by Melissa Haag
My stomach began to growl loudly long before a knock sounded at the door. I released the book I currently skimmed and let it fly back to its shelf as I stood. This time when I opened the door, Oanen stood against the opposite wall of the hall, his ankles crossed as he leaned in a relaxed pose.
“Expecting to wait a while?” I asked.
“Since that was the third knock, yes.”
“Really? Sorry. I didn’t think I was that deep into what I was reading. Not when it completely didn’t make any sense.”
He stayed in his relaxed position and lifted a hand, offering me my phone. Curious why he had it, I stepped closer. It wasn’t until he hooked his arms around me that I understood he’d used it as bait. Before I could protest, he tugged me close.
I tripped forward, colliding with his chest, and he grinned down at me. One arm weighing against my waist, he lifted a hand and brushed the backs of his fingers along my jaw.
“Have dinner with me tonight, Megan.”
I stared up at him with wide eyes as I struggled to breathe normally and swallow past the sudden dryness in my throat.
“Why are you so afraid of a simple dinner?” His soft question sent a shiver of hunger through me. The way he’d said it, I knew that dinner with Oanen wouldn’t be simple. It would be full of his heated looks and my increasingly harder to deny need to touch him. A date with Oanen would likely end with a lot more than the touching we were doing now.
My gaze dipped to his mouth as I imagined just how we would end our night.
“Megan, I will break every promise I made to behave if you give in to what you’re thinking right now.”
I lifted my gaze to his and braced my hands on his shoulders. He started closing the distance.
“You are so incredibly warm,” he said.
His exhale tickled my lips.
“Megan. Oanen. May I interrupt for a moment?” Adira asked, her voice coming from right behind us.
I jumped and jerked back. Oanen sighed and released me. Turning with an embarrassed flush, I faced Adira. The woman smiled kindly and addressed Oanen.
“I apologize for the intrusion. I heard you ask about dinner and was wondering if you could postpone it. There are a few liaison duties that require Megan’s attention tonight.”
She focused on me.
“We would like you to meet us at the Quills’ residence after you’re finished here. There are a few human recruits we want you to meet.”
Any remnants of the good feelings I had from touching Oanen fled in a hurry.
“You’re bringing more humans to Uttira after the talk we had?”
“Yes. But, it is because of your talk. As you said, humans are not solitary creatures. We believe that bringing more here not only replaces those we’ve lost but will help the ones who remain. I will see you after sessions.”
Before I could open my mouth to argue further, she disappeared. Just vanished.
“Argh! I want to hit her,” I said, looking up at Oanen. “All of them. They didn’t hear a single thing I said. Bringing more humans won’t fix anything for the humans already here. Why can’t they see that?”
He reached for my hand, threading his fingers through mine.
“They will see. You’ll make sure of that. Come on. Let’s get you something to eat before your stomach gets any louder.”
He began to lead me down the hall. I gently tugged my hand from his before my heart exploded, then wrinkled my nose as I realized I’d forgotten to eat breakfast and hadn’t brought a lunch.
“I’ll need to get a tray today,” I said.
“Why? I packed you a lunch,” he said, not commenting on my withdrawal.
“Thank you. You really didn’t need to do that though.”
He looked at me. “Did you enjoy yesterday’s lunch?”
“Yes. It tasted better than anything I could make for myself.”
“Then I’ll keep making them.”
The butterflies those words sent flying in my stomach had nothing to do with hunger.
We joined Eliana on the lawn outside. I sat beside Eliana, and Oanen sat on the opposite side of me, his thigh touching mine. Doing my best to ignore the contact, I handed him his lunch bag and opened the one he’d made for me.
“I can’t find anything useful in that library,” I said a moment before taking my first bite.
“I’m not surprised,” Eliana said. “I mean, if you think about it, our kind was created before the written word was hugely popular. Most of our history would have been passed down verbally through the years. The stuff that’s in there is likely from modern times when knowing how to read and write became more commonplace.”
“Then why am I wasting my time in there?”
“Because some information is better than no information,” Eliana said. “Adira doesn’t do things that are a waste of time. If she wanted you to read the books, there’s a reason.”
“I wish she’d just tell me what that reason is.”
“That’s not how she works,” Oanen said. “She’s all about self-discovery and the importance of the struggle to gain knowledge. She says it gives the knowledge more meaning.”
I sighed and kept eating my sandwich. How could struggling to learn the truth give the truth any more meaning than it had? It made no sense to me. However, as much as the library frustrated me, it was better than spending the day stuck in a classroom with other students.
* * * *
The Quills were waiting for me at the door as soon as I came to a stop. Overhead, a familiar griffin soared, gliding on the currents and disappearing behind the large stone home. Oanen had followed me from the Academy. Likely, Eliana wasn’t far behind. Although I wouldn’t mind waiting for her, I knew that if I didn’t hurry, I’d likely encounter a shirtless Oanen somewhere on the second floor. That motivated me to move. However, I wasn’t sure if it was to meet up with him or avoid him.
The cold October wind whipped my hair around my head the moment I got out of the car and rushed for the house.
