Descendant (Secrets of the Makai) (40 page)

"Who's that?"

Landon sent another rock skipping across the surface, leaving a long trail of rings.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Tristan warned. "She's liable to take your head off."

"Who?"

"Dorian. Isn't she down there?"

"Where?"

"She likes to hang out at the bottom of the lake."

"Weird."

"Yeah, weird." Tristan smiled again, still staring at Landon. What a small world. "Do you know how Gram's doing?"

"She's resting. But I really don't think she'll be around much longer."

Tristan nodded, swallowing the lump of sorrow in his throat. Victor and another man walked down the path from the village. Four chairs appeared between them, startling Tristan.

"Have a seat," the man ordered, sitting himself in one of the chairs. His face seemed neither old nor young, with receding short brown hair, only slightly laced with silver. "We need to talk about a few things."

Tristan gulped. And sat.

"My name is Alpheus, and I am the current leader of the Makai."

Victor and Landon took seats on either side of the man. Tristan snapped his mouth shut and glanced behind him toward Gram's cabin, curious if anyone was aware the Makai were here. Right now.

"How's the knee?" Victor asked, as carefree as ever.

"You guys are a part of this, too?" He meant to ask Landon and Victor, but kept his eyes on Alpheus. Had they betrayed him? What did the island have against the Makai? Although, Gram supported them….

"Tell us what you remember of Ireland," Alpheus stated. "Start from here at the lake."

Tristan started from the beginning. Victor and Landon glanced at each other during certain parts, but the strange trio remained silent. "That's it," Tristan finished, hoping they would fill in the rest.

"Do you still have the emerald?" Alpheus asked, without any sort of emotion.

Landon and Victor looked more nervous than Tristan felt. "Not on me, but up in the cliff house, I guess. It's probably still in the pocket of the robe. I forgot about it."

"I'll ask you to trust me." Alpheus held out both hands, palms up. A small, plain silver box appeared. "Put the emerald in this box and bring it to me. Will it fit in a box this size?"

Tristan nodded, wondering if the appearing box was real. "Why do you want it?"

"Certain things, such as this emerald, can be searched for and located if one has a clear understanding of what they are doing, and know exactly what it looks like. When Lazaro Sabbatini discovers it stolen, he'll suspect you and Dorian. He's already killed for this emerald, and if it was responsible for turning his men to stone, I assure you he'll do anything to get it back. Especially if he believes it to be the only means of saving his brother. If you give it to me, I can keep it safe and well-hidden, where no one can seek it."

Sweat dripped down the back of his neck. "It didn't turn me to stone when I touched it."

"The emerald has clearly allowed your contact. However, if your original intention was to keep it from Sabbatini, then you must believe I have the means to make it so. It will be guarded and kept safe by more than just myself."

For some reason, that was what had his heart racing. How could he say it should go somewhere else, when he couldn't explain exactly where? On the other hand, Gram trusted the Makai. He certainly didn't want to be the one responsible if Sabbatini came looking for it. He'd promised Gwenna he'd find it, but what then? Maybe keeping it safe was a matter of delegating. He accepted the box, adrenaline rushing in his ears.

"Thank you," Alpheus said.

Tristan opened the box, inspecting the black leather padding. "Are you sure you can actually keep it from Sabbatini? No one will have access to it?"

"Yes." Not a trace of doubt lingered in the man's voice. "Sooner the better."

Tristan snapped the box shut and headed toward the cliff house, glancing over his shoulder to see what they planned to do while waiting. Maybe this was a good time to have another look at Gwenna's map.

* * *

"Astonishing," Landon said over Victor's whistle.

"Explains how that bird got Donovan's coral tangled around its neck," Victor continued.

"But doesn't explain why it came to us," added Landon. "He sent it to Oliver."

"I can't believe a falcon would run personal errands or transport itself. Who would've done the training?"

"In our surveillance...." Landon paused, finally shaking his head. "I've never noticed a bird like that."

"All good things to know. Let's not ever mention the falcon coming to us." Alpheus leaned back in the chair, keeping his hands folded loosely in his lap. "Donovan and I will both seal the box. Gwenna never told me about a book, but I believe we should retrieve it immediately. If there is a correlation, I don't want Sabbatini to learn anything more from its inscriptions or design. And I certainly don't want it destroyed."

"Maybe after Nicodemus was killed," Victor said, "there were no dragon descendants left to protect the emerald, or any of the other gems in the legend, and Gwenna was the next best thing? The falcon came to us because we have the means to keep it from Sabbatini…or society in general."

"Maybe the falcon, or the emerald, allowed contact," continued Landon, "because it was absolutely necessary at the time. But now that we've agreed to take responsibility, Tristan could be turned to stone?" He searched the sky for the falcon while Victor kept an eye on the cliff house.

"We shouldn't make such conclusions." Alpheus seemed completely content to wait, and changed the subject. "We need to pay close attention to what is said on this island. Tell Tristan to tell Dorian the box fell into the ocean at the cliff. If the story gets to Sabbatini, he'll start searching there. Perhaps he will find portions of the box, motivating him to continue a more thorough investigation. That should keep him occupied while we locate the book."

"What can we tell Tristan about us?" Victor asked. "He's got great potential to be part of the Makai, don't you think?"

"What if Tristan is a legitimate dragon descendant?" Landon stood to pace along the waterline. "Maybe historians are wrong about Seraphim dragons being extinct."

"Couldn't be," Victor answered, half-laughing. "He's so naive and oblivious to everything, it's almost hilarious. Although...I think he'd have killed us if he knew what he was doing, or had any sort of reflex. It might be nice to have a dragon on our side."

