Chapter 12
***COOPER***
Cooper stood in the middle of the crypt watching Stephanie pace back and forth in front of the mural, a frown of annoyance on her face.
“I don’t know what to think. This just doesn’t make any sense.
No matter how many times I try to look at this from a different perspective, I still come back to the same place…
shifters,” she finally said, then paused and stared up at the painting again before shaking her head.
“I can’t believe I even said that. Julien must be getting to me; it’s the only explanation for these crazy ideas in my head. ”
Battling a heavy sense of guilt, he watched her pacing for a few more minutes, knowing that he had the power to relieve her confusion, that he could tell her the truth about what she was seeing, but he wasn’t sure that she’d believe him.
He wasn’t worried about the risk of exposure; deep down, he knew that Stephanie would never betray him.
He was more concerned about her disbelief and what he might have to do to convince her.
One thing was clear to him: the crypt had to stay a secret.
The longer he’d been inside, the more he’d begun to understand the message in the mural.
If the public got to see it, it wouldn’t take others long to catch on as well.
There was power there as well, a surging stream that came and went like the waves in the ocean, feeding his magic and keeping the dragon inside him wide awake.
It was a special place, a place created by suffering, and he had to find a way to make Stephanie understand that, as fantastic as the discovery was, it could never be shown to the rest of the world.
“First of all, you’re not crazy. I’m seeing exactly what you’re seeing,” he said, making her pause and look over at him. “Did it ever occur to you that you’re interpreting the painting right, that it really is about shifters?”
“You’re kidding, right?” she asked, then looked over at the mural again.
“There are stories about shifters in Native American folklore, but this is more than that; this is a history of shifters. I’ve spent years studying the tribes in this area.
I’ve spent time on the reservations, I consider some of the people I’ve met good friends, and I’ve never seen or heard of anything like this. ”
“Just because you haven’t seen or heard about it doesn’t mean it isn’t real,” he said, choosing his words carefully. “There are some things that are so sacred to the Native Americans they’ve never let an outsider see them, and I think we’ve stumbled on one of them.”
“You think they know about this?” Stephanie asked, her eyes wide. “You think they’ve known this was here the entire time?”
“No, that’s not what I’m saying. I think this crypt was lost to time because it was such a big secret,” he said. “At some point the need for it disappeared and the people forgot about it, but at one time, it was very important to first the Native Americans, and then other settlers.”
She was silent for a few minutes, turning over what he’d said in her mind, then looked over at the mural once more.
“Something this important couldn’t have just disappeared, someone must still know about it.
There must still be stories told about it,” she said, turning back to him, a look of excitement on her face.
“It’s just a matter of asking the right people.
I’ve still got contacts on the reservation, maybe it’s time I made a few phone calls. ”
A second later the excitement drained from her face.
“If I start talking about this and they don’t know what I’m talking about, they’re going to think I’ve lost my mind,” she said, then brightened up again.
“I can show them pictures, then they won’t question my sanity. At least, I don’t think they will.”
Stephanie looked over at him, a hopeful look on her face, and he knew it was time to take a leap of faith, time to trust that what he felt for her was the real thing and worth the risk he was about to take.
Reaching inside himself, he let the dragon’s instincts take over, reassured when a wave of warmth spread through him, making his body tingle all over.
Desire quickly followed, and he took a couple of steps toward her, wanting to take her in his arms.
“I have a better idea. I know someone who might be able answer all of your questions,” he said. “I just need to give her a call and make sure that she’s home.”
“You do?” Stephanie asked, her face lighting up. “How? Who is it? How do you know so much about this stuff anyway?”
“Okay, slow down,” he said, shaking his head. “I can only answer one question at a time.”
“Sorry, I’m just excited,” she said. “We’ve hit so many dead ends, and I thought this was another one.”
“I’m not making any promises, but if anyone knows the hidden secrets of the tribes around here, it’s my grandmother,” he said, then paused for a second. “Let’s get out of here so I can give her a call and let her know we’re coming. I’ll explain the rest on the way there.”
Stephanie looked like she wanted to ask him ten more questions, but finally let out a sigh. “Okay, I guess I can wait,” she said. “But I feel like you’ve been hiding something from me, and I don’t like that feeling.”
***Stephanie***
Stephanie was well aware that Cooper hadn’t denied hiding anything from her, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
However, he’d promised to explain, and she had to give him a chance to follow through.
She’d sensed again that something had changed between them when he’d told her about his grandmother, and she couldn’t have ignored the feeling of warmth that had spread through her just then if she’d wanted to, but she didn’t understand how the two were connected.
Frustrated that she was thinking more about her love life than the mystery of the crypt, she climbed the stone steps, reminding herself why she was there, then watched Cooper close the trap door.
They walked in silence through the rest of the houses to the tunnel, both lost in their thoughts, but she felt tension radiating from Cooper and wondered what had unsettled him so.
Before she could ask him, they were in the tunnel, then stepping out into the cool midday sunshine so typical for late fall in New York. “I smell snow,” she said, sniffing the air, noticing the dark clouds building on the horizon. “Looks like we might be about to get the first snow of the year.”
