Protected by Stone (A Paranormal Romance Novel)

by Cynthia Brint

  What? My hand buried itself against my torso. Does that mean... mom, she was part sylph, is that why she got pregnant so young? And does that mean that I—Grault and I—

  My train of thought ended, the pair in the water were fighting. Tessa shouted, trying to swim away. “Please, not yet, I need more time! I'm supposed to help with everything, my mother can't do it alone. She already lost dad, she's not well herself, I just can't, not yet!”

  The sylph hovered in the water with hurt etched deep into its fine features. “Tessa, I love you. I can't lose you. I won't.”

  I squeezed my hands together. Why does this feel familiar?

  He vanished from sight, leaving the girl to swim for shore. It wasn't far, she could have—should have—made it.

  Tessa was pulled beneath the surface, so quick I'd have blinked and missed. Gasping, I moved to float towards her, to try and help. A gentle hand touched me, sending my hair on end.

  There, orange as her lantern and just as bright, was an older woman who I knew had to be Tessa. Next to her was a ghostly retriever, it whimpered as it looked on.

  Into the lake, the same dog—Bizzy in the past—jumped. It sank under, and though I couldn't see, I knew what was going on.

  Just like the dreams I was having. Under the water, drowning, and teeth biting my arm.

  Bizzy broke the surface, paddling with Tessa in tow. The two scrambled onto the shore, crawling across the grass. They were just far enough to be out of reach when the lake exploded, a figure snarling in rage.

  The sylph was still silver, but no longer lovely. As Bizzy pulled Tessa to safety, the young woman spitting water as she regained the ability to move, Noaginath changed.

  Its hair melted away like rain, its skin becoming rotten as old fruit. It looked after Tessa, but it did not chase. I suspected it couldn't, not easily.

  With no more noise, it sank low and watched. For the rest of that memory, the sylph stared after the girl it had loved too fiercely.

  “Why?” I whispered, but the glowing woman beside me lifted a finger for silence. The world changed, the scene vanished.

  We stood in a familiar room, the walls covered in photos. I thought it wasn't a memory, but then I saw Tessa, still a young woman.

  Yes, right, Dirk told me about this part, too.

  She was kneeling beside Bizzy, the dog lying on her side in blankets. “She's dying,” she said. My eyes widened, shocked that she was talking to us.

  The voice that answered was behind, a familiar flat tone. “She is, yes.” Qui'nxious was there. He walked forward, so I stepped back. I suspected he wouldn't have touched me, but memory or not, I didn't want someone to walk through my body.

  Tessa pet the dog, its whimper so frail. “I need to save her.”

  “You cannot, Tessa.”

  “You're wrong,” she mumbled, eyes hot with determination. “I can. I think I know a way.”

  Beside her, she pulled forth a thick book. That wasn't what surprised me. In her other hand, Tessa revealed a lantern.

  What?

  It wasn't lit, it didn't glow, but I was sure it was the same. Looking down, I finally noticed mine was gone. I had a suspicion, one that made me gawk at my grandmother where she floated beside me.

  Could I be right?

  “Tessa,” the revenant said, kneeling in front of her. I'd never seen him kneel before. “You must not. If you do this, your magic will never truly be yours again.”

  The girl wasn't listening, she was flipping through the book. “I don't care. It doesn't need to be mine. Bizzy saved me, if I have to lose something to keep her near me... I'll do it.”

  Qui'nxious reached down, stubby fingers halting the girl and the book. She looked like she was going to yell at him, but he spoke first. “Here. This is the spell you want, yes.”

  Her face smoothed, an affection there that I never imagined giving to the emotionless ghost. “You must never speak of this. Do you promise?”

  His hand touched his chest. “I promise, Tessa.”

  “Do you really think this will change me so much?”

  “I do not know what it will change,” he said, “but I am confident it will change things.”

  Tessa flashed a bright smile, a brave smile. Then she ran her eyes down the page and began to whisper. I couldn't hear her, and when I tried to lean in, the glowing woman beside me extended her arm.

  Straightening, I held my breath and just watched.

