Stone Passions Trilogy (Stone Passion 1, 2, & 3)

by A C Warneke

  “What is it?” Vaughn asked, standing up and swooping Ferris up into his arms.

  “It’s nothing,” she murmured distractedly, watching every person that came near her, waiting for the imp’s persuasion to set one of them on her. Her hand went to the medallion between her breasts, the burning heat both familiar and dismaying. Where was the attack going to come from?

  Maybe the pendant Omari gave her was defective, maybe it attracted these stupid imps. It wasn’t like she knew all that much about the elusive man; she didn’t even know what he was. She would find the card he had given her and pay him a visit, ask him why he would be so cruel as to give her a cursed amulet. It wasn’t like she was a threat to him; she was merely a human.

  “Hey, sis,” Jenna called out as she and Rhys joined them in front of the ice sculpture. “We thought we lost you guys when we turned around and you weren’t there.”

  “Ferris wanted to spend a little more time examining this sculpture,” Vaughn answered when Melanie didn’t say anything. Exchanging a glance with Rhys, he cleared his throat, “She’s still fascinated by gargoyles.”

  Rhys’s laughter filled the night air and several people – several women – turned their heads to stare at the gorgeous man. He reached out and tousled Ferris’s hair, winking at her, “Nothing wrong with that, little one. Do you know that I’m partial to gargoyles, too?”

  Ferris reached her arms out and transferred from Vaughn to Rhys, giving the long haired man a smile that would melt the stoniest heart. Rhys didn’t have a heart of stone and had lost his heart to the little girl. He had quickly adapted to having a little human underfoot and had enjoyed playing games with her, flinging her onto his back and giving her rides. Rhys quickly became one of her favorite people, even if he wasn’t Armand, indulging her with tales of gargoyles and dragons and fairies.

  A loud crack rent the air, making the crowd of people jump. Melanie spun around, desperate to discover the source of the sound so she could be prepared because she just knew that the imps had gotten to someone. Her pendant was hot now, really hot. Was it a beacon to the devil imps? Reaching up to take the cursed thing off, she was suddenly pushed to the ground, landing painfully hard on her back, as the large gargoyle sculpture crashed right where she had been standing.

  The wind was knocked from her lungs as the man landed on top of her, the oddly familiar scent of cinnamon and nutmeg clouding her head. The sounds of the carnival receded as she fought for breath as a large hand rubbed her sternum and a low, silky voice murmured, “Breathe; just breathe.”

  She didn’t want to open her eyes; if she opened her eyes she knew what she would see and she didn’t want to see him. But he was giving her back the ability to breathe and he had just saved her life. Grudgingly, she forced her eyes open and saw him grinning down at her, his brilliant eyes sparkling in his unlined face. “Omari. Why am I not surprised?”

  “Melanie,” he beamed, still rubbing her sternum, even though she could breathe freely once again. “My favorite human.”

  With a frown that he would talk so freely, she looked around and saw that they were in their own little bubble. Everything else was frozen, including Vaughn who wore an expression of utmost terror. Returning her attention to Omari’s face, she glared, “What have you done?”

  His smile widened and his fingers leisurely wandered off her sternum towards her breast. When she pushed his hand away, he chuckled and sat back on his heels, pulling her up into a sitting position as well. He was still straddling her legs and she found herself very close to the gorgeous, frightening man. “Is that anyway to treat the man who just saved your life?”

  She snorted, “I thought you said this amulet would do that and yet it doesn’t seem to be working.”

  He tsked, letting his fingers run over the pendant between her breasts. “It works perfectly. None of the attempts at harming you ever came to fruition. After all, you survived a fall from the fourteenth floor.”

  Her brow furrowed deeper as she gave his words some thought, “I suppose that’s true. But if it worked properly, shouldn’t the railing have stayed in place instead of breaking off in my grip?”

  “Ah, my little skeptic," he chuckled, tapping her on the tip of her nose. "You know the amulet works, why are you being so stubborn?”

  “I’m not stubborn,” she protested, trying to stand up but he refused to move, keeping her pinned between his firm thighs. With a resigned sigh, she remained seated. “Why are you here, Omari?”

