Knights of Stone - Lachlan by Lisa Carlisle Page A

the bag. “No issues?”
    “No,” she replied quickly. “The tree witch, Kayla, seems kind and helpful. And she must be brave to venture out of her coven to start a new life with a gargoyle shifter. I mean, that wouldn’t be easy for anyone. Especially on this island.”
    She stopped abruptly. Why was she babbling like that? Her father would surely pick up the nervousness in her tone.
    “Was he there?”
    “Mason?”
    “That’s the one.”
    “Aye. As were his brothers,” she added with a twinge of guilt, turning her gaze to the fire.
    Stop it, stop it. Why don’t you just spill how you kissed him next? Twice.
    His brows twitched. “Doing what?”
    “Moving logs for the house Kayla and Mason will live in.”
    “In the moors,” he said. “Which has been neutral territory all these years.”
    She didn’t follow his tone so she turned to him. “Meaning?”
    “I know I’m the one who approached Kayla and Mason for help. But it’s been a long time since our kinds have interacted, and it will take time to get used to. With the predicament with the humans, it all seems so rushed.”
    Raina pursed her lips, carefully considering her words before she replied. “Change is always hard. But maybe we waited too long. And we needed a catalyst to make us act.”
    His gaze flickered over her face with a thoughtful expression. “Maybe.” With a wave of his hand, he added, “Seeing you work with the gargoyle Lachlan made it real all too quick.”
    Lachlan. Hearing her father say his name brought the guilt roaring forth.
    “We had to,” she said. “That was the best option we had at the time.”
    “I know, I know.” With a lift of his head, he asked, “Was he there?”
    Oh no, she didn’t like this turn of the conversation. “Aye.”
    “Did you talk to him?”
    “Aye.” Her wolf raised her head, perking her ears. “Why?”
    “Nothing, nothing.” He brushed it off. A second later, he asked, “What did he talk to you about?”
    Not sure how much she should tell him, she kept it as general as possible. “He had a couple of questions about magic.”
    “Oh?” Both his eyebrows shot up. “What exactly?”
    “Just some tips on how to conjure magic.” When he continued to study her, she added, “He doesn’t have the elders of his clan around to guide him.”
    “True, they cut and ran as soon as the humans came.” His voice had a bitter edge he didn’t often use. “Giving up the island a little too easily.”
    “Truth be told, the humans trampled through gargoyle territory. They didn’t come to ours.”
    “ We didn’t give them reason to. Creating a spectacle like some human rock band.”
    Raina opened her mouth and then closed it. No point in starting an argument that would give away her feelings about Lachlan—something she wasn’t sure she could identify herself.
    “So did you help him?”
    She shrugged in an attempt for nonchalance. “I gave him some tips. You know, clear your mind and all. Don’t see why I shouldn’t since we’re all working toward a common goal, you know?”
    He scrutinized her. “I wonder why he came specifically to you .”
    “I was there in the moors,” she said, trying not to sound defensive. “He knows me a bit, right? I mean we ended up spending some time together with that situation with the humans.”
    He narrowed his eyes. “I wonder if there’s more to it.”
    Her heart pounded under his scrutiny. “Like what?”
    “I’ve seen how he looks at you.”
    Fire burned in her cheeks, but curiosity got the best of her. “How?”
    “With interest.” He leaned forward. “Even with that impassive look all gargoyles take on, I could see it in his eyes.” He pointed to his own. “It’s all there. You can practically read someone’s thoughts if you focus.”
    Since he’d been eying her so intently, she shifted her gaze to the fire, and suspected the heat in her cheeks had little to do with the flames. The fiery mix of colors reminded her of sunset—when