Emma
I unlocked the back door and rolled the bike inside, almost forgetting to close the door behind me in my distraction. I hadn’t planned to go to the mine today, but after that particularly brutal nightmare, I’d needed to get out of here for a few hours. Sara had told me the mine was a special place for her and Remy, so I’d decided to paint it for her. Riding her bike, I could almost imagine what her life had been like before Eli and the Mohiri found her. By the time I’d reached the mine, I almost expected to see a troll waiting for me.
What I hadn’t expected was the werewolf. All the way home, the only thing I could think of was my time with him and the way he’d seemed to be watching over me. Roland had said the pack protected the people in their territory. Maybe this wolf felt responsible for me after what had happened at the cove.
Whatever his reasons for staying with me, I’d felt safe with him. The realization that I could be comfortable around a werewolf floored me, especially one that towered over me on four legs. He’d scared me when he’d stepped out of the woods, and I was nervous at first, even after I’d recognized him. But he’d turned out to be good company, and it had been surprisingly easy to forget what a powerful and deadly creature he was. I wondered if this was how Sara felt when she looked at her hellhounds. Everyone else saw them as monsters, but to her they were big dogs.
Did I really just compare a werewolf to a dog?
I shook my head and climbed the stairs to the apartment, a smile tugging at my mouth. I was pretty sure he wouldn’t be flattered by the comparison. Better keep that thought to myself.
An hour later, I sat at my easel, brush in hand, staring at a blank canvas. Pinned to the top of the canvas were several pictures I’d taken of the old mine that morning, and the details were fresh in my mind. But for some reason, I couldn’t figure out where to start. I shifted on my stool, not sure what was causing my creative block. Normally, it was easy to lose myself in my painting, but today I felt restless for some reason.
I looked around the loft, and my gaze fell on the door to the attic, reminding me I had been planning to check out the roof. Not exactly an exciting venture, but it was better than sitting here doing anything else.
Laying down my brush, I walked over to open the small attic door. There was no light fixture inside, but plenty of light came from the loft. I tested the narrow stairs before I climbed them to the door that led to the roof. It was bolted, and I had to jiggle the lock a bit to get it to slide over. Then, I opened the door and stepped out into the sun.
I found myself near the ventilation system, facing the back of the building. Skirting the unit, my breath caught at the unobstructed view of the ocean. Colorful sailboats dotted the bay and two fishing boats, low in the water, headed to shore with their catches.
Someone, most likely Sara, had created a small terrace on the roof with loose patio tiles. Large planters marked the corners of the terrace, and it was furnished with a wicker couch and two wooden Adirondack chairs. There was even a small metal fire pit in the center. The warm sun beckoned me, and I had a feeling I was going to be spending a lot of time up here this summer.
I ran down to the main floor to grab my laptop and cell phone. Settling in one of the chairs, I started searching for art supply stores in Portland, making note of two I wanted to check out. After that, I entertained myself by researching cars and trying to decide what I liked. Roland was right. I’d need one eventually. I couldn’t rely on others to cart me wherever I needed to go. And it wasn’t like I couldn’t afford my own vehicle.
I’d been blown away when I finally logged into the bank account Tristan and Sara had set up for me and saw the balance. I knew the Mohiri were wealthy and generous, but I had not expected all those zeros in my account. I had more than enough to pay for a car, living expenses, college, and anything else I needed. I could quit my job at the diner if I wanted to, but it gave me a reason to get out of the apartment when I would have holed up here. Maybe when I started school in the fall, I’d give it up, but for now, I was keeping it.
An ad on the website I was browsing caught my eye, and I stared at the logo for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Swallowing dryly, I clicked the link before I could convince myself it was a bad idea. I’d been on this website before and knew exactly what I’d find when I searched for my name. But I did it anyway.
The picture was my school photo, taken a month before I disappeared. I remembered that day as if it had been yesterday. My friend Chelsea had stood behind the photographer, making faces at me, and I’d done everything not to laugh. The result was a picture of me with my lips pressed together and my eyes sparkling with laughter.
If I looked in a mirror now, I’d see the same face, but my eyes were no longer the same. They were the right color and shape, but the innocent joy of the girl in the picture had been extinguished a long time ago.
A lump formed in my throat, and I closed the browser. Why did I keep doing this to myself? That life was gone. I could never go back, and dwelling on it would only stop me from moving forward and making a new life for myself.
I closed the laptop and gazed out over the water, taking stock of my blessings. I was alive and free and starting over. I already loved this place, despite the nightmares and loneliness that dogged me. I didn’t have to worry about money, and I was making friends. I could be happy here. The only thing standing in my way was me.
Movement in the corner of my eye startled me, and I looked up as a large black bird flew down to perch on the low roof ledge. The crow stared at me with an almost eerie intelligence. As I watched it, it hopped down from the ledge and walked over to a small plastic pet dish. It poked at the empty dish a few times then swung its black gaze to me as if expecting me to know what it was looking for.
I stared at it for a minute before I remembered Sara talking about a pet crow of hers. I wracked my brain for his name, but it wouldn’t come to me. This had to be him, though. She’d been worried something had happened to him because he hadn’t shown up the few times she was here. She was going to be ecstatic.
I picked up my phone and snapped a picture of the crow, which I immediately texted to Sara along with the message, I think a friend of yours dropped by for lunch.
A minute later, she replied. OMG!
Ten seconds after that, my phone rang, and I grinned when I saw it was a video call from Sara.
“Hi. Thought I might hear from you.”
“Hey,” she said breathlessly. “Is Harper still there?”
Harper, that was it. Sara liked to name her pets after famous authors.
“He’s just sitting there by the food dish. Hold on.” I turned the phone so the camera was pointed at the crow. “Can you see him?”
“Yes!” she cried. “Harper, where have you been hiding? You had me worried.”
The crow cocked its head and took a step toward me, its attention fixed on the phone in my hand.
“Hey, boy. I missed you so much,” Sara crooned.
Harper cawed softly and moved until he was three feet from me. He shuffled from one foot to the other and wouldn’t come any closer.
“This is Emma. She’s really nice, and she’s going to give you treats,” Sara said as if expecting the crow to understand. But then, maybe he did. Sara was half Fae, and she had a way of connecting with animals that I’d never understand.
“What does he eat?” I’d never had a pet because my mother had been allergic. What did you feed a wild crow?
Sara laughed. “Pretty much anything – fresh fruit, nuts, bread, meat. I’ll send you a list of his favorites.” Her voice shook with emotion. “I’m so happy you’re okay, Harper.”
I propped up the phone with my laptop so Sara and Harper could see each other. “You two catch up. I’ll run downstairs and see what I have to feed him.”
The crow backed off when I stood, but he didn’t fly away. I was pretty sure he was as happy to hear Sara’s voice as she was to see him. I left them and went down to the kitchen where I filled a plastic container with fresh raspberries and melon, mixed nuts, and a slice of the crusty bread I’d gotten at the bakery yesterday. I smiled wryly as I carried the food up to the roof. He was going to be spoiled if he hung around here.