Chapter 12

Stone laid Persimmon atop the bed inside the castle, glad he had been there to catch her or she might have fallen into the deep pit when she passed out. He wasn't sure what was going on with her, or why she said she couldn't scry when he thought she could. At first, he'd had his doubts about her. But she knew things, like what the old couple wanted and the name of their son and where to find him. She also told him she saw the kiss coming. That's why he started to believe that she could possibly really have the ability to see things in that gazing ball, after all. His heart went out to her because he knew she was going through something and he felt helpless to guide her through it. He had wanted so badly to believe she wasn't leading everyone on since he'd seen her use powers to move things with her mind. But now, he became confused and didn't know what to think about the girl.

"Stone?" Persimmon shifted atop the bed, her eyes opening slightly as she looked for him. "Don't leave me."

"You're safe, darling. Don't worry," he told her, taking a seat on the side of the bed. Even if she had been deceitful and fooled them all, he couldn't leave her. He had promised to protect her, and he would not go back on his word.

Alaina rushed into the room along with Lira, Medea and Talia. Aithrod slowly followed. Fang brought up the rear.

"Let me see her." Alaina brought forth a basket of herbs and potions. Stone got up and moved out of the way.

"Sister, what's wrong? Why did you faint? Are you ill?" Lira went around the other side of the bed and took Persimmon's hand in hers.

"I saw my mother," mumbled Persimmon, still seeming half-unconscious.

"I thought her mother was dead," said Stone, wondering if she had been dreaming.

"Shhh, let's hear what she has to say. Go ahead," Lira urged her. "What happened, sister? It's all right. You can tell us."

"I see ghosts," said Persimmon, sounding like she really meant it.

"Ghosts?" This surprised Stone. He wasn't even sure he believed in ghosts. "Mayhap she's just ill and hallucinating," he told the others.

"Nay," said Persimmon, still holding her sister's hand but looking straight at Stone. "I also have no ability whatsoever to see anything in a gazing orb and I am sorry to let you all think I did."

"No, Persimmon. That can't be true," said Stone, holding on to the last thread of hope. "You've seen us kissing. You told me so."

"I saw it, but in a vision in my mind, Stone. I never scried to know that."

"Oh, Persimmon," he said, his heart dropping. Too upset to think, he paced the floor.

"I am a liar and a fake. Just like my father said." Her eyes closed and Stone saw pain contort her face. "Now, you all know the truth. I deserve to have you hate me, just like Elric does."

"So she has no power to scry at all?" asked Lira.

"It's true," said Medea. "She has no skill to use the gazing orb and has just been pretending. She told me in confidence, but now that she has admitted it aloud, it is no longer a secret."

"Why would she do such a thing?" asked Aithrod. "I was hoping she could use her powers to help us get back home."

"I really hoped she'd be able to help us heal the Lithums," said Talia.

"I'm sorry I let you all down." Persimmon's eyes opened again and she looked straight at Stone. "I have never really had friends before I met all of you. I only wanted you all to like me."

Stone's heart went out to the girl and he stopped pacing. He had seen the way Elric treated his own daughter and he felt sorry for her. Her mother was dead and she was in a strange land now, just like he was. However, she'd made them all look like fools and he didn't like that. "We do like you, Persimmon. You don't have to try to impress us with lies about scrying and using the crystal when I know you have powers to move things. I've seen it myself."

"I'm sorry," she told him.

"I'm sorry, too. Now, I have a job to do and must leave to get it done. I have to track down a couple of thieves." Stone turned to go, but her words stopped him.

"Gregor Lithum is approaching the castle right now."

"What?" He turned and scowled at her. "What are you saying?"

"The old couple just told me."

"Those elderly people are not even conscious and you've been nowhere near them today. Stop pretending like they are giving you messages. The game is over, sweetheart. Don't keep making up lies, because we don't like it." Stone was tired of playing this game and wanted it to stop.

"I'm not lying!" She struggled to sit up, and the women helped her. "I see their ghosts right now. They are standing right behind you."

"Enough!" He turned to go, and took a step, but stopped suddenly. It was as if a cold breeze had just blown right through him.

She's telling the truth he heard a man say.

Stone whirled around to face the others. "Who said that?"

"What do you mean?" asked Talia. "No one said a thing."

"I distinctively heard a man say she is telling the truth."

"It was Gregor's father," said Persimmon. "He also just walked right through you."

