Chapter 92 A Hero to Foxen
Sage scanned the tree line as the trucks drove out, hoping that there were still some foxen in the area.
Timber’s phone rang and he answered. “Wheeling.”
He looked at Sage. “Yeah, she’s here.” He handed the phone over.
Sage took it, confused. “Hello?”
“Sage, my name is Trent Burbank. I’m with the foxen Boeson. I’m sorry you have to hear like this, but he’s dying, and we need you.”
Sage looked at the phone, then held it out, her stomach heavy. “Boeson… dying? In Serenity?” she whispered.
Timber took his phone and told Trent, “We’re on our way.”
Canyon was already in the truck, pulling his clothes on.
***
They reached the bottom of Morning Bluff quickly and took the main road heading west of Serenity.
Timber broke the silence. “I’ve never sat back here before,” he said.
Canyon looked at him in the rearview mirror. “What do you think?”
Timber put his hands behind his head. “I like it so far. Plenty of room for me and my mate to make out. She’ll be here any day now, you know.”
The road opened and Canyon stepped on the gas. Sage leaned forward in her seat, watching the passing neighborhoods, wondering if any other foxen knew Boeson was in Serenity.
Canyon pulled into a rancher’s subdivision with weathered fences and show horses. He drove through, almost to the end, onto a manicured street with contemporary single-family homes.
Rogue’s was easy to pick out because the driveway and yard overflowed with police cars and diesel trucks.
“How…how did Boeson end up here?” Sage asked, her breath fogging up the window. She rolled it down, studying the house, looking in the second story windows.
“Rogue stumbled across him in the woods last September,” Timber said. “She took him home and let him stay with her. She hadn’t met Mac yet.”
Canyon drove behind a parked car, over the sidewalk, into the yard and stopped, reaching over to rub Sage’s neck. “He’s had a wolven guard, but they mostly leave him to himself. He bakes cookies and reads books.”
“Reads books?” She stared at the house, sliding out of the truck to the ground.
Timber got out and got in front of them. “I don’t see Bruin’s truck but let me make sure Conri’s not here.”
“Yeah, go,” Canyon said. Timber jogged to the house.
Canyon grabbed Sage around the waist and pulled her close, saying, “I didn’t mean to… I didn’t want to scare your family. I don’t know why I went after Conri… and I can’t guarantee it won’t happen again.”
She nodded. “I guess that’s life with the vod,” she whispered.
“Maybe,” he whispered back, his eyes dark.
Timber came out of the house and jogged back to them, saying, “Conri’s not here, only Rogue and Mac.” He pointed at Sage. “They’ve got a job for you.”
“Me?”
“Boeson’s holding Khain’s power of omnipresence and when he dies it goes back to the demon. He says only a foxen can hold it and everyone thinks that foxen is you. Go, go, go.” He quickly waved her that way.
Canyon grabbed her hand and they hurried inside together.
Sage walked in the room slowly. It was full of so many vod—and sisters, too, but her focus was on Boeson.
He lay on the pillow, frail with closed eyes, a blanket pulled to his chin.
Rogue sat on one side of him, holding his hand, speaking softly to him, saying, “I’m here, Boe.
” Mac stood next to Rogue, his hand on her shoulder.
Sage pushed past everyone, feeling like all eyes were on her.
She chose a spot near the bed on the other side of Boeson, not quite daring to take his hand like Rogue had.
Boe’s eyes were half open and he was staring at nothing, plucking fingers in the air like something was there, murmuring. Sage bent forward to listen.
“His very presence was enough to make me feel awful,” Boe wheezed, his voice strained.
“It made me want awful things… but she spoke to me, too, the sweet one. She could crowd him out and make me want to do good and noble things. It was hard in his den to do anything good, hard to do anything noble, but I tried. I tried so hard.” Boe lifted his head and looked around, his eyes landing on nothing.
He tried to sit up, managing to get up on one elbow, craning his neck.
