24. Graeme

24

GRAEME

T he storefronts all glisten in the morning light with a thin layer of frost as Ecco and I stroll past, our breath puffing out in wispy clouds.

I can't help but marvel at how different everything feels—not just the crisp winter air nipping at my granite skin, but everything about this quaint little town. A few weeks ago, the idea of spending a leisurely morning in a magical town meandering to brunch with friends would have seemed like a frivolous waste of time.

But with Ecco's slender fingers intertwined with mine, her musical laughter chiming in my ear, I'm starting to appreciate the appeal.

We're running late, thanks to Ecco's insistence on staying in bed just a little while longer . I'm usually a stickler for punctuality, but I'm learning that some things are worth savoring.

Like the way Ecco sighs my name, her voice husky with sleep and desire.

As we approach Orc's Anvil, the rich aroma of roasted hops and sizzling bacon engulfs us. I breathe in deeply, reveling in the way my enhanced sense of smell lets me catalog and enjoy every individual scent.

"Mmm, smells amazing," Ecco murmurs, echoing my thoughts. "I'm so excited that Thorak decided to add brunch rotation to the taproom."

I grunt in agreement, pushing open the heavy oak door. Inside, the taproom has been transformed into a brunch-time haven. Gingham tablecloths cover the rough-hewn tables, cheerful wildflowers spilling from mason jars. Warm light filters through the windows, bathing the room in gold.

We make our way to the corner table where Mariah and Gruna are huddled together, and Ecco gives my hand a squeeze before releasing it. We're both still reveling in the newness of this thing between us, not quite ready to share it with Ecco's prying friends.

"Well, well, well," Mariah calls out, a knowing gleam in her eye. "Look who decided to grace us with their presence." She arches a brow. "Busy morning?"

My face heats at the innuendo in her tone, but Ecco just laughs, sliding into the chair across from her. "You know me, I like to start my day off right."

"I'll bet," Mariah says. Beside her, Gruna is smirking.

Thorak appears at our table, a tray of frothing beers balanced in one beefy hand. He sets them down with a resounding thunk.

"First round's on the house," he says, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "But don't get used to it. I've got a business to run, you know."

Ecco reaches for a glass, her slender fingers wrapping around the frosty stein. I hesitate, my Grigori training warring with the tantalizing pull of temptation. Duty and discipline have been too drilled into me, as unyielding as stone.

But then Ecco turns to me, her violet eyes wide and pleading. "Come on, Graeme. Just one drink. For me?"

In that moment, I realize just how much I want to please her at all times. With a sigh of resignation, I take the proffered glass, the cool condensation slick against my palm. I raise it to my lips, the bold, hoppy aroma filling my nostrils, and I pause to savor the scent. When I take a sip, the rich, complex flavor bursts across my tongue.

I can't help but let out a small hum of appreciation, turning to smile at Ecco. She smirks up at me.

Mariah leans forward, gesturing at us. "Okay, you two. Spill. What exactly is going on between you? And don't try to deny it—we all see the way you're looking at each other."

I glance at Ecco. Guess we haven't been that subtle after all. With a small nod, she takes my hand in hers, our fingers interlacing. The gesture feels like a declaration.

"We're dating," Ecco says simply. "Graeme's not just my bodyguard anymore… he's my boyfriend."

Hearing her say those words sends a thrill surging through my heart. It's a gift I never knew I needed, this validation of our connection.

But Mariah's eyes narrow, her gaze locking onto me.

"Graeme," Mariah says, her voice low and deadly serious. "I need you to listen to me very carefully. Ecco is the best, kindest, brightest person in the world. She's my best friend, my sister in all but blood. So if you ever, ever hurt her..."

She leans in closer, her eyes flashing.

"I will find out your worst nightmare, and I will make it a reality. Every single day, until the end of time. Do you understand me?"

I swallow hard, my throat suddenly dry. I've faced down assassins and monsters, stared death in the face more times than I can count. But in this moment, I'm genuinely afraid of the small, fierce woman sitting across from me.

And I respect her all the more for it. The depth of her loyalty, the fierceness of her love for Ecco—it's a bond that even a hardened gargoyle like me can appreciate.

I meet Mariah's gaze head-on.

"I understand," I say, hoping my eyes are conveying my utter seriousness. "And I swear to you, on my honor as a Grigori, that I will never intentionally hurt Ecco. And if anyone ever tries to harm her, in any way..." I reach out, clasping Mariah's hand. "I'll be right there beside you, ready to rain down hell on them."

Mariah holds my gaze for a long moment, her eyes searching mine for any hint of deception. But when she finds none, a slow smile spreads across her face.

"Alright then," she says, raising her glass in a toast. "To Ecco and Graeme."

We clink our glasses together once more, and I notice that Mariah sets hers down without taking a sip. I hope that isn't an indication of a lack of faith in me.

The thought drains from my mind as Ecco's hand lands on my knee under the table, her teasing touch a reminder of our activities in bed less than an hour ago.

