Read Online Protected by Stone (A Paranormal Romance Novel) by Cynthia Brint - Free Book Online

Tessa was never afraid. My response was louder than I meant. “I don't fear you.”
    “No?”
    “I—I won't when I get to know you, I mean.” It sounded silly to me, but thinking through my fog was difficult.
    Qui'nxious was quiet, a perfect statue as he looked at me. He rubbed my chin, something that was close to affectionate. Unbending, he made the sound from before; that odd, raspy laugh in his chest. “Farra, correct?”
    “Yeah,” I said, touching my face where his blue palms had been. “Farra Blooms, that's right.”
    “I look forward to what your reign here brings, Farra Blooms.”
    My reign...
    He strolled backwards, not taking his eyeless gaze off of me. Then, as he turned to walk up the stairs, the spell that seemed to keep the other creatures silent and still broke.
    One by one, they came towards me. This time, I didn't flinch away. I was still scared, the cold feeling lived deep in my gut with no sign of fading. But I made myself stand there, arm twitching in pain from holding up the lantern.
    The beings spoke amongst themselves, a mixture of curiosity and uncertainty. They didn't seem frightened. It must help that I'm not screaming at them anymore.
    “Will you bring the light back?” The question came from a small, orange thing that resembled a hamster merged with a goldfish. It hovered down by my knees.
    Blinking, I lowered the lantern, crouching in front of the tiny creature. “Sorry, what?”
    “The light,” it said, bobbing up and down as if swimming in air. When it spoke, pink gills on the sides of its neck rustled. “It's been so dark in here for weeks.”
    I gave a sidelong look at Grault. He was staring at me in that stoic way of his. “Uh. Well, I'd like to. How do I... do that?”
    “Tessa would just wave her hands,” the little thing said enthusiastically. To help, it waggled its weird fins. “Then they'd come on! Just like that!”
    “Just like that, huh?” Chewing the inside of my cheek, I looked around until I spotted a cluster of round lights hanging on a wall. They can't really expect me to wave my hands and just, poof, lights? Can they?
    Grault folded his arms, content to sit back and watch the show. My furtive looks to him for help, suggestions, anything, were all ignored.
    “Go on,” the fish-thing said at my elbow. “I'd so love to have light again.”
    “I'm not sure I can do what you're asking,” I admitted. Experimentally, I ran my fingers over the lights. Magic, seriously?
    “You can do it, you're the caretaker!”
    Blinking, I glanced at the creature, noted its wide-eyed face. Behind it, I couldn't help but be aware of how the group of guests were all watching me expectantly. “What's your name?”
    “Vibbs,” it said quickly, zipping in a circle. “And you're Farra, right?”
    I nodded, finding myself strangely compelled to want to help the tiny thing. Turning on the lights should be simple. “That's right. Um, Vibbs, are you sure that all my grandmother did was wave her hands around to get the lamps on?”
    “Of course,” Vibbs said proudly, “she had magic inside of her, it was how she did everything here! She was quite amazing, and sweet, and—”
    “I get it, I get it,” I said, cutting him off. Scrunching up my mouth, I set the lantern I'd been holding down by my feet. With both hands free, I wiped my palms on my dress. Thinking about what I was about to do made my fingers feel useless, rocks flopping at the ends of my wrists.
    I'm going to look like an idiot. I hate this, but what else should I do? Beside me, I caught Vibbs' delighted grin. I need to just try, worse is it humors them all.
    Taking a deep breath, I lifted my arms. I didn't know what to do, just that I really did feel stupid. Wagging my hands around, I pictured every magic show I'd seen on television.
    There was a heavy, silent hush as the tenants waited. Closing my eyes, concentrating fiercely, I waved my hands faster. Come on, come on!
    Behind my dark lids, I thought I caught a