Page 29 of Sins of the Stone

“You know that coward ran away?” he grumbled. Her cheeks burned, but not from the cooling heat of the fire. She felt like he was talking to her, his words sharp, like a blade of emotion shoved into her gut. Guilt crept to her core as she placed her hand over her stomach.

“Now he has the gall to declare himself our leader.” He scoffed. “And who are we to argue? He’s practically the only one unscathed, that bastard.” She bit her lip before finally spitting out the words.

“I, um, ran away too. I—” She was going to sayI tried to, but she stopped, not wanting to spill her secret life. She was still wary, even though she trusted him as much as Ramuz. It was never pleasant to tell your closest friend you were committing a crime.

“Omar. Not you. I toldyouto run,” he said. “He should’ve stayed and fought like the rest of us. It was his job to protect the village, not yours.” Her eyes returned to the crackling embers, hoping their glow would calm her fraying nerves.

“I can believe that.”

“Aye. In my book, anyone who treats you the way he does is bad news.” Giles sucked in a breath. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a pained expression on his face, like her submission was like a knife in his heart.

“Why the hell didn’t you tell me it was that bad?” he said. “That creep is practically all over you…” Ursulette lowered her head, feeling a stone from in her throat. Her fingertips caressed her collarbone to prevent the torrent of tears hidden behind her eyes.

“I-I just… didn’t want to cause a fuss. You had enough going on with the creatures and the tavern and trying to keep people from thinking I’m a freak.”

Giles’ shoulders rose and fell as he set his hand on her. “If people thought you were as bad as you think, do you think we would be here right now?” The rock in her throat fell to the depths of her stomach, filling her with a pang of sickening guilt.

“Just because people disagree or find you strange does not mean they would wish you harm,” he said. His words resonated with her, but the pressure of hesitation sealed her lips. Words only meant so much when confronted with the reality of a situation. What if she and Ramuz held hands or kissed in front of everyone? Or even the simple act of conversing with each other? Would they change their minds about being accepted then?

“Omar, on the other hand. He is…” Giles clenched his fist, his knuckles white despite the darkness. “I don’t like him treating you like that.” Ursulette’s face blushed again.

He’s not the only one who thinks that.

“I should’ve said something,” she said glumly.

“Please, speak up next time. I don’t have the abilities I did before, but I’ll do my best.” Giles set his hand on her shoulder. “I want you to sleep near me tonight so he will not disturb you.”

Ursulette nodded. “Alright. I am pretty tired. It’s… been a long day.” Giles’ head bobbed in agreement, and he used his stick to point to a bedroll across the dwindling fire.

“It certainly has been,” he said with a sigh. Then he added: “You’re a strong girl. I’m proud of you.” His words curdled the guilt in her stomach.

“T-thank you. I’m proud of you, too.” Her voice shook with emotion. Giles gave her one last, loving smile, then used his stick to bring him to a standing position on his wobbling legs.

“I’ll be there in a bit,” she said.

“Alright. Night, Ursulette.”

“Goodnight.” With that, her stare returned to the flames. She heard snores reverberate through the air, but she couldn’t sleep even if she tried. All she could think about was how much she missed her gargoyle, despite him being only a few feet away.

Would staying help her maintain her friendship? But being trapped with Omar seemed like a nightmare, even with Giles’ vow of protection. He could barely walk without his breath shaking; how could he defend her against an able-bodied, uninjured man? It was valiant, and she appreciated his concern, but it was hopeless.

She wondered how long she could keep up with this fatal secret. Omar already was behaving like she was a criminal, and she was sure it wouldn’t be getting better anytime soon. Her stomach ached as the string wound around her finger, turning the tip a deep red as it choked for blood flow that would not come.

Taking a breath and against her better judgment, she wandered into the woods, wanting to flee from the thoughts and be safely home with Ramuz. The next time she returned, she would figure out a sound explanation. That would be enough time to develop a story that made sense to everyone, even the wary Omar.

Chapter 20

Ramuz

Ramuz watched as Ursulette tromped through the wood with twigs and leaves crunching beneath her trembling feet. He knew a cloud of anxiety settled in her brain, feeding on her noxious thoughts. He could tell just by the way she nibbled her lip. Surely, she was still conflicted about leaving the group. They were the only humans left in the area, and he was not one to deny her anything. He did not want her to feel like she was the last of her kind, like he experienced.

Through snooping when the village was still standing, he heard that some hunters traveled to other places, but they were often gone for many nights. Ramuz had yet to learn where those other civilizations were. Maybe in the future, the two of them could explore, but wherever they went, the citizens would probably be suspicious. It would be best if she stuck with who she knew. But staying with them also posed a problem—mainly their ingrained disdain for monsters. Ursulette spoke about it many times, and it was something that concerned him as well.

However, something more plagued him. He was uncomfortable with his human—his treasure—being left alone with a fiend like Omar. He had proven himself distrustful in the past. The annihilation of their civilization would not pluck those traits from him.

He knew Ursulette was clever enough to see the ruse, too. He was hiding something behind his sickeningly sweet words. There was no way he was remorseful for anything he did to her, and it made his fists curl so aggressivelythat he thought his claws would rip his palms to shreds. But Ursulette would appreciate his compliance, so he held back.

All he could think about was curling up in bed with her and falling asleep while a fire roared in the other room. The chill was probably creeping through her coat, indicated by her chattering teeth. He would love nothing more than to bring her that comfort, and he stepped forward from the shadows to greet her until a noise a few feet away turned both their heads and made him retreat.

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