Etched In Stone

by Susan Hayes

“I’d be happy to,” her father seemed surprised by the words coming out of his mouth as he shook Stone’s hand.

  Hal was still staring at Stone. “You don’t look anything like the pictures I saw of the statue my sister bought. That thing was nightmare-inducing levels of ugly. How do I know you’re really who, and what, you say you are?”

  Stone met Hal’s stare. “Thank you. My other form was created to be intimidating. It’s nice to know it is still effective. As for your question, I don’t have to prove myself to you. Adina knows the truth. Are you calling your own sister a liar?”

  Silence fell, and Adina briefly wondered if it was too soon to ask Stone to fly her out of there.

  Hal glowered for a few more seconds before finally smirking and offering Stone his hand. “Nicely played.”

  Stone grinned and shook Hal’s hand. “That wasn’t a ploy. If you’d called my Adina a liar, I’d have taken you apart.”

  “Your Adina?” Hal asked

  “Mine,” Stone repeated and walked back to her, draping a possessive arm around her shoulders.

  Oh yeah, this is going well.

  “I can see we’re going to have a lot to talk about over dinner. Come on inside. I made lemonade, would you like a glass? Stone, I want to hear all about how you came to be here in Magic, and I know Joram is going to want to talk to you about historical weapons. Anneke mentioned you’re old enough to have seen some interesting things,” Adina’s mother kept up a steady chatter as she herded all of them into the house.

  “I was created—I mean, I remember the Middle Ages and I’ve handled a great many weapons in my time. I’d be happy to talk about what I recall, Mr. Diggersby.”

  “Wait, you remember the Middle Ages? I want to hear this, too,” Hal chimed in.

  The men headed for the living room while Adina found herself being shooed in the opposite direction.

  “Come help me with the lemonade, ladybug,” was all her mother said, but Adina heard the command underlying the simple request. Her mother wanted a word with her. Alone.

  The moment they were out of earshot Nadira fanned her face and grinned. “That is one hot hunk of manhood you’ve got there.”

  “Mom! He’s not a hunk of anything and where did you even hear that expression?”

  “Stone is a total hottie. Charming, too. None of those other boys you brought over ever thought to bring me flowers. And the way he stood up to your brother—that was delicious. Hal had that one coming. I told him to be on his best behavior.”

  “I’m starting to think that is the best Hal can do. You tried your best, but he’s doomed by his grumpy dwarf DNA.”

  Nadira sighed. “I think you’re right. Of course, if you rat me out to your Dad, I’ll deny ever saying such a thing. Now, how are you coping with all this? You went online auction shopping and instead of a new statue, they shipped you your soulmate. I imagine that’s got to be a little unsettling.”

  “I—what?” Adina blinked at her mother as her entire train of thought derailed and then exploded for good measure.

  Her mother frowned. “Stone. He’s your soulmate. You’ve been waiting for him to arrive since you were fifteen years old, ladybug. Don’t tell me you didn’t realize who he was?”

  “I don’t have a soulmate.”

  “Nonsense. I told you about him right here in this kitchen. Don’t you remember?”

  “I remember you telling me that I wouldn’t have a true love. Why do you think I stopped dating, mom? There wasn’t any point when my mother, the seer who was never wrong, told me that my true love would be my stone sculptures.” Adina shot past her mother and started pulling glasses off the shelf for the lemonade. She didn’t want to have this conversation again, and she certainly didn’t want to have it now.

  “Oh no,” Nadira murmured in the saddest tone Adina had ever heard from her.

  “What, mom? Did you forget your own prophecy?” Adina asked without looking away from her self-appointed task.

  “No, sweetheart. I remember it fine. You’re the one who doesn’t recall it correctly. I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize. You never said anything. Is this why you’ve never come to me for another reading? Why you’ve ignored every vision and dream you’ve ever had? Did I do this?”

  “You didn’t do anything but tell me the truth. It was my own fault for asking. You always warned Hal and me that knowing the future wasn’t always a good thing.”

