Curse of Stone

by Nikki Lockwood

  Water filled my eyes. I pursed my lips and fought to hold the tears back. A dew settled on my upper lip. Air escaped me but none came in.

  86

  Sweat dripped from my brow. It was hard fucking work, shovelling dirt and not letting my heartbreak show. Stone needed me to be strong for her. To hold her up because I knew it was coming, she would crumble again. She was putting on a brave face, and every time I saw those tear soaked, red eyes of hers, the strings of my heart tugged.

  I threw a shovel load of dirt into the grave. Glancing up at Stone before scooping another load, I froze. Fuck. It was happening. My heart pounded in my head. I jumped across the grave, as the tears burst from her eyes like a dam spilling over. Her body shaking uncontrollably, as her knees buckled beneath her.

  I landed with precision, catching her before she collapsed on the grass. Between my arms she was a featherweight, but I gripped her tightly, holding her up. Her chest heaved in and out. She gasped for air. My insides burned for her. She wasn’t as strong as everyone else knew her to be. I knew her better than that. Not like that motherfucker, Velkan, who tried to steal her from me.

  “Breath, just breath,” I said.

  Her body jolted in my arms. A wetness spread across my chest and arms, as she buried her face into me. My girl was so strong, but not today. Today she needed me, and only me.

  I stroked her hair, my arms still wrapped tightly around her waist, holding her up.

  “Nothing to see here people, keep it moving. Drinks at Scarecrows,” Cai shouted, ushering the others away from us.

  He gave me a curt nod before his back disappeared towards the cars. It was just me and her now, alone.

  I held her in silence. Her legs not strong enough to bear her weight. The heartbreak must have come in waves, minutes of sobbing broken apart by short pauses for recovering breaths.

  I bent down, kissed her hair, and then brought my lips beside her ear. “Right now, you carry the heartbreak of the world in your chest, and the weight of the world on your shoulders, but you are my world, and I will carry you and all the weight you carry, forever and always. I’ll never leave your side. I promised you I wasn’t going anywhere.”

  Her fists clenched tighter on the back of my shirt.

  I smiled. My girl was exactly where she was supposed to be.

  87

  My fingers ran up and down the condensation on the glass of vodka I was nursing. I sat in silence, the world around me a blanket of insignificance.

  Drinking was the last thing I wanted to be doing. Sitting at a table full of people yet, I was alone, and the world around me quiet.

  Kyle came and paid his respects. He knew what it was like to lose a mother figure. His mother passed when we were five years old, I remembered it vividly. None of us knew what to do back then.

  It was dark outside, and Scarecrows was crowded. I did a double take when Iktok, Sune, and another, walked into the club. Heads turning to stare at them. Compared to the room full of people, they were different. Sune. His name stuck in my mind like gelatine. I had dreamt of him, but as a gargoyle. It couldn’t be possible, could it? I needed to talk to Sune, somehow, and alone.

  They scanned the room and made a beeline straight for Cathwulf. Velkan and Cathwulf led them to a private booth off to one side, way out of ear shot, and sight, to talk. I didn’t know what was wrong, or if anything was.

  I glanced into the crowd, between the shifting bodies. There was Jay, with Cai, Tiff, and Mac on the dance floor. A woman I didn’t recognise was grinding on Jamie. My eyes followed his hips as they grinded and moved, then up his torso, to his shoulders, and down his arms. His shirt sleeves rolled up. I examined the way every muscle curved into another, flexing, and moving as he did. It was incredibly sensual.

  Watching him as he traced the outline of his lips with his tongue. I couldn’t look away. His dreads swaying as he moved. Mid-lick he glanced up. Our eyes met. He did a double take and paused. His body stilled. Was I wrong? Nothing about staring at Jay felt wrong. I’d never seen him like, this, like…I didn’t know what.

  His eyes were bright with the tone of a thousand blues. Dropping my gaze to my lap automatically. Was I embarrassed? No, I didn’t think. I lifted my head. Oh, shit. He was staring at me, still. His hips shifted away from the woman and faced me. Crap. He was walking like the fucking beast of man his presence demanded, towards me, through the blurred crowd of people, straight at me, and eyes never flinching from mine.