Stone's hand went to his chest. So that breeze he felt was a ghost going through him? And ghosts really did exist after all? This was all too much to take in. He turned and left, hurrying out of the room with Aithrod and Fang right behind him. They needed to continue their hunt for Rancor. This was all naught but a huge distraction, slowing him down. When he got to the courtyard, he saw the Blackseed brothers talking to some man who looked like one of Sethor's guards by the way he was dressed. The man sat atop a horse and the Blackseeds all held their swords out, aimed right at him. The man had his hands in the air and his weapons were on the ground.

"What's going on?" asked Stone, running over to the others.

"My parents are dying and I must see them," said the man. "My name is Gregor Lithum."

"Gregor Lithum?" Stone's body stiffened. So Persimmon was telling the truth about seeing the ghosts after all. Perhaps she wasn't as big of a liar as he thought.

"You're one of Sethor's men," said Zann.

"Yes, but I come unarmed," he said with a nod. "I don't want to fight. I just need to pay my last respects to my parents."

"How do we know this isn't a trap?" asked Rhys, being cautious.

"How do we know you are really Gregor Lithum?" asked Darium, bringing up a good point. He could just be pretending as part of an ambush. Mayhap Sethor and his men were right behind him. Possibly everyone was lying. Stone no longer knew.

"I saw some of you at Macada Castle earlier," said the man with his hands still raised. "I saw the Sin Eater, and you," said the man, nodding at Stone. "You have a witch with you who had a gazing crystal. There was one more man with you as well as a dog and a raven."

"That's right," said Stone.

"It still doesn't prove you are who you claim to be." Zann told him. "I'm sure there were a lot of people there who know what you just told us."

"Do you think this is a trap being laid by Sethor?" Rhys asked his brothers.

"Nay," said Stone, speaking up. "Persimmon just told me inside that the ghosts of the elderly couple spoke to her and said Gregor was at the gate. It must really be him."

"The ghosts?" all three of the Blackseed brothers said together.

"My parents are ghosts?" asked the man atop the horse. "Please, tell me I'm not too late. Have they already died then? I need to speak to them. I haven't seen them in years. I want to ask their forgiveness."

"Now's a fine time for urgency," said Rhys. "If you really are their son, why didn't you come to see them sooner?"

"Why are you even working for Sethor?" added Darium.

"My parents begged me not to be Sethor's soldier," said the man, sadness washing over his face. "I only did it to be able to feed them and care for them. I sent them money to buy food every week. I had hoped to join them again someday, but King Sethor wouldn't allow it. He threatened to kill my parents if I ever went to meet them or if I ever left his service."

"Yet, here you are now," said Zann, still sounding suspicious.

"I heard these men say my parents are close to death, so what does it matter?"

"He is who he says he is." Stone was sure of it. "Persimmon said he'd come. I never should have doubted her word."

"Can you take me to my parents? Please?" asked the man. "I don't want them to die before I can tell them I am sorry."

"Are you sure about this?" Rhys asked Stone.

"I am," he answered. "I will take full responsibility for the man."

"All right, lower your arms, men. Gregor, get off the horse," said Rhys. "Follow Stone inside to see your parents one last time, but your weapons stay here."

"Thank you so much." Gregor slid off his horse and hurried over to Stone. "I am also sorry for everything King Sethor has done to any of you. I swear, I never wanted to stay there this long to serve him, but was frightened of what he'd do to my parents if I left."

"We need to hurry if you want to say your final goodbye," Stone told him.

"Let's go." Gregor hurried behind Stone as he led the way to the chamber where the old couple were being kept. Stone opened the door and stopped in his tracks, seeing Persimmon and the other women standing at their bedside. Talia was crying.

"This is Gregor, the old couple's son," announced Stone.

"Mother! Father!" Gregor ran to the bedside.

"I'm sorry," said Alaina. "We tried to help them but their injuries were too severe."

"That's right," said Medea. "We are glad you came, but I'm afraid you are too late, Gregor. Your parents have just passed away."

"Nay! Please." The grown man threw himself over the bodies of his departed parents and cried. "I am so sorry I didn't come sooner. I feared King Sethor would harm you if I did. I should have listened to the two of you. I am so sorry I ever worked for such an evil man. Please forgive me. Please." He cried and rocked back and forth, staring at the old couple.

