He should tell her what happened, he thought on the drive to his house. He wanted to. But he was afraid. How could he explain without telling her he was Alasdair? He just wasn’t ready. And if he wasn’t, she couldn’t be.
At the house, Chase left Maddie in his mother’s capable hands while he sought out his father. He found him in the workshop, reading yet another family journal.
“Dad?”
When Dad yanked off his glasses, he exposed his red-rimmed eyes. “Chase, I’m glad you’re home.”
“Me, too. I really need to talk to you.”
“Same here, but you go first.”
Chase gladly accepted the offer and Dad listened with rapt attention.
“It doesn’t surprise me that the old lady knows.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I wish she would have told you more. I’ve been reading the family’s books all day and I am still no closer to the truth. I just don’t understand it.” He rubbed at a spot between his eyes. “All I know is that Cian and Arin weren’t allowed to live in peace, because they trapped most but not all of the dark ones. Since Arin was the key to opening the door, the black gryphons threatened her, keeping her life in constant danger. Which meant Cian spent all his days protecting her with the help of others like himself.”
“You mean there were more gray ones?”
“Yes. That’s where we came from. From what I’ve read, there might have been an alliance between the gray gryphons and the village clans. The gray ones agreed to protect the key because of all the trouble their fallen brothers had caused, and in return the druids in the village gave them a gift.”
Chase felt his eyes widen. “When love conquerors all!”
“What?” Dad shook his head, as if surfacing from deep thoughts.
“Did Arin and Cian have children?”
“I think so.”
“Now I get what Grandma Draoi said. It was kind of what you were reading before. When a gryphon finds his soul mate, he’s able to transform at will. That was the gift given to them by the druids.” He ran his hand through his hair. “What are we going to do? I don’t think Maddie knows about her grandma being a druid and using her magic to pull us together. I want to tell her about all this, but if I do then I have to explain about me.”
“You would also have to explain that she comes from Arin’s line, which means she holds the same responsibilities. She holds the power to release one of the greatest terrors ever known. How would you tell her that she holds the key to life and death, not only for herself, but for the whole world?”
Chase could only stare.
Chapter 25
Grandma Draoi’s house seemed dark and foreboding, as if its soul lay unresponsive in the hospital and nothing remained for her inside. Chase tugged the passenger door open and peered inside. “Is something wrong?”
She faced him. “You tell me. Because I get the sense you’re hiding something.” They’d been silent all the way home and the truck cab had crackled with tiptoeing energy, afraid to put its foot down because something might explode between them.
He looked away and shuffled his feet. The non-answer and the evasive actions confirmed her suspicions.
Angered, she slid off the seat, pushed past him, and ran inside. In the foyer she dropped her backpack, rushed upstairs to her room, and slammed the door. How had her life gotten so complicated? In one week, everything had turned completely upside down.
She sat on the bench in front of her dresser mirror and pulled a brush roughly through her hair. Her reflection studied her in return. What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she have a normal life? Why was she surrounded by drama and constant uncertainty?
Because you’re a dork, dork.
Thinking of those questions brought others. Like, what was Chase hiding from her?
Livid, she stalked downstairs, determined to get answers. But the bottom floor was empty and Chase was nowhere to be seen. She stopped on the dilapidated porch and planted her hands on her hips, gnawing on her lip. She really should fix the broken slats before Grandma returned. Who knew what condition she would be in? She could put a foot through a hole and—
No. Not going there. Pushing those thoughts aside, Maddie trekked toward the river in search of Chase. She’d find him and she’d…
She didn’t know what. And it didn’t matter, because he wasn’t there, either.
At the water’s edge, the rotting dock floated, someone’s canoe tied up alongside. The oar stood propped against it. No life jacket, no sign of the owner. But her father used to take her canoeing, and Grandma Draoi. It wasn’t as if she didn’t know how. And she really needed to get away, away from worries, stress, even Chase. Besides, it probably belonged to Mr. Temple, Gray Beauty’s owner.
