Set In Stone

by Balmanno, Beth

  But I was worried. “If my dad finds you here…”

  “I won’t stay long,” he promised. He turned off the lamp next to my bed and the night swallowed us. “ And now he’ll think you’re asleep.”

  I stood by my desk for a minute longer as my eyes adjusted to the dark.

  “Tell me.”

  I could see the outline of him on my bed, his long body supine, his ankles crossed, his hands propped behind his head. I made my way toward him and sat down on the edge of the mattress. The darkness was a welcome invitation as I relayed what I’d found.

  When I finished, he nodded, a satisfied look on his shadowed face. “I knew you’d find it,” he said. He reached out for my hand and caressed it with his own.

  But I had questions. “Why, when I looked up names before…why did your picture show up under a different name?”

  He shrugged. “Different clans, different names. Technically, you could say I’m a bunch of gods, all rolled into one. I can’t control what people call me. I am who I am.”

  I had one more question to ask. “What about the stone? Why is that important to you? And to Leo? I couldn’t find anything about that. Nothing.”

  His hand trailed up my forearm, sending shivers through my body. “That’s because no one is certain that it exists.”

  “What?”

  “It’s never been found before, Valerie. Well, not for twelve-thousand years, anyway. Give or take a century or two.”

  How had I managed to find something that there was no record of, something that had never been seen by modern or ancient people? I asked him.

  Noel laughed softly. “Because you’re special?” He said it as a question and I frowned. “Honestly, I don’t know. The last time…” He didn’t finish.

  “The last time what?”

  Even in the darkness, I could see his eyes shutter. “Nothing. The last time was a long time ago. And things are different now.”

  I was tired of secrets, of not knowing.

  “I want you to tell me,” I demanded. “What happened the last time the stone was found?”

  He muttered something under his breath, probably an expletive in Celtic. “Fine,” he said curtly. “The Younger Dryas happened.”

  I threw up my hands in confusion. “What? What is that supposed to mean?”

  “Look it up.”

  I stood, intending to do exactly that, but his grip on my arm tightened and he yanked me towards him. I stumbled and landed back on my bed.

  “Not yet,” he whispered. “Do it tomorrow. Or after I leave tonight.” His free hand caressed the top of my head. “Stay here with me for a minute. Please.”

  I looked at him. He was asking me to stay with him. Pleading with me. I did as he asked.

  “Thank you.” His smile captivated my heart.

  I shifted my weight so that I could lay next to him on my bed. He was looking at my walls, I realized, trying to read the graffiti hidden in the shadows.

  “I like it.”

  “Yeah?” I didn’t even think about it most days. The colors and words had blended and become a detail I usually overlooked.

  “It suits you,” he said. “You wear your heart on your sleeve, anyway—you might as well write it on your walls, too.”

  I wasn’t sure if his comment had been a compliment or not.

  “Do you miss her still?” he asked. “Your friend?”

  I propped myself up on one elbow. “How do you know? About her?” I had never said a word about her.

  “About Jessica?” He smiled. “You mean, the name plastered all over your walls, the ’Val and Jess BFF’? That’s a pretty big clue.”

  “Oh.”

  “You didn’t answer me, though. Do you miss her?”

  I hesitated. Did I still miss her? It had been months since she’d moved. Months since I’d heard from her. A small part of my heart still ached from the loss and still smarted from the pain of our severed friendship. But I’d moved beyond missing her. Like my mother, she occupied a mostly empty chamber of my heart.

  “I miss having her as a friend,” I offered. “But I don’t miss her anymore.”

  “She doesn’t stay in touch.”

  I shook my head.

  “It’s not because she doesn’t want to,” he whispered to me. “It’s hard to be the one left behind but sometimes…sometimes it’s even harder to be the person leaving. The person who leaves doesn’t just give up a friendship. They give up everything comforting and familiar. And sometimes, the easiest way to cope with that is to shut down, to act as if those things never existed.”

  I sat fully upright now and stared at him. “How do you know these things? I asked accusingly. “You said you couldn’t read my mind, that you could only ’project yourself into my shoes,’ whatever that means. But you talk as if you know me…things about me I’ve never told anyone. And you talk like you know her.”