"They say goodbye and that they love and forgive you." Persimmon looked over his head. "They are standing right behind you, Gregor."

"What?" The man looked up at her in confusion.

"I can see them and hear them," she continued.

"Stop it!" shouted Gregor. "You are lying. My parents are dead."

Persimmon looked crushed that the man should say this to her.

"Nay, she's not." Stone stepped forward. Persimmon's eyes locked with his. He could tell she'd been crying. "I can vouch for her and assure you that she is telling the truth." Stone made his way over to the bedside. "Persimmon can see and speak to ghosts."

"Then you believe me, Stone?" Persimmon blinked away a tear. "You really believe me?"

"I do," he said, laying his hand on his shoulder. "And I am sorry to have ever doubted you."

"Nay," she said, shaking her head. "I gave you cause to doubt me when I was first mistaken and thought to have scried and never corrected the misunderstanding."

"That's all in the past now, sweetheart. We don't need to dwell on it anymore."

"Then it's true. My departed parents really said they forgive me?" Gregor looked up and Persimmon nodded.

"They say they understand what you did and why you did it. They are thankful that you gave up everything to help them. But they also are telling me that they don't want you to work for King Sethor anymore. They worry about you, Gregor."

"I won't," promised the man, taking one of each of his dead parents' hands in his. "I promise you, Mother and Father, that I won't ever help that evil man again."

Darium, Zann, and Rhys entered the room. Darium carried a cloth bag with him.

"They also want Darium to sin eat for them so they won't go to The Dark Abyss," said Persimmon.

"Yes, please, Sin Eater. Please help them so they can get to The Haven where they belong for the rest of eternity," begged Gregor.

"I am here to do so." Darium pulled bread and a bottle of wine from the bag.

"Nay, Darium, don't risk it," begged his wife.

"Talia, I want to do this," said Darium. "Not for the dead couple, but for the peace of their son."

"Thank you." Gregor let go of their hands and stood next to the bed. Darium place bread atop the dead woman's chest, as well as the bottle of wine.

"May all her sins be forgiven, and may she find her way to The Haven where she will spend the afterlife in peace and comfort," said Darium, eating the bread and taking a swig of wine. Then he repeated the same process with the dead man, saying the words again. Stone had never seen anything like this in his life. It was either ingenious, or they were all a little crazy.

"They will make it to The Haven now," said Darium, when he had finished. "You don't have to worry for your parents anymore."

"There is a graveyard right outside the castle walls," explained Rhys. "My brothers and I will help you bury your parents."

"Thank you," said Gregor. "I am only sorry I stayed away so long. Are they still here?" he asked Persimmon.

Persimmon looked around the room and slowly shook her head. "Nay, I'm sorry. They've moved on," she told him. "But they were glad you came."

"I am so thankful," said Gregor. "I will do anything at all to show all of you how much I appreciate everything each of you has done for my parents. They meant the world to me."

"Anything?" asked Stone.

"Yes."

"Then help us sneak back into Macada Castle to capture two thieves from my homeland and to recover my king's jewels that were stolen."

"Stone, nay. You can't ask him to do that," said Medea. "It's not right. If King Sethor finds out he even came here now, he'll most likely order the man killed."

"I'll do it," said Gregor without a second thought. "I will gladly risk my life to help all of you. But, please, tell me something that I need to know. Who was it that killed my parents?"

"The same two men we are hunting down," answered Aithrod, walking into the room with Fang at his side. "The thieves of Taelgonoth."

"I will kill them with my bare hands if need be, but they will pay for taking the lives of innocent people." Gregor's fists clenched and he gritted his teeth. "They will not get away with this."

"Nay, they won't, I promise you that," Stone told him. "I will see to it personally. They will pay for their evil acts, and I will make sure justice is served."

Later that day, Persimmon rode atop a horse along with Stone as they made their way through the village of Kasculbough, and along the beach of the Masked Sea with Fang leading the way. The sun shone down upon them, warming her body and making her feel safe and secure. Puffy white clouds floated lazily in the bright blue sky above them. Crystalline waves drifted up to the shore, rippling the bronze field of smooth sand before them.

"It surely is beautiful in Mura. We very seldom have a bright sunny day in Taelgonoth," Stone told her.

"Really? Why not?"

He shrugged. "It is a much darker place than here. Sometimes, it is so bleak that it is hard to remember if it is day or night. And because of the lack of sun, not much grows. What we do have is mostly tangles of weeds or gnarled trees."