  Before my eyes, young Tessa's hair began to move. It floated above her like wings, sun-yellow glow spreading from the tips. Her eyes were closed, like she was in terrible pain. Still, her lips kept moving, whispering the words not meant for me.

  I had to cover my eyes, squinting through the gaps to see. Tessa was glowing entirely, a living torch. Like ink on wax, the color began sliding off of her.

  That scared me, without even grasping why.

  In a rush, Tessa reached down to touch the furry ruff of her dog. Orange light fell down, dripping onto the animal.

  “Not all of it!” Qui'nxious shouted. “It can't be all, or you'll die!”

  Gripping the lantern with a sob, the woman held onto the metal handle tight. The glow kept dripping, pouring into the lantern as if her body was rejecting every drop.

  With dawning horror, I understood what was going on. Her magic. She pulled out her magic to... to save Bizzy?

  Expecting the golden retriever to rise, I leaned ever closer with bated breath. Tessa was breathing heavy, her hand on the lantern, the other reaching for the dog.

  Bizzy began fading away, sinking into the floor. “No!” Tessa and I both cried out.

  No, how can that be? She did all that to save Bizzy, and...

  Everything went white. Crying out, I looked away in a panic. In my ears, it sounded like the world itself was crumbling around me.

  When I was finally able to open my eyes, that was exactly what it looked like.

  Orange light flowed, crawling across the floor and along the walls of the tiny room. I felt myself moving, floating up and out. The sky was above me, but below me... below me, I watched a house building itself upwards.

  Stone wove like ropes, a skeleton that crawled wildly. The plain white house grew an armor of rock, extending like wild fire. From above, the shape was disturbingly clear.

  It had reminded me of a beast before. Now, seeing the architecture, the long halls like paws, the front door a mouth, how could it be anything else?

  Turning slowly, I spoke for the first time to my grandmother. “Did you do what I think you did?”

  Her smile was painful, it reminded me that she was only in her fifties. So young, too young, for her fate. “I wanted to keep Bizzy around. I thought she deserved that.”

  “You gave her some of your magic?”

  “More than that,” she whispered, petting the dog's head at her heels. “I gave her my ability to become a revenant.”

  I covered my mouth. The house was a revenant! All along, it was just a ghost of Bizzy. Lifting my fingers, I moved to touch her wrist. It was warm, a familiar heat. “The lantern you left for me, the rest of your magic. Why put it inside of that?”

  Below us, the shingles spread across the long roof. It sounded like clapping. I spotted a figure on the ground, an older woman that I thought had to be Tessa's mother. “The spell I used, it pulled my magic out. I couldn't have it back after that. It had to go somewhere, but still be close to me. The rest went into Bizzy, so that as she died, she became a revenant and merged with the house.” Her laugh was sweet as bells, nothing like what mine ever sounded like. “I didn't really know what I was doing. I didn't understand the true implications.”

  Furrowing my brow, I thought I might have an idea. “That's why the sylph came after me. It felt the magic, your magic, in the lantern. He still wanted you back.”

  She shut her eyes, straining to speak. “I hated what I did to him. Running away, never letting him see his own child...”

  “My mom,” I whispered.


  “Yes,” she said, “Gina. It's why she left. Noaginath never came after me, but he would sing sometimes. A song only sylph's can hear. One of those times, Gina heard him. She was... angry that I'd never told her about what was in the lake, but how could I explain?”

  “You didn't warn me, either,” I muttered.

  Tessa looked at me, her frown so low I wished I had said nothing. “I wanted to tell you in person. I died sooner than I expected. A side-effect of removing my magic, I suspect.”

  The house below had finished building. For a moment I stared at it, thinking about how it looked in the present, covered in snow. “If I'd had magic, maybe I could have fixed things, like you did.”

  “You do have magic,” she said gently.

  “No. Real magic, like yours.” Shrugging, I reached down to pet Bizzy. “I don't know what I'm doing, I'm not talented or special, not like you. I was living a pretty rough life before Grault showed up, yelling about your letter. I was never meant for this, I only came because I—well. I needed the money.” Chuckling, I brushed my hair from my eyes. “Pathetic, right?”

