Stone Heart (The Cursed Seas Collection)

by Pauline Creeden

  I strained my eyes as I peered up in the darkness of the hole, willing myself to even see the smallest bit of daylight. “Can you get us out of here, monkey? I don’t want to live in the hole.”

  Strange noises came from the hole. Scraping, grunting, the occasional hoot. Kane scraped something against his flint, and the small area where we stood lit up. I blinked at the sudden light. Kane shrugged and put the small flame he held toward the hole. “It’s my last stick. I was saving it in my pocket.”

  My stomach sunk. This truly was our last hope then unless I asked the monkey to send down more sticks. The scraping and noises continued, slowly growing in crescendo as they approached us.

  Kane stuck his head as deeply as he could in the earthen hole. His voice echoed back to me. “I can’t see anything yet.”

  As the scraping and grunts continued, he stepped to the side and gestured for me to do the same on the opposite side of the hole, so that we kept the entrance clear. The sounds grew louder, and then the monkey’s face popped out of the hole.

  I screamed and fell backwards, hitting my backside on the cool dirt floor.

  Kane smirked down at me. “That’s an odd way to greet our hero.”

  I glared at Kane, but he wasn’t looking at me. Then I drew to my feet and dusted myself off. “Monkey, you startled me.”

  He hooted softly then held out his hand.

  How did that make sense? “You want me to take your hand? How are we supposed to get up? We’re too heavy for you”

  The monkey sighed and looked at Kane.

  Kane smirked and pushed me over to the hole and the monkey. “Just trust him.”

  I blinked and set my hand in the monkey’s. As soon as his paw wrapped around my hand, he screeched back into the hole. The monkey’s hand was much larger than I had thought it would be, swallowing mine up completely. The monkey himself was bigger than I remembered him being after sitting in the dark so long.

  I still wasn’t sure what the plan was. Did he intend to show me how to climb out in the dark? “What are—”

  Several more monkeys screeched, and then there was a tug on my hand. And the tug kept coming. I scrambled and climbed up the dampened earth into the pitch black. How many monkeys were there? Were they really dragging me up? The climb wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be with them pulling me. The tunnel had several turns and some areas were steeper than others, but eventually light came into view. And then I saw that our monkey hero had brought friends. More monkeys than I could count stood in the faint sunlight that filtered in through the cave’s entrance at the top of the hole.

  “You’re the best monkey ever,” I said with tears in my eyes.

  When we reached the top lip, the monkeys grabbed me by the elbows and arms and helped pull me out, as that area was the steepest.

  “Thank you. Thank you,” I repeated again and again as I lay on the floor of the cave, and worshiped the dimly lit ground.

  My monkey patted me on the head, and I could almost swear he smiled at me. But over his shoulder, I watched as some of the monkeys started to leave. Then he turned around to join them as they headed toward the cave’s exit.

  Panic gripped me as my chest tightened. “Wait! You have to get Kane!”

  The monkeys looked at me, and as one, tilted their heads.

  I gestured toward the hole’s opening. “My friend. I need him. I can’t survive without him.”

  They looked at each other and then at me.

  This wasn’t working. Maybe they didn’t understand the word “friend” in my context? I sighed. “He’s my mate.”

  My monkey screeched and then pointed at the hole and jumped up and down. His friends took their positions, and one by one, they climbed down the hole, while four stayed up top to keep the line from falling.

  “He’s going to be heavier than me,” I said.

  The monkeys chittered to each other, which, I hoped, meant they understood. The monkeys in the hole started screeching, and the ones up top began to pull.

  I stood, and backed away from the hole, so they had room to get each other and Kane out. Suddenly, the monkeys up top lost their balance and lurched forward. I ran to the monkey in the back, wrapped my arms around his waist, and pulled, helping them get their footing and resume pulling up Kane. I helped them pull with all my strength, my arms slipping once, making me adjust my grip.

  Finally, Kane’s head came into view, and he pulled himself out of the hole.

  The monkeys nearest me collapsed, breathing heavily, and I collapsed with them.

  I loved monkeys.

