I decided to try to walk through this supposedly open door and focused really hard on the single word I wanted to say. A weird, scratchy sensation itched at the back of my mind, but I could feel the word release. “Why?”
The dragon before me stretched her mouth into what had to be a smile. “You are a perceptive one, Bowen.”
I repeated the word, and it came a little easier, a little less itchy. “Why?”
“Anything given can also be taken. A memory shared can be a memory stolen.”
My brows pinched together. I had too many words to concentrate on sending them internally, so I spoke out loud. “I would never do that, take what wasn’t given.” The thought of it made my stomach sink. The invasion of it, the violation of it. That wasn’t who I was.
“I know. It is why this gift is given to those who are loyal and strong.But you must know, there are secrets as old as the earth. Secrets that are carried by ancient ones like myself and very few ways to access them.”
“I don’t understand. Why would you tell me this?”
Aurelia lifted her head to look me straight in the eyes. “You wanted to know who you are. This is it. You are Bowen Thomas, descendant of Gwrhyr, interpreter of languages, and keeper of secrets.”
“Fuck me. I kind of wish I could go back to just being the weirdo who talked to the ducks at the duck pond.” It may not have been a normal life, but it didn’t feel like I carried the weight of ancient beings on my shoulders.
“I don’t think you do. Would you give up knowing about this place?Would you give up your wolf?”
My head was shaking before I could even think. Give up Rudy? No fucking way. I’d never met anyone like him, and I couldn’t imagine going back to a world he wasn’t in. We might not have known each other for long, but it didn’t matter. I loved the way he made me feel when he was both a mananda wolf. Each side of him brought out a different side of me.
His shyness as a human made me want to take care of him, to challenge him, and help him feel safe enough to take the leap with me. His boldness and possessiveness as a werewolf made me want to surrender fully, to enjoy being handled and carried, and allow him to do whatever he wanted. And when they met in the middle as they did with the electric kiss earlier, holy shit, it was absolutely incredible.
“I’m never giving him up.” I pushed the words through my mind. They felt too big to say out loud.
“Good. I like you, Bowen, and I like you for him. Rudy needs you.”
I need him, too. I thought the words, but kept them to myself, feeling the difference between words shared across minds and words kept. I stared down at my leather cuff again. The wolf knot. “It’s funny. I thoughtthis meant something when I found Rudy, like it was fate or something.”
“You are the interpreter of languages, young one. I believe that means you can interpret whatever meaning you want it to have.”
A smile stretched across my lips. Perhaps it was merely a coincidence, but I was brought here. Brought to him, one way or another, and the wolf on my wrist might not have been a sign from above or from the spirit realm, but it could be a symbolofhim. Something to keep him close when he wasn’t near.
“Thank you, Aurelia. It’s a lot to take in, but I’m glad I know, mostly. Thank you for trusting me.”
“I am very glad to see a face I haven’t seen in a long time. It was trustworthy then, and it is still so. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go catch my breakfast.” She was gone in a flash. Whether she flew off the roof or simply vanished, I had no idea.
What a morning! A loud burst of laughter popped out of me as I recalled the last twenty-four hours. Shit, even the last twelve hours, from being kidnapped by a werewolf and carried like a bride into a windowless dungeon to talking with an actual dragon who revealed the secrets that had been kept from me my entire life.
If my great-grandfather had lived longer, would he have been able to tell me any of this? Did he even know? How many in our family had been given the gifts we had? I knew it wasn’t every generation,considering the disdain my parents had toward me when I was younger. Did no one know about my great-grandfather? Maybe not. Not if he knew to be careful with the information.
Me? Not so much. How many doctors, nurses, and dates had I told about my ability before I understood it hurt relationships more than it helped? Hell, practically every animal on the West Coast knew, not that they were a concern. I never got a bad vibe from one when they learned we could talk. People were usually the problem, not animals.
I pushed myself up from the lounge chair. Enough thinking, I was desperate to find Rudy and fill him in. There wasn’t a single worry in my mind that he wasn’t someone I could trust. I felt it with every fiber of my being.
As I neared the roof access door, I stopped to try to see if I could reach Rudy mentally. I focused on him, focused on his face, and the way his shaggy hair fell along the sides of it. The itch in the back of my head was stronger, perhaps because the door to his mind hadn’t been opened yet, or perhaps because I was too far away. I concentrated and pushed the single word as hard as I could. “Rudy.”
I waited for a moment to see if I could feel anything from him, not noticing the shadows of the potted plants growing longer. What would it be like to be able to talk with him like that anytime? I imagined surprising him the way Aurelia had me thismorning. Would he jump? The idea of startling such a big man, or even as a werewolf, was a little bit thrilling.
Practice. I was going to need to practice. With a smile on my face, I reached for the doorknob, still too keyed up to see the way the door darkened at the edges. A cool wisp flicked over my hand, reminding me of the nightmare that felt all too real.
Ascreesounded from above me, in a sound akin to birds of prey, and with it, I heard a shout. “Wait!”
Casting my gaze upward, I stepped away from the shadowy roof access door and into the cloud-filtered daylight. Overhead was a sight I wouldn’t have believed a few days ago. It was still hard to reconcile knowing what it was. Knowingwhoit was.
The griffin approached the roof, landing with a soft thud on giant talons and furry paws. I watched with awe as he shook his head, the long white on its head shimmering in the daylight. I could see it, see him in it, even with the incredibly sharp beak, winged back, and lion’s tail.
I looked him in the eye, a move not usually recommended for most predators, but if he was here to intimidate me, I was going to show him I wouldn’t back down. “Good morning, Zephyr.”
