Bruins Peak Bears Box Set (Volume II)

by Sarah J. Stone

  “Well!” He sat up in her bed, taking a sip of the drink she had poured before straddling him. He wasn't drunk, but he felt good – relaxed, even. All the tension and the stress he had felt before now was gone, his body lose. “Wow.”

  “Wow is right,” she said as she grinned, sitting up. “I know that was fast, but oh, Creator...”

  “Next time won't be so fast,” he grinned at her. He knew he should get out of bed, pick up his shirt, and leave her room. But he wasn't sure he could stand straight, his legs still quivering. “That is, if you are interested in another time.”

  “I wouldn't mind another time,” she said. “Were you thinking right now?”

  “Ha,” he grinned. “I'm not seventeen. Give me an hour or so.”

  “Mmm, I bet you were stud at seventeen.” She snuggled up to him. “Who can I ask for proof?”

  “At seventeen?” he asked. “There was just the one.”

  “Ah, the queen,” Laura rolled over to look into his eyes. “Is she going to mind that I've taken you to bed?”

  “No,” Nathaniel answered. “I mean, we don't openly talk about it, but we also don't expect the other to act like monks. That would be unrealistic, given our situation.”

  “Seems an odd situation to keep up with,” she said. “But more power to you.”

  “I also don't…” He tried to put it delicately. “You know this is against the rules.”

  “I didn't become a witch yesterday, Nathaniel,” she rolled her eyes. “I won't tell anyone.”

  “And try not to think about it,” he said as he swung his legs out of bed. “Especially around my Tiro. Her ability to read minds is off the charts. She saw that I was thinking about kissing you in an idle fantasy earlier.”

  Laura grinned. “You were thinking about kissing me?” she teased.

  “It was just…you know,” Nathaniel blushed, “one of those things.”

  “Obviously, I felt the same way,” she answered as she reached for her clothing.

  Nathaniel chuckled, finally finding the strength to get dressed. His plan was to idly saunter out, perhaps head to the library, and then make sure Sienna was on her way back. He did not expect Desmond to suddenly invade his mind.

  Where are you?

  The force of the thoughts nearly threw him backward.

  What's the matter? he asked, confused. Laura recognized the look on his face and knew he was speaking through a bond. She froze, waiting for him.

  Where are you? Desmond repeated.

  I'll be in the blue hallway in a moment. Nathaniel dressed as quickly as he could, buttoning up his shirt and sliding into his pants.

  “What's the matter?” Laura asked, confused. Nathaniel shrugged.

  “I don't know,” he said. “Desmond won't say. I hope it's not Sienna,” he said. “Shouldn't they be back now?”

  Laura searched her mind, calling out for Devon. “Uh oh,” she said, and Nathaniel stopped.

  “What?”

  “Well, they aren't at the pool hall anymore,” she said. “I see…a park. It's dark.”

  “Oh, my Creator,” Nathaniel growled as he pushed Laura's door open.

  He came face-to-face with Desmond, standing there and looking entirely unimpressed. Desmond's thoughts were confused, bouncing everywhere. Nathaniel had never felt him in such a state.

  “What's the matter?” he asked. Desmond opened his mouth, but apparently couldn't decide what was the most important thing. Behind him, Mariah filed in. She didn't have to have sight to know what Nathaniel and Laura had been up to.

  “There's a situation in the hangar,” she said. “All witches are asked to return to the Academy immediately until we sort it out.”

  “And our Tiro is MIA,” Desmond said. “Apparently, she missed an appointment with Tara.”

  “I completely forgot about that,” Nathaniel said as Laura joined him, trying to look put together. “What situation in the hangar?”

  Nothing prepared him for the story Desmond told him in half, shocked sentences.

  “What?” Nathaniel asked as he finished. “No, how is that possible? It's not possible. This must be some sort of trick; some sort of illusion. Or there must be an explanation!”

  “Nathaniel,” Desmond said. “One thing at a time. Where is Sienna?”

  “With Devon,” Laura said. “They went to play pool in the city, but right now, I think they are walking in Swift Park.”

