Torn Page 0,49
realized you effonated I thought the bastard was going to slaughter you after he toyed with you first."
I shook my head. "That's what I thought, but he healed me after he realized what effonating did to me." Collin's fingers wound around my curl with a thoughtful expression on his face before dropping it and shoving his hands in his pockets.
"That makes no sense whatsoever," was all he said about the matter. He was right about that. It didn't make any sense, even considering that Eric wanted to torture me and have fun watching me die. He still could have done that, and I was so weak that I couldn't fight back - but he didn't. Collin's sapphire eyes bore into me, waiting for me to reveal something more, but I didn't.
"I know. It really doesn't make sense. Al reminded me that he isn't Eric anymore." I shook my head, trying to shake off the guilt that crawled out of my stomach. Collin sensed it. He tilted his head, but I shoved those feeling back down to where they were hiding, and asked, "Have you ever heard of the Satan Stone?" He shook his head. "Al thought it could heal the poison in my chest." Collin went white as his jaw locked. I wanted to comfort him, and tell him it was going to be okay, but for all I knew - it wasn't.
"Apparently," I continued, "it's a forgotten Martis fable from a really long time ago. Al's one of the oldest living Martis and said she barely remembered stories about it. She said that Satan's Stone can give its owner power, so it can heal me." I didn't really believe the words coming out of my mouth. It was a rock. What could it do? But, I learned not to question immortal objects. After walking through the Lorren, nothing would surprise me. So Satan hid all his power in a rock - I'd seen weirder things. I looked over at Collin, "But no one remembers the fable, anymore. All the documents containing mention of it are gone - except one. Al said there is a letter from the first Angel Demon War documenting how it ended - someone held up a stone and the fighting stopped." Collin arched an eyebrow at me. "I know, right? Sounds weird. But that document is the only trace left of the legend of the Satan Stone. And I know where it is." I took a deep breath. "Someone else had heard about it too, while he was tracking me down for the Martis. Al said he had the letter..."
Collin shook his head in disbelief. "Eric? You're telling me that Eric's the only other person who could have helped us? And now he's..."
I finished for him, "A crazy-ass Valefar. Yeah. Sounds perfect." I explained to Collin that we needed to go to Eric's old apartment and steal his book. I only hoped that I could find it and that Eric's stuff was still there. Turns out I should have hoped for something else altogether.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Eric's apartment was in an old three story brick walk-up. We were listening at the door and didn't hear anyone when a neighbor came out. A short round woman folded her arms and glared at me from behind thick glasses. Her black hair was smoothed back into a ponytail where it frizzed into a massive puff. Her shirt was a size too small and rode right at the top of her jeans. Startled, I gasped like I was up to no good, but quickly explained that we knew Eric.
Sympathy instantly diminished her previous perception of us. "Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss." Her eyes shifted between us as she rubbed her palms together. "I can't image knowing someone who died like that."
Wide-eyed, I glanced at Collin. He nodded in agreement and laced his arm through mine. His thoughts brushed my mind, Play along.
"It was," he agreed, "Ivy's known Eric since they were children, and wanted to say goodbye."
The woman nodded, with her mouth hanging open in an O, before saying, "Oh, that's right. There was no burial, because the body..." she cut herself off before she said anything else. "Oh, dear-heart, I'm so sorry." She blinked back a tear and wrapped her arms around me in a bear hug. I stiffened and tried to wiggle out of it, before Collin mentally chastised me to be more mournful.
When she released me, Collin continued, "As you can imagine,