by Jamie Davis
When she didn’t see anything moving, Quinn decided to take a chance and sneak onto the shore so she could shift back to human form. Working her way forward, Quinn reached the point where she crawled the last few yards, staying as low in the water as possible.
Her gill flaps opened to air, and she coughed water out. While trying to stifle the sound, Quinn disengaged from her shifted self, transforming back into a human again. Taking a deep breath, she reactivated her night vision and stared at the beach nearby. Shrubs grew almost all the way to the lake here. Anyone could be hiding in there and she’d never see them, even with her enhanced sight.
Realizing she’d have to take a chance, Quinn rose to a crouch and darted toward the nearest copse of trees, which was about thirty yards away. She reached it and heard no sign of an alert or someone spotting her.
Quinn got behind a tree in case one of the boats out on the lake happened by. She could see them going back and forth in the distance, most likely circling the area above the cave. Their spotlights played on the surface. There were four boats in all.
She slipped out of the strings holding the duffel bag on her back and opened the top to retrieve her sodden tennis shoes. She didn’t relish wearing wet sneakers up the mountain trails tonight, but it was better than going barefoot in the dark.
Quinn dug out her shoes and a pair of socks. She wrung out the socks, drying them as best she could, then pulled them on, followed by the sneakers. When she stood, her feet squelched, squeezing water out of the soles. It wouldn’t be quiet, but hopefully, no one was nearby to hear her. They couldn’t have enough people to surround an entire lake this size.
Looking at the moon where it filtered through the trees to check her position, Quinn started uphill as the early morning hours passed. Time to search for Terrence and continue her wild magic training.
Quinn glanced one last time over her shoulder to look and listen for pursuit. For the first time, she spotted a fire burning across the water. After a few seconds, Quinn realized it was in the area of Gil’s cabin. She hoped that didn’t mean he was dead or injured. She owed him a lot for helping her escape. Quinn decided she’d get payback on his behalf as soon as she was sure who was behind this.
Knowing there was nothing she could do at this point to help him, Quinn started into the darkness to find the only help she knew of nearby. She hoped Terrence was ready for her. Things had just become a lot more urgent than they’d been the night before.
Chapter Twelve
The sun crested the hills to the east a little more than two hours later. Quinn sat down beside a sizable boulder and put her back against it, then bent down and pulled off her still-damp shoes, peeling off her socks next.
The blisters on the heels of both feet had broken open and were rubbed raw. She didn’t know what she could do about her injured feet. She couldn’t afford to pull any ley line energy from the earth with the Fae searching for her. It would be like firing a flare gun to announce her position.
That left her with more conventional methods. She didn’t have any dry socks, which might have helped. Deciding to walk barefoot for a little while, Quinn tied the laces of her shoes together and hung them around her neck. She tied the socks around the loops on her duffel bag’s drawstrings and dangled them behind her until they dried.
Satisfied that she’d come up with at least a partial solution, Quinn pulled her phone from her bag and tried to turn it on. It didn’t power up, and she wondered if she’d ruined it forever. She returned it to the bag and stared down at the lake through the trees. Boats still crisscrossed the surface. She couldn’t tell if all of them were the Fae attackers searching for her. The human residents who lived in a small community on the eastern edge of the lake took their boats out often in the early morning hours to fish.
Able to see a game trail leading up through the trees, Quinn began picking her way over the rough ground. She made sure to remain inside the cover of trees and shrubs so no one could spot her from the lake. She winced as the occasional rock or sharp twig poked into her feet from beneath the covering of leaves on the path. The going was slower than before, but at least her shoes weren’t rubbing her feet raw.
Quinn turned a bend in the trail an hour later and stopped to rest while she removed a thorn from between her toes. As she pressed at the injured area with her fingertips to try to lever the tiny barb free, a deep voice behind her said, “Not very prepared for this, are you?”
Letting go of her injured foot, Quinn spun, reaching for her knife. She stopped when she saw Terrence standing downhill on the trail.
“Oh, thank God. I’ve been looking for you.”
“Well,” Terrence replied, “you found me.”
“Technically, you found me.” Terrence’s eyebrows lowered and he glowered at her. She hastily added, “But I guess that’s a minor point, right?”
“What happened down there? I heard guns and saw the fire.”
“Fae attacked the cabin while we slept. Gil took the fight to them and told me to run for it. I swam away and then came here to find you.”
“Why would Fae come out here and attack old Gil, or you, for that matter?”
Quinn didn’t know how much Gil had told Terrence other than what she’d overheard. However, she knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to do anything to make Terrence think she was untrustworthy.
“As I said last night, I have a dragon egg back home. It’s the reason I have the connection to wild magic that I do. It used to belong to two of the Fae princesses. I think they might have discovered the wild magic outbreak in the city is related to my connection to the egg.”
“Makes sense,” Terrence said. “Kill you, and the egg is free to bond with one of them.”
Quinn nodded. “That’s why Gil wanted me to come here. He hoped I’d learn enough about wild magic through the earth to help me stop the outbreaks in the city.”
