The Stone Prince

TWENTY-TWO

KATIE STOOD in the kitchen, drinking from a glass of water. I’m married, she thought. Married. Already prongs of delight were disabling her anger. By noon, she realized she liked the thought that Jorlan was her husband. She liked the thought that she was his wife.

Lord, what was she going to do?

Since Jorlan had confessed what he’d done, he had followed her like a lost little puppy, never ceasing his talk of love and commitment and his need to see her protected.

She was beginning to believe him.

She had only to speak words of love…and yet something always held her back. A sense of dread, fear even, that everything he claimed to feel for her was merely a delusion, and that he would lose interest once he got what he wanted.

“Katie,” he began.

Just then, the front door swung open, spraying a fine mist of rain into the living room.

Heather and Frances raced inside and closed the door with a snap. Startled, Katie remained in front of the kitchen sink, mouth agape, water glass positioned midair, and watched them. Frances approached her side, careful to avoid Jorlan, who stood in the corner, observing them all. “Heather convinced me to come. I don’t know what happened here, and I don’t want you to tell me. I’m just going to do my job, and I don’t ever want to talk about what happened.”

Katie nodded and set her glass aside.

With that settled, Frances disappeared out the front door.

Heather remained in place, wringing her hands together. “Katie, I—Well, how are you doing?”

Katie blinked. “I’m fine, thank you. How are you?”

“Better.” The girl gave a half smile, hesitant but authentic. “I’m better. I’ve spent the last few days thinking about my life, and I—” Again she halted whatever words she wanted to say.

Something had changed about Heather. Something for the better. “Would you like something to drink?” Katie asked her.

She shook her head. “No, thanks. I’ve got a lot of work to do out back. If you still want me to work for you.”

“I do.”

“Well, then, I should probably get started.” Heather took a few steps away, before pausing and glancing over her shoulder. “I meant to ask—when did you get the new statue?”

Katie’s brows slanted over her eyes. “What new statue?”

“The one that’s standing on the platform that used to be empty.”

“Used to be…” Oh. When Jorlan had come to life, he’d left an empty dais, the only empty dais in the pleasure garden. Even Nick had commented on it. Still, Katie hadn’t had time to replace the statue. “Are you sure there’s a statue there?”

“Yeah. It’s kinda hard to miss because it’s different than all the others. It’s not meant for pleasure.”

Dread churned in her stomach because she didn’t exactly know what this new development meant. She knew it wasn’t Jorlan; he still stood a few feet away from her. “Will you meet me there in five minutes?” she whispered.

Though she wore an expression of puzzlement, Heather nodded.

Until she knew what was going on, Katie didn’t want Jorlan knowing anything about the new statue. She marched to him, told him she had to use the bathroom and she’d break his fingers if he tried to follow her.

“Then we must talk, Katie,” he said. “I do not have much time.”

She nodded slowly. Yes, they definitely needed to talk. There was a lot they needed to work out, something she needed to tell him, her fear be damned. With every step she took away from him, she felt his gaze bore deeper into her back. In the bathroom, she locked the door and, like a teenager, sneaked out the window. Rain pelted her body the entire time.

Thunder boomed as she strode to the center of the garden. Heather was there already, waiting quietly. Neither of them had bothered with an umbrella, and they were both soaked to the skin in mere seconds.

“This is it,” Heather said.

Katie drew in a breath. Dark clouds hovered over white stone that formed the rounded curves of a woman. She wore an opulent robe, and a large, circular locket hung at her neck. She was beautiful, as beautiful as Jorlan, yet her beauty was breathtakingly feminine.

Katie’s heart raced with a staccato beat, and she wiped the rain from her eyes. “When did this arrive?”

“I’m not exactly sure. I noticed it from the road as we were pulling in the driveway.”

Shielding her gaze, she stared up at the statue, wondering what to do. This stone woman seemed eerily similar and had the same vibration of power Jorlan had had. Should she kiss the blasted thing? Before she could place her foot on the ledge to climb up, Heather gasped, drawing her attention. “What’s wrong?” she asked, even as she realized a strange man stood only a whisper away.

“Percen,” Heather said, conveying all sorts of emotions with that one name. Dread. Happiness. Fear.

The man ignored her; the storm swirled around him, and his pale, unsmiling gaze swept over Katie. Katie knew she should run, should grab Jorlan and demand he protect her, yet she also knew she couldn’t have run if her life depended on it. And it may have. Something cold and hard gleamed in the stranger’s eyes.

“Come to me,” he said, his hand outstretched.

“Percen, don’t do this.” Heather barked the order with a fierce determination she’d never before displayed. “You promised not to do this.”

“I vowed I would not kill her. I said nothing of hurting her. And after I make this concession for you, what do you do to me?” he ground out bitterly. “You choose Jorlan, but then, I knew you would. What woman would help me when she could help Jorlan?” He faced Katie and beckoned her with his fingers. “Come.”

Yes, she thought. Yes. Heedless of anything except his summons, she did as instructed. She was vaguely aware of Heather pulling on her clothes, trying to stop her.

“Katie, listen to me. He’s doing this to destroy Jorlan.”

Katie couldn’t make herself care.

“You will lose me if you do this,” Heather cried to the man. “You will lose me.”

For one second of time, he wavered, and a look of pure torture etched the lines of his mouth. His features hardened. “Did I ever really have you? Go get my brother,” he said, his voice cruel.