“It’s what I can do for you.” Mr. Tully tapped Thorn on the chest and opened his eyes wide, an almost feverish excitement on his face.
“Go on.” Thorn ushered Mr. Tully over to a quiet corner of the museum where they would not be overheard.
“I went back down to the basement, and do you know what I found?” Mr. Tully paused for effect and then went on anyway. “I found a sketch made by Magnus Dumas, the artist.”
A shiver of apprehension passed through Thorn. “I know him.”
“It’s a pencil sketch, more of a doodle really, tucked away amongst other sketches of birds and trees. Not the portrait works he was famous for.” Mr. Tully pulled his phone from his pocket. “It’s of Peregrine Manning and a visitor from overseas. Chinese I’d say, going by his clothes. Mandarins were sought after by the upper classes for the gift of the arts.”
“The arts?” Thorn asked.
“The dark arts.” Mr. Tully enthused his voice with gravitas and looked around to check that no one was listening.
“I see.” Thorn’s excitement rose. This might be the breakthrough they were looking for.
“What’s interesting is this tattoo.” Mr. Tully zoomed into the image and focused on a tattoo on the forearm of the mandarin. It was an oval shape with a claw mark dissecting it.
“In what way is it interesting?” Thorn leaned forward and took a good look at it.
“One of my students had one just like it. I asked her about it one day and she said it was given to all children in her clan when they first shifted.” Mr. Tully watched Thorn’s reaction. “It intrigued me, too.”
“She said clan, not family.” Thorn gave Mr. Tully his undivided attention. “Did you find out anything else?”
The older man gave Thorn a wink. “I did. I did a search online. It took some time to come up with anything. And when I did, it was a small town in the River Run Mountains, about two hundred miles from here.” He pointed to the mountains surrounding Bear Creek. “This whole range was built on a fault, thousands of years ago. If you follow the fault far enough to the north, you get to the River Run Range.”
“I’ve climbed those mountains, a long time ago. There is a river flowing through them, which is where they get their name.” That possibly narrowed his search down. If there was a connection, he would go there and hunt around until he found it. “Thank you.”
“Wait. I haven’t gotten to the punchline yet.” Mr. Tully’s smile widened. “History tells the story of a group of Chinese explorers who were marooned here with no way home. They were hounded out of the surrounding towns and villages and ended up in the mountains.”
Thorn shook his head and chuckled. “Let me guess, the River Run Mountains?”
“Yes, they settled in the mountains and called their settlement Stone Claw.” He swiped across the screen and his phone showed a map of the River Run Mountains and the small village of Stone Claw. “What if one of those Stone Claws came here to Bear Creek?”
“What if they did?” Thorn looked up at the ceiling with its ornate cornices and felt closer to the people who’d lived centuries ago than ever before. Mystery and intrigue surrounded Magnus and Emilia. Why would a member of the Stone Claws come here to Bear Creek and get involved with Perry? And what could have persuaded Chin Shan to cast the spell? Money? Or revenge? Or love?
“If you find anything else, will you tell me, please?” Mr. Tully said. “I know this is not museum business, and I imagine it has something to do with the young lady who came here with you earlier. Emilia Dumas. The young woman from the painting upstairs.”
Thorn winced inwardly, he should have known Mr. Tully would put it all together. “I’ll tell you what I can.”
“Thorn, your secret is safe with me. I haven’t had your experience, but I have pieced together bits of history all my life. It is my vocation.” Mr. Tully smiled sadly. “What else do I have left?”
“When this is over, I’ll tell you. I promise. But in the meantime, I would appreciate your complete discretion.”
“Always. Now, don’t you have somewhere to be?” Mr. Tully asked, waving the image of the River Run Mountains at him.
“I do.” Thorn turned to leave. “One more thing, the girl with the tattoo?”
“She still lives in Bear Creek. She runs activity days for kids. Sage Chance is her name. The family lives in a house that once belonged to the Manning estate.”