"Oh, my, that sounds awful. No wonder there is no magic there. I don't think a fae or elf or even a witch would live in a land without sun and flora. It is what we thrive on."

"It might not be as colorful or as beautiful as this land, but still it is my home and I miss it."

"Do you have family you left behind?" she asked him, wanting to know more about this intriguing man.

"No. Not anymore," he told her sadly. "Most of my family was killed off by a plague that swept through the land. The rest of them were killed in war. The same thing happened to Aithrod with his family."

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she told him, feeling his own sadness and emptiness in her heart. "So you have kingdoms fighting over there as well as they do here?"

"I am sure every land has greedy men who want to rule and will do anything to gain power. It is no different than anywhere else."

"Thank you for asking me to go for a ride, Stone, but it wasn't necessary," she told him, enjoying the closeness of their bodies pressed together as they traveled slowly along the beach.

"It's the least I could do to try to make it up to you that I didn't believe you when you said you saw ghosts. I'm sorry. I'm not used to all this magic and odd happenings."

"It's all right. Seeing spirits isn't a common thing."

"I heard that Darium had some experiences with the dead as well, but he wouldn't elaborate on it."

"Stone, can we stop and walk? I'd like to talk," she said, not wanting to have to keep looking over her shoulder to speak to him.

"Of course, we can." He stopped and dismounted and then aided her, slowly lowering her to the ground. The touch of his hands around her waist felt intoxicating. She couldn't stop from thinking about the kisses they'd shared. She wanted more than anything to experience that again.

As if he could read her mind, he leaned over and kissed her passionately on the mouth. Her arms closed around him and she returned the kiss. With their lips pressed together, Persimmon felt as if she hadn't a care in the world. All that mattered was that she found the man she wanted to love. Meeting Stone seemed to fill an empty void in her heart. She liked being around him. He was special.

Fang ran up to them barking playfully.

"What does he want?" she asked.

"He wants my undivided attention. Here you go, boy." Stone picked up a stick and flung it into the water. Fang darted off after it, splashing in the waves to retrieve it.

"I can understand the dog wanting your attention," she said, smiling at him. "I'm sure there are many girls back in Taelgonoth who would like your undivided attention as well."

"I wish I could say that is true, but it isn't."

"No?" she asked in surprise. "Why not?"

Fang returned with the stick. Stone stopped talking and threw it once again. The dog ran off after it, diving into the waves and swimming happily in the sea.

"I suppose it's my own fault for not wanting to get close with a woman," he told her. "But after losing everyone I ever loved, it just feels kind of?—"

"Devastating," she answered for him. "And sad and lonely."

"Yes, I suppose so," he said, running his hand along the side of her face. She leaned into him, basking in the glory of his gentle touch.

"What I was going to say was that it feels freeing not to care about anyone like that anymore." He stared out over the water, seeming to be in deep thought.

"You really mean that?" she asked, surprised to hear him sounding so heartless.

"I do," he answered.

"You had a woman who you loved and lost. A girlfriend or perhaps a wife," she said, blurting it out before even thinking about what she was doing.

"What?" His eyes sought out hers. "Nay. Why would you say that?"

"Because you look like you are in deep thought."

"I am," he admitted. "But not for the reason you think."

"Then what is it? Please, tell me."

He hesitated for a minute and then let out a deep breath. "King Helix said when I return with the thieves and his gemstones, he will reward me by giving me his daughter Annabelle's hand in marriage."

"Oh," she gasped in surprise. She hadn't seen this coming. Persimmon dropped her hands from him and slowly pulled away. "I'm sorry."

"What are you sorry for?" He gave her a crooked smile.

"I was kissing you when you are betrothed to someone else."

"I am not betrothed yet," he told her. "Besides, I never agreed to marrying the girl."

"Why wouldn't you?" she asked. "You'd be married to the daughter of a king. It sounds like good security and a safe and secure life to me."

"Aye, it certainly would be," he agreed, getting that faraway look in his eyes again. "It is a wonderful offer that only a fool would reject." He continued to walk down the beach and she hurried to be next to him.

She seemed to have ruined the mood and was kicking herself for doing so. She never should have asked him so many questions about his life. The dog dropped the stick at their feet, Fang's tongue hanging out. She swore the hound was smiling. His white fur was wet and matted down but he looked so refreshed from the water. Stone bent down to pick it up but she was faster.

