12. Luke

TWELVE

Luke

I awoke to a serious itching in Asher’s mark, a sleepy haze smothering my brain.

Ugh. Need more sleep.

Sitting up with a mighty yawn, I scratched at the area of my neck where he’d marked me.

Strange. It never itched.

Speaking of the gargoyle, where was he? Bathroom? Balcony? Already out on patrol? Scratching still, I stared at his side of the bed for a moment, missing him.

Why didn’t he wake me to say goodbye?

Ready for coffee and a clue, I got up and yawned again as I headed for the bathroom. I called out for him along the way, deflating with each silent response.

A kernel of dread formed in my chest, as heavy as a boulder.

“Maybe he’s on patrol,” I said aloud to make the words sound more convincing.

A roiling belly told me otherwise.

Something was wrong. The persistent itching turned painful.

I hurried to the bathroom, hoping to see Asher in the shower or bathtub, knowing he wouldn’t be.

“Fuck it…” I murmured, approaching the mirror.

The thin line pulsed with crimson light, my heart jackhammering at the sight of it.

What the hell?

Sucking air between my teeth, I dashed across the suite, throwing open the front door. All traces of sleep were gone, panic a wind to blow them away.

The amulet! What the hell?

I hurried back to the bedroom, grabbing it from the bedside table. I slipped it on, ready to hear his voice.

Silence greeted me.

“Asher?”

Nothing.

“Asher? Are you there?”

Uh-oh. This silence upped my dread.

I ran into the corridor, calling for help, the stone floor cold on my bare feet. A draft licked at my skin, my boxers and vest no defense against the chill. But I didn’t care. As soon as I knew Asher was safe, I’d dress more appropriately or find a blanket.

“Hello!” I bellowed.

No answer.

There were two sets of the stairs at the end of the corridor—one going up, one going down. I struggled to remember which damn floor this was.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.” I hopped from foot to foot, stress heat spreading across my skin, my scalp itching to merry hell.

“Hello? Asher?” I yelled. “Can someone help?”

Nothing.

I stopped hopping, shaking my hands. Okay, okay, okay. Getting worked up like this never helped anyone. I drew a deep breath, calming myself down to a rational level and trying to ignore the worst of the itching.

Deep inhale, long exhale. Calm, calm, calm. Eyes on the stairs, starting to remember a rough layout of the tower.

Carissa’s place sat on the floor below this one, next door to Dane’s, and Seth’s was directly above mine. My new state of mind brought the route into sharp focus. I’d used these stairs before when visiting Seth.

I pushed a spike in anger away. Right now, only Asher mattered.

I’ve got this.

With determination on my side, I hurried up the stairs to the next floor, running straight into Luna.

“Pickles!” I cried.

Goosebumps raced across my skin, her presence forcing me to step back.

“What are you doing?” she questioned, her eyes hard and foreboding.

Wind whistled down the corridor, a hefty breeze coming in from a wide-open window at the far end.

I swallowed, the itch throbbing harder. “Erm…I…Asher.”

“Is being taken care of.”

Sudden dizziness sent me bumbling forward. I righted myself before I collided with the enchanter.

“He is?” The shock prickled my scalp. “Where?”

“He is receiving help along with other gargoyles hurt in the incident.”

Hurt? What the hell? “What incident?”

Seth stepped out of his room, draped in a copper fur coat and matching trousers.

Ugh. Great.

“Luke? I was about to come and wake you.”

Luna blinked, brushing past me. She vanished down the stairs.

I clenched my fists as Seth approached, losing my equilibrium with each passing second. “What happened to Asher?”

He’s hurt. He’s hurt. Ohmygod, he’s hurt.

“Come—”

“Just tell me. I’m not in the mood for delays.”

He cocked a sheepish grin at me. “Delays? Interesting word.”

Oh, kindly fuck off.

His eyes flicked to my bracelet as he told me about jellyfish monsters, poison, and an earthquake.

An earthquake? How did I miss it? I must have been channeling Sleeping Beauty while the town shook.

My mind latched onto the p-word. It explained the malfunction in the amulet, as well as the itch. Our bond had clearly deepened for me to feel this intense panic.

He’s out there with poison in his system.

My Asher.

“He’s poisoned?” I struggled to speak, my chest painfully tight. “Oh my God. I have to see him.” My feet itched, my instincts screaming for him.

“He’s fine. Please don’t worry. You can see him later, once he’s recovered.”

“But—”

“He’s receiving the best possible care from a team of mote enchanters. So, breathe a sigh of relief or whatever you need to do.” He lit a joint, blowing smoke out so casually it felt like a slap in the face.

“I have?—”

“Enough!” he barked. “He’s fine. Take my word for it.”

His word would never be enough paltry reassurance. I needed visual evidence for this mark to cease itching.

“I have to see him,” I managed to get out as a full sentence.

Fuck his bark. Fuck his bite. Fuck all of him.

Seth shook his head. “You can’t help him now.” He pointed at my neck. “Does it hurt?”

“It’s responding to Asher’s suffering,” I answered. It would be the only insight I offered him.

Asher. Asher. Asher. I moved back to the stairs, ready to run. Where, I didn’t know. He could be on any floor, in any room. So be it. I’d bang on every door, scream his name until they took me to him.

Seth narrowed his eyes. “If you try anything, I’ll have you locked up. There are cells deep within the foundations of this tower. Don’t think I won’t throw you into one if you keep this up.”

“But my?—”

He slammed a fist into the wall.

“Pickles!” I squealed, almost losing my balance.

Seth kept his fist on the wall, cracks around it from the impact. “But nothing, Luke. You will listen to me. You will obey me. I won’t tolerate your insolence.”

Now he had me. I’d been hit by him before, my cheek remembering his slap. I didn’t want my skull to suffer the same fate as the wall.

Dammit. He snared me in his menace.

“Do you understand?” he asked.

I nodded, my throat closing up.

I hated him so much, hating myself in equal measure for fearing him again.

His hard expression softened, his knuckle coming back bloody. He left a red smear on the stone, tiny rivulets of blood trickling down the wall.

“You will catch a cold dressed like that.” He raked his gaze up and down my body. “Come inside and change. I have spare clothes for you.”

Erm… “Why do you have spare clothes for me?”

“For emergencies.”

Yes, because that wasn’t creepy at all. “Oh.”

My stomach growled.

He chortled. “And I’ll have breakfast waiting for you. A big day awaits.”

With a commanding snap of his fingers, he turned, the fur coat swishing dramatically, and disappeared into his chamber.

God, did I have to go back in there again? I’d sworn to never enter his almondy domain again.

“Come, Luke!” he called.

Dammit. Against my better judgment, I followed him into painfully familiar territory.

A gargoyle knight dressed in black leather not dissimilar to Asher’s outfit greeted me with a warm smile and sparkling blue eyes. His hair fell to his shoulders in silky blond waves, everything about him screaming sunshine.

“Hello,” he said, offering me his hand.

I shook it. “Hi.”

Color me confused.

Seth took a drag on his joint, exuding smugness as he often did.

I waited for him to fill me in.

“I’d like you to meet Billy,” he finally said.

My jaw hit the floor.