  Reality hit me like a wave. I grabbed my purse and drink and headed for the balcony. What the fuck was wrong with you? The thought kept brandishing me. This was Jay, I didn’t like him like that anymore, did I? I shook my head, confused. It was the warmth of today, how he remembered Gran, that clouded my judgement.

  Out on the balcony, the air was crisp. I made my way to the furthest table, which was empty. Hiking my dress and coat, I hopped up on the bar stool and took a deep breath. Mad at myself for ogling him, it wasn’t right.

  “Stone,” Jay said and sat on the seat opposite me.

  I froze, in awkward panic.

  Jay clasped his hands together, interlocking his fingers. “What was that?”

  “What was what?”

  Jay raised an eyebrow. “Stone. What’s going on?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked, lying through my fucking teeth. I knew the chemistry between us had changed since I’d woken from my coma-like state. But I wasn’t ready to admit it, not yet. Not while my head and my heart were in raging confliction and messed up.

  Jay paused for a moment, then let out a sigh. “Come on. I’ve known you forever, you can talk to me.”

  I didn’t want to discuss it in any way. “It just so happens, Jay, that I was thinking about something, and when I snapped out of it, I was staring at you. Big deal. Doesn’t mean a damn thing, okay.”

  I lied, and he would’ve known it too, but I didn’t care. Without another thought, I slid down off my seat, and stormed inside, feeling guiltier than the cat who caught the canary.

  After retreating to the bathroom for a moments reprieve, I exited, but didn’t get far before an arm grabbed mine and pulled me sideways out an exit door, into an alleyway. It was a guy. Sweat covered his face, and his presence felt ignoble. He flung his arms around me and pulled me into a tight embrace.

  “Harley?”

  88

  “What the fuck?” I scowled, pushing him off me. He stunk like fermenting fruit.

  After our last run-in, seeing him now sent warning pulses throughout my entire body.

  “I’m sorry, I had to see you.”

  “Well, I don’t want to see you.”

  “Come on babe, don’t be like that.”

  “What the hell do you want?” I asked, my body growing tenser.

  Behind Harley, across the road, at the end of an alleyway, stood a man. He was regal and alluring. The way he stared at me stirred an unusual response within me, like I was being drawn to him. His eyes were strange. One blue and one green. He didn’t flinch or faulter. My skin tingled and my breathing shallowed. Radu?

  “Hello Danielle, are you even listening?” A hand waved in front of my face. Harley looked concerned. “Are you okay?”

  I glanced back but the man had disappeared.

  “Of course, I’m not fine. I just buried my gran. I’ve got to go now.” I tried to step around him, to go back inside, but he blocked me.

  “I’m so sorry for your loss,” he said trying to embrace me, again, but I slapped his arms. “I heard you were attacked also, so I wanted to see if you were okay?”

  The last thing I needed was him checking in on me. “Wait, how did you hear about my attack?”

  “Oh, um—”

  “Don’t worry, I know how, Jamie told you.”

  “Oh, yeah, Jamie, that’s right.”

  He was lying. Jamie would never have told him.

  I stepped to the side, trying to get around him, but again he stood in my way. “Let me go Harley.”


  His random presence made me weary. Whatever he was up to, it was a little unsettling.

  “Or what?” he asked, closing the gap between us.

  “What?” I snapped. “Harley, come on, why are you being weird?”

  “I’m not.” His cold eyes were fixed on me.

  My heart pounded in my ears. Harley’s hand clenched tight around my forearm.

  “Ouch,” I said. “What the fuck are you doing? Let go of me.”

  My bones ached beneath his grip. I tried to yank my arm back, but his grip didn’t give. I whacked his hand, pinched it, and tried to pry his fingers up even just a little, enough to loosen his hold. It was no good.

  “Harley, let go of me.”

  He yanked my arm and pulled me against his body. I shivered at the touch of his fingers tucking my hair behind my ear.

