Page 31 of Sins of the Stone

“It disturbs me when you’re quiet,” he griped, reaching out and pulling her close. She stumbled into him, her face blossoming with a blush as he wrapped his arms around her.

“Let’s go home,” he said, burying his face in her hair. She was quiet once more, still feeling the effects of the confrontation and her lingering anxiety.If he could, he would take those worries away from her.

“I have to go back, eventually,” she muttered against him. His grip grew tighter.

“I know. I do not want you to end up like me,” he said. “Alone.” And that was the truth. They both had to endure because of that reality.

Chapter 21

Ursulette

Sleep came much easier than it did at the camp. There wasn’t a feeling of guilt or a predator looming nearby, at least not a human one. Creatures lurked everywhere, but the walls of their home provided them with at least a little protection. Better than what they had at the camp. Yes, that was the excuse she could use to explain why she left during the night. They were much too vulnerable in the state they were in.

Ursulette rolled out of bed in the morning, brushing her messy hair out of her face. The corners of her eyes blurred with dried tears, but she didn’t want to think about that. She wasn’t proud of it, but it was a necessary action. Something to take the stress off.

She wandered to the kitchen and sat at the table, her eyes staring off into nothing, hoping to distance herself from what was happening. Nothing would heal these wounds, not at the moment. Omar’s veiled threats echoed in her head.

I will find you.

She tried not to think about what would happen if he succeeded, not that he would. It was just an unfounded worry, right? There was no way he could make it out there. They were a rag-tag group of misfits, and even if they weren’t, they were too injured to do much damage to anyone.

Ramuz emerged shortly after, his eyes appeared tired as well. She had never seen that expression on his face before. It broke her heart to know she was the cause of his distress.

They shared a silent nod of greeting, and they both sat at the table, Ursulette hoping, praying, that this inevitable conversation would go well. After some time, Ramuz’s gravelly voice startled her out of her thoughts.

“We need to talk about what happened,” he said. Her heart sank to her toes. “I am not sure I am comfortable with you returning there, Ursulette.” Her eyes leered to the side, unsure if she was ready to digest this information. He was right. It was risky, but was the cost worth it? Not ending up alone, the only one from her previous home, doomed to live a life without her own kind? Even the most reclusive of humans needed a companion. Giles was her only friend. She could not abandon him.

“I know. I know that more than you think,” she said. “If they found out we were together, they would hang me from those damned nooses and butcher you.” Ursulette averted her gaze, feeling her face go pale.

“I see it in my mind,” she said, “us dying.”

“Do you really think that gaggle of rejects and that pathetic worm will do anything to you with me around? I could slaughter them all if you asked me to.” Ursulette’s face shaded, reflecting on the similar carnage that brought them together. The one she saw when she closed her eyes. The horror, the massacre, the destruction of mother and child, cradled, charred…

“No!” she cried. “Please, for the love of the gods, do not do that.”

“I would not do that without your blessing,” he assured. Ursulette felt the balloon of tension pop, her shoulders drooping like a wilted flower parched for water.

“That’s a relief,” she said with an exhale. “But I wouldn’t ask you to, anyway. I don’t advocate for violence.” Ursulette’s lips peeked into a smile, only to fade off like a morning fog. “Giles is my only friend, you know. I don’t know if I would’ve made it without him. That day, and in general.” Ramuz’s yellow eyes glinted with sympathy. She imagined the dreaded loneliness he felt so strongly before—the isolation, the pain, the craving for companionship when it would not come.

“I am well aware, Ursulette. The only reason I am not more vocal about this is because I do not want you to end up solitary like I was for so long,” he said. “Now that I have you, it is not so bad. But nothing will replaceyour own kind. I know that.”

A prickle of sorrow welled in her eyes, making her feel hollow again. Ramuz sighed deeply, his chair squeaking against the wood plank floor. His steps approached her, but she could not face him—not with another round of tears streaming down her flushed cheeks.

She felt the warm comfort of a firm hand on her shoulder, pulling her into an embrace. Her damp face pressed against his leathery chest, drying up her melancholy. The touch of his clawless fingers stroked her hair, making her feel almost weightless.

“I only say these things because I care,” he said. “You will not end up like me, I promise you.” His words were slightly muffled against her scalp, but they meant something all the same. And even though his touch sapped most of the sadness from her, his brief comment made her heart ache.

“I appreciate that, Ramuz. It means the world to me,” she said, hoping not to let the remainder of her somber feelings show through. “You… mean the world to me.” Ursulette imagined that if her gargoyle could blush, he would be doing so now. She could feel his strong heartbeat increase with excitement despite his tough exterior.

The tips of his gentle fingers tucked under her chin and pulled her shining gaze to his. Ursulette’s lips instinctively parted for a kiss, and right on command, he pressed his mouth to hers, making her skin break out into gooseflesh. She never wanted this moment to end. After what felt like forever, they separated, and Ramuz brushed a streak of hair behind her ear. Ursulette felt the tickle of a single tear falling from her eye, and Ramuz wiped it away.

“I would not have a world if it weren’t for you,” he said. “Let us have a good day today. I do not want to see you cry anymore if I can help it.” That very statement shattered her heart. He was always so kind, yet she felt she could not entirely abandon her previous life for him. It was a feeling she didn’t want to dwell on but would plague her until the end of her days, however soon or far that was.

Chapter 22

Ursulette

Despite all the worries lingering in her mind, there were also other things she couldn’t stop thinking about. More pleasant things. And now was the perfect time for them to indulge while her psyche was at peace.

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