by Beth Caudill
Lawke stretched from his cramped position on the couch and glanced around. The other officers had finally left but their mess remained. While he had an alibi for the kidnapping, Officer Edwards believed Lawke must have orchestrated the abduction.
According to the cop, that’s what a man with a new girlfriend and an estranged spouse did when faced with the sudden responsibility for his child. The officer was an idiot. Lawke wasn’t dating Evelyn and he loved Zoe. Whoever took her would face justice.
A flame burst into existence in the backyard. Still cloaked by the dark night, he could make out the silhouette of a man. Could this be the kidnapper?
“What’s going on?” Evelyn asked, her voice muddled from sleep.
“I think we’re being contacted.” His heart raced with a mixture of excitement at finally being able to do something and trepidation at the unknowns. Especially the magic.
She stood by the window and rubbed her arms.
He walked behind her and draped his coat around her shoulders. “Will you go out there with me?” He wanted her with him. To deal with any tricks the man might conjure and for his own selfish need for her company.
If he had to protect her, he wouldn’t risk his life on a stupid mistake. Like attempting to kill the man who stole his daughter.
Her jaw clenched and she gazed at him with fire in her eyes. “Yes. I want to know why this is happening.”
He took her hand and led the way outside. They stepped into the light of a flame hovering above a small square stone with some type of powder in a small heap.
“Where is my daughter?” Blood pounded in his ears. A cool breeze rustled the dead leaves on the trees around them. Reminded him he needed to keep calm.
The man stepped into the light, which reflected the bright colors, reds, blues, greens, and yellows of his feathered outfit. But the strangest aspect of him was the coal-black color of his skin. There were a few smudges around his ankles, where brush must have scraped off whatever he had put on.
“I am Ichtaca, a priest of the Aztec. Your daughter is nearby. Come closer. We have much to discuss.”
The priest stared at Evelyn. A deep hatred emanated from him. Despite being acquainted with the worst in people as a ranger, he’d never seen such fury in another human. Yet Evelyn remained oblivious to the other man’s scrutiny.
She truly didn’t know who or what the priest wanted.
“Why have you done this?” she asked.
“Because you have no consideration for the harm you cause others with your art.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Even after all these years, you carry the devil box everywhere. Capturing the lives of anyone you see and stealing the splendor of the Gods.” Each word he spoke dripped with loathing vehemence.
She took a step back and angled herself behind Lawke. A layer of protection between her and the priest. Almost like she was afraid of the malicious red glint smoldering from the priest’s eyes. As if the red flames lived inside him and were not a reflection of the flame before them.
“But why take my daughter?” Despite an attraction to Evelyn, they had no connection.
The priest shrugged. “Everyone has a weakness.” He pointed to her. “She likes to tell young girls they have an inner strength and the willpower to do anything.” He laughed, and the shadows from the trees danced. “Your daughter happened to be the closest available sacrifice. If you don’t want to see her broken, you will follow my commands.”
Lawke took a step forward, but Evelyn placed a hand on his shoulder. Her touch kept him sane. Kept him from diving across the fire and trying to strangle the priest. He couldn’t help his little girl if he acted rashly.
“What do you want from us?” Defeat and acceptance grew heavy as her words hung in the air.
The priest threw powder into the campfire. “It’s simple. I want you to retrieve this photo.” Pale yellow smoke swirled into the air. It expanded into a nebulous rectangle with brownish-black lines burned across the open space, creating a cityscape.
In the foreground stood a family of four. Twin teenage boys with their parents. In the background, leaning over two crumpled bodies beneath the rubble of a house, stood a man and a woman dressed in early 1900’s garb but the woman had feathers woven into her hair.
“I remember that.” Evelyn whispered. “I took that in San Francisco right after the earthquake of 1906.”
“Good. There will be no problem recovering it.”
“The plates were destroyed years ago. I have no idea where it would be. If it even exists today.”
The priest sneered. “It’s in one piece. Otherwise my love would have been released. It was purchased by them.” He pointed to the family. “The boys keep it as a remembrance of the kin they’ve lost. They are in a place I cannot reach.” His eyes glowed with a menacing power. “But you can go where I cannot.”
“And where is this place?”
“It’s a town called Willows Haven, and it is protected by magic. I cannot cross its boundaries.”
“I’ve never heard of the place.”
“Based on the look of the ranger’s face, he has.” He threw something across the clearing. “There is a map to the refuge. The wind carries tales of the cursed twins. They own the town newspaper.” He smirked. “I’m sure you’re smart enough to find them.”
Lawke squinted at the man. “You’re well informed for someone who hasn’t been in the town. Even I haven’t discovered much beyond the state records.” Unease traveled along his spine like a squirrel scampering along the top of a fence.
“I’ve had plenty of time to probe how my kin lost their souls. The picture was shown as part of a special on the one hundred and tenth anniversary. I’ve plotted its return ever since.”
“If we gain access to your photo, what happens next?
“You will meet me at the clearing to the east of the Hidden Falls. And I will exchange your daughter for the picture.”
“Just like that?”