Payment? his bear asked. For the Ancient Slumber curse.
I believe so, there’s too much of a coincidence for it to be anything else. Thorn looked up toward his office. He wouldn’t find any more information there. He needed to look outside of Perry’s journals and the various other manuscripts inside the building. He needed to track down Sage Chance and then go to the River Run Mountains, where he was sure the last piece of the puzzle awaited the dragons.
“Thanks, Mr. Tully.” Thorn turned away from his old teacher and headed toward the door. Then he had another idea. “Want to go on a road trip?”
“Yes!” Mr. Tully’s normally quiet and calm demeanor slipped, and he fell into step by Thorn’s side, as the visitors to the museum and other volunteers watched. “Where are we heading?”
“First, we go and see Sage. Can you introduce me to her?” Thorn asked as they ran down the museum steps.
“Certainly. If she remembers me, it must’ve been ten years or more since she was one of my students.” Thorn always did admire Mr. Tully’s modesty. They reached his truck and climbed in.
“Believe me, out of all the teachers I’ve had, and all the people I’ve met, you are one person who is hard to forget.” Thorn put the truck in drive and pulled out into the traffic.
“You were always a good student, Thorn, and you loved the subject. Not everyone likes history.” Mr. Tully always stayed humble, another character trait Thorn admired. “And call me George, please.”
“George,” Thorn said the name, but it was awkward on his tongue. “It seems disrespectful to call you by your first name.”
“No disrespect at all. It means we're friends. I’m not a teacher anymore, Thorn.” He pointed left as they reached a fork in the road. “That way, we follow the road for about two miles and then turn toward the mountain. I believe the house was a hunting lodge. Although the hunting of large prey in the mountains was soon outlawed. Shifters were not public knowledge, but most people in town knew of their existence and the local sheriff was a bear shifter.”
“The tradition remains since Brad is a bear shifter and our sheriff.” Thorn took the next turn and the truck’s engine groaned as they began the steep climb up the mountain. Unfortunately, his salary as a relic hunter was not large enough to stretch to a new truck. How he would make a good life for Emilia and their children, he was unsure. Perhaps it was time to retire and take up a desk job. Or teaching. That certainly would be a new challenge.
“In those days, the sheriff wielded a lot more power. The town was his to a certain extent.” George looked out of the window as if searching for something. “It’s around here somewhere.”
“Chance Heights.” Thorn read the sign at the end of a long driveway and turned the steering wheel sharply. The dirt trail leading to the house wound its way between trees and high bushes, which concealed whatever was on the other side. “Someone likes seclusion.”
But as they neared the house, the road opened up and the sound of excited children reached them. Thorn parked next to a truck with Chance Heights Activity Center written on the door and switched off the engine. On a large grassy area were a dozen or so kids who were doing battle with a tent that looked as if, when it was erected, it might be a tepee. If they managed to get it upright.
“Looks fun,” George said and got out of the truck, shutting the door quickly and heading over to the children, who were following the directions of young women with jet black hair. Thorn slipped out of the truck and strode across to join the others.
“Hello, can I help you?” The woman with black hair and dark almond e
yes left the children and came toward George and Thorn, putting her body between them as if she might need to protect the children.
“Sage?” George asked.
“Yes.” Her tone was wary. “I recognize you.”
“Mr. Tully, I taught you history some years ago,” George said hopefully.
Sage broke out into a smile and she held out her hand. “I remember now. How are you?”
“Bored and retired,” George answered. “I help out at the museum, which is kind of why we’re here.”
“It is?” Sage asked, eying Thorn with curiosity.
“Oh, this is Thorn Manning, he works at the museum.” George made the introductions and then carried on, “We came across a drawing of a man who had the same tattoo as you.”
Sage lifted her arm and pulled her shirt cuff back, revealing the oval shape with the claws crossing it. “This? Really? It could be a family member, what did he look like?”
