Chapter 13
***COOPER***
The snow, which had started with just a few flakes falling harmlessly on the windshield when they turned off the main highway onto the two-lane road, was coming down in earnest when Cooper turned onto the dirt road that led to his grandmother’s house.
The ground was soon covered in a blanket of white, and the wind had begun to blow, sending the almost weightless flakes swirling back into the air, making it difficult to see the road at times.
Stephanie was staring wide-eyed out the front window, her hands gripping the armrests tightly, her body braced against the seat.
“I’ve driven this road thousands of times.
I know every curve, bend, and dip, and this is nothing compared to some of the storms I’ve driven in,” he said, stealing a quick glance over at her.
“I won’t crash, I promise. I’ll kick the truck into four-wheel drive and we’ll take it slow, we’ll get there safe and sound, you’ll see. ”
She looked over and studied him for a second before nodding her head and letting out a shaky breath.
“Don’t take it personally. I’m terrified of heights and the storm is making it worse,” she said, glancing out the side window then quickly looking away.
“I keep imagining us sliding off the side of the mountain. I know it’s stupid, but I just can’t stop myself. ”
“Well, then let’s talk about something to distract you,” he said. “Why don’t you tell me about growing up in Egypt? That must have been quite an experience.”
“It was normal to me, the way everyone lived over here seemed strange to me when we’d visit,” she said. “It’s all about perspective.”
“I guess that’s true. Some people think the way my grandmother lives up here so far from civilization is strange, but it was a great place to grow up, and we never lacked for company when we wanted it,” he said.
“Personally, I couldn’t imagine living in a city where you’re packed in with so many people, but for many it’s the perfect way of life.
It’s how funny humans can be so alike yet so different. ”
“That hasn’t changed over the centuries,” Stephan said, beginning to relax for the first time since they’d started up the mountain. “In fact, that was the topic of my dissertation. I won’t bore you with all the details though.”
“You won’t bore me; besides, it will help pass the time,” he said, giving her a quick smile. “Educate away, I’m always willing to learn something new.”
Stephanie hesitated for a second. “Okay, but if I start to bore you, tell me,” she said. “I don’t want you falling asleep while you’re driving.”
For the rest of the trip up the mountain, Stephanie talked about her dissertation, giving him the bare details, and he did his best to keep up, hoping that she wouldn’t test him when she was done.
When they pulled into his grandmother’s driveway, he saw the look of surprise on her face and couldn’t help but laugh.
“We’re here,” he announced, grinning at her. “And we didn’t slide off the mountain.”
“And you didn’t fall asleep,” she said, grinning back at him. “Thanks for distracting me, it really helped.”
It was snowing even harder, completely covering the windshield in seconds, when he shut the truck off.
He knew they were going to get soaked on the way to the front door.
“Let’s make a run for it,” he said, then looked over at Stephanie, who was staring at the house through the side window.
“It’s beautiful, isn’t it? My grandfather built it for my grandmother when they got married.
It’s been added onto several times, but the original house is what you’re seeing now. ”
“It’s like we stepped into a fairy tale,” she said. “I can’t wait to see inside. I bet there will be gingerbread.”
He laughed. “I don’t know about that, but the place is magical,” he said, then opened his door, letting in a burst of cold air and snow. “Come on, we can’t sit out here all day.”
His grandmother met them at the door. “You made it,” she said, giving him a big hug, then turned to Stephanie. “And you must be Stephanie. I’m Gilda, it’s so nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” she said, accepting the older woman’s hug. “You have a beautiful home.”
“Thank you, now let’s get you two inside and in front of the fire, you’re both soaked,” his grandmother said. “I’ve got hot chocolate and some fresh cookies all ready. I figured you’d need a snack after that drive. It looks terrible out there.”
“It’s been worse,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “Stephanie was a bit nervous at first, but she handled it like a champ.”
“Well, of course she did,” his grandmother said, smiling at Stephanie. “I can already see that she’s a strong, independent woman; you’ve chosen well, Cooper.”
A blush spread across Stephanie’s cheeks. “We’re not…that is… we can’t…” she stammered, then fell silent.
“Grandma, behave yourself,” he admonished, but there was amusement in his voice. “We work together, at least for right now, and that’s all there is to it, just like I told you before.”
“Whatever you say,” his grandmother said, then turned and started down the hallway. “Are you coming or are you going stand there dripping in my entryway all night?”
***Stephanie***
After hanging up their coats and taking off their boots, Cooper led Stephanie down the hallway to a charming room with a huge fireplace at one end.
There was a couch and a couple of overstuffed chairs gathered around it, and his grandmother was waiting for them in one of them, a tea set on the low table in front of her.
Gilda got to her feet and fussed with the fire while she and Cooper got settled on the couch, then sat back down, looking over at them, a big smile on her face.