  “Adina, stop what you’re doing and look at me. I know you’re hurting, but you need to listen to me.” Her mom set her hand down on Adina’s shoulder and coaxed her to turn around.

  She turned and faced her mother as a storm of emotions she didn’t want to deal with bubbled deep in her heart. “I’m listening.”

  “I didn’t tell you that your true love would be your sculptures. I told you your true love’s name was Stone. It was so obvious to me that I never considered that you might misunderstand what I was saying. I’m sorry, ladybug. I hurt you and I never even realized.”

  “You said—but that—-Stone?” Adina’s words were as fragmented as her thoughts.

  “Stone.” Her mom repeated with a tiny smile. “He’s the one fate chose for you. Or did you think you dreamed of him for no reason?”

  “You went snooping into my future, didn’t you? I thought we agreed you weren’t going to do that without my permission.”

  “I snooped because my little girl met her soulmate and didn’t even call to tell me. I knew something wasn’t right, but I had no idea… You do forgive me, don’t you?”

  Dazed, Adina gave her mom a fierce hug and tried to fight back the tears of joy that stung her eyes. “Of course, I forgive you. It’s not like you deliberately misled me. I’m going to double check everything you say from now on in case I didn’t understand it the first time, but I love you anyway.”

  Her mom hugged her back so hard it was nearly impossible to breathe. “I love you, too. Now, dry your eyes, and we’ll get these drinks to the boys. If anyone asks about your eyes, just say you got a bit of fresh lemon juice in them.”

  “Can you do me a favor? After the bombshell you just dropped, could you add a little vodka to my drink? I think I’ve earned it.”

  Her mom laughed. “I think that’s a grand idea. I’ll join you. Don’t tell your father.”

  “My lips are sealed. Speaking of Dad, does he know about Stone?”

  “He does. I told him as soon as Anneke called.”

  “Ah, so that’s why he’s behaving himself,” Adina muttered.

  “It is. As you might have guessed, I didn’t tell your brother. He’s not going to take it well.”

  Adina scoffed. “He won’t care that much.”

  “Oh, I think he will. He came to me a few years ago and asked about his soulmate, too. I told him he’d find his after you found yours.”

  Adina nearly dropped the tray loaded with drinks. “Really? So his doom is nigh? God, I can’t wait to tell him. Do you think he’ll panic and go into hiding?”

  “There’s no hiding from destiny, ladybug. You should know that by now. Come on, let’s go check on our men. If we leave them alone much longer, they’ll sneak off to the forge and we’ll never get them back in time for dinner.”

  Our men.

  Adina let that phrase roll around her head as she followed her mother out of the kitchen. She liked it almost as much as the other words that danced through her thoughts. Soulmate. True love. Destiny.

  Her destiny was waiting for her in the other room and she couldn’t wait to get back to him.

  Adina returned from the kitchen glowing with happiness and full of life. Stone didn’t know what had happened in the brief time that she’d been gone, but whatever it was, it looked good on her. He’d tried to get her alone long enough to ask what had happened, but her family was never out of earshot long enough.

  He knew the meal was excellent, but if someone had asked him what he’d eaten he wouldn’t have been able to say. The same went for the conversations they had while
they dined. He took part, answering questions and talking about his past, but he couldn’t recall anything he’d said. All his attention was focused on Adina.

  Finally, they said their goodnights and departed the same time as Hal, his big truck rumbling to life before Stone had even closed Adina’s car door. He took his seat and immediately leaned in to steal a kiss.

  “I swear your parents were keeping us apart on purpose,” he grumbled.

  “And they enjoyed every minute of it,” she agreed and kissed him back.

  “You seemed to be enjoying yourself, too. Did your mother say something to you to put that smile on your face? I noticed you were much happier when you brought out the lemonade. Or was that because of the vodka you snuck into your glass?”

  “I didn’t sneak anything. Mom poured the booze, not me,” she said as she started the car and began the short drive back home.

  “Celebrating or commiserating?”