"Let me." She scooped up the stick and when she did, Fang jumped on her and knocked her down. "Oh!" she cried, her body hitting the water with a loud splash.

"Fang, bad boy!" Stone scolded the hound.

Sitting in the waves, Persimmon started laughing. "It's all right. The water feels refreshing and I am sure Fang just wanted me to feel it, too. Don't scold him. He was just playing." She threw the stick into the deeper water and Fang jumped in, swimming after it.

"Let me help you up." He reached out for her, but his mood was still soured. Taking a chance, she giggled, pulling him into the water with her.

"Aaaah!" He came splashing into the sea right next to her. "That wasn't funny," he said, spouting out a stream of water and hitting her right in the eye.

"You are wicked," she said with a giggle, rubbing her eye. With her free hand she scooped up water and threw it at him.

"You have no idea how wicked I can really be." He grabbed her wrists when she tried to splash him again. They both laughed, and the mood changed from solemn to happy quite quickly. Then he knocked her down on her back, and straddled her in a sexual way, his long, wet hair hanging down around him as he leaned over and kissed her passionately right there on the beach. The waves washed over them, making Persimmon feel so delightfully naughty. It wasn't a feeling she was accustomed to, having grown up in the convent, but it was one she could get used to very quickly. His hand roamed down her chest and slowly slid over to her breast. He cupped her and gave her a light squeeze. Heat grew in her belly. He continued to kiss her and fondle her and it brought Persimmon to life. Still straddling her, he used his arms to hold himself up, pressing his hardened manhood against her belly, making her squirm beneath him in anticipation. Excitement filled her, and she found herself wanting to make love with this man.

"Mmm," she cooed, enjoying the intimacy between them. "I love your kisses."

"So, have you had many to compare them to?" he asked, kissing her once again.

She answered with her eyes closed. "Nay. Just yours."

"Really?" There was silence that followed and she slowly opened her eyes to see him staring at her with hooded eyes.

"What is it, Stone?" she asked him. "Why did you stop?"

"You've never been with a man before?"

"Nay," she admitted.

"And how old are you?"

"I'm twenty-five. How old are you?"

"Twenty-eight."

"And you're not married," she pointed out.

"Neither am I still a virgin," he mumbled. "Damn," he swore under his breath, pushing his wet hair out of his eyes. He got up and pulled her along with him.

"Is it so shocking that I'm still a virgin?"

"It is, where I come from. Most girls are married by the time they are sixteen and have three or more children by their early twenties."

"It is like that where I come from, too," she said, wringing the water out of her long, black hair. "However, it was different for me because I grew up in a convent. I am an only child and my mother had me out of wedlock. She told me she had no choice but to put me in a convent so my reputation wouldn't be sullied like hers."

"But you're a witch. Did the nuns know that?"

"They didn't know or they never would have taken me."

"So they never saw you use magic?"

"Nay." She shook her head. "Never. If they had, they probably would have burned me at the stake."

"If this is true, how can you blame Elric for never visiting you?" He took her hand and also the reins of the horse and they walked.

"Something went on between my parents that really affected them both. However, I could never get a straight answer from either of them what it was. I still don't know why my father never married Mother."

"Can't you ask Elric?"

"Do you see the way he is around me? Especially when my mother is mentioned?" She raised her brows. "I think he'd rather walk through fire than tell me anything that involves him and my mother."

"Well, mayhap someday that will all change."

Persimmon felt a buzzing vibration and an odd warmth coming from the wet pouch at her side. "Stone, wait a minute. Something is odd here." She dug out the orb and held it up. Her jaw dropped. "I can see those swirling colors again in the gazing ball. I really can, I'm not lying."

"Why sound so shocked?" he asked. "After all, you've seen crazier things. Like ghosts."

"Nay, this is the most amazing," she said, straining her eyes, trying to see the silhouette like before but she couldn't. "Stone, I almost feel as if I am on the verge of scrying. I don't how or why, but it almost seems like it might actually happen."

"I don't understand. Can't all sorceresses scry? I mean, isn't it something you would have inherited from your mother?"

"I am not sure. But it seems like in the last few days I've been seeing the start of something. I guess, since I am half elf, there is the possibility I can't inherit her magical abilities, at all."

"But you are seeing something in the orb now," he pointed out. "Why is that, if you don't have the ability to scry? I don't understand."

