Of Sand and Stone by Lauren Smith

Author:Lauren Smith [Smith, Lauren]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Lauren Smith

For a long moment Rebecca couldn’t move. She stared at the statue of Devon on one knee, one hand raised above his eyes as though to shield himself from a bright light no one else could see.

“But we waited! Aphrodite, we waited until after midnight!” she shouted at the ceiling, her heart breaking as she tried to understand what was happening.

“No. It has only just now turned midnight.” A woman appeared in the corner of the room, dressed in a black cocktail dress with killer red heels. It looked as though Aphrodite had just popped in from some fancy party.

Rebecca pointed at her nightstand. “Look! It’s ten minutes past.”

The goddess shook her head, the honey-colored ringlets of her hair bouncing around her shoulders.

“You humans have always believed you could bend the universe to your will. Do you think that when you travel through a time zone a whole hour magically jumps by? Or that these zones conform to the shape of your states and countries? As far as this planet is concerned, your clock is fast by ten minutes.”

Rebecca’s head spun. “But I made him—it was my fault. We thought it was midnight.” She got out of the bed, clutching the sheet around her like a toga.

“That is not my concern. My terms were very specific.”

“But you’re a goddess. Can’t you change your mind? Please?”

Aphrodite raised one eyebrow, coolly watching her. “And why should I do that? What is so special about Devon that he deserves my mercy a second time?”

Rebecca stared at Devon’s stone body, and her eyes filled with tears. “I thought you were the goddess of love. How does this serve love? I have been looking for love, for the perfect man, the perfect relationship. I’d given up, but then you sent him to me.”

She tried to still her racing heart as she sought the right words. “I didn’t want to give him a chance until you told me his story was true. But he showed me what was in his heart. He showed me that there is a man out there who is perfect for me. And I don’t mean he did everything right all the time. I mean that he treated me the way I wanted to be treated, as a woman worthy of love and respect. As an equal. He gave me my sense of value back. He gave me love. That was my greatest desire. My only desire. Surely you out of everyone should know how much that matters?” She kept her gaze fixed on the goddess.

Aphrodite considered this, though she seemed far from convinced. “The gods all have rules. Rules which must be followed. The conditions of his release were broken, but the fault was not Devon Blake’s. It was yours. Therefore, if I show mercy, it will be to send him back to his time, not to stay here with you. Is that what you want?”

Rebecca swallowed and stared at the statue of Devon. She’d lose him forever regardless, but only one choice would give him a chance at life again.

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