Chapter Sixteen – Shadows and Stone #2
“Crazy? No, me? Never! Do go. Get!” She rushed me out of the house and slammed the door shut behind me.
After taking two steps away from the house, I turned back, only to see it dematerialize before my eyes.
The ground moved, soil tossing and resetting, and the sound of wind rushed through the now empty space, erasing any evidence it was ever there.
Even those flowers, deadly deceptive in their beauty, disappeared.
I turned, face twisted in confusion, when Cufio and Noville appeared in front of me. Only a moment before they stepped out, the shadow had materialized.
Noville was a being whose personality contrasted his appearance. I knew him as a gentle soul despite his stone skin and the three horns that crowned his head. His massive body was imposing, but even though we’d never met, the stories of his kindness told his true character.
“It’s been a while since the big guy bathed, but he doesn’t smell that bad!” Cufio joked.
“Funny.” Noville punched Cufio hard enough to cause him to stumble.
“Ouch! How many times do I have to tell you not to hit!” Cufio rubbed the spot on his arm. “Um, are we in the wrong place? Where is the ehkunilke’s house?”
“It’s no longer here,” I answered flatly.
“Right. I’ll mind my business.” Cufio clapped. “What do you need from us?”
“A blend of your abilities.” I held the flame up.
“Cufio, I need you to wrap this in shadows and compress it to a stone big enough for a ring. Make it as thick as possible. It will act as a stabilizer so the flame is safe while locked in the ring. And Noville, thank you for coming. If you would be so kind as to create a casing for it. Your stone is among the strongest in the Bane. I believe, blended with my water, we can forge something nearly unbreakable.”
“Of course, Likosa. I’m happy to meet you. I’ve heard such great things,” Noville said in a voice so deep, it tickled the back of my brain. “Cufio doesn’t act like it, but in private, he speaks highly of you.”
“Okay, enough with the love fest.” Cufio stepped between us. “Why do you need a ring?”
“Why do you need to know?” I snapped.
“Likosa, come on,” Cufio complained. “You have us standing on ehkunilke territory. You gotta give us something here.”
I sighed and looked at Noville, his stone face holding the same curiosity as his troublesome little companion. “It’s for a friend.”
“A friend? Is this, like, a commitment sort of thing? Did you go down to Earth and pick up a flame of your own? I mean, both Metice and Raymond did it. Were you a little jealous?” he teased, and Noville gave a grunt of disappointment. At least one of them had some sense.
“Do you want me to hurt you?” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Is that your game here?”
Reaching back toward the river, I pulled water to me. It wasn’t the same as the water from my home, but I could still control it. The water formed six tight tubes, coming to a point at the tips as they hovered on either side of my face, aimed directly at Cufio.
“Woah!” He jumped and stepped behind Noville, who grunted and then casually stepped to the side, taking away Cufio’s new shield. “No, no. I wouldn’t dream of that. Put the weapons away.”
“Good. Now, do as I asked, please.” I nodded at the spears, and they withdrew, returning to the river.
“Traitor,” Cufio muttered at Noville.
“Coward,” Noville muttered back.
“What do we get in return?” Cufio continued in his pestering way.
“I need nothing in return,” Noville said. “It is a simple request.”
“Thank you.” I nodded at the big stone man and considered him for Windsor. To be honest, he was her type. Strong. Silent. Stoic. Unlike the loudmouth at his side.
“He’s speaking for himself,” Cufio said.
“Help me, and I won’t tell Windsor about what you did to her sapphire gulders.
” I stepped closer to him as the memory of the rare plant returned to him.
I could almost hear his heart stop. “Those delicate little plants take decades to cultivate, and just days before they were ready, someone trampled them. Someone drunk on sulfur mead and falling out of shadows.”
“Damnit. I knew that would come back to bite me in the ass. Fine.” He winked. “Will you at least put in a good word for me? I mean, she likes me and you know it. She’s just playing hard to get.”
“We're running out of time here.” I rolled my eyes.
“As am I.” Noville nodded.
I held my hand out, producing the teardrop flame for both to see.
“There’s just one problem. You’re forgetting I’m not like my brother,” Cufio said. “I can’t wield the shadows the same way.”
“But you can still harness their energy, correct?” I asked, and he nodded. “That is all I need you to do. I will do the rest. Focus your energy on the flame.”
Cufio nodded and did as I asked, and I felt his energy pushing towards me.
Again, I lifted my free hand, calling streams of water toward me.
They wrapped around Cufio, starting at his feet before climbing the length of his body in tight spirals.
With each pass, the streams captured more shadow energy and pulled it within the funnel.
Then, they crossed from Cufio to my hand, wrapping around the flame but never touching.
“Focus,” I instructed him. “Compress the shadows as the water moves them.”
“Sounds easy enough.” He nodded, but I could see the sweat already forming on his brow.
The edge of the funnel opened, and shadows pooled into the center of the force.
Cufio, though a nuisance, was a powerful shadow walker.
The shadows did as he asked with little resistance.
Once they had completely encased the teardrop flame, he increased the force on the shadows slowly, compressing what was once the size of my palm into a tight gemstone.
“Noville, are you ready?”
“Yes.” He held his hand out to me, and the water split, crossing to his hand. Slowly, chips of his stone gathered in the palm of his hand.
With the water, I lifted them carefully.
I warmed the water until it was hot enough to bend and form the stone.
With quick friction, it turned red and curved into a thin string of material I pulled to my palm.
I watched as the water carefully weaved the material around the stone, creating a webbing to secure it.
“Cufio, ease your pressure, please.”
Cufio slowly released, and the stone settled into the new webbing.
I repeated the step with Noville, creating another string of material that formed a wide band, the gem inset into the top of it, creating a uniform flat surface.
Once they were together, I cooled the water, and what was left in my hand was a perfect ring. Unique and beautiful, it would look great on her. Deep in the dark stone, you could still see the life of the flame trapped within.
“Perfect,” I whispered.
“This must be for someone truly special.” Noville nodded. “It looks great.”
“It is. Thank you,” I agreed with him. “I truly appreciate your gift to me, and I won’t forget it.”
“Let us know when the wedding is,” Cufio said. “Though this really doesn’t look like an engagement ring. Don’t those Earth women like shiny ones with big stones?”
“Can you take anything seriously?” Noville chuckled. “This is a beautiful act, a gift meant for more than meets the eye.”
“No. I can't take this seriously, because she told us nothing of substance. Anyway, not to ruin the moment. Likosa, what do you want me to say to Klougus?” He turned his attention back to me. “Come on, Likosa. Give me an actual answer.”
“In time. I must leave now, but I’ll be back to deal with Klougus and whatever his request is.”
I gave him a moment to respond, but for once, Cufio had no smart remarks. With a smile, I tucked the ring away safely and headed back to Shontae.