Stone Passions Trilogy (43 page)

“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 birth 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.