  “I can’t read your mind.” He paused, thinking for a moment before he responded. “But it is more than empathy,” he admitted. “How do I explain it? If I connect to someone, I can see their past. I can see what has happened to them and experience their emotions.”

  “And you’re connected to me?” I shifted and his leg, the full length of it, made contact with mine.

  He nodded.

  “Why?”

  Noel sighed. “Because I wanted to know who I was dealing with. When you found the stone, I thought I could easily convince you to get rid of it. I was ready to do whatever was necessary to keep it out of our hands. But when I delved in to you—your past, who you are—I couldn’t do it. I didn’t want to be someone else who would end up hurting you. You’d already lost so much. Your dad to his work. Your mom to those lost brothers and sisters of yours. Your best friend. I couldn’t. Not then, anyway.” He stared at the ceiling and grimaced. “And now look where I am. Spilling secrets that have been kept for thousands of years, putting you in danger from Leo. And soon from me.”

  He looked at me then. “It was a stupid thing to do. But I wouldn’t take it back. That’s the reason I don’t want you to care about me.”

  “It’s too late for that,” I admitted out loud what I already knew in my heart. “I already do.”

  Chapter 37

  He shook his head at my revelation, a pained expression on his face. “But I don’t want to hurt you when I leave. I don’t want to be a new source of pain for you. Do you understand? It’s not because I don’t care about you.”

  I didn’t want to talk anymore, especially about him leaving me. I didn’t want to think about the reasons why he was here, or the fact that, sooner than I wanted, he would leave. Instead, I wanted to concentrate on the proximity of his body next to me, on the feel of his leg pressed against mine, on the arm that curved casually around me as I settled back.

  We were quiet for a minute. I listened to his steady, even breathing and breathed in his cool, woodsy scent. I wanted the night to last forever. I wanted him to stay forever.

  “I should go,” he whispered, right on cue. “You need to sleep.”

  “I don’t want you to go.”

  I put my hand on his chest and felt his heartbeat quicken. I leaned closer to him and kissed his cheek.

  “Valerie.” His voice held a warning.

  I kissed his other cheek as my hands grazed along his chest. He sighed and I kissed him then, ignoring the strange, subtle sting of his lips as I pressed my mouth firmly to his. He laid as still as stone and, if not for the wild beating of his heart, I would have thought he was oblivious to my touch.

  “Kiss me back,” I pleaded against his mouth. “Please?”

  Noel seized my invitation. He plunged his hands into my hair and kissed me hard, forcing my mouth open. I savored the sweet taste of his tongue as it tangled with mine. His hands ignited my skin as they roamed down my arms. He grabbed my hips and pulled me on top of him, against the full length of him. His hands slipped under my shirt and he caressed my back, his fingers sliding toward my ribs as he trac
ed the thin underwire of my bra. His lips moved to my neck, leaving a trail of cool kisses that still managed to warm my blood and leave me breathless. My mouth found his and I lost myself in his kiss again.

  Noel wrenched his mouth free. “We need to stop,” he whispered. His breath blew soft against my throat, cooling my heated skin.

  He rolled me on to my back, trapping me with his arms as he pulled himself up and hovered above me. His blue eyes were dark, almost black. “We can’t do this.”

  “Why not?” I didn’t want to stop.

  “Because I don’t have that much self-control,” he warned me. “If things—if we get out of control, I don’t know if I could stop.”

  “So don’t.” I reached for him.

  He grabbed my hands. “Leo isn’t the only one who has desires. I’m not in the habit of corrupting young girls—at least not in this day and age—but I’m not perfect.” He sat up, away from me.

  I took a deep breath and tried to steady my own erratic heartbeat.

  He lay back on the bed, closing his eyes. “I think we’re both in need of an extremely cold shower right now. Separate ones.”

  “Not me.” I wanted to keep kissing him.

  “No? What do you need?”

  “You.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Really?” He moved closer, a wicked smile on his face.

