The Quills were waiting for me at the door as soon as I came to a stop. Overhead, a familiar griffin soared, gliding on the currents and disappearing behind the large stone home. Oanen had followed me from the Academy. Likely, Eliana wasn’t far behind. Although I wouldn’t mind waiting for her, I knew that if I didn’t hurry, I’d likely encounter a shirtless Oanen somewhere on the second floor. That motivated me to move. However, I wasn’t sure if it was to meet up with him or avoid him.
The cold October wind whipped my hair around my head the moment I got out of the car and rushed for the house.
Mrs. Quill smiled as I approached, and she offered me something to drink while Mr. Quill shut the door behind me.
“We have cider we could warm,” she said.
“I’m fine. Thank you, though.”
She nodded and led the way to the study. I didn’t catch any hint of Oanen prowling the hallways, and any chance of interruption or eavesdropping ended the minute Mr. Quill closed the study doors behind us.
“Adira will be here in a few minutes,” he said. “We should have a seat.”
I took the chair facing the sofa. It gave me a good view of the room so I’d know the moment Adira did her magic appearance portal. The shimmer appeared only moments after I took a seat.
Adira stepped through first, followed by a boy around my age. I tried to hold back my initial surge of anger and took a moment to study him. Adira directed him to sit on the couch across from me and moved to stand behind him as he hesitated. I paid her little attention while I continued my scrutiny.
His dark hair fell in disarray around his head as his equally dark eyes flitted around the room, landing briefly on each of us. He looked unwashed and angry.
“Have a seat Michael,” Adira said.
The boy sat with a look of belligerence in his eyes.
“I don't know what the hell is going on, but I want my fifty bucks,” he said.
“Nothing bad is going to happen to you here,” Mrs. Quill said. “We just wanted to introduce you to Megan.”
All three adults looked at me. I didn’t take my eyes off the boy.
“Hello, Michael,” I said.
He stared at me without any hint of fear, and I didn’t like that. Not one bit.
“Megan, we were considering inviting Michael to live in Uttira,” Adira said, “and we would like your opinion.”
“Don't you think you should be asking me my opinion on that?” Michael asked. “I like living where I’m at.”
I continued to gaze at the boy, my anger rising. Why?
“Where do you live, Michael?” I asked.
“Depends on the night. I live wherever I want.”
“Where do you live, Michael?” I asked again. My voice had changed though. I could hear the anger in it this time.
“New York. What’s it to you?”
“I found him alone, living on the streets,” Adira said softly.
Homeless. That fact didn’t change the anger I felt toward him. Fury anger.
“What did you do, Michael?” I asked, leaning forward, wishing the coffee table weren’t separating us.
“I don't know what you're talking about,” he said.
“You've done something. Something not good. Tell me what you've done.” I waited, focused on him, wanting to know his crime. I could feel it in my blood. In my bones. The anger…the rage…boiling hotter with each passing second.
“Tell me,” I said again. “Confess your crimes.” The words felt so right on my lips. And the need to scream them at him rose, nearly choking me. I struggled to control the urge.
“Confess,” I said angrily. “Tell me what you've done.”
Michael leaned forward suddenly, his eyes blazing with hate.
“I don't know what level of crazy you are, bitch; but you need to get out of my face.”
I opened my mouth, ready to give into the urge, when Adira reached forward and set a hand on his shoulder, making them both disappear. The anger immediately vanished, but annoyance reared its head.
“That’s who you want to bring here to keep Ashlyn company? That guy was—”
“Completely unsuitable,” Mr. Quill said. “I hope you’ll find the next one a better fit.”
“The next one?”
“Yes, we have several candidates.”
He’d barely finished speaking when the shimmer reappeared in the center of the room. This time Adira had two girls with her.
“Megan, this is Kelsey and Zoe. Sisters from Chicago.”
The girls looked a little younger, maybe fourteen and fifteen years old. It wasn’t their fearful expressions or ragged appearances that made my eyes water. It was the overwhelming odor.
“Hi,” I said. “Not to be rude, but what is that smell?”
“Sewer,” the older one said.
“Both you guys need a shower. The clothes need to be burned.” I looked at the Quills. “I don’t like what you’re doing. Of course they’ll say yes to whatever you offer them if you’re pulling them from the sewers.”
“No,” one of the girls said. “We won’t say yes to anything.” She looked at Adira. “You said fifty dollars each to face a lie detector about how we ended up on the streets. We thought you were some kind of doctor. What was that glowing thing? Where are we?”
“You’re in Uttira, a small town in northern Maine,” Adira said. “The glowing thing was a portal. If you’d like to hear more, you’re welcome to sit, and I’ll answer whatever questions you have. If you’d rather leave, you only need to say so. I’ll return you to your home and compensate you as promised.”
The older sister glanced at the younger one.
“Let’s just take the money, Kells. I don’t like this place,” the younger sister said.
“Most days, I don’t either,” I agreed.
Kelsey looked at me, frowning slightly.
“You might not like it, but you don’t smell like someone else’s crap, and you’re not wearing the same clothes from a week ago.” She turned to Adira. “We won’t sit, but we’ll listen.”
“Uttira is a town for creatures created by gods long ago forgotten.”
Zoe made a sound and said, “I told you,” under her breath. I caught the word crazy too.
“It’s easier to provide proof than to try to explain. Have you ever heard of a griffin?” Adira asked.
The doors to the study opened just then and Oanen strode in. His gaze met mine briefly then went to the two girls.
“Thank you for joining us, Oanen,” his mother said.
He nodded and reached up for his shirt.
My chest cramped painfully as I understood that my newly acquired boyfriend planned to strip in front of these two girls.
“Since I already know griffins are real, I’ll be going,” I said.
I stood swiftly and started for the door.
“This is Oanen,” Adira said, ignoring my exit. “He’s a young griffin. He can choose to look like a human or—"
Just as I reached him, Oanen shifted with his pants still on, cutting off Adira’s explanation. The metal button from his fly pinged off the wall by the door. Both girls screamed. The griffin paid them little attention. He moved quickly, stepping in front of me and blocking my exit.
I skidded to a halt, and he lifted his head. The feathers of his cheek brushed mine as he worried the hair by my right ear. Exhaling loudly, I reached up and smoothed my hand along his neck.
“You’re lucky you sacrificed the pants,” I whispered.
He clacked his beak twice then turned and left the room without shifting again. Realizing the girls had grown completely quiet, I faced the others. The girls gripped each other, their fear already having robbed them of color and voice. Adira and the Quills watched me with indecipherable expressions. Had Oanen told them we were together now? Or at least trying to be together?
Unsure and uncomfortable, I focused on the girls.
“It’s real,” I said. “The myths and legends we’ve heard are based on some very old truths. Werewolves exist. Griffins exist. Furies exist. That doesn’t change the world you know, just your understanding of it. And you are as safe now as you were before you came here. Do you understand? Nothing’s changed but your knowledge of the truth.”
Kelsey nodded jerkily.