Chapter 30
CHAPTER THIRTY
TYNAN
Ifound Hanoch in his study buried in his papers.
The room appeared just the way I had seen it in my visions.
It was an uncomfortable reminder of what could happen next.
I shifted my eyes back to my brother. He looked exactly the way I remembered, as if everything from my dream truly took place.
He scowled when he saw me in the doorway.
I could clearly see so much of my mother in his eyes, except now I knew for certain, he was nothing like her.
“Ty?”
“Morning.”
“Come. Walk with me.” Hanoch put down his pencil and stood up, stretching his back.
We entered the long corridor, heading toward the balcony on the upper floor. My eyes kept darting around to the rooms I remembered, unable to stop comparing my memories to what I was seeing. But something darker kept creeping in.
How much time did we have? What could be done?
“I understand that you and your friends need a place to stay,” Hanoch began as we went up the stairs.
“Yes.”
“You must know that I’m in no position to endanger my own people if the council should come to collect you.” He continued.
“I would not expect that from you.”
“Good. I’m glad we got that out of the way.” He entered the balcony and I glanced beyond his shoulder.
The view of the valley was something I was not prepared for. The mountains in the background contrasted with the vibrant colors of the fields, which looked almost feathery in the distance.
“Why are you helping us?” I shifted my eyes back to my brother.
Hanoch leaned against the heavy stone banister, crossing his arms on his chest.
“After Grace fell ill, I realized that there’s no one from our family left. Only you and me. If something would ever happen to me, I have no one I could trust to look after my wife and my kids,” he said.
I clenched my jaw, trying hard to control my breathing.
Does he know? How?
“Did you speak to Sage?” I asked carefully.
“Sage? Why?”
“Never mind.”
“The old man has gone completely crazy. He keeps telling everyone that we’re all going to die.” Hanoch scrutinized my face.
Of course he would know, seers walked the paths of the spiritual world, they knew multiple versions of reality. He knew because he was there, he had seen it.
“He’s telling the truth,” I said.
Silence stretched between us, then Hanoch rubbed his eyes and swore.
“How the fu . . . How much time do we have?” He looked up and his eyes appeared red.
“Don’t know, but there are ways in which we can prepare.”
We spent the rest of the day discussing the attack, the undead dragons, and everything that could be done to stop them.
Hanoch was not thrilled to learn that the settlement was not as invincible as everyone had believed.
Or that there were undead dragons that will bring chaos to these peaceful lands.
After a quick meal of thick stew with dumplings and a generous portion of kvass, we went back outside for the meeting with the clan warriors.
The warriors represented a group of capable males of all ages and social statuses that were able to bear arms. Almost all of them wore suits in varying shades, from black to pale brown.
It seemed like time had not changed many of them; the only difference I could spot was the grey in their long beards.
Some of them represented three generations of men, each looking like different versions of the same person.
If Sol, Victor, and I stayed, that is where we would end up.
“What’s he doing here?” one of them yelled.
“My brother is here to help us fight a new threat,” Hanoch replied.
“He’s a traitor!” someone else yelled.
“May I remind you, good people, if Tynan and his group refused to report to the council those many years ago, our clan would have paid for their disobedience.” Hanoch’s face turned hard, uncompromising.
“He’s a traitor!”
“If you, or anyone else is so unhappy with him being here, challenge him to a fight and prove that your opinion is worth hearing, not with words that mean nothing, but with your own blood. If you succeed, we will listen. But remember, if he wins, he gets everything. Yes, Abran, everything you have, your wife, your house, and all ten of your children.”
I crossed my arms on my chest and my eyes landed on the crowd.
Many of them I knew very well, many of them I already fought and they knew better than to challenge me.
Suddenly, my eyes stopped on Denis who stood ahead of the others, not in the least intimidated by the words of his leader.
As far as I remembered, we did not have any issues before Alina.
Maybe this time, everything will be different and we can avoid the hostility.
As I examined his face, I caught a flash of surprise in his eyes and followed his gaze.
On one of the balconies stood the girl with long red hair that swayed in the air like strands of copper.
She was dressed in a sleek black flying suit that accentuated her body.
She leaned forward looking up at the mountains ahead.
Her hand was on her forearm, as if she tried to protect herself from the chills of the morning air.
My eyes returned to Denis and my thoughts took a different turn.
My possessive, animal side roared with anger.
My instincts shifted into a primitive state, one likely inherited from my dragon ancestors.
She was mine. No one else could have her. If he wanted her, he would have to kill me first.