by Tesha Geddes
“Kaida!” Erica exclaimed. “Thank heavens! Are you okay? What happened?”
“I was going to ask you the same question,” Kaida said. “I have lots of missed calls from everyone. Is everything okay?”
“You… just…” Erica stammered, hyperventilating. “You disappear for an entire day without a word to anyone, and you ask if everything’s okay? We thought you’d been kidnapped! Where did you go!?”
Kaida’s face flushed with guilt and shame –– she hadn’t thought her absence would cause such turmoil among her roommates.
“I… I’m sorry. I just wanted to get out. I’m sorry for any trouble I caused,” Kaida said.
“Are you at least on your way back now?” Erica asked.
“About that…” Kaida said. “I kind of missed the last bus.”
“Alright, where are you? We’ll have someone pick you up.”
“I went to the Redwood Forest, I’m by the Jacobs Campground,” Kaida said.
“Wow, when you said you wanted to get out, you meant that literally,” Erica said. “But why weren’t you answering your phone?”
“I couldn’t take it with me,” Kaida answered evasively.
“Oh, right,” Erica said. “I’ll call Celicia and see who’s closest to your location.”
“Celicia?” Kaida asked. They’d involved Celicia? Now she felt even worse.
“Yeah, when we couldn’t find you this morning, I called Celicia,” Erica replied. “She said Sen walked you to your door and came home alone. We practically accused him of kidnapping you!”
“What?!” Kaida exclaimed, feeling mildly outraged on Sen’s behalf, and more than a little guilty. “Sen would never do something like that.”
“Yeah, that’s what Celicia said too,” Erica said. “Now, everyone from the pack house is out looking for you.”
“Why would they do that?” Kaida asked, wanting to crawl in a hole and hide –– she was so ashamed of the commotion her absence had caused. If she’d just sent Erica a text when she’d left, she would have saved everyone a lot of trouble. “Most of them don’t even know me.”
“You’re pack; that’s what pack does,” Erica replied firmly. “Don’t go anywhere. I’ll call back in a few minutes to let you know who’s picking you up.”
That’s what pack does. This phrase tumbled around Kaida’s mind as she sat on a boulder, waiting for her ride. That’s what pack does. How many people had gone out looking for her simply because she was part of the pack? That’s what pack does. All those people cared that she was missing, even though they didn’t know her. That’s what pack does.
❀
Sen gripped his steering wheel with white knuckles and tried to shake the terror in his mind. If they find her, she’s as good as dead. Gramps’s words blared on repeat in his head as he drove down the highway.
“Everything will be fine,” Celicia said calmly. “We’ll find her.”
Sen gave his sister a tense smile and a slight nod. They were driving to the outskirts of town, more out of desperation than anything. Kaida hadn’t answered her phone, and that meant she was either ignoring it, didn’t have it on her, or it had no signal, or a combination thereof. He hoped it was a lack of signal that caused her radio silence. And, if Kaida was anything like him, she’d need a few hours in her other form after a party like last night. There was only one place nearby that could safely keep a dragon shifter out of sight, and it was notorious for poor cell service.
Celicia’s phone buzzed.
“Hello?” she said. “You found her! Where was she? Wait… we’re, like, five minutes away. Tell her to stay there!”
Relief washed over Sen, making him feel a decade younger. “Where is she?” he asked.
“Jacobs Campground,” Celicia replied. “Remind me never to doubt your instincts again.”
❀
Sen’s familiar truck pulled into the campground and Kaida allowed herself a small smile. She was glad someone familiar was picking her up. Sen parked the truck, and before she’d taken more than a few steps, he’d exited the vehicle and she found herself swept into a crushing hug. Sen’s racing heartbeat thudded in her ears. She gingerly returned the hug, realizing the gesture was more for his comfort than hers. Sen’s arms eventually loosened a fraction, but he didn’t let go. Kaida was too shocked to relax into the hug –– she’d expected to be chewed out. Instead, Sen was holding onto her like she was his lifeline.
“I thought that… I was worried that…” He inahled a shuddering breath and concluded, “I was just so worried about you.”
“I’m sorry,” Kaida said as they climbed into the truck. “I didn’t think my disappearance would cause such a commotion. I just needed space to recharge.”
“I understand,” Sen said as he started the truck and pulled out of the parking space, “but next time, please tell someone when you plan on being gone and unreachable all day. We were worried something bad had happened.”
“That is a massive understatement,” Celicia said with a laugh. “Sen thought dragons had come to kidnap you. I don’t know where he got that idea, but he was really worried about it.”
Kaida looked at Sen in alarm. How much did he know? Had Mathis told him? Or had he figured it out on his own? Clearly Celicia didn’t know anything, so she couldn’t ask him about it right now.
“Oh,” she said. “No dragons, but I did see a dead basilisk.”
