Natalie
No one knows exactly where Donald went, but he writes his mother a letter once a year from Storm Dawn. It’s a town on the other side of the mountains, and it’s going to take me at least four days to get there on foot. I have to start somewhere, though, and I’m guessing someone there has seen him and can point me in the right direction. I don’t know how much time I have before people start dying. Clarification: I don’t know how much time I have before my father dies.
Luckily, Cameron offers to fly me to the edge of the mountains, thus cutting my travel time down to just an hour or so. He lands on the path that leads to Storm Dawn.
“Are you sure you’re going to be okay?” He asks. “You don’t want me to come with you?”
“Thanks,” I tell him. “But you know as well as I do what Storm Dawn thinks of shifters. If someone spotted you flying around, it would be a disaster. Besides, I have to do this alone. He’s not going to talk to you, Cameron. He isn’t going to talk to anyone from the clan.”
“I don’t want to admit you’re right.”
“It’s okay,” I pat him on the shoulder, ignoring the fact that he’s nude. I’ve lived with the dragons long enough that nothing really fazes me anymore. “You should get back to the clan.”
“You sure you’ll be okay?”
“I’m fine,” I promise, but I don’t know if it’s true. A random human girl in the midst of a mountain town? I’m far away from the rest of civilization now. A lot could go wrong, but I don’t want to think about that right now.
My mission is too important for fear.
“I’ll come back for you in the morning,” he says. “In case…”
He doesn’t have to say it.
In case I can’t find Donald.
In case things don’t go as planned.
He’ll come back for me so I don’t have to spend four days walking back and missing my father’s death. At least this way, even if things go to hell, I’ll be able to say goodbye to my father one last time.
“I’ll be here at dawn,” he says, and I nod.
“Go take care of the dragons, Cameron. They need you.”
He nods one last time, leaps into the air, and shifts. Then he flies off, careful to keep low to the tree line. It’s daytime, which means he doesn’t want to be spotted by anyone who might not have his best interests in mind. Even though the forest is mostly safe, it’s got its questionable parts.
As soon as he’s out of sight, I turn and begin taking the little path that’s going to lead me to the town. Of all the places in the world, Donald chose to come here. He chose Storm Dawn.
Why?
It’s a four-day journey by foot, but only a few hours in the air. No one can travel through this part of the woods in a vehicle. It’s simply too dense. You’d never be able to squeeze a car between the trees and bushes. That’s not even considering all of the fallen logs and the rough terrain. Even riding horses wouldn’t be possible in this part of the forest, so why did Donald choose to come here?
Did he want to stay close enough to visit his parents if they needed him?
Did he want to keep a careful eye on the clan, just in case?
I have so many questions, but only one matters right now: where is Donald? I know my time is limited. As far as shifters go, he’s the best doctor the clan has ever heard of. Cameron’s mother, Henrietta, is an incredible veterinarian and she’s doubled as the clan doctor for a long time, but her training is limited. We’ve had other doctors come and go in the last ten years, but Donald is the best. He’s the one we need right now. I’ve got to find this guy.
I steel myself, and then I put one foot in front of the other.
I don’t want to think about what’s going to happen if I can’t find him.
*
I arrive in Storm Dawn.
I’m sweaty, hungry, and tired, but I manage to make it in one piece. The tiny town must have only about three hundred people in it. As I look around, I don’t see any of them. Maybe everyone is at work or busy preparing for the storm that seems to be brewing. I glance up at the sky and I shiver. I don’t like the way this looks.
I’ve got to find Donald in a hurry.
Hopefully, the people at the post office will know who he is and where he hangs out. Then I can find him, convince him to come back with me, and he’ll fly us there. Technically, if everything goes well, we could be back before nightfall. We could be back before we lose my father.
Storm Dawn is your typical tiny town. Now that I’m through the mountain, I’m closer to civilization. There are roads on this side of the mountain leading away from Storm Dawn and from the woods, leading away from Fablestone. These roads don’t go deeper into the forest. Instead, they lead into different cities and even states. Those are hours and hours down the roads, though. Not many new people come to Storm Dawn. It’s not exactly the type of place that’s known for its tourist attractions. It’s kind of on the edge of civilization: a last stop for lonely travelers.
I don’t even know if there’s an inn or motel here.
The streets are empty as I make my way down the main one. My first stop is going to be the post office. I have a picture of Donald in my phone. Not that I’ll get any service out here, but I at least have something to show the employees to find out if they know him and if they know where he lives.
Has Donald assimilated into this place?
Does he rent one of the tiny houses I walk past on my way?
Does he miss the clan?
That question shouldn’t stick with me, yet it does. It doesn’t really matter if he misses the clan, does it? He’s the one who walked away. He’s the one who made his choice to go. He shouldn’t have left when everything went to hell and part of me hates him for walking away. Now that I’m older, I understand it a little better.
I can understand being in so much pain you just need an escape.