“Look at that meadow,” he said. “It's so pretty—so perfect in the sunlight.”
Sage covered her mouth with her hand, tears threatening. Canyon moved behind her and put a hand on her shoulder. She grasped it, drawing strength from him.
“It’s another meadow,” Boeson said, his voice soft.
“I've never seen a pink tree before.” He was quiet for several moments, then said, “Oh, that one has a little pond.
I wonder if anyone fishes there… that meadow is so big…
and there are houses." He squinted, peering off into the distance to the other side of the room.
“Could that be a library? I see books through the window. "
Awe shone clearly on his face and Sage’s tears spilled, her heart wrenching.
“The books are floor to ceiling,” Boe whispered. “…like every book that’s ever existed. Mistress Rogue, it's so beautiful," he said, turning toward Rogue. "I can't describe it."
“Go over and pick out a book,” Rogue said, her voice softer than Sage had ever heard it.
He didn’t respond. His eyes traveled around the room, but then he pulled back into himself, saying, “Oh, the people! I'll just go over here and be quiet. Maybe I'll find another meadow.”
Sage panicked. She took Boe’s hand, meaning to tell him to talk to the people, but Rogue spoke.
"Boe, you should go see the people.”
“Oh no, Mistress, they won't want me.”
“They do. They want you. Go… go talk to them,” Rogue said, her voice breaking.
Sage’s heart ached. She’d been ready to dislike Rogue, but the care the female showed this foxen hero made Sage look at her with fresh eyes.
Boe’s voice was an airy whisper. “No mistress, I’ll just… drift.”
Rogue met Sage’s eyes, and shared pain passed between them. Rogue gestured that Sage should try talking to him.
Sage gathered her courage and took Boeson’s hand. He opened his eyes and looked at Sage, gasping. “A foxen has come to see me.”
Sage nodded. “Yes, Elder. My grandmother is Abigail.” She remembered the name the pendant had spoken to her and repeated it. “Adil.”
Boeson smiled an innocent smile. “My sister.”
He motioned her closer. She leaned in and Boeson whispered, “I have many secrets hidden in the library. You must only open the right book."
Sage nodded, looking up to see if anyone else had heard. Boe closed his eyes and withdrew his hand, but then he extended it to her again. Sage took it gently.
He squeezed her hand. “And you’re a Citlali.”
“No, Elder,” Sage whispered, smiling. “My renqua is a flower with a crooked stem.”
“It’s not, vixie,” Canyon said confidently, his proud voice ringing through the room. He moved her hair off her left shoulder and tugged her shirt away. “Your renqua is a star with three tails.”
Sage couldn’t believe it. She tried to see over her shoulder. People in the room moved around to see her back, murmuring.
“It is a star,” a male said.
“A foxen Citlali,” another male said, his voice semi-disbelieving.
“And the mate of a wolven,” Canyon growled.
“I need a mirror,” Sage said, feeling like she was overheating. Someone produced a compact and Canyon held it for her. Sage twisted to see.
Her beautiful flower she’d loved so much was gone, and in its place was a bold star with three lines streaking away from it, just like Canyon’s comet’s tail.
Her mate mark had formed as well but was paler than the renqua.
The mark drew a circle around the star and added another three lines streaking away. Sage shared a soft look with her mate.
He grinned and cocked his head, mouthing, “My mate.”
On the bed, Boeson spoke, his voice light and free from all concern. “A star with three tails appears to light the way.”
Sage covered her mouth, feeling carried away with emotion. She’d heard the prophecy before, years ago, but had thought it meant a literal star in the sky.
She looked at Canyon again. He was grinning. “Nice,” he said, winking, and heat flushed through her.
Boeson lifted his hands, grasping at things that weren’t there with vacant eyes. Sage knew the end was close.
“There's 10,000 people,” Boe whispered. “Maybe more. They're assembled and waiting for something. Aren't they a fine-looking crowd? So strong and dignified.”
