Stone Destiny (Stone Passion #3)

by Warneke, A. C.

  Abruptly, he stood up and dragged her to her feet, keeping an arm around her waist to hold her steady, “Come with me, Ferris. I have a gift for you.”

  She simply stared at him as if he had gone mad because she was sexually sated in body and mortally aching in spirit. She had no need for gifts that didn’t involve him remaining with her. Without her cooperation, he dressed her in a silky robe, loosely tying it at her waist, before he put his own robe on. Holding her eyes instead of watching where he was going, he led her from the studio, through the maze of rooms and back to his room. He paused outside of the door and took a breath.

  This was the first time she had been invited to his room and her pulse thudded madly in her throat at the significance of his actions. He was finally letting her even further in, into his inner sanctum, when it was too late.

  She had to wrench her eyes away from his as he turned the knob and the door swung open, revealing the dark opulence of Armand’s private world. Breathing in the rich, spicy scent of Armand, she slowly made her way into his chambers, taking in the massive bed that was the centerpiece of the entire room. It was an old fashioned bed that took up half of the huge room, with heavy curtains that made the bed a secondary chamber onto itself.

  Slowly, she made her way around the area, her eyes drawn constantly back to Armand who stood just inside the door watching her with astonishing intensity, as if her opinion mattered. It was a heady feeling, one that ripped through her with its claws of what would no longer be. Lightly running her fingers over the ornately carved dresser, the art deco lamps, she could feel Armand’s stamp on the room.

  Glancing at him out of the corner of her eyes, she gave him a teasing smile, “It’s very you, Armand, dark and brooding on the surface but incredibly luxurious and comfortable to its core.”

  The corner of his lips quirked upwards in a half smile as he finally stepped into the room, closing the door behind him without a sound. Instead of joining her immediately, he went to the other side of the room and disappeared into a set of doors she hadn’t even realized were there. They blended in seamlessly with the wall and she had to smile. Even in his inner sanctum he had a secret room. Her smile faded because he still kept it from her….

  He popped his head out and arched an imperious eyebrow at her, “Well? Aren’t you coming?”

  Her smile split her face, making her cheeks ache with perfect pleasure and glee. With a little excited hop, she hurried across the room and joined him, sliding her hand into his in a gesture that was already second nature. Resting her chin against his upper arm, she looked up at him with her heart in her eyes, “What did you want to show me?”

  He looked at her with a hint of wonder, a slight smile on his beautifully sculpted lips, “Aren’t you curious about this room? It’s where I perform my more complicated and intricate rituals.”

  Making a face at him, she glanced around and felt her jaw drop to the floor. The walls were lined with shelves and the shelves were filled with precious stones, vials of sparkling liquids, jars of strange herbs or whatever. There was an elaborate design on the floor, ancient symbols set with colorful stones accentuating certain parts. Surrounded by this reminder of Armand’s power, she tightened her hold on his arm and pressed her body even closer to his. In a hushed voice filled with awe, she whispered, “It’s incredible, Armand, simply incredible. You’re amazing, my love.”

  His smile grew as he led her over to a table where a large, golden sphere sat, a heater lamp shining down on it. Resting his free hand on the strange and beautiful object, he beamed down at her, “This is what I want to give you, love.”

  “What is it?” she asked in a soft voice, slowly reaching her hand out and touching the smooth surface, feeling the heat that came off of it in waves. Something moved beneath her hand and she jerked her arm away, laughing a little nervously.

  “It’s an egg.”

  She arched an eyebrow at that. “What kind of egg?”

  “I picked this little guy up when I went to London. When I saw him I knew that it would be the perfect gift for you,” he explained instead of answering. Armand extracted his arm from hers and lifted the heavy sphere up, a self-satisfied grin curving his lips. Holding it close to his body, he motioned for her to look closer, to put her hand back on the golden sphere. In a hushed voice, he whispered, “It’s a pocket dragon.”

  Ferris’s eyes lit up and she let out a delighted giggle, “I thought those were just a myth.”

