Stone Cold Revenge (Set In Stone, Book Two)

by Jess Macallan

  I hadn’t asked for this ability or the roller-coaster ride of horrors my life had become. I also hadn’t asked for two mates, one whom I’d loved as a child, the other whom I loved now. I couldn’t take the mates without the horrors. The life was a package deal. Nor could I live with myself knowing I could have done something but instead chose not to.

  I slipped from the bed without waking Jax. The house was a little chilly, so I pulled on socks and my robe and went downstairs. I had a token to make.

  As quietly as I could, I took out the necessary ingredients. Jax wasn’t the kind of guy who slathered on lotions—I’d tried many times when he’d first come to work at my shop—and I had never known him to use candles. I needed to make him something he’d use. A body wash seemed too impersonal, but maybe cologne. Or both.

  What was it that he’d said? The intention was the most important aspect.

  I found the scents I needed. For the next thirty minutes, I blended peppermint, Tonka bean, vanilla, then added helonial for a fresh ozone scent to balance it all. The result was delicious and had a little zing from the peppermint. I added some of the fragrance to a body wash base. The rest went into a small glass flask with an alcohol base for him to use as cologne. I decided to call the fragrance Ice. Simple but fitting. I wrote out two labels and carefully applied them to both containers. I put both into a black gift box.

  By the time I had everything packed away, I was starving. Cooking was the last thing I wanted to do, so I settled for a bowl of cereal. My mind didn’t want to relax, so I took out my mother’s journal. There had to be something—anything—to help prepare me for the day. A nugget of advice I had missed the first time around.

  The pages held nothing new. I touched the pendant around my neck, but it stayed cool. Light pink stones sparkled under the bright kitchen lights. No special color designated the mood to be dangerous, lucky, or protective. I didn’t know if that was a good or bad sign. A little direction would have been appreciated.

  “Mom,” I whispered, holding the pendant in my right hand. “Please, help me today. I have to keep Jax safe. I have to keep everyone safe.” Me included.

  The pendant didn’t change. I folded my hands on the table and dropped my head onto them. A soft knock at the doorway to the kitchen didn’t faze me. “Hi, Luna. Pretty early for you to be up and about.”

  “It’s far too early for Luna to be up.”

  I should have known it wasn’t Luna. She’d never knock. “Hey, Elion. You couldn’t sleep either?”

  “May I sit?”

  “Uh, sure.” It made me nervous that he was asking my permission. He must not have been awake much longer than I had been, because he wore a plain gray T-shirt and athletic pants. His straight black hair hung loose around his shoulders. The casual look seemed out of place on a guy who claimed to be from the gods.

  “I claim nothing. I am one of them,” he said in a mild voice. “I happen to like comfortable clothing every now and then.”

  I rubbed my tired eyes. “Sorry, I’m too sleepy to watch my thoughts. To what do I owe this way too early in the morning visit?”

  His bright, swirly blue eyes skimmed over the journal and pendant. “She wanted to give you what she never had.”

  I slowly leaned back in my chair, needing the support of the wooden back. “My mom?”

  “Yes. She wanted freedom. It’s why she chose exile with you. She had a better chance at freedom by giving up her immortality than she ever did as a goddess. If she could have, she would have made sure you never knew about any of us.”

  I wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Not knowing them wouldn’t have made this situation go away. I sipped on my coffee and thought about it, knowing he could hear me. Finally, I said, “Despite it all, I’m glad I met you. As far as my relatives go, you’re one of the better ones.”

  The corners of his eyes crinkled with his brief smile. Just as quickly, his serious expression returned. “I wish I could do more for you today, niece.”

  I closed the journal and smoothed a finger over the leather cover. It was old and worn and buttery soft. “I wish you could, too.”

  “Luna and I have already interfered more than we’re supposed to.”

  “Why now, after all of these years? Why not when my mom died, or even right before?” I kept my voice free of accusation. My head knew it wasn’t his fault any more than it was mine. My heart hurt for all of the senseless deaths.

