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  A couple of minutes later I pulled up in front of Mallory's cabin and felt the first pang of remorse at bringing Adri. I knew she wouldn't betray my trust, but the secret I was including her in wasn't just mine.

  Donovan had left a sealed envelope on his desk with my name on it, but for all of his preternatural abilities of anticipation he couldn't have expected that I'd endanger Mallory like this.

  I loosened my grip on Adri and helped her slide down to the ground. I steadied her, and then watched as she looked around, finally noticing the cabin, set well back into the mouth of the cave so as to blend into the hillside.

  Her expression of pure delight at the discovery helped banish some of my fears and I walked over and knocked on Mallory's door. Mallory's characteristic shuffle sounded from inside and then she appeared wearing a simple blue dress Donovan had ordered for her last year.

  She gave me a hug, and then stepped back so she could look up at me without craning her neck and pulling on the scar tissue that laced the front of her throat.

  My worries that she'd be angry with me for bringing Adri evaporated as she flashed a dazzling smile and carefully moved back out of the way so we could enter.

  "Mallory, I'd like to introduce you to Adriana Paige. Adriana, Mallory."

  Adri smiled hesitantly as she offered Mallory her hand.

  "I'm very happy to finally get to meet you, young lady. Alec is better company than most, but it's nice to have a new face around here."

  I helped both ladies into two of the worn chairs in Mallory's living room, and then nodded at Mallory's command.

  "You go ahead and do your chores. We girls will just get to know each other, and then once you're done, you can bring me up to speed on the latest developments."

  Donovan had arranged a food drop a few days before, so I went around behind the cabin and picked up the heavy bar and two baskets that would allow me to carry more than would easily fit in my arms.

  The food cache was replenished on a semi-regular basis by a driver from out of town. He had strict orders to come from the opposite direction. It was a brutal four-hour drive over some fairly rough terrain, but he was paid very well, and had a significant amount of money set aside in escrow. As long as no rumors were ever circulated about his activities he continued to draw a substantial bonus each year. If he ever said anything about his trips it would eventually make it back to Donovan and his golden goose would dry up overnight.

  So far the arrangement had served to keep Mallory's existence a secret shared by a grand total of three people. Four, now that Adri knew.

  I set out at a brisk pace, not a run, not with nearly one hundred pounds of metal balanced across my shoulders, but something that would allow me to cover ground fairly quickly. I found the food in short order. We'd set a heavy-duty steel box, almost a mini-shipping container, back inside one of the caves where it would be safe from observation.

  The task was one I'd done hundreds of times, and I loaded up the baskets with practiced efficiency. I picked them up to check the balance and found that they weren't as heavy as I'd expected. I added another forty pounds to each basket and then lifted the burden and headed back toward Mallory's.

  I heard Mallory's voice as I took the first load around to the back of her cabin and unloaded it in the steel vault we'd installed last year. It wasn't especially convenient for her, but it more than doubled her pantry space; and if the worst happened, I wanted her to be provided for as long as possible.

  Donovan had set aside enough money to ensure that the deliveries continued well beyond Mallory's likely death, but there was no reason to force her to take the journey out to the cache any sooner than she had to. The wounds Agony had inflicted left her unable to lift heavy objects, so she'd be reduced to moving the food stores one or two cans at a time.

  From my position at the back of the cabin I could make out her words.

  "Nonsense. If I am kind, it's no doubt because of those very experiences that I would've been the most desperate to avoid. I think most of the best people are that way exactly because of the things they've endured. Individuals like Dominic, Rachel, and Jasmin don't just happen. They're the result of a native goodness being tempered and refined by terrible experiences."

  The baskets once again empty, I headed back outside for a second trip. I'd made more of a dent in the stores than I'd realized. I was going to be able to carry the rest of the delivery in one load. It was heavy enough that the baskets creaked only slightly louder than my shoulders, but it all fit.

  Adri looked so amazed when I carefully maneuvered the load through the door into Mallory's cabin that I decided almost twisting my ankle on the way back had been worth it. I gently set the baskets down and went to unload them as Mallory shook her head.

  "That was almost as quick as normal."

  I nodded absently as I opened the pantry door and started putting cans away.

  "I've been lifting weights for a while, but present circumstances dictated a more aggressive program."

  Mallory clucked at me and waved me over to the couch.

  "You'll put them in the wrong spots. Just leave that, and I'll put it away later. Don't go all mulish on me, I may be old and feeble, but I'm still able to move a can of food. Come over here and let me look at you."

  She was right, we didn't have much time. There was a limit to how long of an absence I could explain away the day of the fight. I suddenly felt as though I was weighed down with the entire food shipment at one time.

  I slowly crossed the distance between us as I pulled Donovan's letter from my pocket. More than the food, or even the letter, this was the reason we'd come out here. There was little if any counsel she could give me at such a late date. All that remained was to lay the last bit of hope to rest; to verify that my latent power hadn't manifested.

  Mallory gently accepted Donovan's letter and then waited as I knelt before her. She placed a hand on each side of my head and then called for her beast.