  “Not at all,” he grinned, putting a broad palm over her hand, letting her feel the excitement in his body. “They’re just very rare and particular who they bond with. This little guy has chosen you.”

  Ferris gave him a look of disbelief though her smile didn’t falter. “I think you’re teasing me.”

  “I’m not teasing,” he murmured. At her look of disbelief he chuckled, the sound wrapping around her heart and squeezing. Bending his head, he kissed the tip of her nose and continued grinning, “I told him about you and he agreed to be yours.”

  “Is this to get back at me for getting you a puppy?” she teased, narrowing her eyes in feigned suspicion as she lightly ran her fingers over the warm egg.

  “Yes,” he laughed before shaking his head. “No. I just wanted to give you something to remember me.”

  Tears filled her eyes and she had to blink a few times to keep from crying. It didn’t help as a tear slid down her cheek and she bent her head and rasped, “Thank you, Armand.”

  “When it ha….” He cleared his throat before he continued, the emotion getting to him as well. “When it hatches it will imprint on the first thing it sees and we’re going to make sure that’s you. And then this little guy will be by your side for the rest of your life.”

  Ferris swallowed harshly, “How long do pocket dragons live?” Her eyes widened in sudden terror of her own mortality and the rest of her life without Armand. “He’ll still be alive after I’m long gone, won’t he?”

  “I’ll watch over him when I wake up,” he answered softly. “He’ll become my reminder of you.”

  “God, Armand,” she cried softly. “You’re killing me.”

  “That was never my intention,” he rasped, brushing his thumb along her cheek, over her lips. “I just want you to have something of your own that will watch over you when I can’t.”

  “I have Ajreis.”

  His jaw clenched and a muscle worked furiously in his cheek. If Ferris didn’t know any better she would almost think Armand was jealous of the steadfast imp. “I’m talking about something that will always protect you because it wants to not because it has to.”

  Ferris smirked at his words, “Sweetheart, Ajreis does protect me because he wants to, because we're friends. The other imps have long since abandoned their duties.”

  He glared imperiously for a moment and Ferris had the urge to laugh at him but the dragon egg cracked and her attention returned to the golden orb. It was hatching, just as Armand must have known it would! Her eyes flew to his and the dourness was gone from his expression as he looked at her with warmth and a bit of nervousness. “You knew it would be hatching now, didn’t you?”

  “I had hoped,” he admitted, running his finger over the hatching golden egg, holding her eyes with his. His eyes were never cold anymore and the warmth made her forget for a little while. He was such a romantic, giving her a dragon to keep her company in the empty years ahead.

  Her heart started to pick up speed in her chest and goose bumps covered her flesh in excitement. With sparkling eyes, she looked at Armand once more before returning her attention to the cracks that were rapidly emerging, “What if he looks at you first?”

  “I’ll hide,” he said wryly, making her laugh. Moving behind her, he settled his hands on her shoulders, surrounding her with his warmth. His breath was hot against her ear as he talked, “He promised me that he wouldn’t open his eyes until he was sure he would see your eyes first.”

  She giggled more, “How on earth do you know any of this?”r />
  Pressing a soft kiss against the side of her neck, he whispered, “It’s part of the gargoyle’s nature to be able to talk telepathically with other supernatural creatures. Some are just more receptive to it than others. Also, hatchling pocket dragons are unique in that they can choose to whom they will listen and once this little guy heard my story he was captivated.”

  “You are so weird, Armand,” she grinned, leaning into his embrace as the dragon fought its way out of its shell. A brilliant blue talon poked through and she gasped in delight, the excitement swelling with each moment. She could almost forget that she only had a few days left with Armand.

  He slid his hands over her shoulders, sliding them down her arms and then around her waist until he was hugging her. She loved it when he hugged her as they talked. It made her feel protected and cherished, a heady feeling. “How else are we to keep the supernatural world in line? At least back when it had been our job. Whenever any of them tried to get out of line a voice would boom inside their head to knock it off or face the wrath of the mighty Guardians.”

