Page 43 of Fire in Stone

He turned to me, his ever-present half-smile playing in the corners of his mouth.

The crimson light of the sunset reflected off his skin that turned darker, the color blending with that of his eyes. I sank to my knees in front of him as his clothes seemed to fuse with his body, turning dark like his eyes, too. In a second, all of him turned onyx black. His skin hardened. His hair turned stiff. The warm expression he gazed at me with froze on his face.

In just a second or two, the living, breathing man was but a motionless statue once again.

I reached out to touch his cheek. It was hard but warm, the stubble just a tiny bit longer after the day.

“This is incredible,” I breathed out.

What must it feel like for him to return to the form he’d spent so much time in against his will? Was he scared? Worried? He had sounded apprehensive, even insecure a little when he’d said he’d see me in the morning.

Now I knew he could hear me, even in this form.

I stroked his cheek gently, whispering, “Have a good night, Elex. Get some rest. I promise, I won’t let anything bad happen to you while you sleep.”

Eleven

AMBER

Ifell asleep quickly but woke early. After the nap I’d had yesterday afternoon, I couldn’t sleep for too long.

It took me a moment to remember where I was and how I got here. The events of the past two days seemed like a dream—stealing the statue, learning it was really a man, but not an ordinary man—a dragon. Honestly, it would’ve been easier if it were just a dream. So much easier.

I sat up, making the narrow bed creak. The sky was gray outside the small window. Pale sunlight had already tinted the thick clouds with a faint yellow glow.

“Elex?” I climbed out of bed. After quickly getting my clothes back on, I shoved my feet into my shoes on my way to him.

He sat by the chimney in the same spot where I’d left him the night before. I padded closer and kneeled in front of him, watching his transformation in reverse.

It started in the eyes of the “statue.” Life sparked in the stone. His gaze regained focus. Next, the glow pulsed in his chest, spreading along the smooth surface of the rock. His skin lightened from ink-black to warm brown. The deep red color saturated his t-shirt. His pants turned gray.

His chest expanded with a breath, and a thick dark curl dropped over his forehead, displaced from the rich mass of his hair by an indiscernible movement. Instinctively, I reached to brush it away from his face.

“Morning, Elex,” I said softly.

His shoulders relaxed. He covered my hand with his, pressing my palm to his cheek.

“This is the best awakening I’ve had in many years.” He smiled, sunlight dancing in his dark gaze. “Or ever.”

He kissed my hand. His stubble half-prickled, half-tickled my skin. I giggled, jerking my hand away. It cost me my balance. I swayed, and he stopped me from falling by catching me in his arms.

“Thank you for keeping me safe at night.” His voice sounded intimate, like that of a lover after a night spent together.

“I slept too.” I exhaled a laugh. “Not much of a guard, am I?”

He nuzzled above my ear. His warm breath caressed my temple. We were just a few inches away from a kiss, it occurred to me. If I just turned my head…

A warm sensation seeped from his body to mine. The light of the rising sun seemed to pulse inside me too, now, urging me closer. I splayed my hand on the hard planes of his chest.

It was so tempting to pretend we were lovers, that wehadspent the night together. That we shared something more than we did.

Those thoughts and emotions were dangerous, though. They could only lead me straight to a heartbreak. We had but a day left together. I had no time to daydream about Elex’s kisses. I had to focus on other, much more important things.

Pushing against his chest, I leaned back and out of his embrace. He reached after me, but I was back on my feet already.

“We need to get going.” I headed over to my backpack by the bed. “We have a rock wall to fix and an ocean to cross. Remember? A busy day.”

I glanced at Elex over my shoulder. He rose to his feet, too, stretching his limbs as far as the limited space in the tiny attic allowed him.

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