"I just remembered something that the ghost of my mother told me."

"What is that?"

"That the orb only works if its power is first unleased."

"And how do you do that?" he asked.

"I'm not sure, but I have an idea." She put her finger to her mouth in thought. "The last few times I've seen the swirling colors in the orb is when I was with you. Especially after you kissed me."

"Really?" He seemed interested. "So our kisses somehow spark the orb to life?"

"It could be."

"Shall we try it again? To see if it works, I mean."

She smiled and wet her lips with her tongue. "I won't stop you. As an experiment, of course."

"Of course." He cradled her cheek in his large palm and kissed her ever so gently. "Is it working?" he asked, his face still up against hers.

"I don't know. I can't see it."

"We'd better try a few more kisses, just to make sure its power was unleashed."

She didn't stop him from doing just that. His kisses were sensuous and downright alluring. And when his tongue parted her lips and entered her mouth, she felt a stirring below her belt that she'd never had before. A part of her seemed to be coming to life and she liked the way it felt.

"Let me look now," she said, her lips up against his as she spoke, her eyes still closed. The warm breeze kissed her skin and the sweet smell of wildflowers filled the air.

"Not yet," he whispered, his hands slipping around her waist, and then trailing lower until he cupped her buttocks in his palms. And when he pulled her tightly up against his groin, a buzzing sensation from the orb scared her and she dropped the crystal.

"Oh, my," she said, pushing away from him.

"I'm sorry. Did I go too far? I didn't mean to offend you."

"Nay, I loved it, Stone." She looked to the ground. "I was startled when the gazing orb started to vibrate in my hand." She hunkered down to pick it up. When she brushed the sand off of it, she actually saw a vision emerging in the orb. "Stone, look! Can you see it? I see something in the orb."

"Where?" he asked, leaning over the orb, holding her hand in his. "Nay, I don't see a thing."

"Mayhap, I'm the only one who can see it, since I'm a witch."

"What is it? What do you see?"

"It looks like…oh, no! It's Fang. He's in terrible trouble!" Her head snapped up and she looked out in the water for the dog. "There, I see him." She pointed far out in the waves. "The current must be too strong and he can't get back to shore. It's my fault. I threw the stick and now he's going to drown."

"Stay here," Stone told her, removing his tunic, exposing his broad, bare chest. "I'll get him." He kicked off his shoes and ran, diving into the waves, making his way toward the dog.

Persimmon watched nervously, hoping that Stone was a strong swimmer. She prayed that he could save the poor dog. If his hound drowned, she would never forgive herself for being so careless.

"Show me what happens," she said to the orb, shaking it and trying to get another vision in it. It remained dark. Her asking it to give her a vision did not work at all. Anything she'd seen before was now gone. She quickly slipped the orb back into her pouch and kicked off her wet shoes, holding up her gown and running down the beach, making her way to Stone and Fang.

"Do you have him? Stone, are you all right?" she yelled into the wind. She wanted to jump in and swim after them, but she wasn't a good swimmer. Being in the convent for most of her life, she was never allowed to experience things that most girls her age could do. She'd only been able to practice swimming the few times she snuck out of the abbey to bathe in the lake. "Stone, do you have him?" she called again, barely able to see his head out on the water. Tears filled her eyes. This couldn't be happening. Everything had been going so well, and now it was about to end in tragedy. She prayed that it would not.

Falling to her knees, she squeezed her eyes closed and prayed once again the way the nuns had taught her. She asked that Stone and Fang would return unharmed.

"Persimmon, what are you doing?" she heard after a short while. Her eyes popped open. Stone emerged from the water, half-naked and wet, carrying the drenched dog. He looked like a water god emerging from the sea.

"You saved him! You're both all right." She jumped up and ran to Stone, throwing her arms around him and the dog as soon as they got to shallow water. "Thank goodness you are both alive." She kissed the dog. Fang licked her face before squirming out of Stone's hold. He shook, getting them all wet, but Persimmon didn't mind.

"Fang gets a kiss but not me?" Stone asked playfully. "I'm the one who risked my life to save the mutt."

"I'll gladly give you a kiss, too," she answered, throwing her arms around him and kissing him over and over again.

He laughed. "Keep that up, and the gazing orb is going to explode."

"Let it," she said with a devilish grin, wondering in her mind what she'd be able to see in the globe if they actually had made love.