Stone Heart

by Pauline Creeden

  “Night, my little siren,” he whispered.

  “Good night, mage,” I whispered back.

  “My,” he whispered.

  “What?”

  “I’m your mage,” he whispered.

  I smiled, but instead of responding, I just squeezed him slightly and closed my eyes. Mine. Something I never thought I would get to say before.

  Chapter Eleven

  We weren’t disturbed during our sleep, and I woke up more refreshed than when we were tied to a tree. The sun shone through the clouds overhead. Kane lowered a rope from the net so I could climb down without being thrown to a tree again.

  “How’s the leg feel?” Kane asked when he finally made it down after taking apart our bed.

  “It hurts, but not as much as I thought it would,” I admitted, leaning against a tree with my hurt leg bent, toe resting on the ground.

  He knelt down and worked on healing my leg a bit more. Most of the pain subsided, and I was able to walk on my own. I walked a bit slower than normal, but it was better than him having to carry me around. Then Kane pointed toward the stream. “You can wash up there while I keep watch.”

  It suddenly occurred to me that Kane had been following the stream the whole time. When I didn’t know where we were going, and Kane somehow had a plan, it seemed that was his plan. I nodded and limped toward the water, washing with the soap that I had in the pack. Salt had made my shirt dry in a stiff manner that I hadn’t really noticed until I was washing it. I peered over toward Kane to make sure he was looking away before I slipped it off me and into the water. Although the water was a bit colder than I would have liked, I adjusted to it quickly. Out of the ocean, the need to feel clean was much more overwhelming on land, and I felt more human once I was finished. Because of my siren abilities to control some aspects of water, I pulled it out of my shirt and hair, so I could dry more quickly. Once finished, I headed back to Kane who was sitting on a log and stood as I limped toward him. “Your turn.”

  I sat on the log while Kane washed up, and when he returned to me, I dried his clothing for him as well. Then we continued on our journey. For two days we hiked at a slower pace, stopping to eat and take breaks or sleep in the trees. On the third day, we continued in silence, and I walked closer to Kane than usual. Something felt wrong. It felt like someone was watching us. I knew there were probably hundreds of animals watching us, but it was something else. Even though the birds and bugs continued their constant noise, it felt as though a predator was stalking us. I drew my knife and held it while we walked, which made me feel a little better.

  Kane arched a brow at me but stayed silent. He rubbed at the back of his neck, and I wondered if he felt it, too? Then he nodded toward the stream. “Let’s fill our canteens. We’re going to be breaking off in another direction today.”

  I nodded and even though my canteen was half full, I filled it the rest of the way. Was he changing course because of the thing following us, or had this been his plan all along? I couldn’t help but glance around us as we knelt by the stream. That feeling of someone watching grew more intense. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Once we finished filling both containers, we started away from the stream in a new direction, just as Kane had promised. Somehow, the intense feeling of being followed slowly subsided, and a few miles later, we stepped out of the trees, and I stared at the barren wasteland before us.

  “The deadlands,” Kane whispered.

  “We’re walking across that?” I asked, swallowing hard.

  “We have to search everywhere.” He shrugged. “And nothing lives in the deadlands, so it would make sense if the stone was there. Could be why no one has found it yet. But, don’t worry, we are only using it as a shortcut to get to another part of the mainland. We aren’t searching the entire deadlands.”

  “But, there’s no water there. How are we going to survive?” I asked, fidgeting with the handle of my knife.

  He draped his arm around my shoulders and squeezed. “That’s why we filled our canteens. Don’t worry. We’ll be fine.”

  I glanced back the way we had come and shivered. At least the open, barren landscape would make it impossible for something to stalk us in hiding. It would be better than the woods in that respect.

  “Okay,” I said with a resigned sigh.

  He laced our fingers together and gave my hand a squeeze. We started across the dead land before us where not even weeds grew. We walked for several hours, sweat pouring down our bodies as sunlight beat down on us from overhead and reflected off the white sand. I really hated walking in sand.

