Shadows of Stone

by Jenna Wolfhart

  “Your words have no power over me,” I said, curling my hands into fists. “You can try all you like to pretend you aren’t worried about this harp, but I’m not an idiot. You’re scared of getting trapped. That’s why you’re here. You want to take it from me.”

  “Well, you’re half right,” she said, smiling when Marcus thundered into the hall and slammed the door behind him, trapping Eris inside the Great Hall as planned. “You see, I do want to take the harp from you, but I’m not the least bit scared.”

  Eyes wild, I watched as she turned to face Marcus. “My dear befuddled gargoyle. I’m going to need you to go over there and play that harp.”

  What? My mind screeched.

  Marcus’s eyes went glassy as he nodded and began a slow vacant walk toward me and the harp.

  “No,” I whispered, shaking my head. This couldn’t be happening. Eris couldn’t control the mind of my mate. It just wasn’t possible. Her magic couldn’t be that strong. “Stop it. Leave him alone.”

  “You’ve left me with no other choice, Rowena.”

  Tears burned in my eyes as I watched in horror. Marcus stepped past me, barely even sensing I was there. It was almost as though I were invisible to him. Nothing else in the world mattered but responding to Eris’s voice.

  “If you make him play that harp, I’m not the only one who will be trapped here.”

  Eris’s smile widened as she snapped her fingers. “Oh, little witch hiding by the door? Come out here and transport me far away from here.” Her eyes flashed as my best friend wandered out from the shadows. “I wouldn’t want to be a goddess stuck in a trap for eternity. Now would I?”

  Chapter 27

  Tess vanished with Eris seconds later, and Marcus reached out to drag his fingers down the harp. Only a few eerily melodic notes rang out in the vacant hall, but it was enough. Magic rippled like waves crashing on the shore, loud and terrifying to behold. The power stormed over me, blasting me with an intensity that made me fall onto my knees.

  I gritted my teeth against the whirlwind, digging my fingers into the stone floor in an attempt to hold on to the world. But it was no use. There was no fighting the magic. It swirled around me in dark and stormy shades of gray, trapping me in a shimmer of pure brilliant power.

  Tears streamed down my face as I tried to push at the strange, shimmery barrier that surrounded me. It felt like absolutely nothing at all, but my hand could travel no further than it. Marcus shook his head, his eyes widening when he realized what had happened. He rushed to me, slamming against the magic that kept the two of us apart. Forever.

  “She’s trapped me in here, Marcus,” I said, choking around the words and falling to my knees. I would never again get to feel the arms of my mates around me. I would never again get to watch the crash of the waves against the shore. I would never again be able to see the sight of the full moon lighting up the clear night sky. I’d fought so hard to escape this place. But here I was once again. Confined to Dreadford Castle for as long as I lived.

  “Rowena,” Marcus said, pounding his fists against the magical cage. “Please forgive me. I’m so sorry, my love. I don’t understand how I could have done this to you. I have to do something.” He paced back and forth in front of me, his eyes wild with fear and pain. “There must be something I can do.”

  “I’m afraid not,” Eris’s chilly voice rang out from behind him when she and Tess reappeared within the hall. My heart dropped when I saw the look on her face. Victory glowed in her glittering eyes. “The only way to escape the harp is to perform some kind of sacrifice. And you’re not about to do that, now are you?”

  I fisted my hands and glared at her. “You haven’t won, Eris. You do know that, right? If I’m trapped inside this cage, then you’ll never be able to access my powers. I still have control over them. Not you.”

  She lifted her shoulder in a shrug. “I’ve decided that I’m not that bothered about having your powers anymore. You are essentially taken out of the equation. I can rule this realm without them. Besides, I’m going to enjoy tormenting you. Didn’t you grow up trapped in this very same building? It’s so funny how karma can come back to bite you in the ass.”

  “Watch out,” I said, narrowing my eyes. “Or you might find the same happens to you.”