Old memories assailed her and before she realized it she had grabbed the oar, inspected the craft for seaworthiness, and stepped inside. One push against the dock and she was headed downriver.
Silence floated with her. Only the rippling of the current, the sloshing water dripping from her paddle, the occasional squirrel rustling the leaves, and her. Maddie closed her eyes, let the current take her, and let her body sway with the canoe’s gentle ministrations.
It felt like no time at all passed. But when she opened her eyes, she didn’t recognize the shoreline. The sun lowered in the sky and a cold icicle of fear shivered within her. No one knew her whereabouts.
Paddling hard, Maddie switched directions to head home, but the current was against her. No matter how fast she worked, the canoe never seemed to make progress along the bank. The sun set and the river noises became more pronounced. The mosquitoes feasted on her skin, but she kept paddling instead of slapping them away.
Counting strokes, she tried to be positive. …forty-eight, forty-nine… Finally she passed the rough-scarred section of the riverbank she’d been using as a guide. …sixty-three, sixty-four…
Something moved. Not the river, not her paddle. She’d only spotted it from the corner of her eye. It had been huge. And it slid into the water behind her.
Her mind kept counting without her. …seventy-five, seventy-six… But fear shot through her sluggish limbs. She trembled. What had caused her to believe boating alone in the evening was a good idea?
The river seemed to hold its breath. …eighty, eighty-one…
The boat heaved beneath her. Maddie fought for balance. Something glided past her, barely visible in the dark. Something big, with pebbled skin. She heard it breathing. A single liquid eye peered at her, shivering with interior motion as it reflected the dark. Then it was gone.
A gator. One of the alligators that lived in the far crook of the river. Had she floated so far before waking up? Her heart hammered against her ribs. Her throat constricted. “Help!” A croak. Good job, dork. Louder, she yelled, “Help!”
****
In the old barn, Chase found lumber, a box of nails, a saw, a mitre box, and a hammer. He thought about telling Maddie what he was up to, but changed his mind. Hopefully if she walked outside, he would have time to warn her before she fell through a hole in the porch. But her moodiness had frustrated him. He needed to fix something. If he couldn’t work on their relationship, the porch would do.
He sawed, beat, and banged for well over an hour, according to his cell phone. The sun lowered and he flicked on the porch light. Concern mounted when Maddie failed to come and check on the noise.
Circling the mess, he entered the house and took the stairs two at a time. Her bedroom door stood open. One glance inside told him she wasn’t there. He ran back downstairs and searched every room. Not there, either. Stopping in the foyer, he massaged his temples. Where could she have gone?
Before he could answer himself, pain seized his stomach. Movement rippled down his spine, like fingers dancing on a keyboard, only beneath the skin, not on top of it. He doubled over. Sweat dripped down his face. He stumbled back to his room, stripping as he went. He fell to the rag rug and curled into a tight ball. There,
the unfolding in his back, fur insulating his body, claws tangling in the rug, sharpening vision…
…and hearing. Someone yelled for help. Maddie…
He opened the window and climbed onto the roof, claws gripping the shingles. The ground seemed a long way down. He swallowed. He’d never tried to take off from a height. It would be like plunging into a pool, hopefully. Chase stepped from the roof. His wings flared out on their own and swooped down, thrusting him into the sky, and his heart soared with him. What was there not to like?
He soared over the treetops. There, on the river, some distance away. Maddie floundered in a canoe. The forceful current pushed her farther from home. She strained her muscles, fighting the water, paddling and staring at the bank.
Moonlight reflected off a long snout, glistening eyes, sharp teeth in a cavernous mouth. One of the alligators he’d seen when they’d first arrived in Coal Creek. Rage filled him. Chase howled and dove.
****
Dougal lounged on his chaise, devising his next move with Maddie. Chase had gotten to her. She no longer paid attention to his stares or flirting. He’d overplayed his hand with Stephanie and now it was too late.