  He reached over and placed his hand on mine. The energy he emitted was enough to make the hair on the back of my neck stand up. “I couldn’t do much before your powers manifested, so I decided to wait. I didn’t hear about Emmaline until it was too late. When Luna said Jedren’s mind was blank to us, she wasn’t exaggerating. We can no more see into his mind than we can kill him.”

  “So much for gods being all-powerful, huh?” I tried to make my voice teasing, but it fell flat.

  Luna’s voice made me jump. “It’s a real bitch of a situation, that’s for sure.” She walked around Elion and looked at my robe with a small snicker. “Get clothes on. There’s somewhere we have to go.”

  I tucked the fuzzy fleece fabric closer around me. “I’m not leaving Jax today. You heard what Gwen said. I have to protect him.” Which was laughable. Falon’s training had helped me learn defensive skills for myself. How do you protect a big, bad gargoyle?

  “Bring him if you must,” Elion said, “but please hurry.”

  Because Elion said “please” and Luna looked so serious, I swallowed my argument. “Okay. We’ll be down in a few minutes.”

  Jax woke the second I touched his shoulder. He propped up on an elbow and looked around with groggy gray eyes. “What are you doing up? It’s still early.”

  I ran a hand over his soft hair. “Elion and Luna want to take me somewhere. We shouldn’t be long.”

  His gaze sharpened and he sat up fully. “I’m coming with you.”

  “Yes, but we have to hurry.”

  I dressed in yoga clothes and a knit jacket. The sky was still dark, and a steady stream of rain beat a rhythm against the windows. Jax had beaten me downstairs, and I could hear his low tone before I entered the room.

  Luna’s lips curved in a halfhearted grin. “Your gargoyle isn’t much of a morning person.”

  “Tell her what you just told me,” Jax growled, though his eyes were only partially streaked with silver.

  Luna heaved a dramatic sigh. “I didn’t want to get into this so early, but you’ll need to delay your mate ceremony.”

  That wasn’t news I wanted to hear. I narrowed my eyes at her but maintained a calm voice. “We’re waiting until after the party, but I don’t think that’s any of your business.”

  Elion moved between us, placing a hand on each of our shoulders. “I am happy Elle has found her mate, and I welcome you to the family. However, your ceremony must be postponed. The energy required for it will be better spent on protection today.”

  Through the bond, I could feel Jax’s turmoil. Or maybe it was mine. “Why would the ceremony use up my energy?”

  “The ceremony and bond require an exchange of energy through each of your abilities. It’s rarely an issue, but today is an exception. I’m not sure how you’ll react when your abilities fully manifest. It might knock you out. It might not. If you use up even a portion of your energy for the ceremony, it leaves you susceptible. And after the party…” He paused for an awkward moment. “We don’t know how much energy you’ll have left.”

  “We’ll wait,” Jax said.

  “Don’t you think we should discuss—”

  He kissed me hard, cutting off my perfectly reasonable request. A few seconds later, he pulled back and repeated, “We’ll wait. I won’t risk you.” The hard lines of his face told me any argument I had would be worthless. I didn’t want to fight with him today.

  “Fine. But at least let me give you your token.”

  “We’ll wait on the porch,” Elion said, and he steered Luna toward the front door
.

  I grabbed the box I’d put together and handed it to my gargoyle. “You said the intention was important. I made this because it reminds me of you. It’s not lotion. I promise.”

  He didn’t smile. “You made me a scent.”

  I nodded, feeling my stomach roll and pitch with worry. Maybe I’d made a huge mistake. I’d never smelled cologne on him. Only the few scents I’d harassed him into testing for me. I should have gone with a ring.

  He took out the cologne and set the box down. “Are there flowers in it?”

  My lips wanted to twitch. “No, I left the flowers out. Well, most of them.”

  He uncapped the bottle and took a tentative sniff. “This reminds you of me?”

  “Not as good as the real you, but…” I trailed off, feeling ridiculous. I definitely should have gone with a ring. Because we had to delay the ceremony, I still had time to find one.

  Before I could tell him that, he wrapped me in a bear hug. “Thank you.”

