by Tricia Barr
“Maybe we went the wrong way,” he said, zooming out and scrolling down. Oberon moved behind the kitsune to get a good view of the map. “There are... just so many mountains up here. We’re not even in Alberta anymore. This part of the Rocky Mountains is considered British Columbia. And we’ve angled our way northwest, stopping at each peak. But our search hasn’t included these few mountains just south of Mount Joffre.”
Oberon marveled at how much of the mountain range they’d covered. “High winds, we’ve probably set a record on reaching each of these peaks in such a short amount of time.”
Ren laughed. “Between how long my hair is getting, as well as your beard, we’ll look like regular mountain men before too long.”
Oberon found him stroking at his brown beard as his friend spoke. Based on what was showing on the map, they needed to make a decision.
“We can keep traveling northwest,” Ren said, dragging his finger up and circling a different area. “The Northern Rocky Mountains.”
Zooming out, Oberon marveled. “That’s about halfway between where we started looking and Whitehorse. Mount Logan. My gut tells me that heading that way is taking us away from Delphine’s lead.”
Ren nodded his head. “I’m exhausted. I’m sure you’re exhausted. I know that gryphons are more cut out for mountain living than kitsunes. And the concept of backtracking...”
“You’re right,” Oberon said, reaching his chilled fingertips closer to the warmth of the dehumidifier. “Ren, my friend, I thank you for your devotion, but you don’t belong in the mountains.”
Ren snorted. “What, after all we’ve been through, you’re just going to send me away?”
Oberon placed a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “I’m going to send you back to Calgary to rest.”
“And what? You’re going to fly all the way down to Mount Joffre in one go? That trip has taken us weeks.”
Oberon pointed up with a single finger. “The wind will obey my commands. Up there, I’ll summon a current so strong that it’ll literally carry me down the mountain range faster than an airplane.”
Ren started laughing, softly at first, growing steadily louder.
“What?” Oberon said, standing awkwardly, wondering if he’d missed a joke. “You don’t think I can do that?”
Ren wiped at his damp eyes—he was laughing that hard. Once he managed to sputter out the last few chuckles, he said, “Oh, I know you can do it. What’s hilarious is that you think I’d miss the opportunity to be a part of it.”
One corner of Oberon’s mouth raised, forming a half-smile. “Last time I checked, kitsunes didn’t have wings. And as awesome as your tail-spinning can be, I’d love to see you try to helicopter yourself into the air.”
“I’m not going to fly, buddy,” Ren said, pointing to himself. He jabbed a finger into Oberon’s chest. “You are. And you’re going to carry me.”
“Ho!” Oberon said with mock-surprise. “Is that so? A fine lot we’ll look.” He jabbed his finger back into the sky, staring up with fake-wonder. “Look mommy, a bird and a fox are hugging in the air!”
Ren straightened his stance and tugged at the base of his smart shirt. “A magical moment for anybody to witness, to be sure.”
It wasn’t a bad idea. But they were running low on supplies, and would have to head for a city soon, anyway.
“So, how long will it take you to kick up that windstorm?” Ren asked.
A broad grin crept along Oberon’s face. He closed his eyes and inhaled, tapping into his gryphon powers. He knew his eyes were glowing purple at this point, hidden beneath his eyelids.
A sudden, brisk wind gusted through the air, blowing his hair to the side. He squinted at Ren, who was madly packing up the dehumidifier. Once he had the bag slung over his back, red fur began to sprout along his body, and in no time at all, Ren was standing in kitsune form.
Oberon followed suit, sprouting his brown feathers while his nose and mouth formed into a beak.
Ren stood on his back legs and held his front paws out. “Okay, Obie, my sweet,” he said, batting his fox eyes. “Take me for a ride.”
Oberon pushed off the ground and flung his wings to the side, catching the current and flapping mightily. He zipped ahead, then angled back, fighting against the wind he’d summoned, climbing high. The goal was to cause Ren to think he was being abandoned on an inhospitable Canadian mountain in the middle of winter.
