I felt the blood drain from my face. “What’s going on?”
“Can you promise me, Mari? Can you trust me?”
It didn’t take me long to come to an answer.
“Yes.”
“Good, then you are going to stand up when I tell you and you are not going to turn around. You are going to walk out of this restaurant with me, and I will take you home.”
I nodded mutely, my heart hammering in my chest, the ring on my finger growing hot. Just as it did in the church. The urge to turn around and look behind me was strong, but I stayed where I was, eyes on Alaric as he flagged the waiter down and paid the bill.
He stood, casually offering me his arm. “Good, keep your eyes on me. Laugh like I just said something really charming and funny.”
I laughed a moment too late, and a little too loud, my brain trying to catch up with what he was asking me. I took his arm and let him lead me toward the exit. But what Alaric didn’t count on was the line of mirrors at the front of the restaurant that lined the wall. As we were walking, I caught a glimpse of what had caused Alaric to make us leave so suddenly.
In the reflection, following us out of the restaurant at a slow but steady pace wasa creature from my nightmares. Its body was tall and vaguely human, but stretched too thin, its limbs just a little too long, as if someone had pulled a person like taffy. Its skin—or what passed for skin—was made of bone or stone, but dark gray and threaded with veins of dull, ember-red light that pulsed faintly with each slow step. Its head was wrong—featureless except for a maw that split too wide across its face, full of needle-like teeth that glinted when it turned its face toward me.
No one else in the restaurant reacted. Waiters walked by carrying trays of food; guests laughed at their tables—but the thing’s gaze was locked on me and Alaric through the reflection, unblinking, relentless. Its movements were silent, deliberate, almost curious, like a predator that had no need to rush.
It was a Stonebound. And it had found us. It had found me.
Chapter Ten
My breathing hitched, my footing faltering as I leaned more weight on Alaric, who swore under his breath when his gaze fixed on mine through the mirror.
“Keep walking, one foot in front of the other.” He ordered, pulling on my arm tightly.
“It . . . found me.” I fought the sob that was building in the back of my throat, as my gaze stayed fixated on the Stonebound as it weaved easily between tables and patrons, its eyes fixed on me in curiosity.
“It doesn’t know you’re a Bloodwright,” Alaric whispered. “It can only sense vibrations and auras. Right now your ring is masking yours.”
“What about you?”
“I’m fully awakened and trained. It won’t see me unless I allow it,” Alaric replied tersely, pushing the door open, leading me down the street. I thought maybe the Stonebound would lose interest once we crossed the threshold, somehow thinking that this particular Stonebound would be limited to the restaurant. Yet, as Alaric pulled me deeper into the late-night crowds, I had the sneaking suspicion that the Stonebound weren’t as bound as I had originally assumed.
“Aren’t they bound to specific places? Or areas?” I asked, my throat feelingtight, my limbs going numb.
“Not necessarily,” he replied, leading me down the steps of the next subway entrance, the smell of trash and urine strong. “Stone, concrete, bones can connect them to a specific place. But considering New York is practically made of concrete . . .”
“They can follow us anywhere.” I started to check over my shoulder when Alaric yanked on my arm painfully, pulling me deeper into the subway, towards the turnstile. He hopped the barrier, turning to lift me as if I weighed nothing over it as well, ignoring the glares and irritated exclamations of other subway riders.
His voice was hot in my ear as he continued to zig-zag and weave us through the thinning subway crowd. “Do not turn around. Do not acknowledge it. Right now, it’s curious. The moment you make it clear you can see it, we’re fucked.”
I nodded, my own grip on Alaric’s hand tightening ever sharper. As we came to the edge of the subway platform, we had to stop, waiting for the next train. The neon flashing light indicating the next train was less than a minute out. The ring throbbed an incessant tune, similar to what it had done when I had walked into that old church. But instead of turning hot, it was turning icy cold. My finger, then my hand, and eventually my entire arm went numb from the cold; my shivers shaking me so violently, Alaric had to slip his jacket off and wrap it around me, pulling me tighter against him.
“I’m so cold.” I could even see my breath.
“I know.” His voice whispered in my ear as he pushed me onto the train as soon as it stopped, its doors sliding open. Alaric wove through the crowd, his tall, muscular build pushing people out of the way like a linebacker. A few turned, irritation clear in their eyes, but as soon as they made eye contact with Alaric, they scurried away, eyes downcast.
As we made our way onto the train, he pushed me to the other side of the train, attempting to put as much distance between us and the Stonebound as possible. He caged me in between his arms, but I could still catch a glimpse of the creature as it stood on the edge of the platform, its head cocking to the side in curiosity, its slits for its nose seeming to suck in air, as if it were tasting it. I tried to look away, but felt spellbound by it: the way its chest heaved with each breath, the dark void where its eyes should be, and how its skin crackled like broken stone. The instinct to yell at the other passengers to run and hide grew stronger and stronger, until the train finally took off, thrusting us into the underground darkness, away from the Stonebound as it stood on the platform.
But another thought broke through the panic and chaos running through my mind. Whywasn’tthe Stonebound attacking? Yes, there were people around, but I had to believe that if magic existed, they could simply take me away. But this one seemed more curious than vengeful.
I finally released my breath, resting my forehead against Alaric’s chest, finding my strength was already waning. Tears stung my eyes as he gently stroked my hair, his other arm coming around my waist in a protective embrace.
“You’re okay, Mari. You’re okay.” He hummed gently, rubbing my back in gentle circles.
I choked back a sob, sniffling against his nice shirt, my mascara already making dark black stains. To his credit, Alaric didn’t make note of it but rather continued to hold me close while pulling his phone out of his pocket, quickly texting someone.
