by Kade Cook
Shane lifts his head to glance at him briefly with what resembles a hint of fear harboring within his eyes then begins to speak. “I was thinking about something that you had told me a long time ago about the sanctity of Shadow Walkers’ relationships—the level of sacredness that they represent.”
“They are, Shane, as sacred as their oaths.” Orroryn smiles, hoping this talk means Shane’s heart has finally started to soften.
“And I know that you chose a human.”
“That is true. It was many years ago,” Orroryn replies, lowering his voice. His heart lurches within his chest, the ragged edges of the never-mending wound sear as the question pulls it from its slumber—exposing the magnitude of its sting again tonight. As painful as it is to remember, he allows it, pressing forward with the conversation, curious as to where this is going to lead.
“Knowing how we live and exist, why did you...” He hesitates trying to find the right words. “I mean, how did things...”
Orroryn helps his son with his awkwardness in expressing his thoughts. “You want to know why I would choose a human to give my heart to when I know I would lose her so quickly,” he states, looking straight into Shane’s troubled eyes.
“Yes.”
“Ah. Very well.” Orroryn’s strong lips tremble as memories flood his mind, all of them. He closes his eyes and inhales a ragged breath, taking a moment to push back the pain and the guilt that lives within his heart in every moment of his existence. “It was not a choice of logic, Shane. Knowing that a human’s existence sometimes seems like nothing more than a mere glimpse in a Schaeduwe’s memory does seem like an illogical match,” he reveals while Shane listens intently. “When the heart chooses who it is going to love, there is very little the mind can do to stop it. If you concede to let it win and embrace every moment that you have together, it is in those memories and in those moments that you will find the strength to carry you through even the longest hours of Darkness when nothing else will. It does not matter what kind of love you find as long as you allow yourself the gift of finding it.” Orroryn watches his son’s expression change. The heavy weight that had been pressing down on his shoulders, lifts as he leans back in his chair. The shadowed doubt lingering in the back of his mind that had washed the light from his eyes quickly fades. Wrinkles deepen at the edge of his gaze as last night’s images consume his thoughts.
Shane feels his heart swell, knowing what Orroryn has just said to be true. He smiles at his adoptive father and concretes his decision.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Come Away with Me
GABRIAN AWAKENS BRIGHT and early, dragging herself down the stairs. At first she just goes through the motions of Christmas morning in a haze. But after a couple cups of coffee, she begins to enjoy her time with her mom and dad as they open their gifts, telling old stories of Christmases past, and eating everything in sight until they cannot move.
After devouring what had been Christmas dinner, she sneaks off to her room and crawls into her bed, hoping for a quick nap—completely exhausted from the morning’s festivities. Lying on her bed and patiently awaiting sleep’s arrival, her drowsy eyes catch sight of something moving. It is the second hand of the clock that hangs on the wall beside her bathroom door.
It is noon.
It tick-tocks away, and she watches as the hands slowly chase each other around the face of the time keeper. At first, she hopes its rhythmic steadiness will lull her into sleep, but the more she stares at it, the more she feels anxiety begin to stir within her. The ticking continues on and on, but it has become loud, annoying, and is nearly driving her crazy. Not able to hear its madness any longer, she bounds off the side of her bed and heads for the shower. If she is not going to sleep, then she might as well get ready to go.
ARRIVING AT NORTHEAST Harbor dock, Gabrian pulls into the visitor’s spots by the edge of the parking lot. She checks herself in the mirror one last time to make sure she does not have anything on her face that is not supposed to be there. Exiting the car and heading toward the ramp leading to the loading dock, she stands at the top and looks out over the harbor. She watches as the voyagers carry their bags down the ramp and load them onto a large boat with the name Sea Queen on its helm. She smiles, admiring its sturdy splendor. A memory of taking day trips around the islands with her folks on this particular mail boat as a child makes her smile. It is one of her most favourite recollections of growing up.