  Kane crawled away from the hole, collapsing beside me. A mage, a siren, and two dozen monkeys—we all lay on the dirt floor of the cave, catching our breath.

  “Let’s not jump in anymore holes,” I whispered.

  Kane chuckled, which made me chuckle, which turned into full blown laughter. The monkeys hooted in their version of guffaws with us. We laughed until we cried and then wiped our eyes and stood. I blinked against the light that filtered into the cave. Even though it was dim, it was so welcome just to be able to see again. My eyes hurt a bit from the strain I’d put on them just in my attempts to see in the dark the past few days... at least I assumed it was days, since I couldn’t see the sun or moon to be able to tell.

  As the laughter settled, I peered around at the monkeys until I met eyes with Kane. “What do we do now?”

  My monkey walked over, drawing my attention, grabbed my hand, and tugged me towards the entrance. I blinked at him and stumbled my first step and then allowed the monkey to lead me. I peered back at Kane. “I guess we’re following him.”

  “Following a monkey.” Kane shook his head, chuckled, and then followed after me.

  My monkey led me out of the cave and back into the jungle area, checking that I would continue to follow before releasing my hand. It was silly that I hadn’t given him a name yet. Maybe something with hero in it. He was my amazing little hero after all. “Hiruko?” I whispered.

  My monkey turned toward me and cocked his head.

  “Can I call you Hiruko?” I asked.

  Hiruko hooted and gave me a wide smile, showing me his teeth but not in a threatening way, and jumped up and down.

  I nodded. That settled it. His name was definitely Hiruko.

  The humid air enveloped me, and the sun filtered through the leaves overhead, adding a warmth to my skin which I hadn’t felt in so long, I’d forgotten its embrace. I glanced back and had to stifle a laugh at the sight of Kane being followed and mimicked by a dozen monkeys. Kane was taking it well and started making weird gestures so the monkeys would repeat them.

  We traveled through the jungle to a thicker cluster of trees where dozens more monkeys awaited us. Once their eyes caught sight of me and Kane, a panicked look filled their eyes and the darted toward the trees. Then Hiruko came forward, hooted several times, and patted my hand. Some of the other monkeys hooted in response. Hiruko climbed up on a tree beside me and patted me on the head. Some of the other monkeys who’d come with us began laying hands on both me and Kane as if to show the others that we were safe to touch. Then one monkey came down from the trees and joined them. It drew forward and held out an unsteady hand toward my leg. I stood perfectly still as I didn’t want to spook it. Then it tugged on the hem of my skirt and jumped back.

  When I didn’t respond, it came back over and ran a hand along my leg. Then other monkeys came down and did the same. Together the monkeys continued to explore my body and Kane’s with their hands for a few minutes before they seemed satisfied and backed away. A few of the other monkeys stood with them but hadn’t touched me or Kane.

  Kane came closer and stood to my right. “I think we’re joining their clan,” he whispered.

  “I’ll happily join them. They saved our lives,” I said with a smile.

  Hiruko tugged me forward and motioned at a nearby monkey holding a baby. The monkey holding the baby tightened its grip and shook its head. Hiruko tugged my arm, so that I
dropped to my knees, and then tugged the other monkey forward.

  I wasn’t sure what to do, so I held still again.

  The monkey came up to me, sniffed the top of my head, and then rushed away.

  The other monkeys hooted and made strange noises, but none sounded threatening.

  I looked up at Kane. “I think she’s Hiruko’s mate.”

  Kane’s brow furrowed. “Hiruko?”

  I smiled up at him and then slowly stood again. “When we were walking, we agreed that was his name.”

  “You both agreed?” He slowly shook his head. “Why doesn’t that surprise me?”

  I shrugged.

  Then Kane met eyes with the monkey. “Hiruko, can you show us where you got the fruits?” Kane took one out of his pack and held it out. “Like this one?”

  Hiruko nodded and waved for us to follow him.

  Kane stayed close to me and leaned in toward me keeping his voice low. “They’re so much smarter than I thought they would be. It’s really making me wonder if there are other animals, just as smart, that we don’t even know about.”