I haven’t seen Donald since I was 13 years ago. He was a young doctor then, fresh out of medical school. Even as a teenager, I thought he was cool and handsome and smart. He was interesting and he never treated me like I was a child. He talked to me like I could handle myself, and I always liked that.
Then Trey got sick and everything changed.
I push the thoughts from my mind. Now isn’t the right time to get sad. It’s not the right time to feel sorry for myself or my family. Nope. Right now is the time when I need to be figuring out how to find this fucking dragon and how to convince him to come back to the people he walked away from because right now we need him more than ever.
I spot the post office and start to run. I shouldn’t run. It looks weird, and I’m supposed to be blending in as much as possible, but I’m suddenly overcome with raw emotion. Donald can save my father. I just know he can. All I have to do is find him and convince him. He’ll definitely come back to Fablestone…won’t he?
I mean, I know he’s been gone a long time, but this is my father we’re talking about.
This is my Dad.
My papa.
Not many people would take in a little orphan kid. Nobody really wants a foster child who has issues. My parents, though? They did. Not only was I a human, but I was a complicated human who came with emotional baggage from being tossed from home to home.
They changed all of that.
They offered me stability.
They gave me a future.
And now I have a chance to repay them. I have the opportunity to offer my dad the same thing he gave me: a future.
I have to find Donald, though.
I burst through the doors to the post office dramatically. The wind blows the door shut behind me, and I step forward into the little office. I’m ready to find the postmaster and tell my dramatic story. I’m ready to do some convincing. I’m ready to prove that I’m worthy of knowing where Donald stays and what he’s been up to.
But I instantly realize I have a problem I didn’t anticipate.
There’s no one here.
“Hello?” I call out into the empty building. The lights are dim, though, and the building is cold. I look around at the posters on the wall and the different forms and boxes for mailing things. A thin, almost imperceptible, layer of dust is settled over everything around me.
“Is anyone here?” I try again.
I won’t accept that there’s no one here. I can’t. I have to know where to go next.
“Hello? Anybody?”
Maybe they’re just on their lunch break, I reason. The post office can’t be closed. Even though I don’t get cell service in Fablestone, I have a phone. I pull it out and check for Wi-Fi or bars. Nothing. I didn’t really expect I’d have service this close to the mountains, but it doesn’t hurt to check.
“Maybe I can Google the hours,” I mutter.
“She’s on lunch,” a voice says, and I jerk around. I didn’t even hear anyone enter the post office behind me.
“Excuse me?” I whisper, still shocked. There’s a tall, lanky boy standing in the doorway. He looks like he’s 16, maybe 17. He smiles.
“The postmaster,” he says. “Well, postmistress, I suppose,” he chuckles. “She’s at lunch.”
“When…when will she be back?” I stutter, still caught off guard by the fact that this kid managed to get the jump on me. I might not be a shifter, but I was raised around them. No one should be able to sneak up on me. Ever. It’s one of the first skills my father tried to teach me.
Apparently, he didn’t do a great job.
The kid shrugs. “Hard to say,” he says. “Not many people need to mail stuff.” He looks at me suspiciously, and I suppose I don’t really blame him. I probably look like I’ve been trekking through the woods, which I have. I’m obviously not from around here, and I’m guessing that in Storm Dawn, everyone knows everyone else.
“I need to talk to her as soon as possible,” I say carefully. I don’t want to spook this guy. He’s the first person I’ve seen and I have a feeling that if I mess this up, I’m not going to find anyone else for awhile. I don’t want to label this place as a ghost town, but, well, it kind of seems like a ghost town. “It’s important.”
“Are you from the government?” The kid asks. His eyes narrow as he looks at me.
“No,” I say firmly. “I am definitely not from the government. I’ve just got a question about the mail.”
“I haven’t seen you around,” the kid says, and I sigh.
“Yeah,” I tell him. “I’m not from around here, and to be honest, I’m not planning on staying long. Once I talk to the postmistress, I’ll be on my way.”
“Are you sure you aren’t from the government?” The kid asks again.
With a sigh, I shake my head and leave the post office. I let the door close loudly behind me and look around the empty streets. Where would she be eating lunch? At home? Is there a diner nearby?
“Hey!” The scrawny guy comes out behind me. “You just walked away.”
“I don’t know how to convince you I’m not from some secret organization that wants to bother you,” I tell him honestly. “And to be perfectly frank, I’m in a rush.”
I turn and head down the street, passing empty street windows as I do. The kid follows me for a little while, glancing around nervously. What the hell is he so scared about? Does this town get a lot of random murderers or something?
I pass an empty sewing shop and a trinket shop and then a couple of houses, but there’s no sign of a random woman on a lunch break. Finally, I stop walking and spin around, but I don’t say anything. The kid is caught off guard, and jumps back.
“What’s your name?” I ask him.
“Raven,” he says.
“What’s your real name?”
