Or would she? Anya’s smile faded a bit. Perhaps Izzy and Raven did not like her, after all. Maybe that’s why they had looked so upset when Anya came back to the campsite. Were they afraid that Peter would let her stay with the army? Because surely he would let her stay, once he saw how dedicated she was to the cause of good. She might not know much about wizards or shifters yet, but she knew right from wrong, and she wanted to do everything she could to fight for the side of right.
Anya turned to look at Finn, who was still laughing and catching up with Knox. But Finn stopped laughing when Anya caught his eye, and he seemed to remember that the moment was actually quite serious.
“Oh, right,” he said. “Um, Anya, have you been introduced to Knox? He’s the leader of my clan.”
“We’ve been introduced,” Knox spoke up. “Although we were somewhat interrupted by your arrival, Finn. Anya, it’s nice to meet you. I’m the clan leader of the Redwood Dragons, as Finn told you. I hope my boys have been treating you well?”
Anya wanted to laugh and make some sort of smart remark about how she supposed they had, since Finn had saved her life by carrying her away using dragon claws. But she caught the serious expression on Izzy’s face once again and decided that this wasn’t the time for jokes.
“They’ve been treating me very well,” she said, and left it at that.
Anya looked to Finn, trying to see in his eyes if there was some indication of whether he thought this little powwow was going to go well for her, but he wasn’t looking at her anymore. He was looking at Peter who was starting to speak again.
“Anya, I’m not sure whether anyone has explained to you why you’re here?” he asked, then looked at Anya expectantly.
“Well, yes,” Anya said, taking a deep breath and standing as tall and straight as she could. “From what Finn has told me, I know that it’s highly unusual for a human to discover the existence of wizards and shifters. And I know you don’t want humans to interfere with your war, so you’re here to decide whether to send me back home or to allow me to fight with you. I know you might not think I have much to offer, but you’re wrong. Just because I can’t shift into an animal or can’t do magic doesn’t mean that I can’t help you. I’m very smart, and I’m a very hard worker. I’m sure there are a lot of things I can do that will make a difference for you.”
Anya wanted to keep speaking, but she had seen a confused look cross over Peter’s face. She took a deep breath and forced herself to be quiet. If he had questions for her, let him ask them. She would clear up any doubts he had about letting her join the war. At least, she hoped she would. She looked at Finn again, trying to catch his eyes and plead silently with him to take up her cause. But Finn was staring intently at Peter, refusing to meet her eyes.
Anya felt her heart dropping. Was he really going to refuse to support her in this? She looked around at the other faces, but no one was meeting her eyes except Knox and Peter.
“I see,” Peter said, a slight frown on his face. “Well, Anya—”
“Peter, I think we should give the girl a chance,” Knox said, interrupting. All of the wizards except Peter looked at Knox in shock. Anya got the impression that they weren’t used to seeing anyone interrupt Peter, not even the head of the Redwood Dragons clan. Peter seemed unfazed though. He merely raised an eyebrow in Knox’s direction and gave him his attention.
“Oh?” he asked, waiting for Knox to explain further.
“Look, I know the wizards have their ways of doing things, and we dragons try to be supportive as much as we can. But I cannot stand by and support taking such drastic measures on a girl who has no idea what’s about to be done to her, and has given no reason for us to doubt her,” Knox said.
Anya was confused. “Drastic measures?” she asked. She did not like the sound of that. Something told her that Knox wasn’t just talking about sending her home. What were they going to do to her? And why didn’t they trust her? But, for the moment, she got no answers. Instead, Peter and Knox looked at each other, both with steely expressions. Anya glanced at Finn again, but he was still carefully watching Peter.
“Knox, we have to be more careful than normal. We’re in the middle of a war. You must understand our history! Wizards who are discovered by humans have been persecuted throughout history. Perhaps Anya accepts us, but it’s too risky for her to know of our existence. If she tells anyone else, then we are doomed for sure. We cannot defend ourselves against a human witch hunt at the same time we are defending ourselves against Saul’s army.”