“You what?!” Sen exclaimed, jerking the steering wheel in surprise, and nearly running them off the road.
“Sen! Be careful!” Celicia shouted in alarm.
Sen straightened them out without incident, but there was silence in the truck until Sen finally spoke again: “You saw a basilisk.”
Kaida nodded. “Yes, it was dead when I arrived, so I was in no danger.”
“Okay,” Sen said in a strangely measured voice. “Well, we’ll want to make a report. Do you know how it died?”
“Are you sure it was a basilisk?” Celicia asked, clearly hoping Kaida was wrong.
“Yes, I’m certain,” Kaida said, “and a thunderbird killed it.”
Sen nearly ran them off the road again.
“Sen!” Celicia shouted in disapproval.
“I’m fine. It’s fine. Everything’s fine,” Sen muttered.
“Uh, Kaida,” Celicia said slowly, “for the sake of staying alive, maybe you should hold off on telling your story until we get back to the pack house.”
Kaida groaned internally –– she thought they’d be going back to the dorm.
“Consider it repayment for making us look for you all day,” Celicia said with a grin.
Chapter 15
Kaida sat on one of the plush couches in the pack house, surrounded by over a dozen eager faces. Even her roommates had come to hear her story of the thunderbird. She took a deep breath –– dealing with just the pack should be a lot easier than attending another party. Right? Difference was, at the party, she could sit on the outskirts and be largely ignored, but now she was the center of attention.
“Come on,” Celicia urged her, “tell us about meeting the thunderbird, and what you did to earn a feather.”
Kaida’s hand involuntarily reached up to touch the golden feather protruding from her right temple. The feather’s structure had softened so that it fell naturally in the same soft waves as her hair. When she touched it, she could feel sparks of electricity coursing through it. She took a deep breath and began talking, carefully avoiding mentioning things that would give away her secret. By the time she finished, they were all staring at her, open-mouthed.
“You met Storm Thunderfeather?” Zev, a lean, scrappy wolf shifter asked, his eyes wide. “The Storm Thunderfeather? The chief of Thunder Mountain Aerie? That Storm Thunderfeather?”
Kaida shrugged. “I guess… unless there’s another Storm Thunderfeather of Thunder Mountain Aerie.”
“And he gave you a new name?” Tala, Zev’s twin, asked.
“And he adopted you into his aerie?” R
io said.
“I’d call bull,” Linus said, “but the feather in your hair proves it.”
“What about the basilisk?” Belle, an aptly-named wolf shifter, asked. “Shouldn’t we tell someone?”
“I texted my boss,” Ranger, a stocky wolf-shifter that worked as a park ranger, said –– Kaida was pretty sure Ranger was just his nickname.
“Girl, I’m just glad you’re okay,” Tanya said to Kaida, grasping her hand in a caring gesture. “You had us really worried.”
“I’ll make sure to let someone know next time,” Kaida said, feeling both chastened and loved.
“You should take someone with you next time,” Ranger insisted. “The forest can be dangerous.”
Kaida nodded but didn’t commit to anything. The only people who knew her secret weren’t fast enough to keep up with her. Though they were magicals, Tanya and Sophie were no faster than the average human. In her boar form, Erica would be significantly faster, but not fast enough, and Kaida balked at the thought of going slower. A fast wolf shifter might be able to keep up with her, but none of them knew her secret –– even Sen and Mathis didn’t know the truth of her dragon form. She couldn’t commit to taking anyone with her, but she also couldn’t stay away, not now that she’d tasted the freedom of unconstrained flight. Flapping around her room was no longer enough.
Tanya yawned widely. “It’s been fun y’all,” she said, “but it’s late and most of us have class in the morning. We should head back.”
“Come back any time,” Zev said to the four roommates, a sentiment that was echoed by the rest of the pack.
As they stood to leave, Kaida glanced at Mathis, but his face was impassive –– he hadn’t said a word the entire time she was there. Sen, on the other hand, looked like he was about to explode with some unnamed emotion.
❀
“Go for a run,” Mathis said to Sen after the girls left. “Get yourself in a better headspace; we’ll talk tomorrow.”
Sen nodded and shifted. He took off down the street, his paws a blur. He ran, trying to sort through the chaos of his emotions as sprinted. He’d been scared when he thought something had happened to Kaida, angry that she hadn’t thought to tell anyone she’d be gone for the day, frightened again when he thought about everything that could have gone wrong with her encounter with the thunderbird, and a little jealous that the thunderbird had claimed her as part of his aerie. What if she decided to join the thunderbird aerie and moved away? She was part of his pack now and he couldn’t stand the thought of her leaving. But he had to admit, in spite of their historic animosity, a thunderbird aerie was better suited for a dragon than a wolf pack. After all, both species were large and powerful fliers. Part of him was mad at Kaida for taking such blatant risks, another part of him was proud of how she’d handled herself, and yet another part of him was mad at himself for not being there to protect her. Then there was the hug, which triggered a whole other set of emotions. It was a lot to work through, but eventually his mind quieted and he turned and ran back home.
