The Stone Prince (30 page)

A
FEMALE SCREAM TORE
through the house.

Jorlan reacted immediately. He reached for his weapon and raced from the chamber. Was Katie hurt again? Nay. Nay, he had watched her hawkishly all morn, and right now she was in the bathing chamber perfectly safe.

Just then, a single, terrifying thought suddenly slammed into his mind. What if the lingering effects of his magic had splintered the wood inside the bathing chamber? Fingers of dread clutched at him, chilled his blood, and he cursed himself for allowing Katie a single moment away from him.

At the chamber, a dark wood door barred his entrance.

“Katie,” he shouted.

She didn’t answer.

He kicked the wood with his foot and timber shards went flying. The small room was empty. The window was open, allowing rain to trickle inside. Heather raced through the hallway, then stopped abruptly. Water dripped from her clothing. She whipped around and faced him, her features etched with panic. “Jorlan,” she cried. “You have to help me. Please. Come quick.”

Katie? Where was Katie?

He must have spoken the question aloud because the answer rushed from Heather’s mouth. “Percen has her. He’s going to hurt her if we don’t do something.”

Jorlan clutched his weapon with all his might. There was no time to question how Heather knew of Percen. “Where is she?”

“I’ll take you.” Tears streamed down the girl’s face leaving a glossy trail. “I should have told you sooner, but I wanted him in my life. But he doesn’t deserve me. He doesn’t,” she rambled.

They flew into the garden, and Jorlan welcomed the rain. The cold kept him alert and ready. Yet, in the center, Jorlan stopped midstride, frozen. In a flash as powerful as the lightning above, he realized his mother peered down at him through white stone eyes. Shocked, horrified, he dropped his weapon and sank to his knees. He hadn’t seen her in so long, so very long, and now to see her like this…

“What are you doing?” Heather cried, tugging at his arm. “We have to hurry.”

Jorlan knew ’twas Percen’s doing, for no other sorcerer could perform the stone spell quite so expertly. How could his brother curse their mother to this life that was no life at all? He had to save her, had to help her in some way.

“You helped me, didn’t you?” he asked her. “You helped me save Katie. Now I must save you.” But there was no time. His first duty was the protection of his life-mate.

“Hurry, Jorlan.” Heather’s voice cut into his thoughts. “We have to find them.”

“I am sorry, Mother,” he whispered, slowly standing. “I will come back for you.”

“No need,” a smug voice laughed. Percen materialized a few feet away, Katie just in front of him.

Jorlan’s eyes narrowed. Katie’s clothing was plastered to her body and partially undone. The sorcerer had his hands on her shoulders, stroking her like a kitten. Her amber eyes were glazed with vague detachment. The bastard had entranced her with a spell, Jorlan realized, and he feared if he attempted to snatch her from his brother’s grasp, she would fight him. Still, relief that she was alive washed over him in a crashing tide.

“Release her from your snare.” He longed to rush his brother, to cut the bastard down before he could harm Katie, but in doing so, Jorlan feared he would hurt his life-mate. “Must you hide behind a woman?”

“Nay.” Percen’s lips pursed. “I need not hide. I simply thought you would enjoy watching as I destroy your one chance of gaining freedom.”

“I do not care about myself. I care only for her.”

“Do you speak true? I wonder…” Still grinning, his brother cupped the weight of Katie’s breast, and Katie’s eyes closed in surrender. “Would you still care for her if she gave herself to me?”

Heather gasped at the sight. “Stop! What are you doing?” Tears continued to flow like a river down her cheeks. “I thought you loved me.”

Percen’s angry mask slipped for a moment, revealing devastation and hurt, but then his eyes narrowed and he returned his attention to Jorlan.

“You will die for this,” Jorlan told him. “You realize that, do you not?” All the hatred he felt for his brother
surfaced. “If you are brave enough, let us at last end our feud.”

“Percen,” Heather sobbed.

His brother hesitated for a long while. Then he nodded. The fire in his eyes roared to life with molten promise, and he shoved Katie aside. “Aye, ’tis time we at last ended this, and what better way than death.”

