by A C Warneke
Abruptly, he pulled back and looked at her as if he was seeing a ghost. “Melanie? How?”
Tears streamed heedlessly down her cheeks as she laughed, grabbing Vaughn’s head and pulling him down for a kiss. It worked! Vaughn had been returned to her! She could kiss Omari for giving Vaughn back to her and she could kiss Vaughn for returning! She did kiss Vaughn but he wasn’t kissing her back. Looking at him, a brilliant smile tightening her face, she beamed, “Does it matter? I’ve completed the ritual and I’ve accepted your gift. You’ve come back to me and we have our whole lives together.”
He framed her face in his hands, his eyes devouring her as he gazed at her with love and adoration. And fear? That was odd. “Sweetheart, you have to tell me how you did it?”
She smiled through her tears, “Omari did it. He gave me Medusa’s blood….”
The color drained from Vaughn’s face and she could feel his heart racing in his chest, “You drank Medusa’s blood? Oh, dear lord, we have to get Armand out here to flush it from your system….”
“Vaughn, I’m okay,” Melanie insisted, holding his gaze and kissing his palm.
“You don’t understand,” he said, his eyes wide and panicked and wonderfully human. “If you don’t get it out of you, it’ll kill you.”
“I didn’t die.” She grabbed his head and made him look at her. Holding his gaze, she spoke slowly, deliberately, to break through his anxiety. “It hurt for a little bit,” laughing uneasily, she admitted, “It hurt a lot. But, I survived.”
“You survived?” he asked dumbly, staring at her for a moment before realization lit his eyes and his lips curled into a triumphant grin as he kissed her breath away.. “You survived! You have no idea what this means.”
“It means you’re back in my arms,” she crooned, brushing the golden silk of his hair away from his impossibly cherished face. Framing his face in her hands, she met his gaze and whispered solemnly, “I would have done anything to get you back.”
“You risked death for me, my love.” Wrapping his arms around her, he closed his eyes as he hugged her tight. “I’m never letting you go, Melanie.”
She laughed again, joyfully. She still didn’t understand the changes that were taking place – or what all of the changes meant – but she was back in Vaughn’s arms and all was golden with the world. There would be time to learn what had happened to her and what was to become of her. She had Vaughn and that was all that mattered. “I love you, Vaughn.”
“I love you, too,” he rasped, kissing her with hunger. “So much.”
Epilogue
Armand stood in the doorway with Omari, his body relaxed against the doorjamb as he watched his brother and Melanie renew their love for one another, her eyes sparkling with everlasting love. She saved his brother and in that moment she was the most beautiful woman in the world. “You’ve been helping her this entire time; why? Did you know Vaughn would fall in love with her?”
“Of course not,” Omari denied a little too quickly, shaking his head at the minor oversight. “When she first came into my lair, I thought she just needed a simple spell but then a unique scent of sweetness drifted past my barriers and I discovered she was a human.”
“How did she even enter your place?”
“I have no idea. She never should have been aware of it but there she was,” he chuckled at the memory. “And then she mentioned your name and I was delighted because she was going to take on the magnificent Armand in order to be with her lover.”
Armand scowled at the description but ignored it. Omari was simply being Omari. “Why did you help her?”
“She was human and she entered my lair of her own volition.”
Of course Omari would take delight at finding a human in his domain and it was foolish to have even asked. “Did you sleep with her?”
Omari sighed, looking at the girl in question with a look of longing, “I wanted to, she was a human after all and I had never truly expected to discover one able to be in such close proximity to me and not go mad, but your brother was well imprinted on her even then.
“Alas, I shall have to wait a little longer until I can sample a human’s delights,” he sighed. But then his lips curved and his hazel eyes sparkled, “But now I know it is possible and I shall anticipate the day when I can feast upon a human.”
Armand rolled his eyes at Omari but there was something else he wanted to ask, something he was afraid he knew the answer all too well. “Why did you send Rhys off with her sister if you already had the elixir?”