  She chuckled and shook her head. “Come now, Marcus and Tess. We have some gargoyles and witches to turn to our side.”

  Marcus’s eyes went vacant again, and anger roiled inside me. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t take my mate from me, and she couldn’t turn my friend into some kind of walking zombie. But Marcus and Tess fell in line behind Eris, and the three of them disappeared out the door and into the night.

  I was left alone with my thoughts and the distant sounds of fighting. Dropping to my knees, I pounded the stone floor, crying out in rage for what had happened. She’d trapped me. Forever. With the very weapon I’d been intending to use against her. And now she had control over the minds of my mates.

  Tears streamed down my face as I gave in to the utter horror of it all. Twenty-four hours ago, I had been curled up in bed with my beautiful gargoyles. All five of them had been mine, to have and to hold for the rest of a very long life. And only moments ago, Marcus and I had whispered about the future. Living in the City of Wings with the rest of the waking stone statues. In my mind, it had been such a happy life we would lead.

  But all of that had been taken away from me now, faster than I could even blink.

  There was nothing I could do to stop any of it either. I tried conjuring my powers to break through the barrier, but I couldn’t even cloak myself inside this thing. I’d been transformed back into the girl I’d been inside this castle. Weak and useless. Lost and confused. And lonely.

  The worst part of it all was imagining what Eris might be doing now and having no way to help those she targeted. No doubt she was using her powers to control the minds of those I loved. Had she found them all yet? And if so, what would she make them do? Form an army against the crown? Or would she try to control the Queen of England as well? How far would all of this go?

  I had a sinking feeling that Eris would go as far as she possibly could.

  This world would never be the same. Any happiness would be sucked dry, replaced by chaos, strife, and discord.

  And all I could do was sit on this stone ground and wait for the world to burn.

  Chapter 28

  “Ah, there she is,” Eris said with a smile when she strode back into the hall with all five of my mates in tow. Every single one of them was glassy-eyed, their limbs moving as if they were attached to puppet strings. “I thought you might want to know exactly what happened.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest, my heart rattling hard within me. “Go on then. Might as well tell me whatever has your face looking so smug.”

  Out of the corner of my eye, I swore I saw Sebastian’s upper lip twitch. I twisted my head toward him, wondering if I’d seen a strange ghost of a smile. But no, his face was slack and his eyes distant. There was no sign of that wicked spark I’d grown to love so much.

  “Your little army has been neutralized. And before you get all weepy about it, don’t worry. I managed to gather them under my influence with minimal casualties. I’d rather have supernaturals under my thumb than dead. So, this has added a nice little collection to my army.”

  “I’m so happy for you,” I said. “Though I hate to tell you that the Queen of England isn’t going to be particularly happy about your presence here on her property.”

  “Oh, her.” Eris waved her hand in dismissal. “I’ve had her under my control for the past few weeks. She won’t be coming, and neither will any of her guards. It’s just you and me, princess.”

  At the word ‘princess’ I felt my gaze drawn back to Sebastian. Even though he still stood there as stony-faced as ever, a strange sensation had settled over me. Something wasn’t right about the way he stood there, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was.

  Eris let ou
t a light laugh when she caught me staring at Sebastian. “I suppose you’re wondering what’s going to happen to them. At first, I was dead set on killing them all. One by one in front of you. In the most brutal of methods imaginable. But then I thought I would find it a lot more amusing to stretch your torture out for as long as I possibly can. They’ll be my servants. Here within the hall, and they won’t be allowed to speak to you. You’ll have to watch them all day and all night, always knowing that they can never again be in your life. And maybe I’ll have them service me from time to time just to make things lively. I imagine they’re decent with their hands.”

  I rushed at the barrier, pounding my fists against the shimmering force separating me from the rest of the world. Fury rose up inside me like a snake, one that was desperate to strike. This went far beyond discord and straight into the realm of pure torture, and my heart felt so shredded that I knew I’d never again be whole. Not when I would have to watch my mates with this woman.

