“No. And this portal is closed until Midsummer. Ever since the war ended, the only entry into the Sanctuary between Solstice and Equinox is the Stonetree portal in North Carolina, so I’d have to turn you away anyway. But the message was sent from someone named Leonardo, by way of turul messenger. Follow me, and you can speak to the messenger directly.”
“Leonardo…” Eddie said, glancing at me with a perplexed expression. We didn’t know anyone named Leonardo. But then it clicked, and my heart leaped into my throat.
“It has to be from Gray. He’s the one who studied alongside da Vinci, remember?”
Eddie’s expression wavered between concern and cautious optimism. “Gray sent a message? Why the hell would he do that?”
I had the same question. When the six of us parted, the three dragons all headed in different directions, and I’d been positive our paths wouldn’t cross again for a while. But if he was reaching out only a few days later, something wasn’t right. I probably shouldn’t have been excited—chances were this turul messenger didn’t have good news—but if it gave us an excuse to put off this trip, I’d take it.
Elden’s bare feet crunched over the thin layer of snow until we reached a small adobe hut hidden within a grove of birch trees not far from the stone circle. Smoke curled up from a chimney that jutted out from the mud wall, and the scent of fresh stew wafted out, making my stomach rumble.
The inside of the guardian’s hut was barely big enough for the three of us, plus a wiry turul man in a linen robe who stood from his seat by the window when we entered.
“You have a message?” I asked, not bothering with introductions.
The man gave a grave nod. “I’m to speak with Tate, Eddie, or Chayton. No one else.”
“That’s us. What’s the message?” Eddie said, leaning on the table so he was at eye level with the smaller man. The messenger shot a look toward Elden, who’d paused to stir a pot on the little potbelly stove. Elden caught his silent message and nodded, then disappeared back out the door, shutting it behind him.
“You’re needed in the Pacific Northwest. Your friend has found a powerful convergence of earth and fire, but Chaos seeks to steal it. He requests your help defending this convergence, and says if the six of you succeed, it could become your new home.”
I frowned. “Is that some kind of code?”
The turul shrugged. “That’s for you to decide. I’m only the messenger. I delivered the message exactly as it was given to me and two other messengers sent to find your other friends. But I didn’t speak directly with the person who wrote it. It was sent via Magnus to avoid being traced. Wherever he or she is, they need it kept a secret. The only other information I have is coordinates.” He held out a small wooden tube, which Eddie snatched and opened up, pulling out a scroll of paper and unrolling it. I peered over his shoulder at the small printed map he held.
“It’s north of Seattle. We should go right away,” I said.
Eddie shook his head. “We should get back to the nearest city and call Kol Magnus first. If he was Gray’s first contact, Stuart and Murdoc are likely to head to him too.”
Chayton crossed his arms. “Perhaps we should speak to Chaos first? See if we can find out what he wants with this…convergence. More information is always better.”
The turul raised his hands. “Ball’s in your court, guys. I need to fly. Good luck.”
He shed his robe, then headed out the door naked without a look back, shifting into a large falcon and flying away before the door closed behind him. We were left debating the meaning of the message and our best course of action.
I was all for leaving right away and driving straight through to Seattle. If Gray went to the trouble of summoning us, there was no time to waste, and if there were two other messengers, Stuart and Murdoc had likely received the same message already.
Eddie and Chayton had different ideas, which we circled around and around, barely noticing when Elden returned and shoved steaming bowls of delicious stew in our faces along with slabs of flatbread.
With the turul gone, we had no issue discussing the message in front of Elden. Ursa portal guardians were chosen for their loyalty to our race and would never betray something told in confidence. He listened in silence for a few minutes while he ate, then shoved his empty bowl to the center of the table and leaned in.
“It’s a woman,” he said.
All three of us stopped eating to stare at him. He sat back, looking around the table at us.
“What makes you say that?” I asked.
“The three of you need a mate. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be ending your pilgrimage to head home. How long has it been, Chay? Ten years now? Except for the war, you’ve avoided returning. You and those three dragons had something good. You’re close. Close enough that Gray knows how important finding the right mate is to a trio of bonded ursa males. He wouldn’t pull you away from that path if he didn’t believe he had an answer to that problem.”
“How in the world did you deduce woman out of that message?” Chayton asked, incredulous.
Elden shrugged. “It’s the simplest answer. A convergence of earth and fire… She’s probably Bloodline and has a mix of higher races blood. Ursa and dragon. Earth and fire. Sounds like the perfect woman for you guys.”
He cleared our empty bowls without another word, leaving us staring at each other as the suggestion sank in. But he was right. Gray wouldn’t pull us away from the possibility of finding a mate unless he had a better option. And if that option was at risk of being taken by Chaos, no matter the reason, he would need our help to protect her.
“We’re going straight to Seattle,” Chayton said. “Fuck Chaos.”
10
April
By an amazing stroke of luck, the place had power and a landline. Once I got over myself enough to venture as far as the kitchen, we found not only a full pantry, but a fridge stocked with bottled water, beer, and wine, along with an enormous chest freezer filled with food. The full pantry was odd, but welcome enough that I chose not to spend energy wondering why. It was going to take enough work for me to ignore the memories that flitted from every shadow. In an effort to do just that, I took the initiative and volunteered to cook us a meal while Gray made a few calls.
I had no idea how long we’d be here, or whether it would be safe enough to venture to the store for fresh food. We could probably survive for a while on the supplies available. I found some frozen soup and French bread in the freezer, which I heated up, and we demolished between the two of us. Then, after cleaning up, I braced myself and ventured farther into the house, turning on lights in each room as I entered, but the lights couldn’t dispel the ghosts of memories lurking in every corner. It felt smaller than I remembered, but then I’d only been a child when I lived here before.
Gray followed at my side, staying close enough that his comforting aura encompassed me like a protective bubble. I couldn’t help but lean in, desperate for the sense of safety his touch gave me. Without a word, he slipped his arm around my waist, letting me lead the way.
“Did you grow up here?” he asked, glancing down at me.