Lost in the moment, she stands in a serene silence, enchanted by the harbor’s own mystical beauty, and breathes in the fresh sea air. Then from somewhere down below she hears a low sanded voice calling out her name.
“Gabrian.” She looks in the direction of the sound and sees him standing at the bottom of the float—dark, beautiful, and tonight, all hers. He waves at her to join him. “You better hurry up or you are gonna miss the boat,” he yells up at her and laughs.
She trudges her way down the ramp as it rises and falls with the wakes of the other boats entering the harbor. She holds onto the rails, trying not to fall. Making it to the bottom without a scene, Shane holds out his hand for her to take and pulls her on board of the Sea Queen. She steps down onto the boat, but it suddenly rocks—tripping her up—and she slips, falling into him as she tries to steady herself. “You are sure you are not afraid of water?” He smiles down at her, trying to clarify any change in plans.
“No, I am good,” she coos, assuring him. Being so close, she catches his scent and it makes her want to pull him even closer. But she refrains for now. “I really love it, actually.”
“Well, that is good news.” Shane smiles and pulls them away from the side of the boat to the back door to allow some space for other folks to board. “Because you are soon going to be surrounded by a lot of it.” He winks at her and nudges her playfully.
The engine of the boat roars to life as the Captain turns the key and pulls the throttle down—backing the boat up and pulling away from the dock. It has been quite a few years since she has been on a boat. She reaches out and takes hold of Shane’s brown Carhart coat as she tries to stay upright. The Sea Queen gathers momentum, slicing through the harbor’s calm waters and heads into the open ocean. Shane cradles her within his strong arms to steady her.
Feeling a little more secure in her footing, Gabrian turns to look behind them. At the dock, she sees people throwing their hands up in the air in frustration at the realization they are stranded, having missed their one and only ride home. She feels bad for them but laughs just the same at their comedic gestures.
Shane glances down at her, still safely tucked within his embrace. “What are you laughing at?”
She raises her hand and points toward the shrinking dramatic scene taking place on the dock.
“Yeah, that happens a lot here,” he says, chuckling. “It is a mail boat. It has a schedule to keep. I am still not sure why people can’t figure that out.”
Once they hit open water, the boat’s motion seems to smoothen a bit as it gains speed and plains out. Feeling braver, Gabrian slides out from beneath Shane’s protective cover and tries to stand on her own. After a few minutes of awkward stumbling, she finds her sea legs almost as well as the locals who ride the boat daily. She edges herself closer to the side of the stern and stares out into the vastness of the ocean before her. Its untamable fierceness fills her full of energy and engulfs her with the sensation of freedom, like the whole world is being shut out the further into the water they go. Her mind drifts—creating an illusion of where time is slowing down all around them and all the worry she has been carrying around so faithfully has dissipated—left somewhere behind on the dock, too far away to be able to follow her here.
Shane watches as Gabrian stands contented with the wind wiping her hair wildly all around her. A smile creeps over his mouth as he sees the life in her eyes brighten and the wildness of her soul being released as she takes in the beauty of the world before her. She has unknowingly bewitched him.
She glances over at him
, and watches his dark curls shifting gently with the wind. The wide smile that had resided on her mouth softens into a grin and from beneath her long dark lashes, icy blue irises freeze him in place—sparkling from the reflections of daylight across the water. For a moment, the few steps between them on the crowded boat seem too far, and he yearns to reach out to her—to embrace her and hold her close. The thought of kissing her lips again warms his body to the core, making his heart ache. Shane slides his hand over his chest briefly in reflex as something dawns on him. From the very first moment he had laid eyes on this girl, he knew that now and forever more, he would only just see her. No other will ever compare.
