Chapter 34 #3
The closer they got to the house, the more uneasy she became, a feeling that made no sense to her. After all, she knew everyone gathered in the yard. Anon, Caelen, Quill, and Rhaz. She had no idea where Betty and Aaron went to. They must have gone inside the house.
Yet the closer they got, the more uneasy she became, almost as if they were walking into a den of lions.
Suddenly everything felt different about these men. Even though she had spent time with all of them, shared meals with them, and laughed with them, standing beneath the glow of the porch lights they seemed dangerous, powerful… almost ancient.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up.
Beside her, Jessica slowed. “Do you feel that?” she whispered. “Oh my gosh, what is that?”
Phin glanced at her. Jessica had gone pale.
Richard looked equally uncomfortable. “What is that?” he asked in a low voice.
“I don’t know.” Phin looked toward Rhaz. Even he felt different. The sensation wasn’t threatening exactly, but it wasn’t normal either.
For the first time since she’d met him, she found herself wondering just how much she didn’t know.
Betty suddenly appeared in the doorway. The moment she saw Jessica, her eyes widened. “Jessica!”
Aaron immediately stepped in front of her. “Go back inside, Betty.”
“What?” Betty gave Jessica a frantic look.
“Inside. Anon said we’re supposed to stay in the house.”
Betty glanced between the gathered men and the three newcomers and sighed. “Okay, fine.”
Aaron gently steered her back into the house, and the door closed behind them.
Jessica frowned. “Hey, what was that about?”
Nobody answered.
As they approached, Anon looked toward Jackson.
Jackson simply spread his hands. “They saw the dragon.”
A long silence followed. Nobody appeared surprised. That bothered Phin more than it should have. Did they know about the dragon?
Anon sighed. “Well. Here we are.”
Quill shoved his hands into his pockets. “It was only a matter of time.”
“What did you expect?” Caelen asked. “But yes, I agree.”
Phin shot a look at Rhaz. He remained silent, but his eyes locked on hers, and something in them made her stomach tighten. The conversation that followed only made things stranger.
“By the Glade Eternal, this is a fine thing,” Caelen muttered. Then he looked at Rhaz. “What will happen if King Iskareth doesn’t get what he wants?”
“So far, he doesn’t know the circumstances,” Rhaz said.
“Yet,” Anon added. “War still remains a possibility.”
Jessica made a choking sound. “War?”
Nobody acknowledged her.
“That’s provided they can even succeed in creating a way to get here,” Anon added thoughtfully.
“Emory thinks the doors could be stabilized,” Quill said. “He and I have been talking.”
“How can Emory know that?” Caelen asked. “Nobody knows. But if they can be stabilized, then perhaps…”
“But we don’t yet know how to stabilize them.” Rhaz said, cutting him off. “We may never know.”
The conversation stopped.
Phin looked from face to face. What in the world were they talking about? Doors. War. And who the heck were Emory and King Iskareth? The words swirled around her without meaning. She couldn’t begin to make sense of them.
Jessica, on the other hand, had finally lost her patience. “Okay, somebody start talking.”
Richard pointed at Rhaz. “And what happened to the dragon? There was a dragon standing there a moment ago wasn’t there?” He pointed at the others. “You all saw it, didn’t you?”
Nobody answered. Instead, Anon clasped his hands behind his back. “Before we explain anything, there is a small matter we must settle.”
Phin didn’t like the sound of that. “What matter?”
Anon looked at Jackson, then Caelen, Quill, and finally Rhaz. “The usual one, I’m afraid.”
Richard frowned. “Uh, the usual what?”
Again, nobody answered. The knot in Phin’s stomach tightened. She felt very much like a rabbit standing in front of several large predators. Not that she thought any of them would hurt her. At least she hoped not.
Still, she felt something coming off them. Something strange and powerful.
Anon drew a slow breath. “If we proceed, there will be no going back.”
Jessica’s eyes widened. “Going back where? What are you talking about?”
None of them smiled. The seriousness of their expressions sent a chill down Phin’s spine.
Anon stepped forward. “Gentlemen. Compulsion.”
Richard blinked. “What compulsion?”
Anon looked at the three of them. “The ability to remove certain memories kind.”
Dead silence followed. Phin, Jessica, and Richard gaped at him. Then all three started talking at once.
“What do you mean, remove memories?”
“You can do that?”
“That’s insane.”
“Is it?” Anon asked mildly. He looked at the others. “Very well. All in favor of compulsion, raise your hand.”
Phin held her breath. Nobody moved.
After a moment, Anon nodded. “It’s decided then.”
Richard looked relieved as Jessica continued to gape.
Anon turned to them and smiled. “Well, lucky you. None of you are going to be compelled this evening.”
Lucky wasn’t exactly the word Phin would have chosen. Anon’s gaze settled on her, and she fought the urge to take a step backward.
“Phin.”
Her heart skipped. “Yes?”
His expression softened a fraction. “Answer me this. Do you love him?”
Her eyes widened. Slowly, she turned toward Rhaz. He stood perfectly still. Waiting.
The answer sat in her chest, it had been there all day. Okay, if she was being honest, all week, maybe longer. She wasn’t someone who believed in love at first sight, but she’d fallen for him incredibly fast.
She swallowed hard. Then nodded. “Yes.” The word was quiet, but it was enough.
For a moment no one said a word, then Anon smiled. “Good.”
He turned toward Rhaz who met his gaze, and for several seconds neither moved.
Then Anon gave a small nod. “Rhaz.”
“Yes?”
Anon’s smile broadened. “Shift.”