Harlan looked up. “Magnus. Welcome to the family.” Harlan approached Magnus and pulled him into a bear hug. “I used to be outnumbered, but now we’re just about even.”
Magnus arched an eyebrow and looked at Ruby for an answer as he returned her father’s hug.
“When we moved here, there were three women and one man. Now the family has grown, and including Alex’s mom, who is not here right now, we are even. Four males, four females.” She rolled her eyes as Harlan winked at her.
“Ahh, I see.” Harlan stepped back and looked Magnus up and down. “When you go to town, buy this man some clothes.”
“I intend to,” Ruby replied, eying her mate dubiously.
“They’re Sol’s clothes,” Magnus warned them.
“And they would look great on Sol, but you need to fill out.” She hooked her finger into the waistband of his jeans, which only stayed up because of the belt he wore. “Harlan, this man needs cake.”
“Coming up,” Harlan sat down next to Sol and sliced a generous portion of cake which he put on a plate and passed to Magnus. “Come on, sit down and eat, then you and Ruby can go into Bear Creek and do some investigative work.”
“I have to get to work,” Sol said. “I’d come with you if I didn’t have to get the cows in for Mr. Peterson.”
“Thanks for the offer, Sol. And for bringing Magnus over,” Ruby said as they ate. “How is Fara this morning?”
“She’s good. She enjoys feeding me, too,” Magnus said as he ate. “I want to give her some money. I know the farm doesn’t earn that much money and her food bill has gone up a lot since I moved in.”
“Is that money from your treasure?” Sol asked, and Magnus paused and studied Sol. “All dragons have treasure, don’t they? I read about them in a book. It had pictures of lots of dragons. What kind of dragon are you?”
Magnus let out his breath. Was he worried someone might be blabbing about his hoard and would go into the mountains and help themselves? Magnus’s treasure made the highest lottery pay-out ever look like pocket change. “I don’t know.” He skirted around the treasure question. “I can’t shift.”
“Oh, yeah. Can I have more cake, please?” Sol asked. “Don’t tell Fara or she won’t let me eat dessert this evening.”
“You certainly can. And your secret is safe with me.” Harlan cut more cake and then got up and left of the room. When he returned, he had an envelope in his hand. “Here, Magnus, give that to Fara.”
“No.” He put his hand up. “I can’t accept money from you.”
“Until you have everything settled, you can, and you will. We’re family. And I know you’re good for it.” Harlan placed the envelope down on the table. “Right, you kids should get moving.”
“I haven’t finished my chores,” Ruby said quickly. “I promised Mom I’d catch up with them.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll do them. Harlan Jr. is going over to Kim’s for the morning, so I have some free time.” He looked at his watch. “I need to get him ready.”
“What about tomorrow?” Ruby asked. “I was supposed to come into the office with you.” Harlan was in the process of training her to run his company. It was going to take a couple of years or more for him to fully hand over the day-to-day running, especially since he was adamant she started at the bottom and worked her way up. Filing severely tested her patience, but she figured this was Harlan’s way of testing her to check if she had the right aptitude.
“Let’s put our plans on hold until this is straightened out.” He nodded toward Magnus. “Finding your mate might make you change your outlook on life.” He looked at Ruby pointedly. He meant babies. Ruby’s heart sank. Was that her choice, a career or children?
Until she met Magnus her priorities were crystal clear, now those crystals were dusty and lackluster. The connection between her and Magnus made Ruby want all the things she swore she never would. After watching the change in Sapphi when her sister found her mate, Ruby had promised herself she would hold true to her dreams and have a fulfilling career. She wanted to be like her mom and have her cake and eat it. A happy family, a husband who supported her, and a job that gave her satisfaction.
But Harlan was right. She would never be able to concentrate on anything if her mate was unhappy. “Sure. But it’s a postponement and not a cancellation.”
“Agreed.” Harlan got up and cleared the plates. “I’m counting on you since my son is a little young for the boardroom.” He winked at Ruby. “But no pressure.”
“Thanks, Dad.” She bounced out of her seat and hugged him, before turning back to Magnus. “Right, let’s go!”
Magnus followed her outside after saying goodbye to his future father-in-law. Ruby couldn’t contain her happiness that they liked each other. Sol and Custard followed behind them, the former with a tub filled with apple cake, and a promise to come again.
“Bye and good luck!” Sol put Custard in the truck and got in beside him. “If you do find your dragon, can I see him?”
“Yes,” Magnus promised. “It’s the least I can do after you drove me over here.”
Sol waved and then drove off down the road leading away from the house. “I like him,” Ruby said as she unlocked her car and got in.
“He has an innocence to him.” Magnus squeezed into the car next to her.
“He does. Am I not innocent?” Ruby asked, waiting for his answer as he squirmed in his seat. He was so out of touch with the modern world he was afraid to say either way. She made it easier for him. “I’m joking. You know we’re going to have to give you a crash course in modern life.”
“I need one, I feel as if I am walking on eggshells. There is so much I don’t know. So much I still won’t know even if I get my memories back.”
“I like different. I suppose it’s because I have always been different myself. At school, I never really fit in. It’s hard when you know your fire-breathing dragon just waiting to burst out and burn the bitches!” Ruby grinned.
