Stone Cold

Chapter 24

She could hear her heart drumming inside her ribcage. Her warm cheek touched an exposed portion of his cold neck, soothing her anxious nerves. She tangled her hands into the soft material of his silk cloak as her body sorted out the comfort his caress provided.

For someone who had been wandering aimlessly all day, with no place to go, he was her home. Her cold embrace was her safe haven.

She nuzzled her face deeper in the crook of his neck, keeping her body glued to his. She had been yearning for a place to belong. A spot to hide herself from the disgust filled glares of the people passing by her. Now that she had it, she wasn't letting it go easily.

Her wildly thumping heart knew, the moment she had gazed into those gleaming emeralds in the solitude of that abandoned alley, she had fallen in love.

Suddenly a cold sharp object touched the undersurface of her chin.

"Back away!"

The hostile command ripped her away from her thoughts, making her aware of the blade pressed mere inches away from her throat. Her eyes trailed up along the blurred outline of the object to find a silhouette pointing his sword at her.

The man wore a leather suit hidden by a long surcoat hugging his tall stature. He was facing away from the light reaching the narrow passage, resulting in his face being hidden by the shadows.

'Who is he?' She clutched Ares' cloak in her small fists, clinging closer to him.

"You dare disobey?!" The man's furious tone sounded familiar to her ears.

She refused to budge from her position, aggravating him more. The man took a step forward, applying more pressure on the blade, ready to detach the unruly woman away from his lord.

"Stop, Henry." Ares' resonant voice collided with the bare stone walls.

Henry halted in his step hearing his lord's order. His head hung low with obedience immediately, "Milord."

'That's Henry?!' She couldn't believe that man was capable of raising his voice or showing any kind of emotion. He always appeared calm and stoic whenever he met her in the present.

Her attention went back to Ares when she felt him shift under her hold before a pair of cold hands touched her arms. He moved her back, away from him, putting some distance between them. Disappointment surged through her heart at losing contact with him.

He got up from his crouching stance, making her stand up with him as well. She craned her neck, holding his gaze as he stood to his full height, towering over her. A moment of silence passed between them before he removed his hands from her shoulders, letting them dangle at his sides.

The settling sun's dying rays were creeping out of the tall stone walls—a sign of the fast approaching night. The alleyway appeared darker and darker with every passing moment. The lack of luminescence obstructed her vision as she gazed at the familiar stranger facing her.

Squinting her eyes, she tried to focus better on the outline of his figure. His tall imposing presence appeared more dominating in the small space. He was cladded in the same long cloak he wore in her dreams while visting the town during daytime.

"Who are you?" He tone had a much different accent than the local people.

She noticed a hint of curiosity lingering in the depths of his green orbs. They held no trace of recognition in them. It was clear he was meeting her for the first time.

'What should I tell him?' She avoided his gaze, fidgeting with her fingers, 'This Ares doesn't have a bond with me. I have no proof to show him. Just his scent.'