Carved in Stone

by Stein Willard

  She took another drink from the bottle. She wondered what was being said between Sadik and Aeron. After leaving Sadik’s room she had followed him to Aeron’s room, but left before the woman answered Sadik’s knock. It would’ve been a total disaster had Aeron seen her then. The way Aeron ran away from her, Aspen doubted if the blonde would want to see her anytime soon. Sadik was a diplomat and very good at conflict resolution. She was convinced that if anyone could get through to Aeron if would be him.

  Aspen glanced at her watch. There were still a few hours left before sunrise. Dragging herself out of the chair, she decided that she would feel less lonely being surrounded by the mementos of her and Phage’s life.

  ***

  Sadik patiently waited for the woman to finish her inspection of the large statue of Phage. She would surely make the link, he thought as he waited with baited breath for Aeron to react to the statue. The blonde finally took a careful step away from the statue.

  “The resemblance is uncanny,” she said in a slightly shaky voice. “I can understand why she would think I’m Phage.”

  He didn’t know what to expect, but Aeron’s unexpected calm acceptance of the situation was confusing. He recalled the dark look of pain in her eyes earlier when she had asked why he’d kept Aspen’s identity from her. It was the same pain that he’d seen in Aspen’s eyes so many times over the years. How could Aeron still doubt that she was Phage?

  “I think…”

  “You are Phage,” came a soft voice.

  Both Sadik and Aeron spun around to find Aspen leaning in the doorway. He groaned inwardly and threw a worried glance at Aeron. The blonde was deathly pale. Worried that she might faint again, he stepped closer to her. Aeron turned to him and shook her head.

  “I’ll be fine, Sadik,” she said evenly. Sadik threw a quick glance at Aspen whose eyes were fixed on Aeron.

  “Shall I give you some privacy?” Sadik asked, the question directed at Aeron. The blonde swallowed hard before she nodded.

  “Thank you, Sadik,” she said softly.

  He walked over to Aspen and placed a soft kiss on her cheek. “Don’t rush her.” As he walked away, all he could think about was the fear he’d read in Aspen’s eyes. He hoped and prayed that they managed to talk it out tonight and, come tomorrow, they could start creating new memories together.

  ***

  Aeron turned her back on Aspen and let her eyes roam over the large collection of artefacts. The items were so diverse that it was impossible for her to decide which ones she wanted to study first. Wide-eyed, she took her time walking through the large air-conditioned chamber. The collection was impressive. Three thousand years of antiquity was displayed before her hungry gaze. She was aware of Aspen trailing her quietly as she made a visual appraisal of the pieces. Aspen came to stand next to her as she stopped and lean closer to study a 16th century amulet, but she refused to acknowledge her presence.

  She wasn’t ready to look at the woman just yet…not with the latest vision still fresh in her mind. She doubted that she could look at her without reliving the pain she had witnessed in the woman’s eyes as she watched her lover die. And then there was the fact that she struggled to think straight around the woman. But the cherry on the cake was that she had to keep reminding herself not to question the existence of the woman, since she was supposed to be have died almost three millennia ago. She knew if she did, she’d be running screaming from the room. Instead she took a steadying breath. The must be an answer for that, a good, solid scientific explanation. And she’ll get to it.

  “The more fragile ones I store in a temperature controlled glass cabinet on the other side of the room. The ones on display are safe to touch.” Aeron jumped slightly when Aspen suddenly appeared next to her. “But here,” Aspen held out a set of gloves. “I keep these just for in case I want to inspect the artefacts in the cabinet.”

  Aeron reached for the gloves, still not making eye contact. She realized that it didn’t make much difference; even though she couldn’t see the woman, she was acutely aware of her. It was as if her body was responsive to every move Aspen made, sending sharp little darts to the pit of her stomach. It threatened to buckle her knees. She put on the gloves, aware of Aspen standing next to her, looking at her. With a final snap of the gloves, she took a deep breath. She wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, but since she had the best person with her to tell her about each and every item in the collection, she might just as well make use of her.

  Steeling herself, she turned her head to meet Aspen’s dark gaze. “Would you please talk me through some of the pieces?”