"He's not an actual dragon," Landon said. "He seems better, by the way. I think he's handling everything just fine."

Victor nodded his agreement.

"I vowed I would never encourage children into the Makai," Alpheus announced. "But you may invite him to live in Darnell, so he can get some structured education. I'll ask Donovan if he knows anything about dragons, if they mature from a human form at a certain age, or if they simply have a dragon ancestry background."

"Why would Donovan know?" Victor asked.

"You'd be surprised by the information he's collected over the years. Another thing, I don't want anyone knowing about this dragon theory. It's not certain, for one. Second, we don't know what it entails. We'll continue with caution. Perhaps a bit more caution."

Landon relaxed when he spotted Tristan making the return trip along the far shore. He sat down and grinned.

"We'll find him a place to stay," Alpheus continued, "assuming he wants to come. He mustn't be pressured, but he's becoming more dangerous. Ignorance won't last much longer and he can't ignore this kind of power. Also, I don't want him in a populated area if he starts having dragon issues with no one to turn to for help."

* * *

Tristan couldn't risk looking at the map. Not without someone to pull him out of it. Besides, it still looked pretty much ruined. He rolled his shoulders, trying to ease the tension with deep breaths. Every muscle seized with unreasonable anxieties. He carried the emerald in the silver box, his hands trembling, and faced Alpheus. He couldn't start freaking out now, not without cause.

"I promise I will keep this safer than anyone in the world."

Tristan gulped the frantic butterflies and held out his hands; the silver box in one and remnants of the original box in the other.

Alpheus put the palm of his hand a few inches above the box—the seam between lid and body dissolved, leaving no trace of an opening. The silver cube, along with all the wooden fragments, vanished.

"Wait!" Dread filled his thoughts, dissolving into the certainty of being misled and deceived. He'd never have a shot at getting the emerald back by force.

"Is there anything else you'd like to give us?"

Did they know about Gwenna's map—the puzzle of images? Whether he could figure it out on his own or not, whether it was still functional, he wasn't about to give it away. He shook his head.

"Okay." Alpheus rested a hand on Tristan's shoulder. He flinched, determined not to step back. "I will keep the emerald protected with every aspect of my being. And now," the man announced to Landon and Victor, "I have business to finish." With a curt nod, Alpheus headed toward Gram's cabin.

"I take it you're leaving, too?" Tristan kicked at rocks. Was it too late to change his mind? He'd only promised Gwenna he'd find the emerald, not that he'd keep it.

"Yes," replied Landon, speaking carefully. "I know you feel like we've tricked you, but you can trust Alpheus. The emerald is in good hands. It'll be safer than you could ever imagine."

It still didn't feel right.

"We do have an offer for you." Victor changed the subject with a bright smile. "You can come with us if you want."

"To Darnell," added Landon. "It really isn't much, but we like it. You can continue your education there if you'd like."

It had been a long time since Tristan considered leaving the island. He searched for the falcon, seeing the move as a joint decision.

"You have a few days to think about it. We want you to be sure."

"By the way," Landon said, "tell Dorian you lost the box off the cliffs when you escaped through the tunnel. No one is to know what really happened."

"You want me to lie?"

"You have to," Victor said, rather quickly. "Think of what would happen if Sabbatini came here looking for it, and didn't find it."

"If you care about her at all," Landon added, "this is the best way. We're counting on a spy to deliver the information to Sabbatini."

Tristan nodded, understanding the bigger picture. "Dorian won't believe me, I'm a terrible liar."

Landon glanced toward Gram's cabin, then out over the lake. "I could tell her, but it'd sound less contrived coming from you."

"Besides," Victor added. "You did lose the box on the cliff. You just don't need to tell her you didn't lose all of it."

Tristan agreed. And it was the least he could do to help. Had he decided to go with them, despite the villagers' opinion of the Makai? He could be on Gram's side.

Landon's shoulders relaxed, as if aware they'd won the battle of gaining his trust. That alone made him doubt his decision.

46

-
J
USTICE IS
S
ERVED -

TRISTAN HADN'T BEEN ABLE to find Dorian, and sat at the top of the mountain with an apple and a chunk of bread, gazing over her lake. Strange how he felt a certain ownership of the view. He wondered what Darnell would be like, if Victor and Landon would be real friends for him. They hadn't given him much of an impression at school. Good or bad.

Maybe Darnell was close to where he used to live, and he'd be stuck in the same school, living with his mother if she wasn't in jail for attempted murder. He could never go back to that life. What if the police still wanted to question him about Gwenna's murder? He had to see Gram.

She had less twinkle in her eyes, smoothing her long silver braid with a rhythmic motion before she noticed him standing in the doorway. Her face lit up when she saw him and she held out her hand. "I'm so proud of you, Tristan."

He took her hand and sat on the bed beside her, guilt and regret riding heavy in the pit of his stomach.

"You're such a fine, fine young man. Alpheus told me everything. He is a wonderful person, you must always trust him."

"I will." He felt better about giving up the emerald and smiled at her. "I won't forget you." He couldn't pretend she wasn't dying. He stared at his hands to keep his grieving in check. "Landon and Victor invited me to live in Darnell. They said it's up to me, but…."

"You'll do well there, you should go."

"It doesn't seem right to leave."

"You'll be fine. But do stay a little while longer for Dorian's sake; she is having a hard time with my parting."

"We all are." His voice cracked. He didn't bother hiding his tears.

"You should be happy for me." She squeezed his hand. "I have lived a wonderful life, and I've been kept a prisoner of this body for quite long enough. I look forward to being free of it. God help us all if I'm forced to live without end."