  “Celebrating. And how did you know?”

  “You left your glass beside mine and I picked up the wrong one. Your lemonade packed more of a punch than I was expecting. So, will you tell me what you were celebrating or are you going to leave me to guess?”

  She took one hand off the steering wheel to rest it on his thigh. “I think you can probably guess what we were talking about. Hell, I suppose you could have listened in with those enhanced senses of yours. She wanted to know how I was coping with your unexpected arrival. You know, since you’re my soulmate and all.”

  “I was speaking with your father and brother at the time. Not to mention, it would have been rude to eavesdrop—wait. Say that last bit again.” He couldn’t have heard her correctly, but by God, he hoped she’d said what he thought she had.

  “She asked me how I was dealing with the fact that I inadvertently bought my soulmate.”

  “But I thought—You said—Didn’t you tell me she told you that you weren’t destined for a true love of your own?”

  Adina laughed. “I thought she had. I’ve spent years believing I was going to be alone. It turns out there was a minor miscommunication that day. She told me my true love was Stone. I thought she was being general, but she was talking about you.”

  “I told you I wasn’t going anywhere,” he said, barely controlling his urge to cheer. Adina was finally starting to believe in them and in what they could be.

  “You’re going to be insufferably smug about this, aren’t you?” she asked, grinning at him.

  “Utterly. But I promise I’ll get over it in a decade or so. Fifty years, tops.”

  “In fifty years you’ll still be exactly the same as you are now, won’t you?” Adina’s jaw tightened, and some of the light faded from her eyes as the reality of their situation dawned on her.

  He covered her hand with his and squeezed it. “I don’t know. Maybe I’ll age normally now that I’m with you. Or maybe that’s something that will change when your cousin gets me free from this spell. There are so many questions we won’t know the answers to until Anneke is finished with her research. Until then, I’m going to try not to think about it too much.”

  “Does your patience and wisdom come with being older than dust or were you always this logical?”

  “It came with age. And I am not older than dust, thank you. I’m in my prime.”

  “You’re cheating. Magic stops you from aging. I bet you wouldn’t be so damned sexy if you looked your age.”

  “Get us home, and I’ll show you I’m still very much in my prime, brat. When six hundred years old you reach, look this good you will not.”

  She rolled her eyes and groaned. “Seriously? That’s it. No more Yoda quotes. What did I do to the universe to get stuck with a Star Wars geek?”

  “You must have been a very good girl. I’m a prize. I heard your mother say so.” He loved teasing her like this. He loved making her laugh and basking in the warmth of her company. She was the sun rising after a night that he hadn’t been sure would ever end.

  “My mother thinks you’re a—and I am quoting her directly here—hot hunk of manhood. I didn’t even know those words were in her vocabulary!”

  “Have I mentioned how much I like your mom?” he asked, snickering.

  “If she ends up liking you more than me, I’m never going to forgive either of you.”

  He lifted her hand from his leg to press a kiss to her palm. “That could never happen. You’re amazing. Not even I could hope to surpass you in her affections.”

  “Cocky old man,” she grumbled at him as they pulled into her driveway.

  The moment they neared the house, Stone felt the hair on the back of his neck rise in warning. Something wasn’t right. He scanned the darkness beyond the car’s headlights and finally spotted a black car parked in the inky shadows beneath the oak trees that grew in the front yard.

  “When you park the car, don’t get out. Lock the door behind me and stay in the car until I call for you.”

  “What? Why?”

  “Someone’s here and I don’t get the sense they’re friendly.” He pointed to the other car even though it was unlikely she would be able to see it.

  “You can sense their intentions? And what are you pointing to? I don’t have your night vision, Stone.”

  “There’s a car over there under the oak trees. I think they’ve been waiting for you to get home.”

  Adina pulled into her usual spot and shut the car off. “So there’s someone lurking in the dark waiting for me to get home. Yeah, nothing nefarious about that. I’ll stay here. You go work your badass, guardian mojo on them.”