He seems surprised. “Ted McGregor,” he tells me.
“Ted, I don’t know what you want,” I tell him honestly. “But unless you’re going to help me figure out who runs the post office and where I can find that person, please stop following me.”
I turn back around with a sigh. I’m wasting time, and I’m starting to think coming here is a mistake.
“Hey,” his hand touches me, and this time I stop without turning around. I’m about to lose my fucking mind.
“What do you want, Ted?”
“I…I’ll take you to her. I’m sorry,” he says. “I just…we don’t get a lot of new people. I don’t like the idea of anyone bugging her, you know? She’s old.”
“I don’t want to bother anyone.”
“Then come with me.”
Well aware that he could be leading me to my death, I follow Ted down a side street. There are a couple of cars parked on the sides of the road in front of houses, so I’m guessing this is the part of town that’s actually inhabited. There are only houses for awhile. Then there’s a random bank, followed by a few more houses. Finally, we stop in front of a small, nondescript building.
“She’s in there,” he says.
I eye the building suspiciously. A sign out front says Mikey’s Grill. It could be a real restaurant, but it might also be a place where they trap and capture wandering humans. I’m a good fighter, but I’m not good enough to take on shifters or a group of people who wish to do me harm.
I have to find Donald.
With a sigh, I nod.
“Thanks,” I tell Ted, and he bobs his head before turning and going. He seems like a good kid, albeit a little awkward. Then again, what 16-year-old isn’t a little awkward? I watch him disappear around a corner, and then I push the little door open. I step inside and I’m instantly overwhelmed by the scent of burgers and fries.
Well, then.
Apparently, this is a real restaurant.
I walk up to the counter, glancing around the restaurant as I do. The conversations haven’t ceased, but all eyes are on me, and I’m very aware of this fact as I walk up to the woman behind the cash register.
“Can I help you?” She asks.
“I hope so,” I tell her. “I’m looking for the person in charge of the post office.”
“Why?” The woman glares at me.
“I need to mail a letter,” I say drily.
“Oh, Tina,” someone says from the back of the restaurant. “Don’t be such a sourpuss. I’m over here, sweetie. Come on back.”
Nodding my head at Tina, I ignore her scowl and head to the back of the restaurant where there’s an older woman sitting in a booth. She’s got a huge burger and a pile of fries in front of her, along with an iced soda, and it looks fucking delicious. My stomach growls, but I silently beg it to be quiet. There will be time for eating later. I slide into the booth across from the woman.
“How can I help you?” She asks.
I glance around the restaurant. Luckily, it seems like everyone has gone back to their eating and no one is really paying any more attention to me.
“You’re the postmistress?”
“I’m Mabel, all right,” she says.
“I’m looking for a man,” I tell her.
“Aren’t we all, honey?” She laughs.
“A specific man,” I clarify. “He comes into the post office at least once a year.”
“You’re going to have to give me a little more than that,” Mabel motions around the room. “Lots of men here, honey.”
In response, I pull out my phone and hold it up. There’s a picture of Donald on the screen, and recognition instantly flashes in Mabel’s eyes, followed by concern.
“I know him,” she admits. “Haven’t seen him in a long time, though. Don’t see him often at all.”
“About once a year?”
“About that. He always mails one letter.”
“To his parents,” I say. “I know.”
“Is his mother all right?” Mabel looks worried. “He said she wasn’t in the best of health. He’d been thinking of going to see her.”
“It’s not his mother who’s in trouble,” I tell her. “It’s my father. Please,” I don’t want to beg, but I will. “Can you help me?”
“Trust me, child, I’d help you if I could, but I honestly don’t know what to tell you. He’s a quiet one, this man. Cautious. He’s got a look about him as if he’s running from something, as if he’s been hurt before.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes,” she says quietly, still looking at his picture. “And he’s handsome, as I’m sure you can see, but there’s something quite sad about him.”
I know all of this, but I’m trying not to lose my patience with the woman. It’s not her fault. None of this is her fault. It’s not her fault my dad is sick or her fault she doesn’t know where Donald’s hideaway is. I still feel let down, though. I guess I thought maybe she’d be able to tell me where he lives. Like maybe he has a place in town above someone’s garage or something. Maybe…
I don’t know.
“Do you know where I can find him?” I ask, but she shakes her head.
“He always comes from the mountains,” she shrugs. “Ted’s seen him coming up the path.”
“Has Ted seen where he goes?”
“No,” she shakes her head. “He’s my grandson, you see.” That explains why Ted is so protective of the woman. “I’ve asked him to follow him,” she whispers. “I’m not proud of it, but we don’t get many strangers, you see, and I wondered where a man like that was coming from.”
“And did Ted ever see where he goes?”
“No,” Mabel shakes her head. “Ted says the man just seems to disappear, as if he was never here at all.”
My heart sinks, and I swallow hard.
He’s not here, and I don’t know where to go next.