Anya saw a flash of anger in Knox’s eyes as Peter spoke.
“You think my boys and I don’t understand what it feels like to be persecuted?” Knox said. “Trust me, humans are just as fearful of shifters as they are of wizards. I know what it’s like to be persecuted just for being who you are. But we can’t live our whole lives in fear. Humans are a very real part of our world, and we can’t freak out every time one of them learns of our existence. We could probably use a few humans on our side, in fact. Look at Saul! He’s using humans. We should, too. They think about things in slightly different ways than we do. That could be really useful. And besides, what’s to stop Saul from telling the whole world that wizards and shifters exist? He’s just crazy enough to do that, you know? And if he did decide to do something insane like that, it would probably help us to have a couple humans already on our side, you know?”
Peter stroked his long beard, considering what Knox had said. Anya could feel her heart pounding. She was sure that there was something here she was missing. Peter was talking about her like he wanted to get rid of her completely. Was he suggesting they kill her? Surely not? How could these wizards claim to fight on the side of good if they were murdering people? And yet, Peter’s remarks had sounded quite serious. There didn’t seem to be a way to explain them except to think he wanted to get rid of her permanently. Fear gripped Anya’s heart as she watched Peter thinking, but she forced herself to remain still and keep a calm expression on her face.
“I understand your point, Knox,” Peter finally said. “And I do value your opinion, as our closest ally. But I cannot simply allow a human who has seen so much to go back to her home. There is too much risk. I need some sort of assurance or promise that she will keep our secrets safe.”
“I’m not going to go blabbing about you to anyone,” Anya said, feeling exasperated. “In fact, I’m not even asking to go home. I’m asking to stay with you and fight with you.”
“Give the girl a chance,” Knox said. “She’s fired up to help our soldiers. Let her.”
“I can only bend wizarding law so far,” Peter said, with a glance at the wizard advocate. “The only way to allow her to stay is for someone to vouch for her. And you know what that means, Knox. Anyone who vouches for her is agreeing to suffer the same punishment as her if she betrays us. May I remind you all that the punishment for betrayal is death?”
Peter crossed his arms as though that settled the matter. He looked around at the group with a resigned expression that seemed to say that he hated to do what had to be done, but had no choice in the matter. Anya held her breath, looking around at all of the somber faces, none of which were looking at her. Her eyes finally rested on Finn, who was still staring straight ahead at Peter. She felt a rush of anger at his silence. How could he just stand there and let them question her sincerity like that. True, he hadn’t known her very long. But he had trusted her enough to tell her everything about the war already. Surely, he could trust her enough to speak up for her.
Anya felt her heart dropping with despair as the silence weighed heavily around her. Perhaps she was hoping for too much. She’d thought that she and Finn had shared some sort of moment back in the woods, but she was beginning to think she’d been wrong. There was nothing special between them. He seemed to like her well enough, but he wasn’t willing to risk his life for her. After all, that’s what Peter was asking him to do, wasn’t it? Pledge his life as a guarantee that Anya was trustworthy enough to
be accepted into this army. Peter knew that no one here would want to do that. No matter how much they might like her—and Anya had no way of knowing how much they really did like her—speaking up for her would mean putting their own lives on the line for a stranger.
Anya supposed she couldn’t really blame Finn for not wanting to do that. He’d only just met her, and all he had to judge her character on was words, not actions. Still, she looked over at him, willing him to look at her and see the sincerity in her eyes. He did not look at her, though. Anya’s heart dropped further, and for the first time since Finn had chased her down in the forest, she truly felt afraid. She was all alone here in this group. She wanted nothing more than to help them, and yet, none of them trusted her.
She saw Finn clench his jaw, and she noticed the muscles in his arms tensing up. He took a few deep breaths, as though trying to steady his nerves, but he did not speak. Anya had all but given up hope when, suddenly, he turned to look at her.