  As I screamed and pounded the invisible wall, something flickered on Sebastian’s face again. I fell silent, dropping my hands to my sides. Eris had begun to wind her way through the hall, laughing under her breath as she eyed up her new home. And then Sebastian’s vacant eyes sparked with life, and he flicked them my way. Once. Twice. Three times. The corners of his lips twitched, and then his expression fell back into nothing.

  My mind roared as I stepped back from the barrier and tried to keep my gaze focused anywhere but on Sebastian’s face. I didn’t know how, but he’d somehow escaped Eris’s control. Powers he’d gained during his time as an assassin, no doubt. So, what was he doing? Going along with it all until he found the right moment to take her down?

  I hoped he didn’t do anything rash. He was strong, but Eris was stronger, and she had an entire army of zombie-like supernaturals on her side.

  “This is a beautiful table,” Eris said in a singsong voice, trailing her fingertips along the long oak table the witches had dined at every night until their castle had been ripped away from them. “Do you know what I find particularly enjoyable? Table sex.”

  She flashed me a smile, one that made my blood run cold. With a light laugh, she strode back over to my mates and paced before them, as if sizing them up as potential partners. She stopped in front of Jasper, cocking her head and glancing my way. “What about this one? He’s nice and burly.”

  “Leave him alone,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “Hmm.” She moved to the next—Silas. His vacant dark eyes would haunt me to my grave, not that I would ever have one if I spent eternity trapped in this harp’s magic. “What about this one?”

  “Just stop it,” I said, pressing up close to the shimmering barrier. “You don’t need them any more. I’m the one you wanted to trap. Well, you have me now. There’s no reason to involve them in this anymore.”

  “You are making this far too enjoyable,” she said, continuing on to stand before Sebastian. “And this one? Interesting scar. I bet he has some kinks to work out.”

  My heart roared as she trailed a finger down his chest, my entire body bristling with the urge to punch her right in the face. The mating bond, as it turned out, not only sent my mates wild with jealousy, but it made me crazy as well. And I couldn’t bear to see her hands on him.

  “Ah.” Her smile widened. “This one then. Follow me.”

  Eris walked toward me, slowly unbuttoning her shirt and letting it drop to the floor. She smiled as I gaped in horror. She actually planned to have sex with them, right in front of me. But surely Sebastian wouldn’t go along with it. He was the only one of them completely aware of what was happening.

  Yes, it would give him away if he stopped her, but surely he would know I couldn’t bear to see this happen.

  Sebastian walked up behind her, his expression still as vacant as it had been moments ago.

  “Come and stand in front of me,” she ordered.

  Sebastian’s eyes flashed, and he obeyed her orders. He paced to the side, curving around the goddess in a slow circle. He passed the harp. And then suddenly, his hand shot out to strike the strings.

  The harp’s discordant melody rang throughout the hall, and Eris got sucked into the trap.

  Chapter 29

  “What the hell?!” Eris pounded against the shimmering wall, but she had no better luck than I had. She was trapped in here now, thanks to Sebastian, who now stood smugly on the other side of the barrier with his arms crossed over his chest. My other mates were beginning to come to, confusion and exhaustion rippling across their handsome faces.

  “What did you do?” She turned and hissed, squaring her shoulders as she stalked toward me. I easily danced out of the way, feeling a strange sense of calm wash over me.

  “Karma is a bitch, right?” I grinned.

  “Princess,” Sebastian said quietly, dragging my attention away from the furious goddess. His eyes were raw, full of an emotion I’d never seen in them before. If I didn’t know better, I would have sworn he looked scared. “You’re going to have to fight her. It’s your only chance of getting out of there.”

  “The sacrifice,” Eris shrieked, her eyes going wide. “That’s right. The only way to get out of this trap is by sacrifice. That means...well, it means it’s time for me to kill you.”

  My lungs shuddered as I struggled to breathe. I had no weapons. My powers didn’t work in this cage. Of course, that meant her powers didn’t work in here either. Her super strength. Her speed. Her ability to command others to do her bidding. She was just as helpless as I was.

