“Hello? No, this is Frederick Holtzman. Is this Inara Collins?”
Disappointment flitted through me, but I kept my voice upbeat. “Oh, hi, Mr. Holtzman. Yes, this is Inara. Thank you so much for getting back with me.”
“It has been a dozen years since I published my book on ravens,” he said, sounding pleased. “But I’m always happy to hear from a raven fan. Did you find my book in your library?”
I smiled, warming to the kindness in his raspy voice. “Actually, I heard about you from Gran…I mean, my great-aunt Corda. She and her sister, Margaret—my grandmother—met you while taking an art class at the university. Gran said you were in the process of writing your book at the time.”
“Ah, Margaret.” His rasp softened when he said her name. “She was a pleasure to talk to. I remember her sister, Corda, being a bundle of energy. How are your grandmother and your great-aunt doing?”
“Gran’s doing well. Unfortunately my grandmother passed away when I was a baby.”
“I’m sorry to hear about your grandmother,” he replied in a subdued tone. “I’d planned to do a phone interview with you, but I would be honored to show Margaret’s granddaughter around my raven sanctuary and discuss the beautiful Corvus corax with you for your school project. Would you like to see it?”
“I’d love to see your raven sanctuary!” Excitement flitted through me, temporarily overshadowing the sense of helplessness I’d felt over losing Ethan’s book. “Is this afternoon too soon?”
Low laughter rumbled across the line. “I see you have your grandmother’s enthusiasm. This afternoon works for me.” A car beeped at me as Mr. Holtzman finished giving me directions to his house, which turned out to be thirty minutes southeast of Blue Ridge. I moved to the side and told Mr. Holtzman I’d see him in an hour.
As soon as I hung up, I started walking again, when someone gripped my arm and yanked me to the side. As I fell against Drystan’s chest, he hissed in my ear, “Are you trying to get yourself killed?”
A black sports car zoomed past a couple of seconds later. I quickly pushed myself off Drystan and glanced his way. “Thanks, but honestly, the car had time to stop.”
When his gaze narrowed, I gave a brilliant smile. “I’m glad you’re talking to me though.”
Drystan scrubbed his hand through his messy hair and shook his head, his jaw tight. “You’re the most stubborn—” Cutting himself off, he blew out a breath, then continued, “I’m here to make a deal.”
“A deal?” My voice squeaked. I glanced away and saw Lainey and Matt watching us from across the parking lot. Lainey smiled and gave an encouraging nod, while Matt looked like he wanted to choke me if I so much as looked crossways at Drystan. Great. Just what I needed.
Drystan followed my line of sight and sighed. He nodded toward the back parking lot. “Come on, I’ll walk you to your car.”
Since he’d already turned and walked away, I had no choice but to follow. He shoved his hands into his jeans pockets and slowed his steps to match mine. “No matter what you say, I feel like you don’t trust me, so I’m going to earn your trust.”
My stomach churned with guilt. “That’s not it, Drystan—”
He held his hand up, his expression hard. “Don’t talk, Nara. Let me finish.”
Oh, boy. He was still angry. I nodded and clamped my lips shut.
Once we’d reached my car, Drystan leaned against my car door and shoved his hands in his jeans once more. He stared at his black boots for so long the entire back lot was almost empty of cars. After the last car pulled out of the gravel lot, I jingled my keys to let him know I was waiting, and that he was blocking my way into my car.
His green gaze snapped to mine. “I’m going to share, but only if you promise me something in return.”
“I didn’t ask you, Drystan—”
“I’m not asking to know what your power is, though I hope you’ll tell me eventually. Instead, I just want your promise you’ll cooperate.”
“Cooperate?”
He nodded, squinting against the afternoon sun. “Yeah. It has nothing to do with your ability.”
Relief flitted through me, yet I couldn’t help but squirm at his open-ended request. What did he want me to cooperate about? At least he wasn’t insisting I tell him about my power. I straightened my shoulders. “Okay.”
Drystan gave a curt nod. “My ability is psychometry.”
“I’ve never heard the term,” I said, shaking my head.
“Remember when I found Lochlan, as you put it, ‘pretty easily’?”
I nodded.
He set his mouth in a thin line. “And you asked how I knew exactly where to look for that lost microfiche you were looking for?”
