Page 45 of Stone Seduction
Yeah, poison. The cold, icy oozing became a crawl of a billion invaders. Microscopic jellyfish lumbering in my veins toward mystruggling heart. They pounded in my ears as a death knell, each laborious beat telling me to buckle up for the end.
Man, what a humiliating way to go out.
Jellyfish scurried around us, making their way toward the lighthouse. Once they got up those sea stairs, they’d soon reach the town.
The only way off this tiny peninsula beach for these monsters was either up those stairs or via the water. So, why weren’t these wankers swimming? Another flaw in their design, perhaps?
Knights soared above in a blaze of speed. I didn’t see what happened next, only heard the slicing and dicing, every part of me rigid. Darkness crept into the edges of my vision, my heart struggling.
My dying cells lost all feeling, the pressure of Dane’s body barely registering anymore. Neither did the pain.
Fading.Waving goodbye to a life I didn’t wanna leave yet. But how could I fight to stay for Luke? How could I fight for anything when the jellyfish got me so good?
TWELVE
Luke
Iawoke to a serious itching in Asher’s mark, a sleepy haze smothering my brain.
Ugh. Need more sleep.
Sitting up with a mighty yawn, I scratched at the area of my neck where he’d marked me.
Strange. It never itched.
Speaking of the gargoyle, where was he? Bathroom? Balcony? Already out on patrol? Scratching still, I stared at his side of the bed for a moment, missing him.
Why didn’t he wake me to say goodbye?
Ready for coffee and a clue, I got up and yawned again as I headed for the bathroom. I called out for him along the way, deflating with each silent response.
A kernel of dread formed in my chest, as heavy as a boulder.
“Maybe he’s on patrol,” I said aloud to make the words sound more convincing.
A roiling belly told me otherwise.
Something was wrong. The persistent itching turned painful.
I hurried to the bathroom, hoping to see Asher in the shower or bathtub, knowing he wouldn’t be.
“Fuck it…” I murmured, approaching the mirror.
The thin line pulsed with crimson light, my heart jackhammering at the sight of it.
What the hell?
Sucking air between my teeth, I dashed across the suite, throwing open the front door. All traces of sleep were gone, panic a wind to blow them away.
The amulet! What the hell?
I hurried back to the bedroom, grabbing it from the bedside table. I slipped it on, ready to hear his voice.
Silence greeted me.
“Asher?”
Nothing.