  “I have a message for you,” he whispered.

  “A message? From who?”

  Harley spun my body around, holding me tight. Placing his finger over my lips to silence me, he stared down at me. The warmth of his flesh against my mouth was strange. It slid down and his hand grasped my chin. His mouth moved close to mine. Warm breath hit my cold lips. His lips crashed onto mine with ferocity. Never had he kissed me so hard, the force almost hurt. I tried to push him off but with one arm, it was useless. With as much strength as I could summon, I lifted my knee into his groin. It worked. Harley let go of me and stumbled backwards grasping his jewels.

  “Fucking serves you right,” I growled.

  “You bitch,” he spat; his watery eyes glaring at me with a terrifying edge.

  Oh shit. I took a step back as his hand whipped across my face, sending me spiralling around onto the ground. The concrete stung my knees with a dull thwap.

  “You fucking bitch, now, you’re dead.”

  89

  The light in alley cast his shadow over me, as he stepped closer. My cheek throbbed with a burning ache.

  “Oh, you are so dead. Jay will kill you for touching me.” I stopped as Harley bent down, his hand grabbed my neck, and dragged me up onto my feet, lifting me just off the ground.

  “That’s enough,” a male, stentorian voice said.

  But Harley didn’t let go of me. I scanned for the voices owner but unable to turn my head, I couldn’t see anyone.

  “Let her go.”

  Harley didn’t obey. His eyes were fixed, trance like on me. There was a disgusting, sludgy, squishing sound, followed by a violent suction pop.

  Harley’s mouth dropped open and his eyes widened. “Danielle?” he questioned, looking at me like he didn’t know what was happening.

  He let me down, and stumbled forward into me, sliding down onto his knees. I tried to ease his fall. He fell sideways on the concrete. Behind him, was a man, his hand bloodied, holding a heart.

  An arctic freeze chilled me, inside and out. “Oh, fuck,” I said, stepping away from him.

  It was him - the man with one blue and one green eye.

  He tossed Harley’s heart to the side like it was nothing but trash, drew a pocket square from his breast pocket, and wiped the blood from his hand. “I have been waiting for you, Danielle Stone,” he said.

  “How do you know my name?”

  The man was undoubtedly blessed with looks, sharp lines defined his facial features, high cheek bones, with a short beard and moustache. Dripping in swagger, dressed in a black suit, which clung to his form like a second skin. A slimmer build than Jay, but just as toned. He stepped over Harley’s body towards me, so cool and composed, as a surge of unnatural power cloaked the air. A wild endearing glare in his eyes. “Harley told me so many fascinating things about you, moon angel.” His mouth parted with an unnerving smile.

  Our eyes locked. My body felt like it being magnetically pulled towards him, but I planted my feet. My heart thudded. I didn’t know whether to make a dash for it or not, I couldn’t get past him, but I could run around the block to the front door. But he looked like he could out-run me. He stepped around behind me. My body went rigid.

  “Who are you?”

  “Do you not know?” He whispered in my ear. “I am your every desire.”

  Radu?

  Fuck.

  The imminent danger clear. Iktok’s warning rang in my ears. Frantic I scanned my surroundings. How was I going to get away?

  “What do you want from me?” I asked, heat rising as his fingers grazed my skin.

  “Everything, moon angel, everything.”

  His warm breath hit me with a harrowing chill. I trembled. Fingers running up the inside of my arms, then his hands settled on my shoulders. My skin prickled. Adrenaline kicked in, and I pushed myself away from him.

  “That’s never going to happen,” I said, turning back to face him and put distance between us.

  “Are you sure? You don’t want to know what it’s like?”

  “No.”

  “That is a shame,” he said. “But I can take it.” His deep sensual voice wasn’t enough to mask the feeling his words gave me.

  Scanning the streets, for anyone, but they were empty. This guy just killed Harley, no mere human could help me, but they could distract him enough for me to get away. Had Jay not noticed I was missing?