Mrs. Quill smiled as I approached, and she offered me something to drink while Mr. Quill shut the door behind me.
“We have cider we could warm,” she said.
“I’m fine. Thank you, though.”
She nodded and led the way to the study. I didn’t catch any hint of Oanen prowling the hallways, and any chance of interruption or eavesdropping ended the minute Mr. Quill closed the study doors behind us.
“Adira will be here in a few minutes,” he said. “We should have a seat.”
I took the chair facing the sofa. It gave me a good view of the room so I’d know the moment Adira did her magic appearance portal. The shimmer appeared only moments after I took a seat.
Adira stepped through first, followed by a boy around my age. I tried to hold back my initial surge of anger and took a moment to study him. Adira directed him to sit on the couch across from me and moved to stand behind him as he hesitated. I paid her little attention while I continued my scrutiny.
His dark hair fell in disarray around his head as his equally dark eyes flitted around the room, landing briefly on each of us. He looked unwashed and angry.
“Have a seat Michael,” Adira said.
The boy sat with a look of belligerence in his eyes.
“I don't know what the hell is going on, but I want my fifty bucks,” he said.
“Nothing bad is going to happen to you here,” Mrs. Quill said. “We just wanted to introduce you to Megan.”
All three adults looked at me. I didn’t take my eyes off the boy.
“Hello, Michael,” I said.
He stared at me without any hint of fear, and I didn’t like that. Not one bit.
“Megan, we were considering inviting Michael to live in Uttira,” Adira said, “and we would like your opinion.”
“Don't you think you should be asking me my opinion on that?” Michael asked. “I like living where I’m at.”
I continued to gaze at the boy, my anger rising. Why?
“Where do you live, Michael?” I asked.
“Depends on the night. I live wherever I want.”
“Where do you live, Michael?” I asked again. My voice had changed though. I could hear the anger in it this time.
“New York. What’s it to you?”
“I found him alone, living on the streets,” Adira said softly.
Homeless. That fact didn’t change the anger I felt toward him. Fury anger.
“What did you do, Michael?” I asked, leaning forward, wishing the coffee table weren’t separating us.
“I don't know what you're talking about,” he said.
“You've done something. Something not good. Tell me what you've done.” I waited, focused on him, wanting to know his crime. I could feel it in my blood. In my bones. The anger…the rage…boiling hotter with each passing second.
“Tell me,” I said again. “Confess your crimes.” The words felt so right on my lips. And the need to scream them at him rose, nearly choking me. I struggled to control the urge.
“Confess,” I said angrily. “Tell me what you've done.”
Michael leaned forward suddenly, his eyes blazing with hate.
“I don't know what level of crazy you are, bitch; but you need to get out of my face.”
I opened my mouth, ready to give into the urge, when Adira reached forward and set a hand on his shoulder, making them both disappear. The anger immediately vanished, but annoyance reared its head.
“That’s who you want to bring here to keep Ashlyn company? That guy was—”
“Completely unsuitable,” Mr. Quill said. “I hope you’ll find the next one a better fit.”
“The next one?”
“Yes, we have several candidates.”
He’d barely finished speaking when the shimmer reappeared in the center of the room. This time Adira had two girls with her.
“Megan, this is Kelsey and Zoe. Sisters from Chicago.”
The girls looked a little younger, maybe fourteen and fifteen years old. It wasn’t their fearful expressions or ragged appearances that made my eyes water. It was the overwhelming odor.
“Hi,” I said. “Not to be rude, but what is that smell?”
“Sewer,” the older one said.
“Both you guys need a shower. The clothes need to be burned.” I looked at the Quills. “I don’t like what you’re doing. Of course they’ll say yes to whatever you offer them if you’re pulling them from the sewers.”
“No,” one of the girls said. “We won’t say yes to anything.” She looked at Adira. “You said fifty dollars each to face a lie detector about how we ended up on the streets. We thought you were some kind of doctor. What was that glowing thing? Where are we?”
“You’re in Uttira, a small town in northern Maine,” Adira said. “The glowing thing was a portal. If you’d like to hear more, you’re welcome to sit, and I’ll answer whatever questions you have. If you’d rather leave, you only need to say so. I’ll return you to your home and compensate you as promised.”
The older sister glanced at the younger one.
“Let’s just take the money, Kells. I don’t like this place,” the younger sister said.
“Most days, I don’t either,” I agreed.
Kelsey looked at me, frowning slightly.
“You might not like it, but you don’t smell like someone else’s crap, and you’re not wearing the same clothes from a week ago.” She turned to Adira. “We won’t sit, but we’ll listen.”
“Uttira is a town for creatures created by gods long ago forgotten.”
Zoe made a sound and said, “I told you,” under her breath. I caught the word crazy too.
“It’s easier to provide proof than to try to explain. Have you ever heard of a griffin?” Adira asked.
The doors to the study opened just then and Oanen strode in. His gaze met mine briefly then went to the two girls.
“Thank you for joining us, Oanen,” his mother said.
He nodded and reached up for his shirt.
