you’re
not going to like it.”
She tried to pull out of his arms, but he held tight. “What
is it?” She continued to struggle.
He kissed the top of her head and let her go. Yearning for
her thoughts to be open to him, he had to push the pain away. How had he gotten
so attached in such a short time? He pushed his hands in his pockets nervously,
but then he felt the stones and pulled them out again quickly as if he’d been
burned. Feeling stupid, he pushed his hand back into his pocket and closed it
around the smooth rocks before pulling them out and opening his palm.
For a moment, he thought they glowed slightly, but the
effect faded and five quarter-size glass stones lay inert in his hand. “If they
were mine and they were this much trouble, I’d get rid of them. Why don’t you
toss them away and be done with it?”
Suddenly her mind opened up to him and rage he had not felt
from her before surged. He didn’t know if she had allowed him to feel her anger
or if she had lost control. “Toss them away?” She turned and walked away from
him, got ten feet, turned back and stalked toward him. She pointed to the
stones in his hand. “Those are the Stones of Adeline. I am Adeline.” She
stomped away again.
This time she didn’t stop and he followed as she made her
way to the edge of the sea. “I’m just saying, your life would be easier if you
got rid of them. Don’t you feel as if they’re a noose around your neck? These
stupid things are about to cost you your life.” He had not expected her rage
and he certainly hadn’t expected his own anger to flare. The idea that she
would hold onto a bit of power rather than save her life infuriated him.
“Stupid things?” She turned and poked him in the chest with
her index finger. “Those stupid things have been in existence since the
beginning of time. My family has guarded them for centuries. They are my
responsibility and I failed to protect them. I can’t even begin to fathom what
might have happened if I had been corrupted and the stones had been used for
real evil.”
“I don’t understand,” he said. Confusion mixed with
frustration over their situation put him in a bad temper. “I just want you safe
and you seem determined to get yourself killed over a bit of power.”
She stopped. Her mind cleared. He felt it as if a wiper had
cleared away a windshield. “Is that what you think?” she asked. A coarse laugh
puffed out of her mouth. “Is that why you believe I am protecting them, for
myself? You think I crave power?”
He shrugged. “You married a powerful man.”
The sorrow that filled her made him want to take the words
back. If he could have wiped them from the world, he would have done it to make
the pain of her sadness leave his mind.
“I married a man who courted me as I had never been courted
before. I admit I was taken in by Oscar. I’m ashamed of that fact. But I
married him because I believed he loved me, and for a short time, I loved him.
Unfortunately, he was not the same man after the wedding.”
He had no idea what to say. He wished he had pretty words to
ease her suffering, but he was just a bounty hunter. He tracked people for a
living. Until yesterday, he’d never wanted a close relationship with anyone and
he hadn’t had one. Now he knew of nothing that would soothe her.
She walked away a few steps. Her mind calmed again and she
turned back toward him. “If you think we will have peace if I get rid of my
responsibilities, Kane, toss the stones in the sea. Go ahead, damn us both.”
He wanted to do it. Thought he could do it. He looked in
every direction. The piece of beach where they stood fighting as if they were
longtime lovers was empty of people. He pulled his arm back twice in an attempt
to hurl the hated bits of rock into oblivion. But each time he tried, his arm
lowered to his side with the stones still tightly fisted.
Kane opened his hand and they dropped to the sand at his
feet.
An arch of light shot from
not going to like it.”
She tried to pull out of his arms, but he held tight. “What
is it?” She continued to struggle.
He kissed the top of her head and let her go. Yearning for
her thoughts to be open to him, he had to push the pain away. How had he gotten
so attached in such a short time? He pushed his hands in his pockets nervously,
but then he felt the stones and pulled them out again quickly as if he’d been
burned. Feeling stupid, he pushed his hand back into his pocket and closed it
around the smooth rocks before pulling them out and opening his palm.
For a moment, he thought they glowed slightly, but the
effect faded and five quarter-size glass stones lay inert in his hand. “If they
were mine and they were this much trouble, I’d get rid of them. Why don’t you
toss them away and be done with it?”
Suddenly her mind opened up to him and rage he had not felt
from her before surged. He didn’t know if she had allowed him to feel her anger
or if she had lost control. “Toss them away?” She turned and walked away from
him, got ten feet, turned back and stalked toward him. She pointed to the
stones in his hand. “Those are the Stones of Adeline. I am Adeline.” She
stomped away again.
This time she didn’t stop and he followed as she made her
way to the edge of the sea. “I’m just saying, your life would be easier if you
got rid of them. Don’t you feel as if they’re a noose around your neck? These
stupid things are about to cost you your life.” He had not expected her rage
and he certainly hadn’t expected his own anger to flare. The idea that she
would hold onto a bit of power rather than save her life infuriated him.
“Stupid things?” She turned and poked him in the chest with
her index finger. “Those stupid things have been in existence since the
beginning of time. My family has guarded them for centuries. They are my
responsibility and I failed to protect them. I can’t even begin to fathom what
might have happened if I had been corrupted and the stones had been used for
real evil.”
“I don’t understand,” he said. Confusion mixed with
frustration over their situation put him in a bad temper. “I just want you safe
and you seem determined to get yourself killed over a bit of power.”
She stopped. Her mind cleared. He felt it as if a wiper had
cleared away a windshield. “Is that what you think?” she asked. A coarse laugh
puffed out of her mouth. “Is that why you believe I am protecting them, for
myself? You think I crave power?”
He shrugged. “You married a powerful man.”
The sorrow that filled her made him want to take the words
back. If he could have wiped them from the world, he would have done it to make
the pain of her sadness leave his mind.
“I married a man who courted me as I had never been courted
before. I admit I was taken in by Oscar. I’m ashamed of that fact. But I
married him because I believed he loved me, and for a short time, I loved him.
Unfortunately, he was not the same man after the wedding.”
He had no idea what to say. He wished he had pretty words to
ease her suffering, but he was just a bounty hunter. He tracked people for a
living. Until yesterday, he’d never wanted a close relationship with anyone and
he hadn’t had one. Now he knew of nothing that would soothe her.
She walked away a few steps. Her mind calmed again and she
turned back toward him. “If you think we will have peace if I get rid of my
responsibilities, Kane, toss the stones in the sea. Go ahead, damn us both.”
He wanted to do it. Thought he could do it. He looked in
every direction. The piece of beach where they stood fighting as if they were
longtime lovers was empty of people. He pulled his arm back twice in an attempt
to hurl the hated bits of rock into oblivion. But each time he tried, his arm
lowered to his side with the stones still tightly fisted.
Kane opened his hand and they dropped to the sand at his
feet.
An arch of light shot from
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