  He stepped closer, and the illumination from the streetlight flickered black spots in his eyes which fell upon my neck. A slight tilt to his head, his gaze narrowed. “Where did you get that?”

  Gran’s necklace hung around my neck. It had been passed down by mother to daughter, for generations. I lifted my hand to hold it. “It was my grandmother’s.”

  “The padparadscha is not a sapphire that one usually sees. It’s delicate blend of pink and orange makes it quite remarkable. And Emerald cut. I saw a necklace like this once, many years ago.”

  “It’s one of a kind as far as I am aware.”

  “Of that, you are correct. It is not of this world. Placed here by one also not of this world. It was found in the darkest pits of Eastern Africa. Fashioned by a travelling artisan, into an emerald cut jewel encased in gold. An affluent man brought the necklace and gave it to his wife.” The words sounded bitter as they rolled off his tongue.

  “She was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. But she was more than just a woman, she was a witch, and a powerful one at that. When a powerful evil sought her, she bound a protection spell to the stone, and it was handed down from generation to generation.”

  A cold gust swirled around me, whispering voices carried within, haunted me. Small bumps covered my arms.

  “Yeah right, as if this is the same necklace. There’s no way,” I said.

  Lifting one corner of his mouth upwards he spoke. “Shall we see?”

  I nodded hesitantly. His fingers moved towards the necklace. He traced a fingertip across the gem, a blaze of light blinded me, and he flew backwards, as if something had struck him. My heart thudded, breathing splattered in uneven gasps.

  “Cassandriella,” he uttered. A widened grin dazzled his face, and eyes fuller, with blasts of light erupting in them. He laughed, a deep, pleasing chuckle. “Moon angel, you are the one.”

  Cassandriella, the woman who betrayed her lover, whose blood ran in my veins. Fuck. Adrenaline pumped, making me twitch.

  “You need to come with me. There are too many here that look to harm you. I can protect you,” he said.

  “No fucking way. Don’t come any closer,” I said, holding my hand out in between us.

  “You can trust me. I am not here to hurt you.”

  “I don’t believe you. For all I know you could’ve escaped the mental asylum. Whoever you are, please just leave me alone.”

  “See even now, your heart beats for me, faster and faster, excited that I found you.”

  “Stay back.”

  “Moon angel, it is time for us to leave.”

  “Like hell I will.”

  “Oh, it is in the name of hell that you will.” He paused. His hand grasped my forearm, pulling me towards him. “Don’t you see,
you are the key. They will try to use you. The beginning of the end will begin once darkness touches you. The only way to keep you safe is for you to come with me.”

  “I know who you are and what you want. You will never have my heart.” I tried to yank away, with all my strength but it was futile. Panic filled me.

  “It is more than just my desire for your love. You are the key to the prophecy. I always knew one would be, and you are she. That stone around your neck is more than just a mere necklace. Never lose it. Now come away with me. You shall have everything you desire and be safe from those who seek to harm you.”

  My mind raced, and heart thumped so loud it almost drowned out his voice.

  “Darn it. Those damn beasts. I will see you very soon, my moon angel. We will be together, and I will keep you safe.”

  A flash of fireworks like light sent me flying backwards. My bottom hit the ground with a dull thwap, my back tensed as it slapped the concrete, but just before the back of my head smacked down, a hand cupped it.

  90

  “Where’s Stone?” I asked scanning the room.

  Cai and Tiff shrugged their shoulders.

  “Fuck,” I said, slamming my fist down on to the table. I’d spent the last twenty minutes searching for her, and still couldn’t find her.

  A pungent metallic stench hit me. Every muscle in my body tensed.

  Blood. Fresh blood. Lots of it.

  The other wolves smelt it at the same time too. Heads turned, and glances exchanged. Velkan appeared from the private meeting he was engaged in, with them.

  A lukewarm dew filled my palms. My shoulders pushed back; muscles tensed. My head towered above the sea of people. Looking in every direction. No Stone.

  Where the fuck was she?

  I weaved through the people, bolting across the club, following the scent. She wasn’t far, my heart felt her presence close.