Gran stopped tugging on me and then Logan was looming over me, picking me up. There was another screeching noise and Logan froze. Gran spoke quickly with Dwayne.
"I don't think he likes me much," Logan said.
He set me carefully on my feet a few yards away. I swayed, but managed to stay upright.
"Gran will fix that," I said.
Looking at the mess in front of me was almost comical. Dwayne was listening to Gran, making a grating noise here and there as a response to her reassuring voice. The rock man had his arm outstretched and he was calmly holding Sid by the throat. The large man was locked in terror.
Logan stood next to me, looking every bit as human as I did. His shirtsleeve was torn, but otherwise, he looked remarkably unmarred.
"What happened to Carl?" I asked.
"The guy inside? He's taking a break," Logan said.
"Who are they?" I asked.
"Not sure yet, but we'll find out." Logan watched Gran talk with Dwayne. "She's good with him. Does he know the language?"
I yawned and shook my head. "No, but Gran's good with almost everyone." The dullness of fatigue crept back enough for uncertainty to make a show. "What happens now?"
"We take your rocky friend-"
"Dwayne," I said, interrupting.
Logan chuckled. "Well, we take your friend and try to find a translator to figure out what he's here for. I'm not familiar with the race so his arrival here may be an accident."
"He has a message he needs to get to someone."
Logan raised an eyebrow and looked at me. "You know why he's here?"
Trying to stifle the next yawn, I nodded. "We found out."
"Well, that makes things easier. We help him get his message delivered, and we find a way for him to get home. Or, if he decides to stay, we help him find a place."
"Somehow, I can't see Dwayne renting an apartment."
Logan let his musical laugh fill the evening. "No, not an apartment. In the country somewhere."
"Not locked up?"
Logan shook his head. "We have a few places around here. He'd have a house and neighbors that are in the same boat as he. It’s enclosed with a fence, but you'd probably think of it more as a country club than a prison. If he wants to, we'd teach him to communicate and learn how to live here. Then he can live somewhere else if he'd like."
"I had no idea any of this happened," I said.
"Very few do." Logan gestured to Sid. "So, what happened out here?"
I gave Logan a brief rundown.
"How's the arm?" he asked.
"It sucks," I said, "but I'm pretty sure it's only bruised."
"What does Sid's Path look like now?" Logan asked.
I shook my head. "The last I saw it, dread had taken up residence. I can't check now, though. Maybe after some coffee or something."
Gran waved her arm at us, and Logan and I went over.
"Logan, this is Dwayne. Dwayne, this is Logan."
Dwayne grated in response.
"Do you mind if I take this guy off your hands?" Logan asked, nodding towards Sid.
Moving slowly, but with purpose, Logan took one of Sid's hands, wrapped it behind his back, and grabbed the other. Logan took a piece of plastic from his pocket and wound it around the man's hands before cinching them tightly together.
"Thank you," Logan said to Dwayne. When Logan moved Sid to the side, Dwayne let go.
"Let's go inside," Logan said. "I've got a few calls to make."
***
Logan's partner wasn’t pleased about the ordeal. The next day, I found myself in a large truck that reminded me of a SWAT-style vehicle, except there were two rows of seats up front and a smaller area in the back. I sat in the back seat next to Dwayne with Logan and Agent Peterson in the front.
Logan looked and sounded happy. The song he hummed was one I knew right away. It had only been a few weeks ago that I watched Chicago and the Cell Block Tango was always fun. Even if it hadn't been Logan's enchanting voice, it would have cheered me to hear it. I had no idea if Sid and Carl were going to prison, but whatever fate had in store for them, they had it coming.
Agent Peterson was grinding his teeth.
We drove up to the entrance of a nearby state park. The gates were shut, but a park ranger opened it and waved us through.
It was strange seeing the park so quiet. Every time I'd been there on a beautiful day, it was packed with people. For Dwayne, strings were pulled and the park was ours for a few hours.
