Origin Exposed: Descended of Dragons, Book 2 (13 page)

Ohhhh, Gresham
, I thought.
Bad timing. You don’t know what’s hit you yet
.

But it would have been wasteful not to enjoy the smooth, rich chocolate infused with orange and ginger, and I have always been very conservation-conscious.

W
hat Timbra needed was
a night or two away from The Root. Away from the ever-present risk of running into Boone and any resulting heartache and awkwardness. Break-ups were difficult—at least this one was.

I’d found a brochure for an eclectic bed and breakfast up north when I stopped for my now-annihilated box of truffles. The cabin boasted a pool and small spa, and specialized in rejuvenation. It seemed fated.

In Thayer, instead of taxis, an escort system is used. Since tracing is painless, quick, and free, Timbra and I could literally go anywhere on the extensive landmass in a matter of seconds. The only problem, of course, was getting somewhere we’d never been. That’s where escorts come in.

I spoke to a woman by phone who agreed to meet Timbra and I at the exterior gates of Radix. She would lead us to the cabin for our relaxing weekend. Simple.

“That must be her,” Timbra said, her eyes bright with excitement. She was thrumming with happiness to get out of town, to have a distraction. The swelling around her eyes from crying since her break-up with Boone on Wednesday had all but disappeared.

It was a relief to find something to help Timbra besides commiserate…and hand her tissues. The prospect of our weekend had perked her up quite a bit.

I was excited for selfish reasons, too. Having been fairly confined to The Root, I hadn’t seen much of Thayer. Each new adventure felt like opening another bedroom door of my new home.

“Loryn?” I called to the woman just beyond the gate. She turned, and when our eyes met her wide mouth opened to expose a blinding number of perfect white teeth.

“Stella, hello,” she said. “You two are going to have a great weekend. Any questions before we set off?”

We had none, and threw overnight bags over our shoulders before forming a circle to hold hands with Loryn. One brief, cold shot of darkness later we stood before the most impressive log cabin I’d ever seen. But calling it a “cabin” made little sense. A mansion made from logs better described it.

“Let me take those bags, ladies,” Loryn said. We were both so awe-struck that she slipped them from our shoulders without argument.

Double front doors were flanked first by large plate-glass windows and then farther out by…trees. Two enormous trees with gnarled roots as tall as I was formed the pillared base of the front porch. The trunks were sanded and polished until they shined, and they extended all the way up to support the roof of a third story.

Nearly the entire facade of the house was made of glass. I spun around to see what view these windows had been installed to reveal, and my breath left on a dreamy, pleased sigh.

“Oh, it’s so beautiful, Loryn,” Timbra gushed. “I can’t believe we get to stay here.”

Me either
, I thought, but was still too enthralled to speak.

Only a small copse of pointed evergreens let on that the snow-capped mountains in front of us did not, in fact, extend up
and
down. The lake’s waters were so still and clear that the reflection of the blue sky and breathtaking mountain range was nearly impossible to distinguish from the original.

I shook my head in wonder and whispered, “Just gorgeous.”

“You’re welcome to explore the lake, the base of the mountain, and the forest surrounding the property. Or, you can relax poolside all day between massages and facials—your call, ladies,” she said and flashed another big smile. Her dark curls bounced merrily as she led us into the “cabin.”

“Is this your home,” I asked her. “Or are the B&B and spa business ventures?” Everything was so lovingly done, so homey, that it didn’t feel like a business.

“This is our family home, actually. After my siblings and I all left my father considered selling. He was lonely, and it’s far too much house for one person. My husband and I were in the hospitality industry and made the choice to come home and keep the place in the family. We couldn’t bear the thought of losing it. We’ve only been open a month, but have most of the kinks worked out.”

“This place is amazing,” I said.

“Thank you. I hope you feel as at home as we do while you’re here.” Loryn led us up a spiral staircase built of carved and polished wood. It blended into the rest of the house, which was serene, tasteful. “Your room, ladies.” She opened the door to reveal a bedroom with two double beds and an adorable sitting room. The French doors to the balcony stood open and a crisp breeze brought with it the scent of juniper.