“Oriental.” George took his phone out and showed her the image. As Sage looked at it, Thorn studied her face. Her eyes were almond-shaped, her skin olive brown, and her hair as black as the blackest night. “Do you recognize him?”
Sage shook her head. “No, but my dad used to tell me and my brothers stories about one of my distant ancestors and how he came here from across the wide sea.”
“Did he ever talk about the River Run Mountains or the settlement at Stone Claw?” Thorn asked.
Sage rubbed her wrist where her tattoo was once more hidden under her shirt. “No. Nothing like that. Sorry.”
“Was he the first member of your family to live here?” Thorn indicated the house.
A shout from the children distracted Sage. “I have to get back to work.” She stepped backward, moving away from them. “The family has owned the house for centuries. But anything more than that, I don’t know. Nana tried to trace our family tree once, to give us some idea of who we were and where we came from. But she could never go further back than Lee Chance. He lived here a couple of centuries ago and was a carpenter.” She stopped walking and looked at the ground thoughtfully. “Come to think of it, she always thought Lee Chance was a made-up name. But it was the only name she had.”
“Chin Shan,” Thorn said under his breath, then to Sage he added, “Thanks for the information.”
“Sorry I couldn’t be more help. If you want to speak to Nana, she’ll be home on Friday. She’s been on vacation for a couple of weeks.”
“Thanks, Sage, we’ll do that.” George lifted his hand and waved goodbye. However, he didn’t move from the spot, he simply watched the children working together trying to put the tepee up.
“You miss it.” Thorn folded his arms and watched, too. “You miss the children and teaching, don’t you?”
“I do. If I had a mate or children of my own, I would have something to fill that void. But since I don’t.” He gave one last longing glance at the children, who were pulling the tepee upright, and turned away. “Where to next?”
“Do you want to meet a dragon?” Thorn asked.
George opened and closed his mouth before he forced out the words, “I do.”
Chapter Fourteen – Emilia
“We’ve been talking about moving your treasure,” Ruby told Marcus when they arrived back at the house.
“Since we’re growing in numbers, I’ve commissioned a specially-made vault to be built in one of my properties,” Harlan began. “You will have access via a keypad and what you do with your treasure is up to you.”
“A keypad?” Emilia asked as she accepted a cup of coffee from Ruby and sat down next to her at the kitchen table.
“You’ll have your own code and input it into a box with numbers on it.” Ruby frowned. “I never knew how hard to was to describe everyday items until Magnus entered my life.”
“It’s state of the art security, the people I’ve engaged to build it are discreet. It should be safe.” Harlan placed a plateful of cookies on the table. “The question is, what do we do with your treasure for now? I don’t like leaving it up there on the mountain.”
“Do you have anywhere we can store it until your vault is built?” Magnus asked, taking the seat on the other side of Ruby.
“Not all of it. From what Ruby said you both have a substantial hoard. Perhaps if we bring some of it down off the mountain…” Harlan shrugged. “Or we bury it behind enough rubble that it would take days for someone to dig through it.”
“I prefer option two,” Emilia replied. “Although there are certain gems I would like to retrieve. Particularly those surrounding the casting of the spell.” She was wary of moving the amulet, in case it reactivated on its own and she could not escape. As for the Jewel of Avantar, it wasn’t hers and it should be returned to its rightful owners, if they could find them.
Magnus nodded. “I plan to sell some of my treasure and use it to build a home for us.” He placed his hand on Ruby’s.
She leaned back against him. “You don’t have to sell anything for me. I have my own.”
“I am the man of the house, the provider,” Magnus told her firmly.
Emilia didn’t catch Ruby’s reply. Her senses were tuned elsewhere, Thorn had returned and brought a stranger with him. “Hello, everyone.” Thorn stood in the doorway and she swallowed down her desire. The time they had spent apart had not dimmed her feelings for him. She met his eyes and he lifted a corner of his mouth in a half smile. Something was wrong. But what?