The boat finally begins to slow as they come in around the dock. She looks up to see a sign that says Cranberry Island. They weave their way to the starboard side of the vessel and prepare to disembark. Shane climbs upward onto the platform and reaches out his hand to help her up off the side of the boat and onto the stairs of the dock. She climbs the wooden, ocean-weathered steps—coated with small white barnacles and bits of sea grass that float beneath the waterline on its lower stages—and waits for him at the top. He helps some of the other travelers up the stairs as the boat rocks to-and-fro with the waves from its wake then jumps back down onto the Sea Queen for a moment to grab his bag from the floor. With a quick leap forward, he lands back onto the stairs and hurries up them to meet his guest.
“So what did you think?” he quizzes, knowing full well what her answer will likely be.
“That was amazing,” she says, delighted. Her face beams with a goofy grin through windblown messy tassels of dark hair as her pupils widen while she talks a mile a minute, still filled with emotion from the boat ride. He puts his free arm around her and gives her a gentle hug then reaches down to gather her hand within his own as they walk up the dock leading to the shore. They stop in front of an old beat up truck she is convinced has seen its better days and places his bag onto the empty truck bed. A sharp screeching sound tears through her eardrums as Shane pulls open the battered door and reaches in to start the engine, turning the heater on High.
“Get inside before you freeze,” he tells her as he holds the door open. “I will be right back.” Gabrian climbs in the truck, and Shane closes the door behind her. He quickly jogs across the haphazard parking lot and up the wide-set steps of the local store, going inside. The sign above the door reads ‘Cranberry General.’ Gabrian loves the rural feel of it all. She looks back around and watches as the mail boat reverses and makes its way back out across the water, heading for its next island drop off.
A huge black Raven suddenly lands on the top of the granite stone sitting just in front of Shane’s old beater truck. It stretches its beautiful black head and beak toward her. Its feathers fluff quickly, cascading shades of blue and purple in among the black. Something about it looks familiar—which she knows sounds like a strange thing to think since they all seem to resemble each other—but this one does seem to be different. She looks closer, watching it observe her every move and notices a flaw in his black ensemble. There is a small fleck of grey just beneath his breast. It has the same kind of marking as the Raven that had told off Ethan the other day on the way to the Coffee Hound. She is certain of it. He is beautiful though, despite his imperfection.
The black bird suddenly looks to its left, and Gabrian turns to see what has grabbed its attention.
Shane bounds back across the parking lot, returning with what looks like a six pack of Corona in his hand and a grin on his face. He opens the door and climbs in, setting the beer in between them on the seat. Gabrian knows she is completely out of her element, and she is delighted.
Putting the truck in drive, they begin their journey up the curvy narrow road. Gabrian tries to study every house they pass, taking in their details and wondering about their stories, taken with the historical feel she gets as they chug their way along the island landscape. Every head turns to wave. Every face has a smile. And coincidentally, almost every person they meet is illuminating with numerous shades of blue hues around them. Interesting, Gabrian thinks then remembers that the blue colour is the water aura, the Hydor Fellowship, which would make perfect sense since they are on a remote island—a likely choice for them to congregate here.
Gabrian shudders, remembering all the hostility she had received from Caspyous at the Covenant of Shadows meeting. Shane notices her change in spirit. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I am fine, why?” she asks, not realizing she had traded her cheery grin for a sullen pout and was now chewing her nails. She pulls her hand down away from her mouth and forces a grin, remembering where she is and tries to shake the mood.
“I just noticed your smile faded all of a sudden.” He peeks over at her with a cheeky grin in chopped glances as he tries to watch the road.
“I think I just caught a chill on the boat,” she lies, hoping he will believe her. “I will be fine.”
He smiles but it is laced with a hint of doubt as his eyes narrow for a moment, giving her a coy stare down look of concern as they come to a stop at the end of a long dirt road. She looks out the window and sees a cedar-shingled building with a glass front at the edge of the road. Shane grabs the beer and jumps out of the truck then runs over to her door, opening it before she can. Once she is out, he closes it behind her then grabs the bag off of the back of the truck. He begins to march across the snow-laced driveway toward the wooden building then stops and turns around.