  “We need to switch things up,” Kane said, wiping sweat from his brow as the sun reached its zenith.

  “What do you mean?” I asked, shielding my eyes from the glare.

  “We need to sleep during the day and walk at night. It will be cooler at night, which will let us move easier.’ He pulled our pack from his back.

  “You expect me to sleep in this heat?” I asked.

  “We have to try.” He took the clothing we had on hand and then built a quick shelter out of it that wouldn’t keep out rain but allowed us a patch of shade. He slipped under and moved to the side to allow me room.

  I crawled in and lay down beside him, but not on him for the first time in a week. It was just too hot for that kind of cuddling. After a while, I flipped onto my back and exhaled loudly. When I looked over at Kane, his eyes were closed and his breathing even.

  How did he do that? How could he fall asleep at the drop of a hat like that?

  I tried to sleep, but I was too miserable in this heat, even though I now lay in the shade. My arms and face began to hurt. I frowned. My skin felt unusually hot, making me wonder if I might be getting a fever. I rolled on my side, facing Kane, and closed my eyes. I began building our house in my head, the repetitive motion helping take away the anxieties and worries that plagued me. After a while, I fell into a shallow sleep.

  I had no idea how long I managed to sleep for, but the sun had set by the time Kane woke me. His face shined in the moonlight as he’d already removed the shelter over our heads before he woke me. “Did you sleep much at all?”

  I nodded and rubbed at my tired face, but then winced in pain. “My skin hurts. Why?”

  “You’re sunburned,” he said and helped me out of the tent.

  “I’m what?” My skin felt hot and sensitive to the touch.

  “Sunburned. When you’re out in the sun uncovered, it burns your skin. Once we get to vegetation, there’s a plant that I can use to give you some relief.” He rocked back on his heels and stood, offering me a hand to help me up.

  I placed my hands in his and frowned. The sun had burned me. Well, that was new. My arm looked red in the dim moonlight. Overhead, the sky seemed an endless half dome of stars, with barely a touch of light in the west where the sun had dipped below the horizon. My skin felt warm to the touch.

  I looked at Kane as he threw our pack over his shoulder. A frown pulled at my lip, and touched his dark, cool arm. “Why you aren’t sunburned?”

  “Genetics,” he said. “It’s harder for us to get burned due to our skin color.”

  “Hopefully our kids have that advantage,” I said.

  “Our kids, huh?” he asked, smirking at me.

  “Your kids. I said your kids,” I blurted.

  He laughed but didn’t tease me further.

  “Do you know where we’re going?” I squinted in the dark. Everything looked the same to me. If it wasn’t for the bit of light in the west, I wouldn’t know which direction was which.

  “No. I thought you were leading the way?” he asked, stopping to look down at me.

  My mouth gaped open a few times, like a fish out of water.

  Then he laughed.

  I glared at him and resumed walking the way we had been. “You’re such a jerk,” I grumbled.

  He was still laughing when he caught up to me. “You should have seen your face,” he gasped and wiped tears from his eyes.
r />   “I’m glad it was so amusing,” I said and then exhaled and let go of the irritation. I couldn’t help but smile. “Okay, it was funny. I’ll admit it.”

  He draped his arm around my shoulders and kissed the top of my head. “Yes, it was.”

  “So, you do know where we are going, right?” I asked, looking up at him.

  He smiled wide, then pointed up. “The stars, Ivy. The stars guide us.”

  I looked up at the stars. There were billions of them. “How do they help you?” I asked.

  “There are constellations. I follow them,” he said and then shrugged. “It’s something I learned about in a book I found.”

  “I do remember something about sailors using stars to guide them,” I whispered, a memory flickering around in the back of my mind.

  Looking up at the stars reminded me of how small we were. There was this huge world, one so big that we would never see all of it. We knew that the thirteenth district had found their stone, but had any of the others? It had been over a decade. Did each one of them suffer this fool’s errand the way we did? Could the whole world really be healed? And this world wasn’t more than just a speck in the grand scheme of the universe, was it?

  “What’s wrong?” he asked, peering into my eyes.