“It’s very simple: the girl for the picture.” A bright ball exploded into the sky from the fire. “Don’t take too long. I’m not known for patience, and I’m always looking for another offering for my gods.” The priest’s voice echoed, and he no longer stood across the clearing from them.
Evelyn rubbed her arms. “I’m sorry. Your family shouldn’t have been dragged into this.”
“Nothing we can do about that now.” They’d have to do something totally against his nature. “But we are going to retrieve that picture and get my daughter back.”
If they were caught, he’d lose his job and his family. But Zoe couldn’t be left in the hands of a crazy man.
5
The afternoon sun shone through Evelyn’s window as they traveled along the highway bypass. Neither spoke. They were headed to another park on the outskirts of Willows Haven. An itch between her shoulder blades indicated someone followed them. She didn’t think it was the priest, but it was hard to be sure. She kept glancing behind them.
Lawke grasped her left hand. “Quit being so nervous. It’s only the police.”
“Why would they follow us?”
He grimaced. “Because they think I arranged for her to be taken.”
“That’s insane. You adore her.” The delight on his face in the kitchen yesterday morning had been obvious. She wanted someone to regard her with that kind of devotion.
He swallowed but kept staring at the road. “No more insane than some priest of an extinct civilization kidnapping her.” He stomped on the brakes as the car in front of him slowed for no reason. “Law enforcement always assumes the simplest answer. In this case, someone in the family. With Rachel out of the country, I, of course, have to be the culprit. It’s what I’d think if it happened to Billy or any of the other rangers.”
“But they’re your friends. Shouldn’t they support you? Trust you?”
“They would with their lives. But it’s Zoe’s life that matters right now. And the lack of evidence is very
damning. Practical and unemotional observation doesn’t include magic.”
“Sounds unsympathetic. You’re too nice a man. I’d hold a grudge.” She turned and watched the trees flash by.
“While some people may be hurting, others inflicted that pain. It’s not our place to judge, just find the answers as quickly as possible.”
The sharp, jagged silence hurt. Maybe she thought his friends owed him more, but he knew there were lines to that friendship. This situation crossed them.
His life would be forever altered.
“How long until we stop?”
He turned with a smile on his face. “Why? Do you need to use the potty?”
Some of the tension eased at his joke. “No. But I would like to stretch my legs.” Even better would be if she were airborne with the wind surrounding her wings.
“The park isn’t too much farther. I’ve rented a cabin on the edge of town.”
The car slowed as he veered onto the exit. At the end of the ramp, he turned left and drove until the road ended. A large sign proclaimed they had entered Gracelynne Shroud State Park. They continued along a flat dirt road and watched the black, unmarked police car turn around.
“Why aren’t they following?”
“I don’t know.” He considered the tunnel-like road before them. Rays of sunlight illuminated some of trees while others stood in shadow. “Maybe he didn’t have any breadcrumbs to find his way out of the Enchanted Forest.”
“Never trust a breadcrumb path, the song birds will eat it.”
He laughed. She sighed in relief when he pulled into the parking area. She stepped from the car and welcomed the gentle breeze against her face. At least the mugginess of summer had dissipated even if the afternoon heat still radiated around them.
“Come on. We have a bit of a hike before the sun sets.” He handed her a loaded backpack and then walked into the woods along a single-person trail.
She rushed to catch him. His legs were longer than hers and he charged through the brush, determined to reach their destination. Good thing she was a shifter; she had more stamina than a normal female. Even still, she couldn’t help but think of thwacking him to slow down.
Time passed in a haze of relentless step after step. They reached the edge of a lake and she slid the backpack from her arms and dropped it to the ground. Twisting the lid off the canteen, she took a large gulp of water.
“At twilight and dawn, a mist flows from the lake water. Covers the water and valley like a shroud. Legend has it that a woman cast a spell to protect this land from harm. Every year a handful of people will claim to see the great Gracelynne in the mist.”
“Sounds like you don’t believe?”
He shrugged. “Hard to believe in ghosts. But I never gave credence to magic or shapeshifters, either. Yet here you are.” His face turned somber. “We need to keep moving.”
Evelyn massaged her calves and wiggled her toes inside her boots. “You go on, I’ll catch up.”
He frowned. “We need to stay together.”
“I’ll be following you. Just not on the trail.” She stood and hooked the backpack with her foot.
She imagined her falcon shape and let the magic change her. Her limbs tingled as she shrunk in size. The tiny hairs extended on her outstretched arms, became feathers. The transformation included the backpack, which now wrapped around her yellow talon.
With a few hops, she launched into the air, flapped her wings to gain height, and screeched her joy into the wind. This was the exhilaration she craved. The feel of the wind through her feathers, seeing the countryside from above, and the ecstasy of freedom only found among the clouds.
She stuck close but circled high in the sky. This was where she belonged. Not trapped on the ground, trudging after a male. That wasn’t whom she was meant to be.
Her gaze returned to him again and again. Even now, she knew exactly where he was below her. And a part of her wanted to be there beside him. But it couldn’t be. He was too grounded in the here and now to be able to handle her need to fly.
To escape.
What spell drew her to him? Why couldn’t she have been attracted to another bird shifter? Someone with whom she could glide along the currents and reach for the moon. Instead, she felt compelled to sit in a tree and watch Lawke climb over another rotting, moss-covered log.