  “I’m not sure whether to be flattered or insulted right now,” he muttered and leaned in to give her a quick kiss on the cheek before getting out of the car.

  “Be flattered, bad ass.”

  The moment his door closed he heard the locks engage. Satisfied she was secure for the moment, he headed over to the other vehicle. There was definitely someone sitting behind the wheel of what he could now see was a black SUV with tinted windows. Before he was halfway to the SUV, the driver’s door opened and a bald man nearly as tall and wide as Stone stepped out. He made eye contact, nodded and then moved to the back door without a word.

  Stone stopped walking and waited. Whatever was about to happen, a little space wouldn’t hurt. He was almost disappointed when a slender man in his mid-fifties exited the vehicle and eyed Stone with suspicion.

  “You’re on private property. May I ask why you’re here?” Stone asked.

  “My name is Maxwell Webb. I’m here to discuss a business matter with Adina Diggersby. This is her home, yes?” the man asked as he flicked a non-existent piece of lint from the cuff of his perfectly tailored suit jacket. A faint scent of bergamot and cloves clung to the man, just strong enough to make Stone’s nose twitch at the odd combination of odors.

  Two sentences and Stone already didn’t like this guy. “Do you often arrive at someone’s private residence unannounced and uninvited to have business discussions this late in the evening?”

  “I have come a very long way on a matter of some urgency. I believe that once I have spoken to Miss Diggersby, she will understand my somewhat unorthodox approach to meeting with her,” Maxwell said, his gaze sliding past Stone to the vehicle he and Adina had arrived in.

  “Tell me what you wish to speak to her about and I’ll happily relay the message. It’s up to her if she wishes to speak to you now or at a time more convenient to her.” Two could play this game of painful politeness. This was familiar territory to Stone though admittedly it had been a great many years since he had an opportunity to play. In fact, there was something oddly old-fashioned about this fellow. His clothing was modern but tailored to echo another era. He was fastidious in dress and mannerisms and overly formal for this time. In fact, he reminded Stone of the men he’d known back before he’d been banned from his human form. Back before Pearl—God. Pearl’s last name had been Webb, too. Surely that was a coincidence?

  Maxwell’s mouth pursed into
a moue of distaste for a moment, but eventually, he nodded and began to speak. “Very well. I recently purchased an estate near Rochester, New York. The contract clearly stated that certain items were to remain in the house and on the grounds. The contract terms were violated when some of those items were sold without my permission. I am suing those responsible for this egregious error and of course, I am now left with the job of tracking down and reclaiming my legal property. Miss Diggersby recently took possession of a statue that rightfully belongs to me. I’m here to take it back, with recompense, of course. She’d know all this already if she’d answered my emails.”

  Stone kept his expression impassive, but his thoughts were racing behind the mask. “I see. You received no answer and decided the most reasonable action you could take was to drive out here in the dark, and wait for her to return. Forgive me for saying so, but I’m not a fan of your tactics, Mr. Webb. I will let her know what you wish to discuss. Stay here.”

  He turned on his heel and left Maxwell standing there spluttering at having been dismissed out of hand. The man was clearly used to getting his way. He was about to be sorely disappointed. Whether his story was true or not, Stone was bound to Adina now. He belonged here, with her.

  He approached the car and gave Adina a quick smile and a thumbs-up gesture to let her know everything was alright. She got out of the car and started toward him, stopping when he held up his hand.

  “What’s going on? Who is that?” she asked the minute he was in earshot.

  “His name is Maxwell Webb. He claims to have bought the Drummond Estate. At least, I assume that’s the estate he bought since he also claims that some items were removed from the property before he took ownership. Somehow he’s tracked you down as one of the buyers. He’s here to get his statue back.”

  Adina’s eyes narrowed. “A statue? The only statue I bought recently was you, Stone, and he can’t fucking have you. You’re mine!”

  “You have no idea how sexy that sounds. I’m going to make you say it again and again once this guy leaves. He wants to talk to you, sweetling, but I told him that was up to you.”