Nor did he believe Serena’s strategy would work. They could only threaten Chase so many ways. They could cut off his fingers, which held great appeal. They could crush his kneecaps, which made him even happier, but still, all that meant nothing if Maddie didn’t care enough to open the door.
“She is in danger again,” Serena said, covering a yawn.
“What?”
She rolled onto her side. “The girl. She is becoming more trouble than she is worth. What woman paddles a canoe into alligator-infested waters?” She sighed, flipped onto her back, and waved a careless hand. “I believe you should go and help her.”
Dougal didn’t wait. He raced to the end of the long tunnel, whispered the incantation, morphed into Doran, and jumped. He soared above the trees, scanning the landscape as he flew toward the river. Maddie. He longed to see her and flew faster. She’d filled his every waking thought since that day at the hospital.
After school, he’d wanted to whisk her away and reveal his true identity. What would she think if she knew? His blood sang at the thought. Would she rush into his arms and demand his affection? Or would his black form and soul repulse her? He’d hold her and never let Chase near her again.
In his experience, women were attracted to his good looks and charm. His mysterious nature only made their interest even more intense. That was until they truly knew him. Then came the fear.
But Maddie was different. At the hospital, when he had cradled her in his arms, she hadn’t seemed repulsed. Part of him whispered that was only because she didn’t know him. Would her opinion change with the truth? She’d called him a friend, which still baffled him.
Just thinking of holding her reminded him of her scent. Her auburn hair smelled of flowers baking in the sunshine. It had taken all his strength to keep his fingers from running through her long tresses to see if they were silken, like he remembered. He wanted to pull her close and inhale her very aura.
Soft, feminine, her body against his. An innocent embrace. He’d hold her.
The wind changed and a new scent filled his nostrils. He breathed deeply of his enemy’s essence. He would be ready.
****
Chase swooped low, wrapped his arms around her middle, and lifted her from the canoe. The alligator’s mouth opened and clapped onto the canoe’s side. It tipped, crunched, fell apart, and the pieces swirled away downstream.
Scratch one canoe.
Maddie screamed and trembled in his grasp. “Alasdair?”
He kept his focus ahead on the landscape. “Are you well?”
“I am now.” She released a long, shaky breath and buried her head against his neck.
Fighting a smile, he drifted upstream toward the riverbank, well away from the alligators’ haunt. No need to climb for altitude. He’d land and they’d talk, alone and cocooned in darkness, and maybe he’d hold her again until dawn.
A black shadowy form appeared, almost invisible in the night. It flew at them and rammed into his side. Pain exploded in his ribcage. They cartwheeled, his wings flailing. He lost his grip and Maddie tumbled toward the dangerous river, another scream falling with her.
His wings worked, pumping for altitude. No clue what hit them. He dove after her but more pain exploded in his head. White bursts of light shimmered behind his eyes. He plummeted. Without thinking about it, his wings extended into a glide, softening his landing.
He knelt on the cold ground and tried to breathe. The stars in his head were fading, but he still could see nothing in the night. Ears perked, he listened. The calls of crickets echoed against the water. No splashing noises, moans, or any other sign of Maddie. Wobbly, he staggered up and held his head. What had hit him? No, that didn’t matter. Where was she?
“Sorry about that, youngster.”
He looked up. A looming figure stood near the tree line, darker than the shadows around it. “Who are you?”
“Oh, I guess I should introduce myself. I’m Gregory, the Vigilant Watcher.”
Right. Like he cared. “Where’s Maddie?”
“Maddie? Oh, the girl. Don’t worry about her. She’ll soon be dead.”
Horror seized him. He cried “No!” and ran toward the river, stumbling over fallen limbs and through scraggly bushes.
“Hey, boy, come back here. I’m on your side.” Heavy footsteps followed him.
He whirled. “If you’re on my side, then don’t just stand there. Help me find her!”
