Heart of Stone

by Debra Mullins

  * * *

  Faith raced through the storage room and out the side door into the paved alleyway alongside the store. The cool evening air embraced her, a balm to her perspiring skin and burning lungs. She inhaled deeply of the sweet, clean oxygen before she turned to face the Seer. He had hobbled out behind her, leaning heavily on his cane. He bent over, coughing, clearing his airways as she had hers.

  Now that they were alone, she realized her legs were trembling. Tonight’s events had shredded the safe little life she had built. Corinne and Erok tracking her down had not been entirely unexpected. But Wei Jun, dead? Azotay, here? And now him, the Seer. How had he slipped through her defenses back in the store? Even Erok hadn’t been able to penetrate her Stone Shield, that protective bubble she spun from the Earth’s energy, but this guy had simply reached through it like it wasn’t even there. And when he’d touched her … Her hand still tingled from his caress. She’d never reacted to a man like that, not even Michael.

  That made him dangerous—more dangerous than even the Mendukati or Criten or Azotay.

  She could slip away now while he was unguarded. With his disability he wouldn’t be able to keep up with her if she ran full speed and got her car from the lot next door. She could disappear. She took one tiny step back.

  He looked up, those amazing blue eyes pinning her like a butterfly to a board. “Just to get things out in the open, I’m Darius Montana. I know you’re thinking about running, but I’d appreciate it if you didn’t. I’ve already overextended myself more than I should have tonight.”

  She edged away another step. “Thanks for the help, but I’m fine on my own now.”

  “No, you’re not.” He straightened to his full height, a good head above hers, his broad shoulders and muscular torso an odd contrast to the presence of the cane. “Look, you and I both know that those people aren’t going to stop until they get what they want from you.”

  “And what about you?” She slipped her hand in her jeans pocket and touched the bear Ben had carved for her. The fetish warmed her fingers and still vibrated with the melody humming in the back of her mind, like a gun cocked and loaded. “Maybe it’s time you told me what you want from me.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  The fire crackled behind them, smoke twisting like a serpent into the air. The streetlights cast her features into relief, but even through the falling darkness he could see her eyes, green and piercing like a cat’s and just as wary. Her short dark hair emphasized her cheekbones, her skin nearly alabaster in the dim lighting. She kept her hand in her pocket, her lean, athletic body poised to run at any second. Her uncertainty pricked at him, so different from the calm he usually inspired in others. Obviously trust was not her strong point, and though she might feel cornered, she wasn’t going down without a fight.

  He could respect that. Admire it. And had to admit that her grit just added the cherry on top of the attraction he’d been trying to ignore since he first saw her.

  And attraction was as far as it could go. Relationships weren’t for him. He scratched the itch with occasional, no-strings-attached sex. But not with her, not with the Stone Singer. She was off-limits.

  A couple of streets over, a siren wailed. “Guess someone finally dialed 9-1-1,” he said.

  “You didn’t answer me. What do you want?”

  “I need your help.”

  “My help?” Sarcasm edged her words. “I’m the last one to help anyone, pal. My place of employment is going up in smoke, and I’m pretty sure I won’t have a job tomorrow. Find someone else.”

  “There is no one else. You’re the last Stone Singer alive.”

  “And I intend to stay that way.” She turned away.

  “You could hear me out.”

  She laughed, a brittle sound that implied the cynicism of a survivor. “No, thanks.” She started walking toward the end of the alley.

  He scowled after her. His leg ached like a bitch and his back promised he would pay for his athletics inside the store later, and now she was leaving him in the dust? “Listen, lady,” he called after her. “I just risked my butt to get you away from the crazies in there. That should count for something.”

  “Appreciate it!” She waved a hand, not even looking back as she kept walking.

  He cursed under his breath and went after her, half hobbling. “They’ll never leave you alone, Faith. You know that. Don’t you want to be free from them?”

  She spared him a glance as he caught up to her. “Of course. Which is why I’m out of here.”