  “Farra,” Tessa said, reaching out to take my hands. “You are special. You did something I never could.”

  My doubt was clear. “What?”

  Her thumbs rubbed over my palms. “I was never once able to help a revenant move on. Maybe I was bad at it, but I suspect... I suspect I was always a little scared to lose them. After my dad, then my mom, I treasured those around me even more.” She hesitated, looking to the side. “It was selfish.”

  I helped Vibbs move on. My heart pulsed, choking my words. “I'm scared of losing people, too. That's why—” Grault, the town. “—it's why I'm trying to fix this all now. But I don't know what to do.”

  Tessa pulled me close, stroking my hair. It was a hug that hurt me, and healed me, all at the same time. “You do know. You have magic, Farra. You just need to trust in it to guide you.”

  I put my cheek on her shoulder, losing myself in the tender glow. My magic, what can I do?

  She'd already told me.

  Pulling back, I looked at her kind face with mounting sorrow. “You want me to help you move on, don't you?”

  She kissed my forehead, then stepped back. “You already have, you reminded me of my meaning. You fixed my memory.” Her hand lowered, scratching Bizzy's ears until the dog lolled its tongue. “And you did it all on your own, your own way, Farra.” She was turning gold, then white. “Magic is hard to find, sometimes. But it's always there. Will you help me down to the lake?” The light flashed, her words fading in just as they both vanished. “There's someone waiting for me there.”

  I rubbed my eyes, reaching down to pick up the lantern. It was brighter than ever before. “Yes. yes, I can do that.”

  The dog was gone, Tessa was gone. Around me, the room creaked. I knew what it all meant. I'd reunited Tessa's magic with the magic in Bizzy. Like a puzzle, they'd fit together again.

  The magic was gone from the house.

  ****

  The snow cut at me, but I didn't feel it. I had the warmth of the lantern, the confidence that I was making the right choice.

  What else was there?

  Blinking ice from my lashes, I saw the lake before me. It was the only part of the yard that wasn't frozen.

  The sylph was waiting. From the surface, it lifted its head, water dripping down in rivulets. My bravery was fading in the face of its beady eyes, that mouthful of wicked teeth.

  I took a deep breath, then another. Holding the lantern high, I approached on stiff knees. It hadn't moved yet. “Tessa,” it whispered, swaying forward.

  Biting my tongue, I set the orange light on the snow. “Yes,” I said, “Tessa.”

  The sylph was fast, slipping out of the lake. My courage was not as great as I wished. Retreating one step, then another, my relief settled in only when the monster stopped moving. It slithered on its many legs, pausing before the lantern.

  Long claws reached out, brushing the handle. “Tess—” The explosion didn't surprise me, nothing could have.

  In the dark, the lantern was no more. Tessa stood there, looking as she had in my memory of her drowning. Her smile was beautiful, she didn't second guess her motions. Leaning forward, she took the sylph's head in her hands.

  “Tessa,” it breathed, sounding exhausted.

  “I'm sorry I made you wait so long,” she whispered.

  The creature rippled, silver flesh crawling from tail to scalp. Long hair, a waterfall of white, flowed down. It lost the teeth, the talons, and every limb it did not need.

  Noaginath leaned in, wrapping Tessa in his arms. They kissed, but I felt no shame in watching that time.

  Over her shoulder, he looked at me. In that moment, I was sure he knew who I really was. Nervously, I gave a small wave at hip level.

  Hi, grandfather, I thought to myself. I'm Gina's daughter. A wave of clarity hit me. Gina. Tessa named her daughter after you, Noaginath, I thought in wonderment.

  Above us, the snow stopped falling. Impossibly fast, it started to melt, leaving only damp ground behind. Like it had been a normal day all along, the sun broke through the clouds to caress the earth.

  He linked his hand into Tessa's, the pair of them showing me their backs.

  “Wait,” I called, stepping forward. Tessa stopped, looking back at me with her too kind face. “I—what do I do about Grault? How do I fix him?”

  “Why would you wish to fix him?” she asked, eyes sparkling in their shared metallic light. “Don't you think he's perfect just as he is?”

