Stone Cold Revenge (Set In Stone, Book Two)

by Jess Macallan

  “No, I didn’t kill anyone, innocent or not. How unfortunate that some of my employees did. The order wasn’t to kill Clio, but simply to secure your cooperation.”

  I took a step toward him, keeping my hands at my sides even though I ached to rub my burning scalp. I wanted him to know I didn’t fear him. Not anymore.

  His pale eyes tracked my every move. The shadow elves moved between us, protecting my father. Idiots.

  I stopped, but I held Jedren’s gaze. “An innocent woman’s death was unfortunate? Just when I think you can’t possibly get viler, you do. How pathetic.”

  The insult hit home. Vicious pleasure ran through me when his eyes narrowed. “I suggest you watch your tone and your words.”

  “You killed my best friend’s fiancée. For no reason. I’m not going to let that go.” I shook with anger. Jax stood behind me, wings spread, stretching the length of the foyer, a silent and welcome show of support. I never broke eye contact with my father.

  “Your appalling lack of control over your powers last night required correction. Burning Luke’s chair without thought to the consequences? Clio’s death, while unfortunate, was a necessary lesson.”

  Jax was deathly still beside me. I’m sure my heart momentarily stopped. When I found my breath, I muttered, “You killed her over a chair? That’s all her life was worth to you?”

  Jedren tugged down the sleeves of his Italian jacket in irritation. “You will hold the seat on the Council as my representative. Until you take over as my heir, I cannot have you questioning my motives or my decisions. To demonstrate open defiance in public was unforgivable. I trust you won’t let it happen again. Clio’s death was an unfortunate accident, no more, no less.”

  His pale eyes glittered. Almost daring me to contradict him again.

  I’d always known my father was beyond redemption, but for the first time, I knew why. The re-threading of his soul had done this.

  “No,” I finally whispered. “I won’t.”

  “Very well,” he replied, a satisfied gleam in his eyes. “Maxim, go clean up. Elleodora will be late for her training with Falon.” And he walked away, as calm as you please, his loyal bodyguards close behind.

  Jax vibrated with angry energy. His eyes were streaked with silver as he stared toward the hallway Jedren had walked down. “He must be stopped as soon as possible,” he said in a low voice meant only for my ears.

  I nodded. Understatement of the year. Maxim shuffled past, clutching his nose. I ignored him. “Come on.” I tugged on Jax’s hand. “I have to meet Falon.”

  Jax was back in human form. Muscles bunched in his chest as he fought to stay in control of himself. “This should be interesting.”

  “He wants me dead.”

  Jax offered a brief but genuine heart-stopping smile. “Falon won’t harm a hair on your head. Regardless of what he wants.”

  I inhaled a deep breath. I needed this normalcy. Though Jax wasn’t usually much of a conversationalist, the light banter calmed me like nothing else could. I still sensed the cold rage he felt toward my father, but he made a concerted effort to turn his mood around. For me. How could I not love him?

  I playfully pushed his arm. “Oh, stop. You’ll make me blush with your overprotective-mate antics.” I rubbed my hand immediately after. Punching Maxim had hurt more than I anticipated. Thankfully, Jax hadn’t noticed.

  His dark, rich laughter wrapped around me. “You told me not to hold back my protective nature, remember?” He walked ahead of me down the steps, where Falon waited to kick my butt.

  …

  I finished my work day by three o’clock. Jax hadn’t left my side. After a hot shower and a change of clothes, I wandered down to the kitchen for a bite to eat.

  Jax sat at the table, looking pensive.

  I walked up behind him and rubbed his shoulders. “Thanks for being my bodyguard today.”

  “You owe me.”

  I smiled and massaged the knots in his shoulder muscles. “For what, exactly?”

  “For listening to Maxim moan and groan his way through the accounting information. That was the most painful part of the day. By far. The broken nose made him even harder to listen to.”

  I couldn’t disagree, but I could make it up to Jax. “How about I make an early dinner and we watch a movie?”

  He tugged me down into his lap. “Not bad, but I have a better idea.”

  “Get a room, you two!”

  Luna had the worst timing.