“Are you coming?” he asks with a playful grin. Gabrian, who is still looking around taking in her scenery, realizes he is talking to her. She comes to her senses and trudges through the shallow snow, following behind him.
Shane waits for her in front of the door of the building then opens it up, stepping inside. Gabrian enters behind him, and he closes the door behind her. Setting the bag on the floor and the beer on the countertop, Shane takes off his winter boots and slips on a pair of ugly rubber-gummed shoes. Smiling sheepishly, he picks up another pair and hands them to her. She looks at him strangely but follows suit and replaces her boots. He grabs two of the beer off the counter, opens them up, and hands her one as he takes a big drink out of the other. Watching the muscles in his throat shift as he swallows down the cold delicious liquid, Gabrian’s breath catches in her chest. Her skin prickles as the icy sting of desire washes over her body, and her temperature spikes—reacting to his subtle movements. She pushes her urge to touch his neck quickly aside and eagerly accepts his gift, swallowing down the cool bubbly drink—thankful for its distraction. His mouth curves seductively upward at the edges, making it hard for her to concentrate, but to her relief he soon turns to unlatch a second door in front of them and opens it, walking through in front of her while wearing a grin.
Gabrian is suddenly hit by a wall of heat and an undeniable scent of summer. So completely captivated by what lies before her, she passes through the door and becomes immediately entranced by where she is. Everywhere she looks there is life, growth, and warmth. She decides that she never wants to leave this place.
Shane watches her silently, delighted with her reaction to his secret little world. Her eyes find him with his hair hanging loosely about his face, the ends curling up just slightly—giving him a boyish look as he picks at the greens tucked neatly in the grow boxes below him and placing them gently in the basket beside his feet. He peeks over at her under his curls, and Gabrian feels her heart flutter and spark with electricity as their eyes meet. Their eyes hold on to each other, not wanting to break the connection—dancing in an embrace of the souls. Gabrian feels the pull between them becoming incredibly intense, and she looks away, filled with fire. She fights the urge to look back at him, but she cannot stop it. Her eyes search to gaze upon him again, and they find him still staring at her. Her face flushes and she feels the blood rush to her cheeks, but she does not care.
Shane’s heart races loudly in his ears. He is unable to calm it, helpless to look away. Trying hard to gain control of himself, he forces the w
ords awkwardly out of his mouth. “These are for supper.”
She looks down at the greens he has placed in the basket and realizes he is trying to explain to her what he is doing. “I hope you don’t mind, I grow them myself.”
Swallowing hard and resurfacing from beneath the flood of desire, Gabrian finds her voice. “No, not at all,” she chokes out. “I am actually rather impressed.”
Shane stands and wipes the dirt from his hands on a cloth he pulls from the table beside him. “It’s just something that I like to do,” he says, dipping his head low, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck, and looking around the small four-walled haven. “It helps me keep things in balance. It helps me slow down.”
“No need to explain. All I have to do is look around to know why you do this,” she says, taking a sip from her beer. “Everyone needs a place where they can put the world away for a few minutes.”
“Just for a few,” he says softly as he walks toward her carrying the basket of greens. He stops in front of her and leans in. His mouth opens slightly and she feels her body tingle the closer he gets to her. She takes a deep breath, closing her eyes. Then she hears him whisper softly; his warm breath brushes against her ear. “Time to go.”
She exhales and opens her eyes. Feeling exasperated, she turns to see him grinning at her then he hands her the basket of greens and opens the door for her. She rolls her eyes and quickly makes her exit while he follows behind, holding the white bag he brought in one hand and the remainder of the six pack of beer in his other.
They leave the warmth of the greenhouse and enter back out into the cold. The sun is fading so any heat the day had held is now fleeting, and the chill of night has begun. She follows him closely as they head up the driveway toward what she assumes is his home. Along the top of the tree line, she notices in her peripheral sight a large black bird hopping along the tree tops, seemingly following them. She smiles and wonders if this is the same bird that found her of interest at the dock.