“It’s late this year,” he said, pulling out his phone as they walked toward the gate. “If we’re going to my grandmother’s, I’ll have to borrow my friend’s truck. Your little car won’t make it to her house; she lives way up in the mountains.”
He scrolled through his phone as they walked toward the parking lot, then placed the call and put the speaker on while it rang. “Cooper McFarland, it’s about time you called,” an older woman said. “It’s been a month since you called me. I was beginning to think you’d forgotten about me.”
“I could never do that, Grandma,” he said. “Did you get the flowers I sent?”
“Yes, and they’re beautiful, but that still doesn’t get you out of trouble,” she said. “You know how I worry about you when you don’t call.”
“I’m sorry, I’ve just been really busy,” he said, looking over at Stephanie, clearly a little embarrassed. “I’ve been doing my internship and school. It’s been a lot to keep up with, but I was wondering if I could come for a visit.”
“Since when do you have to ask to come home?” his grandmother asked. “This is still your home, Cooper, that will never change.”
“I know, but well…I’d like to bring someone with me,” he said, stammering a little bit. “It’s a long story, but we need your help, and I think you’re the only one we can turn to.”
“Cooper, are you in some kind of trouble?” his grandmother asked, her voice suddenly full of concern. “What did you and those other boys get involved with?”
“I’m not in trouble, Grandma, I promise,” he said. “I’ll explain when Stephanie and I get there.”
There was a slight pause. “Stephanie?” his grandmother asked. “Is she your girlfriend? Did you get her pregnant? We talked about that, Cooper.”
“Grandma, she’s not pregnant, it’s not like that,” he said, clearly horrified. “We’re just friends…well…maybe a little more than friends…but…never mind. When can we come see you?”
“The sooner the better, I should think,” his grandmother said. “Now you have me worried.”
“There’s nothing to worry about, I promise,” he said, “We’ll be there soon.”
When he hung up, she could tell that he was still embarrassed and tried not to let her amusement show. “Sorry about that,” he said, hanging his head just a little. “My grandmother is a wonderful woman, but she worries about me too much.”
“It sounds like she loves you a lot,” she said, smiling at him. “There’s nothing to be embarrassed about, in fact, I can’t wait to meet her.”
“Then we’d better get moving, it’s a three-hour drive from here. It’s going to be late before we get back as it is,” he said. “I’ll call my friend and see if he’ll drop the truck off for me, then I’ll come pick you up.”
An hour later they were driving out of town as the clouds began to descend on them, but she barely noticed; all she could think about was getting some answers and solving the puzzle of the crypt.
As soon as they hit the highway, Cooper reached into the backseat, grabbed a basket, and handed it to her.
She sent him a questioning look, but he just turned and looked back at the road, so she pulled back the checkered cloth to see what was inside.
Her mouth instantly began to water when she saw the sandwiches nestled next to a bag of potato chips, some pickles, and a bag of chocolate chip cookies.
“Hattie was afraid we’d starve on the way to my grandmother’s,” he said, grinning at her.
“I tried to talk her out of it, but she insisted. There’s a thermos of coffee back there, too, if you’re interested. ”
The sound of her stomach growling filled the cab of the truck, and she laughed.
“I guess I am hungry, I haven’t eaten since breakfast,” she said, pulling out a sandwich and handing it over to him, then grabbing one for herself.
“And these look fantastic, Hattie is an angel, I’ll have to remember to thank her. ”
While they ate, they kept the conversation light, but when the food was gone and she’d poured them both a cup of coffee, she was ready for a few answers. “Okay, tell me about your grandmother,” she said. “You promised, remember?”
“I haven’t forgotten,” he said, then took a sip of his coffee. “My grandmother raised me after my parents were killed in a car accident. She was mother and father to me, my rock in a world that was turned upside down, and I’ll forever be grateful that she’s a part of my life.”
“I can tell that she loves you a lot,” she said, smiling at him. “You’re lucky to have her. I was raised by a nanny most of the time; my parents were too busy working to take care of me themselves.”
“Oh, Stephanie, I’m sorry,” he said. “That must have been hard.”
“I learned to deal with it,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “But you didn’t explain why your grandmother might be able to tell us about the mural.”
Cooper hesitated for a second, then took a deep breath. “My grandmother is a full-blooded Iroquois Indian,” he said. “She left the reservation when she married my grandfather, but she never left her people behind. She knows all the stories, all the legends.”
Stephanie studied Cooper for a second. “I guess the red hair didn’t come from her side of the family,” she finally said. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
He looked over at her and smiled, “I’m sure she’s going to love you,” he said. “She’s an amazing woman with a lot of knowledge. I keep asking her to write it all down, but I haven’t talked her into it yet.”
“Well, maybe I can convince her,” she said. “After all, history is what I do, I’m an expert after all.”
Cooper laughed, “I guess you are,” he said. “Maybe she’ll listen to you; she sure doesn’t listen to me.”