  “I’ll get you a ring,” I mumbled against his chest. “The cologne can be a pre-ceremony gift.”

  “Little gem, this is perfect. Your magic and talent run through it, which makes it powerful.” He tilted up my chin and smiled. “No ring.” This time, his kiss was slow and searching. Heat slid down my spine as I snuggled into him. A minute later, we broke apart, breathing hard.

  I nodded, trying to clear my head and agree at the same time. “Okay, no ring.”

  He chuckled and opened the bottle again, eyeing the liquid. “How do I put it on?”

  “Here, like this.” I put my finger over the top and tilted it upside down, once. I lifted his shirt and dabbed a little along his collarbone and just above his heart. “There. Now you smell awesome.”

  I smiled, feeling a little lighter. I drew his shirt down and put the bottle back. “Ready?”

  We walked onto the front porch. Luke stood in front of the steps to the main house, watching us under the dim outdoor lights. He cast a dark, hulking shadow. Everyone emanated a different energy this morning. Thanks to my growing magic, I could see it clearly.

  Luke watched, but he made no move toward us. Luna gave him a little finger wave. He crossed his arms, but I was too far away to see his expression. I imagined it wasn’t pleased, judging by the way his energy flickered.

  I grabbed her hand and tugged it down.

  Elion stepped closer. “Enough, Luna. We have to go.”

  She took my arm and Elion grabbed Jax. The familiar lurch of energy hit, and I fought to stay upright when the ground eventually solidified under my feet. I didn’t think I’d ever get used to their mode of transportation. I preferred Jax’s method. Or walking, which seemed far more reasonable at the moment.

  “Next time, can we move a little slower or take some…” I trailed off as I realized where we were. Green grass underfoot. Old-fashioned wrought-iron fence. Stately oak trees surrounded by handfuls of cut flowers grouped in happy colors, muted by the shadows of an early dawn. All were cheerful, macabre reminders.

  “I can’t believe you brought me to a graveyard on my birthday,” I whispered, though it was an effort to keep the words from sticking in my throat. Jax took my hand, which I clung to. I’d buried my mother here. She had her own mausoleum, which had surprised me. We’d never really talked about her dying, so when her attorney had given me the paperwork for the estate, including her final wishes, I’d discovered the family vault.

  The crypt of horrors. I’d never be able to think of it as anything but that. I’d put my mother to rest in a marble tomb. Too far gone with grief, I hadn’t cared who rested in the two tombs beside hers. Family I hadn’t known. I’d assumed it was my grandparents. Now I wondered if I’d been mistaken. Maybe they were empty.

  Elion’s quiet voice seemed too loud in the stillness of the early morning. “You were mistaken, but they’re not empty.”

  I stared at the mausoleum. The granite structure stood alone in a corner. A light fog wrapped around patches of the cemetery. It was the perfect horror movie setting. I didn’t want to set foot inside the small building—not now, not ever. My mother wasn’t in there, not really. I never visited her here, because she wasn’t here. Just her body was.

  I touched the pendant. Her soul—part of it—was right inside. The pendant cast an eerie glow as it slowly heated against my skin. I looked down. White? I didn’t recall the journal mentioning what the color white stood for. I cupped my palm around the warm stone, hoping to dim the light. “Why is it doing that?”

  Luna looked as uneasy as I felt. “Your mother’s soul recognizes her final resting place.”

  A shudder ran through me. “I want to leave now.”

  Elion grasped my elbow in a light grip. “You need to see your mother first. She left you something.”

  “In a mausoleum? Why not a safety deposit box or a tin can buried in a yard somewhere?”

  Inside, I was shaking. Cemeteries themselves don’t bother me. Death happens, whether we’re ready or not. I’ve always hated that we put our loved ones in a box and bury them or hole them up in a stone building. What’s the point? Even before I knew about souls and threading and immortality, I knew that once the soul leaves, there’s nothing left. The person you knew and loved was gone. Enshrining their body in a plain or fancy box was selfish. The memories count. A decaying body doesn’t.

  “Her power is in there,” Luna said. “So is her protector.”