After reaching a high altitude, Oberon’s piercing eyes spotted the kitsune trying to shield his eyes from the increasing wind. And Oberon went into a breakneck speeding dive. Before crashing into the snow-capped mountain, he swung his wings out, giving him just enough of an angle to grab Ren with his claws.
The strangest noise erupted from the kitsune upon impact. It was high-pitched, like the sound of a microphone too close to the speaker, screaming with feedback. It was less electronic though, and more like a wounded animal.
“That’s for calling me Obie,” he said, catching the wind currents with his wings and following the diagonal run of the Rocky Mountains.
“You know,” Ren said, his voice getting caught stripped away by the air. “I thought the wind was going to do it, but nope. It was you. You blew me away.”
Oberon released a shrill call as he flew through the air faster than he’d ever gone before. If Ren wanted to be blown away, he’d give the kitsune an experience he wouldn’t forget.
***
The mountains passed quickly below, like an old film strip spinning still pictures.
The best part was that it didn’t take long for Ren to pass out. Oberon assumed it was due to a mixture of velocity and altitude. But the quietness provided by the kitsune’s unconsciousness was welcomed. Ren had been more sarcastic as of late, and that was due to their so-far unsuccessful journey through the Rockies. At least he was getting some rest.
“Foxes weren’t meant to fly,” Oberon muttered, slowing the wind down as he passed over Mount Joffre. The familiar peak brought his attention back to Delphine. He’d been out of cell phone range, and therefore out of contact with her. He had no idea what was going on with the school, as well as Myreen’s status.
Myreen. Was she still alive? Had she been rescued? If not, what kind of torture was she enduring at Draven’s hands? What evil purposes was he using her for?
A scent on the air halted his thinking. A familiar scent that shocked his system so much, he nearly let go of Ren.
It smelled almost identical to Serilda. It was a variation, but extremely similar.
Oberon’s heart thudded against his chest, and he looked around to gain his bearings. His wings had moved him farther south as his mind was reeling. He wasn’t quite sure where he was.
“Mount Lancaster,” Ren mumbled beneath him, as if reading his mind. Oberon barely heard him, but was grateful his friend was coming around to navigate. “We’re approaching Mount Lancaster.”
“Sleep well?” Oberon asked.
“I think so, yes,” replied Ren. “How long was I out?”
“That doesn’t matter,” Oberon said quickly. “What does matter is that I smell them, Ren! The scent of gryphons is in the air!”
Ren sniffed a few times. “Are you sure? All I smell is... you. By my ninth tail, Oberon, you need a bath.”
Oberon laughed. “Trust me, you don’t smell so great yourself.”
“I’m offended,” Ren said. “Kitsunes have a natural internal cleansing process that circulates itself constantly. We can never put off a stink.”
“Really?” said Oberon. “I never knew that about kitsunes.”
“That’s because it’s not true,” Ren said, nudging Oberon in the ribs. “But I had you going for a few seconds, didn’t I?”
“You know, I could still drop you into the snow below like a cookie in milk.”
“But you won’t,” said Ren.
“How do you know that?” Oberon asked with a snort.
“Because you never dunk your cookies in milk. You’re lactose int
olerant. Really, if you’re going to use analogies, you should at least make them realistic. By the way, you just passed Mount Lancaster.”
“That’s because they’re not there,” Oberon said. The scent was getting stronger, and he was determined to follow his nose to wherever it led.
And then his rapid heartbeat stopped entirely, as if somebody had a remote and had pushed the pause button. With his eagle eyes, he saw the outline of three gryphons up ahead. Cocking his head to the side, he observed them as he slowed his flying. The wind had calmed down to its norm.
“What’s up?” Ren asked.
“I see them,” he replied breathlessly. “Up ahead.”
The larger of the three had solid a body entirely wrapped in white feathers, just as Seri did. The other two were golden brown—a lighter shade of Oberon’s. The smallest was apparently new to flying—he or she was flapping in an awkward way, completely out of sync.
“All my life, I’ve wondered if I was truly the last gryphon alive,” he said distantly, unable to keep his eyes off his flying kin up ahead. “I’m not alone.”
“I see them!” Ren said. “There’s three?”
