“I’m so sorry.” Lacey hated it when she couldn’t stop the bad premonitions. I was silently kicking myself for not asking more questions during the flight. This had to have been a tough day for her: two premonitions in the same day and both had come true.
The half-breed asked, “So, what are you doing here?”
She chewed her lower lip. Lacey only did that when she was nervous about something. “I thought maybe I could help. I mean, I’ve been having weird visions all day. I don’t know who she is, but I think I was connected to her for a while. Not long after you left the hospital, I tried to connect with her. I tried to warn her, but I couldn’t make the connection. I could see things through her eyes, at least for a little while, then everything went black. I didn’t know what happened, but I thought you might need me.”
A Centaur walked past and Lacey began shouting. “You, hey! Hey, you. Yes!” Lacey had gotten the Centaur’s attention and motioned him over. Without any of the manners she seemed to come by naturally, she blurted out, “Who are you?”
The Centaur didn’t take offense, but he responded, “Excuse me?”
“My name’s Lacey; I’m a seer.” A look without any sort of recognition spread on his eyes as she continued, “I saw you a few hours ago in a vision. The girl, you were with the girl!”
The Centaur’s expression soured. He nodded respectfully, “Yes. I was. I’m Drake Nash. I was with her. . . I was there. . . when they took her.” His voice cracked. I wasn’t sure how all the pieces were fitting together. Lacey had come to help the Centaur who pulled her from the car accident, Beau Strayer, who we had yet to meet. A Centauride important to him was in danger, but it was not his wife or his betrothed. Judging from the reaction of this Drake Nash in front of us, Drake had been the Centauride’s betrothed.
I grew tired of trying to assemble the jigsaw puzzle while I was still missing pieces. I stepped forward and asked, “I’m Lacey’s father. Who was taken?”
The Centaur who stood before me was broken. Not the physical injuries, although he must have been in a tough battle and fought hard. There was no swelling in his face, but the remnants of bruises that were only hours old still shadowed his face. He answered, “It was Camille Strayer.”
“Who is Camille Strayer?” Hmmm, Beau Strayer, the Centauride had to have been a sister or a cousin. That explained his connection. I didn’t know the name Camille Strayer as anyone of importance, certainly not enough to warrant this much attention.
Drake’s answer was absent any emotion when he answered, “Her mother was Angela Chiron.”
I felt my heart skip. It couldn’t be. Angela was dead, or so I and every other Centaur believed. She was the closest thing to nobility any of us had ever known. Angela had been of betrothal age when I was. Every Centaur on the planet knew of Angela: she was the last female Chiron; then she disappeared. She had been betrothed to Winfield and Unice’s descendant, Kyle Richardson.
We all believed she’d backed out of the marriage, so he had killed her. Her body was never found, and he had never been held accountable for the crime. It couldn’t be. I wanted to make sure I had heard him correctly, “I’m sorry, you said this Camille, she was the daughter of Angela Chiron?”
He nodded. “She was kidnapped late this morning.”
Rage grew within me. How could this have happened? It was every Centaur’s duty to defend the Chiron family. Why was her safety in the hands of one Centaur? “Has the Centaur Council been notified?”
Drake shook his head, “I don’t know. Her father is over there.” Drake pointed to a Centaur surrounded by young Centaurs. He was not someone I’d seen before. I’d never claimed to be very political, but having a Centauride of age forced me to get to know the influential families. I had never heard of William Strayer.
My curiosity had definitely been piqued. I didn’t like the idea of leaving Lacey alone, but she seemed to feel comfortable with them. I would only be a few feet away. “Lacey, excuse me. Remember what I told you.”
“I remember, Dad. I’ll be okay.”
So many thoughts were racing in my mind, I had trouble keeping up. When I was mere feet away, I held out my hand to the distraught father, “Mr. Strayer, my daughter, Lacey, and I are at your service. She is a seer; how can we help?”
He held out his hand, “Hello, brother. I’m William Strayer. These are my sons. We are mounting a search now.”
“Did I hear it correctly? Your daughter is the daughter of Angela Chiron?”
