Page 58 of Stone Cold Alien

She sat beside me on the sofa. “Can you tell how far away he is?”

“No. Just the direction.”

“He’ll come back.”

I nodded and checked my phone again. My sister had sent another message.

I replied that I would explain later. There was no point attempting to explain any of this by text. I wasn’t sure I could explain it in person.

Pam and Joseph loaded the luggage into the jeep. Cairn went outside every few minutes to scan the sky, although he pretended he was getting some air.

Another half hour passed.

I had known Sten was moving north-east ever since he left. I couldn’t have explained how, but I was as certain of his direction as I was of Georgie sitting beside me.

Then he stopped.

I looked towards the window.

“What is it?” Georgie asked.

“He isn’t moving.”

“He may have landed.”

“Maybe.”

I waited for him to move again.

He didn’t.

The certainty of his direction remained, but everything else about him was fading. I could no longer sense his irritation, or the restless energy that had been there since he regained his wings.

I stood so quickly that I knocked my tea onto the floor.

Cairn came through the door. “Robyn?”

“Something’s wrong.”

“Where is he?”

I pointed towards the hills.

“He’s turning to stone.”

Chapter 10

Sten

Stone held me again.

This time, I remembered exactly how I had ended up inside it.

I had flown north-east until the lodge disappeared behind the hills. At first, there had been nothing but the wind, the movement of my wings and the satisfaction of choosing my own direction. Nobody was carrying me. Nobody was ordering me to remain within six human feet of them. I could fly wherever I wanted.

Robyn’s words followed me.

I want you to be able to live without me.