  “Simple,” he shrugged his broad shoulders, meeting her gaze unflinchingly. “You were about to remove the amulet and that would have been unwise.”

  “I thought it wasn’t working,” she explained feebly, putting her hand over the now-cool pendant. Glancing away from his too perceptive gaze, she exhaled, “I always see the imps and within moments, the amulet heats up and something happens. Tonight it was particularly hot, as hot as the night I fell.”

  “Because they’re running out of time and tonight the imps' plan was particularly audacious,” Omari explained. He froze suddenly, as if finally hearing what she said, and he looked at her in disbelief. “You can see them?”

  “Sort of,” she crinkled her nose and tried to explain, “I think that I see them but when I try to focus, they’re gone. And there are so many of them! Even when I can’t see them, I feel them watching me. At first I thought I was crazy…..”

  “You can see them,” he repeated, his voice deepening with… arousal?

  “I said I could,” she countered, frustrated, glaring at the man whose only response was to laugh. No, he wasn’t aroused; he was laughing at her. Of course he wasn’t aroused. Huffing out a disgruntled breathe, she muttered, “I don’t see what’s so funny.”

  “No wonder they’ve taken a liking to you!” he chortled, wiping imaginary tears from his eyes. “Most humans are unaware of their presence so you must be an exceptionally tempting morsel!”

  “I don’t understand,” she scowled, her eyes drifting to the immobile Vaughn, her sister and Rhys, and Ferris. Ferris’s gaze seemed to be tracking Omari and it was strangely disconcerting being that Ferris was frozen and she and Omari were not. She would have asked if that was normal but he started talking and she didn’t have a chance.

  “They feed off panic, fear, lust, adrenaline… any strong human emotion, though they really prefer terror. You’re aware of them therefore your responses are like a drug injected directly into the bloodstream,” he explained, oblivious to the watchful, little girl. His eyes moved over her face, lingering on her lips as she digested his words.

  “They’re using me to get high?”

  “Yes… no,” he shook his head, his eyes losing a bit of their focus as he continued to straddle her legs. He drew his fingers along her jaw and his hand trembled as his breath becoming slightly ragged. Squeezing his eyes shut, he took a few deep breaths before he looked at her once more. He was no longer laughing. “Forgive me. I am not used to being around humans and I find myself sexually drawn to you.”

  Her heart trembled as her panicked eyes flew to Vaughn, wishing he wasn’t frozen. But the golden man was still staring down at her, his unmoving expression one of alarm. Omari’s soft, uneven laugh drew her attention back to him, “Don’t worry, human. He has marked you well and I will not violate the gargoyle’s property. I can control myself and I know that you are not meant for me. Now where was I?”

  She expected him to tell her more about the imps but instead he pushed her back down and lay on top of her, as he had been lying when he saved her from the ice sculpture. Putting her hands against his shoulders, she shoved but he wouldn’t budge. There was a subtle shift and then the world came rushing back with a whoosh and she grunted, “Get off.”

  A stranger’s face was looking down at her apologetically. He was in his twenties and had dark hair, bloodshot eyes and several days’ worth of beard stubble. Whiskey fumes wafted from his mouth as he stammered, “I am so sorry miss! I wasn’t watching where I was going….�
�

  As the man continued to ramble on, he clumsily stood then grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet. Melanie was unable to speak and could only stare at the man who had been Omari just a moment before. Where did Omari go?

  Vaughn’s arms came around her waist and pulled her into his protective hold. His hands quickly moved over her face, her body, checking for any pain. His eyes were grave when he looked at her, “Are you all right, love”

  “Yes,” she murmured distractedly, scanning the growing crowd for Omari but he had disappeared. She had so many questions for him, so many doubts that she wanted erased. Why did he have to vanish?

  The drunken man continued to apologize until he looked at the shattered ice sculpture and swallowed convulsively, “Oh, man, did I knock that down, too?”

  “Get lost.” At Vaughn’s low, warning growl, the drunk nearly pissed his pants. His eyes widened in his face as he finally looked at Vaughn. He spun on his heels and tried to stagger away but a bystander caught him by his arm, holding him until security arrived.