  Her heart stuttered in her chest at the sorrow and bitterness in Armand’s voice as he talked about the world he had known that was now gone. Forcing a smile to her lips, she asked, “Did you ever have to back up your threats with action?”

  “Occasionally,” he said softly. “If a human got in too deep and begged to be rescued. Too often your kind wanted to be devoured but we tried nonetheless.”

  “I bet you were magnificent when you had to fly down and swat some demon on the ass,” she whispered, picturing it in her head: the vengeful Armand swooping from the skies to rescue some hapless human. The gorgeous and furious griffin would terrify the most Hell-bent demon.

  He chuckled behind her, “Most supernaturals prefer the night so there were times I wished we were gargoyles at night instead of during the day so I could properly take care of an unruly demon. Of course, they never expected a man to have the kind of strength I have.”

  Her legs weakened at the thought of an even more gorgeous and furious Armand showing up. She was pretty sure if she were that hapless human she would have fallen in love the moment he appeared. She bit her lip to keep from asking if he missed it. Of course he did, he told her as much. Slowly releasing her lip, she turned her head and ran her tongue along the skin of his throat, smiling when he jumped at the unexpected gesture. “I’ve always been very impressed with your strength… and lately your stamina.”

  He chuckled deep in his chest and she felt it along her spine. Kissing her temple, he smiled, “Pay attention to the dragon, Ferris, he’s almost free.”

  The dragon’s little arm was through and Ferris thought she had never seen something so adorable as the scaly little thing waving madly through the air trying to find purchase. Instinctively, she put her finger against its talon, feeling the slight pinch as he grabbed on and pulled. His little snout appeared in the hole and she just about lost it.

  Armand put his hand over hers to stop her from peeling the shell away before she realized it was what she wanted to do, murmuring in her ear, “He has to do this on his own.”

  “I know,” she admitted softly, remembering the story of the butterfly that is helped from its cocoon, how it fails to survive because it lacks the strength. Her hand trembled beneath his as she watched the little guy continue to struggle, knowing that helping him would only hurt him. “What’s his name?”

  “He hasn’t told me,” he told her softly, his focus on the dragon in her hands, his hands softly stroking hers. “He plans on sharing it with you first.”

  Ferris tilted her head to the side in confusion, “Do dragons talk?”

  His low laugh moved through her body, “Only to those that listen.”

  She opened her mouth to ask him what the heck he meant by that but the dragon had broken through and its jewel-bright sapphire blue eyes met hers and she felt herself falling into them. Warmth wrapped around her, invading all of her cells, as the dragon imprinted on her. He showed her the world where he came from, an amazing world that was brilliant and completely alien, with dragons of all sizes and types flying through the air, walking on the ground, sleeping in the caves. She saw the jeweled treasures they kept, the strong bonds they shared with their families and she knew that she was immeasurably blessed because she was the first human to have a dragon bond.

  I will fly with you, Dragon-Maiden, a low, velvety-rough voice whispered through her soul. When you are ready we shall travel.

  “What’s your name?” she asked out loud.

  Frayzilahr, he breathed. But you may call me Fray, Dragon-Maiden Ferris.

  “You know my name,” she gasped.

  He chuckled softly, the sound flowing over her and filling her with such joy it was almost painful. Of course. Armand was very forthcoming.

  The dragon blinked and the connection was broken. When she looked, he was sleeping, a teeny, tiny golden dragon oblivious of the world around him. Blinking back tears of her own, she turned to face Armand, “Thank you.”

  Chapter 8

  The Battle is Lost

  Armand quietly closed the bedroom door behind him, letting Ferris sleep in her bed for a few hours. The poor girl was exhausted and had refused to sleep until pure finally exhaustion claimed her. Resting his forehead against the door, he closed his eyes and wondered how he could have been so stupid, so selfish, as to choose sixty years frozen in stone rather than a gargoyle's lifetime with the wondrous, generous Ferris. She would have made a fantastic gargoyle… until she realized how much she gave up to be with him.

