Centaur Legacy

by Nancy Straight

  My hands gently massaged my wrists where I had been bound. I realized I was wearing a hospital gown and had a catheter and IV in me. I wasn’t sure if I should be happy that they hadn’t let me lie in my own urine or furious because someone had removed my clothes and hooked me to these devices.

  I saw the Centaur writhing on the floor, no doubt still suffering from the pain in his head. I refused to feel bad about it. Brutus took a step away from me as he saw me taking in my surroundings. He was dressed in blue jeans, a black t-shirt and black motorcycle boots. If I had to guess at his age, I would say late-thirties, but Centaurs seemed to mask their age better than humans. In spite of witnessing what I was able to do, he didn’t appear to be frightened of me.

  “Where am I?”

  Brutus didn’t answer right away. He decided to conceal his thoughts from me. When he answered, his voice was quiet, “You are in Phineas’s home.”

  “And where is his home?”

  “Melbourne, Florida.”

  “Florida?” I need to get back to South Dakota. “How long have I been sedated?”

  “Four days.”

  “Four days? What day is it?”

  “It’s Thursday.”

  “I need a phone. Now.”

  Brutus reached in his pocket, fished out a cell phone, and handed it to me.

  I wanted to call Drake. I wanted to know that he was okay, but I didn’t know his phone number. I dialed Daniel. It went to voicemail. That was just like him. I left a message: “Daniel, it’s Cami. I’m okay. I’m going to give Will a call next.”

  When I dialed Will, he answered right away. “It’s Cami.”

  “Camille, are you okay?”

  “Yeah, no thanks to Phineas. How’s Drake?” He didn’t answer right away. “Will?”

  “I’m here, Camille. We’re all in South Dakota right now. Where are you, sweetheart?”

  “I’m in Melbourne, Florida. Is Drake okay?” I eyed the Centaur still on the floor. If Will told me that Drake was still hurt, murderer or not, I would finish him as a message to Phineas.

  “I haven’t seen him since yesterday. I’m here with Zandra.” My veins iced over. Was he now her prisoner?

  I was guarded as I asked, “Can you talk?”

  “Yes. We were both worried about you. We found your brother.”

  “Cameron? You found Cameron? Don’t let her get him!” How could they have found him so quickly? He was able to stay hidden for twenty-two years, and they found him in four days?

  “Zandra feels bad about taking you before. She, Cameron and I are flying to Florida. Why don’t you stay there, and we’ll meet you at her estate.”

  “Have you lost your mind? I’m not going anywhere near her place! Where’s Drake?”

  “It’s a long story, and we can’t talk about it on the phone. Cameron wants to see you. He didn’t know he had a twin, either.”

  “You’re not listening to me! Where’s Drake?”

  “Cami, we’ll worry about Drake after we know you and Cameron are safe.”

  “I don’t need your help. I’m going back to South Dakota to find Drake.”

  “Cami, wait. Don’t hang up. Cameron says Drake has the arrow.”

  “What?” Remembering how Zethus had protected the truth and hidden it for so long, I couldn’t believe Will was talking so openly about it and in front of Zandra. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Drake stole the arrow from Cameron. He’s pretty shaken up about it. Stay there. We’ll be back soon, and I’ll explain everything.”

  My mind raced. Drake had the arrow? Why would he have taken the arrow and not protected my brother from Zandra? He knew what she was capable of. Something didn’t feel right. More was going on than he was telling me. “Put Cameron on the line.”

  “Camille, we’re taxiing down the runway now. We’ll be there soon. We can talk about it when we get there.”

  My anger began rising a second time, “No. Put him on the line.”

  Will stopped arguing with me, and a voice that sounded remarkably similar to mine came on the line. “Hello?”

  “Cameron, it’s Cami. Tell me what happened.”

  “That Drake came to my house last night. He told me that I had a sister, you, and that you’d been kidnapped. He said he needed my arrow to get you back.”

  I breathed a sigh of relief. He was okay. But why would he have stolen the arrow and left Cameron? “You’re sure it was Drake?”

