Page 18 of Stone Seduction
“I’m feeling like a complete idiot.” I kissed his cheek. “I’m sorry.”
A tingling flood inside pushed everything back to where it should be, the potion back in control. Phew. Let it smother me again, put a stop to this. There were better ways of fighting back that didn’t involve hotheadedness.
We yell at each other on the sands of Crab Cove…
Crap. An unwanted memory.
He runs from the lighthouse. He runs from me. Silly argument. Silliness and him losing his protection because of a strop. Big time screw up, puts himself in the firing line for a monster to consume his soul.
But why? What the hell had Finn been thinking? Why would he give up the key ingredient to his safety? To spite me? To hurt me?
You’ve never been vindictive,I thought at him, the emerald glow of the terror house catching my eye.
I quickly averted my gaze, always avoiding eye contact with that building.
The memory faded. My body fully gave into the effects of the potion again, fatigue taking over. My grip on Asher slipped, limbs too weak to hold on any longer.
He adjusted my position, holding me like precious cargo. “You really need some sleep.”
I smiled up at him, happy to pass out right here.
He beat his wings, ready to take us back to the lighthouse.
I’m coming, my beautiful bed!
A bone-shaking roar tore through the clouds directly above our heads, shooting holes through my sleepy hope.
What now?
Seconds later, an enormous monster broke through the ceiling of darkness. Luminously violet, its body resembled a great white shark. Wings covered in spikes burst from its body where its pectoral fins should be, its dorsal fin similar to one of those blades you saw on woodwork benches.
If monsters with humans riding them weren’t a real danger, I’d be peeing myself laughing at the ridiculousness of this flying shark and asking myself if I’d somehow stumbled into a B-movie universe through my wardrobe.
The monster cut through the air, making a beeline straight for us, a glittery purple light sparkling in its opening mouth.
Wow. Had it swallowed a vat of glitter at some craft fair before coming here?
A flash of rage failed to stir my powers again. It stuttered under a surge of panic.
Asher yelled something and sped off, arms locking me in an iron grip.
I watched the glittering light expand behind us, way too pretty to be menacing. Only, weren’t some of the prettiest flowers in the world the deadliest?
Hmmm.
The monster chased us, its mouth expanding, the light growing brighter and brighter, too much bling for my eyes to take.
“Shit!” Asher said as Sharky gained on us.
He flew faster, taking dives and sudden ascents, trying everything to shake the monster off. But the bastard acted like a homing missile, never giving up.
Crap. I tried wrenching my fire power from its prison, fumbling, slick with metaphysical oil. The potion pulsed in my veins, mocking my struggles.
You had your chance,it whispered.Too late now.
Fine. I just had to tap into my rage again, plunder my depths for the right spark to set off the inferno. Send my fears packing.
But I met coldness. Everything was too far from the surface, lost in the dark.
