Page 12 of The Healer (The Blood of Legends #2)

Chapter Twelve

MAGIC

D ane steered into a narrow road, following its zigzagging as it meandered around large pine trees that had to be centuries old. He drove around a corner, and before Ilona nestled a cabin against a grove of trees. Sunlight spilled across the clearing. He jerked the car to a halt in front of a salted walkway leading up to a wraparound porch.

The door was a pretty sky blue, and everything looked well-maintained.

“This is yours.”

“What?” she squeaked, twisting in her seat to face him.

“This was your grandmother’s, and Amos kept it pristine in the hopes she’d return. Giving me the keys was his way of saying it’s yours now.”

“But…if Gran returns with him, won’t she want it back?” Ilona scanned the pretty house with its chimney and shuttered windows. She could imagine herself enjoying her morning coffee on the porch swing built on one side.

“She’ll move in with him if I judged his determination correctly.” Dane grinned and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

“And you’re the mayor?” Ilona chuckled while exiting the SUV.

She strolled along the path. The cold wind whipped her hair as the sun warmed the crown of her head. When she crept up the few steps onto the porch, she paused at the door.

“It’s unlocked,” Dane called. “We don’t have crime here.”

Nodding as if no crime wasn’t phenomenal, she parted the door on silent hinges. The scent of lavender tantalized her, and she inhaled.

“How is this possible? It smells like my gran.” She scanned the rooms searching for the fragrance.

In the small dining room on the left, a potted lavender took centerstage on a polished wooden table. The open-plan kitchen, in bright whites and grays, nestled at the rear of the dining room.

“Amos modernized the kitchen.” Dane peeked his head through the archway. “Living room over there, bedrooms to the rear of the house, and a garage tucked at the back. But I have another plan to while away the afternoon.”

“What?” She faced him as a car door thumped from the front of the house. Over his shoulder and through the sheer curtains, she narrowed her gaze on a man crossing the snow to the porch.

“That should be Sheriff Jake Dunn, our local law enforcement.” Dane swung the door wide. “Good timing, Jake. Come meet our new doctor.”

“Temporary doctor.” She slipped around Dane’s bulk to offer the sheriff her hand.

In jeans, a T-shirt, and a thick jacket, he didn’t look like a policeman. Not to mention the shoulder-length hair peppered with gray. He had piercings in his left ear and tattoos climbing his throat, hinting at something intricate beneath his clothes.

“Welcome.” He rocked on his heels, hooking his thumbs into his pockets. “Ready to taste snow?”

“What?” Ilona gritted her teeth at her monosyllabic response.

“Dane’s got a hankering for some board time. Ever skied, boarded, tobogganed?”

She shook her head. “No, just sandboarding on the Dunes of Sashan, east of Fenneg.”

“Close enough.” Dane patted her back, and she stumbled into Jake’s arms. She tossed a glare at Dane while rolling her throbbing shoulder.

“Milligan’s Research Tower is on the south face of Echon Mountain. The scientists haven’t messaged that they need anything, but we should prepare you for an emergency. I’ve asked Dane to let you drive to Lover’s Point. Each day while you’re in Coedwig, I need you to practice the drive as many times as you can. Text me or Dane before you go and when you return, just in case I need to gather a search team. Doc’s used to the drive, but now he ain’t here…” Jake grinned, flashing a gold tooth.

“Might as well board a little, get you started on that too.” Dane nudged her with his shoulder, almost toppling her.

She waved her hands, fear sliding down her spine at the thought of all that snow. Hell, the snow had won her boot. How was she supposed to show the snow who was boss? “I’m not dressed. I mean, I don’t have the equipment, the gear—”

“Got you covered.” Jake hitched his thumb behind him. “We keep a supply, so help yourself. Best stash it in your trunk, y’know, for—”

“Just in case.” Ilona grumbled under her breath about high-handed men.

With another nudge from Dane, she hurried to the rear of Jake’s SUV, popping it to stare at the mountain of stacked equipment. The men removed snowboards, helmets, goggles, stretching around her to take what they needed.

She must have hesitated too long because Jake chose a pair of snow boots for her, kneeling to check if they would fit.

Dane hooked goggles over her face, resting them with care on her forehead. He ran a gentle touch along her scar. “You’ll tell me about this one day, Ilona.”

She pinched her lips against the violent bombardment of grief that snatched her breath away and spun her vision. It had been dormant since Mo’s. Instead of answering, she regulated her breathing, trying to hold back the sorrow.

He lowered the goggles over her eyes, then tugged a helmet on, adjusting the straps despite the tears pooling on her eyelashes.

“I have the portable medkit in my backpack.” Jake hooked a bag over his shoulder, then grabbed her board and his. “I chose a one-fifty board. Should be a good fit.” He climbed into Dane’s SUV, choosing the backseat.

Dane shoved her toward the driver’s side.

“I feel railroaded.” She glowered at him over the hood of his car.

“Got to be done.” He grinned. “No rest for the wicked doctor, right?”

