Page 58 of Stone Temptation

“You had no right to mark him. He’s mine.”

Asher laughed, eyes moving back and forth between us. “Yours? Can’t you read body language, dude?”

I dipped my head, taking a step back.

His? Since when?

“Mind your tongue, knight.”

“Now, now,” Carissa intervened. “No one is responsible for a call and marking. These things are random acts to save a life. Completely out of our control. You know this, Seth.”

That got no response from either of the men squaring up for a smackdown.

“Do not turn this into a problem,” Carissa continued. “We have enough of a headache with the chimera.” Her focus shifted to me. “But it is strange to see you here, Luke. All humans were taken to a saferoom.”

I raised my head, throat closing. “I… I was with… I was with Asher.”

“Why did you come from upstairs?” she asked. “Humans are forbidden to wander the tower without permission. Did you have permission?”

“Yes, Luke,” Seth joined in like the bastard he was. “Why were you upstairs?”

Had he turned on me? Ready to drop me in a steaming pool of poo?

Damn.

What could I say? What possible excuse could I summon to dig me out of this?

Tell her the truth. Drop him in it.

And then what?

“Asher?” Carissa said. “Do you have an answer?”

My bodyguard moved closer to me, bumping his arm against mine. Being protective.

Safe…

God, this was super strange.

Asher cleared his throat. “I?—”

A gargoyle knight crashed through the ballroom window, landing in a roll. “Incoming! Clear the decks!”

She beat her wings, taking off to the right as the chimera charged the ballroom. Its body smashed the stone around the broken window, the wall collapsing behind it.

Uh-oh.

The monster reared, cracking the ceiling like an eggshell with its goat head. Yellow eyes rolled, nostrils flaring.

There was no human on its back.

The gargoyle knights sprang into action, shifting into their stony forms, attacking with weapons and tails.

Seth tried to grab me. “Come with me.”

Asher beat him to the punch. “I’ve got this.”

He locked his big arms around me, taking off into the air.