Jorlan didn’t give him time to react. With an unholy roar, he sprang into action like a panther who had just spotted his evening meal. Almost too quick for the eye to see, he drew back his elbow and planted a fist into his brother’s jaw. Percen’s head snapped back. Blood trickled from his mouth.

Jorlan struck him again.

Percen uttered an unholy screech and flew at him. They grappled to the hard ground, fists and legs flying like two wild beasts.

Heather’s scream pierced the air.

“I cursed Mon Graig,” Percen taunted, half in laughter, half in rage. “Even if your woman loves you, you cannot go home now.”

“You are wrong. So wrong.” Jorlan thrust his fist smack into his brother’s face again. “I can take myself.”

Katie slowly came to her senses. When she did, she wished she had not. Shock froze her in place, and there wasn’t anything to soften the reality of what couldn’t,
couldn’t
be happening around her. But the sound of crushed bones and pain-filled moans assaulted her ears as she watched Jorlan and Percen beat at each other. This was all too real. While Percen lacked Jorlan’s strength, his magic more than made up
for it and placed power behind his blows. If she lived to be two hundred years old, she would never forget the terror and desolation of this moment.

Though she hated to leave him even for a second, she raced inside the house. Her fingers trembled as she grabbed the phone. It took her three times to dial correctly, but she finally managed to call Gray’s cell phone.

The moment he answered, she rushed out, “I’m at the Victorian. They’re killing each other. You have to hurry.” She didn’t give him time to respond. She simply threw down the phone and rushed back outside.

Jorlan landed a blow to Percen’s mouth. Blood and teeth flew from the man’s parted, swollen lips. He fell onto the new statue, causing his blood to mingle with the white stone. A crimson stream trickled along the woman’s feet.

Slowly, the stone disappeared, leaving a beautiful, dark-haired woman in its place. Katie paid her no heed. Jorlan was in danger. She had to help him, had to make the fighting stop. She glanced around for some type of weapon. Found nothing.

“You cursed me, you bastard,” Jorlan growled. “Then you cursed our mother and tried to kill the woman I love.”

“You cursed me the day you were born. She loved you. Always you.” There was a wildness to Percen’s tone that she’d never heard in a human voice before.

On and on the fight continued. Finally, she heard the comforting blare of police sirens. Soon, red-and-blue lights flashed all around the garden.

“Katie!” Gray shouted a moment later.

“Hurry.” She shouted the demand in a voice that shook with terror. “In the center of the garden.”

In seconds he and Steve Harris were there, kneeling, guns drawn. “I’ve already called for backup,” Steve said.

“Jorlan, put your hands up and move away,” her brother commanded. “Do what I say before I’m forced to shoot you.”

Percen chose that moment to unsheath a long, lethal-looking dagger.

“Put the weapon down,” Gray shouted. “Put the fucking weapon down
now.
”

As if in slow motion, she watched Jorlan and Percen lunge for each other.

The woman who had changed from stone to flesh shouted “Nay,” and sprang forward. But she didn’t go to Jorlan; she went to Percen.

Heather screamed and rushed in front of Percen.

Katie jumped in front of Jorlan.

Four shots rang out.

Both the strange woman and Heather collapsed at Percen’s feet. Katie remained standing. Percen gazed down at the two bodies surrounding him, eyes wide, and dropped his blade.

Heather slowly sat up, wiping tears and rain from her eyes. “My shoulder,” she said, shock making her sound hoarse. “My shoulder is bleeding.” The other woman didn’t move. Blood seeped from her chest at three separate wounds.

Katie whipped around. Jorlan stood frozen, as if he couldn’t move. “Jorlan!” Horrified, she watched as his beautiful skin began to turn white. Oh my God. She
knew exactly what was happening. “Jorlan, I love you,” she shouted over a clap of thunder. “I love you. I do. I love you.”

Her confession came too late.

He gazed down at her, his lips curling up in a smile and his eyes warming with love. “You have made me the happiest of men,
katya.
Never doubt that.” And then, the stone consumed him completely. He spoke no more.

