He wears a red shirt and a pair of low-slung sweatpants. His locs are loose around his shoulders.

Eos grins, patting me on the shoulder. "I'll leave you two alone." She beams at me before glancing at him. "Ekon, tell her the truth." Then she's gone, slipping past him and out the door before I can stop her.

Ekon closes the door behind her.

"Yue," he says quietly. "We need to talk."

"You're damn right we need to talk!" I snap, pointing at the wall. "What the hell is this, Ekon?" I exhale and continue. "Why did the locator spell lead me here? Where is she?"

"Where is who?" he ponders, head cocking to the side.

"Your mate!" I shout, my voice cracking. "The spell said she was here, and I thought..." I blow out a breath. "I thought you were—"

"Yue." Ekon crosses the room in three long strides, stopping just in front of me. "Do you want the truth?"

I swallow and then nod.

"You're my mate."

I freeze, my breath catching. "What?"

"You. Are. My. Mate," he repeats, his voice steady. "The spell led you here because you're standing in my house. Because you've been my mate since the moment I met you."

"But—"

"As far as the sculptures go," he interrupts. "They're attached to me," Ekon says, his eyes twisting into gray. "Every single one of them is a part of me."

My mouth falls open.

"When you touch them, I feel it. When you use them, I feel it. When you took three of them from my house and hid them in your apartment, I felt every second of it."

My face goes hot. "You...you felt..."

"Everything," he confirms, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Every touch and stroke I felt. Hell, every time you—"

"Oh shit," I whisper, covering my face with my hands.

"Yue." Ekon gently pulls my hands away from my face, holding them in his. "I'm not telling you this to embarrass you. I'm telling you because you deserve the truth. You're my mate. You've always been my mate."

"How long have you known?"

"You said my mate would glow. You've been glowing for a while. I thought it was your magic, but it's not. I realized it last week. I didn't know how to tell you."

Tears prick at my eyes. "Ekon, I...I don't know what to do."

"You don't have to do anything," he says softly. "We can take this as slow as you want. We can do whatever you want, Yue. I'm not going anywhere."

I stare up at him, my chest tight and my magic humming under my skin. "So we're really mates..." I whisper.

Ekon's eyes flash silver, and his skin flutters. Stone spreads across his chest, arms, and face, transforming him into something ancient. His wings fall from his back, massive and gray. A long, ridged tail appears, curling around his legs.

His gargoyle form towers over me, far taller than I've ever seen. Ekon's ceiling barely holds his form, and now I realize why his apartment has vaulted ones.

His gargoyle, beautiful and terrifying, stares at me. "Yes," he rumbles, the word vibrating through my entire body. "You are ours."

I let out a shaky breath, then reach up and touch his stone cheek.