Descendant (Secrets of the Makai) (30 page)

Alpheus glanced around the cozy cabin. "Where is Mandissa?"

"She's resting." Oliver motioned them to a circle of mix-matched chairs. He grabbed two more from the kitchen table. "We're a bit shaken."

"Would you please let her know we've arrived? I imagine she'd have us for breakfast if we continue this discussion without her."

Oliver nodded and left the room, leaving Eric glancing warily at Alpheus. He closed the cabin door, then kept his eyes averted as he sat in the farthest chair, crossing his legs. Landon smiled at the Birkenstocks with red wool socks. Eric seemed to notice and put his foot back on the floor.

"I have a pair myself," Landon whispered. He already liked the man, based on his file, and wished he could do more to ease the tension.

Oliver returned with the frail little woman everyone called Gram, and Alpheus rushed to help. He held her arm gently with one hand and put his other around her waist, leading her to a rocker with an afghan draped on the armrest.

"My dear Dissa, you could have stayed in bed. We would have come to you." Alpheus lowered her into the chair and unfolded the blanket, laying it over her lap. She gripped his hand and her eyes filled with tears. He knelt on one knee and brought her knuckles to his lips. "I'm so sorry for Dorian. This is a terrible thing for both of you."

Landon glanced at Victor, curious if he was catching on to the intimacy, and quickly moved Alpheus's chair closer to Gram's.

"Thank you for coming," she said, smiling when Alpheus dabbed a handkerchief to her damp cheeks. "I'm suddenly so old."

He kissed her forehead. "Your spirit will never be old."

Oliver cleared his throat. "Did you know they already knew about Tristan?"

Alpheus sat in his chair and kept hold of Gram's hand.

"Is that true?" she asked.

"Yes. Tristan has a good heart."

Gram nodded. She took a deep breath and seemed to pull herself together. "Dorian is in good company."

Oliver stomped out of the room, then stormed back in with his hands clenched into fists. "He told us he wasn't trained, that he didn't know anything. Worse, we knew he was hiding something from the start. Did you know he stood five feet from Gram, ten from Sabbatini, and neither one of them knew he was there? He's too damn good to know nothing."

Victor smiled.

Don't you dare,
Landon warned.

Gram's grin widened. She stared at Victor, then Landon. "Of course!" She tossed the blanket aside and stood, holding out her arms to offer hugs.

Landon glanced at Alpheus, who nodded his approval.

"He's told me a little about you." After hugging Landon and Victor, she hugged Alpheus. "Thank you for saving him, I know you didn't have to."

"What does he remember?" Alpheus asked.

"Hardly a thing. The boys were classmates and they showed up after Gwenna's murder."

"He remembered names," Oliver said, crossing his arms and glaring at Landon and Victor. "I gave him a waking serum and I think he was surprised that you weren't the ones giving it to him." He faced Alpheus again, waiting. "You blocked his memory? What could have warranted such desperate measures?"

"You know we can't be involved with him, but he wasn't handling the reality very well." Alpheus helped Gram back into her chair. "He's been an interesting case, though we're not sure what to make of his situation." His face hardened. "So no, Oliver, we have not trained him in any way. We've kept an eye on him, of course, but he appears to be on his own. Mostly."

"You've been keeping him safe from Sabbatini, yes?" Gram asked. "Did you know about Gwenna?"

"Yes." Alpheus shut his eyes and bowed his head. "I'm sorry I couldn't be here for you. We kept an eye on Tristan until he got here, but after that, we figured he was in good hands and left it at that."

"So that's why you were butting in about security. And let me see if I have this right," Oliver continued, grinding his teeth. "You didn't want to deal with him, so you dumped him on us? Without even asking?"

"No. This was a course of his own choosing, and quite an excellent one." He kissed Gram's knuckles again. "But we had nothing to do with it. In fact, he refused every opportunity we offered that would have altered this course."

Oliver shook his head, disbelieving. "So let's talk about Dorian, we're wasting time."

"Agreed." Alpheus nodded. "We know several locations where Sabbatini tends to stay, but none match Tristan's description. We'll start tracking and set up surveillance—"

"There's something else you should know," Gram said. "We have a certain cave on the island."

"No!" Oliver glared at Gram.

"It might help, Oliver."

Oliver took a deep breath, lips pinched, then waved her on.

"There was once a cave where dragons went to die. A dragon fang kept it sacred and hidden from all. That cave is on this island—it's what keeps us hidden. Usually. We don't know who, but someone found the cave, broke in, and stole this fang. I don't know what it looks like, but that's why our security is weakening. The cave itself is dying."

"We found several bodies." Oliver dropped into his chair. "Maybe you'd have better luck in identifying them." Oliver hung his head in his hands and stood again. "What an absolute fiasco." He began pacing. "I told Tristan not to leave, and what does he do? Unbelievable. Of all the idiotic—" He glared at Alpheus. "I have one more thing to get off my chest."

"Now's the time."

"Why did you sic Donovan on us? He killed half a million specimens and threatened Dorian's life for the damn antidote."

Alpheus remained still, his frown lines deepening. "He did mention it."

"The antidote was for Tristan? But that would mean…." Gram chuckled softly. "Dorian is having such a hard time with the plants. They adore him. She can't understand why."

"They adore him?"

"Oh my goodness!" Gram said, covering her mouth with her hand. "The antidote! The dragons went to the cave to heal or die, mostly to die. Gwenna told him he had dragon blood, and the sand from that cave is essentially bone dust with residual powers. What effect did it have on Tristan?"

"Nothing that lasted long. We were nearly forced to kill him when he first awoke, after an army of roots from the surrounding forest tried to rescue him. But the connection seemed to fade and he passed every test we could think of. The only lasting effect seemed to be a bit of a green thumb."

