Molly beamed at her, then wiped the smile off her face. “I’m sorry, Amy. I shouldn’t be so happy when you’re so upset,” she said.
Amy realized that she was happy for her friend; even if her heart was broken, clearly Molly had found something special. “I think we have some catching up to do,” she said, grinning at Molly. “I’ll make us some tea and you can tell me all about that gorgeous man of yours.”
“Okay, but first, I want to know what happened with Michael,” Molly said, easing herself down in a chair.
“Nothing I can’t get over,” Amy said. “Let’s not talk about him. I was stupid, that’s all.”
She was fighting tears, and she knew that her voice had betrayed her when she felt Molly come up behind her. “You go sit down and let me make the tea,” she said. “I’ll tell you about Adam, but when I’m done, we’re going to talk about Michael.”
“There’s nothing to talk about,” Amy said. “I’ve been running around town thinking that I’d finally found the love of my life, but he was only trying to keep me here or whatever. I mean, I’m not sure what he was doing besides lying to me.”
She fell silent, running the events of the last few days over in her mind while Molly bustled around the little kitchen. When she joined her at the table, Amy looked over at her and asked, “Why didn’t he just tell me that you were safe? I mean, that’s what I don’t understand.”
Molly sighed and pushed a cup of tea over in front of Amy. “Would you have believed him if he’d told you that I’d fallen madly in love, gotten married, and taken a honeymoon in Europe?”
Amy thought about it, then started to laugh. “I still don’t believe it and I’m seeing it with my own eyes,” she said. “But he could have called you or something. I mean, that’s all it would have taken.”
“Well, Adam had given him strict instructions not to bother us unless it was an emergency,” Molly said. “But I have a feeling that there was more going on than just that.”
Amy stared at her, waiting for her to go on. “I think I’m missing something,” she said. “Michael said it himself; he was just trying to keep me here.”
It suddenly occurred to her what Molly meant, but she was far from ready to forgive him. “You don’t think...I mean, when we...I thought...he said...” she trailed off, wondering if she’d been wrong to think it had all been an act. “Oh, what have I done?”
Molly reached over and squeezed her hand, a knowing look on her face. “Don’t worry; it’s not so bad once you get used to it. In fact, it’s rather nice,” she said. “I think you need to give Michael a chance to explain. I think you’ll see that he’s everything you thought he was and more.”
Chapter Sixteen
***Michael***
Michael was pacing restlessly from the kitchen into the living room and back again while Molly and Adam made dinner. Each time he came back into the kitchen, he stopped and looked out the window, more nervous than he’d been in his entire life.
“Are you sure we have to tell her the whole truth?” he asked, making Adam and Molly groan. “I mean, couldn’t we just tell her the safe parts? What if she freaks out and runs away or something?”
Adam set down the knife he’d been chopping vegetables with and said. “Michael, we’ve been over this a hundred times; she has to know. You can’t hide the truth from her forever, and I think we are talking about a forever thing here, aren’t we?”
Michael knew that he was right, but a life spent lying to Amy seemed better than a life without her right at that moment. He pushed the thought away knowing that it wasn’t true; he wanted Amy, but he wanted her with everything out in the open. The only problem was bringing everything out in the open might drive her away.
He was saved from answering Adam by the sound of tires in the yard, but the words echoed in his head as he made his way to the front door. Taking a deep breath, he stood back and let Molly answer the door, his heart pounding in his chest. When he saw Amy, it hit him just how much he had to lose, and he wasn’t sure that he could go through with it. But Molly was convinced that Amy would understand, would believe when she heard the truth, and he hoped that she was right.
Dinner seemed to last forever, punctuated by long periods of silence, and he was relieved when Adam got up and started removing their plates. “Why don’t you two go on into the living room and check on the fire? It’s supposed to get cold tonight, maybe even snow a little,” he said.
Molly got to her feet. “I’ll put some coffee on, and we’ll join you in a few minutes,” she said.
“I’d be happy to help,” Amy volunteered, looking warily at Michael, who’d already gotten to his feet.
“No, we’ll be fine,” Adam said, his tone making it clear they weren’t needed.
He was tempted to hold his hand out to Amy but was afraid that she wouldn’t take it, so instead, he led the way across the hall to the living room. She chose a chair close to the fire, sank into it, and stared into the flames, trying to look relaxed. But he could see her chest rising and falling a little too quickly, and the small vein in her neck was pulsing.
Feeling a fresh wave of guilt that he’d hurt her so badly; he sank down across from her. “Amy, I know what you must be thinking, but I didn’t want to lie to you. I had to,” he said.
She finally looked over at him, her eyes full of pain. “What am I thinking, Michael? That I bared my soul to you, gave myself to you, only to find that everything was based on a lie? When did you decide that the best way to keep me here was to sleep with me? Before or after I told you I was looking for Molly.”
He opened his mouth to answer, but she held up her hand. “Never mind. It doesn’t make any difference,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and staring into the fire again.
Michael had no idea what to say next, but Amy sat up in her chair and solved his problem. “I want to know what you’re hiding,” she said. “None of this secrecy makes any sense to me; this whole town is strange.”
