When he returned to the house, Belle was asleep on the couch with the TV blasting some superhero cartoons. He turned down the volume, then went into the kitchen where he found Maggie loading the dishwasher.
“Have a nice walk?’ she asked, looking up at him.
“I did. Thank you for suggesting it. I’ll be in the library if you need me. I have some work that needs to be done this weekend, and now seems like a good time to get it out of the way.”
The library was one of his favorite rooms in the house. With its pine-paneled walls and brick fireplace, it was rustic and comfortable. He sat down at the large oak desk, took a picture of Jenny out of the drawer, and caressed her face with his fingertip. For the first time, it didn’t feel like his heart was breaking in two. The pain was still there, to be sure, but it had diminished enough for him to think that he just might be able to heal. A small smile curved his mouth as he set the frame on the bookshelf behind him. Moving here had been an excellent idea.
Chapter 4
Iola blinked hard, trying to remove the stiffness from her eyelids, then she opened and closed her mouth more than a dozen times before it stopped creaking. Next, she wiggled her fingers and toes, letting the stone fall away from between them. When she moved her leg, the pain was awful, and she let out a moan. Her arms ached so badly that she felt sick. It wasn’t until she swung them back and forth that they began to feel better.
She took a step, then another and another, and felt a warm glow flow through her. She was alive! But her joy soon turned to fear. She had no idea where she was or what she should do. Iola glanced at the large brick structure across the grass. Was that a palace? It certainly was beautiful. Maybe the people inside were kind and would help her, so she headed over to it.
She walked across what looked like a courtyard to a set of doors. They were clear, and she was able to see through them. A little girl was lying down—the same girl who had come to see her yesterday. In front of her was a strange object with pictures flashing across it. In fact, there were many odd objects in the room.
When she turned the door handle, the girl shot up and looked over at her. A second later, the child had the door open and was standing in front of Iola with huge round eyes.
“Rosie? You’re not a statue anymore? The garden must be magic,” she said with astonishment.
Despite the girl’s strange accent, Iola understood every word she spoke. “Who’s Rosie?”
The girl’s cheeks turned a lovely shade of red. “You are. That’s what I named you after the roses in the garden. They’re beautiful, just like you.”
What a sweet child! “My name is Iola, but Rosie is fine too.” She was surprised at the sound of her voice. She still had the same Greek accent she’d had three thousand years ago, but the language she now spoke was the same as that of the girl. Despite it being foreign, somehow, she spoke it flawlessly and understood it just as well. Eris had kept her word about being able to speak and understand the native language of the land she’d awakened in. However, that also meant the goddess would keep her word about turning her back to stone too. “When is the next full moon?” she asked.
The girl looked puzzled. “Full moon? I don’t know, but I’ll bet my dad does. Come on,” she took hold of Iola’s hand. “Let’s go ask him. I’m Belle, by the way. That’s short for Isabelle.”
What a strange name, Iola thought, but then everything about this land was strange. The girl led her down a corridor to a room where a man was sitting behind a large wooden desk. “Have a nice nap, Belle?” When he looked up and saw Iola in the doorway, his face went ashen, and he gripped the edge of the desk so hard that his knuckles turned white.
“Belle, come over here right now!” His voice was harsh, and fear glittered in his eyes.
When Iola took a step forward along with the girl, the man sprang out of the chair and crossed the room in two quick strides, pulling the child into his strong arms.
“Who are you, and what kind of a sick game are you playing?” His gray-green eyes darkened as he gave Iola a brutal and unfriendly stare.
Before she could answer, Belle spouted, “Can’t you see? It’s Rosie, Dad. Our garden is magical. It brought her to life.”
His lips thinned with irritation, and his handsome face grew hard and tight. “What kind of nonsense have you been feeding my daughter? I want you out of this house now, or I’ll call the police and have you removed.”
“Daddy, no! What’s wrong with you? Why are you so mean to Rosie?” Belle wailed. “She’s my friend, and I don’t want her to go.”
His eyes softened when he looked down at his little girl. “I don’t know what nonsense this woman has been
