Page 131 of Stone Seduction
Reason crept in. Better? By doing this?
No. I couldn’t… I couldn’t…
Laughter. Her laughter, showing me scenes of Asher with Finn. My brother in my place. Experiencing everything he was meant to.
The gargoyle’s touch, his affection, his sense of home.
Home. A home I wanted.
Not yours, thief.
“Give in, Luke,” Ember whispered. “Let it all go. Wash it all away.”
Wash away. Wash away. Wash away what? The town? The town didn’t do anything to suffer devastation.
No, no, no. This wasn’t right. I had to put this water back. Gently. Regain control and leave town. Run away and crawl under a rock in some dark, dank place.
Finn…
Ember dragged me into her cavern. “You’re stronger than I give you credit for, Ocean.”
I didn’t answer, too enveloped in this betrayal.
“But you’re also so easily distracted.” She clapped her hands, hot air whipping my face.
A rumble sounded from beneath me as I was sent back to Brinecrest again.
In those few moments with my enemy, I’d set the tsunami free.
THIRTY-THREE
Asher
The woman screamed, throwing herself at her husband’s corpse.
I froze, my mind scrambling while Rory’s brain matter oozed down my face.
Eden said something, the humans thrown into panic. Their frightened cries set my teeth on edge.
What just happened here?
“Rory!”
Knights moved in, helping Dane with the crowd.
What just happened?’
“Get up, Cookie. Get up.” Eden hauled me to my feet.
I blinked, the gore reaching my neck. “His head…”
She dabbed at my face with a tissue. “By the gods, Cookie.”
“I don’t understand.” I winced under the influx of commotion, sensitive to everything.
“Come this way.” Eden led me to a quieter spot down some side alley.
I leaned against a wall, bending over, hands on my thighs. “Shit, sis. Shit. His head.” My brain restarted. “His head.”