  “Yeah, that’s what he said his name was. I didn’t want to give it up because he was a little crazy. He was ranting and raving about Centaurs and all kinds of craziness. I’d had that arrow my whole life. When William and Zandra came to the door, Drake took it and ran out the back.”

  “Where did he go?”

  “I don’t know. He’s nuts, though. As soon as he took it, he disappeared into the woods behind my house.”

  None of Cameron’s explanation made sense. Why would Drake take it if he knew it was the only thing protecting Cameron from Zandra? “Yeah, I don’t know what’s going on. That doesn’t sound like Drake.”

  “William, Beau, Lacey, Zandra and I went looking for him, but he was gone.”

  “Hey, I’m sorry. I was hoping to find you before they did. Can you get off the plane and stay there?”

  “Cami, I want to go with them. I hate the cold and Florida’s sounding pretty good right now. Can you stay there? I want to meet you.”

  “I need to find Drake and find out what happened. I’ll be in touch, okay?”

  “Hey, Cami? Is all this for real?”

  What do you say to a question like that? “They’re our family. Don’t turn your back on either one of them. Something’s going on that they aren’t telling us. I need to find Drake. What’s your address, and I’ll see if I can pick up his tracks.”

  “What are you, part bloodhound? That was yesterday.”

  “I’m just tuned into him. Hey, Cameron, have Will and Zandra told you anything about our family?”

  His voice was quiet, as if he were trying not to be overheard, “Not really. They’re both doing a whole lot of whispering. Is it true that they just found you a few months ago in San Diego?”

  Remembering back to the thrill of finding a family after being alone, I wanted to warn him to keep his guard up. We had both been protected by magic, sheltering us from all of this. “Yeah, it’s been a crazy few months. Watch out for Zandra. I don’t trust her.”

  “But you think Will’s okay?”

  Will and Phineas were tight. It didn’t seem like Will was involved in my kidnapping, but I couldn’t be sure. He’d been warm and welcoming since my first day and definitely helped Drake and me escape, but maybe he was just letting us do his dirty work for him. Maybe he wanted the arrow all along and knew Zethus would never give it to him. “Jury’s still out. Just be careful, okay?” Cameron gave me his cell phone number and his address.

  I needed for Drake to be okay. I handed the phone back to Brutus, “I’m going to need a shower, clothes, and a plane.”

  Chapter 23

  (Daniel – Hotel, SD)

  Cami’s dad, her grandmother, and her twin brother left; her half-brothers, except for Beau, left too. Bastards. I heard them talking about going to Florida. No one was even looking for Cami anymore. I hate the whole lot of ‘em. Four days, not a phone call, not an email, search parties in every direction, Drake disappeared, and all of a sudden nobody was even interested in where Cami was. It’s not as if any of them kept me in the loop anyway. Good riddance. Beau was the only one I trusted. He was on the phone in his room calling the emergency rooms, again.

  I picked up my phone. A lonely voice mail was staring back at me. I took a deep breath. It wasn’t Cami’s number, and I didn’t recognize the area code. Phone coverage sucked here. Only about every other call I got rang through; all the others kept going to voicemail. I went to press the message when my phone began ringing.

  It was Drake’s number. Schmuck. I hated thi
s guy. Maybe he’d decided to go to Florida, too. I hadn’t seen him in two days. Or maybe he’d actually found her. “Holy shit, where’ve you been? You find her?”

  “Daniel, it’s Drake.”

  “I know that, Moron. I’ve got this newfangled gadget called ‘caller ID.’ Ever hear of it?”

  He ignored my insult. What the heck did Cami see in him anyway? Instead of answering me, all he said was, “Hey, I need you to take care of Cami for me.”

  “Take care of her? What’re you talking about? I’m still looking for her. Where’ve you been?”

  “She’s free. She’s on her way back to South Dakota. You need to take her home, okay?”

  “On her way back to South Dakota? Where is she?”

  “I’m not sure. I think Florida. She’s on her way here. You’ve got to protect her.”

  Florida? If she’d been in Florida, did the others not know she was on her way back? The hair on the back of my neck stood up when I realized he was asking me to take care of her. “You talked to her?”

