Chapter 29
Clouds filled the sky as they approached the sidewalk. Johnny was nowhere in sight. Thunder rumbled in the distance.
Dylan turned to Gabriel. “When did he say he would be here?”
Gabriel shrugged and checked the time on his phone. “He said he’d be leaving the restaurant by 8:45 at the latest, so he should be here any minute.”
Dylan nodded and looked at his mother. “Answers first. Don’t go flying off half-cocked.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Like you normally do?”
Dylan sighed, rolling his eyes. “Exactly.”
Tinah cleared her throat. “He’s coming.”
Dylan turned and stepped towards the sidewalk, careful to stay on the grass. Johnny approached, his hands in his pockets, eyeing Dylan’s family behind him warily.
“Why is it so important for me to be here, yet not enough for you to drop the wards?”
Dylan’s mouth curved into a grin. “I’m still not sure you’re telling me the truth. Tell me what happened the day you came here again. Don’t leave anything out.”
Johnny let out an exasperated sigh and spoke of being out on patrol and standing in the gate when it opened. Wandering through the woods, and then being thrust out when the wards changed.
His mother stepped forward. Dylan could feel rage radiating from her. She held up her phone. “And you swear on your life you never saw this man?”
Dylan glanced over, noticing her hand was in her pocket. He took a deep breath, readying himself to stop her when Johnny responded with a stutter, his eyes widening as she grew closer.
“N-Never. I’ve never seen him before.”
Merrin stared into his eyes. “And everything you told Dylan? About the war, about the other worlds. Was it all true?”
He nodded and tried to look down, wincing when she spoke again, her voice a whip in the air. “Say it!”
Johnny’s voice trembled. “It was all the truth, my lady. I am sorry to offend.”
Dylan’s mamaw placed a hand on Merrin’s shoulder. She didn’t say anything, but Dylan could feel something. He wasn’t sure what it was, but it was as if they were having a conversation, though no words passed between them.
Tinah broke the silence. “Have you seen anyone else since you arrived? Anyone or anything not from here?”
Johnny’s head shook quickly. There was no hesitation, but he never stopped staring into Merrin’s eyes. “No. I realized where I was and immediately did what I could to blend in.” He sighed. “I traveled at first, looking for others coming through rifts or people like him,” He tilted his head toward Gabriel, “who have Liminan blood I might be able to use to get home.”
Merrin cocked her head. “How can you tell?”
Johnny smiled. “It’s easy, really. I did lie to Dylan before about one thing, but I didn’t fully believe that a Coates had a Tiresian mother. Seeing the proof here now and knowing what you are capable of, I will be completely transparent. I am a simple soldier, but my roots are more complicated. ” His smile faded. “I never knew my father, and for good reason. He attacked my mother after a battle, and I came along a while later. She told me the truth when she was afraid I would turn into a wolf. Vurdalans do that. They’re what you call werewolves . But they’re evil bastards. Not because they’re wolves, but because they’re kings have always been power hungry. They resented the Tiresians for the power they were amassing in the name of equality for all. They felt like they should rule everything.”
“Are you a wolf?” Merrin’s tone was even, and Dylan saw her hand shift in her pocket.
Johnny shook his head. “No. Sometimes with half-breeds’ powers can be different . I’m sure you’ve noticed that with Dylan.” He gulped. “I have their senses, but not their strength, and I don’t shift. My mother was a Tiresian as well, but she was an orphan and raised by Salagan merchants.”
The moon peeked from behind the clouds, and Dylan caught the faintest shimmer of tears welling in the man’s eyes.
“I joined with any cause I could to fight the Vurdalans wherever I could. I learned base magic, but I never told anyone about my parentage before.” His head dropped. “I’m ashamed of it.”
“Will you do anything to hurt us? You told Dylan you would do anything to get home. Does that include betraying us to the Vurdalans?”
Johnny looked up. Dylan could see the fire in his eyes. “When I first met Dylan, the thought crossed my mind. But as I said, now that I know he was being truthful, I wouldn’t. The Tiresian empire is my home. I serve your will. I would die to protect all of you.”
Merrin appeared to relax at his words and turned to Dylan. “Can you think of anything else you want to know?”
Dylan nodded and looked into Johnny’s eyes. “Why did you come back here?”
Johnny shrugged. “After not finding a way home, I figured the old Coates man would be dead soon, and either I could convince him or his heir to help me get home.”
Dylan considered this for a moment and blurted, “And why didn’t you recognize Gabe’s Liminan heritage before?”
Before Johnny could respond, a screeching buzzing sound came from behind them. Dylan spun around to see a rift opening behind them. He shouted for his family to get inside but couldn’t hear himself over the cacophony of noise. This rift was larger than those he had seen surrounding the gate. He saw Gabriel leading his family into the house. He could see Gabriel yelling at him, beckoning him to join them, but he was transfixed by the growing rift glowing in front of him. As it opened, he could hear sounds from the other side. Yelling and screams drifted through the opening, mixing with the preternatural buzzing and Gabriel’s screams. A panicked cry came from behind him, and he knew in his soul it was Johnny, trying to get out of sight of whatever was standing on the other side.