Page 3 of Sins of the Stone

The larger of the two males was raising his voice, causing her fists to ball up. If he could speak to her, he would beg her to strike them. She wasn’t the only one they picked on, but she was definitely their favorite—a trait he hated that he and the men shared.

Though he knew that if she retaliated, it would bring ire. Her restraint inspired him to do the same. He would’ve stepped in, but he knew for manyreasons he could not. One of them being it would cause quite a stir. He was lucky she had not previously raised a fuss about his lingering presence. Perhaps she did not notice him, but he saw her.

If he stopped this, he would risk frightening her. Humans were easily scared, and rightly so. Their bodies were soft, and the membrane that kept their insides together was thin and easily split.

Only with weapons and numbers could they defend themselves, and here, they didn’t have much of either. His claws could shred them to bits, and his teeth could make holes in their skin. He was a gargoyle—horns, wings, tail, and all. Creatures half his size could make easy work of them.

A human could not tell the difference between a demon and a gargoyle, mainly because there were no other gargoyles. He appeared humanoid but failed to meet the standard threshold they expected. The only thing he had that was more human than creature besides his intelligence was his gray hair, but it would never be enough. It was unfortunate that humans were cruel to their own species as well. And the smaller male proved it by reaching to the ground and picking up a stone.

This will not be good,he thought.

He had to get closer in case this imbecile decided to harm her. Taking a breath, he disappeared behind the corner and moved up to another house. He could sprint and scoop her up before the breath left her lungs. Moving positions also allowed him to hear what they were saying, and it infuriated him.

“Stuffing yourself again today, Ursulette?” the larger one taunted. The smaller one gripped the stone, a grin creeping across his face.

“No wonder you’re all alone,” the smaller one added. Ramuz could feel his heart aching for his female. Human men may not like ‘strange women’, but he sure did. He liked that human, regardless of whether she was strange or not.

Something about her reserved nature and isolation drew him to her as if they were one and the same. She was the only human in the village who seemed to be not actively searching for a partner, and he was also lacking. He wouldn’t dare reach out and share his affections with her—if thatwas what he was feeling. He still wasn’t sure what emotion it was.

“I still like you, though,” the larger one said with a smile. “Only because you make everyone else look better.” Ramuz’s fists curled as he watched the little one toss the stone into his other hand. If that vile creature wanted to be rash, he would likely lose control. He hoped it wouldn’t come to that.

Fight back,he thought.Show them you are strong with your words.

As if she could hear his pleas, she spoke.

“You two are rotten,” she snapped, her face shading with crimson more and more as the moments went on. “Why do you waste your life harassing me?” His eyes stared with fascination, her face changing like a sunset with the colors of her lifeblood. Ramuz stifled a giggle, his clawed hand covering his mouth. She always had a response to their jeers, even though he knew deep down inside it hurt her.

“No one is attracted to stupidity,” she said, “or small bits. That’s the only reason you do this.” His brow knit together. Ramuz wasn’t sure what she meant by ‘small bits,’ but it seemed to infuriate them. Right on cue, the short one reeled back with the stone.

“You’re a bitch,” he snarled. The stone soared through the air, Ramuz’s hands on the sides of his head, his horns poking through his fingers. He debated what to do in that instant and decided to stay put, not wanting to cause another scene. He didn’t want to frighten Ursulette any more than he potentially already had, and he didn’t want to raise a fuss and risk the humans hunting him down.

Dodge it, dodge it, dodge it,he thought in a panic.

He knew she wouldn’t hear his silent pleas, but it made him feel better to try. The rock flew straight towards her, and at the last minute, she covered her head. The stone missed her by inches, and Ramuz breathed a sigh of relief, not realizing he had been holding his breath. The short one scowled, the tall one nudging him with his palm as if to ask why he had missed.

“Nice,” she muttered. “Real nice.” Her shoulders slumped with a sigh. Ramuz could sense her strength fading, as if the interaction was draining her. She didn’t have a clever response to the assault, her face falling as if she just wanted to curl up and hide. She was strong, but it wouldn’t last forever. Withher words, the tall one raced over to her, snatching her wavy hair before she thought of escaping. The noise she made broke his stony heart, but what he saw next was even worse.

The tall one was holding a thin blade in his hand. Tears were now streaming down her cheeks, reflecting in the light of the torches. He only imagined that was how her expression would be if they met, making his chest feel hollow.

Ramuz pinched one eye shut, the other cracked, not wanting to see what would happen next. The stout one just stood there, bug-eyed, watching as his partner held the female at his mercy.

“I’ll show you small,” the larger one said in a hushed tone. “Why don’t you open your pretty little mouth, and I’ll prove it to you?” For a moment, he pondered what those words meant, thinking back to all the conversations he had eavesdropped on.

Though, deep in his heart, he knew. Much to his shame, he spied on several couples, locked deep in salacious conversation and action. It gave him a little thrill and satisfied his curiosity, and he could use that knowledge if he ever found a mate. At least, that was what he told himself. But in this context, it could only mean one thing. They were about to harm his favorite human in the most violating of ways.

He prepared himself to strike, figuring he would face the consequences later. He took a breath, psyching himself up to rescue his damsel in distress and giving himself one more moment to talk himself out of it. Just as he was about to step in, the tall one loosened his grip, trying to pull her closer. This allowed the female to lash out and strike him in the face, bloodying his nose.

The tall one released her, his hands covering his injury in anguish. Ramuz celebrated silently as he watched her run away, not even looking back. The short one stood with his jaw hanging open, a font of blood coming from the snout of the tall one.

Ramuz smiled to himself, proud that she had saved herself. However, something else itched his brain, a nagging feeling that this wouldn’t be the end of their torment. He fell back into the shadows, watching her race down the path to where she most frequented.

Chapter 3

Ursulette

Ursulette sprinted down the pathway, her eyes shining with tears. The snow crunched below like broken glass. She clutched her coat shut, not wanting to think about what had just transpired. It happened regularly enough to be a nuisance, but she had never been threatened to such a degree.

Omar didn’t seem to have the stones to admit to his attraction in front of his friend, but his coarse threats sent her into a spiral. It was fight or flight, and she chose to fight. She didn’t mean to bust his nose so hard, but she wasn’t willing to wait to see if he would follow through.

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