Fire in Stone - Marina Simcoe

I stole a statue to buy a better future for myself. But when my gargoyle comes to life, can I give him up?
Brought to the end of my rope, I steal a statue from a traveling menagerie. The money I've been promised for it is supposed to buy me a new start in life.
It sounds simple: steal the statue, hand it to the buyer, get paid.
But when my precious statue suddenly comes to life, claiming he's a gargoyle prince who was taken against his will from the magical kingdom in Nerifir, things change drastically. Now, we have the supernatural beings from the menagerie after us, eager to get Elex back, and the local mafia who wish to get their hands on the pricey statue, too.
Like a true piece of art, Elex is gorgeous, either in flesh or stone. But is he worth risking my life for him?
When he takes me higher than I've ever been, I realize it's not just my life I'm risking with him. With Elex, my heart may be in even greater danger, as I have to find the strength to part from him forever.
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NOTE: A small part (8,000 words) of this story has been previously published in the anthologies Fierce Hearts and Summer Solstice Seduction.

This book is part 1 of the duet Fire in Stone, set in Marina Simcoe's world of the River of Mists.
The story of the main characters continues in part 2, Hearts on Fire.
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Fire in Stone is a Romantic Fantasy/ Fantasy Romance - MF. It contains graphic descriptions of intimacy, some violence, and mature subject matter. It is intended for mature readers.

A possible trigger: a secondary, non-human character takes her own life.