“Yep. And we’re about to meet them.” Letting loose a call, he gave it his all. This was a momentous occasion—one of the most important in Oberon’s life.
The three stopped whatever aerial exercises they were doing and looked his way. After a few moments, the two golden-brown gryphons flew down, toward the snowy mountains. The large white gryphon’s wings flapped hard, and Oberon saw that in moments, they’d reach each other. The other gryphon released a piercing call in return, and Oberon didn’t know his kin well enough to tell whether it was a welcome or a warning. He erred on the side of a welcome.
Swinging his wings out like two parachutes, Oberon caught the draft and slowed his momentum, descending ever so slightly.
The other gryphon drew near, slowing down as well.
“A gryphon I don’t recognize,” the white shifter yelled. “Identify yourself and your purpose.”
Only a few feet separated them now. Oberon detected no malice in the other bird’s eyes and tone, but cautious curiosity.
“My name is Oberon Rex, and I have come seeking my kin rumored to be in the mountains of Canada.”
“Rumored?” the other gryphon said. Of course he’d feel concern about such a rumor. Gryphons had been hunted down and killed throughout the centuries. Rumors of gryphons rarely ended well.
“Forgive me. My words were inaccurate.” Oberon hesitated, wondering just how much information he should give up. “A close friend of mine is a seer, and she had a vision of a flock of gryphons up here. I’ve been searching for you for more than two weeks.”
The other gryphon mulled Oberon’s information over for a bit, then said, “Does anybody else know of such a rumor?” He looked down where the other gryphons had landed. “My family and I have needed to run from enemies before. We are only getting settled here—to uproot ourselves again is something we don’t want to have to do.”
“If anybody else knows about your location, it is not because of us,” Oberon said. The other gryphon dropped his gaze from him, down to Ren.
“What is that?” the gryphon asked. “Some feral pet you keep?”
“I beg your pardon?” Ren said incredulously. “Did you say feral? Dear noble creature, my name is Ren Suzuki, and I happen to be a Master Tinkerer.”
The gryphon eyed him with interest. “I don’t know what that means. But I’m unfamiliar with most other shifters and their... titles.”
“I’m a kitsune,” Ren said. “And as for my title, it means I’m extremely savvy with technology. Savvy?”
“Forgive my friend,” Oberon said, squeezing Ren a little tighter. “He can be a bit socially awkward at times. May I ask your name?”
The other gryphon paused for a moment before replying. “Perhaps it would be better if you came down and met the entire family.”
“I’d love that,” said Oberon.
“Follow me.” The gryphon tucked his wings and dove through the air. Oberon did the same, although he wasn’t quite as graceful while holding the additional weight that was Ren.
The air upon his feathers brought on added joy as he realized he was flying with another gryphon again. As they drew nearer to the mountains below, Oberon’s ears popped—at least, that’s what he initially thought. But at the same time, suddenly three log cabins, with chimneys puffing smoke, appeared below him. They hadn’t been there before. Oberon would have seen them with his enhanced eyes no problem. Did these gryphons have some type of cloaking technology? That would also mean that they were somewhat tech savvy.
The white gryphon landed, and Oberon slowed his descent, gently placing Ren down between the three houses. To the side, there was another smaller wooden structure that Oberon figured must be an outhouse or something.
“Welcome,” the gryphon said, “to our home. We call it the Sanctum.”
The door of the smaller building opened, and a woman bundled up in sky blue winter gear came out. A girl in a lavender coat and royal purple snow pants followed close behind.
“Oberon Rex,” the gryphon said, still in his feathered form. “This is my life-mate, Gwendolyn. Behind her is our daughter who has just recently come of age, Juniper.”
“June,” the girl said, “I go by June.”
“Like a tree in the wild,” the white gryphon started, “my daughter is a bit stubborn. Her name is quite fitting.”
“But we wouldn’t have her any other way,” Gwendolyn said, placing a hand on her husbands feathered side.
Oberon shifted back to human form right in front of them, and both Gwendolyn and June covered their eyes.
“That’s what the shifting room is for!” June said, pointing her free hand to the place she’d just come from.