My chest cramped painfully as I understood that my newly acquired boyfriend planned to strip in front of these two girls.
“Since I already know griffins are real, I’ll be going,” I said.
I stood swiftly and started for the door.
“This is Oanen,” Adira said, ignoring my exit. “He’s a young griffin. He can choose to look like a human or—"
Just as I reached him, Oanen shifted with his pants still on, cutting off Adira’s explanation. The metal button from his fly pinged off the wall by the door. Both girls screamed. The griffin paid them little attention. He moved quickly, stepping in front of me and blocking my exit.
I skidded to a halt, and he lifted his head. The feathers of his cheek brushed mine as he worried the hair by my right ear. Exhaling loudly, I reached up and smoothed my hand along his neck.
“You’re lucky you sacrificed the pants,” I whispered.
He clacked his beak twice then turned and left the room without shifting again. Realizing the girls had grown completely quiet, I faced the others. The girls gripped each other, their fear already having robbed them of color and voice. Adira and the Quills watched me with indecipherable expressions. Had Oanen told them we were together now? Or at least trying to be together?
Unsure and uncomfortable, I focused on the girls.
“It’s real,” I said. “The myths and legends we’ve heard are based on some very old truths. Werewolves exist. Griffins exist. Furies exist. That doesn’t change the world you know, just your understanding of it. And you are as safe now as you were before you came here. Do you understand? Nothing’s changed but your knowledge of the truth.”
Kelsey nodded jerkily.
Mrs. Quill took over speaking.
“Adira brought you here to offer you a new opportunity. A new life. You could live here in Uttira. You would have your own home. All your bills would be paid. You would receive a human education and would want for nothing. In return, we ask that you help us teach the young of Uttira what it means to be human.”
Kelsey met my gaze.
“What’s the catch?” Her voice shook still.
“The catch is that you can’t leave. Ever.”
“Untrue,” Adira said. “You can leave at any time. But we would remove any memory of your time here as a precaution to keep us, and you, safe.”
“So we’d live here for the rest of our lives with everything paid for as long as we teach your young?” Kelsey hesitated over the last word, and her gaze flicked toward the door where Oanen had disappeared.
“Correct,” Mrs. Quill said. “You would not teach all day, every day. While you’re underage, you will focus on school and be asked to spend eight hours a week helping us. Your free time would be your own. Once you graduate, we would ask that you work forty hours a week, choosing from the jobs available in Uttira. You would receive pay in addition to the housing and support to which you will have grown accustomed.”
I could see in their eyes that they would say yes. My stomach soured, and I felt like I’d just lost an important battle.
Four
The next morning, Eliana’s car already sat in the otherwise vacant parking lot. She leaned against her trunk, obviously waiting for me. I parked beside her and killed the engine.
“You shouldn’t have taken off so fast last night,” Eliana said as soon as I opened my car door.
“Eh, I’m pretty sure it was the safest choice for all of us.”
I still felt pissy that the Council had trapped two more humans because of the desperation of their circumstances.
“Well, you missed the exciting news,” Eliana said. “At dinner, Mr. and Mrs. Quill talked about Ashlyn and her need for more interaction. They’ve decided to let her attend the Academy if she wants. And not just Ashlyn. The new girls, too, once they’re ready. And the Quills were asking me all sorts of questions about the things I remembered about the human world. I think they’re considering building a library.”<
br />
She grinned at me.
“Not bad liaising, Megan. You’ve started making some positive changes in just a few days.”
“That’s great.” I returned her smile with one I didn’t feel.
Although the changes truly sounded great, they didn’t alter the way I felt about this place. Like a fish in a bowl with too little water, Uttira was beginning to feel suffocating. Maybe it wasn’t Uttira but my own skin. After Oanen’s spontaneous change from human to griffin last night, I couldn’t stop wondering when that would happen to me.
“I need to get to the library,” I said.
“Yeah. I know. Oanen’s waiting for you inside. Maybe we can hang out soon?”
“Sure,” I said, already moving toward the doors.
My rush wasn’t to reach Oanen faster but to get to the books. However, the need for answers vanished when I turned the corner to the hall for the library. Oanen paced before the door. As soon as he heard me, he stopped. His gaze swept over me before settling on my face.
“Are you angry?” he asked as I approached.
“Want to hit something angry? No. Feeling a little frustrated? Yes.” I stopped in front of him and tried not to notice the way the sleeves of his t-shirt hugged his biceps.
“I’m sorry about last night,” he said.
His sincerity made me smile.
“What part exactly? Where you started stripping in front of two other girls or when you bit my hair?”
He cocked his head and considered me for a moment.
“You’re not frustrated with me,” he said with certainty and just a hint of relief.
“No. I’m not. I’m frustrated with this town and this stupid library filled with useless books.”
He reached out and pulled me into his arms without warning. I melted into the embrace and let myself lean against his hard chest. I might have even closed my eyes and inhaled the scent of him. I couldn’t be sure exactly because I was drowning in pure Oanen. The way we fit together. The way he held me, so tender yet so firm. It felt like I’d found where I belonged. Like I finally had a reason to be in Uttira.