“Are you going to let me talk now?” Michael asked. “If you’d give me a chance to explain, it might make more sense to you.”
“Fine, explain away,” Amy said, glaring at him stubbornly. “But I doubt it’s going to make any difference.”
Michael took a deep breath. “We’ll see about that,” he said. “There was a reason I wanted you to see that book at Horace’s.”
Amy sighed. “What does this have to do with that book?” she asked.
“Everything,” Michael said. “That book is the only written history of the people who live in this valley.”
“Yes, I know, Horace told me that it came from the old country and you all think it’s about you,” she said.
“It is about us, and it’s all true,” Michael said, then waited for the that to sink in.
“Are you trying to tell me that dragon shifters and demons are real?” she asked, sitting up straighter in her chair.
Michael nodded. “Our ancestors came here to protect this part of the world from the demons that were unleashed by the witch in that story. They can never be completely defeated; that’s why Merlin had to create us. When they found their way to America, we followed, and we’ve been here ever since.”
Amy was staring at him, a look of fear beginning to spread across her face, but he went on, determined to get it all out at once. “We can’t afford to have outsiders discover our secret, Amy; it could be disastrous. That’s why I had to lie to you. I knew once you saw Molly, it would be fine, but then I... well, things got complicated.”
She let out a strangled burst of laughter. “This is a little more than complicated,” she said. “Do Adam and Molly know about this?”
***Amy***
Amy was trying desperately not to jump up and flee the room. Michael was clearly disturbed in some way she hadn’t noticed, and something had thrown him over the edge. She could tell by the look on his face that he believed everything he was saying, and that scared her most of all. “Umm, maybe I should go see what’s ke
eping Adam and Molly,” she finally said, her voice quivering.
“No need; here we are,” Molly said cheerfully. “Are you two having a nice talk?”
Michael didn’t say anything, and she desperately tried to think of a way to bring it up, to get him to tell them what he’d just told her. “Michael and I were just talking about that old book at the bookstore in town,” she said carefully, stealing a quick glance at him.
“Oh, you got to see it,” Molly said. “I still haven’t had the chance.”
Amy was beginning to get worried. “He said some other interesting things about it,” she said, watching Molly for a reaction.
Molly looked over at Michael. “She doesn’t believe you,” she said. “Did you explain it right?”
Michael looked over at her. “I think we’re scaring her. I told you it was a bad idea to tell her everything,” he said.
“You can stop talking about me like I’m not here,” she said, beginning to panic. She looked over at Molly. “Do you believe all this? I mean, it’s just stuff in a book.”
Molly shook her head. “It was hard for me to believe at first too, but it’s true, Amy,” she said, her voice gentle. “There are magical things out there in the world that most of us don’t ever get to see, and you’re one of the lucky few.”
Her mind was reeling, trying to come up with a logical explanation, but could only conclude that Molly had somehow been brainwashed. “But...you can’t...I mean...” she stammered.
Just then, the phone rang, and Adam groaned. “We haven’t even been back for a full day yet,” he said. “But I’d better answer it.”
Silence fell over the room after he left, and they could all hear his conversation. “What? Where?” he demanded. “Okay, hold on a second.”
There was a brief silence, then Adam called, “Michael, meet me in the study. Gabriel is on the phone.”
Amy watched him leave the room, wondering who Gabriel was and if he might be able to help her. She turned to Molly, hoping to talk some sense into her, but she’d gotten to her feet. “Sorry, I have to run to the bathroom,” she said. “I feel like I spend half my time in there now.”
Alone in the room, she quickly thought about her options and knew that she could easily slip out of the house and leave. But she didn’t want to leave Molly behind, especially not with a baby on the way. Then it hit her. Digging through her purse, she found the prescription bottles she’d thrown in at the last minute and quickly dumped several pills into her hand.
Looking around, she made a few quick calculations in her head and dropped three little blue pills into Adam and Michael’s coffee, then a white one in Molly’s. She grabbed her cup and held onto it tightly, not sure what she’d do if Molly picked up the wrong one. When they all came back in the room a few minutes later and picked up their coffee, she tried not to sigh with relief when Molly took the right one.
It didn’t take long for the drugs to begin to take effect; in fact, it happened far quicker than she’d imagined. Michael was in the middle of explaining to her about the demons they fought when he suddenly fell over in his chair. Adam started to get to his feet, but he collapsed onto the floor at Molly’s feet. Molly screamed his name and tried to get to her feet, but swayed dangerously, so she jumped up to support her.
“Amy, something’s wrong,” Molly slurred. “I don’t feel right.”
“It’s okay, Molly. I just gave you a little sedative,” she said, helping Molly to her feet. “I need to get you out of here, away from this insanity.”
Molly looked at the two men sprawled on the floor. “Oh, Amy, what have you done?” she asked, then her eyes closed, and she went limp in her arms.
Amy barely managed to keep Molly from falling on the floor as she grabbed her purse, and it was a struggle to get her to the front door. When she opened it to find the ground blanketed with snow and more falling, she almost panicked. Taking a deep breath, she lifted Molly into her arms and ran for the car, making it just before the strength in her arms gave out.
