Chapter 10 Caesar

The late-morning Canadian winter air was bitter cold, but my gryphon form was well equipped to withstand the biting currents. After all, I was a master of the weather. And the possibility that I'd finally run into other gryphons ignited a fire within my soul that no chill could bite through.

Without any hesitation, Celeste had approved the funding to get me to Yukon by plane. I'd worded things in such a way that protected Julian's identity, and I was set to meet the vampire at the only city in the province: Whitehorse. It was just under two hundred miles east of Mount Logan.

Julian wasn't due to arrive until the evening, and though I was immensely grateful for his intel, I wasn't sure how to feel about seeing him. We hadn't been in contact with each other since Christmas Eve, and I didn't know where that left our strange friendship.

He had intimate feelings for Shea, and she clearly returned those feelings. But she also claimed to have feelings for me, and there was no questioning my obsession with her. How could anyone have romantic feelings for two people at once? One would have to win out, wouldn't it?

I wanted to demand she choose, but what if I wasn't her choice? Was sharing her with someone else better than not having her at all? Did it make it better or worse if that someone else was a friend?

As soon as I landed, I checked into a hotel, went to my room, and stripped down to nothing. After opening my window, I'd jumped out six floors above the ground and shifted in mid-air. My wings had instantly caught the harsh wind that was now carrying me.

A surge of liberation unfurled as my wings whipped through the air. It wasn't just an escape from my turbulent emotions. The confinement of the Dome wasn't obvious, probably due to its technological majesty, but being above everything and away from it showed how stifling the underwater school really was. Gryphons were meant to be free to fly. Still, I wouldn't trade my experience as Director for anything.

But that didn't mean I couldn't enjoy myself while I was away. I swooped, climbed, spun, and drifted on the winter wind. The sky was my playground, and I felt like a teenager again, allowing the air to blow away all my concerns and worries.

I was flying toward hope—a hope I hadn't felt in a long time. The kind of hope that invigorated my body and outmaneuvered exhaustion. Flying two hundred miles without stopping? It would be a breeze .

Although I couldn't smile with my beak, the thought of finding out I wasn't the last of my species made my heart soar. What if I found a female gryphon my age? What if she turned out to be wonderful and made me forget about Shea?

Rather than igniting more hope, the thought made me sad. I didn't want to forget about Shea. I might even love her … That thought scared me more than anything else.

It seemed no time had passed at all when the tall, snow-covered mountain came into view.

This is it . Mount Logan.

It stood as a single pointy peak like a volcano. While one part sat higher than the others, the entirety was a big piece of landmass, like an island cropping out of the snow. From such a high elevation, the late-morning sky was a gorgeous blue background to the blanket of white snow. Sure, the water above the Dome was a sight to behold, but the shifter-made structure seemed to pale in comparison to the natural wonder before me.

The place looked untouched and remote—a perfect place for gryphons to hide from the rest of the world.

But there was only one problem. I detected no scent of another gryphon. Had there been a flock that gathered here, it hadn't been for a very long time.

I swooped lower, circling my way down until my large talons grabbed the snow-covered rocks below.

Grateful for the chance to rest, I tucked my wings in and felt my muscles burn from the long trip. I couldn't remember the last time I'd flown so far in one go. I made a mental note to exercise my wings better when I returned to the Dome.

With my eagle eyes, I looked around for any potential signs that gryphons had been on the mountain recently, but the snow looked untouched. If gryphons had been spotted here, it had been a while ago.

I pressed on, keeping to my talons to give my wings a break, hoping to smell even a stale scent on the verge of disappearing. The powerful hope that had filled my chest during the flight began to wane, and a sudden panic struck my heart.

Was this a setup? Had Hadrian figured out Julian's treachery and tasked him with getting me away from the Dome? If he had, there would be only one reason—an attack.

My phone was in my hotel room, and I wished I'd had the foresight to bring it. With how cold it was, though, chances were the phone wouldn't have worked. Even less likely was the possibility of a cellular signal on top of the mountain.

My heart filled with a chilling terror as if confirming I had made a grave mistake in traveling away from the school so rashly.

Leaping and unfurling my wings, I ignored the aches of my sore muscles and let fear-filled adrenaline send me shooting through the air. I had to get back to Whitehorse. I had to get in contact with Julian!

* * *

Whitehorse was a smaller city, its population just under one percent of Chicago's. I wasn't too concerned with being spotted as I rocketed through the sky overhead. Although it was late afternoon, the sun had already set—an outcome of the geographical location.

My raptor eyes found my open window on the sixth floor of the hotel, and I decided to attempt the acrobatic maneuver of shifting back to human form mid-air just in time to clear the opening and shoulder roll into my room.

It had been years since I'd attempted anything like that, but I figured it was better than walking into the hotel lobby naked.

Slowing my momentum, I climbed the air just a tad higher than the open window, then tucked my wings in and began the rapid transformation. My claws shortened into feet, and my large, feathery body shrunk just in time as I entered my room, the drapes blowing side to side from my velocity.

