Page 9 of Sins of the Stone

“You’re going to kill me then, right? Have fun plucking out my organs? Playing with my body?” His toes curled, her words having a sense of realism to them. Yes, he wanted to play with her body, but not in the way she was implying. That would come very last after he admitted his affection for her, and, hopefully, she reciprocated.

“You know, that’s not very nice of you to do that,” she said. “I have so many things I want to do with my life before dying. You’re—” It was like she was trying to ramble her way out ofdying. It wouldn’t get her anywhere with anything else, but with him, it was more than amusing.

“Wait a second,” she said. “You’re that… creature…” Her voice trailed off, clearly thinking back to when he saved her from the demon. He felt his face heat, though he was unsure what emotion he felt. He hoped she wasn’t mad. “Have you been following me? Hunting me down so you can get your revenge or something?”

Ramuz let a puff of air out of his nose, causing her face to twist with confusion. It crushed his heart to know that this was the thought pattern humans were forced to have for being so vulnerable.

“Do not fret. I will not harm you,” he assured, his voice as soft as he could make it. He could see the gears turning in her head along with the puzzledexpression on her face, running through the list of reasons why he would have her here. He had to suppress a grin to keep from bringing her a perceived insult.

“Then why am I here?” she asked. Much to his surprise, she still hadn’t tried squirming out of his arms. Maybe her head injury had taken a toll, or perhaps she was too perplexed to think about it, or maybe she enjoyed it. Taking a breath, he brushed a stray hair away from her face, and her cheeks turned pink.

Tone it down,he thought.You’re probably freaking her out.

Ramuz cleared his throat as if to declutter his mind and spoke. “Your village was attacked, ah—” He paused, wishing to add her name to his vocabulary.Humanwas so impersonal. “What is your name?” Her eyes were wide and curious, with a hint of worry, her lips trembling with emotion.

“I-It’s Ursulette.”

“Ursulette,” he said. Her name was the most tender taste he had ever experienced. He grinned. “I am Ramuz.” Ursulette returned a nervous smile.

“I would like it if you put me down, Ramuz,” she said meekly. “This is a lot for me.” Ramuz nodded, realizing he had crossed a boundary. It made him mourn to lose her against him, but if he played his cards right, perhaps he could experience it more. His only comfort was hearing her voice say his name—it was the sweetest sound he had ever heard.

“Of course, my apologies,” he said, bowing his head. Ursulette moved slowly out of his arms, crossing her legs, still near him, which he was grateful for.

“How long was I asleep?” she asked. Ramuz nibbled his lip, knowing the truth would distress her. However, he couldn’t stand to lie. It wasn’t in his nature, let alone trying to keep up with such a facade.

“Since last night.”

“Oh gods,” she gasped, putting her hand over her mouth. He could see the panic crawl over her expression. He wished he could give her a better answer. Being asleep during such an event must’ve been devastating. She sucked her lip between her teeth, eyes growing wide as if the memories were rushing back.

“Now, Ramuz,” she began, saying his name and making his skin crawl with heat. “Please tell me what happened.” Her eyes were more serious now, twisting his insides with a fury. It was like someone had stuck their hands in his guts, pawing and playing with them without care.

“Well, Ursulette, it is not pleasant to say, I’m afraid,” he said. With eyes widening, her face went pink, surely her insides churning like his. Maybe they were more connected than either of them thought.

“Your village was attacked. The demons destroyed it. Lots of people were hurt.” He paused and gulped, finding his tongue to be quite droughty. “Died.” As he explained, he watched her face for traces of change. “The one that attacked you said they intended to wipe it from this earth, and I believe they have succeeded.” Her face grew clouded as her eyes filled with tears.

Once more, Ramuz’s heart ached, watching her sorrow fall from her face like little sparking raindrops. A mucus filled her nose, causing her to sniff, her face a shade of red he hadn’t seen before. It was deep—the color of desolation. She brought her hand over her mouth.

“Please do not watch me cry,” she sniffled. Ramuz tore his eyes away, deciding to stand and grab her a cloth for all the moisture leaking from her body. When he returned, both of her hands were over her face.

“Here,” he said, setting the object in front of her. He almost said not to cry, as one would do when comforting, though it felt inappropriate. She had just lost everything, everyone. Even if she wasn’t close to them, it was still devastating.

Removing her hand from her face, he could see her bloodshot eyes, red-hued face, snot, and tears dribbling in a mess that crushed him. She pressed the cloth to her nose, giving it a snort then used the side of her hand to wipe away the rest of her tears.

“I’m sorry. This is so embarrassing. I shouldn’t be crying like this,” she muttered, her voice now nasally. “I don’t like crying in front of—others.”A slight pause indicated she intended to say something else—more than likelypeople.

“It is quite alright, Ursulette,” he said, wishing to reach out and touch her. Another wave of emotion hit her, and she succumbed to it. “I can give yousome time if you would like.” Quickly, she nodded. Ramuz returned her gesture. She returned her face to the fabric, holding it against the corner of her eye. He turned away, heading outside to bask in the sun, as a guilty but giddy feeling consumed him.

His human was here, but for tragic circumstances. Maybe eventually, the storm would calm, and she would return to her bright self. Then, they could be happy together if that was what she desired. She may have to stay regardless, with most or even all of the citizens of her village massacred. Or they could find another civilization whenever it was safe to venture out. They would have to see.

Chapter 9

Ramuz

“Why are you not frightened of me?” he questioned, his eyes rolling over her form, her face buried in a bowl of greens. It was early afternoon, and the sun shone through the windows, illuminating the little cottage. The rays made her hair sparkle. It was just as intriguing as she was, and he had a hard time tearing his focus away from the waves.

It had been a few days since he brought her here, and she was not behaving as expected. Any other human would’ve been screaming, crying, or fleeing at best, and at worst, they would’ve attacked or harmed him. Ursulette was a gentle soul, just as he witnessed.

Perhaps she subconsciously knew they were both lonely. Or she was sure he would not hurt her. Perhaps she knew something the others did not, or maybe she was simply still dazed from striking her head. He didn’t want to raise his hopes just yet.

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