❀
Kaida walked into the workshop, filled with trepidation. Mathis hadn’t said anything last night, so she expected him to lay into her today. But Mathis simply looked up when she walked in and greeted her just as warmly as he ever did.
“You gave me quite the scare yesterday,” he said as she gathered her supplies.
“I’m sorry,” Kaida said, looking down, “I didn’t mean to.”
“I know,” Mathis said gently. “You’ve lived your whole life not knowing what it’s like to have people who care about you, so you didn’t realize the concern your absence would cause. But that isn’t your reality anymore. You are surrounded by people who care deeply about you and your wellbeing. Just, please let someone know if you’re going to be gone and unreachable for an extended period of time. And Ranger was right last night… you should take someone with you next time. You’re also more than welcome to go take a run around pack lands any time you want –– it’s a lot safer than the wild redwoods, even if the redwoods are better suited for a dragon.”
“It’s just…” Kaida began, unsure how to adequately express her feelings. “When I was flying in the redwoods, I felt more free, and whole, and happy than I ever have. I wasn’t worried that someone would find me, though, in retrospect, I probably should have been.”
Mathis chuckled. “Well, no one would have if you hadn’t decided to play the hero.”
Kaida bit her lip in concern as a thought occurred to her. “Do you think he’ll tell people about me?”
Mathis thought for a minute before replying, “I’ve met Storm Thunderfeather, and he is wise and cunning. He knows of what dragons do to those they deem unworthy, and he detests it. He would never knowingly put you in danger. Besides, he gave you a new name, and that is what he’ll call you from now on.”
Kaida glanced at Mathis and asked the question that had burned in her mind all night: “Would I be able to officially change my name to Kaida Gracewing?”
Mathis looked at her with a smile. “I see no reason why not. Does your identification still list Drake City as your hometown?”
Kaida nodded, unsure where he was going with that.
“You can change that too,” Mathis said. “You’ve been adopted into both a wolf shifter pack and a thunderbird aerie. You can choose either, but before you do, it’d be best for you to visit and meet your new family.”
“I’d choose the pack,” Kaida said firmly. “You were the first to adopt me, and I know you all the best. Plus, it would be easier for me to blend in with wolf shifters than with the thunderbirds.”
“I was hoping you’d say that,” Mathis said with a smile. “There’s a break coming up, and everyone will head back to pack lands. Why don’t you come with us? It’ll give you a chance to meet the rest of the Howling Mountain Pack. They’ve been clamoring to meet you since they found out I took on an apprentice.”
Kaida’s heart both warmed and ached peculiarly. She wanted them to like her but didn’t dare hope. “That sounds nice,” she said.
“Excellent,” Mathis said. “Sen knows pack lands better than most, so he can show you the best places to let your dragon out. But Kaida, you need to know that you don’t have to hide your dragon around the pack –– you don’t need to apologize for who and what you are. When you’re ready to let the pack know, we’ll have a discussion on the importance of keeping your secret.”
An entire pack willing and able to keep Kaida’s secret was wishful thinking on Mathis’s part, not that it stopped Kaida from secretly wishing it to be true too. It didn’t escape her notice that Mathis still had a misconception about the size of her dragon… a misconception she was in no hurry to correct.
❀
Mathis thumbed through one of Kaida’s magical books in awe. It was remarkably well-done for an apprentice, and showcased her attention to detail, but that wasn’t what captured his attention. He’d never felt a magical book imbued with healing power before. Healing was the rarest type of magic. Even spellcasters, who could weave their magic into many disparate purposes could only manage the barest of healing spells. He’d expected Kaida’s books to contain something of her personality and power of purification, but what she’d created was something even more incredible. He’d expected a book that was impervious to dirt and felt vaguely of flight and power, but that wasn’t what he held in his hands. He held a book that was a balm to his body and mind, a book which emanated a feeling of sunshine and nature, and steady, sure growth. Just holding the book eased the pain of his rheumatism and made him feel decades younger.
Most magical books developed an inexhaustible supply of pages –– when the last page was filled, there would mysteriously be another page behind it. Because of this, most magical books were sold to historians and potion developers because a near-infinite amount of knowledge could be stored in a small space. The only catch was that the information all had to loosely be on the same subject. For example, a history book could co
ntain the history of just about any people or nation, but if the author tried to include potion recipes, the book would refuse to accept the entry. An encyclopedia on magical species would reject an entry on the history of the Harbian Empire. Mathis shook his head –– a book that heals deserved to be so much more than another history textbook.