“To give them a chance,” Omari said vaguely, a half smile curving his lips.
Annoyed, knowing no further explanation was forthcoming, Armand sighed, “How did you know Mother’s blood wouldn’t kill her?”
Omari shrugged with indifference, “I didn’t.”
Armand’s head snapped around in horror, making Omari laugh. “I could kill you, old man. How would you have explained it to Vaughn that you were responsible for her death?”
Omari chuckled, “Like I told her, I protect what is mine, son. If she had died, I would have made sure Vaughn didn’t suffer too greatly by containing the pain and releasing it just a bit at a time until it was gone. It’s what I would have done with you but you didn’t love Katrina the same way.”
“What do you mean by that?” his words came out as a growl.
Omari shrugged, “I think you know what I mean.”
“You’re a manipulative bastard.”
“No,” Omari denied. “I merely… help nature along.”
“What will happen to her now?” Armand asked, taking one last look at the girl who could have been his if he hadn’t wasted his gift on someone else. He didn’t have any regrets because she was perfect for Vaughn. Still, he missed the bond two people could share even if he didn’t think he could ever go through the pain of giving up his nights again, not for anyone.
“Her soul is bound to Vaughn’s,” Omari said. “She will never be a gargoyle but she is no longer human so she will be safe from those of our world who would do her harm. Though the imps, on occasion, might give her a hard time.”
“Does she understand what happened? What you did?”
“Not yet,” Omari admitted. “But she will. In time, all of you will because it wasn’t just Medusa’s blood in the vial. I added a drop or six of my blood as well.”
Armand’s eyes flew to his father’s face but the man had disappeared, his laughter lingering in the air. Somehow he knew that with Melanie, everything had changed, that the rules were no longer the same. All because a human girl fell in love with a gargoyle and loved him enough to take him as a beast.
~*~*~
STONE ROMANCE
by
A.C. Warneke
Stone Romance
Copyright©2012 by Andrea Warneke
All rights reserved
This book wouldn’t have been written without the support and encouragement of those who read Stone Lover and wanted to know what happened next. Stone Romance is for you. Thank you.
~*~
I also want to thank my wonderful Beta Readers – you are amazing. Thank you!
I wish to thank my children for dragging me outside to throw a disc around to clear my head when the words were stuck. And I want to thank my husband for encouraging me to continue writing.
~*~
And to the members of the Armed Forces: thank you.
Always.
Prologue
Jenna Jacobs stepped out of the shower and cringed as she caught sight of her image in the mirror. Instead of looking away as she usually did, she forced herself to look at her reflection and see the wretched creature she had become. A shudder wracked her frail body as she barely recognized the stranger staring back, whose long, black hair hung in wet strands to her waist.
Her eyes were still blue but they were no longer shining with mischief and laughter. Nope, her eyes were hollow and had been ever since Jeremy was taken from her a lifetime ago. And despite giving bi
rth nearly six months before her body was that of a skeleton with skin pulled taut over sharp bones. It had the added bonus of a few silvery stretch marks on her abdomen.
Pushing her hair out of the way, she placed her hands over her meager breasts. The once perky B’s were now depressed A’s and completely dry, unable to even provide the baby with any nourishment. Her milk had come in but the baby hadn’t wanted to latch on and Jenna hadn’t the desire to try very hard to make it happen. By the time she got home from the hospital after a slightly extended stay, the baby preferred Melanie and the bottle. Jenna hadn’t cared because she hadn’t wanted to breast feed anyway. Another example of how she was failing as a mother and another reason she would forever be indebted to her sister.
Her hands smoothed over the protruding ribs, the indented stomach with the silvery stretch marks, the flaring hip bones. She knew that if she didn’t start eating, if she didn’t get some help, she would cease to exist and she just wasn’t sure if she cared anymore.
