Etched In Stone

by Susan Hayes

  “I know a few werewolves who are going to be green with envy when they learn you can shapeshift without risking public nudity,” she said.

  “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact you know werewolves. I’m starting to understand why my appearance didn’t cause you more distress, though.”

  She gave him an odd look. “You surprised me, but I’m not distressed, no. Something tells me I can trust you. I can’t explain it better than that, but I trust my instincts. Besides, my name is carved over your heart. I don’t think you could hurt me even if you wanted to.”

  “You can trust me with your life, Adina. I would never do anything to endanger you or cause you pain.”

  Her answer was a rueful laugh as she pointed to the back of her head. “The bump on my head begs to differ with you.”

  Guilt sliced through his heart at the reminder that he’d startled her so badly she’d been hurt. “I am truly sorry about that. If there were some way I could take your pain away, I would. I was created to protect and defend, not to heal.”

  “And I was created with a double helping of the klutz gene. I was teasing you, Stone. It’s not like you pushed me. You can ask my family when you meet them, I’m my own worst enemy.”

  “You want me to meet your family?” He asked, stunned.

  “I think you should, yeah. I mean, until we figure out a way to free you from this spell you’re more or less my bodyguard, right? I’m pretty sure they’ll notice if I’ve suddenly grown a tall, dark, and occasionally horny shadow.” Her green eyes went wide as saucers and a brilliant blush colored her cheeks. “Uh, I mean horned. Tall, dark, and horned.”

  God, she was lovely when she was flushed and flustered. He was tempted to confess that she’d been correct the first time just to prolong the effect, but he bit his tongue. The last thing he wanted was to upset his new mistress by telling her that now that he was human again he was feeling every need that had been left unfulfilled in more than a century. In his dreams, they may have been lovers, but this wasn’t a dream anymore. Somehow, she’d become his reality.

  “I would be honored to meet your family. Even your overprotective father. He might not approve of me, but as it happens, I’m immune to sharp, pointy weapons.”

  She laughed, her earlier embarrassment forgotten. “That’s a definite advantage, but honestly, I don’t think you have anything to worry about. Dad only breaks out the blades when he’s meeting someone I’m dating. You’re my bodyguard, not my boyfriend.”

  “It’s a father’s prerogative to test any man who comes courting his daughter. Anyone who was discouraged by a show of fatherly force doesn’t deserve your affection.”

  “That’s more or less what Dad said the last time it happened. He wasn’t as eloquent as you were, but the point was the same.”

  “Were I courting a woman as lovely as you, Adina, I can tell you that I wouldn’t let anything or anyone discourage me.”

  Adina blushed again. “That’s sweet of you to say. Come on, we should head inside and find that drink we were talking about.”

  “Are you feeling well enough to make the walk or shall I carry you?” Stone asked.

  “Carry me? Uh, no, really. I’m fine to walk. It’s not very far.” Adina looked almost panicked at his suggestion.

  “As you wish.” He offered her his arm instead. “Shall we?”

  Her panic abated as quickly as it came and she placed her hand on his arm with a shy smile. “I think that’s the first time a man has ever offered me his arm this way. It’s rather gallant.”

  “You mean old fashioned. I suspect I will need your help catching up on modern manners and etiquette. Seeing it on television or the internet is one thing, but living in the world…I haven’t done that in a very long time.”

  “You’re familiar with the internet? How’d you manage the keyboard with those big talons of yours?” she asked.

  “Carefully,” he joked.

  “I bet. That would have been something to see, a gargoyle surfing the web and watching cat videos. Wait, where’d you even get access to a computer?”

  He shrugged. “The household staff lived on the estate. While my master eschewed most technology, his employees didn’t.”

  She was frowning as they reached the door. “So you prowled this estate like a ghost? There but invisible to everyone?”

  “Indeed. In fact, I’m the reason that my former home is thought to be haunted. Things being moved, floorboards creaking, the residents feeling as if they were being watched. All attributed to a ghost.” He opened the door and blinked in the blazing New Mexico sun.