  He still believed he did the right thing because she was too young to truly know what she wanted, what she needed. She deserved the opportunity to go out and experience life beyond the castle walls, something she would have missed out upon if he had given her his nights. She was also a child of the sun and if she became a gargoyle she would have to give up the daylight and become a creature of the night. Somehow, he couldn't picture Ferris thriving beneath the moon and he knew that in time she would resent him, resent being a gargoyle.

  Heaving a sigh, he pressed his palm against the door, as if he could touch her through the wood. How was he going to survive without her warmth to chase away the cold? How could he condemn her to darkness? It terrified him how much he needed her. She terrified him, with her smiles and laughter and her unconditional love. A shudder worked its way through his body; he did the right thing by letting her go before he truly had her.

  Suddenly, he was grabbed from behind, spun around and slammed against the wall, his head bouncing off the plaster. His first instinct was to smash his fist into his attacker's face but he stopped himself when he saw the fury blazing in Rhys's brown eyes. His brother's fingers curled into the material of Armand's shirt as Rhys held him in place. "What the fuck have you done?"

  Armand was taken aback by the rage in Rhys's expression, his words. His younger brother was one of the most easy-going people he had ever known so to see his blistering anger was really quite amazing. Bringing his arms up to break his brother's hold on his shirt, Armand wiped all expression from his face before he answered, "It's none of your business."

  "This is not what I expected to find when we got back from the Caribbean," Rhys growled, his eyes flashing with loathing. "Jenna is freaking out because her daughter has been in love with you since she was nineteen and yet you gave your nights to another woman?"

  "Sixteen, Rhys," Armand smiled cruelly.

  Rhys cocked his head to the side and blinked once in confusion. "Sixteen?"

  "She was sixteen when she fell in love with me and twenty-one when she had sex with me." Armand couldn't stop the words from spewing from his mouth because a dark part of his soul wanted his monkey brother to punish him. Ignoring the painful thudding of his racing heart, he sneered, "But what does that have to do with anything?"

  Rhys glanced at the door next to him, at Ferris's bedroom door, and without warning, threw a punch that connected with Armand's jaw. The back of Arma
nd's head slammed against the wall once again. In a low, seething voice, Rhys snarled, "You're fucking Ferris?"

  Armand's eyes narrowed to two dangerous slits, "It's none of your business, Rhys."

  "She's Jenna's daughter!"

  "Keep it down," Armand hissed, not wanting to wake Ferris up. Grabbing Rhys's arm, he pulled his brother a little further away from the door and spoke in a hard whisper, "Don't pretend to be offended, Rhys, because if you think about it for two seconds you know that you all wanted me to fall in love with her, to give her my nights. But you're not the ones who would have to pay the price – that would be her. I only did what I had to do to give her a chance to be normal, to have a normal life, something none of you ever bothered to try."

  "You'll break her heart," Rhys said in a thankfully softer voice.

  He shrugged dispassionately, hoping his brother never saw how much he was bleeding inside. "She's young, she'll survive."

  "You selfish fuck," Rhys sneered in resentment. Pushing his hands against Armand's chest, he took a step back in disgust, "You don't deserve her."

  "I know," Armand said softly, honestly, as he rubbed his aching heart. Trying to get his emotions under control, hating this weakness, he turned his head and looked down the hall. He didn't see the expensive art on the walls, the vases filled with vibrant flowers, the many doors. He only saw a bleak and empty future without Ferris.

  "My gods," Rhys breathed. "You love her. You… love her. Why…."

  Armand's head whipped around and he saw Rhys's thunderstruck expression. Lowering his voice, he growled, "Drop it, Rhys. When I wake up you can rip me a new one but for now… for now just drop it."

  Rhys staggered a step backwards, his mouth hanging open and making him look like a suffocating fish. The door creaked open and suddenly Ferris was there was a sleepy smile on her face, "Rhys, you and Jenna are home."

  Dumbly, Rhys nodded his head, rapidly looking back and forth between Armand and Ferris in bewilderment. Without hesitation, Ferris slid her hand into Armand's and rested her head against his shoulder, "Don’t look so shocked, Rhys. Surely Melanie told you we were together."