“Not sure what help I can be. I don’t know much about dragons and such. I mostly keep to myself up here away from everyone else and their problems.”
“Does that mean you won’t help me?”
“No. I told Gil I’d do it, and I will, but you’ll be doing most of the work. If you survive, I’ll do what I can to help you.”
Quinn shrugged. It was the best she could do, and without a working phone, Terrence was the only help she had out here in the wilds of western Maryland.
“Follow me,” Terrence said and marched off, working his way through the brush. He left the trail, cutting across the face of the mountain.
Quinn picked her way after him as best she could in bare feet. Terrence stopped every little while and waited until she’d caught up. He’d start walking again as soon as she’d reached him, giving her no chance to rest. After a few hours, they came around the far side of the mountain and began working their way down into a tiny valley nestled between two rounded peaks. A small stream wound through the valley and lush green grass grew on either side up to the tree line at the base of the slopes.
When they finally walked onto the open grass of the valley, Quinn spotted a large structure nestled against the opposite hillside. It was made of logs, but to call it a log cabin wouldn’t do it justice. This was a large home by any standard. Floor-to-ceiling windows looked out over the valley and likely filled the house with warmth from the sun as it passed overhead.
“Just a little farther. That’s my home.”
“Nice place,” Quinn said. “Build it yourself?”
Terrence only grunted, which Quinn couldn’t interpret as either a yes or a no. Her guide had started out again. She shook her head and picked up her pace to follow him. This was going to be a long few days without anyone to talk to. It was clear to her that Terrence didn’t like chit-chat.
When they got closer, the rear of the home revealed an array of solar panels angled toward the south on metal posts. A pair of small satellite dishes mounted on a single post sat next to the solar farm.
Quinn’s eyebrows shot up in surprise at the advanc
ed technology and she glanced at Terrence, questions swirling in her mind. There was a lot more to this silent shifter than she’d initially appreciated.
Terrence led her to the back door, where he lifted the metal cover on a small rectangular box attached to the wall, revealing a touchscreen about the same size as her phone. Her host pressed his thumb against the pad, then the screen flashed green, and a virtual number pad appeared. He tapped in a sequence, and the door popped open with a click.
After opening the door, Terrence gestured for Quinn to enter. The small mudroom inside the door had a washer and dryer on the left, with a washbasin next to them. A bench with several pairs of shoes and boots beneath it sat against the wall opposite the appliances.
Terrence sat to remove his hiking boots. “I’ll get you something to wear. Then you can get your belongings washed and dried.”
“Sure. Is there someplace I can change?”
“Inside. There’s a spare room.”
Quinn nodded and waited until he’d removed his shoes, then followed him into the house. The mudroom opened on a short hall with a kitchen on the left and a large great room with a vaulted ceiling with long log beams on the right. Terrence walked through the big room past a sitting area with one of the largest flatscreens she’d ever seen mounted on the log wall above a fireplace.
There was a sophisticated multi-screen computer system set up on a desk in the corner. Taylor would positively drool over the layout. It looked brand new. Quinn tried to assess the wealth she saw on display here. It wasn’t like there were gold fixtures or anything like that, but the room’s elegant furnishings and design spoke of wealth and comfort at the same time.
“Are you coming?” Terrence stood by a hall on the other side of the great room.
“How did you get all of this up here? There’s no road.”
“Wasn’t easy,” Terrence agreed. He walked down the hallway to the first door on the right. “This one’s yours. I’ll bring you some clothes.”
Quinn walked over and peeked into the room he indicated. A double bed sat against the far wall between two windows. There were two nightstands, a dresser with a mirror mounted on the wall above it, and an upholstered chair. Everything matched, from the fabric on the chair to the bedspread to the drapes.
Terrence returned a minute later with a pair of stretch denim leggings, thick socks, a t-shirt, and a plain green wool sweater. None of those things would have fit the big man.
“Thank you. I’m surprised you have things in my size.”
“They’re my wife’s.”
“Oh, is she around?” Quinn said, understanding the decor in the home now. “I’d like to thank her.”
“She’s dead, but she was about your size. I’ll be in the kitchen.” Terrence pulled the door shut as he left.
Quinn chided herself for being insensitive. She couldn’t have known about his wife, but that didn’t remove the unease at bringing up a touchy subject.
After stripping down, Quinn pulled on the clothes Terrence had provided. They were a little tight but served well enough. She picked up her dirty clothes and stuffed them in the top of the duffel bag with the damp clothing already inside. She retrieved her phone and shoved it into her back pocket after checking to see if it would turn on. It didn’t.
Quinn took her stuff with her and went to the kitchen. Terrence had started laying out sandwich fixings on a small table.
“The clothes are great, thank you. I’m sorry if I—”
“It’s good to get some use out of them. She would like that I’ve shared them with someone. Put your things in the washer. There’s detergent on the shelf above the appliances. Use the scoop on the hook to measure so we don’t flood the lake with phosphates.”
