Page 27 of Sins of the Stone

The gallows.

Her heart rate sped up. She stopped abruptly as they came into view, realizing exactly who was left. Yes, there were familiar faces, almost too familiar. Despite what she said about hoping Omar was okay, she was still wary as he turned toward her.

It would’ve been better if he just popped off the face of the world, but things were never that easy. Her face flushed as her eyes met with his, him giving her a soft smile. Ursulette gave him a wave and continued to walk, almost wishing she turned around and left before being spotted.

As she scanned the handful of chattering people, she saw a sight that made her heart soar. Giles was there, conversing with someone. It didn’t shock her that she didn’t recognize some people. There were many citizens she never encountered. Before Omar could reach her, she sprinted over to her old friend.

“Giles!” Ursulette shouted, throwing her arms around him. He laughed heartily, and a sound struck her ears as she pressed her face to his shoulder. A long stick had fallen to the ground, and when she looked down to observe it, his leg appeared crooked. A sorrow took root in her stomach but quickly dissolved upon hearing his croaky tone again.

“Gods, Ursulette, I thought you were dead,” he said.

“I’m strong, you know that,” she beamed as they separated. Their joy was electric until a set of footsteps interrupted their reunion. She turned, and her heart skipped again.

“It’s nice to see you, Ursulette,” Omar said, a strange glint in his eye. Ursulette avoided his gaze. She noticed almost everyone around had some cast, wrap, or scar adorning their body, but not Omar. She wondered why that would be.

“It’s, um, nice to see you too,” she said, pulling her gaze back to him. “Truly.” She wasn’t sure if she meant it, but even someone as wicked as he deserved some sympathy. Even if he had made her life a living hell for the past few years. But even then, he didn’t deserve suffering or death. No one did.

“How have you been? You look like you’ve lost weight,” he said. Ursulette fought the urge to scowl. It would possibly be one of the hardest things she would have to do, but it was necessary if she wanted to keep the peace and maintain her relationship with Giles. Omar’s brow arched, his face begging for a blow.

“Perhaps,” she said. “It’s hard being on your own.”

“I’m sure,” he replied. Ursulette chomped down on her tongue, going back to fiddling with the tie of her dress. Her heart fluttered, feeling like every eye in the universe was on her, observing her lies—seeing through them.

“T-that’s why I’m glad I found you all.”

“Of course,” Omar said, putting his hand on her shoulder. Ursulette pinched the knot in her tie, causing her fingers to ache until his hand was removed. “We are glad as well, aren’t we?” His voice got louder, drawing leers and making her want to shrink away.

When she looked over, Giles was giving Omar a pointed look. A wave of nods flowed through the group as their attention was pulled from their conversations. Then Omar leaned in so only she could hear.

“I’m delighted you’re okay, Ursulette.Truly.” The snide grin on his face made her stomach curdle. Her skin felt like it was covered in insects, but out of sheer panic, she returned him a nervous smile.

Just keep the peace.

“We have much to discuss, don’t we? Reunions and such,” he said. Ursulettebobbed her head. “Let’s go back to our camp, then. You look like you could use a meal.” Omar turned away, motioning for everyone to follow. Giles shot her a puzzled look that made her eyes fall to the ground, and his shoulders drooped in response. They followed Omar as Ursulette lagged behind.

Once everyone was ahead of her, she glanced behind them, scanning the ravaged houses for her beloved gargoyle. Finally, after a moment, he peeked around the corner of a half-charred home. Ursulette gave him a reassuring smile, hoping to get that scowl etched in his expression to fade. She waved her hand, urging him to tail the group. He nodded and vanished behind the home.

Just as Ursulette spun back around, Omar glanced over his shoulder, his eyes burning holes in her. She gave the same reassuring smile she gave to Ramuz, of course with less sincerity, and continued their walk.

Chapter 19

Ursulette

The group arrived at the encampment after a few hours of hiking. Ursulette’s feet dragged against the dirt by the time they reached it. All she wanted to do was lie down and go to bed, preferably with her gargoyle. She sighed. That wouldn’t happen tonight, as much as she needed it.

Today was long, and the stress of keeping up a story while thinking about what would happen if she slipped up was enough to warrant her worry. A shadow caught her attention as she placed herself on a log bench beside the fire. Unfortunately, it didn’t calm her racing heart.

She scanned the crowd, hoping to see some familiar faces. There were a few, and they all shared the same ailments as the others. This was no longer the group of lively people she once knew. This was an amalgamation of broken souls forced together through tragedy. The only unscathed citizens were her and Omar.

What a terrible coincidence.

A man with a scraggly beard hobbled over and handed her a plate of charred meat and dirty vegetables. She received it with a smile, but she thought about how much she would’ve preferred Ramuz’s cooking. However, it couldn’t be easy feeding a crowd of traumatized survivors.

Out of sheer courtesy, she nibbled on the food, hoping she could choke it down through the pressure of her nerves. She peered into the fire, hoping its heat would lull her racing mind and make her forget about the mediocretaste of her meal.

It almost did until Omar wandered over and placed himself beside her. Ursulette’s face flushed, setting her plate on the ground. Omar eyed the half-touched dinner but said nothing, much to her relief. However, the expression on his face said it all. Skepticism. Wickedness. Suspicion.

“Hello,” Ursulette said, avoiding his gaze. She glanced around, hoping to connect with someone that would pull Omar away. Not a single eye caught on hers, making her face flush.

---