Her head whipped upwards and she met her shaken gaze in the mirror as memories flooded her numbed brain, memories of a happier time when the world was laid out before her as a bountiful feast. She and Melanie had been seventeen when they graduated from high school, just a few months shy of their eighteenth birthdays and eager to begin their real lives. Melanie was going to be heading off on some grand adventure, studying cuisine in Paris while Jenna was content with going to the local college and getting her degree in something, probably a major in business, and a minor in art history.
She and Jeremy had made plans for their future and during a private celebration he had given her a ring, making their long-standing engagement official. Of course, they weren’t going to get married until after she graduated from college and he had put in at least four years in the military but their future was mapped out and it was a wonderful future.
A few weeks later her period was late and she called Jeremy in a state of shock and panic, not knowing how they could bring a baby into the world when they were still so young and not settled. He took a long weekend to rush home so they could have a hasty wedding and she wouldn’t have to face anything alone. She told Melanie that they were going to elope and asked her sister to help convince their parents that they were doing the right thing. By the time the two girls were done, her parents thought it was romantic and foolish but they supported the decision.
Everything was set up: a quiet ceremony before a justice of the peace, a small celebration with the families, and a weekend honeymoon. But Jeremy never made it. She let Melanie believe Jeremy never knew about the baby because how could she admit that she had killed her fiance?
She wasn't even nineteen and she had a baby, no college credits, no Jeremy and no will to continue on and she hated it.
Jenna stared at her reflection and a wraith stared back, its black hair in such contrast to its white, skeletal body. Fury welled within her and without a thought she grabbed a pair of scissors and started hacking off the long black tresses that Jeremy had loved, tresses that belonged to a different Jenna. Tears of rage and grief spilled over her cheeks but she didn’t make a sound.
Staring at the lifeless clumps of hair on the ground, Jenna slowly raised her gaze back to the reflection and gasped as she saw the extent of the damage she had wrought. Her hair was sticking up all over her head making her eyes look huge and bewildered in her pale face. Grabbing the thick robe from the back of the door, she quickly wrapped herself up in it and left the scene of her madness, her heart racing in her chest. What had she just done?
Barely able to catch her breath, she froze when she heard the sound of her sister’s voice coming from her room. Slowly, she pushed open Melanie’s door and saw her sister gently rocking the baby, weaving a fantastical tale about a sleeping princess and an enchanted castle that was guarded by magical gargoyles. Tears filled Jenna’s eyes as she listened, Lenni’s natural ability with the baby a painful reminder to how unnatural Jenna was. A terrible reminder at how much Lenni gave up to stay at home and help because Jenna hadn’t been up to the task.
As if sensing her, Melanie looked up, the brilliant smile faltering only slightly when she saw her sister standing there with her butchered hair. “I was just telling Ferris a story.”
“I know,” Jenna said, forcing a smile as she clutched the front of her robe together. Deliberately moving into the intimidating room, she sat down on the edge of Melanie’s bed, trying to keep the illusion of being all right. “But don’t you think she’s a little young for tales of fairies that steal one’s soul or dragons that devour virgins?”
Melanie chuckled, her gaze steady on Jenna’s face instead of the mess she had made of her hair, which Jenna appreciated. “Ferris loves my stories and I haven’t told her about the fairies and the dragons since she was four months old. I like what you’ve done with your hair. The short cut makes you look so sophisticated.”
With a smile that was almost genuine, Jenna ran her hand through the cropped hair, “I needed a change.”
“Yeah, I know the feeling.” Lenni smiled but there was sadness in her eyes that she was no longer able to hide as she carefully watched her sister. “I slept with Peter.”
Jenna’s eyes widened as her sister blurted that out. Melanie had been planning on saving herself for marriage and Peter was someone she would never marry, no matter how nice he was. “Why?”
Insouciantly, Lenni shrugged her shoulders as she stood up and carefully laid the baby down in the bassinet. Lovingly, she ran a finger along the baby’s cheek and sighed in contentment, “Why not? I like him and it just happened. Ferris is so beautiful, Jenna.”