“You wanted to burn dogs?” Magnus asked.
“No.” She shook her head. “A bitch is another word for a woman who is mean-spirited.” She smiled wryly. “Not that I can’t be a bitch, too, if I want to be. It’s a gift.”
Magnus was silent for a moment. “Thank you for the warning.”
“That’s okay, and anyway, I promise not to be a bitch to you. I can’t anyway. You’re my mate, I can never hurt you.” She wondered if that was possible. Ruby could cut with her tongue, she was aware of her personality. In some ways, she was similar to Fiona, who also had a reputation for flaying people alive, especially if she was working on a case that involved child cruelty. As a social worker, Fiona had witnessed cases that had turned her stomach and made her want to burn those responsible to a crisp.
“I am sure I can handle you,” Magnus informed her.
Ruby arched her eyebrows. “Is that a challenge?”
“No.” He chuckled. “It is not a challenge, I would not dare challenge you or your mother. I see two ferocious women who are able to look after themselves. Even though it should be my job to look after you.”
Ruby parked the car on a side street in Bear Creek and turned to Magnus. “You can protect me.” She placed her hand on his arm and stroked her fingers along his skin. “When we are humans, you can do the protecting. And if that fails, I’ll protect us as a dragon. Deal?”
His pupils dilated, and he watched her fingertips trail across his skin. “Deal.” He lifted his eyes to hers and moved in for a kiss. She could get used to this. His kisses ignited a flame in her, turning her insides to liquid fire. She didn’t know how much longer she could go on without quenching that fire. Tonight, she hoped to find the time to consummate their relationship. Although the thought of making love to Magnus in her bedroom with her mom and dad downstairs and Harlan Jr. only two doors away was faintly terrifying, even for a grown woman.
“Fara is out this evening. Sol invited her out for dinner,” Magnus whispered in her ear, his breath caressing h
er neck, sending shivers of desire through her body.
“You read my mind,” she murmured, her lips seeking his. She slid forward across the seats and nuzzled his neck, before pulling back. “We should go.”
“We should, or I will not be in control of my senses.”
Ruby turned her face to him, their lips almost touching. With a groan, she reached behind her back and opened the car door, nearly spilling out onto the sidewalk. “Come on.”
Magnus got out of the car and looked at the array of stores lining the main street. “What do all these stores sell?”
“Everything.” She slipped her hand into his. “Most importantly, clothes.” She took him along the main street. “The mountain store should have some hiking boots and combat pants. At least when we go back up the mountain you’ll be prepared.”
“I’ll follow where you lead.”
“Good attitude,” Ruby complimented him. “These clothes should also be suitable for our trip to the Himalayas.”
“If we go,” Magnus added. “Ahh, you don’t think we’re going to find what we need here, do you?”
Ruby shrugged. “We’ll definitely find clothes in Bear Creek, but I’m not certain about your memories.” She gave him an apologetic smile. “I think this is beyond plain old amnesia.”
“Amnesia?”
“You know. When your memories are temporarily gone, like if you hit your head.” Ruby stopped outside the mountain store and looked in through the window. “This will be perfect.”
Half an hour later, they were standing outside the store, with Magnus wearing new clothes that actually fit him. He looked a whole lot sexier. “You’re right, these do fit better.” He held up the bag containing Sol’s clothes, “I’ll ask Fara to return these.”
“Come on. Let’s go to the library.” They walked together along the main street, with Magnus looking in all the stores, fascinated by the array of goods for sale.
“I don’t know what half this stuff is.” He stopped outside the grocery store and looked up at a stack of canned food. “There are carrots in those?”
“Yes, it’s a way of preserving them.” Ruby stood next to him while he stared, even though she was impatient to get to the library. “In this modern world, we can everything. Or so it seems.”
He looked bemused as they crossed the street and headed down a side road to the entrance of the library. “Don’t people grow anything anymore? Or make what they need?”
“Not really. We buy most of our food. People work, earn money and buy what they need from the stores.” She stopped outside a large, ornate door. “Here it is.”
Magnus looked up at the door. Then he reached out and ran his hand over the carved wood. “I’ve seen this before.”
“Are you sure?” Ruby asked excitedly.
“Yes.” He placed both hands on the door and touched the wood reverently, as if expecting it to transmit a message to him. “Nothing,” he said hoarsely. “It’s gone.”
“It all helps,” Ruby told him, not wanting him to lose faith. “It proves the memories are there, we just have to find a way to bring them to the surface.” However upbeat she might sound, Magnus was right, she was certain their hope lay in the Himalayas with Tiberius, not with some dusty old library records.
Magnus opened the door and held it while she entered the building. The library had stood here for centuries. Although, being new to town, Ruby didn’t know its history. But she loved the exposed oak beams and the carved stonework depicting bears and wolves, often fighting. When she’d moved to Bear Creek, she’d come here and spent a morning looking at all the carvings trying to find a dragon. There were none. But Magnus proved there had been dragons here once upon a time.