  A crowd was gathering around the shattered ice sculpture and the security personal were asking questions but Melanie was only peripherally aware. Her attention was captivated by the green creatures dancing around, maniacally laughing as they beckoned her to join them. She was powerless to look away, not quite believing that they were being so open in their pursuit of her.

  After God knows how long, a warm weight was in her arms and she found herself holding Ferris, the little girl’s arms wrapping around her neck. Little fingers moved over Melanie’s face much as Vaughn had done earlier, bringing her back to the present. “Are you all right, Aunt Mellie?”

  “Of course,” Melanie assured her, returning the sweet hug as she put aside all thoughts of removing the necklace. She looked once more but the imps had disappeared and she didn’t want to know what they would do if she wasn’t wearing the pendant. “Of course I’m all right, sweetie. I’m sorry if I scared you.”

  “Fucking imps,” Rhys snarled, glaring past the crowd that was scattering.

  “Language,” Jenna scolded, making him blush as he stammered his apologies. “And what do imps have to do with any of this? A man, drunk off his gourd, crashed into the ice sculpture and then into my sister.”

  Ferris opened her mouth and Melanie had the dreadful feeling that the little girl was going to say something about the little green creatures and that would have been disastrous. There was no point in letting the imps know they had another source to feed their addiction. Hugging the little girl closer, Melanie grinned tightly, “He doesn’t mean anything by it, Jenna.”

  “Of course I didn’t,” Rhys stammered, his face flushing further, making the auburn color of his hair even redder. “It was simply an… insult, you know, fucking imps?”

  “Language, idiot,” Vaughn chided, punching his brother affectionately on the shoulder. As Rhys rubbed the tender spot, Vaughn’s laugh was a little strained as he tightened his hold on Melanie. Jenna took her daughter back and set her down so that she could walk herself. Turning his head, he lowered his voice and asked, “Are you okay?”

  She nodded, grateful that he was there. Offering a shaky smile, she kissed him lightly on the cheek, “I am but I think Ferris wants to talk about the imps and….”

  "No problem.” Raising his voice to capture Rhys’s and Jenna’s attention, he called out, “Come, let’s go see the ice castle.”

  That was effective in distracting Ferris from whatever it was she was about to say but Melanie’s thoughts were still racing a million miles an hour. She didn’t much care for the idea of imps liking her, not if they went about showing their affections by trying to kill her. Quite frankly, she was surprised her hair wasn’t white from the number of “close calls.” Ever since meeting Vaughn, her life had become an adventure, and while she adored Vaughn, she could have done without the imps. Was her life with him always going to be plagued by the vile, little creatures?

  God, she hoped they would grow bored with her and find a new hobby instead of plaguing her to get high. Maybe if she acted like she didn’t see them they would get the hint and go away. Unfortunately, it was nearly impossible to pretend to not see something that shouldn’t be there in the first place.

  “It will be okay,” Vaughn’s soothing voice interrupted her thoughts and she turned to him with a startled smile. His expression was grim as he gazed at her with absolute love and devotion. Strong emotions played out over his features as he stared at her, as if memorizing her face. It was almost as if he was afraid of losing her, which was ridiculous since she wasn’t planning on going anywhere. Touching her cheek with the tips of his fingers, he whispered, “It will be okay.”

  “I know,” she assured him, leaning into his caress until he cupped her cheek in the palm of his hand. She knew that as long as he was by her side, everything was going to be all right, even if the imps refused to leave her alone. Holding his gaze, she brushed her lips against his skin. “I know.”

  His golden eyes darkened and he inhaled sharply, “Minx.”

  Rhys came up from behind and threw and arm around each of their shoulders, “Get a room.”

  “We weren’t doing anything,” Melanie protested, putting her arm around Rhys’s waist and giving him a sideways hug. She really liked Rhys; he was such a great guy, a great brother.

