10. Chapter 10
John stood inside the cabin and looked around.
It was smaller than the one he’d been living in, but it had everything he needed.
In the corner was a small kitchen with a camper-size stove and refrigerator.
A table with two chairs sat close by. Across the room was a two-seater couch and rocking chair situated near a stone fireplace.
A bookcase took up one wall and held a number of books and baskets.
Next to it was a table with a sewing machine.
How had he gotten here? Not actually gotten here, since he’d been brought to the cabin by Marcus.
When Marcus had offered to show him around, John declined.
The cabin was tucked away in the valley behind the main house.
The clan owned a huge swath of the valley that butted up against a nature reserve, and even though he was still on land guarded by the dragons, he was far enough away from the main house that maybe he could start to breathe again. He needed his solitude.
He walked over to the two open doors and peeked inside.
One was a small bathroom with a shower, and the other was a bedroom with a queen-size bed.
He dropped his duffel on the bed and flexed the fingers of his other hand where his backpack should have been.
He’d never been without it, and he felt as if a piece of him was missing.
“What do you think?” a voice called from behind him. A voice that definitely wasn’t Marcus.
He stepped out of the bedroom to face the real reason he was having trouble breathing.
Sienna stood with her head tilted slightly.
She did that when she asked a question. Like she really wanted an answer.
Like she cared. And she cared a lot. About her family and her clan.
About those little girls who would make anyone, even his grouchy ass, grant their every wish.
Hell, she hadn’t had any trouble getting in his face earlier. She was a natural-born leader, a protector. Yes, he had faced off with both of her older brothers in the past, but Sienna? She was another level. And he was impressed. After living for centuries, there wasn’t much that impressed him.
And he was second-guessing himself. He shouldn’t have agreed to stay there. Not when people were trying to watch the clan. More than likely looking for him.
She stood in the door leading into the cabin, her eyebrows pulling down in concern. “John?”
He obviously had taken too long to respond. He needed to get it together. “What is this place?”
Sienna looked around the room, and a smile flitted across her face for a moment, but it was full of melancholy.
She seemed to shore herself before stepping farther inside.
“This was my mom’s special place.” She rested her hand reverently on the sewing machine.
“When I was a child, I thought of it as her clubhouse where she came to sew and have fun. As an adult, I realize it was a place for her to escape when things got tough.”
“Were you invited to the clubhouse?” he asked, shocking himself.
Sienna’s smile was real this time. “Yes. We would come here, and she would let me sew scrap pieces together.” She pointed to a picture frame that held several pieces of cloth sewn into a bit of a mangled mess.
“It’s—”
“Horrible, I know.” She chuckled. “But my mom treasured it.”
“And you treasured your time together here.”
She blinked as if to clear her eyes of the memories. “I did. After she died, it sat unused. When Adam disappeared and Eric was injured, Marcus hid Eric here while he was recuperating.”
“Thank you for letting me stay in this special place,” he said before he could stop himself.
She nodded. “And thank you for letting Megan read your notes.”
His stomach twisted and he shrugged at the same time. “It’s not like I gave her my diary or anything.” Megan had asked if he wanted to stay while she studied the notebooks, but he couldn’t sit there and watch her read the notes he’d collected over the centuries.
Sienna stared at him for a moment as if trying to read him. “Don’t do that.”
His nerves jangled. “Do what?”
“Act like it wasn’t a big deal. I know it took a lot to give her those notebooks.”
What the hell? “You don’t know me,” he barked as his defenses surged to the forefront.
Her eyes flared for a moment. “You’re right. I don’t know you. But I don’t think you let anyone know you.”
Before he could respond, she continued. “I hope that Megan finds something in your notes that could help us break the curse.”
A knock on the door interrupted them. Sienna opened the door and gestured for Ryan to come in.
He carried several bags over to the small table and set them down before turning to face them.
“I brought you some basic food supplies. Sienna figured you would want food here to make yourself instead of coming to the house to eat. Would you like me to put it away for you?”
John stopped himself from scowling. “No. I’ve got it.”
Ryan reached into his pocket. “And here is a new burner phone. I programmed several numbers for you—Marcus’s, Megan’s, Sienna’s, and the office number. Sienna figured you needed a new burner since you probably blew up your old phone.”
Sienna held up her hand. “Sorry if I presumed to know things about you.”
John glared at her. Was she actually enjoying this? Even though her face was devoid of emotion, her eyes were bright and smug. He turned back to Ryan and held out his hand.
Ryan glanced at John’s face and then Sienna’s before handing over the phone. “Well. If you need more food or anything else, call the main office number and I can take care of it for you.”
“Thanks,” John gritted out.
“Are you ready to head back, Si?” Ryan asked.
Sienna nodded. “Yes. Unless you need anything else, John?”
“Nope. I’m good.” Hell, he hadn’t been good for as long as he could remember, but at this point he would say anything to move them along. He needed to be alone. To be far away from the female in front of him who knew too much.
Ryan opened the door, checked outside, and then let Sienna out before shutting it behind him. John watched them climb into the UTV and head back toward the house.
He walked over to the table and unloaded the bags, pulling out eggs, milk, bread, butter, and various fixings for sandwiches, and put them away in the kitchen. Then he turned and stood in the middle of the room wondering what the hell to do next.
Yes, he wanted to end the curse. To stop magic and their dragons from disappearing completely. To stop riding the never-ending roller coaster of defeat.
But he’d never been beholden to anyone before. The idea that he was staying on someone else’s property, eating someone else’s food, and under someone else’s protection made him antsy.
Or was it being beholden to Sienna? And her right-hand man, Ryan. Who acted like a bodyguard. And who called her Si. Her own brothers didn’t call her that. Who was this Ryan to Sienna? Were they lovers? Mates?
He fisted his hands. That was none of his business. Even though she seemed to uncannily know things about him, he wasn’t going to open up to her. Why would he expect her to do the same?
His main duty was to break the curse and, in doing so, keep them all safe, especially Lily and Bella. Bella who had held up her little hands to him and wanted him to hold her. And her cries of, “No go!” had the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. What had that been about?
Were her oracle powers awakening? And if so, why was she so upset about him leaving?
John shook his head. He couldn’t dwell too much on that.
He’d already accepted years ago that breaking the curse would mean sacrificing himself in the process.
Any doubt had been squelched when the scroll had been found and the second paragraph had been revealed. Forgiveness and sacrifice.
He had no problem being the sacrificial lamb if it meant dragons were restored and this clan was safe, Lily, Bella, and Sienna included.