  He moved his hands to my waist, finding the button on my jeans. He unfastened it, his fingers pulling the zipper down. “How far are you willing to go? With this…and with that stone in your pocket?”

  I grabbed his hand as panic began to set in. “No…” But my voice sounded unconvincing, even to me.

  He stopped. “Lesson learned,” he commented. He tried to keep his voice light but his jaw was clenched. “I have some self-control…admittedly, not much. But if this had been Leo…” He eyed me speculatively. “He would have had you—and the stone—in five minutes flat.”

  I shuddered.

  “I don’t think you realize what you do to me,” he murmured. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been with someone as tempting as you. And I’m not used to denying myself when I see something I want.”

  I digested this information. There had probably been dozens of women. Maybe thousands. His conquests could conceivably span all of history. How many of those girls had he professed to care about? How many had he kissed with those soft, cool lips? What else had he done with the women in his past? It was no surprise he could elicit such a strong and immediate response from me. He’d had all of eternity to practice and perfect the skills he’d just demonstrated. Who was I but a temporary diversion during his quest for what he really wanted?

  He cupped my face and tipped my head up so our eyes met. “Don’t,” he commanded. “Don’t compare yourself. You are utterly unique, Valerie.”

  “How can I be?” I cried. “I’m so…normal. Average.”

  “But you’re not,” he said. “You’re you.”

  I swallowed hard. “How many have there been?”

  Noel sighed and said nothing.

  “How many?”

  He spoke softly into my hair. “A lot,” he admitted. “I would never lie to you about that. But it doesn’t matter. They don’t matter. Do you understand?”

  “Perfectly,” I tried to keep my voice steady but failed. “I’m the flavor of the week.” And I have something you want, I thought.

  “You’re not,” he insisted.

  “Whatever.” Nothing he said would change my mind.

  He closed his eyes. “Listen to me. You…all of this…I will remember. Others have come and gone, names and faces I can’t even recall anymore.” He paused, his voice dropping to the softest of whisper. “But when I’m gone, the memory of you will be with me forever. For all of eternity. I promise.”

  Nothing except that.

  “I care for you,” he whispered. “More than I want to. More than I should.”

  He kissed my forehead. “Dream of me.”

  He was gone, a blur out my window.

  Chapter 38

  I saw him at school before he saw me. The clouds, dark and angry, hovered low on the sky like steel gray balloons ready to burst. I hid behind my umbrella as I watched him stroll casually toward the English building, a golden sun illuminating the dark and dreary day. His entire being radiated heat and light, and I could feel the warmth of him from where I stood. I felt myself inching closer, pulled by some invisible force.

  Noel appeared just as I stepped forward. I didn’t have time to think about last night because he was focused on one thing. “He’s back.”

  “I see.” And I feel, I thought.

  “Where’s the stone?” he demanded.

  “At home.” I’d grown accustomed to leaving it there over the last few days.

  “Good.” Noel glanced at his brother and then turned back to me, watching me carefully. “He’s strong.”

  I’d already sensed this. “I know.”

  “This always seems to happen. A fresh surge of power right around Beltane.”

  “What?”

  “Beltane. The spring festival, a celebration of renewal and fertility. Leo likes to focus on the fertility aspect, if you know what I mean.” He sighed, frustrated. “You won’t stand a chance against him.”

  “But I left it at home,” I pointed out. “I couldn’t give it to him, even if I wanted to.” Looking at Leo again, at his blond hair shining like a beam of sunshine and his bronzed skin even more radiant on this sunless day, I was grateful I had.

  “Oh, you’ll want to,” he promised, confirming my thoughts. “He’ll have you back at your house in no time, digging through your drawer, begging him to take it from you. It’s just a question of what else he’ll take…” His jaw clenched at the thought.

  “I’ll leave.” The reality of the situation sank in. “I won’t go to school. I’ll--”

  “He’ll go to your house then. He’ll charm your mother. He’ll do whatever it takes.”

  “So I’ll go someplace else…”

  Noel shook his head. “He’ll find you.”