“I have died and gone to heaven,” I said, and threw myself onto a cushioned chair. The mountain air filled my lungs, and replaced most of my worries with cleansing thoughts of the endless tiny joys of nature. It was as if the evergreens had invaded my senses and were using their redolent foliage to scrub away the fear, the uncertainty, the betrayal, and loss. My eyes remained closed as I welcomed the relaxing atmosphere deep into my pores.

Loryn was speaking. “If you need anything I’ll be just downstairs. Breakfast is at nine. Your massages are scheduled for ten-thirty. Make yourself at home with the pool in the back, or any of our amenities.”

“Thank you, Loryn,” Timbra said. “I can’t tell you how much I need this weekend.”

Loryn smiled warmly, her dark eyes glistening with kindness in the overhead light. “Oh. I nearly forgot. We do have other guests, along with my little brother and his friend, for the weekend. This place is big enough to house a small army, though, so you should still feel like you have plenty of privacy.”

We showed her out and thanked her again.

I hung my clothes in the closet and turned to Timbra with a wicked grin. “Pool?”

“Pool,” she nodded.

“
T
hese people
either are wolves or are freakishly obsessed with them,” Timbra said as we made our way through the open expanse of the main house.

“What makes you say that?”

“Did you see those doors when we first arrived? Wolves carved into them. Snarling wolves. Not exactly a hospitable relief for someone of cervid decent, eh?”

“Ohhh. I didn’t even notice. Yikes. You okay to stay?”

“Sure, sure,” she assured me. “Just a lot of wolf-y stuff around for a B&B.”

We were beyond pleased to find an outdoor kitchen and bar area with a chalk sign indicating we should help ourselves and keep track of any beverages consumed.

“Would you look at that,” I said. “The honor system. How quaint.”

“You’re far too jaded for someone our age.”

“I don’t think I’m jaded,” I said as my bottom lip found its way atop the other. “Sarcastic, maybe.”

She grunted, but said nothing further.

“I’m going for a beer. Want anything?” I asked.

“My gods, yes. Not much beats a cold beer poolside on a hot day, does it?”

We sat in contented silence enjoying the warming embrace of the sun, the cool relief of our drinks, and the magical worlds of our books.

I was almost asleep on my chaise when I felt Timbra’s concentrated gaze. “So, your mom’s a fabled murdering dragon who tortured and killed helpless Thayerian people. And you, my friend, turn scaly, too.”

Hell.
I had hoped that her troubles with her dad and Boone would cause her to forget about me for a while. My particular problems certainly hadn’t been foremost on her mind the last few days. But it was imminent the dreaded conversation be had at some point. And the time had arrived.

I swallowed, but found no relief for my dry mouth. “Yes,” was all I could say.

“Are you worried you’ll lose yourself in a vicious rampage? Is there a risk of that? Tell me honestly. I’ll still love you, and I’ll find a way to get you help if you need it.”

“I know you would,” I croaked before clearing my throat. “And I can’t tell you how much that means to me. You’re my bosom good friend, Timbra Redfern. I promise to never set you aflame with my dragon fire.”

“This is serious, Stella,” she admonished.

“I know it’s serious. Trust me. I’ve been a knot of nerves and disgust and shame since I learned who and what I am. It’s why my mother really left me, in case you hadn’t pieced that together. She couldn’t face telling me. It’s why she left Thayer so many years ago, why she raised me alone, why she didn’t tell me about my father.”

Timbra didn’t say anything. Didn’t look at me. She took a sip of her beer and stared past the pool.

I took a solidifying breath and went on, “Add to that steaming heap of bullshit the fact I learned the only reason Gresham pursued me was to control me, to acquire me as a weapon himself…well,” I took a swig of my own beer. “Not a whole lot left to build a great self image. It’s serious, all right. Seriously screwed up.
I
am seriously screwed up.”

“Oh, Stell,” she said, and scooted to sit at the end of my chaise. Her doe-like eyes held such compassion, such love that I struggled not to break down. “I didn’t know about Gresham. And I’m sorry that you’ve been keeping this secret for so long. That must’ve been excruciating. I wish you’d trusted me.”

“I do trust you! I do. But my god, Timbra. The significance of this whole thing. The stigma it carries with it. People hate dragons. They think we’re Satan’s spawn, and for good reason. If word got out about me—are Thayerians known for burning people at the stake? ’Cause that’s what I envision. And Gresham and Professor Lochlain advised me to guard the secret with my life, too.”