“This was such a pleasant surprise, I’m almost ready to forgive you for not calling me for so long,” Gilda said, reaching for the pot and pouring the dark creamy cocoa into the three mugs on the tray. “But you said that you needed my help. Let’s get right to it so I’ll stop worrying.”
Cooper looked over at Stephanie, then back at his grandmother, “I’ll let Stephanie explain,” he said. “She’s the expert when it comes to stuff like this. I’m just an intern.”
He could see his grandmother instantly relax. “Is this about that internship you’ve been doing?” she asked. “I don’t know how much help I’ll be. I don’t know anything about architecture or building stadiums.”
“Oh, Grandma, I completely forgot to tell you that fell through,” he said, then sighed. “I guess I haven’t been in touch enough lately.”
He quickly explained about the discovery of the ruins, the loss of his internship, Stephanie’s generous offer, and all the work they’d done so far.
“Here’s the thing, yesterday, completely by accident, we found a crypt,” he said.
“There are bodies inside and a beautiful mural that seems to tell a story we can’t quite figure out, and that’s where you come in. ”
Gilda looked surprised for a second, and when Cooper didn’t say more, Stephanie took a deep breath and explained to the older woman what she thought the mural was trying to say.
“I know it sounds crazy, but I just don’t know what else to think,” she said, shaking her head.
“Cooper seems to think the tribes have always known that shifters were real, that the cave was a place where they could be safe, but over time it was forgotten.”
She expected Gilda to tell her that Cooper was wrong; she expected her to think the idea was ridiculous.
But instead, she exchanged a quick glance with her grandson before settling a little deeper in her chair.
For a few minutes the only sound in the room was the crackling of the fire, and Stephanie wasn’t sure if the older woman was going to say anything at all.
After glancing over at Cooper again and getting a slight nod of his head to her inquiring glance, Gilda set her cup down on the table next to her, then turned to face Stephanie.
“Some knowledge is never lost, it is given to a few special people who will see that it’s never completely forgotten,” she finally said.
“The existence of that cave and what it contains haven’t been lost to time; they are still a part of our history, but one that is carefully guarded, and I think you can see why. ”
It took her a second to understand what Gilda was trying to tell her.
“Are you telling me that shifters are real?” she asked, but didn’t wait for an answer before she started shaking her head, not ready to believe what the older woman was saying.
“The pictures are just mythology; they’re not depicting real life, it’s just not possible. ”
“Why not?” Gilda asked, her voice gentle. “Is it really that hard to believe that magic exists?”
She looked over at the older woman, hoping that she was joking, but her face was completely serious.
“Just because we can’t see something doesn’t mean it’s not there.
We can’t see the air we breathe but without it, we couldn’t survive,” she said.
“Some people, very special people, have abilities the rest of us don’t.
You can’t tell that they’re different when you look at them, but deep inside, they carry the magic that gives them those special gifts. ”
Stephanie could only stare at the woman for several long seconds, her brain rejecting the very idea instantly, but as the silence stretched between them, she forced herself to look past the disbelief.
The vivid pictures of the mural popped into her head: the dramatic depiction of the change the shifters experienced; the fear and adoration of the humans gathered around them.
To her surprise, she found that the idea wasn’t as far-fetched as she’d first thought.
Wondering what Cooper was thinking, she looked over at him, expecting to see the same disbelief she was feeling, but instead, he was watching her carefully. “Cooper, did you know about this?” she asked. “Did you know that shifters used to be real?”
“Not used to be,” Gilda said, shaking her head. “They still are.”
That left her speechless for a second. “Wait, are you saying…no, you can’t be…” she finally stammered. “This is all mythology…not reality.”
“There are shifters born in every generation in my tribe,” Gilda said, her voice still gentle. “It’s the same all over the world. We just keep the truth about them well hidden.”
“Do you know someone who’s a shifter?” she asked, both thrilled and frightened by the prospect. “I mean, this isn’t just talk, right?”
“It’s not just talk, and yes, I do know someone who has the ability,” Gilda said. “But it’s time for dinner, and I think you’ve had enough for right now. I don’t want to overwhelm you.”
Food was the last thing she was thinking about right then, but she was too polite to say so and watched as Gilda got up from the chair, collected the tray, and then left the room.
When it was just she and Cooper sitting by the fire, she turned to him, a thousand questions in her brain, but he put a finger over her lips and stopped her.
“Grandma is right, you need to take a break,” he said, then pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go take a walk, there’s someone I want to introduce you to.”
“Cooper, it’s still snowing out there,” she said, shivering. “We’ll get all soaked again.”
“Come on, where’s your sense of adventure?” he asked. “It’s not that bad out there. Look, it’s barely snowing now.”