It took us no time at all to walk to the mouth of the cave.
Dwayne appeared apprehensive. Knowing it was a difficult message for him to deliver, I moved over close to him and patted his arm, much like Gran had done. The scraping noise Dwayne made was soft. Then the stone man stood straighter, touched the rocks of the cave, and stood still.
Reaching into the Path, I saw tiny tendrils of energy shoot from Dwayne's fingers and fly straight through the rock as though traveling a stream.
"Is he sending his message?" Agent Peterson asked. He appeared calmer out here in the open. Maybe he needed the serenity of nature to lighten up.
He had addressed his question to Logan, but when Logan didn't reply, I answered.
"No," I murmured, so I wouldn't interrupt Dwayne. "I think he's looking for his friend."
"Did he tell you that?" Agent Peterson asked.
The man might have been calmer, but I still didn't like his tone.
"He didn't have to," I said. "I can see it."
Dwayne made a deep rumble that I hadn't heard before. The lines of power all dropped save for one.
"How can you-"
"Shh," I said, interrupting Peterson, “he found who he's looking for."
When Dwayne sent his message, we all knew it. The ground rumbled and quaked, but not all over. In a broad area around Dwayne, the movement stuttered across the surface and then sank into the ground. It was too bad the power didn’t follow the cave. It would have been neat to travel that Path for a little while. Instead, I watched it disappear into the earth.
Since I was still tired from yesterday, I couldn't read for long. Sighing, I closed my eyes and let the Path drift away. When I looked again, I was left with the dulled colors of the real world.
"How's the show?" Logan asked.
I grinned at him. "Not bad."
Dwayne stopped for a while and stood as still as a statue, which he might have been mistaken for, though he never lost contact with the wall.
"Do you know what the message was?" Agent Peterson asked.
Looking over, I saw that he was as enamored with the whole thing as I was. "If I remember correctly, it was 'pebble fused with pebble, worn away by air and grief. Clay born by water dams the flow. Metal forged in fire struggles forward against the desolate gray plains of sand.' I'm pretty sure that was the message. In the closest translation to our language anyway."
"Any idea what it means?" Peterson asked.
I shook my head, but to my surprise, Logan had an answer.
"War," Logan said sadly. "Wherever they are from, war has broken out, or is getting ready to start."
"Do you think?" I asked.
Logan nodded. "Elves know war."
The ground around Dwayne quaked. Unlike Dwayne's message, this spread out. Rocks fell from the ceiling and everyone but Dwayne, who remained motionless, moved away from the cave entrance.
The ground stopped shifting and I sighed in relief, but my response was short lived. The ground was assaulted once more, harder this time. More rocks broke free and the trees creaked and swayed. Then it was over. Dwayne sent a short reply and then left the cave. He looked diminished somehow.
He walked over to me and motioned to a stream. I nodded and waved at it, and then Dwayne strode off. He rolled around in the water for a while. When he returned, he seemed to stand a little taller, as though the water had lightened his heart.
"What happens to him now?" I asked on our way back to the truck.
"We're still
working on finding a translator," Agent Peterson said. "The Native Americans are familiar with his race, but so far, no one knows how to communicate with him."
"Can he stay with Gran for a few days?" I asked. "I'm certain we can get things figured out."
Agent Peterson started to say something, but Logan cut him off. "Sure. He seems happy there, and right now, that's probably the best thing for him. We'll have to check in, of course."
"Thanks," I said. “Gran will appreciate that."
We were barely out of the park when my phone rang. Looking at the caller ID, I immediately moved the call to voice mail. Less than two minutes later, it rang again. I stared at the word, Mom, as the contact, then pushed it to voicemail and turned the phone off.
"Everything okay?" Logan asked. "You can take the call."
"It's fine," I said. "My mother wants to let me know how she feels about me missing work today."
