Jennifer Scales and the Messenger of Light (31 page)

“Hmmph. I’ll bet it works for doctors, too. I’d better come along.”

“Yes, I’m hoping you will!”

The minivan was moving at a fair clip out of town before Jennifer finally asked, “Um, where are we going, exactly?”

Elizabeth would only shrug.

“More secrets, eh?”

“This one can be between you and me, for a while.”

It didn’t take long for Jennifer to figure out they were headed for the Scales family farm. A couple of hours later, they were driving up gravel road past the beehives. The swarms of unusual insects braved the November chill to investigate the minivan’s arrival. Recognizing the occupants, they dissipated quickly.

They parked well past the right edge of the driveway, rolling for a bit on pine needles and shriveled leaves before stopping. There were dragons on and about the farm. Jennifer could make out Joseph Skinner’s beastly shape trying to soothe a pair of her grandfather’s stallions to the west. Some tramplers were chasing sheep in the wildflower fields southeast of the house, and a few dashers were laughing out over the surface of the lake. She soon realized they were playing tag with a pair of golden eagles, under the barest sliver of a crescent moon.

“Help me get this out of the back, will you? It’s heavy.”

Her mother wasn’t kidding. Whatever it was, wrapped in heavy burlap, it nearly dragged Jennifer’s shoulders out of their sockets.

“Over here, nice and quick.” Holding the other end, Elizabeth shuffled hastily around the minivan and toward the denser foliage close to the lake. Not having much choice, Jennifer kept up with her own end. “All right, set it down, honey. And get the shovel from the barn, please? I need to go inside and check on something. Thanks.”

Jennifer came back in time to see her mother sticking an envelope in her jacket pocket and wiping away a tear. She didn’t ask about it, and they set to work.

The ground had not frozen yet. It only took a few minutes to dig a hole deep enough to hold up what her mother had brought with them—a gravestone.

“I commissioned this a few weeks ago,” Elizabeth explained. “So there would be a marker of him in this world. For us. Me, I guess.”

Together, they stood the stone up in the narrow hole and removed the wrappings. The dark granite edges were square, and the polished surface had one carving: a large horse on its hind legs, a single horn protruding from its forehead, two strong feathered wings spread wide. Below that, the simple inscription:

CRAWFORD THOMAS SCALES
BELOVED FATHER-IN-LAW

“He spoke to me,” her mother told her after they were done settling the stone and had sat down for a moment. “While I was asleep. He told me to come here and look inside. In the nightstand, by his bed.”

She sniffled again, pulled the envelope out of her jacket, and handed it to Jennifer.

“I have to admit, when I first met him, I wouldn’t have seen this coming.”

Fingers shivering from the cold and the anticipation, Jennifer reached into the envelope and pulled out the contents. It was a sheaf of legal documents, the top one of which had CERTIFICATE OF TITLE at the top in bold words and a small note clipped to it. The writing was her grandfather’s:

Lizzard,

Look after the place for me, will you? Joseph and the others will help. Please keep them safe.

Love,

Crawford

Before her grandfather’s gesture had really sunk in, Jennifer heard a voice on the crisp air. Softly sung, the words barely carried to her ears.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares

We have already come;

‘Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,

And grace will lead me home.

She leaned over and rested her head on her mother’s shoulder, shivering. “It’s strange. I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sing before, Mom.”

Elizabeth put an arm around her to protect her from the cold, but didn’t say anything.

“How come? You’ve got a great singing voice.”

Finally, the answer came. “Some things, I just save for when I’m alone.”

She looked up. “But you’re not alone now.”

Elizabeth smiled. “Our secret, then.”

The moon elms of Crescent Valley shone a soft, pale blue when she landed at the Brandfire’s cave. Catherine and her grandmother were there, along with her father and a dragon Jennifer definitely hadn’t expected: Xavier Longtail.

Winona Brandfire’s olive lips pulled back to reveal a toothy smile. “Right on time, as your father promised. He told me a full Blaze wouldn’t be necessary—and frankly, I think we’ve had enough meetings lately.” Jennifer noticed the twinkle in her crimson eye, so similar to the one Catherine had when she was laughing.

“Eldest, perhaps we could get this over with,” Xavier suggested. His tone was polite but terse. His golden eyes regarded Jennifer with something between fatigue, respect, and fear.