  “Just thinking about how insignificant we are. In the world. Like those stars, we’re just one of many,” I said.

  “Ah, but see that one?” he asked and pointed to a particularly bright star.

  “The bright one?” I asked.

  He nodded. “That star is like you. So bright that everyone who sees it has the image burned into their minds, never to be forgotten. And, if your light disappears, they will miss you and wonder where the light has gone.”

  I leaned into his side, cheeks warm. “You have a way with words, Kane.”

  “Just for you. I honestly think this is the most I’ve talked in the last five years combined,” he said and chuckled.

  “I like your voice,” I said. “It’s deep, but not rough or coarse sounding.”

  “I don’t think anyone’s complimented my voice before. Thank you.”

  “You’re welcome.” I looked back up at the star, and my smile didn’t leave my face the rest of the night. He was right, traveling at night was better since it wasn’t as hot, and the sun didn’t cook me. But it still took its toll.

  When dawn threatened on the eastern horizon, I collapsed in our makeshift shelter, exhaling a sigh. “Walking is hard.”

  He lay down next to me, rolled me over so I lay on his chest, and stroked my shoulder. “You’re not used to walking, so it’s understandable.”

  “I have strong legs,” I countered. “They are just used to swimming.”

  “Ivy, I want to ask you something, but I don’t want you to freak out.” His voice sounded too serious. I didn’t like it.

  “Well, now I’m starting to freak out,” I mumbled and tilted my chin to look up at him. “What is it?”

  His brows scrunched, unscrunched, and furrowed again. He opened his mouth, shut it, and then finally, asked, “Have you ever slept with a man?”

  I let his words register and felt my cheeks warm. I lowered my chin, resting my head on his chest, and toyed with his shirt between my fingers. “No,” I said softly.

  “I’m not going to be mad or judge you if you have,” he said quickly. “I’m just curious.”

  “No,” I said a bit louder. “I haven’t.”

  He hugged me. “I’m sorry I made you uncomfortable.”

  “Have you ever?” I asked without looking at him.

  “No, I’ve never slept with a man,” he said.

  I looked up at him and his smirk made me relax a bit. “Kane, you know what I meant.”

  He rested his hand on my cheek, smoothed his thumb across my cheekbone, and said, “Yes. I’ve slept with a woman.”

  “But you aren’t with her now,” I said, since I doubted he would have left so willingly.

  He shook his head, and then dropped it to the ground, and sighed. “No. It was a short fling a few years ago.”

  The joy it brought me to know he wasn’t with her now was ridiculous and absurd, yet it bloomed within me. I didn’t have anything to say to him, so I stayed quiet, rubbing a section of his shirt between my thumb and finger as we lay together. The sunlight brightened around us, but I yawned. My muscles relaxed, and I took a deep breath.

  Kane kissed the top of my head then whispered, “Good night, Ivy.”

  “Night,” I whispered back, closing my eyes.

  After walking for most of the next day, we finally made it to the edge of the deadlands, spotting the grass and trees ahead of us. My heart soared, and the smile on my face felt so wide that my cheeks hurt. I never thought I’d be so happy just to see the color green.

  “Life!” I yelled, throwing my arms up into the air and ran in the direction of the trees.

  Kane chuckled as he followed me onto the grass.

  As soon as my feet were out of the sand, I lay on the grass, and rolled on it. “Wonderful, wonderful life.”

  “I can’t wait to see how happy you are when we get back to the sea,” he said, his shadow casting over my face.

  I scowled, because I didn’t really miss the ocean. It was strange. I had grown up there, but land was so much more colorful and vibrant. The ocean teemed with life, yet I’d never felt more alive than since I’d come to land. I’d even forgotten about it while we traversed the deadlands. I would have thought I would have missed it, but I didn’t.

  I glanced up at Kane.

  Okay, maybe he had a little something to do with that.

  Kane groaned. “The first thing we need to do is find some water to fill our canteens. Luckily, we had that fruit, or we would have gone through water faster.”