  “They did what?” Desmond clearly did not agree with what they had been allowed to do. “Did you know?”

  “I let her go,” Nathaniel answered. “I didn't see the harm in it – not for just a little bit. But how can the Ronan be back, Desmond? How can this be possible?”

  “Nathaniel, if I had an answer for you, I'd give it to you,” Desmond replied. “Are you in the right state of mind to go get her?” He could smell the liquor on Nathaniel's breath, although his former Tiro did not seem incapacitated.

  “Yes,” Nathaniel answered. “Laura, alert Devon that we are coming for them. Sienna probably won't answer me if she's distracted.”

  “Distracted by the lovely duck pond?” Desmond raised his eyebrow. “I need to get back to the med bay if you two are going as well.”

  “We'll bring them back safely,” Laura promised, and then gasped. Everyone froze.

  “What?” Nathaniel answered as Laura shuddered.

  “It's Devon. We've got to go now.”

  “Why?” Nathaniel asked. “Are they in danger?”

  “We need to go now,” Laura closed her hand over his, and Nathaniel didn't question it, following her out of the room. His head was spinning as he absorbed all the information they had been told.

  “It's not possible that they are alive,” Nathaniel said. “Dorian was barely dead when Desmond came to me. Over the years, we went over the Ronan explosion again and again. There was no way out of it.”

  “Every day, we discover that magic does something that we weren't sure of before,” Laura said. “It's possible this is a case of that. Fourteen teams of Tiros and Maestros – the magic on that ship would have been off the charts! Who knows what safety net they created for themselves; what protective spell that they could have put on at the last second?”

  “That would have them missing all these years?” Nathaniel asked, and Laura tensed. “What's happening?”

  “Sienna isn't in danger,” Laura assured him. “It's Devon. I think something isn't agreeing with him.”

  “Laura,” Nathaniel felt intimate enough with her now to ask her what was happening. All the things that she had said before and the way she changed the subject whenever she was asked about Devon's tests – something wasn't adding up. “Are you in the same position as I am?”

  He put it as delicately as he could, and Laura's eyes turned toward him. To his surprise, he found tears in them.

  “Will I be a Maestro wandering in the dark in a few years, knowing that my Tiro will slip away before me?” she asked. “Yes.”

  He heaved a great sigh. “I'm sorry.”

  “No, no,” she wiped away her tears. “I shouldn't complain. You two have it worse. Devon's illness is known; he feels no pain most days. We have decided to act as normal, and continue until we can't. But you two…what you go through with her – I don't envy you.”

  Laura squeezed his hand, and he sent thanks up to the universe that he had met her. “It's hard at times,” he said, “but it is worth it. Desmond and I have such different styles, and I think we want very different things for her future.”

  “But you want her to have a future,” Laura said. “The same as I want for Devon, which is why I am not as strict on him as I should be. I just want him to be happy, regardless of what kind of witch he becomes.”

  “I never thought of it that way,” Nathaniel replied, and Laura managed a smile.

  “I guess we have a lot to learn from each other,” she said.

  It wasn't far to the park, but Nathaniel's heart was nearly beating out of his chest as his min
d swirled with the possibilities of what could be happening. He was so distracted that he bumped into someone on the street.

  “Oh, I'm sorry,” he said, usually a graceful witch. But when he met the person's eyes, his heart stopped.

  “Grego? Are you Grego?” He recognized the face of the alien staring back at him. Grego had been a CEO of half the construction operations in the city. He had been a quiet businessman who seemed to have it all. Until one day, he took to the top of one of his buildings and jumped.

  The whole city saw what was left of him as the news crews struggled for the story. The galaxy covered it for months, trying to figure out why this being who had it all would end his life.

  Why he had done it had never come to light. The only thing they were sure of was that Grego was dead – splattered across the payment.

  Except that Nathaniel was staring at him right now.

  Grego blinked twice at his name being called, and then he took off down the street. Nathaniel stood, stunned.

  “What the heck is happening?” he asked Laura.