What had she done? Katie sobbed silently. Horror wrapped around her like a thick sheen of ice. Too long. She’d waited too long, and now her unwillingness to believe in this man that she loved had caused her to lose him. She’d wanted proof of his love. He’d just given it to her.

“I’ve loved you since the beginning,” she whispered brokenly. “I was just afraid to admit it, even to myself. I don’t think I ever really doubted your feelings for me. I just couldn’t allow myself to believe. If I had, I would have had to go to Imperia with you or let you go without me. I couldn’t let you go.”

Behind her, Steve rushed at Percen, wanting to cuff him. Percen caught the action and brushed his hand swiftly through the air, creating some type of invisible shield no one could penetrate. The sorcerer sank to his knees. “You saved me,” he said to the unconscious woman. “You saved me.”

Sirens echoed in the background. The Dallas PD was arriving in torrent. Katie didn’t care about anyone except her husband. She stood on her tiptoes and placed a soft kiss upon his lips. “Please, Jorlan, come back to me. I love you. I swear I do.”

He remained as he was.

“Damn you, why won’t you come back to me?”

Her brother was at her side in the next instant, trying to pull her away from the statue. She clung to Jorlan with all her might, shaking him in the process. “I need you. I need you so much.” So many times she’d imagined their parting, but now that it was upon her, she knew she couldn’t live without him. She’d go wherever he wanted her to go; she’d take him on any terms. If only he would come back to her.

“I’m your little witch and I command you to open your eyes.” The words left her mouth softly, quietly, as another round of thunder boomed overhead. Maybe Percen could help her, she though hopefully. “Percen?”

He ignored her.

“Percen, God damn you, cast a spell! Do something to save him.”

He acted as if he didn’t hear her. Maybe he didn’t. He was focused solely on his mother, gently gathering her into his arms. “Why?” he asked brokenly. “Why did you do that? You could have saved Jorlan, but you chose me.” He gave a violent shake of his head and raised his fists to the heavens, cursing all the while. But then, suddenly, his shoulders slumped. “I have done this to you.” He hung his head and sobbed.

When he quieted, he gazed up beseechingly at Heather. “Help me, Heather. Please help me. I’m so sorry for all I’ve done to you. Give me a chance. I’ll make it up to you. I swear by the ancient Druinn laws I’ll make this up to you. Do not leave me now. I need you too desperately.”

Wincing in pain, Heather dropped to her knees behind him and took him in her arms. “I’m here. I’ll always be here for you.”

He closed his eyes for the briefest moment and nodded. Then, he waved his hand through the air and the trio disappeared.

In that moment, images flashed through Katie’s mind. Images of Imperia, of the billowing white grass, the crystal castles and the high-flying dragons. Jorlan would never reach his home, the place he’d always longed to be.

Her knees crumpled and she floated to the ground in a rain-soaked puddle.

A week later

D
USK WAS QUICKLY SETTLING
over the horizon, leaving a violet and golden glow in its wake. Wind swirled around the two figures atop the cliff, lifting their robes in a primitive dance. The air was laced with silvery droplets of moisture that swept from the cliff all the way to the white sands of Druinn, creating a cool, damp haven.

Despair and shame beat inside of Percen for all the pain that he had caused. However, hope and joy proved tenacious because of the woman at his side. His mother was dead and he knew an eternity could not wipe away his guilt.

With a bit of help from his magic, Heather’s shoulder had healed enough that it no longer gave her any pain. She wrapped her fingers around his right palm, giving him strength for what he was about to do. In his
left hand he held his mother’s amulet. Imperian custom demanded he destroy that which had been the heart of his mother’s magic. Yet he could not bring himself to destroy this last reminder of her.

And so, he stood above Artillian Mer, the largest body of water on Imperia, to pay his mother homage and give her essence back to the powers that created her. His fingers trembling, he raised the amulet to his lips and placed a soft kiss upon the center. He drew in a deep breath. Let it out. Tears began to slide down his cheeks. “I love you,” he whispered brokenly. He removed the left stone, the smallest of the three, then tossed the necklace into the churning amber liquid.