She leaned Molly up against the car and held her up with one arm, opened the door, then carefully shoved her inside and fastened the seat belt around her swollen belly. “I’m sorry, Molly, but you’ll see I’m doing the right thing,” she said to her sleeping friend.
When she was in the driver’s seat, she looked back at the farmhouse, then started the car and sped down the drive that led to the main road. The car slid as she was going around a corner, making her heart race even faster, so she slowed down, knowing that crashing wasn’t going to help. The darkness and snow made it difficult to see, but the main road finally came into view, and she expertly swung the car around the corner without even stopping, sure that she’d made her escape.
Chapter Seventeen
***Michael***
Michael woke with his face pressed against the carpet, a nasty taste in his mouth, and Adam yelling Molly’s name. He pushed himself up off the floor, trying to remember how he got there, then looked around the room, realizing that Amy was gone. It took him a second to get his balance when he climbed to his feet, but he finally managed to take a couple of steps toward the door when Adam burst into the room, his face full of panic.
“They’re gone, both of them, and Amy’s car isn’t out front anymore,” he said.
Michael could only stare at him stupidly for a second, then he picked up his coffee cup and sniffed it. “She drugged us and took Molly,” he said, his brain finally beginning to work.
“They couldn’t have gotten far,” Adam said. “Let’s go.”
He tried to move, but just then it hit him like a punch in the gut that Amy might not ever be able to deal with the reality of who and what he was. His stomach clenched so painfully that he doubled over, fighting to draw air into his lungs, the enormity of what he’d done making him want to curl into a little ball.
“Michael, stop that,” Adam ordered. “They’re not gone yet. Amy’s just a little freaked out. Give her some time and she’ll learn to adjust to the idea. If she loves you, it won’t matter.”
“Oh, God, what have I done?” he asked, trying to catch his breath.
“You’ve bonded with a human; welcome to the club,” Adam said, slapping him on the back. “Now, let’s go get our women back and see if we can convince yours that we’re not as crazy as we sound.”
Michael looked up at Adam. “How can you be so calm?” he said, but the panic had begun to recede.
“Someone has to be,” he said.
He stood up, the pain in his stomach gone. “Very funny.”
“Let’s go; we’ll take your truck,” Adam said, throwing him his jacket.
Michael was feeling better by the time they stepped onto the porch and saw the tracks in the snow. “See? They haven’t been gone that long. We can still see their tracks,” Adam said, getting in.
But when they got to the end of the drive, they saw that the tracks went the wrong way. “They’re headed into the mountains,” he said, then slammed his hand against the steering wheel.
“We have to catch them,” Adam said. “You know what Gabriel said earlier: the demons are on the move again.”
“The snow should keep them quiet tonight,” Michael said, his voice full of conviction he didn’t feel.
“I’d better call Vincent and Gabriel; we may need their help before the night is out,” Adam said through clenched teeth.
“I’m sorry, Adam. I didn’t know she would react this way,” he said, wishing he could go back and do it all over again. “I should have called you right away.”
Adam looked over at him. “You didn’t know; none of us knew,” he said. “We’ll get them back safe; isn’t that what we’re good at?”
Michael nodded, pulled the truck onto the road, switched it into four-wheel drive, and pressed the accelerator down as hard as he dared. It was a race against time now. Nothing good could come of two humans in the demon’s territory; he’d seen the result too many times, and a cold finger of fear raced up his spine.
***Amy***
Amy held the wheel in a white-knuckled grip, the swirling snow making it nearly impossible to see more than a few feet in front of her. She was used to snow, there was no shortage of it in New York, but she’d never experienced anything like the storm that had suddenly begun to rage around them. The wind blew the snow in all directions, blinding her at times, the headlights only making it worse.
She was sure that it was only a few miles to town, but it felt like they’d been driving forever, and with a sinking heart, she wondered if she’d turned the wrong way when she hit the main road. Deciding that she’d go a little further, then turn around if she didn’t see the town, she focused on the road, cringing when the wind began to howl through the trees.
Keeping her eye on the odometer as she crept up the road, she watched it turn but saw only the snow blowing outside her window, huge flakes that began to grow heavier. By the time it became clear that she’d taken a wrong turn, she couldn’t see the side of the road and the wiper blades were struggling to keep up. Trying not to panic when a huge gust of wind hit the car and made it rock, she looked over at Molly, who was just beginning to stir in the seat next to her.
Another gust of wind slammed against the car, and she let out a little cry, grabbed the wheel tighter, and focused on the road. Ahead of them, it began to climb, and she had a sudden vision of them sliding off the road and into nothingness, but she pushed it away. Hoping that she’d be able to turn around at the top of the hill, she pushed a little harder on the gas and felt the tires spin but finally get traction.
She made it the top of the hill only to find the road dead-ended at a lake. Under other circumstances, she might have thought that the scene was pretty, but sitting in the car, the storm raging around her, it was anything but. Feeling tears threatening, the thought of driving back through the storm making panic well up inside her, she looked over at Molly.
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