Blood-Flavored Cake

It was a cake with lit candles on top. Eighteen fiery reminders that I had my birthday in the gargoyle realm. "What's this?" Had he gone out and got me a cake? It looked that way.

"A woman needs a cake for her eighteenth birthday, even if it is a little late." He pressed his lips to mine softly.

"Honestly, I'd rather have other things," I said. "Especially since I don't eat cake."

"Other things are nice." He wriggled his eyebrows, making me laugh. "But this is a special cake made with special magic from the realm of Sharra."

"What?" I went to stick a finger in the frosting, but he held it out of my way.

"Not until I sing and you blow out the candles." He walked by, sitting on my bed and placed the cake in the center.