As soon as she saw his eyes, she knew that she was safe. There was a heat in them that warmed her to her very core, and a fierceness that told her he would not let them harm her. Before he even spoke the words, her heart knew they were true.
“I will speak for her,” he said. His voice hung heavy in the air, seeming to echo through the silence. Peter looked up in surprise, as did Knox. All eyes in the group focused on Finn as he stood tall and began to speak.
“I will speak for her,” he repeated. “She wants to join the cause of good. Let her. She has shown us nothing but grace since the moment we were attacked. She could have immediately tried to go to the police in anger, but she didn’t. She could have lashed out at us for not telling her from the beginning that we were shifters and wizards, but she didn’t. She could have treated us like monsters or freaks, but she didn’t. She has tried to understand us and to understand where we are coming from. She deserves to have the same courtesy extended to her.”
Anya saw Peter look back and forth between her and Finn, an unreadable expression in his eyes.
“Finn, it’s very noble of you to offer this,” Peter said. “But you understand what you are saying, right? Speaking for Anya means that if she betrays us, you’re treated like a betrayer as well.”
“I know what I’m saying,” Finn said, his voice sharp and determined. “And I’m willing to say it because I believe in Anya. Has this war turned all of our hearts so cold that we cannot recognize truth and honor when it is standing right in front of our faces? It’s time for us to trust more, and to stop letting fear guide our actions. All of Saul’s actions are borne of fear. Why would we want to be like him? I say, if the humans wants to help us, let them. And so, I will speak for Anya. Let her join us.”
Finn looked back at Anya then, his eyes filled with intensity, but also with tenderness. Anya was overwhelmed with gratitude for the vote of confidence he had just given her. She knew that for as long as she lived, she would never forget this moment: this moment when a dragon shifter believed in her against all odds.
“Thank you,” she mouthed to Finn. She wanted to say so much more. She wanted to tell him that he would not regret this. She would not let him down. She would fight for his honor as well as her own. But now was not the right time. Now, she needed to be still and wait for Peter’s response. She looked at the old wizard, wondering how someone who looked so somber could have a face so full of laugh lines. Perhaps he wasn’t always this pessimistic, she thought. But right now, she felt like she hated the old man and all of his assumptions about her. Who did he think he was, to think she deserved death just because she’d accidentally discovered the existence of shifters and wizards? But before Peter could respond to Finn, another voice spoke up.
“I will speak for her as well.”
Anya looked over in shock. It was Owen. He had come to stand right beside Finn, and the two of them together made an impressive sight. Anya felt her eyes welling up with tears as she realized that she had two friends here, at least.
“I have only seen good from Anya,” Owen said. “And dragons believe in good. We must believe in good, now more than ever. Anya may be human, but she has a true heart. I will not stand by and see her abused with a memory-wiping spell.”
Anya barely had time to wonder what Owen meant by “memory-wiping” spell before Knox was moving to stand beside Finn and Owen.
“I will speak for Anya, too,” Knox said. “I may not know her at all, but I know my men. They would not vouch for someone without believing that person to be worthy of their protection. If my men are willing to risk their lives for this woman, then I am as well. I respect the Falcon Cross wizards as our allies, but in this instance I think honor should outweigh tradition. With all due respect, Peter, there is no honor in performing a memory wipe on a human who is swearing to you that she wants to help you and your people.”
Anya’s head was spinning. Memory wipe? Was that what it sounded like? Had the wizards’ plan been not to kill her, but to wipe her memory? Anger filled her at the thought. Who did they think they were, to destroy her memories? Her memories were who she was. They might as well kill her if they were going to do that! Perhaps this Peter guy was a hot shot wizard, but Anya wasn’t going to treat him with respect if he thought her memories were disposable. She would tell him exactly what she thought of his “protective measures.”