  “Not exactly.”

  “How do you know she’s okay?”

  “I just know. I need to know you’ll take care of her.”

  Not only was he a jerk who let Cami get kidnapped and who knew what else, but now he “just knows” she’s okay. It’s probably a trick. “So, if you didn’t exactly talk to her, how do you know where she is or that she’s coming back here?”

  I heard a frustrated sigh on the line, like I was wasting his time. “I’m her Centaur, Daniel. I have a connection to her. She was drugged, or something, but she’s okay. She’s coming back here. Will you take care of her or not?”

  What was he doing? “I thought that was your job? You had pretty big words a few days ago.”

  “Look, I’m not calling to argue with you. I can’t protect her. You can. I need you to convince her to go home with you.”

  “What? Home where?”

  “Home where she belongs, San Diego, with you.”

  I couldn’t believe my ears. This schmuck flew all over the world with her, didn’t do anything to stop her from being kidnapped, then just decided he wasn’t into her? He was a bigger loser than I thought. “So, what, you’re turning your back on her? Cold feet, now you’re kicking her to the curb? You’re not even going to make sure she’s okay?”

  “It’s not like that. Just promise me you’ll protect her.”

  “I’m not promising you shit. What’s she need protection from? Grandmommy Dearest just flew out.”

  Another loud sigh, “She’s due to land at the airport in an hour. I want you there to meet her plane. Get on it and take the charter home.”

  “That’s it? You’re going to ride off into the sunset, and it’s my job to pick up all of her pieces and try to put her back together. After you obliterate her?”

  I’d been through this with Cami once before. That loser she dated for a couple years, out of nowhere he decided he’d outgrown her. She cried for two days solid. I wasn’t sure if she’d ever come out of it.

  Just as she was getting back to normal, Ronnie tried to worm his way back in. He called me giving me this sob story that he’d made a mistake. He wanted to try patching things up with her. He came to me asking if I could arrange a meeting for him with her. Yeah, a black eye, a busted lip and a smashed windshield, and he knew not to ask for my help. Once he got the bleeding under control, I told him if I found out he tried to contact her directly, I wouldn’t be satisfied with a flesh wound next time. He was smart enough to stay away.

  Drake’s voice brought me back to the present. “I can’t be with her. Tell her I’m sorry. Tell her to forget about me.”

  “I ain’t a message service. How about I just tell her you’re a slimy, lying bastard, and you left? How ‘bout I tell her that?”

  “Fine.”

  “I don’t get you, Drake. You’re an idiot. Just so you know, Cami isn’t someone you get a second chance with. Don’t try playing head games with her.”

  “I’m not playing games, and I won’t be looking for a second chance. Everyone around you knows how you feel about her. I’m stepping out of your way. You got the girl.”

  “You’re blowing the best opportunity you’ll ever have.”

  “I don’t have a choice.”

  “This is some more of that stupid Centaur shit, isn’t it?”

  “Daniel, just promise me you’ll take care of her.”

  “Tell me the truth.” Silence echoed. I could hear my own voice screaming in my head to stop antagonizing him. Let him go. If he was willing to give her up, it was his loss. He was just lucky he’d picked up the phone to call, because if he were here right now, I’d level him for leaving her.

  I wonder what Beau will think of his great friend now? Beau told me he’d known Drake his whole life and trusted him. Wait ‘til he hears about this stupid vanishing act. When he didn’t answer, I told him, “You know what? I don’t care. Have a nice life.”

  I hung up. My watch said 9:30. I dialed Beau, “Hey man, we’re pulling chocks.”

  “We’re what?”

  “Pulling chocks. You know, the things in front of tires on planes, right before they taxi away. Cami’s en route; we’re going back to San Diego.”

  “En route? To San Diego?”

  “She’s flying into the airport here. We’ll meet her here and head back.”

  “Uh, okay, that’s great. Let me call my dad and let him know. She’s okay, right?”

  I thought about all of them heading to the airport without so much as a word to me. I should have known. “He must already know. He and your brothers took off thirty minutes ago.”

