Page 29 of Sins of the Stone

Ramuz

U rsulette’s pattering feet met Ramuz near the kitchen, and she gave him a nudge. The mischievous smile on her face made his heart skip as she placed her hands on his shoulder.

“Hurry up! We’re going to be late,” she said. Ramuz finished washing his hands and turned to her, scooping her up in his arms. She let out a small squeal as she buried her face in his neck.

“What’s the rush? Surely you have a few minutes for me to enjoy you…” he said. A blush crossed her cheeks as she pulled away, giving him a small kiss before he placed her back on the ground.

“Enjoy me how?” she said, trailing her finger down his chest. Her lip was between her teeth, eyeing him like she knew exactly what she was doing.

Mischievous little human, he thought.

“However you would like,” he grinned. Her blush deepened as her eyes veered away. Ramuz chuckled and dragged his knuckle along her cheek, making her shiver. Her face was a lovely shade of red.

“That color looks good on you, you know.”

“You think so? Maybe I have a few minutes for you to make it stay…” she said with a smile, taking his bulky hands in hers and pulling him toward the bedroom. They made it halfway down the hall before a prompt knock spun their heads around. Ursulette’s shoulders drooped dramatically as she released him, strolling to the door.

“I wish for once he would be late,” she muttered. Ramuz chuckled and watched as she pried open the door, perking back up just before revealing herself. The sun peeked through the door, illuminating her pink face. Ramuz held back a smile as she gave Giles a welcoming expression.

“Hello, Ursulette. Ready to go?” he asked. She smiled, her face still pink.

“In a moment,” she said. “Come in, come in.” He stepped over the threshold, and the door shut behind him. Once he was inside and his eyes adjusted, he gave her a concerned look.

“Are you okay?” he asked. “Your face is flushed.”

Her cheeks grew more rosy. “Y-yeah,” she stuttered, twiddling her fingers in front of her chest. “You know me, always blushing. For no reason.” Giles raised an eyebrow but stayed silent. Ramuz was sure he could figure it out.

“No reason,” Ramuz muttered with a smile.

“Be quiet!” She gave him another nudge, then covered her face with her hands, muttering jokingly about how mean he was. Giles looked up at Ramuz.

“Afternoon, Ramuz. Doing well?”

“Always. And you?”

“Hanging in there,” he beamed. The stick he previously kept with him was mysteriously gone this time, and his gait was steadier than ever. Ursulette brought her hands together with an inquisitive look.

“So, what are we working on today?” she asked.

“The library,” Giles said. “We pulled a few books from the remnants of the village, but there aren’t many.” Ursulette’s face lit up.

“I have some,” she said. “I found them when I was there last. Before…” She trailed off, her eyes going cloudy as she tore her gaze away from the duo. Giles and Ramuz exchanged glances, and Ramuz put his hand on her shoulder, snapping her back to reality. She shook her head and returned to her previously jovial mood. “Anyway, I have a decent amount.”

Before either of them could ask about her condition, she sped off to the other room, her face shading with the same pink, but for entirely different reasons.

Giles glanced at Ramuz with a concerned expression. “How is she?” Ramuz stayed silent for a moment. It was tough to answer that. Some days, she was fine; others, she cried. There were nights when she muttered in her sleep or cried out, but those things were happening more infrequently as the days went on. But that didn’t mean they didn’t have bumps.

“She struggles, but she is getting better every day,” he said. And that was the truth. One day, things would be better. Not perfect, but better. She would no longer have to cry and fear because he was there for her. He would always be there for her.

“That’s good to hear. I’m proud of her.”

“I am proud of her, too,” Ramuz smiled. Giles glanced up at him.

“You know, if she’s feeling up to it, she can be the new librarian.” Ramuz hummed. He knew Ursulette would enjoy that quite a bit—once she was ready. Things were looking up, and that would make everything better. The remaining villagers were growing accustomed to Ramuz’s presence. That was all he could ask for.

After a moment, Ursulette wandered back in, her arms holding a tower of books, and her expression returned to normal. Ramuz breathed a sigh of relief as she set the stack back on the table.

“See?” she said. Giles gave her a soft smile.

“That’s more than we found,” he chuckled. “You want to give them up?” His furry brow arched. Ursulette nodded affirmatively.

“Yeah.” She picked up the top one, her fingers brushing over the title Ramuz couldn’t read yet. On the cover was a woman in the arms of a monster. He had a feeling he could decipher what it was about.

“I’m okay with sharing so other people can enjoy the things I love,” she said. “I’m ready to go if you two are.” Giles gave her a pointed look.

“It’s a long way, you know. You sure you don’t want a break today?”

Ursulette shook her head and scooped the books back up in her arms.

“No. I’m not worried about that. I have my gargoyle,” she beamed. “And that’s all I need.”