Page 41 of Sins of the Stone

She wasn’t sure where he was, but she could not think of that now. This was her battle, not his, and she had to fight for herself. She had to be her own hero. Feeling her knees go weak, tears forming in her eyes while his foul organ violated her, she snapped from her panic and did the only thing she thought to do.

Bite him.

And so she did.

The flavor was rancid, even worse than the taste of his filthy tongue. It was like chewing on a piece of rubber that leaked blood. The irony fluid made her want to puke, but she continued, hoping to sever his violating limb once and for all. For all she knew, she wasn’t the first person he had done this to. It would be better for everyone if he were permanently scarred as a pervert by losing his ability to speak.

However, she couldn’t complete her task due to him striking her in the head with his fist, making stars dance in her vision, and she fell to the floor. Her jaw unhinged as his oozing maw sprinkled crimson all over the floor. She didn’t even have a moment to smile before he continued to wail on her, stomping her head in as hard, if not harder, than she bit down on him.

“S-stupid bitch, I knew you were rotten,” he spewed, his tone crazed as blood showered her from above. It sounded like he was trying to keep his composure, hiding tears, yet furious. Even worse was that it seemed the damage was minimal.

Ursulette covered her head and neck with her arms, hoping she would come out of it with minor brain damage, though, with how heavy his stomps were and how fast her vision was fading, she wasn’t sure how successful her defense would be.

“I-I hope you die, I hope youfuckingdie.” All of his words were accented with a spray of ferocious pink saliva. He continued his onslaught, kicking her in the stomach, stomping her side, and her head she was attempting to cover. A grunt or an insult accompanied each action, his words so slurred and harsh that he sounded almost inebriated. She really thought it would be the end until another set of footsteps came near that sounded almostimaginary through the fog in her head.

“Omar!” Giles snapped, his voice assertive. “The hell are you doing, boy?” Ursulette’s eyes creaked open, her lids bearing the weight of the world. Even blinking felt painful, each breath like a rattle in her chest. She could see Omar with his hand over his mouth, covering his shame as a stain of blood formed on the front of his shirt.

She wanted to smile, but couldn’t bring herself to, not when her entire body felt as if it were put through a meat grinder. Giles did his best to use the spare key to open the door but was struggling to keep his hands steady.

After a moment, he unlocked the cage, pulling it open with the same signature squeal as before. As he rushed towards her, Omar slipped out of the cell, grumbling as he did so.

He kneeled next to her, her body slowly unfurling, injuries illuminated by the moonlight. She could feel every ache and pain, her lip split and eye swollen, the front of her dress torn slightly, revealing a myriad of other scrapes and bruises, each one inflamed and raging with fury. With that, he laid her head on his knees, elevating her spinning mind.

“The hell did you do, Ursulette?” He brushed her blood-soaked hair from her face as he questioned her. She wasn’t sure how much was hers and how much was Omar’s until she went to giggle, and a dribble leaked from the side of her mouth.

“I fucked him up. That’s what I did,” she affirmed, not fully coherent. Giles wiped the spritz from her lip, her eyes shutting slightly.

“Did he—”

“He tried. Whatever you’re thinking, he tried.” Giles made a noise as if dissatisfied. The realization made her snap back to reality. “Oh gods,” she murmured, raising her hand to her head with a groan. “Did that really happen?”

Giles nodded somberly. She tried to sit up, the pain in her ribs sharp, and she was unsuccessful, remaining resting on him. Their eyes connected once she was satisfied with her position, as a gloomy atmosphere settled in the cell.

“Ursulette, I have to ask you something,” he said. Their eyes connected,indicating a mutual understanding.

“It’s about my gargoyle, isn’t it?” Giles nodded, his gesture filled with sorrow. “Go ahead.”

“Is he… really as good as you say?” he inquired. Ursulette’s face shaded pink, thinking about all the good times she had with him, how affectionate he was, and much more. Though she knew it would be hard for him to understand, she picked out the best details to spill.

“Yes, he saved my life, gave me a home and love. When have humans ever done something like that for me besides you?” she asked. “Not once has he laid an unclean finger on me or anyone else. Even if he is a creature, he is one of a kind.” She sighed, her heart hurting just thinking about him.

“No one understood me before I met him. Now I feel complete, whole. Even if he is a monster to the rest of you, he is the most beautiful creature in the world to me, as I am to him.” Her eyes fell, the shade of her face growing deeper.

“I know none of you would understand, and I don’t blame you for that,” she said. “All we want is to be left alone. If I have to be ostracized by my species for the rest of my life, I would gladly do so.” Giles’ face was blank, processing her words. She only hoped he wouldn’t turn on her like the others.

“Because I thought that humans could change. That we would all stick together, even in times of travesty. I always saw the good in them, even if they did not see the same in me. I now realize that I was wrong,” she declared. “Humans are rotten, and because I didn’t see that earlier, I am going to die.” Admitting she would perish tasted sour on her tongue, but there was no denying what would happen shortly. After a moment of thick silence, he nodded, his face stoic.

“I understand,” he said. “I can’t promise I can convince the others, but I will try.” Ursulette gave him a small smile, face still swollen. Even though doing so hurt more than anything, it was the only thing she could muster. With that, Giles stood up, making his deterioration obvious. His legs trembled beneath him, his face creasing deeply with a wince. Since the pillage, he appeared to have aged twenty years.

“Thank you.”

Chapter 27

Ursulette

The following day, when the sun rose, two people Ursulette didn’t recognize dragged her out of the cell. Her legs were practically nonexistent beneath her as the agony of the previous day was boiling in her body, and the weakness of hunger was truly setting in.

She was pulled out into the sun with her head slumped between her shoulders and her hair in a mess. Her eyes burned in the light as she felt the low thump of a headache begin to form. Death was just a breath away, but she was too powerless to stop it.

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