Stone Guardian(102)

Awareness came in short spurts. Grass blades scratched her cheek and arms, and the earth was solid underneath, solid and cool, but still warmer than it had been when she had been forced through it like a ghost, insubstantial, weightless, wrongness. Her skin prickled at the sense memory, and she shuddered with the renewed cold. Did Terak feel…

Terak.

“Terak?”

“Here,” and strong, rough fingers grazed her chin. She forced her eyes open to see his beloved face. He was sitting to her left, looking as if had just risen from beside her.

“What happened?” Because last she checked, she and Terak were about to get crushed under a mountain.

“Shadow,” Fallon answered as Terak helped Larissa into a sitting position.

The world’s rotation was observable, but Larissa took a few deep breaths to get the dizziness under control. Once that was accomplished, she looked to the area where Fallon pointed, to see the dark warrior on the ground, a healer above him. He looked grayer, like a faded copy instead of the original.

“Is he okay?”

“He will be. Mostly.” Fallon said. “Don’t overthink it. It’s what we do.”

Larissa looked at the various Guild members. No, they weren’t nice and they weren’t good, but while she would happily live if she never met up with without them again, she understood a little better their place.

She reached for Terak, wanting skin contact. He reciprocated, meshing his fingers with hers, his eyes dark and bright. “Thank you all for saving Terak and saving me.”

From out of a giant purse Laire pulled out a small, black velvet bag. “I’ll tell you how you can show your thanks – hand over that little bauble you’ve got with you.”

Terak’s fingers tightened on hers. At his small nod she fished the jewel out from her pants pockets. “What would this have done?”

“Pray you never find out,” Laire said. She held out the opened bag. “Drop it in there, please.”

Larissa did as asked, and Laire spoke a few words in another language before tying the bag off and putting it back in her purse. Laire looked her over, and the term x-ray vision floated through Larissa’s brain. The mage asked, “The dagger?”

“Buried in Garof’s back, if you want to go back for it.”

For one brief moment, fear flickered over Laire’s face, but the Asian woman closed her eyes and turned away, heading back for her companions. Fallon exhaled in an explosive blast, and Larissa decided to not ask any questions.

And now to the other problem of the night. “Taneasha?”

“We have her, and we know her part in this.”

Fallon’s tone might have warned against asking any questions, but Larissa couldn’t let it go at that, no matter what the girl did. “What’s going to happen to her?”

“We’re not going to kill her if that’s what you’re worried about.” Never let it be said Fallon ever tried to soften any news. “But you’re not going to see her in class again.”

Before Larissa could even begin to process her conflicted feelings about her former student, from the sky dropped several gargoyles. Terak rose but kept her in his arms, beneath his wings. She curled into him.

Terak called out, “All have survived?”

“Yes. We looked for you, but the mountain was crumbling too quickly and we had no choice except to leave.”

“I would have it no other way, Malek.”

Larissa squirmed a little. When Terak looked at her she arched her eyebrow and tilted her head a tiny amount. They really were a couple because Terak read her wants perfectly and set her down, though he kept her close. She spoke to the assembled gargoyles. “Thank you for coming to my aid. I am grateful to all of you beyond what I can say.”

Malek shook his head, his arm casting aside her words. “You are ours to protect, Meyla. It is duty and honor to come to your side when we are needed. We made that promise when we followed your mate away from the Clan.”

Away from the Clan. Larissa looked up at Terak. He stared straight ahead as if he had no idea she was looking at him, but the tick in his jaw gave him away. “What do they mean, away from the Clan?”

He took a long breath before he gazed down at her. “I made a choice.”

“No.” There was no way she was going to let this happen. Not his Clan. “I’m not worth it.”

His gaze became fierce and he brought himself to his full height. “You are worth everything,” he said, the tone brooking no argument. “I would give this realm for you, so do not talk to me of leaving the Clan. They cannot accept you, so I will have no more dealings with them.”