“They are a shadow council who wield much power in the New Realms. They deal with matters outside the purview of any single race.”
“Any humans on this council?”
“Yes, one, though I do not know her name or status within the human world. The leader of the Guild is another member.”
“The Guild have their hands in lots of places, don’t they?” Larissa asked, though from her tone made clear the question was rhetorical. She continued with barely a pause. “Why have this council? I thought the various races all kept their own ways of government, just as the human governments remained as they were from before the Great Collision.”
“The Seven Houses have always existed. When you have a threat such as the necromancers, you must have a governing body that can answer that threat”
“And the gods? The Oracle? Where do they fit into this?”
“They are all powerful beings outside of all. They have their own agendas, would that we knew them. Never doubt that there are always deeper powers and deeper secrets at play.”
She wrinkled her nose, and he stifled the urge to lean down and nuzzle it with his own. “Have I ever mentioned I hate cloak-and-dagger stuff? I don’t even watch spy movies on TV.”
“I am sorry this has been brought into your life.”
She looked at him again, and to his surprise a large, brilliant smile dominated her face. “Have I ever told you that our dates have been some of the most exciting and eventful of my life?”
“Dates?” he asked. While not a custom gargoyles engaged in, he did know the meaning of the word. What she meant by that phrase interested him.
When hearing the word repeated to her, Larissa’s cheeks went scarlet. Ducking her head, she said, “I was kidding, being humorous. Trying to lighten things up.”
She was curled against him in her attempt to not be seen, her soft warmth a balm after the fierce battle. He could offer her nothing less and met her attempts at normality with his own. “Humorous? And I was thinking on how our next date could go. Maybe we should fight a cave troll.”
She looked up at him. Her face was still red, but her eyes shone with laughter. “Only a cave troll? I demand that we go to the top and meet a necromancer.”
Terak shook his head. “I am afraid that is too advanced for you. I’m willing to show you a wraith, but no more than that.”
She was smiling, and… Terak stopped.
He was smiling.
He was smiling and laughing and teasing the woman in his arms.
What’s more, he hadn’t put her down. They had been in her apartment for fully five minutes, and never had he the desire to let her go.
“Terak, what’s wrong?”
What could he say?
I would give everything to you if you always look at me with those eyes.
A thwup sounded on the balcony, and Terak turned to face their intruder. Valry stood there, her gaze fastened on where he cradled Larissa against him.
Anger surged through him, anger at the interruption, and anger at the reminder of his responsibilities. “Valry, what is the meaning of this?”
She strolled in, undaunted and unstoppable in her path. “We were alerted to the battle tonight. When I heard of it, I had to make sure you were unhurt.”
“You were told never to come here.”
“My need to know my Intended was safe overrode all other concerns.”
“Intended?” Larissa’s voice cut through the words Terak was about to speak. He looked down at her, still cradled in his arms. Her eyebrows drew close together, and there was a shadowing, a hesitancy in her eyes that he had not seen since the first night they had met. “What does that mean, Intended?”
Valry’s voice was quick, malicious. “I believe you humans call it an engagement. Lord Terak and I are to be mated.”
Larissa’s eyes were wide and round and hurt. “You’re going to marry her?”
Terak’s head began to shake in involuntary negation, and it took force of will to stop the movement. .
Larissa started to look around. “I feel much better now. You can let me down.”
In reaction to her words his fingers gripped her harder, disobeying the command from his brain to follow her order. He forced them to peel themselves from her, forced them to let her go.
Larissa continued, not meeting his eyes. “Once again I seem to owe you my life. Thank you for saving me. But I’m very tired right now. Would you please excuse me?” She turned and walked into her bedroom, closing the door behind her without a backwards glance.
Terak left, leaving Valry to follow him. He did not wish to bring her to the perch he had spent so many nights watching over Larissa, so instead he brought her to another, further away but still with a view of his little human’s abode.