  What does that mean? “No, I—I meant about the stone! He's become stone!”

  She gave me a knowing smile, acting as if the answer was clear. Orange and silver, mixing as one, they walked into the lake together.

  Chapter Twenty.

  I was nervous about entering the house. It had made so much noise, I didn't know if it would crumble down on me.

  But I needed to see Grault.

  What was Tessa saying? She acted as if... as if he was... My boots carried me quickly down the hall. I was running fast, faster than I should have risked. Soaked in water, my shoes slipped out from under me.

  With arms over my head, I cried out in dismay. The fall would hurt, I knew it in my gut. Squeezing my eyes, I hoped I wouldn't injure my ankle all over again.

  His arms caught me, cradling me so comfortably I couldn't speak. “Farra,” Grault said, watching me with wide eyes. “Are you okay? I was looking for you, the lantern, and...”

  I crushed my lips to his, not caring if it made them sore. He could have been pure stone still, I would have pressed just as hard.

  “Farra,” he gasped, setting me down, holding me steady. “What happened? Why are you crying?”

  “Am I crying?” I sniffled, reaching up to erase the salty tears. “How stupid, I went this long without letting you see,” I laughed. “I'm awfully ugly when I cry, now you know.”

  He took my wrists, forcing them from my cheeks. Gently, he kissed my red skin, the corners of my eyes. “It's impossible for you to be ugly. I was just worried what was wrong.”

  My cheeks were hurting, my smile too wide. “Nothing is wrong. That's the thing, Grault. Everything is just so, so good.” Laughing again, I felt a hiccup escape. That just set me giggling all over again. “Everything is so wonderful.”

  It was clear he didn't understand. I knew I'd have to explain everything to him. For now, all I wanted to do was to hug him, to feel him, and remind myself that he was flesh and blood.

  My mind was whirl of thoughts and turbulent emotions. I'd have pushed him to the floor right then, if he had let me. “Farra,” he said, husky, “what has come over you?”

  I expected to struggle, to blush. My tongue would surely be numb, stopping me from speaking. With incredible ease the words fell from my lips. “I think I'm in love with you, Grault.” He was staring, so I rushed on with a nervous grin. “It's not my fault. Apparently you're perfect, or something.”

&nb
sp; I was happy he didn't ask what I meant. His hand went to the back of my neck, guiding me against his smooth chest. “Farra, I love you, too. More than I ever thought possible. I didn't expect, with what I am, that you would ever—”

  My kiss was close to angry. “Shh, stop that. I told you before, I don't care. Who would care about something like horns and wings?” I teased, running a hand over his forehead. “Maybe I even like them, what do you say to that?”

  He sucked in air through his nose, burying his face in my shoulder.

  And, really, that was as fine an answer as any.

  ****

  Grault told me he had woken up in the greenhouse, the sun shining down on his skin. It had brought him back to life, but I got the sense that he'd been certain he was doomed to be a statue forever.

  I caught him a few times, just opening and closing his hands when he thought I wouldn't see.

  Together we had walked the house, at first too nervous to touch the walls. I was concerned it would all crumble down any second.

  Nothing satisfied me until Grault made me stand outside, his strength put to the test on the structures. Slamming his shoulder into doorways, walls, and even testing the strength of the ceilings, he could find no flaws.

  “It's safe,” he told me. “I don't think I understand any of this, Farra.”

  “Does it matter?” Brushing my fingers over the arch of the hall, I shrugged. “Whatever changed when Tessa's—or Bizzy's—revenant left, it didn't effect the stones and beams. That's good, isn't it?”

  “Good,” he said, “but I don't like not knowing the reasons.”

  My smile was tender, meant to sway him from the subject. I didn't want him to worry about what had happened, I didn't want him to worry at all.

  I knew I would do enough of that, myself, until I understood everything that had occurred in that house. “Come on,” I said to him, taking his hand just to feel his skin. “Let's get everything ready for when the revenants come back.”

  “You think they will?”

  Qui'nxious and his words entered my mind. Even before Tessa did all of this, the revenants were drawn here.