  ‘Nathaniel.’ Sienna's voice entered his mind then, frantic, and Nathaniel let Grego's face leave his thoughts. He and Laura took off in a jog toward the park, their breath coming out in gasps.

  Nathaniel had been in the city center many times at night, and it was always crowded. But this seemed more chaotic than usual. Beings were walking around with dazed looks in their eyes, unsure of what was happening. Nathaniel had no doubt that half of them were dead.

  They had to elbow their way into the park, calling out to their Tiros several times. Nathaniel eventually found Sienna huddled by the lake against Devon's arm. They were shivering, and the boy was holding his side in pain, his face pale.

  Nathaniel rushed to Sienna, putting his arm around her as Laura dropped to Devon's side.

  “What's happening?” Sienna asked, referring to Devon's pain. Nathaniel shook his head, bewildered.

  “I don't know,” he said, as Laura triaged her Tiro. “I don't know. But we have to get you back, and now.”

  Chapter 10

  “It seems so many years have gone by, and yet it's still the same boy in those eyes,” Dorian said to Desmond with a small smile. He was hooked up to every monitor in the med bay that Tara could possibly find, but everything was coming back normal. At this point, all those who had seemingly returned from the dead were being monitored and given every test known to the Academy. It was going to be a long process, but if there was anything wrong with them beside the fact that they had just returned from a long death, Tara was going to find it.

  Desmond was sitting by his side, the curtain drawn. There was so much noise on the other side of it as everyone moved about and tried to figure out what was happening. There was beeping, confused voices, and cries of surprise as more people were reunited.

  “Mmm,” Desmond answered. “So much has changed, though. I don't feel like the same person.”

  “What has changed?” Dorian answered. “If all this is true, then it's best I am up to date on it.”

  “Uh,” Desmond answered, “that is many years of history, Maestro.”

  “Indeed,” Dorian replied. “So start with the things that aren't. You and Mariah are still close, although I see that she has lost her sight.”

  “Yes.” That was an easy one. “It was ten years ago, while on a mission. For a moment, it stopped her, but she has learned to adapt; learn to heal. She trains those who have lost their senses and has become a great resource to the Jurors.”

  “Of course,” he said. “Mariah has always been destined for greatness. And Reynolds? Did he rise the way we thought he did?”

  “Reynolds…” Desmond's mind flashed back to the last time he saw Dorian. Dorian had praised him for taking on Reynolds, the powerful boy who everyone thought would go on to do such great things. “Reynolds chose to rebel from me. He chose to use Acheronian magic when he was eighteen. Turned his back on the tests; turned his back on all of this.”

  “Oh my.” Dorian shook his head. For a witch to choose the dark magic side instead of the Nature side that they chose was unforgivable. They used their magic for evil; they were shamed, and it left those who knew them heartbroken. “I am sorry.”

  “He's still alive,” Desmond said softly. “Every morning, I check on him – just reach out to feel his signature. He is still somewhere out there.”

  “It must have devastated you.”

  “It did.” Desmond took a deep breath. “Had it not been for Mariah, I would not have survived it.”

  “I am glad she is still a great support to you,” Dorian replied. “I am also glad that the Jurors have not threatened either of you for the support you give each other.”

  “Maestro,” Desmond answered, “did you not always know me to be discreet?”

  “Mostly,” Dorian said. “I also knew that tearing you away from Mariah was pointless, and I stopped trying to give you guidance in that area. You knew what you were doing.”

  “Sometimes it seems that it's the only time I knew what I was doing,” Desmond answered.

  “And where did you go after Reynolds?” Dorian prompted.

  “Christa,” he smiled. “She lost her Maestro, and we found each other in a state of grief. She is a well-renowned pilot now.”

  “A happy ending,” Dorian replied, “thanks to you.”

  “From Christa, there was Nathaniel,” Desmond said. “Which brings us to the present day.”

  “You are still training him?” Dorian did the math in his head.