I kept quiet, waiting for him to tell me the rest.
Drystan held his hand out, palm up. “When I touch something, either worn by or related to what I’m looking for, I can locate what I’m seeking.”
I remembered him rubbing Lochlan’s collar intently with his thumbs. “So that’s what you were doing when you held Loch’s collar? You were trying to locate him by touching something of his?”
Drystan nodded. “It’s easier with living things like people and animals. They leave residual energy behind, which I’m able to zero in on when I hold a personal item. With inanimate objects, if I concentrate hard enough I can find them too. I just have to have something that directly ties them together, something I can focus on. Like I did with the call number you’d written on that piece of paper. If it’s specifically related to the object I’m looking for, it can act like a radar, giving off a kind of low grade vibe that will allow me to find its location.”
“Wow! That power’s amazing,” I said as I set my heavy backpack down on the ground, then leaned against my car beside him.
Drystan gave a self-deprecating smile. “Yeah, an odd, but handy ability from time to time.”
Turning toward me, he rested his elbow on the roof. “Now for your promise.”
“Promise?” I gulped.
He nodded. “Give me one month. I’d like more time, but regardless, the sooner we start the better.”
“Start?”
A wolfish smile tilted his lips. “Your training.”
“Training for what?” I asked, stiffening.
“I’m going to train you to defend yourself, with the added benefit of you learning how to get the ’ell away in case you’re outmatched.”
“I don’t have time to train,” I began, spreading my arms wide. “Soccer will be starting up soon, and I volunteer at CVAS. Why do you want to train me anyway?”
Drystan folded his arms and set his mouth at a stubborn slant. “You were attacked in the library, and I’m pretty sure that bullet was meant for you, not Lainey. One event I can ignore as random, but two?” He paused and shook his head. “Since you won’t tell me what’s going on with you, you’ve just promised to let me teach you how to protect yourself.”
He tricked me!
I started to shake my head, but before I could utter a word, Drystan moved with lightning speed and wrapped his arm around my neck. Hauling me back against his chest, he clamped his other arm around my stomach in a vise hold. “Go ahead, Nara,” he breathed in my ear, his accent heavy with his anger. “Get out of this choke hold and I’ll let you out of our deal.”
Somewhere I heard ravens making
raaaaack
sounds in the trees, but they weren’t anywhere in sight. Where were their dive-bombing efforts when I needed them?
Fickle birds!
“Let me go!” I bit out and pulled against his muscular arm. I did everything I could to shrug out of his hold, but he didn’t move. At all. God, Lainey was right, he felt like one big muscle.
His arm held me in such a way that my jaw was locked tight, my neck craned back. I could barely open my mouth, let alone get a good bite in. When I tried to stomp his toe, he moved his foot out of the way. “I can do this all day,” he murmured in my ear.
“Let me go now, Drystan!” I hissed through my teeth.
The world spun and I was facing him once more as if he’d never touched me. Determination lined his face. “We’ll start tomorrow morning. Meet me at Stonehaven Park at nine.”
I gaped. “It’ll be freezing that early.”
“Better dress in layers then,” he said with a shrug. “On weekend days we’ll meet early.”
“This is crazy. I didn’t agree to this,” I mumbled.
“A deal’s a deal, Nara. During the week, we’ll meet right after school. Once soccer starts up, we’ll meet after practice is over.”
“Wait? You want to train every day? No way.” What would Ethan think? He was definitely protective, but was he the jealous type? He probably wouldn’t be happy, but then he wouldn’t want me
not
to be able to protect myself while he’s not here either. Ethan always cared about my safety. “How about two days a week?”
Drystan set his jaw. “Five.”
“Three.”
“Four.” He turned and walked away, calling over his shoulder, “Nine a.m. sharp. Don’t be late.”
As I watched him stroll away like our exchange had never happened, I curled my hands into fists, my heart thumping at a rapid rate
. Why was he doing this?
Once he was out of sight, a flapping sound distracted me as Patch and a couple of his buddies flew in, landing on the roof of my car. I rolled my eyes, grumbling, “Now you show up? Traitors!”
Patch stepped forward and made a deep
groooooock
sound, the other birds following suit. I shook my finger at them. “After the way you acted yesterday, and then your desertion while Drystan was giving me a hard time—I heard you in the trees!—no kibble for any of you.”