  I panicked. I wasn’t ready to make a decision and I couldn’t allow Leo to make it for me. Then I remembered the pendant Hope had given me. I’d almost forgotten about the silver charm that lay warm against my chest. I pulled it out from under my sweatshirt and held it out to Noel.

  “What about this?” I asked. “It’s an amulet—for protection—from Hope.”

  “Worthless,” he told me. “Her abilities are no match for Leo’s.”

  I crossed my arms, wrapping them around me. What choice did I have? To keep the stone from Leo—which I knew I had to do, despite having no rational reason for this conviction—I would have to go home immediately, grab it from my dresser drawer and somehow get rid of it before he could find me. And I would never see Noel again. Tears of frustration streamed down my cheeks.

  “But…” Noel spoke. He stared at the pendant. “There might be something I can do.” He closed his eyes as he thought.

  “What?” I cried. “Do it, whatever it is! He’s coming this way.” Leo’s smile had found me, pouring over me, threatening to melt my resolve.

  “I’ll deal with the ramifications later,” Noel said, mostly to himself. He picked up the pendant, bringing me closer to him in the process. He wrapped his hand around it, closed his eyes and began to speak. His voice was hushed as a rush of foreign words escaped his mouth.

  He opened his eyes and released the pendant, tucking it back under my sweatshirt. It froze my skin, as cold as if he’d pressed an ice cube to my chest.

  “Valerie.” Leo’s voice, smooth and rich as chocolate mousse, greeted me. His eyes, those liquid chestnut pools, found mine and tried to absorb me into their warm depths.

  “Hi.” I was fine. Unaffected. Whatever magic Noel had conjured was working.

  Leo tried again. “You are a sight for sore eyes.” His eyes gazed into mine. “Tell me,” he said, a suggestive smile spreading across his sun-kissed face. �
�Did you miss me?” He reached out his hand to touch my arm and I braced myself. Nothing happened.

  Leo scowled and turned to Noel. “What the hell is going on?” he seethed. A crack of thunder sounded in the distance. “Did she give it to you?”

  “Ask her.”

  Leo looked at me with heated eyes. “Did you? Did you give him the stone?”

  “No.” I was surprised by how firm my voice sounded.

  “What?” Confusion clouded his face, only to be replaced by a fresh surge of anger. He whirled on his brother. “Did you intervene? Interfere? What did you do?”

  “I gave her a fighting chance.”

  Leo looked as if he might roar. A flash of lightning streaked across the sky and the resulting thunder boomed loudly, reverberating through my body. Instinctively, I moved closer to Noel. He put his hand on my shoulder, laying claim.

  “Dammit, Noel! That’s not how we do things.”

  “That’s how I’m doing this,” Noel responded with a note of finality.

  “You’re getting stronger.” Leo smiled thinly. “And so it goes. Tell me, dear brother, are you going to play just as nice at Midsummer?”

  A muscle twitched in Noel’s jaw but he said nothing.

  Leo laughed. “I don’t think so.” He cleared his throat, readying himself to speak. “Fine. We’ll play your way for now. And we’ll see what happens come Midsummer’s Eve. I’ll be interested to see how long you can remain virtuous. Especially with that tasty morsel tempting you.” He winked at me.

  “Leave her alone,” Noel warned.

  “Hmm, I think your self-imposed chastity is getting to you,” Leo said. “Why don’t you come with me this weekend? I know some girls who can show you a good time. A really good time.”

  Jealousy flared and I clenched my fists at my side.

  “Ignore him,” Noel told me.

  The first bell sounded just as the heavens opened up.

  Noel turned to me. “Go to class. And don’t worry about Leo.”

  I hurried to math, dodging the raindrops that somehow managed to find their way under my umbrella. My thoughts were a mess. Part of me felt protected, relieved. Whatever Noel had done had stopped Leo in his tracks. His powers had been rendered useless. But the end of the conversation between the two, with Leo’s reference to summer and whatever might be waiting, left me uneasy. Noel had told me once before that he would soon be like Leo in his quest for the stone. And Leo had commented today that Noel was stronger. Where did that leave me? I wondered if I was soon going to be in danger from the boy I was falling in love with.