She snorted but slid in, hoping she didn’t break her leg boarding. She said as much.

Jake shrugged. “No worries. I’ll carry you back.”

“To what? I’m the only damn doctor in this town.”

His laughter was husky and peppered with snorts. “There’s a hospital fifty miles north, and we can get Rebel to air-lift you. Though, I’d prefer to crawl to the hospital than fly with that maniac.”

“Jake’s scared of heights,” Dane whispered with a chuckle.

“I heard that.” Jake punched Dane’s shoulder.

“Of course, you did.” He laughed. “Shifters have super sensitive hearing.”

“Wait. What?” she squeaked, blinking at him. She had heard of shifters and vampires revealing their existence, but saving the lives of children had come first. When she had wanted to know about it, it was old news and of no interest to her busy colleagues. “You’re a shifter?”

“Yup, who do you think chewed on your boot.” His laughter rang loud.

What? How had Dane known… Never mind, what mattered more was that Mr. Naked was a shifter. Well, it explained so much. She struggled to swallow past the lump in her throat. Typical her, having tried to save a man not needing her help.

“Let’s just get one thing clear,” Jake growled. “I ain’t scared of heights. Rebel just thinks he’s some sort of hero.”

Over his shoulder, Dane smirked at Jake. “You’re law enforcement, Sheriff. You can’t be lying in front of our new doctor.”

He snorted.

Their back-and-forth banter eased her grip on the steering wheel. She settled into the driver’s seat, taking in calming breaths at yet another adventure she could thank Gran for. How the hell was Ilona supposed to doctor shifters? Despite their human-like appearance, there had to be something biologically or physiologically different about them.

Speaking of maniacs, Dane directed her along a road no one would find if they had a GPS, a compass, and floodlights. Every time she lifted her foot off the gas pedal, he urged her to speed up. Tension petrified her shoulders when the car slid around corners with tree trunks inches from the side mirrors. Sneaking glances at the relaxed passengers, she studied the fear teasing the edges of her mind. Not once had she lost control careening along the snow-covered road. Exhilaration had her laughing as adrenaline flooded her arteries and blurred her perception of danger.

“We’re here.” Dane gestured to her to hit the brakes, and she did slowly, assuming hitting them on snow worked the same on sand.

She released the steering wheel with a sigh. For miles ahead of her lay a blanket of white snow, crisp and unmarred by human presence. Soft winds twirled clouds of white powder, and in the shadow of the mountain was a tower in grays and blacks, bold against the white. Lights shone from within the two-level structure high above the deep green and brown forests skirting the sides of the mountain.

“That’s Echon Mountain, and he’s a fickle bastard. Last winter, he toppled the research tower, and we had to reinforce it during summer. An avalanche buckled its frame.” Jake whipped out his phone to show her the photos.

“What are they researching?” She met his gray eyes then zoomed into the photos, marveling at the crumpled metal, twisted like ropes of licorice.

“Climate change.” Jake slipped his phone into his back pocket. “They bring in revenue and keep to themselves mostly. Bad weather grounded them last week. Poor Mo bitched about them running her off her feet.”

Ilona chuckled. “I wish I was here to see that.” She zipped her jacket closed and climbed out of the SUV, joining Dane at the cliff’s edge. He dropped the snow boots beside her and helped her lace the inner boot and both zones. After slapping on the goggles, he buckled her helmet. Jake adjusted her highback on the board’s binding to a three then clipped her onto the snowboard.

“Close enough?” She laughed then yelped when Dane tugged her jacket tight over her ass, touching where he shouldn’t.

Not that his touch was suggestive, and his posture remained business-like, so he wasn’t hitting on her. Relief flooded her with wonderful warmth. She wasn’t ready for romance, not yet.

As he velcroed her sleeves over her gloves, he gestured to the cliff’s edge with his chin. “We leap off here and carve the slopes, then trudge uphill to reach the tower. But today, I want you to try boarding, nothing fancy.”

She laced her hands and tugged, tightening the gloves as she peered off the edge at a fifteen-foot drop. Her excited gasps became puffs of condensation. “Anything I need to know about the scientists?”

“We’re not visiting them today, but if you run into them in town, they’re desperate for female companionship. Don’t be fooled by their sweet smiles.”

She laughed, wondering what had made Dane warn her off. “I’m not worried.” She gestured to her scar. “Still learning to live with this, and it has its benefits.”

His blue eyes narrowed, then he tucked a curl behind her ear. “You’re stunning, Ilona. No scar can detract from that.”

“Right.” Tempted to snort and roll her eyes like a teenager, she bent to check the clips on her boots, flipped the hoodie over her helmet, then yanked on the cord stopper. Then, with a brave grin she was far from feeling, she threw herself off the edge. Anything to escape the intensity in his gaze.

She swallowed her scream as she plummeted, the drop rushing wind past her face and threatening to tear off her hoodie. Seconds before her board touched down, she bent her knees to absorb the impact. The wind lashed her cheeks, inflamed her scar, but the exhilaration won out.