Then she recalled the conversation about dragons and treasure and Magnus’s assertion of being the provider. The males of the species often got hung up over money. They longed to be the provider for their families as a matter of pride.
It seemed that many things had changed in this modern world, but some stayed the same.
“Hello, Thorn.” Emilia rose from the table and went to him, kissing his cheek, before assessing the man standing next to him.
“This is George Tully, he is a volunteer at the museum, he also used to be my history teacher.” Thorn slipped his arm around Emilia’s waist and she led him into the room. He was tense, unsure of his place among the dragons.
“Hello, George. I expect you could tell us some stories about Thorn when he was a child.” Emilia wanted George to feel at ease, but the others in the room were not so welcoming.
“I could. But none of them are funny, Thorn was a good student, he loved history and was conscientious in his studies.” George also picked up on the tension in the room and looked to Thorn with something akin to terror.
“George has helped me piece together the identity of the person who cast the Ancient Slumber spell.” Thorn let that information linger for a moment before he carried on. “Chin Shan was given a cottage that belonged to Peregrine Manning, likely as payment for the spell.”
George dug into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He showed them a sketch of Chin Shan, who had a tattoo on his arm. “I believe you drew it, Magnus.”
“You know who we are?” Magnus asked, standing up and glancing at the image. His fists were clenched, but he kept them by his sides.
“George guessed when he saw Emilia this morning.” Thorn looked at her apologetically. “I should have introduced you under a pseudonym.”
“I would still have guessed. I have looked at Magnus’s paintings enough to recognize the young lady outside the cottage,” George assured them. “Your secrets are my secrets now.”
“Thank you.” Emilia bowed slightly.
“And why are you here?” Magnus asked bluntly. “We already knew who Chin Shan was.”
“What we didn’t know was where he came from,” Thorn began. “Now we believe we do.”
The room fell deathly silent.
“The tattoo on Chin Shan’s arm is from the Stone Claw Clan, a group of Chinese explorers who were marooned here centuries ago. They lived in the River Run Mountains in a settlement they named Stone Claw.” George spoke as if he were lecturing a class.
“The River Run Mountains?” Ruby asked. “Th
at’s no more than a couple hundred miles away. Sapphi and I have flown over them several times.”
“I remember the explorers,” Fiona told them. “They were half starved when they were pulled out of the sea on a small rowboat after their ship sank.”
“You remember them?” George asked in awe but stopped short of asking Fiona how old she was.
“I do, I lived and worked along the coast for some years. I used to fly over the oceans at night because there I was less likely to be seen. The world was becoming more populated by humans, I liked the quiet of the ocean.”
“Chin Shan may have come here to Bear Creek looking for work. Or Peregrine Manning may have heard of the Stone Claw Clan and sent word that he would like to meet. Either way, the two are linked and I intend to visit the area to see what I can dig up,” Thorn told them. “Alone or with your help.”
Magnus was on his feet and by Thorn’s side before he’d finished speaking. “I will accompany you. They might have answers.”
“I intend to take the amulet with me,” Thorn told Emilia. “If that’s okay with you?”
“I will come with you,” Emilia told him firmly. “With the amulet.”
“That makes four of us,” Ruby said. “If you don’t mind me taking a day off work, Harlan?”
“No, you should all go, there is strength in numbers.” He poured more coffee and handed a cup to Thorn and George. “It looks as if we need a clan, too.”
Ruby’s eyes lit up at that idea. “We should. Mom should be the head of the clan.”
“I thought I already was,” Fiona answered.
“We can go and get the amulet as soon as it’s dark enough. Then we can fly straight to the River Run Mountains.” Thorn looked around the room. “I can’t guarantee anyone’s safety.”
“We know, but Magnus and I hid away for too long before, we’re ready to fight for what we believe in now.” Emilia took hold of Magnus’s hand.
Treasure Bear (Return to Bear Creek Book 19) Page 12