  It took effort to look away from the marble and into Luna’s eyes, which were barely visible in the early dawn light. “Her power and protector. Is that code for something?”

  “No, her protector lies in one of the tombs. Your father”—she spat out the word—“killed him shortly before killing your mother.”

  Jax rubbed the small of my back in a comforting gesture. “He wasn’t an effective protector, then.”

  Elion’s energy flared with irritation. “I picked him out. Flins was one of the best we had.”

  “Obviously not good enough,” I shot back. “None of that explains why he’s buried in there with my mom.”

  “I put him there,” Luna said. I could see her head turned toward the vault, but I couldn’t make out her expression. “He guards her soul and her mark. They’ve been waiting for you.”

  I shivered and wrapped my arms around myself. “God, Luna, that’s creepy. Nobody who’s dead has been waiting for me.”

  It was just the opposite. I’d been waiting for my mom to walk into my store with a latte for me and a tea for her, like she’d done every Friday. “I really don’t want to go in there. She left the journal and pendant with Gwen. This seems extreme.”

  “The marks are engraved on the tombs. You have to touch both to receive the ward.”

  I rubbed my face. “I thought you said I needed a mark. Now it’s a ward?”

  “It’s both. Ward and mark. The mark of the weaver and the ward that enables you to weave as a full goddess. As a demigod, you can weave, but it’s a longer, more difficult process. Now it will be second nature. Remember, it’s about trusting your gut.” She made it sound so simple. I knew it wouldn’t be. It never was.

  “Flins failed to keep her safe in life, but her mark remains safe in death.”

  “Yeah, that’s some consolation for me.”

  Elion put a hand on my arm, drawing my attention away from Luna. “He was a cousin and a demigod. As a guardian, his role was more than protector. He preserved your mother’s mark. Had he not, others could have accessed it.”

  “They tried,” Luna said.

  Elion’s energy flared. The pendant did, too. “What?” he asked in a deadly tone.

  “Shortly after her death, someone tried to get in. I put two protection wards in place around the vault. I came to check on things and found one of the wards gone. Like it had never been there. The other was intact, but not by much. I put up a stronger one, and I check it on a regular basis.” Luna’s voice was indifferent, but I could also hear the hum of her dagger as it flipped through t
he air.

  I held up my hands to stop the information tide. “Whoa, whoa, whoa. Okay, let’s back up a second. I thought I got my abilities on my birthday. Now it’s only on the condition that I go in and open a freaking tomb?”

  “Nothing about this situation is pretty, but you should already know that. Unless you want to bury everyone else you love, I suggest you get it over with.” Luna’s dagger reflected the soft glow from the pendant as it moved through the air.

  “Why are you only telling me about this now?”

  “We didn’t hide it from you before. It’s no different than a shadow elf child who would receive his fate on a designated birthday. You couldn’t have done anything with this information before now. Nor could you have retrieved Flins’s mark.”

  I looked up at the sky. The clouds obscured the stars, but I imagined the fates were laughing down at me. I wanted to laugh at me. When I’d laid my mother to rest, I had anticipated it being the one and only time I had to see this place.

  “I’ll go with you.” Elion held out his arm.

  Shit, shit, shit. I had to do this. Luna was right. If my mother’s mark would help with my abilities, I owed it to my loved ones to get it. My father couldn’t take another victim. The pendant shifted to an orange hue, which signified warmth and energy.

  “It’s time.” Elion watched the stones pulse with light in sync with the rhythm of my heartbeat.

  I stepped away from the comfort of Jax’s touch. Ignoring Elion’s outstretched arm, I walked toward the mausoleum. I appreciated the support they were offering, but I had to do this on my own before I lost my nerve. My shoulders tensed with each step; anxiety wrapped around my spine as the door neared. When I was within five feet, the first ward hit me.

  I dropped to one knee with a gasp. My fingers curled in reflex. Protection ward—a strong one. Eyes watering, I glared back at Luna’s wavering image. “You didn’t take them down?”

  “You didn’t give me a chance,” she shot back, unrepentant. “Besides, you’ll suck them up like candy. They might come in handy later.”