The other birds seemed to understand my scolding, because they immediately took off, flying back to their perches in the trees.
But not Patch. He just made another
groooooock
sound and continued to walk around on my car, nonplussed. Tilting his head, he eyed me for a second, then bobbed his head up and down. Yesterday he was pecking at me, and today he’s comical. “Moody bird,” I mumbled just as my phone pinged with a text.
I unzipped my backpack pocket with swift movements, then pulled out my phone and glanced at the screen. It was from Ethan. Thank God!
I leaned against my car once more and opened his text.
Ethan – 3:55 p.m. ~ I’m sorry to make you worry. I’m fine. Was out all day yesterday and most of today in a location without cell coverage. My Dad and I went snowmobiling. I never want you to worry about me. All I could do was think of you while I was gone. Wish I could hold you close this very second
.
As I sighed with happiness, Patch hopped onto my shoulder. He was surprisingly heavy. I froze, afraid to make any sudden moves. He’d never done this before. When he leaned over and pressed his long beak against my cheek, then tilted his head and ran the soft feathers on the top of his head along my jawline, my throat worked with emotion. It was as if Ethan were right there with me, pressing his face against mine, giving me his touch.
Just as I started to lean into Patch, the bird took off into the air with powerful wing flaps. Soaring high, he did an aerial drop-spin, then glided gracefully out of sight into the tree line.
“Show-off!” I called after him even as a wide grin split my face. Ethan was safe…and our connection was still there, stronger than ever.
I texted Ethan back.
Me – 3:57 p.m. ~ I’m so relieved you’re okay. I miss you too, so much. You won’t believe what just happened! Hmmm, I think you’d have to see it to believe it. I’m late for an appointment, but I’ll tell you more later
.
I couldn’t wait to share this with Ethan. Even though I probably never would have experienced what I did with Patch while Ethan was with me, I hated him being gone. I didn’t like worrying about him or wondering when he would return. Training with Drystan would be good for more than just learning self-defense. It would help make the time go by faster until Ethan came home.
Chapter Fifteen
Mr. Holtzman’s place was buried deep in the Afton Mountain area. The drive out was gorgeous. With the crystal blue sky and the afternoon sun shining in my car, I could almost believe it was warm outside, instead of forty degrees. As I drove down the long dirt drive to get to his house, late afternoon sunlight dappled through the mixture of oaks, maples firs and pine trees.
There was a note taped on the front door when I walked up the steps to the ranch-style house.
Inara,
Had to go into the woods to check on a couple of nesting ravens. I’ll be back shortly. If you want to check out the sanctuary while you wait, it’s around the back side of my house. Just take the path and it’ll take you right to it.
~ F
I pulled the pen from the spiral binding on the pad I’d brought to take notes and jotted my response under his signature.
I’m here. Am going to check out the sanctuary as you suggested. See you soon.
~ N
Mr. Holtzman’s secluded property was on acres of woods. He kept a small lawn mowed in the front and back of his house, but other than that it literally looked like he’d built his home in the middle of the mountainside.
I only had about a half hour of daylight left, so I rounded the side of the small house with swift movements and easily found the well-worn footpath at the edge of his backyard. Following the slight incline about thirty yards into the woods, I spotted his ravens’ sanctuary—an aviary—in a clearing another ten yards ahead.
The ravens began to make all kinds of interesting sounds when I got within five yards of the enclosure. Mr. Holtzman had cleared space for his bird sanctuary well. Cut out of the dense woods, only six trees filled the cleared space, including a massive oak in the middle. Strong chicken wire surrounded the group of trees, and a roof had been constructed using the same chicken wire on one side and roofing material and plywood on the other half to complete the structure. One opening had been left in the chicken wire, creating a doorway that went all the way up to the thirty-foot high roof.
When I walked inside, the birds’ cacophony grew louder. I turned inside the enclosure, taking a few pictures with my phone camera. Wooden boxes had been sporadically built in the V of some trees, I assumed to encourage nesting. Long black trays lined the forest floor near the chicken wire walls. Remnants of a small animal carcass lay in one of the trays.
Ah, they were like food troughs for the ravens.