Page 10 of Stone Seduction
Luke
Ugh. The cavern with the lava lake.
I scowled at the black rocks, the fire pits peppering the ground, but saved my best glower for the burned woman before me.
“You’re back,” she said dismissively in her fractured, melodious tone.
What a rotten sound.
Ember looked out to the vast lake, humming like she always did. Her patchouli scent hit my nostrils like a nasty stink.
Vehement hatred poisoned my system. I loathed her, and she me. God only knew why, but we were pitted against each other for reasons she wouldn’t tell me.
Screw her for keeping her cards close to her chest. This didn’t really make sense. What was I supposed to do? Take her powers and shove her into the lava? And what did she want in the grand scheme of things?
All I knew, other than hating her guts, was that she’d been burned by love. I’d already placed my bets on King Declan, the missing gargoyle monarch, having something to do with it.
“You must enjoy my company,” she added, turning her green eyes to me.
She spoke with an American accent I couldn’t quite place.
God, she looked like she’d been roasted alive, her body a horrible ruin of charcoal with the odd glimpse of pink flesh within the many crevices.
What a shame the one responsible for this didn’t finish the job.
“More like you called me here?” I retorted, her presence an affront to my existence. “Did you miss me?”
“Why would I want you here, Luke? Or is it Ocean? I like Ocean.” She chuckled at the crappy nickname she’d given me. “More like a puddle against me.”
My teeth clenched, noxious hate stabbing at the roots.
“Ocean it is,” she said.
Ugh. “Believe me, I’d rather make friends with a great white shark.”
“Ooo, please do. I would love to see it bite your head off.”
I snickered, flipping her the bird. “Fuck you. At least I can meet sharks. You’re stuck here, whining about being free.”
Hmmm. Since when did I get so arrogant?
She cocked her head, charcoal lips spreading into a grin. The smoldering embers fissuring across her chest and encircling her heart pulsed brightly.
“My time is coming,” she countered. “Even where my dear enchanters fail, more are ready to step in.”
I’d never known hate like this. And I hated Seth right now. Big time. But this was on a different level, high on the abhorrence scale.
Why?
Ember turned away from me again. “I only want to see your real face, not this specter.”
I might be a metaphysical version of myself, but I still felt very real and at one with the environment. I was sweaty from the crazy heat, the uneven ground rough on my bare feet.
I took a swing at gleaning some information, seeing as her tongue seemed loose. “If you tell me where you are, maybe we can shake hands.”
“The ring brings you here, it seems,” she answered.
“Makes sense, I suppose.”
