Epilogue

SAGE

Gasping, Sage clawed her way free, collapsing onto the soft earth. She drank in the vastness of the night sky, the tapestry of stars a million times brighter than the cave's dim glow. Lush earth, cool and fragrant, cradled her aching body. Fresh air, crisp and clean, filled her lungs, a stark contrast to the stale, fear-ridden air of their prison. Tears welled in her eyes, a mixture of relief and fear at the vast unknown that stretched before her.

She was free but far from safe. She found herself in an unfamiliar forest, surrounded by towering trees and a rugged cliff overhead. The cool grass tickled her feet, but it offered little comfort. The night insects' melody, once a source of solace, now sounded like a mocking lullaby.

Sage gritted her teeth as she helped her friend Emma emerge from the cave after her. Her fingers, shredded and slick with blood, stung with every touch. She had cleaned them sparingly with their little supply of water and wrapped them in strips of rags, but the makeshift bandages already seeped crimson.

Regret gnawed at Sage's insides. Using her bare hands to dig their escape tunnel had been a desperate move, driven by the urgency of their situation and the white-hot anger following her mother's murder. The rock took too long to dig through, and she couldn't bear the thought of another life being taken by those monstrous juguais.

They were so close to escaping, mere feet of dirt, clay, and rock from freedom when the unmistakable cave tremble signaled a death knell for their mother. The image of those cruel black eyes and the lingering stench of the juguai fueled a desperate need to protect her remaining group.

Other survivors from different villages joined her on the surface, their haunted eyes and hollow cheeks telling a nightmarish tale of betrayal. Each bore the scars of a conflict they had never chosen. Each scar told a tale of the juguai's raids and the chaos that ensued when the king's clarion call lured away their protectors to clash with the centaurs.

The most vulnerable—elderly, women, and children—had been left to the mercy of a cruel fate. With each account, Sage's jaw tightened, her teeth grinding. The king's decrees echoed in her mind, his blind adherence to archaic rules that left them at the mercy of their enemies fueling her anger like a blazing fire.

Now only eight of them remained.

Their sacrifice would not be in vain. She curled her lip in a snarl. Never again would she allow such fools to dictate their fate.

A deafening roar shattered the whisper-quiet forest, sending birds fleeing. Sage jumped, her heart pounding. Juguais! Terrified eyes grew wide as the group huddled, comforting the whimpering children.

A prickling unease snaked down Sage's spine. She stopped, going rigid. The guttural bellows of a juguai echoed through the trees, followed by a clash of sounds that sent her heart hammering. "Fighting," she breathed, the word barely a whisper.

Sage pressed closer to the shrubbery, peering through the leaves. Her breath hitched. A male gargoyle. Locked in a brutal struggle with a juguai, his movements were a whirlwind of steel. Had he come for them? She looked around. Was he alone? A flash of movement caught her eye—a tiny figure, a gnome, nimbly weaving between the trees. The wee man secured a rope on two massive trunks with surprising dexterity.

Sage furrowed her brow. It's been many moons since she had seen any males, and it made her angry. "We don't need them."

"What? Of course we do," Emma said, her voice holding a mixture of disbelief and frustration.

"The males are the reason we were captured. Their archaic rules forbade us from training, from arming ourselves." She turned to Emma. "They left us defenseless to fight in that war against the centaurs." She crumbled a leaf in her hand. "My mother's final days were spent in futile anticipation of their valor, until a juguai extinguished her life." Tears filled her eyes.

Emma sighed. "I know. We've heard it time and again. They forsake us. The goddess forsakes us. Your hope resides in yourself and not them." She placed a hand on Sage's shoulder. "But you're wrong. Yes, our strength does lie within ourselves, but even the mightiest can benefit from an ally."

"Not me. I got us out. I shall get us home." She turned back to watch the male.

Tension crackled in the air. With a mighty shove from the gargoyle, the monster, four times his height, toppled backward, its hulking form crashing to the ground. The earth trembled with the impact.

Sage's jaw hung slack. The male, however, didn't hesitate. He moved with the grace of a predator, a blur of power and precision. A gentle breeze blew towards her, carrying vanilla and oak moss fragrances and making her stomach tighten.

A primal heat flared in her chest, an unfamiliar sensation that sent a shiver down her spine. Disbelief warred with a reluctant fascination as her gaze traced the corded muscles of his limbs. A hint of stubble shadowed his strong jawline, a face both handsome and alluring.

"Should we help?" Emma's voice cut through Sage's daze, a much-needed anchor back to reality.

Sage gritted her teeth. "Help them?! How? We wouldn't have been caught if we knew how to fight." Glancing back at the gargoyle, she scowled. "No. We'll use this as a distraction to escape." Shame burned in her throat at the coldness of her own words. Protecting their group and leaving him to the juguai choked like betrayal.

"No," Emma countered, "he needs help. And maybe he can lead us to safety."

A boom of thunder rattled the ground, followed by a strengthening wind. The scent of rain intensified as the gust shifted, blowing towards the juguai and rustling the leaves. The once-clear sky vanished beneath a rolling wave of dark clouds, swallowing the stars.