  Mallory's power seemed to arc back and forth like an electrical discharge, and then she released me and sat back. I slowly looked up at her, but wasn't truly surprised when she shook her head at me.

  I suppressed the disappointment that would just make her feel like she'd failed me. I must not have succeeded, or possibly she just knew me well enough to know exactly what must be going through my mind. She reached out as if to comfort me, but I gently returned her hands to her lap.

  "Nothing's changed. We'll just proceed as before. Rest now, and should the worst come to pass I'll send Donovan to you."

  It was unlikely, and we both knew it. Donovan would be loath to leave my mother, even for the woman he'd risked death for so many years before, but I'd give the order and leave it up to him to choose.

  For the first time I felt a glimmer of understanding at what he must go through. It was a terrible thing to be forced to choose between your duty and the thing you wanted most in the world.

  Chapter 30

  Rachel hustled Adri off as soon as we returned. Based on the stern look she shot me one would have been justified in thinking that I'd shown up fifteen minutes before we were supposed to leave rather than with nearly three hours to spare.

  I watched the pair of suddenly giggling girls disappear around the corner and then followed the hall to my bedroom. Rachel had already laid my tux out on the bed. I'd reviewed the expenditures sheet Donovan had brought by for approval at the end of the credit card cycle, so I knew it had cost more than some small cars, but Rachel had been adamant that nothing less would do.

  At first look it seemed like a fairly straightforward standard black tux, but the material was something I'd never seen before. Almost shiny, but not really, it managed to create a sense of depth that reminded me of what I should be doing rather than standing around staring at my outfit.

  I pulled a pair of old, paint-stained jeans on and headed into my studio with a frantic haste that only grew as the minutes passed. Everyone had opted for privacy after the dance, dealing with
their fears or anxiety in various ways, but I'd decided it was the last chance I was going to get to do the right thing and convince Adri to leave town.

  Every item needed to be perfect to guarantee she'd understand just what she'd be giving up if she didn't flee to safety. Donovan had already taken care of most of the details. The lights were already set up in the grotto, and I'd slipped out before the sun came up and made a few last-minute adjustments to the illumination. The flowers had already been moved out of the green house and arranged to perfection, which left only one last piece lacking.

  I pulled out my paints, quickly mixed them to the shades I needed, and set about filling in more of the details. The grotto had been easy, I'd been there thousands of times under nearly every conceivable condition, and my memory allowed me to recreate it in near perfect exactness.

  As always Adri was the hardest piece to translate into mere two dimensions. I could close my eyes and see her in glowing perfection, hands outstretched towards me in concern, but her beauty didn't translate exactly to such an imperfect medium.

  The silvery light of the moon blended with the unearthly glow of her skin, turning her into a creature constructed of shadows and light, but that wasn't the difficult part.

  The sound of the girls laughing while they did each other's hair and makeup had been a distraction, but one I'd been unwilling to give up. Someone turned on their white noise generator and the chance of hearing Adri talked disappeared, taking with it the last reason to allow myself distractions.

  I flipped on my own privacy box, and let the white noise lull me into a trance-like state where I at least had a small chance of recapturing her expression. Acceptance, compassion and a near saint-like desire to mend wounds were all there along with a host of others that even after a month's time I couldn't interpret.

  I threw myself into the work, and the minutes spun away into hours. Donovan had to knock on the studio door to finally break me from the mania of my work.

  "Master Alec, you'll be late! Go now and shower. I'll clean up your brushes and ensure that the piece is set out in the grotto, safely protected from the elements."

  I nodded, handing him my brush and palette as I left the room without looking back. I'd failed. Only a pale sliver of her perfection had been captured, but it was the best of which I was capable and there was no time to dwell on the failure.

  Donovan was right concerning the lateness of the hour. I showered and dressed with as much speed as I was able. The tux went on, feeling only slightly too snug, and the next thing I knew I was folding the green pocket square that Rachel promised exactly matched Adri's dress. I was ready.

  Before I left I reached deep into the back of my closet and pulled out three shoe boxes, two brand new, one battered with more than seventeen years of age. The new shoes were there as nothing more than insurance despite being incredibly expensive, custom pieces. If the fates smiled down on us, Adri would perfectly fit the originals that the newer pairs had been so carefully designed to reproduce.

  Donovan was waiting impatiently outside of the South Receiving Room. As soon as I came around the corner, still hidden from view of those inside, he strode out into the room and cleared his throat with a slight half-bow.

  "The gentlemen have at long last arrived."

  Isaac followed on Donovan's heels, obviously concerned about Jessica. I caught only the barest flash of a black tux with understated silver threads worked throughout before he disappeared into the room.

  James had been pacing back and forth. He'd probably much rather have been out tuning up his car, or possibly watching re-runs on the TV, but in an effort not to disappoint Dom he'd donned a tux as well. It was the kind of edgy thing Rachel never managed to get anyone else into, but James already felt like a laughingstock, so once he was finally convinced that dressing up was called for he usually let Rachel cram him into whatever she wanted.

  The number of times that had happened were incredibly few and always corresponded to something particularly important to Dom. Whatever else might be said about James, he was very careful to keep Dom happy, which said more about his character than almost anything else.