A stoic expression looked back at me. “Yes. Yes, she is.”
“Has the Centaur Council been notified?”
William flinched, “Not yet. We didn’t want to draw more attention to ourselves than we already have. Right now we’ve taken over this entire hotel. There are no humans other than the hotel staff.”
“You are mistaken,” I angled around and turned to the half-breed Lacey spoke to. “There is one over there talking to my daughter.”
“Ah, yes. That’s Daniel. Although his blood isn’t pure, his Centaur lineage is strong. He’s a close friend of Camille, so he has been permitted to stay.”
“Your daughter has a half-breed friend? As a pet?”
William laughed heartily, and I could tell from his reaction that he did not approve of this friendship. I was pleased that Lacey had never befriended one. “No, Camille was raised as human. She’s a recent addition to the Centaur society.”
I started assembling what he had said in my mind. Camille was the daughter of Angela Chiron and William Strayer. William had four sons flanking him, but they could not be Angela’s. Chiron Centaurides only gave birth to a single set of fraternal twins: always a son and a daughter. How was this possible? He could not be the father of Angela Chiron’s daughter unless his sons were adopted. But the resemblance between William and his sons was uncanny. They were not adopted.
To make sure I wasn’t missing something, I asked for clarification. “But these Centaurs are your sons?”
“Yes, Brent, Ben, Bart, and Bruce,” each nodded a silent greeting as William pointed to them. His eyes darted around the room, as he added, “Beau is around here somewhere.”
Still not understanding, “You have five sons and you fathered twins with Angela?”
William lowered his voice, “I do not have time to share the details with you. As you can imagine, in this instance, notifying the Centaur Council would not be in Camille’s best interest. I appreciate your offer to assist, but understand if you lack conviction.”
Lack conviction? William Strayer broke the first of Zeus’s seven tenants. Those were the rules set down by Zeus himself: they were the laws all Centaurs followed. How could he have taken two wives? It wasn’t possible. “William, it is not my conviction in question, it is your integrity. Camille cannot be the daughter of Angela Chiron.”
He didn’t answer me. I saw a petite older woman with long flowing silver hair step through the hotel entrance. All the Centaurs in the lobby backed away to allow her passage. She was walking directly toward William. I would recognize her anywhere. It was Angela’s mother, Zandra Chiron.
The woman didn’t acknowledge my presence. Instead she asked, “William, have you located Camille?”
“Zandra, I’m so glad you could join us.” From William’s tone, nothing could have been further from the truth. “I trust you had a pleasant trip?”
“No small talk, William. Do you know how much attention you’re drawing to us? You booked an entire hotel, kicked out the humans, and the airport looks like O’Hare. Are you an idiot?”
His answer was respectful. “I believed it better to relocate the humans to avoid the risk of their overhearing what we are or what we’re doing here. The hotel staff believes we are here for a family reunion. They’ve been told we require no support, so what little staff is on hand is simply handing out room keys and conducting parameter surveillance. I called the airport. All available pilots are shuttling aircraft to Omaha, Sioux City and Denver to private hangars; only five pr
ivate jets and five charters will remain in Rapid City.”
Zandra nodded. I shouldn’t be party to this conversation. My curiosity, rather than having been satisfied, grew by leaps and bounds. I needed to call my brother, Norman, and fill him in. I backed away a few steps, allowing the two to strategize as I walked back over to the area of the lobby where Lacey stood.
She was very animated when I returned. “Dad, this is Beau.”
I sized him up. He looked very much like his father, which worried me. His father had children with two different Centaurides; he had broken the first of the seven tenants. He couldn’t keep this a secret. His actions will bring the wrath of the Centaur Council down on his family. Putting on my best poker face, I held out my hand to Beau and said, “I understand I owe you a thank-you for your actions this morning.”
“I wish I could have done more.”
His answer was genuine. It hit me that if he chose, he could enact the third Centaur tenant. A pit began to form in my stomach. I needed to get Lacey back on a plane to San Diego. I didn’t want to let on that my worst nightmare could come true. “Lacey tells me you pulled her out just before the explosion.”