  “Knocking,” I muttered. “We talked about it. You’re supposed to now put it into action.”

  She rolled a shoulder in a “who cares” gesture. “Forgot. I’ll try to remember next time.”

  I sighed and looped an arm around Jax’s neck. “What’s on the schedule for this afternoon?”

  “Shopping. And learning to use the dagger.”

  Jax shifted. Crap. I forgot to mention that little bit of information. “Uh, yeah. The dagger.”

  He wasn’t buying my sheepish smile. One black brow lifted. “Care to explain?”

  “It’s her ticket to freedom,” Luna replied, and sat down. She frowned at my jeans. “Training first, shopping second.”

  Jax stood us up and dropped a quick kiss on my lips. “That’s my cue to leave; I’ll go get something to drink.”

  “Great idea.” I offered him a wide smile, which he wasn’t buying for a second.

  “With a couple shots of Irish cream,” he added under his breath as he headed for the exit. Luna waited for the door to close, then turned to me. “I’m going to teach you to work with fire and wards today.”

  “Well, hey, as long as we’re starting with the easy ones.” I started to sit back down, but she grabbed my arm and kept me upright.

  “You don’t have to be an expert right off the bat. I’m not a miracle worker. But you do need to master the rudimentary skills necessary to control your powers.”

  “You really think you can teach me rudimentary skills for all of those abilities today?”

  Her smug grin was firmly in place. “Yes, or you’ll die trying.”

  I thought she was joking, but I didn’t dare ask. I held my hands out in front of me, and small flames danced across my palms. “I can make it appear, but after that, nothing.” The fire in my left palm flickered out, proving my point.

  “How do you think Mac controls his fire?”

  I was taken aback by the question. “Um…practice? He’s a phoenix, so I imagine he was taught at an early age.” I didn’t try to mask the slight reproach in my tone.

  “No, it’s awareness.”

  “I’m aware I have fire in my hands. I’m aware I have no idea what to do with it. Fair enough?”

  Luna blew out an impatient breath and grabbed my wrists. “Focus, Elle. How do you get the fire in your hands?”

  Surprised she’d used my name, I stood a little straighter. “I don’t know. It’s like an energy that starts in the pit of my stomach. I imagine it flows to my hands.”

  The flame in the left hand returned.

  “Keep it there,” she ordered, before swinging her palms up to smack the backs of my hands, causing the fire to jump.

  I yelped when the one in my left hand fell to the floor. I stomped my feet in a quick, awkward jig to put it out before it hit something flammable. The tile was scorched, but not as bad as it could have been. “Why’d you do that?”

  “You have to be aware at all times where your energy is, because that’s where your magic will be. You create that fire. You create the shadows. You draw on the wards. The energy is yours and yours alone. The fire fell to the floor because you let it.”

  I gave myself a few seconds to digest that. “Okay, I can see your point. But what about the wards? I thought those were created by someone else. How do I control those if they come from outside energy?”

  She traced the small ward mark on my wrist. “You’re a ward thief. Once you take the ward, it’s yours. The magic, the energy, the outcome—all yours to manipulat
e. Now let’s try it again.”

  This time, I managed to keep the fire in my hands. My small bubble of pride was quickly squelched when Luna set a candle on the table. “Light it.”

  I moved my palm over, but she shook her head. “No, keep your hands at your sides. Use the power within.”

  I resisted the urge to quote Yoda. Instead, I fisted my hands at my sides and focused on the wick. It only took three tries before I had it lit.

  “Do you feel the difference?”

  “In what?” I asked, still watching the candle.

  “Inside. You need to be aware of the differences inside yourself as you wield the magic.”

  “My stomach told me to.”

  My mother’s anger had me squirming, but I bravely met her furious gaze. “Your stomach told you to hitchhike home when you’re supposed to be with your father? Elle, do you have any idea what could have happened to you?”

  I swallowed but stayed silent. I knew what would have happened if I’d stayed. I was thirteen. Plenty old enough to get home. And old enough to know not to stay.

  She hugged me hard for what seemed like the fifteenth time. “Promise me you’ll never do that again!”