  I took a deep breath, set the newer boxes down on a nearby table, and followed James out into the receiving room. The girls were all even prettier than normal. A small corner of my attention checked to make sure Rachel had picked something suitably modest, which her mauve formal was, but mostly I just stared at Adri.

  She was dressed in a strapless green dress that perfectly matched the accessories Rachel had selected for me. It was simple, while still managing to appear frothy and delicate, and I felt my pulse speed up as I took in the perfectly proportioned body it displayed to incredible advantage.

  Jessica, in a silver sleeveless dress, and Dom in a form-fitting red gown both turned away from their dates for just a moment to watch as Adri smiled at my appearance, and then I'd crossed the distance between us.

  Adri looked wonderfully dazed for just a moment as I took her hand and brushed my lips across the back of it. It took her several seconds to focus down on the opened box I'd brought with me.

  "Rachel said you needed some shoes."

  I went down to one knee and pulled the left shoe out, carefully slipping it onto Adri's foot while she was still contemplating the way the light played off of the nearly transparent surface. She absently shifted her weight over and let me slide the other shoe onto her right foot, and then looked down at me with bright eyes.

  "They're perfect. Thank you."

  Before I could respond Rachel hurried over and smiled at the sight of Adri in Mom's shoes. She leaned in and whispered despite the fact that everyone in the room would still be able to hear her.

  "Mom wore those to the Ashure Day Dance, the one where she fell in love with Dad."

  Adri pulled back as if to protest but I refused to relinquish my grasp on her hand.

  "She wanted you to wear them. They were meant to be worn again tonight."

  I offered Adri my arm as she nodded in acquiescence, and followed Jasmin out to the limo. As always she cut a beautiful figure, this time in a blue-streaked backless black dress with matching gloves. She and Rachel were the only ones without escorts, so I was relieved to see her smile at Adri before exiting the room.

  The car was waiting for us. Donovan had spared no expense, importing an SUV-based stretch limo from Vegas. I helped Adri up into the car and then everyone else piled in behind us.

  Rachel of course was excited about the wet-bar, but she knew better than to argue when I shook my head at her. Once she was old enough to legally drink she could make that decision, but until then it was off limits, especially in public.

  She got her parting jab in though by leaning into Adri and stage whispering.

  "Stupid shape shifters. None of them can get drunk, so they deprive the rest of us of the best parts of being young and stupid."

  Jasmin rolled her eyes at Rachel as she fidgeted with the shoulder-length gloves. I had just a moment to wonder why she was wearing the gloves when she so obviously didn't like them, and then we were pulling up to the city park.

  The dance committee had done a good job with the donation Donovan had arranged. The central, covered pavilion had been transformed into something that belonged in another world.

  Hundreds of soft lights and dozens of candles, moving only slightly in the still night air, cast a multi-pointed glow over the area. Liberal bolts of silk had been hung from nearly every surface, turning the diffuse light into a sourceless glow that seemed to come from everywhere.

  Well off to the west, only just audible over the hum of conversations, I could hear the burble of the town's one and only free-flowing stream.

  Conversations died away as the rest of the town turned to watch our party disembark from the limo, but each member of the pack was more than used to being stared at. The humans never really understood why they felt slightly different around us, but nearly all of them responded to their instincts, and almost unconsciously excl
uded us on a day-to-day basis. This was just that exclusion written large for the evening.

  Adri clutched at my arm in nervousness but I placed my left hand over hers and let the calming influence of the Ja'tell bond begin to work on her as we walked up to the greeters.

  I handed the aged couple at the 'door' tickets for the entire party, and then we were inside and the illusion was complete. Adri gasped slightly, and then pulled at my arm until I'd bent close enough for her to whisper.

  "That was you, wasn't it?"

  "What if it was?"

  "It's too much. I mean it's really nice, incredibly gorgeous in fact, but it must have cost you a fortune."

  I felt a smile tug at my lips as I shrugged in supposed indifference. Despite knowing we had amazingly keen hearing, she continued to treat me like a normal person. It was illusion, but a welcome one. Being able to communicate with the rest of the pack while the humans around us remained unaware was too valuable of a tool to pass up, but for a moment I wondered if things would have been different if we'd kept up the illusion between ourselves instead of just for our neighbors.

  Adri was still looking up at me, and half a dozen responses warred for prominence. The donation had been but a small part of the effort that went into the night, but that wasn't what I found myself saying.

  "A paltry sum if it helps ensure a perfect night for you."

  "You've done so much. I mean the dress, the shoes, and now this. Thank you, but you really shouldn't have."

  How many girls would have remained grounded enough to say that? Dom certainly, Rachel, Jasmin, but not Jess, and no more than a couple of others I could think of in the entire school. Definitely not a Cassie or a Britney.

  I smiled once again and bent down to whisper into her ear.

  "I'm glad you like it. The fact that everyone else gets to participate is nice, but really it's all for you. Of course I did make a couple of stipulations."

  The commencement of the music simplified the explanation of what those stipulations were, and I gently brought her into my arms and began the waltz-like dance that had been part of Ashure Day for more centuries than humanity had possessed written language.