  “No. I picked up Nathaniel late in his life – at thirteen – and so he stayed with me late as well. I thought he would be my last. That Mariah and I would retire. She trained his best friend; those were the years.” He smiled in memories. “But Nathaniel was not quite ready to be independent, and we found Sienna together. You will meet them both. However, Sienna has the acridid gene. She also has enough power to blow the entire galaxy. So, you can imagine why the Jurors made a choice to let us both train her.”

  “The acridid gene?” Dorian answered. “Your Tiro–”

  “Should be dead,” Desmond answered. “But she is not, and we are coping. It's an effort, I grant you, especially at my age, but it takes a village as they say, and I have a village.”

  “Well then, I should very much like to meet her,” Dorian answered. “I am proud of you, Desmond.”

  Even though he must be confused, with a thousand thoughts running through his head, Dorian still managed to set Desmond's mind at ease. There was nothing like his Maestro's confidence to make him feel he could conquer anything.

  It was with a calm demeanor that he approached Nathaniel that night after most of the Academy had settled down. Nathaniel was at his desk, looking tired, with papers spread out in front of him. Desmond could see from his monitor that he had tried to place several calls to Eliza, all unanswered.

  “Hi,” Nathaniel said, pulling papers off his second chair so that Desmond could join him. “What's that like, having your Maestro back?”

  “Exactly as you would imagine,” Desmond answered. “Disturbing, and yet calming at the same time. Are you writing a formula to figure out why it happened?”

  “Nobody can figure out why a thing like that could happen,” Nathaniel answered. “So, at the moment, I'm grading mathematics quizzes and praying it distracts me. Eliza's not answering, and neither is the general palace line. It's worrying.”

  “Perhaps she's busy,” Desmond replied. “It could happen, you know.”

  “I know,” Nathaniel said. “It's just that she asked me to look into something, which is how that whole situation with Laura began.”

  “Eliza asked you for something and you fell into bed with Laura?” Desmond raised an eyebrow. “Yes, I see.”

  “Don't be like that.” Nathaniel rolled his eyes. “You don't know what it's like.”

  Desmond crossed his arms, leaning back in the chair. “I don't know what it's like to manage an extremely difficult relationship
that I'm not supposed to have?”

  “No,” Nathaniel shot back. “You don't know what it's like to be with more than one person. To have that agreement. To manage that.”

  “Which are not things we should know at all,” Desmond pointed out, and Nathaniel sighed.

  They stopped moving as they felt Sienna shift in the next room. It was a momentary jerk – probably a bad dream – and she settled down easily enough.

  “How is she?” Desmond asked, and Nathaniel sighed.

  “She's fine,” he said. “Or fine for her, at least. She got a scare in the park, though. Laura's Tiro, Devon, is just as unwell as she is, apparently. His is known and better managed, so he slowly dies without feeling much pain, unless they make a mistake in meds, which they did tonight. He'll be fine, too, but she's traumatized by it.”

  “And Laura takes warrior missions?” Desmond asked in shock.

  “Until the day he drops dead on one,” Nathaniel said, shaking his head. “Not something I agree with, obviously.”

  “But those things can be put aside when there are other matters,” Desmond replied, and Nathaniel rolled his eyes.

  “It was once, all right?”

  “Nathaniel, I am not the person to criticize you on this,” Desmond said, and leaned forward. “I am not your enemy; do not mistake me as such.”

  “I know.” Nathaniel ran a hand over his face. “I'm sorry. You just…when you came to get me, I imagined the worst.”

  “What is the worst?” Desmond prompted, trying to see where Nathaniel's mind was leading.

  “That Sienna was dead,” he said and Desmond smiled.

  “There was a time when that would not be the worst thing to you. You didn't want her, if I recall.”

  “There was,” Nathaniel answered. “The worst thing in the world at that time would have been Eliza not calling me back. Now I know that she is just busy, and I spend the moments in between missed calls checking in to see if my Tiro is still breathing. Which, she is.”

  “Life changes,” Desmond reminded him, thinking of his conversation with Dorian. “But the important thing to remember is that we are all still here.”