Chapter 27

Perhaps he hadn’t realized it right away, dodging the advances of Ran’imy because deep down he had already been won over by the charms Io possessed. Normally he went after the things he desired, never letting others stand in the way, but with Io he hesitated, waited, and the reasoning behind it remained a mystery.

And now there was a new matter to consider, the proposal. When he spoke the words to Io, essentially asking for his hand in marriage, it came from his heart. All of it and it was what he wanted, to always have Io at his side, no matter what the future held for them. The only problem was the actual marrying part. It wasn’t something gargoyles did. Ever. Sure, some couples lasted years, decades even, but to be permanently linked together? Talk about unheard of; how would the elders take their union? Would it even matter? Cinder found himself thrust into unfamiliar territory and was unsure of what to do next.

“You look like a man with a lot on his mind.”