The change in subject was jarring even though it was a tactic Melanie perfected to get out of discussing something that she didn’t want to discuss. Jenna was going to say something but seeing the expression of love and devotion on Melanie’s face as she gazed at the baby tore a hole straight through Jenna’s chest. She had to turn away before she crumbled to dust.
She felt the bed shift as Melanie sat down next to her. As Melanie wrapped her arms around her thin body, Jenna stiffened, unable to bear Melanie’s compassion when she was so damaged. She held herself stiffly until Melanie’s lips pressed against the top of her head and she whispered, “It’s okay, Jenna, I’ve got you.”
Her lower lip trembled a moment before the tears began to spill once more, before her body broke and began to shake uncontrollably. As Melanie continued to hold her, rock her, love her, Jenna could only cry harder.
“You’ve had to be strong for so long,” Melanie whispered, the words a poisoned dart to Jenna’s heart. “But you’re not alone, Jenna. It’s okay to ask for help.”
“You’ve already given up so much,” Jenna managed to choke out, clutching onto her sister as the world careened out of control. This was what she feared by giving in to tears, this chaos and despair that engulfed her.
“I’d give up everything for you and Ferris,” Lenni vowed with such passion, such conviction, it shattered Jenna’s soul because in truth Melanie had already given up everything. And every time Lenni had reached out to help, Jenna had ignored it but no longer. She was no longer going to be a wraith sleepwalking through life.
Someday, she would learn to smile again, laugh again. And she would find a way to pay Melanie back for holding onto the life line and never letting go, never giving up, until Jenna was ready to be saved.
Chapter 1
Jenna scrubbed her fingers through her chin length hair and stared at her sister as if she had finally gone mad. “What do you mean you invited Vaughn’s brothers to go with us? I thought it was just going to be the three of us tonight?”
Melanie looked up, pausing a moment from putting Ferris’s long, brown hair into French braids. “Well, Ferris and I thought you might like to meet Rhys but it seemed rude to invite only one of Vaughn’s brothers so we invited both of them. Though I doubt you’ll have to worry about Armand since he will probably refuse to join us anyway. He’s not a big fan of fu
n. Or me.”
Jenna closed her eyes and took a couple of slow breaths to calm the tide of irritation and trepidation that was rising in her chest. “I highly doubt my daughter had anything to do with your mad scheme to set me up with Rhys since you’ve been talking of little else all month.”
Melanie tied off Ferris’s hair and then wrapped her arms around the little girl in a hug. With a dazzling smile curving her lips, her blue eyes sparkled mischievously and Jenna wanted to groan in exasperation knowing that her sister was going to get her way, as she usually did. Ferris wore an eerily similar expression and once again Jenna had the thought that Ferris was meant to be Melanie’s daughter and not hers. “I’m sure I’ve talked about other things, Jen, but it just so happens that Ferris and I agree on this. Rhys is such a great guy and Ferris already adores him.”
Jenna ground her teeth together, not ready to just dive right in to the dating scene again. It was only a few short weeks ago that she decided she was ready to test the waters and if Rhys was anything like his brother, he was an entire ocean. “I told you that I’m not interested in meeting him. If I start dating, it’s not going to be with your boyfriend’s younger brother. Has he even graduated from high school yet?”
Melanie snorted, taking absurd delight in Jenna’s question. Ferris looked over her shoulder at her aunt and the two of them started laughing maniacally, their minds linked by some invisible thread that Jenna would never understand. Flinging herself onto the couch, she sighed in resignation, knowing she was going to have to wait for her daughter and her sister to stop giggling before a normal conversation could continue.
God, Melanie and Ferris even looked like mother and daughter, with their similarly elegant noses and the shape of their eyes and their long, chocolate brown hair, though Ferris’s hair was a shade or two darker. The only difference between Ferris and Melanie was the color of their eyes: Ferris’s eyes were an unusual shade of bluish-green, while Melanie had blue eyes the color of the summer sky, the same shade as Jenna’s