  “They what?”

  “Saw the big happy family leaving, myself.” It occurred to me that I’d just twisted the knife for Beau. If they left and hadn’t told him, that wasn’t a good sign. These freaking Centaurs were a bunch of odd ducks.

  “But Cami’s coming here? She wasn’t with them?”

  “No. They took off. She’s supposed to land in an hour. Time to pack it up. I’ll meet you downstairs in five minutes.” There was no way I was going to try to explain the call I just got from Drake, so I hung up before he could ask any more questions.

  Beau didn’t say a word the whole way to the airport. We returned the rental car, grabbed a cup of coffee, and both stared at the floor. I could see it; he didn’t need to say anything.

  When he flew to San Diego, it was his choice on his terms. After Lacey’s car accident, something changed in Beau: his resolve not to go home was solid. Finding out that his family returned home shouldn’t have bothered him, but finding out they left and didn’t bother to tell him they were leaving had to hurt. Maybe it was their way of acknowledging his choice; they were already treating him like a human.

  We didn’t have to wait long. I saw a jet just like Dad’s pulling up to the terminal building; it was a family plane. I didn’t recognize the tail number, but the plane’s color and Centaur gave it away. Cami came through the doorway of the terminal and looked amazing. I hadn’t seen her in a few months, and the transformation was remarkable. Her hair was longer, it was shiny and wavy. I guess because we’d been pals for so long, I was used to seeing it in pony tails or plopped on top of her head with a clip. Her complexion had always been great. I don’t remember her ever having a blemish, but her skin looked like she was almost glowing.

  Cami wasn’t dressed in anything fancy, running pants and a t-shirt, but maybe it was the way she carried herself – she took my breath away. I told myself not to be stupid; she probably only looked this way because it had been so long since I’d seen her.

  Her face registered relief when she saw Beau and me standing together. She raised her arms just as she got to me and gripped me in a tight hug. I couldn’t help it: I swung her around like a little kid. She felt incredible, her iron grip around me, clinging to me, and I could feel her warm breath on my neck. I heard her whisper, “I’ve missed you so much.” It felt like my stomach took up break-dancin
g.

  “You, too, Cami.” I’d been holding onto her for too long, way too long, but my arms ignored my brain when it told them to let her go. I felt her grip on me ease, which was her cue for me to let her go. I didn’t. I pulled her in closer, drinking in her scent, absorbing the heat she was giving me.

  In a reassuring tone she said, “Daniel, I’m okay.”

  I heard Beau say, “We were worried about you. Are you okay? What’d they do to you?”

  She shook her head in response to Beau, but must have realized my arms were unwilling to let her go. She whispered, “Daniel, I’m fine. People are going to get the wrong idea if you don’t let go.”

  I didn’t give a crap what anyone else saw or thought; I was just glad Cami was safe. My emotions were getting the better of me when I whispered, “I was scared, Cami.” Embarrassed that I’d let it slip out, I let her go. Luckily, Beau was right there and grabbed her in a hug before the awkwardness of what I’d said or my astronomically long hug could make her any more uncomfortable.

  Beau didn’t hold on as long as I did, and when he let go, he was all smiles.

  Cami looked around the room. I knew exactly who she was looking for. I didn’t want to hear the question, so I answered before she could ask it. “He split, Cami.”

  “What? Who split?”

  “Drake. He’s not coming. I grabbed your stuff from the hotel. Let’s go.”

  “What do you mean he split?”

  “Just what I said. C’mon, I’ll fill you in when we’re on our way.” Beau had been so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn’t noticed that Drake hadn’t shown his face. Instead of one questioning pair of eyes, I was looking at two. Great.

  “I’m not going anywhere without Drake. Where is he?”

  “Didn’t say. He just told me to take you back to San Diego.”

  “You talked to him? Is he meeting us there?”

  The best answer I could have given her was a lie. I knew if I told her, “yes,” she’d get on the plane and not give it a second thought. I’d never lied to her, though, not about anything minor and nothing of this magnitude. I wouldn’t start now, no matter how much better that little lie would make my life. “I don’t think so.”