Winona clicked her forked tongue. “Very well. Jennifer Scales, the Blaze has passed unanimous judgment upon you for the events before and during the hunt of September 20th. We absolve you of all wrongdoing, assign no penalty to you, and welcome you fully among us as an adult member of the Scales clan.”

Jonathan’s shimmering scales strained with pride.

“Furthermore,” the eldest continued, “I hereby assign to you the role of Ambassador to the Beaststalkers.”

Xavier’s head snapped around. “We never spoke of this.”

The aged trampler did not turn to look at him. “Nevertheless, it is done. Ms. Scales, you will be the first such ambassador in our people’s known history. Your role is to reach out to those beaststalkers you feel have peaceable intentions, so that we can begin talks that may end hostilities between our people. Do you accept this mission?”

Jennifer nodded, suddenly feeling a cloak of responsibility wrap around her shoulders—and, it seemed, her throat. “I accept.”

“Take this, then.” Winona held out a wrinkled wing claw and opened it. In the scaly palm was a plain silver ring. The jewelry glowed with a soft inner light.

“Eldest!” Xavier seemed caught between awe and horror. “You can’t just give that away!”

The trampler ignored him. “This is the Ring of Seraphina, one of our most revered dragon legends. Our kind’s eldest has passed this down for centuries. It lets the wearer come into this world without waiting for a crescent moon. It also protects those who travel with the wearer from misfortune. It should help ease the passage of anyone who enters this world with you.”

Jennifer bowed her head and took the ring, slipping it gently on her right forefinger. Catherine winked at her. “I coulda used that the first time you brought me here.”

“With whom will you start?” Xavier had recovered his composure and kept an even tone—but his attention was fixed on the ring Jennifer now wore. “I mean, when you try to talk with these beaststalkers?”

“I…I’m not sure yet.” Her mind raced as she realized she was now on the job—a job she had no idea how to do. “I’m open to suggestions, Elder Longtail.”

Xavier gave a snort, but for once it was not entirely unfriendly. “A good answer, Young Ambassador Scales. Very well. If you really want my opinion, I’ll give it to you.” He looked at each of them in turn, speaking slowly and carefully. “I think your mission is a well-intentioned effort to stop people from dying. And I think you will make some friends on both sides, and no small number of enemies, before you fail.”

Jennifer searched his expression, but saw no threat there—just anxiety. He gave her a solemn wink.

“I pity your gecko. In the meantime, do not trust the people who tell you what you want to hear. Trust the people who are honest enough to tell you the truth.”

With that, he stretched his rich golden wings and took flight.

“Always the optimist, Xavier Longtail.” Winona Brandfire sighed as they watched the dasher disappear into the dark air. She turned to Jennifer. “Naturally, your mother will have some insights on who you can start with. Once you have a group you can trust, you may bring them to Crescent Valley. Consult with your father, your clan’s elder, in choosing those who may come here.”

“Okay.” Jennifer turned to Catherine. “Will you help, too?”

The young trampler’s eyes widened. “Who, me? Um, yeah, I guess. But why? It’s not like I know much about beaststalkers. I’ve never even been to Winoka before.”

“Why you? To show you off, of course! You’re my best friend here. Also, that car of your grandmother’s sounds infinitely cooler than my parents’ minivan. Swing by next Saturday morning around nine, and I’ll show you around town.”

“Oh! Well, sure.” At her grandmother’s nod of approval, Catherine gave a nervous smile. “You sure it’s safe?”

“You’ll have this beaststalker’s protection,” Jennifer promised.

It was later, under the slowly turning crescent and deepening blue moon elms, that Jennifer and her father finally talked about Grandpa Crawford.

“So the venerables are the ghosts of weredragons?”

“ ‘Essence’ would be a more accurate word,” he answered. He sighed at the crescent moon. It was a gentle, not impatient, sound. “A dragon properly laid to rest at the stone pyre, like we did for Grandpa, will release his or her essence to the crescent moon. From there, the venerables watch over this valley and remind us of our obligation to the next generation.”

With her thumb, she gently rubbed the Ring of Seraphina, spinning it around her forefinger. “And Evangelina is up there now.”

“Yes. With your grandfather.”