But before Anya even had a chance to open her mouth to vent her rage, she saw Izzy moving forward out of the corner of her eye.
“I will speak for her,” Izzy said, standing beside Knox. “It’s high time that wizards stopped living in fear of all humans. And a good place to start would be with letting Anya, who has begged to help us in this war, be part of our army.”
Raven moved forward next, standing next to Owen. Anya saw Owen look over at Raven and take her hand as she looked up at Peter with her chin stubbornly pressed forward.
“And I will speak for her,” Raven said. “There isn’t much more to say than what my friends here have already said. I agree with them that we should trust Anya, and I vouch for her as well.”
Anya stood in awe as she looked at the line of wizards and shifters who stood together, elbows all locked now. Her eyes filled with tears, and she struggled to keep from letting them spill over. The show of solidarity on her behalf touched her deeply, though, and she found it difficult to keep her emotions in check.
She looked back at Peter to see that his face had broken into a broad smile.
“Well, it seems I have my answer, then. Kirk, no memory wiping spells will be necessary today.”
Kirk was the only one who looked disappointed about this.
“But, Peter,” he said. “The girl has seen so much!”
“So she has,” Peter said. “But as I said, our wizard law allows for humans to keep their memories intact when another clan member is willing to vouch for them. Judging by the line of people standing in front of me right now on Anya’s behalf, I would say her memory is quite safe.”
Kirk didn’t look happy about this decision, but he did not protest again. Peter turned to look at Anya then, and gave her a warm smile.
“Anya Steele, welcome to the Falcon Cross army. I hope you won’t hold our hesitant welcome against us. We have our laws that we must follow, but it seems that you have managed to overcome even the strictness of the laws. Anyone who can garner this much support must be a true friend of the side of good. We will start looking for a suitable job for you right away.”
“She belongs with us,” Finn said, speaking up in a loud, determined tone. Peter looked up with surprised curiosity, and Anya glanced questioningly over at Finn as well. He stepped forward, standing a few feet in front of the others as he spoke.
“She belongs with us,” Finn repeated. “I’ve always scoffed at the idea of destiny, but I can’t help but think that destiny brought her across our path for some reason. Our dragon amethyst mission needs to be completely reworked, and I have a feeling that Anya can help us with that. Perhaps we just need some outside
eyes to take a fresh look at the situation.”
Finn met Anya’s eyes, and she saw that the fire in them was burning even hotter than before. She wanted to go to him, to fall into his arms and thank him. He was, after all, the one who had stepped up first. He had risked his life for her, and inspired others to do the same. She owed him her everything. But she did not move, not yet. She waited for Peter to respond, holding her breath as she did.
“Well,” Peter said, “This is a specialized mission, and it’s highly unusual for us to add someone to a mission like this after it has already started. But, it would seem that the whole dragon amethyst search team is rather fond of Anya, so I leave it to you all as a group to decide. The vote must be unanimous, but if you all want Anya on the team, then I will allow her to join you.”
Peter looked over expectantly, waiting for the group to make its decision. None of them hesitated for so much as a second.
“Finn’s right,” Owen said. “She belongs with us.”
“I agree,” Raven said. “She should be on our team.”
“No objections from me,” Izzy said, “We could use all the help we can get.”
Anya saw Finn’s smile broadening as he looked at his friends. Her own heart filled with warmth and gratitude. They wanted her on the team, and she would do her best to make sure their faith in her was rewarded. She didn’t know how she was going to do it yet, but she was going to make a difference in the search for the dragon amethyst.
“Looks like you’re in, Anya,” Peter said. “Welcome to the dragon amethyst search team. For the sake of wizards, shifters, and humans everywhere, I pray you are all successful.”
“We will be,” Anya said, not caring whether the others thought she was foolish and overly optimistic. “We will be.”
And she knew in her bones that it was true.
Destiny and the Dragon (Redwood Dragons Book 5) Page 8