Quinn nodded and returned to the mudroom, where she followed his instructions and got the single load going in the washer. Her stomach growled, and she realized how hungry she was. The shifting to and from aquatic form, along with the long swim and the climb up the mountain, had taken a toll on her. She needed to eat something soon, or she was going to collapse.
Terrence had already made himself a sandwich and was eating at the small round table in the corner when she got back to the kitchen. She sat down and pulled a loaf of brown bread closer to cut two thick slices from it. Terrence had carved extra slices from the hunk of what looked like roast beef. There were pickles and salad greens, and even a tomato to slice.
By the time Quinn had finished assembling her sandwich, the stack had grown so high she wasn’t sure she could take a bite from it.
Terrence noted it. He finished the bite in his mouth and said, “This, I have to watch. I think your eyes are bigger than your mouth and stomach.”
Living up to the challenge in his tone, Quinn took the knife and cut the sandwich in half diagonally. Lifting half, she twisted her head to one side as she opened her mouth and pressed the bread together with both hands to contain the ingredients.
It was a tight fit, but she managed a sizable bite, filling her mouth with the first food she’d had in over twelve hours. Terrence shook his head and returned to his own sandwich. Quinn noticed the hint of a grin on his face. It was the first crack she’d seen in his surly demeanor.
Quinn wolfed down the first sandwich and half of a second one before she started to feel like herself again. Terrence began cleaning up the food, putting most of it away in the refrigerator. The appliances were all matched to the kitchen cabinets and looked brand new and hardly used. If she didn’t know how remote a location this was, Quinn would have thought she was in an upscale suburban home’s kitchen in Baltimore.
After she finished her second sandwich, Quinn asked, “So, what now?”
“I need to double-check to make sure none of the Fae decided to come looking for you up here. Most supernaturals know to stay away from my mountain, and there’s no reason to think they know you’re here, but I’d better be sure.”
“I could come with you.”
Terrence shook his head. “No. I’ll move faster on my own. You’re welcome to watch something on the satellite while I’m gone. Stay out of anything else. I will only be gone for a few hours.”
“I’d like to reach out and text my friends back in the city. They need to know what happened. My phone isn’t working. I had to swim to get away and reach your side of the lake. I think it got too wet, despite it being water-resistant.” She pulled it out and tried to turn it on again.
“No, don’t do that. There’s a possibility they could use it to determine if you’re still in the vicinity. They won’t localize you here at my house, but they’ll know you turned it on if they’re watching for it. I have a dampening spell in place over my home to mask my electronic signature. It’s not enough to keep your phone from pinging the tower on the other side of the lake.”
Quinn once again marveled at the level of tech and knowledge Terrence had compared to Gil. She filed that mystery away for later. “I need to let them know I’m okay, or they’ll come looking for me.”
“Wait until I get back. I’ll open a secure line over my satellite broadband connection. You can email or text them then. Give me your phone. I’ll put it in the food dehydrator and see if that revives it.”
Quinn gave him her phone, and he slid it onto a tray on a small, round appliance on the counter. He turned it on and left the kitchen. A few seconds later, the back door opened and closed. Quinn rose to rinse her dishes in the sink. Terrence walked past the kitchen window, stopping when he reached the open field at the center of the valley. He reached out with both hands like he was grabbing the air with clawed fingers. Then he shifted, catching Quinn by surprise. He didn’t change into a bear as she’d expected. Instead, a magnificent bald eagle hopped across the grass where the big man had stood moments before.
The raptor beat its wings and soared up and across the valley toward the lake. Quinn watched in awe, marveling at the magnificent creature until it disappeared over the trees.
Quinn finished cleaning up her dishes a
nd went back into the great room. Terrence had suggested she watch TV, but she didn’t feel like it. Instead, she picked up a book from the shelves beside the fireplace. The paperback technothriller’s cover looked interesting, and according to the back cover’s description, it was an action-packed thrill ride. She settled down on the leather sofa to read and was asleep less than five minutes later.
When she sat up in the darkened room, awakened from a deep sleep by a deep voice, Quinn initially didn’t know where she was. It took her a few seconds to orient herself. Terrence stood at the other end of the couch by her feet.
“I’m sorry,” Quinn said. “I was asleep, what did you say?”
“I said, dinner’s almost ready if you want to freshen up beforehand.”
Quinn nodded. “Yes, thank you. That’s a good idea.” It was dark outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. She reached for her phone and remembered where it was. “What time is it?”
“Almost eight. I usually eat late, and it took me longer to get back than expected.”
“Was there trouble?”
Terrence shrugged. “A few of the Fae ventured farther up my mountain than I thought was courteous without permission. I received an appropriate apology when I returned the unconscious trespassers to those on the shore by the lake.”
“They didn’t take issue with that? They fought Gil outside the cabin.”
“They have no reason to think I have you, though they did ask. I told them I hadn’t seen you, and if I had, I’d have done the same to a nosy little girl as I did to their men.”
“Thank you,” Quinn said. “I know this isn’t your fight. You could have given me up to them if you wanted.”