“There was no choice at all. If Jayce hadn’t been there, I might still be doing their bidding. I would do anything to protect my mother.”
“What did Jayce have to do with it?” Ryan asked.
Kristine gazed longingly at the bird on her shoulder and gave his feathers a little pat with her finger. “Well, for one thing, he kept a level head and advised me what I could and couldn’t do about the situation. He was the one who heard background noise when I was allowed to speak to my mother over Skype.
“I was so freaked out that I didn’t even think to listen for other sounds. But after he mentioned what he had heard, I had to agree that there had been waves lapping against the shore in the distance and someone talking about the Coast Guard boarding a ship. If we didn’t have supernatural hearing, we would not have heard even that much.”
“Do they still have her?” Antonio asked.
“Oh, no. Jayce helped me find her at the same time she escaped.”
Gabriella leaned back and let out a deep breath. “Thank goodness. Is she all right? Is she home now?”
“We’re staying at the B and B on Beacon Street. I understand you know the owners through Ryan and Chloe.”
“Yes. We’ve never been there, but we met them at Ryan and Chloe’s wedding…if you could call it that.” Gabriella gave Ryan the stink eye.
“Ma, a fast wedding in Ireland was the best we could do in a short amount of time. And don’t forget, I was officially dead and had to get out of town before anyone saw me. Look, guys, this isn’t about me. Kristine is telling us what happened to Jayce. Or she will if you stop interrupting.”
Antonio turned his attention back to Kristine. “I’m sorry, Scotty. You were in the middle of your story. Please continue.”
She took a moment to sip her coffee and organize her thoughts. She filled in a few details about the search for and eventual rescue of her mother.
Both Fierro parents stared at the bird they recognized as their son, Jayce.
“You shifted? And stayed in bird form for extended periods?” Antonio asked.
Jayce hopped off Kristine’s shoulder and strutted over to his old man. He simply raised his beak and turned slightly so he could look him in the eye. There was no way to interpret that other than assent without remorse.
“I thought he looked older,” Gabriella said.
“He certainly did. And now we know why.” Antonio folded his hands on the dining room table. “Kristine, I don’t know what you’ve been told about our kind, but we age much faster in bird form. Three days as a bird equals about a year as a human. If we fly, we age even faster. Last time we saw Jayce, he had some gray hairs we hadn’t seen before, and he looked tired. How long was he… Never mind. I’m sure Jayce and I will discuss it later. Continue on with your story.”
“Oh. I didn’t know it was like that. I never would have expected him to shift if I’d known. Not that I asked him to.” She gazed at Jayce, and he spread his wings as if to say “So what?”
“Thank goodness we found my mother when we did. Who knows how many other heinous things the kidnappers would have made me do?”
Ryan, who was sitting next to Kristine, placed a hand on her shoulder. “That must’ve been rough. I’m glad Jayce was there to help you through it.”
“Me too.”
“But how did he die?” Mr. Fierro demanded.
“He helped me set fire to the kidnappers’ mansion. I guess he had some kind of fight with the criminals and wound up locked in a cage.”
“A bird cage?” Mrs. Fierro asked.
“No. A man-sized cage. We think they were going to start using it for human trafficking.”
“Oh dear lord!” Mrs. Fierro’s hand was over her heart again as if holding it in.
“So, how long are you staying in Boston?” Antonio asked.
“I’m not sure. My mother has met someone, and she sounds perfectly content to stay for quite a while.”
“And you?” Gabriella asked.
“I have a job, and I should be getting back to it. I took a short leave of absence to take care of my mother. Now she’s out of danger, and I need to go back to New York.”