She shook her body and hoped this was only a momentary diversion. Because being tethered to another person was the last thing she needed.
Tied. Bound. Caged.
All words that struck terror in her soul. She cried again, in perceived agony or denial. She wasn’t sure. But the opposing desires were tearing her apart. Lifting from the tree, she flapped her wings, soaring higher, fleeing.
Until she slid through a magical barrier. Electricity zapped through her. Her feathers numbed, and she couldn’t feel the wind. She tumbled in the sky until her wings caught the wind and she could glide again. The barrier hadn’t stopped her, but it had been a surprise.
Below, Lawke broke through a clearing with a small single-story cabin. She dropped to the ground and changed. Together they walked around to the front of the property. On the steps, an older woman with silver hair sat knitting a long purple variegated scarf. Beside her lay a rumpled copy of When the Tree Falls, the Willows Haven community newspaper.
The woman looked up and smiled. “You must be Mr. Morgan…and his friend. I’m Annabel Holmes, the manager. Let me know if you need anything.”
He shook the woman’s hand. “A pleasure to meet you, Ms. Holmes.”
She stood. “Here are the keys. You’re paid for three days, but don’t be afraid to stay longer.”
The snap of leather echoed in Evelyn’s head. It had to be her imagination, yet she could almost see silver tether strands tying her to Lawke. As if the Fates bound them, that their presence here fulfilled a predetermined destiny.
She swallowed and forced a smile to her face. She refused to be caged by anyone, even the Moirai.
Annabel was more than a human but not a shifter, otherwise Eveylyn was sure the woman would have used telepathy to talk to her.
Whatever she was, it wasn’t good for Evelyn’s future. She felt like a dry leaf, adrift in the back and forth sway of a soft breeze. Lifted and then dropped until finally resting on the grass to be ground up, broken and unwanted.
The old woman passed Evelyn and locked eyes with her. Age in no way diminished the flare of power within the light blue orbs covered with a white film. The woman grasped onto Evelyn’s arm and whispered, “Remember, dear, not all ties become cages. Making the choice to stay in one place doesn’t cost you your independence.”
She hobbled across the grass and disappeared into the woods.
“What did Annabel say?” Lawke asked as they entered the cabin.
Evelyn glanced over her shoulder. “Nothing related to finding your daughter.”
Inside was a large living room with a small kitchen to the right. A hallway led off to the left, and a hint of worry wormed its way into her heart. Following the hallway, there were two rooms. One a bathroom, and the other held a queen-sized bed.
That was the extent of the small cabin.
There was a two-person sofa and a small table for eating. Very rustic and sparse. A perfect escape for two people who were in a relationship. Uncomfortable for two people who weren’t sure of each other and were stressed by a kidnapping.
He stood before the picture window, his shoulders slumped. “We’ll explore the town tomorrow.” The quiet words vibrated with determination.
“We’ll get her back.” His family had to be restored. She couldn’t live with any other outcome.
She clasped his hand, entwined their fingers. They stared into the night. Zoe might be out of reach, but Evelyn could provide companionship. Remind him he wasn’t alone; she was there to assist him.
“I’m going to check outside.” He grabbed his coat before rushing out the door.
Abandoned and too anxious to sit at h
er computer, she prowled the cabin. Always curious, she searched every drawer and cabinet. Ending in the kitchen, she found boxed noodles and jarred sauce in the pantry. While the ingredients weren’t fresh, at least the spaghetti made a quick meal.
She’d eaten and cleaned the kitchen by the time Lawke returned. Whatever he’d searched for, he’d found. Despair no longer weighed upon him. The grief of loss still haunted his eyes but hope lightened his steps.
He turned her from the sink and took her hands. “I’m sorry for the sudden departure. I needed to be alone, to plan. I think best when I’m out on the land. Something about the rustling leaves and fresh air helps me focus.”
Her instincts screamed for her to back up, to run, because his sky-blue eyes sparkled with a newfound determination. His will was focused all right. On her.
She could’ve been bait for a trap, would actually prefer that. But she feared something else. The beginnings of a mate bond. Sometimes it was an instantaneous melding of souls, other times the bond was like an insidious rope that wound around two people until they found themselves irrevocably tied together.
There were still choices to be made. The bond wouldn’t exist without intent on both sides. It could be broken at any time. A good predator knew when it became prey. At that moment, Lawke definitely considered Evelyn prey.
She pulled away from him, handed him the plate of noodles. “The sauce is in the microwave. Eat. You’ll feel better.” At least he’d be fed.
His laughter followed her into the living room. Gathering her laptop, she sat on the couch and checked the weather. A tropical storm at sea had the potential to impact their area.
Great. More rain. She hated wet feathers.
Needing a distraction from Lawke and their situation, she opened her image gallery to review her images.
Retreating was the safe course. Safe? She took risks, did what she wanted. So why couldn’t she take him and walk away like every other relationship she’d been in?
Something inside her recognized the potential for more with him. Either they fell in love and she became tethered to him, or a broken heart was in her future. Better to stop anything from developing at all.