"We could put in an official call to your office if you need," Agent Peterson said, grinning at me. "When the Department of the Treasury calls, employers usually respond immediately and do what's asked. They assume it's IRS related and no one wants to mess with them."
"Thanks, but it's not necessary," I said. "I'm handing in my notice anyway. That job isn't for me."
Logan began to hum another song. I wasn't familiar with it, but it was one of those songs that sounded jaunty. No one uses the word anymore until they run across a song like this. Even Dwayne seemed to enjoy the music. At least, that's what I think his scrunching noises were about.
Agent Peterson began drumming his fingers on the door and continued to thrum them all the way to Gran's house.
Logan parked the mammoth truck in the driveway, and had us wait in the vehicle for a few minutes. I'm not sure what he was doing, but we jumped out and hurried into the house when he gave us the okay.
Gran met us at the door and ushered everyone into the sitting room.
"We need to go over a few things before we leave Dwayne in your care," Agent Peterson said.
"I appreciate that," Gran said. "Logan, I left something on top of the oven for the kids. Cassie, can you help him with that?"
Shrugging, I went to the kitchen with Logan. There was a tray of brownies cooling.
"The kids are going to love this," Logan said. "They're looking forward to meeting Margaret. Especially Susan. She hasn't been very social lately, so it'll be good to see her visiting someone."
"I'm sure Gran would love that," I said.
"What's next for you? After leaving your job, I mean."
"No idea. Whatever it is, it's not going to be in the same field as my mother. I've got a few months’ rent money saved up, though. I'm sure something will come up."
Logan pulled his wallet out of his back pocket and took out a card. "I said it before. A Reader would do well in my line of work. If you're interested, give me a call. I'll put in a good word for you."
"Thanks," I said. "Though I'm not sure I'm interested in reading the Path as a job."
"Well, think it over," Logan said. "Call me anytime."
Chapter 10
The next night, I found myself in a restaurant with Gran, Mom, and Bob. Knowing where the conversation would lead, my stomach was tied in knots. After about ten minutes into dinner, Mom started in with her pleas for Gran to move in with her.
"Cassie and I are both worried about you in that big old house all on your own," Mom said.
Gran raised an eyebrow at me and I had the distinct impression that she wanted to have a few words with me once we were alone. Mom wasn't wrong, though. I did worry about Gran. Knowing that she might at any time drag Dee Dee out to pick up a stray person from another dimension only added to my unease.
"It's time you sold the house," Mom said.
"I'll consider sellin’ the house," Gran said. "It's a bit large for one person."
Mom looked stunned. "I'm so happy to hear that, Mom. Bob and I will set up the guest room for you, and we'll move you in as soon as you want."
"Now, Anala, you know we'd get along like fire and water," Gran said. "I'm far too young to need to be movin' in with my daughter. I like my independence and I need my space."
Mom looked like she was gathering steam when the idea struck me. "How about Gran and I move in together?"
"Don't get me started on you, young lady," Mom snapped. "You need to focus on your career. The behavior you've displayed in the last week is going to count against you when they're looking at you for a promotion."
"I'm not in the least bit concerned about a promotion, Mom," I said.
Her mouth actually dropped open. "You are going to have a long career in front of you. Do you want to spend that time on the bottom rung of the ladder?"
"I quit my job." Trying to lighten the mood, I added, "I'm pretty sure they won't promote me after that."
"This is not a laughing matter, Cassandra. Okay,” Mom said holding up her hands. "This is not the end of the world."
I had seen that look on her face before. She was getting ready to strong-arm her way through and try to fix my life.
"They opened up a new position at our firm," she said. "It will be a little odd, working with your mother-"
"I already have a potential offer," I said. After Logan gave me his card, it had only taken me three hours to decide to make the call.
"Oh, well, that's a whole different story." Her mood lifted some, but I could see that she was still leery. "Which firm are you going with?"
"None of them," I said. "Yesterday evening, I reached out to a new friend. They interviewed me this morning."
