“It is so beautiful,” I said, unable to look away. I knew, as I said it, that I was talking about more than the car. I was talking about Dec and his grief, which matched my own, and Russ, who I saw was beautiful in an odd and intense way, with a guarded expression and questioning eyes, and St. Hilaire, which seemed to be a place of inexplicable possibilities.
Russ brushed the roof with an appreciative gloved hand and then turned to me. “I’m Russ Griffin.”
“I guessed,” I said. His eyes were warm, yet he stood, tense, as if he were preparing to be attacked. It made sense that he and Dec should be such close friends.
He held his arm out toward the door. “You guys should come in.”
Russ’s room sat in the back of the house and was more library than bedroom. Aside from some basic furniture, the room consisted of wall-to-wall shelves overflowing with well-worn books on spirits and the occult. Native American, Ancient Japan, modern-day Ireland.
“Have you read all of those?” I asked, looking through the impressive stacks.
Russ nodded as if the thought of having unread books was alien to him.
“Russ is an encyclopedia,” Dec said and laughed.
I pulled out a dusty, leather-bound book on Russian folklore and flipped through it. “This could be my grandmother’s story,” I said. “She believed all of these things.”
Russ leaned over to examine the book. He pointed to a vivid illustration of an owl. “Many cultures believe that owls allow you to see through illusions and into the real meaning of someone’s actions. Russia is one of them,” he explained and pulled up his shirt cuff. At first, I saw nothing, but then I saw a series of white dots that formed the shape of an owl on his wrist. It was unlike anything I had ever seen.
“How gorgeous,” I said. “And I actually knew that about owls.”
“I didn’t,” said Dec from behind me. He sounded hurt and exchanged an odd look with Russ.
I moved over to the desk and picked up a deck of tarot cards illustrated in muted grays, dark blues, and greens. There was a foggy, haunted quality to the images that was unsettling and made me feel like I was going to fall into them or that the shadowy figures were going to come to life.
I drew one out. It felt cold in my hand. “This one. What is it?”
Russ took it from me, while Dec said, “Let me guess, she drew Death, just like what happens in all the movies.”
Russ flipped the card. “Nope. Not this time.” Then he handed Dec the card I had picked.
“Figures,” Dec said. “My favorite card. Wheel of fortune. Grab ahold of your own future and make your own decisions, Annie.” He replaced the card into the middle of the deck. “So, what do we do now?”
Russ put the cards back in the box and wrapped it in a red-and-black silk scarf. Then he picked up the keys from his desk, and the echo of a smile crawled across his face. “Now? Let’s go for a drive.”
* * *
On a second viewing, it was still impossible to pin the Mustang down to one color. The shade was somewhere between the reflection of a full moon in a deep black pool, and the blue of a cashmere sweater Dmitry had been given by a European princess who had fallen hopelessly in love with him.
“She’s a beauty, right?” Russ asked. Then he turned to me. “Sorry, Annie. I always wonder why we do that—why are cars and boats always ‘she’?”
“Language was created by men,” I said. “They seem reluctant to give it back.”
Russ laughed and waved me into the front seat. The car came to life with a hum that sounded more animal than machine.
“Hey, what’s the bass in this thing like?” Dec asked, learning over from the back seat to fiddle with the radio.
Russ pushed Dec’s hand away. “That’s the funny thing. I can’t seem to get it to play.” He flipped some switches and hit some buttons to prove his point.
“Odd that Ian would have overlooked that,” Dec said. “He always seemed to push things too far. I would have expected a disco ball and a smoke machine.”
Russ twisted in his seat. “True. He wasn’t exactly one to leave things unfinished.” The engine revved as we exited the town gates and hit the edge of the highway.
Next to me, Dec quickly changed the subject. “Annie is trying to find a mythical piece of music,” Dec said. “The whole story is right up your alley, and we could use your help.”
Russ’s eyes floated up to the rearview mirror. It felt like the two boys were having a conversation that went beyond words.
“Of course.”
As Dec filled him in, the car floated along the highway. It wasn’t really floating, I knew. It just felt like we were not quite touching the road.
Then, with one hand, Russ dug into the pocket of his jacket, pulled out a small bag, and held it out to me.
“Those are runes,” Russ said. “Pick one.”
“Only you would do a reading on I-81,” Dec said, with a sort of awe in his voice.
I dug into the bag and pulled out a worn, gray stone. It was etched with something resembling the letter R and felt cool in my hand.
“Ah, a journey,” Russ explained.
“You mean because we are riding in a car?” I asked.
Russ shook his head and changed lanes. A car behind us raced to get a good look at the Mustang, and Russ slowed down to allow it. The driver gave him a thumbs-up as he drove off. “No,” he continued. “More like the progression of your life. You know, destiny.”
I nodded. Destiny seemed like a dangerous concept. I had no idea what the future held anymore.
“Go on,” Russ instructed. “Pick another.”
I stuck my hand back into the bag. The noise of the stones running between my fingers sounded like rain. This time, the etching looked like a Y or a broom.
For a minute, Russ didn’t say anything. Then he pulled the car over onto the shoulder. Outside the tinted window was a meandering lake.
“Pull a third,” Russ said, his voice serious.
I shivered but followed his instructions. This time, I was afraid to look at the stone before I handed it over.
Dec leaned over the seat between us.
“Raido, Algiz, Obila.” Russ repeated the words, an incantation in another language. “You’re on a journey,” he said. “You’re changing. From one thing into another. And you have help, but…” Here he picked up the middle stone and rubbed it with his gloved thumb. “Be careful, Annie. Some help comes with a cost. Make sure you know what the price is and make sure you want to pay it. Make sure you want the people around you to pay it as well.”