“Fascinating,” the white gryphon said, eyeing Oberon with one of his big blue eyes. “Clothing that doesn’t tear when shifting? How is that possible?”
“A product of my tinkering,” Ren said. He’d also shifted back, hands on his hips and chest puffed out. “But smart clothing does much more than let you shift back and forth without ruining your wardrobe. It regulates body temperature and—”
“That’s quite enough for now, Ren,” Oberon said. He didn’t come all this way to have Ren give a lecture on how his inventions worked. “Why don’t you get the dehumidifier running again. It’s a bit cold out here, even with this temperature regulator.” Turning his attention back to the gryphon, he said, “It’s been a pleasure meeting your wife and daughter. May I ask for your name?”
The white gryphon bowed. “Of course. My name is Tobias. Tobias Vogel.”
Vogel. It was as if Oberon had been slapped in the face. He found it hard to breathe as his mind reeled. A wave of lightheadedness hit him, and he slouched over, placing his hands on his exposed knees.
Gwendolyn was at his side in moments, placing supporting hands under his arm.
“Are you alright?” she asked. “You went as pale as Tobias’s feathers.”
“Vogel,” Oberon stammered “Your last name is Vogel?” He had to verify, just in case he’d heard Tobias wrong.
“Yes,” the gryphon replied. “Are you familiar with that name?”
Oberon looked up at Tobias. “Do you have any relation to a Serilda Vogel?”
The gryphon’s expression was impossible to decipher. Time seemed to slow down. Oberon bit his lip with anticipation.
At last, Tobias spoke. “Serilda was my sister.”
Chapter 41: Kenzie
The journey was long and exhausting. Even with all their speed, it seemed to take all day to get from Washington back to Chicago. Kenzie had looked on with wonder for a while, but soon the rolling hills and passing forests all started looking the same. And they had to stop in the middle for a break. Kenzie and Myreen used their abilities to help ease the aches of travel, but by the time they reached the outskirts of Chicago, everyone was beat.
Ko
l wanted to go further into the city to land, saying that the cover of night would keep them concealed, but Char forbade it. Apparently the chick had some authority, because Kol didn’t fight her on it. Or maybe the exhaustion was enough to persuade him to ride the L.
Leif was able to run into town ahead of them and grab some trench coats for Kol and Char, to help keep their disheveled appearances concealed. The evening lighting didn’t hurt, either.
And meanwhile, Rainbow had taken to himself again, escaping into the streets of Chicago when he tired of riding in Leif’s arms. Kenzie asked Leif about it, but he assured her the cat would be fine. If he had taken care himself, tracking Leif across the country and surviving in the citadel, then certainly he could handle himself in Chicago. Kenzie hoped Leif was right.
Everyone agreed the best thing to do was to head straight to the Dome. It wasn’t going to be easy, convincing staff to let in their rag-tag group, but there wasn’t anywhere else safe for them.
A vampire, a selkie, and a human walk into a school for shifters... There had to be a punchline in there somewhere, but Kenzie couldn’t see it. She hoped security found it just as entertaining. Right.
And with Oberon out of the picture, Kenzie wasn’t sure what they were walking into. From the little time they’d had to speculate, she learned that Kol’s father was in charge of the school now. Basic prognosis: not good. But there was nowhere else to go.
So with weary bodies and heavy hearts they made it to the secret platform. Kenzie had to use her magic on the door, since no one had a keycard on them. The train sped through the tunnel, the occupants quiet and thoughtful.
Kenzie turned to watch out the glass-covered tunnel. Lights from within the Dome shone through the dark water, beckoning them closer, promising warmth and safety. Kenzie hoped those promises were true. She needed time.
Her actions while at Heritage Prep weighed on her as heavily as if the lake had come crashing on their heads. What she’d done—what she’d had to do—was beyond words. She hadn’t given herself space to even think about it, but in the icy silence that accompanied their flight, and now approaching the one place she wanted to be more than anywhere else in the world, those memories assaulted her with vigor. And it wasn’t like she could rely on Adam’s venom to wash them away.