  My stomach wasn’t saying anything now, but I sure felt sick. “I can’t.”

  “Oh, Elle.” The disappointment in her voice was a heavy weight for my thirteen-year-old shoulders to carry.

  “Mom, you always tell me to listen to my stomach.”

  “Do you mean listen to your gut? Your gut didn’t tell you to hitchhike!” She paced around me.

  “It told me to leave. I made it home safe, Mom. Just like my gut told me I would.”

  She stopped and put her face in her hands. I thought she was crying, which made me want to cry. I wrapped my arms around her waist. “I’m sorry. I know I’m grounded—”

  “For a month. No phone, television, or mall.”

  I didn’t argue. Relief flooded through me when she stepped back, dry-eyed.

  “Your gut told you to leave? Really?”

  I nodded. I couldn’t tell her about Luke, but I couldn’t have stayed. If she knew the truth, she’d go straight to my father. He’d told me before—multiple times—he’d punish us both if she interfered, and I’d do anything to keep her safe. She’d try to protect me, but I knew I had to protect her. And she could never know.

  She watched me for a long, tense minute.

  “Let’s make a deal. I want you to listen to what’s inside. I really do, whether it’s your gut or your heart. But if that voice ever tells you to hitchhike home again, you have to promise me you’ll ignore it long enough for me to come get you. Okay?”

  “Okay.”

  She hugged me again, and I relaxed into her love. I was safe. That voice had saved my life today. I wouldn’t forget it.

  I shook my head slowly as the memory faded. I had forgotten to listen to that voice. But not anymore. I met Luna’s sharp stare. For once, I knew exactly what she meant about being aware. “What’s next?”

  “Clothes.”

  “What about wards?”

  Her expression was serious. “As long as the magic comes from your gut, you’ll be fine. That’s not a skill you can learn. You just needed someone to guide you to accessing it.”

  I pointed to the candle. “So that was a trick.”

  “No, it was a lesson in trust. You have the tools you need, but do you trust yourself? Do you trust your abilities?”

  I wanted to say yes, but my gut wanted to sit with the question a while longer. Lives depended on me being sure.

  Luna didn’t seem to expect an answer, because she blew out the candle and turned to me with an evil smile. “Now for the fun part. Let’s go shopping.”

  The door opened and Jax came in with a drink tray. He handed me a steaming cup of tea, and Luna a hot chocolate. Yeah, he was a keeper.

  I took a sip, enjoying the light, floral taste of the white tea. I had no energy for a shopping trip. “Can’t you just poof clothes in?”

  Her teal eyes closed to slits. “Let me remind you—”

  “I know, I know. You’re not a bibbity-bobbity kind of bitch.”

  Jax choked on a laugh. I tried to adopt an innocent expression. “Those were her words, not mine.” I addressed Luna. “I hate shopping. Why do you think I live in jeans and T-shirts? I can make it easy on both of us and use my father’s personal shopper.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “If you want to look like a Stepford wife, sure. You’re a damned demigod. You need to have style.”

  I held up my hands in surrender. “Fine. You win. You can dress me in whatever you want, but I’m not going shopping.” I thought that was a fair compromise. Until I saw the unholy gleam in her eyes.

  Damn. I glanced at Jax, who looked decidedly uneasy.

  “Wait, let me rephrase that,” I rushed to say, but it was too late.

  Luna disappeared.

  I let my chin drop to my chest. “I’m going to regret that.”

  “Probably,” Jax replied. I heard the smile in his voice. “Are you hungry?” I lifted my head and squinted at the kitchen. “Do you think we’ll luck out and find the freezer stocked with pizza?”

  Black brows rose in surprise. “I thought you were a healthy eater.”

  “Screw healthy eating. I’ll take a pint of ice cream, a foot rub, and a three-day nap.”

  Jax laughed. “I’ll go check. I think we can manage two out of three.”

  I wandered over to the couch and sank onto the overstuffed cushions. Leaning back, I closed my eyes. Sleep hit me in a minute flat.

  Chapter Sixteen

  “Should I dress her myself?”

  “Let her sleep for a little longer. She had a long day.”

