Heart of Stone (35 page)
Authors: Christine Warren
Ella stared. “Can you do that? Is it even possible?”
“I believe that it is. I have never seen it, nor even heard of it, but I read something very interesting in the grimoire that Alan Parsons passed on to you. The mage who authored that volume wrote that he had heard an unusual story once, a rumor that intrigued him so deeply, he spent years pursuing it and still did not fully understand what it meant.”
“What was it?” She poked him impatiently.
“The mage wrote that some people said that the first Guardians ever summoned had been truly cold and unfeeling, emotionless as I had pretended to be.”
Ella snorted, but Kees simply ignored her and continued.
“They were very good at battling demons, but they lacked the understanding of why they fought because they felt no attachment to the humans or the world they defended. Many argued that this was not a problem until one day when there was need, the Guardians would not wake. Because they felt no motivation to protect the humans, the threat of the demons did not register and they slept through the call of the Wardens.
“See? What did I tell you? Feelings are good for you. They’re a strength, not a weakness.”
“Hush and let me finish my story.”
She humphed, but subsided.
“There was great panic because demons had begun pouring through into the human world and still the Guardians did not wake. Even the Seven began to stir, and the Wardens knew that humanity would not survive unless the Guardians awoke, so they searched frantically for another way to rouse them.
“Eventually, and completely by accident, the Wardens stumbled on a solution. Or rather, they stumbled on someone who had stumbled on a solution. A woman, a woman of power, had come to the Guild offering her help to wake the Guardians, but the Wardens turned her away.”
“I knew they were misogynists. Everything anyone says involving the Guild or the Wardens or the Guardians, it’s always ‘he,’ ‘his,’ ‘him,’ like women don’t even exist.”
Kees ignored her grumbling. “They turned her away, but she wouldn’t go quite so easily. She demanded the opportunity to kneel before the chief Guardian and pray to the Light for his release so that he could fight the demonic threat. They agreed with great reluctance because—”
“Because they were male chauvinist pigs.”
“—because the woman gave them no choice. Her power held them at bay as she walked herself to the feet of the Guardian. She knelt before the figure and asked the Light for aid, but before she could complete her prayer, there was a tremendous noise and the stone encasing the Guardian cracked and he stepped forward and seized the woman.”
She looked at him, the beginnings of a smile teasing the corners of her lips. “Hm, I wonder where this is going.…”
“Hush,” he scolded. “Let me finish. He seized the woman and claimed her as his own. He dared the Wardens and demons alike to take her from him and vowed to slay any creature that threatened her. When she told him of the threat not just to her but to her family and friends, to all the humans living in the world, he felt rage for the first time and knew the demons must be defeated.”
“It always takes a woman to point out what needs to be done.”
“And it appears that I have a mouthy one,” Kees growled, nipping her lips teasingly. “The Guardian went out to assess the threat and realized he would need his brothers to help with this battle, so the woman called together all the women of power she could reach, and each knelt and prayed at the feet of a son of the stone. Some walked away having failed, but Fate had woven her threads and one by one, the right woman appeared and the Guardian she was destined to bond with woke. Each in turn they repeated the actions of the first. Together, they went to battle and drove the demons back, imprisoning them in the barren planes where they belonged.
“When they had finished and the world was safe, the Guardians brought their women before the Guild and demanded to be released from their duties. Each had fought honorably and done a great service to humanity, and now they wanted to live beside the women they had claimed, their mates, for as long as Fate allowed.”
“And did they?” Ella bit her lip and crossed her fingers.
Kees smiled. “They did. The Wardens released the Guardians, although the action demanded sacrifice. No longer would they be able to shift forms. They remained bound to their human forms, but retained their strength and senses, because the threat of the demonic is never truly absent, and they demanded that they still be able to protect their mates from any who would harm them. Their human forms aged, and eventually, like their mates, their lives ended, but none of them ever expressed a single regret for the choices they had made.”
Ella reached up and cupped Kees’s face in her hands. She looked at him, soaking in the sight of his gray skin and black eyes, his devilish horns and the fangs that flashed when he spoke or smiled or laughed. She loved everything about him in this form, and in the other. His form was just a form. She loved Kees, no matter how he looked.
And he loved her.
Still, she asked, “What about you? Will you regret it?”
“Never.” He spoke firmly and without hesitation, and love blazed in his eyes, a bright, crimson fire that glowed whenever he looked at her. “I love you, Ella. You are my mate, and I will love you forever, alive or dead, Guardian or human. There is nothing for me without you, not in any time, not in any place.”
She smiled. “In that case, I think I should make a phone call.”
Kees pulled back and looked confused. “A phone call?”
“To my friend Fil. Not only do I need to tell her I’m still alive, but I also need to ask her for one more favor.”
“Oh? What do you need to ask her that is more important than telling me that you love me?”
“You know very well I love you, and I’m going to be telling you often, every day of our lives. I even promise to tell you again as soon as I’m done with this conversation, but this is important.”
Kees sighed. “Why?”
“Because now that Fil has found the next Guardian, I think I need to convince her to kneel.”
“And pray?”
“Baby, we should all pray.”
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And look for her novellas in the anthologies
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Christine Warren
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“Christine Warren has created an incredible, alluring world and then populated it with the most amazing heroes and heroines. Never a disappointment, Christine Warren continues to dazzle our senses with her books of the Others.”
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“Warren has made a name for herself in the world of paranormal romance. She expertly mixes werewolves, vampires, and faeries to create another winning novel in The Others series.
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is a delightful read from the first word to the last. Christine Warren has created two amazing characters, given them an incredible plot, and laced the story with witty conversations, lots of snark and a hefty portion of danger.”
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is a fun and fast faerie adventure.”
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Black Magic Woman
“Excitement, passion, mystery, characters who thoroughly captivate, and a satisfying romance make [it] a must-read.”
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Romance Reviews Today
“Will capture your senses and ensnare your imagination. Another great novel from Christine Warren.”
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“Sexy, action-packed romance!”
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Prince Charming Doesn’t Live Here
“Christine Warren’s The Others novels are known for their humorous twists and turns of otherworldly creatures. Like her other Others novels,
Prince Charming Doesn’t Live Here
is an excellently delicious story with great characterization.”
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Fresh Fiction
Born to be Wild
“Warren packs in lots of action and sexy sizzle.”
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RT Book Reviews
“Incredible.”
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“[A] sexy, engaging world … will leave you begging for more!”
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“Another hot and spicy novel from a master of paranormal romance.”
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“Filled with supernatural danger, excitement, and sarcastic humor.”
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“Five stars. This is an exciting, sexy book.”
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“The sparks do fly!”
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About the Author
Born and raised in coastal New England,
Christine Warren
now lives as a transplant in the Pacific Northwest (she completely bypassed those states in the middle due to her landlocking phobia). When not writing (as if that ever happens), she enjoys horseback riding, playing with her pets, identifying dogs from photos of their underbellies, and most of all reading things someone else had to agonize over. She enjoys hearing from readers and can be reached via email sent to [email protected].
This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
HEART OF STONE
Copyright © 2014 by Christine Warren.
All rights reserved.
For information address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.
eISBN: 9781466841796
St. Martin’s Paperbacks edition / January 2014
St. Martin’s Paperbacks are published by St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010.