Page 47 of The Stone Curse
“What can we do?”
“I don’t know. Serath usually…He was here for me.”
“I can be here for you,” Derek said.
“No!” Shar and I said at the same time.
He looked between us, his diamond eyes clouded. “My Cameron, I want to help you.”
“I know, but not with this. You can’t help with this.”’
“Why not?”
My cheeks warmed. “Because…because I don’t want you to, okay?”
He flinched and looked down at his plate. I shot Shar ahelp melook.
She gently placed her hand on his arm. “Derek, it’s a sex thing. The kind of thing that lovers do, not best friends.”
He looked up slowly. “I see. My Cameron, you can explain these things to me. I will understand.” Then to Sharniza. “Thank you. And I do have a solution. You can do the sex thing with Levi.”
“No, I can’t. Because…because we used to be lovers and now we’re not, and it would confuse things.”
“For who?” Derek asked.
Damn, he was too astute for his own good sometimes.
“Derek has a point,” Shar said. “What other options do you have? Curi? He’d do it for sure, but he’s already half in love with you, and Touron would probably be sick at the thought. He sees you as a sister.”
“Then some random goyle.” I shuddered.
“Curi,” Sharniza said. “Better than a random guy who might turn into a stalker.”
Derek nodded his agreement. “He is the safest choice if need be.”
Urgh. “I don’t want to. I don’t want anyone but Serath.”
Sharniza looked me dead in the eyes. “Serath is gone.”
I reminded myself of this fact regularly, but hearing it said was a fresh kind of torment. “I know, but…it feels like he’s still here.” My dream surged to the forefront of my mind. “Last night, I?—”
A gargoyle male strode into the room. “Sharniza, when did you arrive?”
Sharniza sat up straighter, her expression smoothing out like glass. “Father. We arrived last night and will be leaving after the funeral.”
Thiswas her father? This tall, wiry goyle with a heavy brow and frown lines that made me think he never smiled? I couldn’t see the resemblance between them at all.
“And who are your guests…” His brows shot up at the sight of Derek. “Miss Basque and her shield, I presume?”
“News travels fast.” I forced a smile. “Nice to meet you.” Although it didn’t feel nice. It felt cold and uncomfortable being in his presence, as if he sucked the heat right out of the room.
He barely looked my way before turning his assessment on his daughter. “You’ve let your hair grow out.” His nose twitched as if he smelled something bad. “You’ll fix that.”
“I’m sorry,” Shar said smoothly. “Things have been busy. I’ll get it cut back at the academy.”
“No need. Berta can do it before you leave.”
A little light bled out of my friend’s eyes. Her throat bobbed. “Of course.”