  “Hey.” He took her arm.

  She jerked from his grasp. Stumbled back a step. He reached out to catch her and froze when her green-eyed gaze pierced like a blade. “Don’t. Touch. Me.”

  He held up his hands. “Just trying to get your attention.”

  “You have it.” Muscles tensed, she focused on him with unnerving intensity. Her defenses had slammed into place with an almost audible clang, but not before he’d caught a taste of what she was trying to hide.

  She was afraid of him.

  More than you’re-a-stranger-I-don’t-know-you afraid, but just a hair away from bone-deep I’m-scared-you-might-kill-me afraid. He’d seen the last in his volunteer work at the homeless shelter. Battered women, abused children, rape victims. That type of terror lingered on the tongue like a mouthful of coffee grounds, never forgotten.

  Who had hurt her?

  A familiar tune barely reached his ears but drifted loud and clear through his mind. She was gathering power to shield herself, coaxing it from the Earth. The energy transfer rippled like seductive hands over his body … which responded in the most inappropriate way possible.

  He tamped down on the unwanted sexual urges. Residual Warrior emotions. Had to be. And even if it wasn’t, he refused to jeopardize their objective by hitting on the only person who might be able to tell them anything about that mystical stone sitting at home in his family’s vault.

  The Stone Singer was too important to risk.

  He stepped back to give her space. A loose rock sent his foot skidding, wrenching his leg at exactly the wrong angle. His knee seized up, jagged shards of pain twisting his nerves into barbed wire all the way up his spine. He muttered a curse, blinking to keep the blackness at bay, and grabbed his knee, massaging the swollen flesh around it with one hand as he tried to balance himself on his cane with the other.

  The melody faded in his mind, and he glanced up at her. She watched him, still poised for flight but a little less scared. His lips twisted. Guess he didn’t pose such a threat after all. Kinda hit a guy right in the ego. But if it got her to trust him, he would roll with it.

  And if any of this was going to work, he needed her to trust him.

  He straightened slowly, his vertebrae clacking into place like a roller coaster climbing the first incline. His leg protested, his muscles rebelling against his commands to straighten, to stand. But damned if he was going to end up flat on his back.

  “I didn’t know you were hurt.”

  “Old injury.” He shrugged. “Hand-to-hand combat wasn’t on my agenda this morning, and I should have known better. Some ice and anti-inflammatories will fix me right up.”

  She scowled, glanced from the burning store and back. “I can’t leave you here. You have no idea what they’re capable of.”

  “Actually I do. I’ve had my own encounters with the Mendukati.”

  She gave a harsh laugh. “Well then, you know exactly how dangerous they are, especially to a Seer. I know they won’t kill me. Can’t say the same for you.”

  “No, they won’t kill you. They need you. There’s a war on, Faith, and you’re the key to it.”

  “Is that why you’re here? To convince me to help the Seers?” She shook her head, holding up her hands. “No way, pal. Not taking sides. I want no part of this. I just want to be left alone.”

  She was going to bolt. He could sense it. “Do you think that’s reasonable?”

  “To not want any part of a war?” />
  “No, to think they’ll actually leave you out of it.”

  She pressed her lips together. “They can’t force me to do anything.”

  “Can’t they?” He glanced back at the store. “That was just a building. What if they come after people next? What if they threaten Ben unless you do what they want?” Her expression didn’t change, but he knew he’d touched a nerve. He pressed on. “We can protect both of you.”

  “Oh, yeah? How do you propose to do that?” She propped a hand on her hip and tilted her chin in challenge. “Can Seers make me invisible?”

  “Of course not. But we can take you someplace where the Mendukati can’t get to you.”

  “I doubt anyplace like that exists.”

  “It does now. Look, we’ve seen what they can do, and we’ve upped our security to deal with it.” When she said nothing, he added, “We can even pay you, if that’s what it takes. It’s that important.”

  She frowned, but he could tell he’d caught her interest. “Pay me? How much?”