“I did. I heard the two warriors galloping to the pasture immediately after. They didn’t suffer.”
It struck me that he mourned their loss, although he had never met Tom or Ted. Strange. Not at all the response I would have expected. “Thank you, for that; and for giving me Lacey back. She’s all I have left.” I quickly changed the subject to try to shift the focus off of Lacey, “So, your father tells me Camille is your sister?”
“Yes.” Beau’s gaze moved to the distraught Drake, “Drake is her betrothed.”
Finally the pieces were fitting together. I was sure when they were all assembled it would still look like a Picasso, but at least I understood why Lacey felt the need to help. She owed her life to Beau. He looked much older than she, but if he were still within eligibility age, it would be within his rights to claim her as his own.
Camille Strayer was, in fact, the last Chiron Centauride and had been kidnapped. The fact that her father had broken one of Zeus’s tenants to the Centaur was dangerous, and I worried what it would mean if Beau claimed Lacey as his. A debt would be paid for breaking the tenant, and the payment would not be isolated to William. His whole line would pay the price when word of his actions became known.
Chapter 19
(Phineas – Leader of the Lost Herd, at his home, FL)
“I said, give her another shot!”
Sebastian cringed but held his ground, “Phin, she doesn’t need it. She’s still out cold.”
Sebastian rarely disregarded an order, and I couldn’t think of a time when he had stood up to me for anything of consequence. He was my nephew, was fiercely loyal, and could be trusted to do what he was told. I reminded him, “If she gains consciousness, we’ll have a hundred Centaurs on us in a matter of hours. Keep her out until we get things in order.”
“If we keep sedating her, we’re going to need to give her an IV or something. It’s been over twelve hours since we got here.” Although loyal, he didn’t want his hands dirty, or at least not dirtier than they already were. He had been an active participant in the kidnapping, but he wasn’t happy about it.
My frustration wasn’t with him. I purposely calmed myself down and answered, “Then give her an IV, but make sure she stays out.”
“We’re going to have to get a doctor here.”
“Fine, get a doctor, get a nurse, for all I care you can assign a candy-striper, but do not let her wake up.”
Sebastian left the room, and I was alone with my thoughts. Drake Nash was alive. I told them to check before we left. Idiots. She’d already chosen him. As long as he lives, he will have a hold on her. Unless she rejects Drake’s betrothal pledge, she may not be able to unite with my son.
Camille could bring legitimacy to the Lost Herd. The Centaur Council wouldn’t be able to destroy a precious Chiron. They would have to accept us back into the Centaur Society. All the careful planning my father had done twenty-three years ago could be lost because these idiots didn’t bother to check for a pulse.
Zandra had the right idea. She could step down as the Chairman of the Council and pass the torch to Camille rather than to Angela’s brother, Angelo. The thought of Angelo made my skin crawl. How he bore the Chiron name baffled us all. I’d always heard when twins were involved that one was as evil as the other was good. Angela had been known for her kindness, her beauty, and her grace. Her twin, Angelo, was well known, but not in a good way.
Most of his life Zandra had tucked Angelo away in South America, in remote villages where his exploits would not catch the attention of Centaurs or humans. No way would she turn over the Centaur Council to him; I was convinced she had long ago decided to outlive her son. Camille was the best choice to replace Zandra as the Chairman. I wasn’t sure how Zandra would explain Camille’s other bloodline if anyone were to become aware. Camille was a Chiron and a Tak, but Zandra had always had a way of spinning things in her favor. Now was the time for action.
William Strayer was a Tak, and if Camille were to rise as the Chairman of the Centaur Council, word of her lineage would spread quickly. The Centaur Council would have no choice but to accept her and, by extension, accept the Lost Herd. For added measure, having Camille betrothed to my son would solidify the safety of all remaining Tak Centaurs. My teeth grinded as the thought of Drake Nash came to the surface. I needed to get him out of the way. A second team had already been dispatched to tie up that loose end.