  I nodded but didn’t say anything because that honestly led me down a path of terror. What if the wolfcupines were this intelligent? That would spell definite disaster for us. It was one thing for these helpful monkeys to be understanding of what we said, but a predator? I shivered at the thought.

  Monkeys watched us go, making soft noises to each other in what I assumed was their version of communicating. A few monkeys got close to us and reached out their paws toward us as we walked by. I raised my hand a bit, so that my palm slid across their paws as we passed, which seemed to please them, judging by their smiles.

  Hiruko pushed aside a small group of vines. Kane pushed them back higher, stepping to the side so I could enter first. I stepped through, and gasped.

  “What?” Kane asked, rushing in behind me.

  Before us was a grove of fruit trees in perfect health. No other trees grew in the area, almost as if the monkeys were cultivating them. Bright colorful birds called from the tops of the trees. One took flight, spreading its green and gold wings and gliding from treetop to treetop.

  “It’s beautiful,” I whispered.

  Kane slipped an arm around my waist and whispered in my ear, “You scared me. I thought you found a monster.”

  “It’s just so surreal,” I whispered back.

  He squeezed me once and then released me to begin picking the fruit.

  Hiruko stayed by me but squatted down. I sat beside him on a grassy area, crossing my legs as I did.

  “Thank you, Hiruko. You saved our lives,” I whispered, turning to face the monkey.

  He smiled and patted my hand.

  The sunlight overhead cast down brighter as a cloud moved out of the way. I yawned. I didn’t realize how tired my muscles had gotten from the strain of climbing out. Kane gathered bright fruit from trees filled with colorful birds while I sat beside a super intelligent monkey. Yes, this was my life now. And I was okay with that.

  I closed my eyes, tilted my face up, and enjoyed the warmth of the sun on my skin. That was something I would never forget, even if I ended up going back beneath the water. Honestly, I was certain I couldn’t go back beneath the water. I wanted to stay on land.

  “Hiruko, can we sleep in your village for tonight?” Kane asked, closer than I’d realized.

  I opened my eyes and looked over at the two.

  Hiruko nodded, hooting softly.

  I stood at the same time Hiruko did and then bowed slightly toward the monkey. “Thank you. Is there anything you want from us? As repayment? I don’t have much, but you’ve saved our lives.”

  Hiruko shook his head and led us back to the others.

  In the time that we had been gone, the monkeys had gathered a bunch of fruits, what looked like meat, and weird bugs. Most of the monkeys sat on the ground together, sharing food.

  Hiruko sat by the monkey with the baby in the group on the ground together. It had to be his mate and their child. Such a sweet looking family. I smiled as I sat on the other side of Hiruko, and Kane sat beside me.

  “This is the strangest dinner party I’ve ever been to,” Kane whispered to me.

  I laughed and shook my head. “It’s the first dinner party I’ve been to.”

  “You really need to get out more,” he mumbled.

  “I’ll pass,” I whispered.

  “What?” Kane asked.

  I shrugged. “I planned to isolate myself, remember? Can’t do that and have dinner parties.”

  “We could have our own dinner parties,” he said with a smirk.

  I rolled my eyes.

  Hiruko fed his mate some food, and then chewed up a few bites, and fed it to the baby. It was adorable and heartwarming. It was also slightly heartbreaking, since I doubted I would ever experience something like that. A frown tugged at my lips.

  “What’s wrong?” Kane asked, brushing hair away from my face.

  I turned my face away, sniffling, and wiped at my eyes. “Nothing.”

  “You should eat,” Kane said and held out one of the fruits.

  I accepted it and ate it in silence as I watched the family of monkeys, despite the pain that was growing in my chest.

  Back home, I’d been a troublemaker, but not a danger to others. Yet, they’d still sent me on this fool’s quest, knowing full well I could die. They’d wanted me to disappear and never return. Being trapped in that cave had reopened the wounds I’d tried so hard to keep closed. Now, I couldn’t stop the tears as they spilled down my cheeks. I needed to get out of here.

  “Excuse me,” I whispered and rushed to the far side of the monkey’s territory. I wasn’t stupid enough to run blind away from them. I just needed some space.