  “Enough to disappear, create a new identity. Get off the Mendukati’s radar.”

  “Really. And what would I have to do to—”

  A charcoal gray compact skidded to a halt at the end of the alley.

  Faith backed away. “Who’s that?”

  He started toward the vehicle. “Our ride.”

  The passenger’s side window rolled down, and Ben stuck his head out, relief evident on his face as he waved them closer. “Faith! Come on!”

  Darius felt the anxiety drain from her at the sight of her father-in-law. Ben hopped out of the car and opened the back door, gesturing to Faith.

  She glanced at Darius. “We’re not done talking, Seer.”

  He nodded, and she ran to the car and climbed into the backseat. Ben slid in beside her. Darius followed more slowly and eased himself and his cane into the passenger’s side.

  “Did you take him out?” he said to Gray.

  “Bastard got away, but I got a couple of shots in.”

  Darius slammed the door. “Get us out of here.”

  “Your wish is my command.” Gray hit the gas.

  * * *

  “Okay, Seer. Start talking.” Faith reached for Ben’s hand, a comfort she hadn’t realized she craved until he twined his fingers with hers.

  Darius met her gaze in the rearview mirror. “Like I told you, my name is Darius Montana. This is Adrian Gray. My family recently acquired one of the Stones of Ekhia.”

  Her heart skipped into triple time at his words, and she forced herself to breathe in and out slowly for a moment until her pulse calmed. Corinne had said something about finding a stone. Could he really have one of the three sacred stones that were the legendary power source of Atlantis? All but one had been missing for centuries.

  But if it were the real deal …

  “Are you kidding?” She gave a shrug to hide her excitement. “Every couple of years some wacko comes around claiming they have a stone. I heard someone even had one for sale online a couple of months ago. I’m sorry, but yours has to be a fake.”

  Darius shook his head. “I don’t think so, and neither did Jain Criten. He went to great lengths to try and steal it from us just a few weeks ago.”

  “Criten?” Her heart pounded. “You said ‘tried.’ I assume he wasn’t successful.”

  “No. We have the stone well protected.”

  “Where? That safe location you were talking about?”

  “Do you want the job?” he countered.

  “Depends. What do you want me to do?”

  “We want you to talk to it or charge it or sing to it … whatever Stone Singers do. We need to know as much about it as you can tell us. Maybe even how to use it.” He turned his head to look at her. “You in? Like I said, we’ll pay you well. And we’ll protect you.”

  Those sharp blue eyes seared through her like a laser, raising doubts. Something about him encouraged her to trust him and, strangely enough, she wanted to, even though going off with a Seer seemed the height of madness. But she’d trusted others, her own husband among them, and it had ended badly every time. “Protect me, huh? How do I know you can? The Mendukati are ruthless and powerful. They always get what they want.”

  “Not always,” Darius said. “Last time we saw Criten, he was riding in the back of an ambulance after tangling with us.”

  The words should have terrified her, but instead she took comfort from his certainty. And if the stone they had was real …

  She tried to play it cool. “You said you’d pay me. How much? I can’t just vanish to parts unknown at the drop of a hat.”

  “Not parts unknown,” Darius said. “Sedona.” And then he named a dollar amount that made her blink.

  Money like that meant she could disappear where the Mendukati could never find her. Buy land far away, build a house, get a new identity, hire security, or maybe even just disappear to an island in the Pacific somewhere. She tamped down the hope springing to life inside her, tried to appear composed. “I need to stop at my place and get some clothes. And Lucita—”

  “No, they’ll be looking for you there. We’ll buy you whatever you need. Think about it,” Darius said. He faced forward again and leaned his head back against the headrest. “We’ll be at the airport soon.”

  “But—” She cut off what she was about to say when Ben squeezed her fingers.

  “I can call Lucita, tell her what’s happened,” he said. “It’s all right. These men are Zaindari, but not like the Mendukati. They need your help.”

  “I must be crazy,” she said. “You know I never wanted any part of this war.”