"On a Saturday?" Mom asked. "This must be big for them to bring you in on the weekend. What will you be doing?"
"Well, there's a lengthy background check, and I have to take a few classes." Under the table, I wrapped the napkin tightly around my hand, let it fall loose, and wrapped it tight again. There was no way she was going to like this. "They'll pay me while I train, though. In around six months, if I make it through the training programs, I'll get a position."
"Are you working on your CPA?" Mom asked.
"Ah, no, I'll be working for the government," I said.
"Oh, no." Mom sagged. "Don't get me wrong, the government has a good retirement program, but the pay isn’t great and the grueling work isn't worth it. I've heard horror stories of auditing some departments."
"I'm not going be an accountant," I said. "But I'll have to be out of town for a few months and I'll lose my apartment. I'll still be here for a while, and I'll have plenty of time for Gran and me to find a place. If you want to move in with me, that is,” I said, turning to Gran.
"I appreciate your offer, I really do, but I do not need to be looked after," Gran said.
"But maybe we could kind of take care of each other," I said. "The new job sounds like it'll be crazy hours. Sometimes, I'll have to leave at a moment’s notice and be gone for a few days."
"You're young, darlin'. Surely, you don't want to live with me."
"I think I would. And it would be our house." I was getting excited about the idea. "We'd both come and go however we want or need to, but we'd have someone around when we needed it."
"And when you start datin’ again?" Gran asked. "I know what you young people get up to."
I rolled my eyes. Dating was still the furthest thing from my mind. "Are you going to care if I bring company over?"
"Are you going to care if I do?" Gran asked.
I grinned. "Not at all, and we can get something newly constructed, so we don't have to worry about anything breaking."
"What is happening here?" Mom asked.
"I think Cassie and I are going to be roommates," Gran said. "At least for a while."
"I'm confused," Mom said. "You two living together might work. Like you said, Mom, at least for a short time. But Cassie, what is this new job that's going to take you in and out at a moment’s notice?"
"Well." I glanced at Bob and back to, Mom. "It's sort of a cross between immigration an
d law enforcement."
Mom stared at me and didn't say anything.
"That sounds a little far from your field," Bob said. "Are you sure you want to make such a large change?"
I gave him a weak smile. "I'm sure that I want to try. That's all I really know right now."
Mom glared at Bob and he took the hint.
"I'm going to excuse myself for a few minutes and let you all chat," Bob said, sounding somewhat relieved. "I'll be at the bar."
Even after he left the table, Mom didn't say anything.
"This really is a great job," I said, trying to fill the silence. "Like you said, the benefits are excellent and the pay for this job is much better than I expected. Assuming I get the job, that is. Training pay isn't the best."
"Why are you doing this?" Mom asked.
I let out a long meditative breath of air. This was the question I had been dreading.
"This job allows me to be me," I lowered my voice and leaned in. "I'll be able to use my ability as a Reader to help people."
Mom looked like she had been slapped in the face. "I thought you didn't want to do that anymore."
"No. I took a break from it. You were the one who didn't want me to use my abilities anymore," I said.
"Is this your doing, Mother?" Mom asked Gran.
"This has nothing to do with Gran, or you, for that matter," I said. "This was my choice, my decision, and I'm not changing it."
"You're an accountant. Not some..." she appeared to be struggling with the word, "person that gallivants around the country doing whatever it is you’re doing."
"I know you don't like this-"
Mom cut me off. "That is most definitely the case."
"But I'm doing it," I said.
"I didn't pay for four years of college for you to throw it away like this." Mom spat the words out like bullets.
It sucked to see her so angry. "You're not changing my mind."
"That's it then," Mom said. "You'll be a..."
"An agent," I offered.
"They're going to do the same thing Zander did once it gets out what you can do," Mom said.
Did she really say that? It was my turn for stunned silence. Thankfully, Gran was there to back me up.
AIR Series Box Set Page 8