  A brilliant smile lit up Aspen’s face. “Of course.” Without taking her eyes off Aeron, she waved at the artefacts. “Considering the sheer volume of the collection, would it suffice if I choose my favourite pieces instead?”

  The look in Aspen’s eyes had turned intimate and, blushing slightly, Aeron looked away. Being so close to the woman was nerve-racking. The spicy scent of the woman was overwhelming and complemented her dark sensual looks; Aeron’s body immediately reacted to Aspen’s nearness. Aspen cleared her throat softly and Aeron turned to look at her to see the woman pointing to a small dagger with a wooden hilt. It showed exquisite craftsmanship. The hilt was shaped in the form of a woman’s naked torso. The detail was so realistic that Aeron couldn’t help but wonder if the torso wasn’t in fact that of the woman standing next to her. It took all her willpower not to make sure.

  “Phage was quite adept at working with wood,” Aspen began. “This is one of a few carvings she made for me.” Aeron blushed at hearing her thoughts confirmed. “When the children in the village found out about Phage’s skill, she began carving toys for them.” The last sentence was said with so much tenderness that Aeron’s eyes flew to Aspen’s face. The woman had a wistful smile on her lips. “I lived for my wife and I’ve strived to give her everything she wanted and needed, except the one thing I knew she craved with all her heart.”

  Aeron swallowed hard. Aspen’s pain was like a tangible force between them. “Phage wanted children?”

  “She never said it out loud, but I could tell by the way she interacted with the children,” Aspen said softly. She inhaled deeply. “If she wasn’t with me or busy on the training field, she could be found surrounded by children.” Aspen brought the wine bottle to her lips and took a long drink.

  Aeron waited respectfully for the woman to gather herself. When Aspen finally pulled the bottle from her lips, she gave Aeron an apologetic smile.

  “I rarely have the opportunity to talk about Phage and when I do, I seem to struggle to keep my emotions in check.”

  The brutal honesty and vulnerability of the woman cast her in totally different light and Aeron almost reached out to embrace Aspen.

  “We don’t have to do this. I should’ve been more considerate,” Aeron said gently. She recalled her earlier question to Aspen about how she had taken Phage’s death. She had her answer now. The raw pain and longing in the woman’s eyes were almost too much to bear. It was time to steer the conversation into a less painful direction. “Maybe you can tell me more about yourself, if you like. How is it possible that you are alive almost three thousand years later?”

  Aspen chuckled softly, but it came out ragged. “I’ve been expecting that question.” Aeron held up her hand to apologise again, but Aspen quickly waved her intended apology away. “Maybe we should sit down for a while,” Aspen suggested and pointed to the small table and chairs in the corner of the room. Aeron nodded and followed Aspen to the seating area. Once they were seated, Aspen held up the wine bottle. “Would you care for some wine?”

  For a few seconds Aeron weighed up the possible consequences of getting drunk in this intoxicating woman’s presence. For a brief moment, an image of her leaning back in the chair, bare-chested and Aspen hungrily sucking on her nipples, flashed through her mind. Her clitoris jerked at the erotic image and she quickly shook her head, declining Aspen’s offer.

  “It’s ra
ther late for wine,” she said in a shaky voice. Aspen’s black eyes slowly trailed from Aeron’s face to her chest and back. A teasing smile formed around the full lips.

  “If you fear that I might take advantage of you in a drunken state, you can rest assured that I will never do that to you.” She took a sip from the bottle, giving Aeron a searing look. “If memory serves me right, you…uhm…Phage was the one not to trust. My warrior had a voracious appetite.”

  Aeron had to steel herself from squirming under the woman’s heated gaze and provocative words. Instead she simply stared at Aspen. Their gazes locked and held for a long moment, before Aspen sat up straighter. Her eyes sought out the gleaming tile floor, but not before Aeron saw the torment in the dark eyes.