She carved through the snow, veering from left to right, squealing, and laughing as she headed for the tower in the distance. The sounds of slapping snow behind her said she wasn’t alone and could enjoy this moment without fear of abandonment.

The chilling wind, the warm sunlight, the bright snow, and the crisp air elevated her out of her sorrow, freed her to soar like an eagle. The snow was harder than the sand but easy to work with when she knew the techniques. When she aligned with the tower, she rested her weight on her heels and whipped to a halt, spraying a cloud of white powder. She grinned at an approaching Dane who glided like a graceful ballerina on creatine.

Jake trailed him by a few seconds. “You’re a natural.”

She shrugged, unclipped the board, and tucked it under her arm. “Now what?”

He nodded to the sheer rock wall hundreds of yards away. “We trudge back to the car.”

Each step felt like a mountain rested on her shoulders and her legs like cooked spaghetti, but it brought them closer to the cliff she had leaped off. Sadness struck at the scars they had left in the pristine snow. In the shadows beneath the cliff, Jake pointed north, so up the mountain she went, curving around until the jagged rockface dominated her view but shielded her from some of the chilling wind.

“Do you think the tower is strong enough to handle an avalanche?” She rasped the words, proving her fitness level needed work. Shifts, sleep, shifts, and more sleep had summed up her life for the last three years.

“Dr. Ferguson, who leads the research team, said there’d been a little rumbling which implies tectonic activity below.” Dane nudged his chin at the face of the mountain. “There’s been a gentle shift of snow. If the two combine, they could be in for an avalanche.”

“They need to stay inside the tower if it happens.” Jake dug into his back pocket for his buzzing phone. He grunted his name as they hiked higher, nearing the top of Lover’s Point. “On our way.” He shoved his phone into his pocket and hiked past Ilona with renewed vigor.

“Jake, what’s up?” Dane followed him, grabbing her hand to drag her with him. Her thigh muscles protested the abuse.

Jake didn’t pause, just kept moving. “Edison got into the catnip again.”

“Shit.” Dane peeked at Ilona. “Why do we keep that stuff?”

“I’ve tried confiscating his stash, but they grow their own.” Jake removed his gear, tossed his board in the trunk, and the medkit on the backseat before sliding in.

Ilona sliced glances between the two men. “Catnip?” She stacked the board on top of Jake’s, the goggles and helmet beside it, then hurried to the front passenger side.

Jake met her gaze. “It’s like a drug to cat shifters.”

“Drive, Doc. There’s no time for your fish-out-of-water impression.” Dane guided her around the hood and lifted her into the driver’s seat as if she weighed nothing. He leaped over the hood of the car and climbed in, closing the door behind him.

“Hurry, Doc, catnip tends to drive Edison wild, and he starts challenging the younger shifters.” Jake patted her shoulder.

She hurried to start the engine with trembling fingers.

Careening to town was easier with the tire tracks dark sludges and ruts, showing her the way. “Um, does Amos know?” She peeked at Dane and hesitated, studying his profile for signs of a polar bear. For a man of his size, he had to be a big animal. Or was that not how it worked?

“Of course, he’s half shifter.”

She closed her eyes for a second then whipped them open, having forgotten she was driving. “I’m a human doctor. I don’t know how to treat…shifters.” Animals was what she was thinking. Hell, she couldn’t even treat someone’s pet pig. Cat shifter? Like in lion, panther, puma? She bit her lip to smother a squeak.

“Relax, we have phenomenal healing properties.” Jake patted her shoulder. “Now and then, an injury might be too much for our blood to deal with. That’s where you come in.”

“What am I supposed to do for a catnip overdose?” When the car jumped a hidden bump, her eyes widened, but she managed to land the SUV on the tarred main road with a jerk. After veering onto the verge, she hit the brakes but kept the engine running. She twisted to face the men. Were they still called men? Were they like a morphing artificial intelligent robot, or was it magic that helped them transform?

She shook her head at the concept of magic and leveled a glare on them, the same look Mom had used on her when her teenage sass had crossed a boundary. “Listen, I don’t know what the fuck you two are expecting, but I’m sure as shit not a vet.”

“Just drive, Ilona. Head straight for Tuesdays.” Jake pointed at the building down the road past Mo’s, like she didn’t know where the hell it was.

“Fuck. We’ll talk about this later, Dane.” She floored it, fishtailing the SUV’s ass on the road. When she steered into the parking lot in front of the door, she switched off the engine. She didn’t move when Dane and Jake leaped out of the SUV and bolted into the bar.

Sighing, she palmed the steering wheel, debating whether to head to Cozy Cromwell’s and pack her bags. Dane tucked his head out and waved at her to hurry.

Thunderous crashes from inside the bar mimicked the urgency in his wild gestures. She laughed as hysteria rose to choke her.

Yanking off her gloves, she dropped them onto the seat. She closed the door and ducked under his arm and into the bar.