  “I should have grabbed my sunglasses,” Adina muttered as she raised a hand to her face to block the worst of the sun.

  Her home was a weathered farmhouse nestled in the shade of several massive oak trees. Of more interest to Stone was the stretch of land between Adina’s house and her studio. It had been carefully landscaped, with gravel pathways meandering through it. There was a multitude of plants and flowers he’d never seen before, all of them clearly hardy enough to thrive in the arid climate. Scattered throughout the space were statues and stone sculptures. They ranged in size and styles, some of them nearly hidden by the plants surrounding them while others stood out in the open.

  “Was this to be my new home?” he asked, gesturing to the garden.

  “Actually, I had a spot picked out for you in front so you could guard the homestead. Of course, that was when I thought you were a statue. Since you’re something else entirely, you can have the guest bedroom. Maybe I’ll have you pose for me in your other form and I’ll make a replica to go out front.”

  The idea of posing for a statue of himself had Stone laughing long and hard. They made it through the garden and all the way to the back steps before he finally composed himself. It was more than her suggestion that had him in such a good mood. He was human again, alive and standing in the sunshine with a beautiful woman who accepted what he was without fear.

  He reached for the door before she could, opening it and gesturing for her to proceed him through. Inside the air was cooler and the soft colors of the walls diffused the light that came through the windows. There was a trace of sweetness in the air accompanied by a hint of cinnamon.

  Adina was darting around attempting to tidy up. “I’m sorry the place is such a mess. I made cinnamon toast this morning and hadn’t gotten around to the dishes yet.”

  “I’m not concerned about the dishes. I am concerned about you. You need to be resting or at the very least taking something for that headache.”

  “Does wine cure headaches? I believe I promised you a drink.”

  “I’m sure it has some medicinal value,” he said.

  She opened a cupboard door, picked up two wine glasses, and then turned and pointed to a cupboard well out of her reach. “Can you please pick us out a nice bottle from the cabinet? I keep it out of reach so I’m not tempted to imbibe too often.”

  Inside the cupboard were several bottles of liquor and a small but well-stocked wine rack. He chose a bottle of red and rejoined her in the middle of the kitchen. “Where to, now?”

  “Living room. While you pour the wine, I’ll get something for my headache out of the bathroom and then we can talk.”

  “Wine and conversation. You have no idea how good that sounds to me right now.”

  “Just wait. Later on, I’ll order pizza. And hot wings. And maybe some garlic bread.” She eyed him for a minute and laughed. “Given how big you are and how long it’s been since you’ve eaten, maybe I should order one of everything on the menu.”

  “Food, drink, and the company of a beautiful woman. You’re making all my dreams come true.” Someday, hopefully soon, he’d tell her exactly how true that statement was. He still wasn’t sure why she’d been in his dreams. He’d never dreamed of any of his other masters. Not until her. Adina was special, and he wanted her to know that dreaming of her was all that kept the darkness at bay while he was trapped.

&nb
sp; She’d saved him twice now. Once from madness and once from his prison. Stone intended to spend the rest of his life keeping her safe in return.

  Chapter Three

  Maxwell Webb had been waiting for this moment for years. In fact, his entire life and the lives of his family for generations had been dedicated to making this moment happen. As he stepped out of his car and onto the land that had once belonged to the Drummond family, Maxwell felt a weight fall from his shoulders. He’d done it. Everything that had been denied John Drummond’s first born son was finally in his grasp. He’d gathered the important pieces one at a time as they’d been sold off to cover the Drummond family’s ever-growing debts.

  Cast aside because of rumors about Pearl’s infidelity, Maxwell’s ancestor had been raised in shame by poor relations of his mother. By the time the first Maxwell Webb had reached adulthood, he had committed himself to regaining what was rightfully his by any means necessary. It had taken over a century and been the driving force of every generation, but that goal was finally complete. The Drummond family was ruined, and all they had now belonged to Maxwell’s descendant.