Drake Nash would no longer be a concern, and when Camille becomes betrothed to my son, LeRoy, I will carry significant influence. The Lost Herd will no longer have to hide in the shadows, denying our legacy.
Sebastian returned. When the door swung open on me and my thoughts, I immediately crouched into a defensive posture. “Easy, Uncle Phin. It’s just me.” A thin grin appeared on his lips, and if it had been anyone but me, I’m sure he would have poked fun at my response.
He already knew the severity of the action we had taken. I thought it only fitting he understand why. “Sebastian, do you know why we’re doing what we’re doing?”
“It’s not for me to question your methods, Uncle Phin. You can trust me.”
“Indeed I can.” I answered honestly. Sebastian was, in fact, more trustworthy than my own sons. I hadn’t included them on the mission as they were headstrong, willful, and would not have followed my instructions. “Did your father ever tell you why Zeus cast our family out from the other Centaurs?”
Sebastian cocked his head to the side. This subject was never spoken of. To our young Centaurs, it was taboo. His eyes were curious, but he didn’t press for information; his quiet respect told me he could be trusted with our secrets. “Our family successfully deceived the gods. Doing so proved that our family was a threat. The skill our bloodline has which the other Centaur bloodlines do not possess is to plant memories in others’ minds. It seemed a harmless skill, barely more than a parlor trick, until the Centauride Phyllis used her skill against the gods.”
I watched Sebastian’s reaction. His expression remained unchanged. “What I am about to tell you is only for the tight-lipped. You are not permitted to share this story with anyone outside the Lost Herd, and only those in the Lost Herd who you believe would sacrifice their lives before revealing it. Do you understand?”
“I do, Uncle.” Sebastian made a fist and crossed his right arm diagonally over his chest. It was a symbol among our herd, a silent gesture that we could bestow on one another. I’d seen it many times from strangers in strange cities. The gesture meant many things: sometimes it was simply “hello,” other times it meant “I have your back,” but this time it meant, “your secret is safe with me.”
Centaurs of the Lost Herd were different than other Centaurs. We could not only feel the presence of another Centaur, but distinguish our own bloodline from the others, too. It wouldn’t be safe to speak openly to a Ce
ntaur in front of others, so this gesture was adopted as a way to acknowledge our shared lineage with a stranger, without putting the other at risk.
I doubled up my fist and stretched it across my heart, as well. “Phyllis met Sisyphus, the King of Ancient Corinth. King Sisyphus was a mortal who had been known for his desire to cheat death. Phyllis thought it would be entertaining to plant the idea in the mind of King Sisyphus that Charos, the ferryman who carried souls across the River Styx, could be captured.
She inserted the thought that if Charos were chained to the gates on the underworld side of the river with the three-headed dog Cerberus, the ferry would no longer traverse the river and mortals would no longer die. King Sisyphus took this vision and did exactly as his memory instructed him, chaining Charos to the gates on the other side of the River Styx in Hades. Phyllis had been right, and no more humans died – even the old and feeble lived.”
Sebastian rarely asked questions, but I was giving him information about our family that had been withheld from him. He shook his head slightly, “But how could King Sisyphus have traveled on the ferry if he were still alive and in his body? Only souls are permitted on the ferry.”
“How he was able to accomplish it was never part of the story that my father shared with me. I just know that the actions of King Sisyphus’ were the result. Regardless of her intentions, the memory was inserted in his mind by the Centauride Phyllis.”
“I still don’t know how that was such a horrible crime? As you said, it was akin to a parlor trick.”
The gods were furious with King Sisyphus. After investigating, they realized that it was a Centauride from the Tak family that had planted the idea in his head. As punishment, the Tak family was shunned by all other Centaurs, forbidden ever to return to the pasture of Thessaly. Phyllis’ actions condemned us to becoming the Lost Herd.”
“So, for simply inserting a thought in a human’s head, our whole bloodline was cut off from the other Centaurs?”
“The gods believed that the humans would begin to worship King Sisyphus, and in doing so, it would reduce their power over the humans. The gods felt that we were a risk that had to be isolated before word could spread of what Phyllis had done.”
Centaur Legacy Page 14
