Page 13 of Sins of the Stone

“Because I would like to go back and see what happened,” she said. “See if anyone is still there or if my house is still standing.” Her voice wavered with her words, but she choked back that feeling, too. The scrapes and pops of the logs shifting ceased, and she heard the fire poker be placed back into its place of rest, the gnawing feeling intensifying once more.

“You understand what you might see if you go back, right?”

Ursulette’s face burned. There would be scenes she had seen in her nightmares and sometimes as flashbacks during the day. It brought her great shame to know she had been unconscious while everyone around her got reduced to piles of body parts.

“It would be quite gruesome, Ursulette,” he said. She set the rag she used to wash the dishes into the water, her head drooping. With her hands on the basin’s edge, she thought deeply about her next move.

“I understand,” she whispered. She turned to him, her eyes filling with delicate tears as the sights flooded back. The images of the deceased would be burned into her memory for a lifetime. “I have to go. If I don’t, the assumptions will hurt more than the reality. I mean, I already have nightmares—”

“You have nightmares?” His tone was laced with hurt. Her face grew hot, angry with herself for letting that slip. Her eyes fell, her gaze filled with shame, sorrow, and more.

“Yeah,” she muttered.

“Ursulette,” he sighed, his voice brimming with disappointment. Or sorrow. She was unsure which it was. “You should have told me.” He strode over to where she was in the kitchen, her face still facing the ground. In a moment, they were more close than they had ever been besides the day they had met.

“I-I didn’t want to be a burden,” she said, her eyes still full of shameful tears, unable to look at him. Ramuz let out a sigh, one laced with melancholy. He placed his fingers beneath her chin, claws sheathed, pulling her gaze from the floor. Their eyes connected, her sadness drying up with his gentle expression.

“You would never be a burden, little human,” he assured. “I enjoy havingyou here.” Previously, her heart was pounding with anxiety, but now, it was with something else that she didn’t want to acknowledge.

Why is he so damn sweet?

The people back in the village were never so kind. The least they did was tolerate her, but even that appeared to be a chore. But he was a creature, yet he was more caring than most of them combined. Not once did he comment on her weight, her penchant for being alone, or any of the other endless things that earned her the title ofstrange.

There was a little flutter that accompanied his touch and kind words. It was a feeling she wasn’t used to, but she wanted a lot more. With that, her tears vanished, but her mouth could not speak, and her mind was racing.

“T-that’s, um, very kind of you to say,” she said, her words stumbling with the intensity of her ruminations. Ramuz removed his hand from her skin, and she wished that it would stay there forever.

Ursulette almost reached out to stop him, but she hesitated, not knowing what such an action could make him think. He gave her a gentle grin, one that she wanted to wrap herself up in and doze off. The heat of the fire was nothing compared to the warmth of his words.

“Will it make you happy to return to your village?” he questioned, his yellow eyes inquisitive. Her bottom lip trembled, unsure if she was content with this new pillowy feeling. Ursulette laced her fingers, trying to stifle her anxiety. Yet, all she needed was his—this creature’s—assurance, and somehow, it enveloped her in a calm. With a newfound but subtle joy, she spoke.

“Yes, it would.” Ramuz returned her gesture, his eyes beaming with the curve of his expression. His smile was so tender that it made her blush, and her gaze leered away to avoid the intimacy of eye contact.

“Then we can go tomorrow if you’d like,” he said. Ursulette felt her heart swell with emotion. His silky voice and charming grin stuck in her head for much longer than she’d like to admit.

But there was one problem.

Monsters and humans could not show affection for each other, let alone maintain a loving relationship. She learned that lesson harshly when shewitnessed the blue tint of the woman’s lips when she was a child. Her heart jumped at the sight of his beaming face and delicate words, and waking up to him in the morning was a joy she had never felt. He was all she could think about.

If anyone at home knew about this, they’d never let me live it down.

If they’re even still alive.

Chapter 12

Ursulette

The unusual duo returned to the village, Ursulette clinging to his neck. Her eyes were round as she watched the environment below. Vibrant emerald pines were whizzing by and the wind was howling in her ears. She wondered how he could do this as often as he did, considering she felt as if her lunch was about to come back up. She could’ve appreciated the lovely sight if she didn’t feel like her stomach was in knots.

If only.

Ramuz’s secure embrace didn’t provide much help. It wasn’t that she didn’t trust him not to drop her, but it was the mere idea of being hundreds of feet in the air. She wasn’t sure what the future held, but in this world, things could change in a flash. All she knew was that she hoped to grow accustomed to the view and perhaps enjoy it.

His grip was firm, though far from uncomfortable. They were just below the cloud line, her skin slightly damp from the moisture in the air. The chill didn’t help with the fear in the slightest, and she fought the chatter in her teeth.

Just over the horizon, Ursulette caught a glimpse of her ruined village. From where they were now, it didn’t look good. She pinched her eyes shut, not wanting to face the reality until it was right before her. Ursulette felt his chest rise as if sighing sadly. Grabbing him harder, she felt her stomach drop as they began to descend. Though, it wasn’t from the height, but from dread.

Once they were on the ground, Ramuz released her. The biting coldwas unmistakable, nipping her skin as she wrapped her arms around her shoulders. He gave her a wistful smile, one that was touched with sadness. Their anxiety filled the air, swirling with the frigidness of the frost.

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