"Good," Emma said. "Lightning scares the juguais back to their caves."

The male gargoyle's head snapped up, sniffing the air. A low growl rumbled in his chest as his stare landed on Sage. His blue eyes flickered silver for a fleeting moment. She ducked back into the cover of the bushes, hoping she eluded his gaze.

"He found his mate!" Emma gasped, her voice barely a whisper. Sage refused to meet her leer. "And she's next to me."

"How do you know it's me and not you?"

"My instinct doesn't attract me to him." Emma smiled. "But I saw your reaction."

"Well, maybe he fancies the little gnome with him." Sage squeezed her eyes shut, jaw clenched in denial.

A stifled laugh escaped Emma's lips. "Right, and maybe it's the juguai. Rough and pungent taste in mates, wouldn't you say?"

Sage clamped a hand over her mouth, smothering her chuckle. As she shook her head in disbelief, the juguai rose to his feet.

"Definitely you," Emma insisted, patting Sage's shoulder.

The male strode towards them, fixated on Sage's hiding spot, ignoring the monstrous juguai lumbering behind. The creature's dark eyes peered through his grimy hair and locked onto the male gargoyle.

"Look out!" Sage and Emma shouted in unison, but too late.

A sudden impact sent the gargoyle flying backward, crashing into a tree. The male crumpled to the grass. Sage's breath hitched, and fear coiled in her gut. He struggled to rise, revealing a gaping wound in his wing, blood staining the earth.

With a resigned sigh, Sage muttered, "All right, we can't leave them." Her gaze darted around. "The gnome shall get squashed."

Emma smiled.

"Follow me." Too injured to fly, they hobbled toward a pile of rocks near the cave entrance. Sage's muscles ached with the weight of exhaustion, every movement a battle against weariness.

Swift as a shadow, the gnome dashed amidst the monstrous feet of the juguai, fingers deftly releasing the rope to ensnare the creature's legs. The beast grinned, revealing his dagger-like, yellow teeth, as he attempted to crush the diminutive foe.

As Sage and Emma finally reached the mound, the gargoyle, armed once more, charged the juguai. Her heart pounding, Sage pelted the stones at the monster, her hands aching with each throw. Emma's voice rang out, a playful taunt that echoed the challenge in her eyes as she tossed.

A decisive slice from the gargoyle's sword sent the juguai to a knee. With a skillful flourish, the gargoyle leaped into action, slicing through the juguai's throat in one fluid motion, all while keeping his wounded wing tucked close. He landed with a weary exhale, the strain evident in every trembling breath.

The gnome, burdened with bags, yet undeterred, rushed to the gargoyle's side, pulling out strips of bark and attempting to tend to his wounds. Yet the gargoyle held him back with a feeble shake of his head.

"Later," he rasped, his tone strained. "We need to leave. The storm might not hold them back." He gestured towards the cave with a nod. Grunting with effort, he strapped some satchels onto himself, securing one over his shoulder while adjusting the harness holding his sword. The gnome retrieved the remaining bags, including a peculiar tube-like container.

"Are there others?" His voice rumbled, his gaze unwavering on Sage.

Heat flared in her cheeks, a mix of fear and unwelcome attraction. Despite the situation, she couldn't ignore the primal tug. Silence locked her jaw. His form was an imposing mass of muscle with blood painting a gruesome picture across his physique. The delicious scent that had her near swooning grew more captivating. She wiped at her mouth, tearing her eyes away. She didn't need him, not now or ever.

Heat prickled her skin, a cold sweat blooming beneath her clammy palms. Her breath caught in her throat. Each sculpted muscle rippled with a terrifying grace. She ripped her eyes away, the urge to reach out a desperate plea, a war within her trembling body. This primal attraction was a terrifying truth she couldn't ignore, but she shoved it down, a fierce resolve hardening her jaw.

I don't need him. I don't want him, not now, not ever.

"We need to go," Emma hissed, tugging on Sage's arm. "The others are here." She jerked her head towards the bush.

Yet, his focus remained solely on Sage. The air thrummed with a strange energy, both frightening and… exciting. No. This was not what she wanted. The simmering anger inside her boiled over into a growl.

His golden hair, styled in a warrior's braid, framed a face which combined both handsome and dangerous. Moving closer to her, his chest heaved with exertion. Sweat glistened on his skin, and a ghost of a smile played on his lips. He gripped his sword tighter, his look sweeping over her in a way that sent shivers down her spine.

Emma yanked her again, and Sage stumbled forward, forcing her gaze away. Her steps quickened, mirroring the rising tide of fury within her. How could this be happening? Their kingdom—her kind—oppressed females. Her mother's sacrifice echoed in her mind. She wouldn't let this—wouldn't let him—break her.

"Who are you?" Sage asked.

Looking her over, his lips curved upward in a suggestive grin. "I'm Daxos." He arched a confident brow. "Your fated mate."

Shadows of Stone coming Winter 2024.