  I fell to my knees as sobs took over, and my body shook with each one. I wrapped my arms around my ribs, wishing that would stop the pain I felt in my chest. The pain the betrayal of the people who were supposed to care about me caused. The pain of knowing I would die, just like my father had.

  “What’s wrong?” Kane asked. Leaves crunched next to me, but I didn’t turn to look at him. “What’s going on in that head of yours?” he asked, stroking a hand down my hair.

  “They hated me enough to get rid of me,” I whispered. “They sent me on this trip knowing I would never return. They counted on me disappearing.”

  “Probably.” He knelt down beside me.

  “Those monkeys have a family. Those monkeys have more than I ever will,” I sobbed. “Life isn’t fair. I know that, but it doesn’t hurt any freaking less.”

  “We aren’t dead yet,” he whispered, moving closer to me.

  I sniffled, and wiped at my face, no doubt smearing dirt and mud on it.

  Kane set an arm on my shoulder and turned me to face him. He wiped some of the mud off my cheek and whispered, “I’m not going to let you die. We may not find the stone, but we will not die.”

  “Everyone dies who searches for the stone,” I said.

  “No. The thirteenth region found their stone,” he reminded me.

  He had me there.

  “You’re special,” he whispered. “I don’t know what it is about you, but you’re not like the others.”

  I snorted. “Obviously.”

  “It’s a good thing. Do you know any other sirens who could have made friends with a monkey and convinced him to rescue us?” His hand remained on my shoulder while his thumb continued to move in a comforting circle.

  I chuckled. “I don’t think so.”

  “I certainly don’t know any mages who would be able to accomplish that.”

  “You’re just trying to make me feel better,” I said, sniffling and wiping my nose.

  “Is it working?” he asked with a smirk.

  “A little.” I shrugged.

  “Does this help?” He leaned in and kissed me.

  “Maybe,” I whispered breathlessly.

  He kissed me again and helped me stand. “Come on. The monke
ys made us a bed to sleep on.”

  “A bed? As in one?” I asked, my brow furrowed.

  “You told them I’m your mate, remember?” he said, smirking.

  Heat rose to my cheeks. “You heard that?”

  He chuckled. “Well, you practically screamed it, and words carry down that hole pretty well.”

  He squeezed my hand and led me back toward Hiruko’s clan. We walked side by side, back to the monkeys to find most had disbursed, going to their respective sleeping areas. Kane was right, they had laid out a bunch of leaves in a circle just big enough for Kane and I to sleep curled up together. My heart raced, but I decided to abandon my civilities, and accept our situation. Plus, I needed the human contact.

  I ate a few bites of the fruit, tucked it into my pack, and then lay down.

  Kane curled himself around me, lifting my head a moment to slip his arm beneath my neck, and gently lowered my head, so that it laid on his bicep. It was incredibly comfortable, and I was enveloped by his warmth.

  “The monkeys can live with us, too,” I whispered as I began to fall asleep.

  Kane chuckled. “Okay, I’m fine with Hiruko and his family living with us.”

  “It’s going to take me a long time to figure out names for all those monkeys,” I mumbled.

  “We’ve got all the time in the world,” he whispered.

  Chapter Nine

  Screeching monkeys woke me the next morning. I sat up, confused and rubbing the sleep from my eyes. Suddenly, Kane’s strong hands grabbed me and tossed me up in the air. I squealed, and my eyes flew open. Hiruko and another monkey caught me pulled me up, and then like a chain, they passed me off from one to the other until I was so high up in the trees, I could not see the ground. My heart raced, dizziness overwhelmed me.

  I opened my mouth to call out for Kane, but the monkey next to me, Hiruko’s mate, slapped her paw over my mouth. Her baby clutched his mother’s fur, holding onto her as she sat on a thick tree branch. Adrenaline flowed through me, causing my ears to ring and my heart to race so hard that it ached in my chest. But where was Kane? If there was something dangerous going on, was he safe? More monkeys arrived in the tree tops, and Kane appeared, one tree away, tossed through the branches by a chain of monkeys, just as I had been. Hiruko was right behind him. What in Caracas was going on? Was it a predator?