  He didn’t bother entering the house. What he wanted to see the most wasn’t inside. He strode around to the back garden, careful to keep to the rocky path so as to avoid getting dirt on his handstitched Oxford leather shoes. Decades of meticulous research and recordkeeping had revealed every detail and habit about their enemy. Along with the hard facts and dirty secrets had come superstitious whispers of spirits that dwelled in the shadows, and of a guardian spirit who watched over the family. It had taken years to put all the pieces together, and even now, Maxwell had a difficult time believing the conclusion his grandfather had finally come to. The old man had been convinced that at some point in the Drummonds’ past, they’d come into possession of something powerful, an old world relic that offered protection to whoever possessed it. Somewhere along the way, the family had lost their connection to the relic, and that was when they’d started their long fall into ruin.

  Maxwell wouldn’t have admitted it to anyone, but he was looking for a damned statue, a gargoyle as large as a man. His grandfather’s research had led the old man to believe that this was the relic that had once powered the Drummond’s fortune and power. Maxwell had a hard time believing any of it. Likely he was chasing an old man’s delusions. Still, he’d made a promise to his grandfather, a deathbed vow, and he would fulfill it if he could.

  According to his grandfather’s notes, the statue he was looking for should be back in the courtyard area. Once he found it, he would claim ownership, and then whatever powers it had should come to him. If the damned thing had powers at all. If he wasn’t about to make a fool of himself claiming dominion over a chunk of inanimate rock. He’d brought the family to ruin and claimed everything that should have been his ancestor’s birthright. All that was left was this one promise. Once it was done, he’d be able to enjoy the fruits of his labors.

  Twenty minutes later, Maxwell still hadn’t found the statue he needed. In fact, he hadn’t found many statues at all. Empty pedestals and holes in the overgrown greenery abounded, but someone had clearly taken everything else.

  “Goddamn it!” he snarled and withdrew a phone from the pocket of his well-tailored slacks. He’d bought the house with the clear stipulation that he wanted everything left inside the house and on the grounds. Someone had screwed up, and when he found out who, he’d have their head. This wasn’t over until he’d fulfilled his final promise and to do that, he needed the damned statue.

  It appeared his victory celebration would have to wait a little while longer. He had a gargoyle to find.

  The last thing Adina could have imagined herself doing was spending the evening sharing a bottle of wine and a supreme, double cheese pizza with the man she’d been dreaming about for more than ten years. She hadn’t dreamed of Stone often. Perhaps once or twice a year at most.

  She’d never told anyone about her dreams. Her mother had always been a little disappointed that neither of her children had inherited her gifts to any great extent. If Adina had admitted to having a recurring dream about anything at all, her mom would have made a big deal out of it. If she’d ever learned that Adina dreamed about a handsome lover who came cloaked in shadow—God, she would have wanted to do a reading and find out everything there was to know about who he was and when he would appear in Adina’s life. Adina had never wanted to know. She’d been afraid to find out he was only a dream, or worse, that he was real, but he wasn’t destined to be hers.

  She’d only come to her mother once to learn about her future. When she was fifteen, she’d wanted to know the name of her true love. An utterly cheesy question but one Adina had been determined to ask. The answer had nearly broken her heart. No girl wants to be told that her true love was not a person, but a calling. Not that she didn’t love her studio or her life as a sculptor, she did, but rocks and stone would never love her back. Since then, Adina had never asked for another glimpse into her future. She didn’t want to know.

  “This was a feast fit for a king, and a goodly portion of his court,” Stone said as he finished the last slice of pizza and leaned back on his side of the sofa.

  “I’m going to need to eat nothing but salad for a week as penance, but it was totally worth it,” she agreed.

  Stone looked at her with a frown. “You will do no such thing. There’s nothing to atone for, Adina. Why would you starve yourself?”