Dark eyes blinked. A bronze glow began in their depths. “Why?”
He punched the dark form in the face, sending him staggering. “Do you know what you’ve done?”
“Of course! I’ve saved all humanity! With her dead, the line ends, the tower remains closed, and our evil brothers will stay locked in prison forever!”
Chase opened his mouth to scream with rage, but a noise like a wounded animal cried near the shore.
Part IV
Beginnings
Chapter 26
Her hands grasped at the air. Maddie screamed. The river roared below, and she braced her head and prepared for impact. Time slowed as she anticipated her demise. She expected terror, but instead, mathematical equations of speed and force from last year’s geometry and physics classes flashed through her mind. Would hitting the water kill her? Or would it plunge her so far beneath the surface that she drowned?
Realizing no one was coming to her rescue this time, she closed her eyes and prayed. Sprinkles of water hit her face. The tips of her hair skimmed the water’s surface as she was clutched around the middle and jerked upward. Wings pumped, the backwash spraying more droplets across her. She screamed again.
Her rescuer held her close. She couldn’t see his face. But the fur beneath her clutching hands was dark and the odor invading her sinuses foul. Could this be the beast that attacked them? Now terror overwhelmed her. Screaming again, she squirmed and kicked.
“Please stop fighting me or I might drop you,” came a gruff voice.
She knew that voice. “Doran?” She stilled.
“Yes.”
She didn’t know whether to fight him or hold on. Wind rushed around her head and filled her ears until she couldn’t hear. She closed her eyes and tried to think through her next move. She could attempt to get loose, but she would plummet to her death. She could call for Alasdair, but if he was hurt could he help her?
She bit her lip and snuggled her hand against the black gryphon’s chest. Beneath his soft fur, his heartbeat increased. The feel of him was vaguely familiar. His odor, the heat of his touch, his grip, all reminded her of someone. Who… when… The pain, when it hit her, was unbearable. She stiffened in his arms and he shook her slightly, bouncing them up and down on the air current.
“Are you well?” he asked.
“It was you,” she whispered. The arms around her clutched more tight
ly. “You were there. You were the one who rescued me from the fire.” Maddie waited, breathing in his strong musk. It was the same. No answer. He was strangely quiet and she burst out, “You left them! Why didn’t you help them? Why did you only rescue me?”
She beat his chest with her fists. He twisted under the onslaught, then she raised her aim and he grunted with her first pounding blow to his face. The flight’s angle changed, his weight shifting back and his wings pounding, then they settled on the ground. She jumped away from him and screamed, “Why didn’t you let me die, too?”
For the briefest of moments, his eyes seemed to express pity. Then just as suddenly they changed and took on a horrifying bronze glow. His fangs bared and a snarl rumbled in his chest. “Get behind me.”
Fear gripped her and she nearly ran. But no, he’d shifted his gaze and now looked past her shoulder. Maddie ducked around him, beneath the shelter of his rippling wings. He’d saved her twice; was he going to do so a third time? Peering around his side, she saw another dark form emerge from the woods.
The figure stopped, still within the gloom of the overhanging trees. “Doran, Doran, I knew it was you. You really need to find a way to mask that odor of yours.”
Doran’s wings rustled. “Gregory, is it? Nice to meet you. Well, not really.”
“I have to ask. How come every time I try to kill this girl, you always show up and save her?”
Maddie froze, shocked at the casual cold-bloodedness. Kill this girl… kill her.
With a hesitant hand, she stroked the black wingtips flexing before her. They stilled. “Just my lot in life, I guess.”
Gregory snickered and strode fully into the moonlight. “More like you’re doing Serena’s grunt work.”
Doran tensed.
“Oh, don’t get your fur in a wad.” Gregory waved a careless hand, heavy with flashing claws. “I’m sure you want the tower opened for your own reasons, as well. It doesn’t really matter why. All that matters is that it will never be allowed to happen.”
The Key Page 21