“I won’t tell a soul,” she said, then more soberly, “I know there’s not an evil drop of blood in you. This changes nothing as far as I’m concerned.”

“I don’t deserve you, Timbra.” Tears spilled over my eyelids. I swiped at them to remove the evidence.

“No you don’t,” she said with a kind smile. “But we’ve got plenty of time for you to work on that.”

“
I
think
I’d like my sun hat. I left it upstairs. Need anything?”

Timbra had gotten very quiet. Whether she was thinking about me or Boone, I didn’t know. She shook her head but didn’t answer.

My gauzy cover whipped in the light mountain breeze as I entered the back door of the house.
Damn. Forgot the key.
I changed course for the front of the house, where a small enclave housed the B&B office. When I poked my head in I saw that Loryn wasn’t alone. A man stood in front of her desk in swim trunks. The wide expanse of his back was bronze, and tapered down to perfection.
Loving the views here
, I thought, and couldn’t stop my goofy grin before Loryn caught my eye.

“Come on in,” she said with a wave. “Stella, this is my brother.”

My heart came to a screeching halt in my chest before resuming with thunderous force. I stood stunned for several beats until comprehension dawned. My head back fell back as I laughed. Of course he was her brother.
Of course.
I laughed because I knew the stars were surely laughing, too.

Ewan wasn’t sure what to make of my hilarity, but he stood with a good-natured grin while I finished. “Whatcha doin here?” He looked at home in the log mansion in the mountains. Only natural. It
was
his home.

“Timbra and I are getting out of town for a girls’ weekend, getting away from—” The joy bled from my face. “You’re not here with Boone are you?”

“Yes, we’re headed to the pool. I left before he did so I could stop and see my sis— Stella? Where are you going?”

I ran for the pool, intent on thwarting Boone and Timbra’s undesirable reconciliation.

“It’s okay,” Ewan said as he caught up to me. “We’ve got a few minutes. He’s still upstairs.”

“Shit, shit, shit,” I said. “This is just awful, Ewan. What am I going to say to her?”

I ran over scenarios in my head. All of them ended badly: with Boone and Timbra meeting by chance and ruining the entire weekend.

Yet despite the risk we faced my heart was full, giddy even, and delighted in my circumstances. The traitorous thing was happy to see Ewan.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said and closed the space between us. “I’ll come up with a reason Boone and I must leave. We won’t ruin your stay.”

“No.” I shook my head. “We’ll go. I’m not running you out of your own home. I’ll fake sick or something.”

“Stella,” Ewan said, his tone serious, determined. “I want you to be here—to love it here. There’s no way I’ll let you leave.”

“Well,” I said, uncomfortable with the sudden weight his words had taken on. “We’re at an impasse.”

“It would seem so.” He thought for a moment, his impossibly deep brown eyes lost in concentration. “Tell you what. I’ll keep Boone busy in town this afternoon, then come up with a reason we have to leave tonight. It’ll be fine. There’s a soccer game at The Root we wanted to catch tomorrow, anyway.”

“She’ll be devastated if this doesn’t work. She can’t face him right now.”

“It’ll work,” he said. “It’s just a few more hours.”

“Are you sure? I don’t want to leave, it’s true. This place is…it’s glorious, Ewan. You said you grew up in a cabin in the woods,” I accused. “This is hardly a cabin.”

His cheeks pinked in embarrassment and his gaze shot to the floor. “This was my parents’ dream,” he said just above a whisper. “They were happy here. We were all happy here.” He cleared his throat. “I’d better get to Boone if we’re going to make this work.”

I nodded my agreement.

He raised his gaze to mine and squeezed my hand. “This will all work out. They just need more time.”

T
o further reduce
the risk of running into the boys I drug Timbra out of the house to explore the lake. She was a swift-footed hiker—no surprise there. We enjoyed a snack of local cheeses and fresh bread near the water, and lay atop a patch of soft green moss. We passed the time in peace, gazing at the clouds.

“What do you wanna do tonight?” I ran the fine silt I’d discovered along the edge of our mossy perch through my fingers.

She answered right away. “I really think we should go out.”

“Out? Like, to a club?”

“Dancing. Definitely. I want to have a couple drinks and just
forget
on the dance floor for a little while. Surely there’s someplace not too far from here.”