  “Yet,” Rhys teased, bussing her on the cheek before bounding ahead to join Jenna and Ferris. With an engaging laugh, he scooped the little girl up in his strong arms, propping her up on his broad shoulder, his long, auburn hair cascading down his back. Jenna looked up at him like she wasn’t quite sure what to make of his exuberance and beauty, but she liked what she saw and was open to the possibility of getting to know him better.

  “They’re perfect together,” Melanie sighed dreamily, watching as Rhys bent his head down to hear what Jenna was saying. He was so attentive to Jenna and it was apparent that Ferris adored him just as he adored her; and he was clearly enchanted by Jenna. If all went according to plan….

  They could have a double wedding this summer.

  “There’s so much that Jenna doesn’t know about him,” Vaughn murmured, yanking her back to earth with cold words. “About us. I don’t know if she would be as… accepting as you have been.”

  “Why not?” Melanie asked, faintly bothered by the truth of his words. Jenna could use some magic in her life and Rhys….

  He smiled ruefully, “Because she has been slapped by reality far too many times to be so… willing to take that leap of faith.”

  “It was hardly a leap,” Melanie snorted, rolling her eyes as she laughed. “I knew you were special before I ever even talked to you. Hell, I was half in love with you when you were a gargoyle.”

  “You’re proving my point,” he smiled amusingly.

  “Jenna would be open-minded about this,” Melanie argued futilely. Pushing her lower lip out in a feigned pout, she batted her eyelashes and smiled up at him, “I still think it’s a good idea.”

  “Perhaps,” he conceded half-heartedly. Looking out over the crowd, not really seeing anything, he repeated, “Perhaps.”

  Maybe he knew that Rhys would never give up his nights for anyone and he just wished to spare Jenna any heartache by discouraging the romance before it could even begin. She could understand that because there was no way she would want her sister to suffer any more heartbreak. But what if they were missing out on the grand love of a lifetime if they didn’t at least try?

  “I can see the wheels spinning, Melanie,” Vaughn teased. “Let it go. There’s nothing you can do until the time comes.”

  “But….”

  He laughed, hugging her closer to his side, “If it’s meant to be, it will be. Let it go.”

  Grumbling good-naturedly, she snuggled deeper into his embrace, letting a clever smile curve her lips when he was no longer watching. But if Rhys gave up his nights as well, what would happen to Armand? He’d be the only gargoyle sitting on the roof, all alone. He w
as already such a solitary creature that Melanie feared what would happen to him if he no longer had his brothers.

  Perhaps she was being selfish and a shudder whipped through her body at the depressing thought. No, if there was any chance for Jenna and Rhys to be together, she was just going have to find someone for Armand. Only, she couldn’t think of anyone who would be able to stand up to the difficult man, to be able to penetrate that hard, exterior shell to get to the squishy center. None of her friends would stand a chance of getting beyond his armor plating and Jenna just wasn’t an option.

  “Melanie….” Vaughn warned.

  “I swear I am not plotting to get Jenna and Rhys together,” she vowed, looking up at him with a guileless expression. When he continued to stare down at her with skepticism, she cracked, “I was trying to figure out who I could get for Armand.”

  Vaughn threw his head back and laughed, hugging her closer and kissing the top of her head. “I love the way your mind works, Melanie. It’s terrifying and selfless and wonderful.”

  “I worry about him,” she murmured, putting her hand over Vaughn’s heart, feeling the steady rhythm against her palm in spite of the layers of clothing. Knowing he was near, knowing that he was hers, steadied her, calmed her. “If Jenna and Rhys do get together then he will be alone.”

  “He’ll never be alone, Melanie,” Vaughn vowed with absolute conviction, his jaw set in a taut line as a muscle ticked in his cheek.

  “But you gave up your nights,” she breathed, looking at him curiously. “If Rhys….”

  He shook his head, “It’s not going to happen.”

  Watching his expressions move swiftly across his face: love, despair, resolution. Her voice was hushed as she demanded, “Tell me what you mean.”

  “Tomorrow,” he told her with finality.

  “But….”

  He kissed her swiftly on the lips and as lips lingered, he whispered, “Tomorrow. Tonight we explore the ice palace and enjoy each other’s company.”