  “We were married for five years when Phage perished…unexpectedly.” The last word was uttered with such sorrow that Aeron felt goose bumps break out on her arms. She knew exactly how Aspen had felt. She recalled hearing the same heart wrenching sadness in the brunette’s voice while she’d spoken to her dying spouse, trying to be strong for her spouse. This time Aeron reached out and placed her hand over Aspen’s. She was shocked by how cold the woman was to the touch. She hadn’t noticed that about her earlier when they’d kissed. Aspen lifted deep, sad eyes to her. “I know that death doesn’t come unexpectedly for a warrior, but in the case of Phage it did.” Aspen took another swig from the wine bottle. “Phage was larger than life, brave, skilled…almost invincible. I wasn’t ready to let her go. I doubt I would ever have been ready to let her go.” Aspen’s gaze travelled to a life-sized statue of Phage. “I cursed the gods for taking her away from me and they retaliated.” Aspen inhaled deeply and exhaled noisily. “Because I loved her so much, enough to bring their wrath down on my subjects, the gods punished me to walk the earth for all eternity. By day I am entombed in a marble statue. My only escape would be if I were to find my mate’s soul and win her heart again.”

  Aspen gave Aeron a searching look before she looked away. “For three millennia I have not lived, but only existed - going through a life devoid of any pleasure. Until you came back into my life.”

  Aeron shot to her feet, her hands shaking as she pressed them against her burning cheeks. “No, don’t say that. You’re mistaken.” She was a scientist before anything else, and in each and every one of her endeavours, she had managed to apply logic to her reasoning. There are many doppelgängers wandering the earth, but there was no way that she was the reincarnated wife of a three thousand year old Warrior Queen. “It’s just not possible,” she muttered softly. Maybe this was just a dream and she would wake up in her bed.

  CHAPTER 21

  Aspen slowly came to her feet and stepped around Aeron so she could see the blonde’s eyes.

  “Why do you doubt this? You’ve had the dreams, I know. The only other sign is for you to have a vision. Once you’ve had a vision, then there shouldn’t be any more doubt.” Aspen knew she sounded desperate, but she was desperate. Her soulmate was about to walk out of her life again and she was not sure if she would survive it the second time around.

  Aeron avoided looking at her, causing Aspen to reach up and turn the blonde’s face until their eyes met.

  “Even without you having had a vision, I know you. My heart knows you,” Aspen pleaded softly. “Please don’t leave me again.”

  Aeron’s head lowered slowly until her chin rested on her chest. “You are so sure about this,” she whispered. When she lifted her head again, the golden eyes were dark with fear. “This is too much for me. All this talk of gods and love and…and…”

  Aspen cupped the soft cheek. “I will not force myself on you, Aeron. If you do not feel comfortable with this, I will back off. My intention is not to scare you, my warrior.” Aspen meant every word she said, even as they seared her soul. How would she manage to keep her promise of backing away? She had been looking for the woman for too long to let her walk out of her life again.

  This was probably one of the hidden clauses in the punishment contract of the gods. They knew Aeron would not reciprocate her feelings. The realization made cold fear chase down Aspen’s spine. She didn’t want to live like this anymore. She missed feeling the rays of the sun on her face. She missed falling asleep in a lover’s arms. She missed sex. Yes, she missed listening to the erratic breathing of her lover, feeling the sweat of her lover pooling in her navel, the slick, open-mouthed kisses…

  “Aspen?”

  At Aeron’s soft enquiring tone, Aspen was brought back to the present. She blinked when she found herself standing very close to Aeron, her face tilted up as if awaiting a lover’s kiss. Sighing deeply, she quickly stepped away from Aeron, but maintained eye contact.

  “I’ve never been able to resist you. I apologise.” She noticed a slight blush creeping up Aeron’s neck. She quickly looked away before she gave into the impulse to press her lips against the erratic pulse in Aeron’s neck.

  “It’s…I’m okay,” Aeron stammered. “Do you mind if I look at some of the artefacts again?” She turned back to face Aspen. “I’m not sure if I’ll be staying for the remainder of the weekend…”

  Aspen’s let out a shaky breath. “You’re leaving?”

  Aeron turned away and Aspen closed her eyes as despair took over her body. “It’s all so confusing. All this…the kiss and the vision and then this…” She waved at the artefacts. “It’s too much for me to take in.”