“Will we see Grandpa again?” Jennifer felt a thrill of hope at the idea.

“To be honest, Jennifer, I had never heard of a venerable coming down from that place before, much less crossing through the lake into our everyday world. How it happened once, I have no idea—much less how it would happen a second time.”

“I guess Evangelina was unique enough that Grandpa thought he had to come down for her,” Jennifer guessed.

He took her wing claw in his own and smiled at her. “Well in that case, ace, he might very well come down again someday. Because you’re unique, too.”

Winoka City Hall seemed much smaller to Jennifer than it had during the trial. She walked into its council chamber alone the next afternoon, brushing aside her irritation about the ceiling décor and her nervousness about the lone figure who waited in that room for her.

“Mayor Seabright,” she greeted the woman as calmly as she could. “Thanks for agreeing to see me.”

The old woman, standing as straight as ever in her flowing white dress robes, gave her a faint smile that did not reach her white eyes. “You’re welcome. Your mother isn’t here?”

“Mom dropped me off,” Jennifer explained. “She has a follow-up appointment at the hospital.”

“I see.” The disappointment in the mayor’s voice was clear, but it seemed more wistful than disdainful. “I am glad she’s better, of course.”

She raised her head, and it seemed to Jennifer that the mayor had suddenly grown seven feet tall. “So what can I do for you, Ms. Scales? Are you here to—how did you put it—‘kick this crazy loon’s ass and burn this building down?’ ” For the first time, Jennifer saw the sword at Glorianna Seabright’s side, sheathed but very much there.

“Well, uh, no.” Awkward! She took a deep breath. “I’m sorry I said that in the hospital. I was upset.” Looking around, she found herself impressed. “You thought my mother and I would be here to fight you…and you came alone?”

“Do you believe I would need help?” The woman stared at her with such an inscrutable expression, Jennifer couldn’t help but think of her own mother. Did all beaststalkers practice that look? Did others think she looked like that, sometimes?

“Er…no. Of course not. I’m not here to fight, Your Honor. I’m here to…to…” She stopped herself, realizing with a red face how little she knew what to say next or how the mayor would respond. “I’m here to make a friend, if you want one.”

“A friend.” The mayor’s face did not change.

“Yeah. After all, we did what you told us. Evangelina is gone, and there’s no threat to the town anymore. You said you’d—”

“I know what I said at the trial. I am not a fool, Ms. Scales. My mind is as good as my vision.”

Glorianna Seabright turned slightly and walked a few steps away, her left hand rubbing her forehead. Jennifer realized something, and the shock was like cold water.

“You knew all along.”

“Pardon?” But the mayor did not seem confused at all.

“You knew who Evangelina was. Every piece of her.”

Those mysterious white eyes with their small, dark pupils turned to focus on Jennifer. “Well, yes. Now that you mention it. I did. I’m blessed to see a great deal, Ms. Scales. Especially beasts. I saw you and your father for what you were when you moved here nearly ten years ago. And I certainly spotted Evangelina. All five of her.”

“That’s why you called those people to the trial. You were going to kill Evangelina right here.”

“I was debating it,” the beaststalker chief admitted. “Certainly we had the numbers to overwhelm your half sister, had she chosen to reveal herself to the gathering. But truthfully, my intentions were less violent, at least for that night. I wanted to get a measure of this monster, find out what made her tick, and assess her strength.”

“And then you let my mother take on the job of getting rid of her.”

“Yes.” Mayor Seabright’s elderly features curved into a deep-grooved smile. “It was definitely in this town’s interest to have Evangelina gone—and I knew your mother was up to the task. At the same time, I found an opportunity to remind Winoka of your mother’s heritage and skills. Getting her away from the surgery table and back in the field was the best way to reestablish her reputation in this town.”

“So you think you were doing us a favor? Then why not tell her—tell us—what you knew? That might have helped us!”

“Your mother,” the mayor pointed out wryly, “did not need my help. I’m a big believer in self-reliance, Ms. Scales. People who learn on their own strengthen their souls. Certainly, you’ve had enough experience with that!

“In any case,” she continued, “Dr. Georges had Evangelina beaten, before she extended a hand of mercy and paid dearly for it. Had she finished the job properly, she would have come through the entire ordeal with nothing more than a few scratches.”