  The irritating voices pushed at the edge of my awareness. I opened my eyes into slits. Jax stood in front of me, arms crossed in a classic, intimidating posture. Luna stood to his right, not in the least concerned with him. She stared at me with a speculative gleam in her eyes. I wouldn’t put it past her to dump a bucket of cold water on me.

  “What?” I grumbled. “I don’t deserve a nap?”

  Luna pointed outside. “It’s nighttime, Buttercup. You’ve been out for almost two hours.”

  “Why must you keep calling me Buttercup? I have a name. I’d appreciate if you used it.”

  Luna stiffened. “It’s the nickname I gave you at birth.” She flicked her thumbnail against the tip of her dagger. A nervous gesture that forced my irritation to melt away, quickly replaced with confusion. She didn’t strike me as the type to coo at a baby, and then give it a nickname. “Sorry. I didn’t know.”

  She shrugged. “Your mother thought it was funny, too. You were cute back then. Buttercup fit better.”

  I didn’t rise to the dig, and instead tried to stifle a yawn. I’d revisit that topic when I was more awake.

  Jax offered me a dinner plate bearing chips and a sandwich. “You’ll need sustenance.”

  “To deal with her insults?”

  He grinned and sat beside me on the couch, instantly revving my hormones. What that guy did to a smile was too good to be true. “Not quite. You’ll need sustenance for the mountain of clothes Luna wants you to try on.” He leaned back and my eyes crossed as his T-shirt stretched across his chest.

  I jumped when Luna snapped her fingers in front of me.

  “You can ogle your gargoyle later. We’ve got more important things to do. Eat fast, then get naked.”

  “That’s got to be the worst pick-up line I’ve heard to date.”

  The smile she flashed was a little evil. “Oh, you’re so not my type. I don’t date people whose diapers I’ve changed. It tends to overshadow the romance.”

  “That’s okay. You’re a little too old for me.”

  She cocked a hip and pulled back her shoulders. “But damn if I don’t look good.”

  I took the plate Jax offered. It wasn’t pizza, but God, it was delicious. I hadn’t realized how hungry I was. While I ate, Luna began piling
clothes on an armchair. I eyed the growing stack with trepidation. Next, she brought out shoes. I stopped counting after a dozen. “Where did you get all of that? And, um, do I really need so many? I don’t plan to be here that long.”

  She held up a long, slinky blue dress, two shades darker than my eyes. “Let’s start with this one. I got these at a store where they sell clothing. Where else would I get them?”

  I sent Jax a pleading look.

  He smiled and propped his hands behind his head.

  “Traitor,” I mumbled under my breath. I grabbed the dress from Luna and stomped into the small bathroom off of the living room. I hung the dress on the back of the door. Tiny spaghetti straps held up two bits of fabric and the most daring, plunging neckline I’d ever seen on a dress. My curves would swallow the fabric in a wholly unattractive way.

  “Like putting a Band-Aid on a walrus. Great.”

  Disgusted, I stepped out of my yoga clothes and slipped into the slinky material. Pulling the straps over my shoulders with care, I looked down and double-checked to make sure my necessaries were covered. I refused to look in the mirror. With a deep breath, I closed my eyes and stepped out, preparing for Luna’s laughter.

  What I heard was…silence.

  I opened one eye. Luna’s smile looked genuine. I glanced at Jax, who looked shell-shocked. “That bad?”

  Luna laughed. “He can’t speak because you look like a woman now, not an asexual creature in tattered denim. What do you think, gargoyle?”

  Jax cleared his throat twice before he replied, “Put it in the keep pile.”

  Luna winked at me. “I agree. The color is good, the fit is perfect, and it’s befitting of your station.”

  “I’m about to fall out of it.” The plunging neckline dipped dangerously low. If I shifted wrong, my belly button peeked out. Luna waved my concern away. “You can get double-sided tape for that.”

  I caught a glint of silver in Jax’s eyes and grudgingly agreed, “Fine, put it in the keep pile. Next outfit please.”

  Luna folded her arms and leaned one shoulder against the wall. “Nope. Turn around first.”