"It's more than just a green thumb," Gram said, ignoring the tension from Oliver. "Dorian is convinced he's upsetting the very nature of her plants. She says they…like him. Can't get enough of him."

Alpheus frowned. "Does he have control over them? Say for example, can he make a vine do his bidding?"

"No. Not that I'm aware of. But I was curious, isn't the ability to see elsewhere while the body remains, in a cave let's say, a supposed dragon trait? Did you know he could do that?"

"Not until now." A long silence thickened the air. "It was a risk to save him in the first place, but for some reason, we felt compelled. I honestly don't know if he is...has dragon blood, but if he becomes a danger to society, we'll have to take care of it."

"Take care of it? Like some rabid dog?" Oliver hooked his fingers around the back of his neck and continued pacing angrily.

"Yes. If you want to see it that way."

"I'm shocked you gave him a chance. Don't you kill first and ask questions later?"

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Alpheus turned his attention back to Gram. "So tell me, what does the cave and fang, other than weakening your security, have to do with Dorian's situation now?"

"If Sabbatini was responsible for stealing the fang, I fear an essence of our security went with him. He, it, and wherever they are would be substantially more invisible than normal. See what I mean? Security is dwindling here, but it might be flourishing for whoever has the fang."

Alpheus nodded, then asked for Oliver's rendition of the events leading to Dorian's disappearance.

"Traveling without being taught, without even having the concept halfway explained…." Victor shook his head. "Sorry, but Sabbatini does have security precautions, with or without whatever was taken from your cave. How could Tristan get around it without knowing what to look for?"

"If he traveled with them, rather than behind," Landon continued, "the protection might have been dropped for the split second of entry. But he hung back for what, half an hour? By the time he actually transported himself…any security worth its salt would certainly be back in place. But let's say he made it. They'd have to escape by foot until they get beyond a security line. Then the security line wouldn't be an issue."

"Then maybe Dorian can bring them back if Tristan doesn't know how he did it in the first place," Victor finished.

"He'd have to bring her," said Eric. "Dorian's never shown the ability."

"And he'd better not be trying if he doesn't know how he did it in the first place." Oliver stopped pacing. "He'll kill them both. He didn't even think to keep his clothing."

An awkward silence filled the room.

Alpheus sighed. "Let's say Sabbatini does have whatever protects this island from outsiders. That will be our biggest hurdle for finding Dorian—she might be right under our noses and we wouldn't see her."

Gram and Oliver both sagged, but nodded.

"Something else bothers me. Tristan's description didn't sound like a temporary setup. How long ago did this happen with the cave?"

"We discovered the break-in about a month or so before Donovan attacked us." Oliver's eye twitched with his glowering. "The bodies though, they looked like they could have been down there awhile. We think two of them were ours."

"I don't think Tristan could have made it," said Eric.

"But he's managed some pretty incredible things, so I think there's a chance," Landon replied. "Basic instincts would keep a person from transporting into a tree, or ten feet off the ground, but he kept himself in that state, completely aware of everything on both sides. I'd say his chances of finding a way through were pretty good."

Victor nodded. "I do too."

"He managed something else that was strange," Gram said. "When Sabbatini was here, and neither of us knew Tristan was so close, he stepped forward and showed himself to try and save me. A foolish thing to do, really. But the instant Sabbatini saw him, Tristan made himself invisible, or created some sort of illusion that Sabbatini couldn't make sense of, a camouflaging glamour perhaps. Sabbatini became confused and simply left. I asked him about it and I think he thought it was something I had done. But in all my years, I've never seen such a thing."

Alpheus nodded, but said nothing for a long moment. "It could easily be another ability unique to the dragons. I dread the idea of relying on myths for information, but there's not much to go on. We're being careful, but perhaps not careful enough." He turned to Oliver. "I know you are uncomfortable with involving us, but I assure you we'll do everything we can to bring Dorian home. We'll search all lighthouses and castles fitting the environment, taking in the current daylight and weather conditions. You said he was after perkonian?"

Gram nodded.

"I'll ask around and keep you updated with everything we find. Of course, you are welcomed to join us if you wish. But know that I will not keep Donovan excluded." Alpheus turned back to Gram and his eyes softened. "I'll need something personal of Dorian's for DNA, a hairbrush perhaps. If she's being kept where there is no security, and if Sabbatini wasn't the one stealing from the cave, we'll have her located and home within the hour."

35

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E
XPOSED TO
T
RAVELING -

FLASHES OF THE LAST FEW moments trickled into Tristan's thoughts. He waited for his eyes to adjust in the pitch-black darkness, lying face up. Pain throbbed in his head with every heartbeat. The weight of black pressed him firmly in place, squeezing the breath from his lungs. He opened his mouth wider, desperate for breath in the suffocating air.

Icy fear shivered through his limbs. He threw his hands up, only to have his knuckles rake against a splintery surface, inches from his chest. Something scattering over his bare skin. He thrashed his legs to get away, scraping his knees, and rolled to his side, cramming his shoulders in tighter. He kicked his feet, unable to find a wall for leverage.

Tristan squeezed his eyes shut and tried to calm down. He maneuvered more cautiously as nightmare visions of people clawing their coffins, buried alive, overpowered his thoughts. He gulped down nauseous waves, unable to prevent himself from pounding against the lid with every ounce of strength. If he covered himself with dirt and bugs in the process, so be it.

"Will you shut up?"

Tristan heard Dorian's voice and froze. His muscles seemed to melt into the floor, but his heart rate drummed onward, pulsing in his ears. An abstract shape appeared before his fluttering eyelids. He tried to stay focused, tried to curl his shoulders to get unstuck.

"You're fine," Dorian said. "Here, take my hand."

The shadows took shape; he could make out part of her face in a triangle of dim light and saw her reaching hand.