  “They’re trying to end the war. Maybe you can help them. Besides, I worry about you. The Mendukati won’t stop until they get what they want, and they will kill to get it.”

  She shook her head. “They won’t kill me. Apparently I’m the only Stone Singer alive now.”

  “That’s even worse. To get you to cooperate, they might harm the people close to you—Lucita, me. Better you go with these men. You’ll be safer there.”

  “And what about you? You’re coming with us, right? I can’t leave you alone to face them.”

  “Don’t worry about me.” Ben gave her one of his cryptic smiles. “You can’t deny what you are, daughter of my heart. You sing the song of stones, and they have a stone whose song you need to hear. Go with these men to Arizona. See the stone; hear its song. Then you will know your true path.”

  She cast a glance at the silent men in the front seat. Darius’s head lolled against the headrest as if he were sleeping, and the other kept his eyes on the road. “I don’t know them.”

  “I do. My people and theirs have been allies for centuries, and I’ve known Adrian for many years.” He raised their clasped hands and enclosed her one between the two of his. “Trust me in this, daughter.”

  “Why won’t you come with us? I’m frightened for you, Stone Bear.”

  Tenderness swept over his expression at her childhood nickname for him. “I can’t, not right now. I have a show in Santa Fe in a couple of days. I can’t cancel it. You know half my yearly income comes from that show, and my family is counting on me.”

  “I’ll split what they’re paying me with you. Come with us, Ben. Please.”

  “A generous offer.” He patted her hand, then released her. “One I cannot accept right now. You have your path, and I have mine. But if it makes you feel better, I can come visit in a week or so, after the show.”

  “A week or so?” Her voice rose louder than she intended, so she lowered her tone. “You expect me to be there that long?”

  He shrugged. “You must stay as long as it takes to find your path.”

  “And if that never happens?”

  “It will. I have faith in you.” He grinned. “I have faith in Faith.”

  She rolled her eyes as her only relative chuckled at his own pun. “At least in Arizona I won’t have to hear your bad jokes.”

  “Not true. There
are always text messages.”

  * * *

  After giving Faith his pitch, Darius closed his eyes and drifted into a light healing trance, focusing on easing the pain of his joints and not on the bumps in the road. He heard the murmuring voices in the backseat as if from a distance, but he didn’t try to make out the words. In fact, he shielded himself from the other passengers, needing this time to recharge as much as he could. His body was trying to shut down, and he had to stay functional, at least for a while. He’d just drifted into a doze when the car came to a stop. He opened his eyes to see the airport and the small private plane waiting for them.

  Gray slid out from behind the wheel and came around to open Darius’s door. He extended a hand. “Let’s go, old man.”

  “I’m younger than you are,” Darius said. “I think.”

  “But with more wear and tear.”

  Gray steadied him as Darius climbed out of the car. His spine creaked like an unoiled hinge, his knee objecting as he slowly extended his leg. His nerve endings protested every movement, and he knew that once he sat down again, he might not get up for a day or two. Faith and Ben climbed out of the car and watched with concerned frowns, their worry snapping at him like whips.

  “Why don’t you two come on board while he gets settled?” Gray said. He held out a hand to Faith. “We haven’t formally met. Adrian Gray.”

  She shook his hand. “Faith Karaluros. But I never actually said I would accept the job.”

  “You’re here, aren’t you? We’ll talk on the plane.” Gray flashed his movie star smile, and Darius could feel Faith waver. Of course she did; Gray used charm with the skill of a fencing master to get whatever he wanted. Normally it didn’t bother Darius, just made him shake his head. But today—

  Today he wanted to slug those perfect pearly whites right out of Gray’s mouth.

  The force of his reaction stunned him. He’d seen Gray smile at dozens of women, even Darius’s own sister Tessa, and had never experienced even an inkling of this violent rage. What the hell was wrong with him? Had to be the pain. It must be addling his brain.

  Because it sure couldn’t be the woman. He wouldn’t let it be.