I attempt to glare at her but the effect is greatly diminished by her giggle in response.

Our food arrives, and I let Mariah and Gruna grill me about my childhood and about gargoyle powers for the rest of our brunch, trying my hardest to focus on the conversation instead of Ecco's hand inching its way up my leg. And as we say our goodbyes and step out into the chilly air, a sense of contentment settles deep in my bones.

Ecco slips her hand into mine, her fingers interlacing with my own in a gesture that is as natural as breathing.

"I want to show you one of my favorite places," she says, anticipation written across her features.

I nod, eager to see anything important to Ecco. "Lead the way."

We walk up the block back towards Elderberry Falls' town square, the snow crunching beneath our boots. Then we round the bend, passing the frozen fountains at the town's center, and I find myself standing before a storefront that seems to pulse with an ancient, untamed magic.

"The Spellbound Bookstore," Ecco announces, her voice hushed with reverence.

I remember her pointing this place out when we first arrived. We step inside and the quaint bell above the door rings out a welcome. I'm immediately enveloped by the scent of old parchment and leather.

The interior is a labyrinth of towering shelves, endless rows that seem to stretch on into infinity. It's a space that defies logic, the outside facade belying the sheer vastness within. Everywhere I look, books beckon with their worn spines and faded titles, each one boasting its own kind of magic, a portal to another world.

Ecco leads me deeper into the stacks, her fingers trailing along the spines of the books. She seems to come alive in this space, her love of stories and the written word shining through in every gesture.

"This place is incredible," I murmur, my eyes trying to take in the sheer scope of it all. We pass a dusty piano stacked with piles of sheet music, and a row of leather-bound titles that look like first editions, a huge stuffed crow on the shelf next to them seeming to guard them from sticky fingers.

There seriously must be some enchantment at work—there's no way all these books fit into the building I saw from the outside.

Ecco nods. "It's always been a sanctuary for me. A place where I can lose myself in stories, and forget about the outside world for a while."

As we wander past the winding shelves, I can't help but marvel at the change in Ecco. Gone is the bubbly, effervescent pop star, replaced by a woman who seems to glow with a quiet inner strength. It's a side of her she doesn't show often, and I find myself drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

In a secluded corner of the bookstore, nestled between towering stacks of colorful cookbooks, Ecco turns to face me. The warm glow of the dusty window beside us bathes her in a golden light, setting her violet eyes ablaze.

"I've always wanted to do this," she murmurs, her voice low and husky.

Before I can ask what she means, she's rising up on her toes, pulling me down into a fierce kiss that sets my blood on fire.

I groan into her mouth as her hands fist in my shirt, tugging me closer until there's no space left between us. My own hands come up to tangle in her silky blue hair, angling her head to deepen the kiss.

In this moment, I'm like a teenager again, lovestruck and eager. Ecco's touch awakens something animalistic inside me, a hunger I've never felt before.

Even as I surrender to the heat of her kiss, images rise in my mind, solid as memories: a future where moments like this are the norm, where I wake up every morning with Ecco in my arms and fall asleep each night with her head on my chest.

I picture lazy Sundays spent exploring every inch of her body, stolen kisses in hidden corners of every enchanted business in this town, travels together to distant places when Ecco goes on tour.

It's a life I never dared to dream of before, a future that seems both tantalizingly close and impossibly far away.

Because as much as I want to give in to this feeling, to let myself fall headfirst into the promise of a life with Ecco, I know that I have a duty to my clan.

I can't just abandon my responsibilities, no matter how tempting the alternative might be.

Ecco's hands slip beneath the hem of my shirt, her nails raking deliciously across the sensitive skin of my lower back, and I can't help but wonder if there might be a way to have both.

A few hours later, we head back to the inn, carrying bags of books that Ecco insisted on purchasing, despite having a pile in her luggage that she hasn't touched yet.

"You can never have enough books," she told me very seriously.

Ecco spins around in the snow as we walk, catching snowflakes on her tongue. She only stops when the icy wind picks up again, sending her huddling into me for warmth. I curl an arm around her to block the wind.

As we step into the lobby, the comforting scents and bustling sounds of the Moonflower greet us, as usual.

But when I breathe it in, savoring the way the warm scents mingle with the sweet florals of Ecco's hair, I smell that smell again, ever so faintly.

The stalker.

My gargoyle instincts kick into high gear, senses heightening as I punch the button on the device the police gave me and search for any sight of the stalker. I release my wings from their enchantment and let them span out wide.

Ecco starts up the stairs toward our room, not realizing that I've fallen behind.

I stand rooted to the spot, scanning the lobby, my gaze darting from the fairy lights twinkling above to the shadows pooling in the corners.

There it is.

A figure lurking in the far corner of the lobby, its form distorted and flickering like a candle flame in the wind.

"Graeme?" Ecco turns back toward me, halfway up the stairs. "What's wrong?"

I don't answer. I can't. Because the figure is moving now, gliding across the lobby with a speed that terrifies me.

And it's heading straight for Ecco.