  “Can we rest a minute?” I asked, still lying on the grass.

  He nodded, sat, and pulled out a fruit for us to share.

  I was honestly surprised that they had lasted so long. Normally fruit spoiled fast, but this fruit lasted us over a week. We’d saved all the seeds we could, packing them tightly in my bag, so we could plant them in the yard of our fantasy house in the future.

  I chewed on the fruit, and something shiny caught my eye in the tall grass a bit away. I leaned around Kane to get a better look, but it was gone.

  Weird.

  “What?” Kane asked.

  “I thought I saw something shiny, but there’s nothing there,” I told him and shrugged.

  “Wishful thinking on your part,” he said, smiling.

  I stuck my tongue out at him, and he grabbed it, lightning fast, with his fingers.

  “Hey,” I tried to say as he held my tongue out of my mouth.

  He released my tongue, smiling broadly, so proud of himself. He leaned forward to kiss me, and I saw the glint of something shiny again, and I recognized it from a picture I’d seen in one of my books.

  It was a gun.

  I yanked Kane forward and to the side, rolling on top of him as the enemy fired the weapon.

  Kane rolled us over, growling at me as he covered me. “Stay,” he ordered.

  I nodded.

  He leapt up, snatching his staff from the ground as he did, and ran into the tall grass. Well, it was tall for me, but only came up to Kane’s shoulders. Kane disappeared from my sight a moment, and I almost called out to him, but I was fairly certain he was trying to sneak up on our attacker.

  Suddenly, a filthy man in rags ran out of the grass, knife in his hand, yelling and charging straight for me.

  “Kane!” I screamed, grabbed my knife, and jumped to my feet.

  The man rammed into me, knocking me to the ground, and I had to use all my strength to push my knife against his, blocking him so he couldn’t kill me with it.

  His eyes locked with mine, and I gasped, seeing my silver eyes reflected back to me in his.

  “Dad?” I asked in a squeak.

  He jumped off of me and moved a bit away. He blinked several times, s
haking his head as he frowned.

  Kane reached my side, helped me stand, and glared at the man. He tugged me to his side, wrapping a protective arm around me.

  “Dad, is that you?” I asked.

  “Ivy?” he asked softly, his voice hoarse. His hair was mostly grey, but there were hints that it was streaked with silver and gold, like mine. It was long and shaggy, and a beard covered half his face. I racked my brain trying to see if I recognized anything about him, but he’d said my name. He knew who I was.

  “It’s me.” I nodded. “I thought you were dead. Everyone thinks you’re dead.”

  “Why are you here?” he demanded. He looked at Kane and his arm around me and scowled. “They sent you to find the stone?”

  I nodded. “Yeah.”

  He snarled. “Those sons of Caracas. Cowards. They would send my own daughter.”

  “What are you talking about?” I pulled to Kane’s side so that I could see better. “Everyone thinks you’re dead. Why are you here? What happened to you?”

  “You can’t get the stone.” The murderous look resumed in his glare.

  “What?” I asked, eyes wide.

  “The stone can’t be found!” Dad yelled, his eyes going wide and spittle flying from his mouth.

  Kane pulled me back behind him and stepped backward with me.

  Dad snarled and pointed his knife at Kane. “Get your hands off my daughter, you filthy mage.”

  “Dad,” I snapped.

  “Why can’t we find the stone?” Kane asked.

  “Shut up, mage.” The way Dad said “mage” was like it was the most disgusting thing in the world. Did he hate the mages?

  “Dad, answer him. Why can’t we find the stone? We need it. We need to heal the land, to send the darkness back where it belongs,” I said.

  “We wouldn’t have the darkness if it wasn’t for his kind!” Dad yelled and waving his knife in Kane’s direction.

  “That happened a long time ago. Kane had nothing to do with it.” I gripped the sides of Kane’s shirt, ready to rip him behind me if I needed to.

  “He and his kind are all the same,” Dad spat. “Think they’re superior to us and want to hide in their precious caves while the rest of us fight for our lives. They don’t care about the ones they send after the stone.”