Ruby approached the reception desk and waited her turn while the librarian, an elderly lady with glasses on a chain, spoke on the phone. As soon as she hung up, she put a bright smile on her face and asked, “How can I help you?”
“I called earlier, we’d like to access the records.” Ruby recognized the woman’s voice, this was the same person she’s spoken to on the phone earlier.
“Ah, yes. I’ll take you to the archives. We have been busy scanning them over the last couple of years. The majority of them can be accessed via our computer system.” She led them to a staircase, and they all went upstairs to a large suite of rooms. There was no one else up there, and the room had a used smell to it. Not exactly musty, just old.
“These are the records?” Ruby asked, pointing to the rows upon rows of shelves lining the room.
“Some of them. The older, more delicate records are stored below the building in specially-built rooms.” She waved her hand around the room. “These are the records from the last hundred years. But you’ll likely find what you need in here. We scanned what we could so if ever the building was destroyed, the records would still remain. They’re kept in the cloud, as well as on a hard drive.”
Magnus opened his mouth to speak, but Ruby put her hand on his chest. “Thank you.”
The librarian explained how to use the system and then left them alone. “Call me if you need me,” were her parting words.
“We will.” Ruby moved the mouse and clicked on a search box. “We might get lucky.”
“Why are the records stored in the sky?” Magnus hissed and then immediately added, “How are the records kept in the sky without falling down?”
Ruby giggled. “They aren’t. The cloud is...it’s where you store things.”
“Like a barn?”
“Yes, a big barn that no one really knows where it is, but you know it’s there.”
“An invisible barn.” He leaned forward. “What if they lose it?”
“They won’t.” She turned her attention back to the screen. “We have the search results.”
“Someone went and searched the invisible barn for these records?” He pointed at the computer screen.
“Not exactly. But let’s go with it.” Ruby scrolled through the results. “Here is a record of a Magnus Dumas. You were here when the library was opened.” She skimmed a page of handwritten text. “It gives us few details, except a date—1663—and that you were a renowned artist, whose paintings were displayed in the home of Sir Peregrine Manning and other dignitaries. You mixed with the rich and famous of the seventeenth century.”
Ruby reached into her purse, took out a notebook and jotted down these details. Then she went back to the search results.
“Anything else?” Magnus asked.
“It says the celebrated artist, Magnus Dumas, has attracted a large amount of interest in his art during an exhibition held in Reamington. That’s a bigger town about twenty miles away.” She wrote that down, too. Then scrolled through several more news articles before coming to one that made her heart jolt. “Here’s a report of your disappearance. Whereabouts unknown, you didn’t leave any debts which was the usual reason for people absconding. And that your paintings were taken into storage by your benefactor, Peregrine Manning.”
“I disappeared.”
“Yes, in 1665. Which must be when you were put under the sleeping curse.” She checked back through the records. “It says you were a local man, raised in Bear Creek. Let me cross-reference with births and deaths.” She shook her head. “Nothing.”
“What does that mean?”
“That you lived here most of your life, but there is no record of your birth. You were born elsewhere. Or before records began.”
“My mother came here to hide,” Magnus said. “I’m sure of it.”
“To hide? Why?” Ruby turned her attention to Magnus. He hadn’t told her everything and for them to solve the mystery, he couldn’t hold anything back.
“In the memory...” He shook his head and frowned. “I’m certain we were living here to stay out of someone’s way. My father had been killed in battle. My mother was scared.” He slammed his fist down on the table, the noise echoing throughout the room.
Ruby placed her hand over his fist and hissed, “You’ll get
us thrown out.”
“Sorry.” He looked at the screen. “Is there any other clue?”
She turned back to the screen and clicked a couple more searches. “Yes. When Peregrine Manning died, he left his house, along with a number of paintings, to the town. The house is now the local museum. Let’s go and see if we can find any of your paintings there.”
“There are no other searches?” Magnus asked.
Ruby shook her head. “Let me search for Dumas.” She typed the name and clicked search. “Here. Your mother’s death certificate. She died in 1660.”
His breath shuddered through his body. “So, she is gone. She may never have seen my change in fortune.”
“I’m sorry, Magnus.” Ruby cursed her lack of tact. Looking at all these old documents made the events appear distant. But these were details of Magnus’s life.
“It was expected.” He gave her a crooked smile. “At least I have you, it makes the loss bearable. At least for now.” His expression clouded. “I’d like to remember her.”
“Look, there is an obituary in the local paper. Marianne Dumas, survived by her two children, Magnus and Emilia.”
“Emi.” He spoke the name as if in a dream.
Ruby didn’t utter a word; his eyes were unfocused and it seemed as if he were in a daydream. If only this were the key to unlocking his memories. Ruby held her breath and waited, offering a silent prayer to anyone who might be listening.
Chapter Fourteen – Magnus
The sense of loss hit him hard. He stood by his sister’s side as she wept over their mother’s grave. It was just the two of them now. Brother and sister, two creatures who had no place in this world. He’d tried to fit in, but he was tired of hiding his true self, he needed to be free. But Emi was scared. Frightened that if they shifted, someone would see and they would be speared through their hearts, like their father. But that wasn’t her greatest fear. No. That was simpler. She was scared of being alone.
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