  Aspen’s head snapped up. Only one word stuck from everything that Aeron had said. She took Aeron’s arm, gently turning her to face her. “You’ve had a vision? Which one?” She could immediately see in Aeron’s eyes that it had been a slip of the tongue that the blonde regretted. The golden eyes were looking everywhere but at her. “You weren’t going to tell me about the vision, were you? Why? Why would you want to do this to us?” Aspen didn’t try to hide the disappointment and hurt she felt from seeping through her tone. Aeron lowered her head but not before she saw the shame on Aeron’s face.

  She gently cupped Aeron’s chin and lifted it. The golden eyes were awash with unshed tears. “Maybe you don’t understand how much I…we have loved each other, Aeron.” A solitary tear trickled down Aeron’s cheek and Aspen quickly wiped at it with her thumb. “Tristan and Isolde, Mark Anthony and Cleopatra…you can name any of the other couples revered for their love. They had nothing on us. Our love was the most powerful force the world had witnessed three thousand years ago.” More tears followed and Aspen lovingly wiped them away. “You sacrificed your life to ensure that I could hold on to my kingdom while the Romans drooled at the mere opportunity to steal it away from me.”

  Overwhelmed by her own words, Aspen rested her head against Aeron’s chest. “I’ve defied the gods for taking away the only thing I’ve valued more than life,” the last came out as a broken sob. “That, Aeron, is a love that had spanned three thousand years. That is…was…our love.” She curled her arms around Aeron’s waist and leaned against the strong body. “I’m not trying to manipulate you into staying,” her voice sounded muffled against Aeron’s chest. “I simply want to remind you what you are leaving behind when you leave here tomorrow.”

  Aspen held on tightly even though she could feel that Aeron wasn’t hugging her back. This might be the last time she would be allowed this close. Just the idea of never seeing Aeron again, cracked something inside of her and another sob escaped her lips. She was convinced now that the gods had known her fate was sealed for all eternity. How was she going to survive another day knowing that Aeron was out there and that she’d rejected her? She loosened her arms around Aeron’s waist and slid down until she was kneeling at Aeron’s feet. She closed her eyes.

  The Warrior Queen finally surrenders.

  The gods have won.

  She blinked in surprise when she felt strong hands clutching her shoulders and she was lifted from the hard floor. Aeron’s eyes were dark with concern. She searched the golden depths and her breath caught when she realized it was Phage’s battle-weary eyes look
ing back at her. She reached up and cradled Aeron’s face in her hands. Slowly, giving Aeron the chance to move away, she leaned in. Aeron’s eyes widened slightly but she didn’t make a move to avoid the kiss. Taking that as a sign that the kiss was welcomed, Aspen quickly closed the gap between them.

  ***

  The moment Aspen’s lips touched hers, Aeron was infused by a strange sense of warmth. She opened her eyes and they grew larger as she took in the strange surroundings.

  The large windows were open, letting a strong, cool breeze, rich with the fresh smell of rain, into the room. The silk draping on the four poster bed swayed gently as the breeze tugged at them. With dusk approaching, small lanterns lit up the room. A side door opened and a bare-chested Aspen entered the room. Her eyes lit up and a brilliant smile came over her face.

  “You are back already. I did not expect you back until tomorrow,” she said in a soft husky way, her eyes travelling hungrily over the leather-clad figure of the warrior.

  “I wanted to surprise you, so I left camp a day earlier,” Phage responded as she walked deeper into the room. Her eyes burned with hunger as the roamed over Aspen’s bare breasts. “I have missed you, wife.”

  Aspen quickly crossed the space that divided them and jumped into Phage’s arms. “I have been miserable without you, warrior.”

  Grabbing Aspen’s satin-clad derriere in her large hands, Phage kneaded them gently. “Let me rectify it.” Her mouth slanted over Aspen’s in a deep, consuming kiss. When they broke for air, Aspen’s hands were caught in Phage’s hair.

  “You got ambushed by the rain, it seems. You’re wet,” Aspen gasped against Phage’s lips.

  “As you will be too, very shortly. I have a little surprise for you,” Phage whispered huskily and shifting her hands to Aspen’s hips, moved her down lower while at the same time pressing her crotch into the junction between Aspen’s legs.