He gasped and reached his arms out. Both Rogue and Sage took his hands. Everyone in the room was silently staring at him.
“They're foxen,” Boe said. “All of them” His voice wavered. “Oh. I ah… I better go somewhere else.”
He looked around wildly, his head thrashing, his eyes half-closed.
“You're okay, Boe, it’s ok,” Rogue said, grasping his hand with both of hers.
“They know who I am!”
Sage grasped his shoulder and spoke softly. “Elder, shhh—”
“They know me!” His feet kicked under the blankets. Scared keening noises came from his throat.
“They think… they think…”
He calmed and Sage held her breath, searching his face.
“They think… I'm a… hero?”
“Hero? A male in the hallway said, disbelief in his voice, and another male inside the room said, “No way.”
Sage dropped Boeson’s hand and surveyed the room, trying to figure out who’d said it. “He is a hero!” she hissed, angry tears welling up in her eyes. “He is a hero and you get the fuck out of here if you don’t think so!” She scanned faces for guilt. “You don't deserve to watch him die!”
She pointed at Timber and grabbed her mate. “Throw them out if they don't think he's a hero!”
“Yes, ma'am,” Timber said.
“Yes, female,” Canyon said.
Timber went to the hallway while Canyon paced in front of the males at the end of the room. “Who was it?” he growled. “’Fess up, or you’re all going outside.”
Sage turned back to Boeson, ignoring the growled conversations that followed between the males. She took his hand again.
“You are a hero,” she told him. “The biggest foxen hero that ever lived. You served the demon because you had to, and if you didn’t, he would have stolen another.
You served your time and time that wasn’t yours to serve.
You helped foxen when you could, and anytime you learned a weakness of the demon’s, you sent messages from the Pravus.
” Her voice broke. She blinked tears from her eyes, and the room fell dead silent.
“Thank you, Boeson,” Sage said. “For your service to all foxen.” Silent tears streamed down her cheeks. She closed her eyes and let her anguish overtake her, forgetting everything for a few moments, until her tears faded and a quiet strength entered her.
“Now it's up to us to break the Tether,” she said. “I’ve got this. We’ve got this. My mate and I…” She turned fresh eyes on Canyon, realizing a memory she’d always considered true had disappeared from her head.
Her mate nodded at her, confidence shining on his face.
“We’ve got this,” Sage continued, still looking at her mate… wondering. She turned back to Boeson. His eyes were closed and his breathing labored. She squeezed his hand, saying, “You are free, Elder.”
***
Canyon watched his mate speak like someone who’d worn a star on her shoulder her entire life, someone who’d always known she was meant for great things. Light seemed to shine from her body, making him squint.
Her eyes closed and her chin lifted. “You are free to enter the loving light of Rhen, Elder,” she said. “All your family that has gone before you awaits you as a hero.”
Sage bowed her head and light flooded her. Canyon threw a hand up to shade his eyes.
A high, pure voice spoke from all around:
“Your time here is at an end, Boeson Saint Clair. I welcome you home.”
The room filled with blinding light. Canyon squinted, ignoring the nervous shouts of those around him.
His only thought was for Sage and he moved closer to her.
A sound like a thunderclap split the room and the blinding light blinked out suddenly.
Sage was stiff, her back bowed, her face pointed at the ceiling, her toes scraping the floor.
Light flared and the voice spoke again:
"He has gone from this place. Whosoever wishes to meet with him can do so from their own meadow at any time.
He welcomes each of you and all of your progeny forevermore, with open arms and utmost appreciation.
You have his loving support and clear guidance for the rest of your days and beyond.
You may rest well knowing such a great being has blessed you so. "
Sage’s neck straightened and she pointed at Mac, her eyes shining silver.
"You may dispose of the body. He has no more use for it."
Mac looked around, then rubbed the back of his neck. “Uh, I'll get right on that.”
Sage went limp and Canyon caught her, wrapping her in his arms.