  She blushed and instinctively tugged at her T-shirt, rearranging it so it didn’t cling quite so tightly to her love handles. “I need to watch what I eat, or I’ll gain weight. I’m half dwarf so I know I’ll never be tall or thin, but I can be less, well, dwarfy.”

  “Dwarfy is not the word I’d used to describe you. I’m not even sure that’s a word at all. Though the English language has changed so much over the years, I can’t be certain.”

  “Is there a nice, old-fashioned term to describe someone built like me? Maybe we can start a trend.”

  “Aye, there is, myn lykyng. Thou art fairest of all things,”

  Stone’s accent thickened as he spoke and her pulse quickened as he complimented her. She wasn’t sure what it all meant, but there was no denying how his words made her feel. Desired and beautiful.

  “What was that first bit? Myn lykyng?” she asked, trying to reproduce the words in the same lilting tone he’d used.

  He surprised her by sitting up, then taking her hand and lifting it to his lips to kiss her fingers before answering. “Roughly translated it would mean something like ‘the one I delight in, or one who pleases me.' You are a beautiful and delightful woman, Adina. That is how I would describe you.”

  “You’ve clearly been out of circulation for too long if you think I’m beautiful. I liked the way it sounded when you said it, though.” She tried to pull her hand out of his grip, but he tightened his fingers around hers, holding her fast.

  “I know beauty when I see it, Adina. Whether you see it or not, I can,” he told her, pressing their joined hands to his chest.

  Adina didn’t know what to say. Men who looked like Stone didn’t give women like her a second glance. She had no illusions about her looks or her body. She wasn’t beautiful, but her art could be. Her sculptures were everything she would never be, but in creating them, she added a little beauty to the world.

  “You look like you’re about to argue with me. Don’t. You won’t win,” he told her.

  “Are you always this sure of yourself?”

  “Only when I know I’m right. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, is it not? The delivery driver said I was ugly and you told him I wasn’t, that to you I was a work of art. Your actions prove my point.” his lips curved up into a smug smile as he finished speaking.

  “You heard that?” she asked.

  “I did. I could hear, and see, and feel everything you said and did even before I was freed.”

  “You felt—oh. Oh God, I groped you! I mean, I was inspecting the statu
e for damage but that was you and I—I think I owe you an apology,” she said, barely aware of what she was babbling.

  “You have nothing to apologize for. You couldn’t have known I was alive and aware.” His gray eyes darkened with desire. “If I were to be completely honest with you, I enjoyed having your hands on me.”

  At that moment, Stone appeared exactly as she remembered him from her dreams. Handsome, strong, and looking at her with such hunger that it made her body hum in anticipation of what could happen next. “Is that why you’re still holding my hand?”

  “I’m holding your hand because I want to. If you tell me to release you, I will, but I won’t promise not to do it again. And before you even say it, no, this is not because I’ve been alone so long. This is something else.”

  Pulling away would be the smart thing to do. She should take back her hand, get off the couch, and start tidying up the remains of their dinner. Instead, she turned herself so that she was facing him, one leg tucked in front of her. “You’re not the only one who has been alone a long time, Stone. I’m not going to ask you to let go of my hand, even though I probably should.”

  “You were never this unsure of yourself in my dreams,” he muttered under his breath as he turned to face her, tugging at her hand so she was pulled in close.

  “Dreams? What—“

  He cut off her question with a kiss that left no doubt about his interest in her. His lips slanted over hers with an undeniable hunger that sent her pulse racing. Heat bloomed deep inside her, a firestorm of passion and need that grew wilder with every passing second. She let the flames take her. There was no point in resisting anymore. It was time to surrender to destiny. They were meant to be. Her dream lover hadn’t only been a dream after all. Now she knew that she was determined to enjoy every minute they were given. For once, she wasn’t going to let her mother’s prediction overshadow everything. She may be destined to spend her life alone, but she didn’t have to spend tonight that way.