  And I’d been trained by the best.

  I’d lived most of my life without my powers. I’d learned to adapt. I’d known what it felt like to be weak. This wasn’t a strange sensation for me. In fact, it felt more natural than using magic ever had.

  Eris wouldn’t realize it, but I had the advantage here. And Sebastian knew it.

  “Thank you,” I shot him a whisper, one that was matched by a strained smile. He’d done the only thing he could have to help me, one that showed a faith in my abilities that I’d never had in myself.

  And if he believed in me, then maybe I could, too.

  With a deep breath, I squared my shoulders and faced Eris. Her eyes were wild, and her cheeks had gone stark white. Her movements were clumsy and she paced from left to right, as if she were dancing to a strange tune in her head.

  “Come on,” I said, bending my knees and holding my fisted hands before me. There were shouts and murmured voices on the other side of the barrier, but I forced myself to block them all out. If I wanted to win this thing, Eris had to be the only thing in the world.

  She shrieked and flailed toward me. Once again, I dodged her attack as if it were nothing. Then, I pulled back my fist and slammed it hard into the side of her head. She roared, gripping her ear and whirling on me with a wildness that turned my blood into ice.

  Eris might not be accustomed to this, but she was fierce and crazed and full of fury.

  She jumped on me before I’d braced myself for the impact. I fell hard with an oomph on my back. Stars dotted my eyes, and blood roared in my ears. She straddled me, gripping my wrists tight in her hands and shoving them down on the ground.

  I squirmed underneath her, kicking and fighting against her weight. But she was strong. Much stronger than I’d expected, and she had her fingernails digging into my neck before I even knew what was happening.

  More stars dotted my eyes as my breath was choked from my throat. Pain radiated through my neck. Sharp spikes that made my vision go blurry. Eris was winning. She would kill me, and then return to the realm, not only with her own powers but mine as well.

  But no, I couldn’t let that happen. I had to fight back. I had to find the strength I knew I had within me. Grunting, I squeezed shut my eyes and slammed my head into her face.

  The pain was almost unbearable, but it had the effect I’d craved. Eris fell off of me, clutching at her nose. Blood rushed onto her lips, dripping into her teeth. Ears stil
l ringing, I pushed up from the ground and grabbed her head between my shaking hands, my breath heaving from my gasping lungs.

  “No,” she said, choking out the word. “Please, don’t. You don’t want to kill me. You want to serve me.”

  “It doesn’t work on me,” I said, closing my eyes so that I wouldn’t have to watch what came next. “And it won’t work on anyone else ever again.”

  And then I yanked her head to the side with all the strength that I could muster. I had no idea what happened next, only that darkness filled my mind.

  Chapter 30

  “Rowena Mortensen,” Kipling said, kneeling before me with a crown made of stone. “The City of Wings would like to formally acknowledge you as our Queen.”

  He held the stone crown aloft, and then rose from his knees to place it softly on top of my head. I smiled at the old steward, feeling my heart swell with hope, love, and a new determination to give everything I could to this beautiful city.

  After the ceremony, there was much to celebrate. Kipling had gone all out. Fireworks lit up the night sky, and the entire hall was full to the brim with every kind of food imaginable. I sat on the southern cliffs, surrounded by my mates, watching the blues and yellows and oranges explode into beautiful splendor.

  I’d never before felt so relaxed, so content, so calm. Eris had been defeated. I had killed her in our fight, and the harp had accepted her death as a sacrifice for the magic. I’d passed out immediately after, and it had taken me a few days to recover from the power of the harp. It had sucked my magic dry, and it had left me weak.

  But it had all been worth it.

  Most of the magic hunters who had arrived at Dreadford Castle had been under her control, and they’d all wandered off when they ‘awoke’ from her spell. Those who understood what they’d done had been apologetic while those who couldn’t remember seemed shocked there was even such a thing as gargoyles.