Page 12 of Sins of the Stone

“It will take time, but you will eventually.” Ursulette gave a gentle smile, pulling him out of his negative emotions. It was the first time in a long timehe felt like he could breathe. She was safe and as content as she could be. It was good enough for now.

Sitting up with a yawn, she placed her palm over her mouth. There was no doubt in his mind that she was exhausted. She certainly looked the part as her eyes draped with dark circles that he hadn’t noticed before. Even her cheeks looked slightly sunken, if he wasn’t mistaken.

“Thanks for talking with me, Ramuz.” He broke out into goosebumps again. “You really are quite interesting,” she said, slightly blushing. Maybe he was as fascinating to her as she was to him. “I should get to bed. It’s been a long day.” Ramuz nodded. Yes, it had been a long day. He only hoped he could sleep with the flurry of thoughts swirling in his head. She stood up, her hands laced behind her back.

“Shall I sleep on the couch again?” she asked. Ramuz gnawed his lip. Would he dare propose sharing a bed with her? The couch wasn’t nearly as comfortable, and he knew it. She deserved a good sleep after all she had been through.

“You could sleep here, in the bed,” he suggested.

“Then where would you sleep?” Her voice was curious and speckled with a slight worry—a concern for him and his comfort. Maybe it was just her being polite, but it felt good nonetheless.

“In bed.”

Her cheeks flushed, her sea-blue eyes averting their gaze. Yes, he knew humans were sensitive about sleeping in bed with those they were not close with, but he didn’t see the issue. Even if it was selfish, he just wanted to hold her close. It was worth a shot.

“With me?” she asked. He nodded, fighting the grin threatening to stretch across his face. “Oh, well, I don’t know about that,” she said. “That’s kinda taboo.” Ramuz’s ears pricked up.

“What does that mean,taboo?”

Her blush deepened as her hands entwined together in front of her again, her fingers fiddling with the string on her dress. “It’s like… frowned upon by society,” she said. “Or, inappropriate, unacceptable, things like that.” Ramuz nodded. “How about I sleep on the couch for now?” Even though it was a rejection, he clung to the wordsfor now.It was good enough for him. Good enough to fuel that spark.

“Whatever you like,” he said. She gave him her little smile again, and his body buzzed. She wandered to the doorway, pausing, her face still adorned with a faint pink.

“Goodnight, Ramuz. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight, Ursulette.” With that, she left the room, her hand lingering on the doorjamb until she slipped away. He heard her steps fade, presumably placing herself on the couch. He imagined her snuggling up, pulling her arms close, and fading into a peaceful sleep. Now it was his turn to be jealous. He knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep a wink, not when his favorite human was drifting off in the room next to him.

Chapter 11

Ursulette

It had been about two weeks since the mysterious gargoyle came into Ursulette’s life. She felt quite at ease in his presence, even if it was due to tragic circumstances. Even though she knew he didn’t have nefarious intentions, she was still skeptical for the first few days. However, since then, they existed beside each other in a mutual trust.

It seemed he was benevolent, making extra food when cooking and creating a place to sleep for her. Though, for as charitable as Ramuz seemed to be, she still had a nagging feeling that something was off about the situation.

She wondered why a solitary creature would burden themselves with a pesky human, especially when he was perfectly fine before she arrived. She pondered what he was getting out of their relationship. It was strange, but then again, she never knew such creatures existed. Maybe it was just in their nature to care for others.

Compared to her previous concern, her real worry was much more prevalent. Something plaguing her was the fate of everyone back in her village—who survived and the state of it all.

Last she saw, dozens of houses were burning, people were being slaughtered, and lifeless bodies littered the streets. It was something she never wanted to see again. Unfortunately, the universe would not be so kind. In the previous few years, the creatures of the world were gaining courage. Perhaps it was a sign of things to come—an omen of more death.

Even though Ramuz seemed more than content to allow her presence inhis home, she knew she couldn’t stay forever. A human and a creature living together was not viable. Even if they shared some traits, it wouldn’t work out. She had to return home, pick up the pieces, and move on. Though, she knew she couldn’t make it back by herself. She didn’t even know where she was. It could be a few minutes away or miles apart.

After a few days of thinking, she approached Ramuz. If he wouldn’t help, it wouldn’t break her heart. She would just have to find another way to get back. The task would be difficult, but she already faced so many hardships. This would be no different.

She approached him later that evening with anxiety curdling her stomach. She knew she didn’t want to face the reality, and keeping her mouth shut would help avoid this, but it had to be done. Ursulette always let her worries get in the way, but not this time.

The duo enjoyed dinner together, and afterward, she was washing the dishes in the basin atop the counter. Ramuz offered to help, but Ursulette declined. She hoped the slight distraction would unravel the knot forming in her insides.

While scrubbing a plate, she noticed Ramuz near the fire, holding a poker and eyeing her. It was as if he was trying to appear busy, but he was actually just observing. With a slight blush, she tried to ignore his prying gaze, instead swallowing her inhibitions to get it over with. However, she couldn’t help but notice how long his eyes lingered and how warm it made her face.

“Um, Ramuz?” she questioned. Staring into the soapy water, she grabbed another plate, trying not to think about how uncomfortable it made her feel to ask such a thing.

“Yes?” As usual, his voice was as calming as ever. Ursulette’s face shaded once again, swallowing down her worries. Her gaze focused on the water in front of her.

“How far away are we from the village?” Ramuz was stoking the fire, rearranging the logs. She glanced over, noticing his leer fixed on the inferno.

“About a day if we walk, less if we fly. Why?” No longer did she feel the heat of sweat glistening on her skin. It made her feel better that he saidwe, but still, she couldn’t shake that little voice telling her she was a fool forasking. Shaking her head, she spoke again, moving on to the next dish.

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