As I impacted on the carpet, I tucked my shoulder down and rolled easily, coming to a stop before slamming into the wall that separated the bedroom and the bathroom.

I slowly got to my feet. "Looks like I still have it in me, after all."

I shivered. Without the protection of my downy feathers, the freezing temperature practically scalded my skin. The window had been wide open for hours, allowing the room to match the chill from outside. I made my way to it and shut it with icy fingers.

I wanted to take a shower to help myself heat up, but my anxiety superseded that desire. I needed to call Julian. I settled for bundling up in the warm clothing I'd packed, then reached for my phone.

The screen illuminated, showing I'd missed two calls from the vampire. Of course, Julian hadn't left a voicemail. He wouldn't want his voice recorded, especially directing a message to a shifter. That would put him in too much danger.

Likewise, I would hate to be caught with a message from a vampire.

Tapping on Julian's missed call, I held the phone to my ear. I didn't even hear the first ring before his smooth voice was on the other end.

"Caesar, I've been trying to call you."

My nervousness spun at the urgency in Julian's voice.

"Have you arrived in Whitehorse?" I asked. "Are you here?"

"Yes, I'm at the Snow Eagle Inn , just as we'd planned," he replied.

"So am I. We need to talk."

"I'm in my room, but we can meet at the hotel café by the lobby," he suggested.

I made for the door, only pausing long enough to crank up the heat on the thermostat. "I'm already heading that way."

Verifying I had my hotel key in one of my pockets, I slid my phone into the other and pulled the door closed behind me. Walking down the narrow hallway, I skittered past a member of the hotel's housekeeping staff.

"Good afternoon, sir," she said, flashing me a smile.

Putting on a smile of my own, I nodded and returned her greeting, then scuttled to the elevator. I mashed the button pointing down, and it lit up with golden light.

Moments ticked by, and I spun my thumbs around one another as I waited for the elevator to arrive. I trusted Julian. At least, I thought I did. Julian had his own agenda, and now Shea was part of that. Had Julian made some deal with Hadrian as a ploy to get rid of me? Eliminate the competition?

The elevator chimed, and the doors opened. Julian was standing on the other side.

"Caesar," he said, cocking an eyebrow.

I hesitated a moment, finding myself unable to enter the elevator. In such confined quarters, Julian could snap my neck faster than I could react.

"Is everything okay?"

I set my jaw, deciding to cut to the chase. "I need to know, Julian. Did you bring me all this way just to kill me?"

The elevator doors began to close, but faster than a blink, Julian threw an arm out to catch it, all without breaking his gaze from mine.

"I have no qualms with you and have never wanted to kill you."

His voice was silky and sincere as he spoke, but he'd been lying to much more shrewd characters than me for months now—his acting abilities had clearly improved to undetectable.

"Not even to have Shea all to yourself?" I growled.

He gave a sad sort of laugh through his nose, then looked down at the carpeted floor of the hallway. "Not even then."

The grief on his alabaster face touched me, and despite my possessive suspicions, I believed him.

"You and I have been allies for too long," he said, looking up to meet my eyes. "And I would hope you know me well enough by now to at least be certain of one thing—I can't ensure Hadrian's defeat without you. No witch, no matter how tempting, could sway me from our allegiance."

He stepped out of the elevator, and the doors closed angrily behind him as if they knew they'd been held up.

Coming closer, he put a firm hand on my shoulder, and I let him. "I know we need to talk about Shea, but she has nothing to do with why we're here."

I nodded, trying to rein in the emotions wrestling in my gut. "I already made the trip to Mount Logan. There was no sign of gryphons there."

Julian's brow furrowed. "What? That's impossible. Hadrian said the reports came from good sources."

I shook my head. "We've been duped. And I fear something terrible will happen because of it."

He stared at me seriously. "You're sure there weren't any signs of gryphons?"

"The mountain was untouched. Gryphons put off a scent that is easily detectable by other gryphons, and there wasn't even a slight chance they were there."

He pursed his lips, considering all I'd said. "It's more likely that Hadrian was given bad intel. If he knew of our involvement, the last thing he would've done is let me leave the premises, let alone order it."

"Unless he's planning to attack the school while you have me distracted," I countered, the thought flashing a fresh wave of panic over me.

He shook his head. "Such an attack would take a great deal of preparation, and I saw no such signs of that while I was there. The last time they made an attempt on Arya, there was so much movement in the building it would have made any non-vampire dizzy."

I took in a shaky breath, unsure what to think.

"I can assure you that, whatever the intentions behind Hadrian's task, an attack on the school isn't one of them," he said in a soothing tone. "At least, not today. If it makes you feel better, you should call the school, if for no other reason than to get some peace of mind."

I let out my shaky breath as I nodded. Perhaps I was being overly paranoid.

The elevator dinged, and an elderly couple emerged through the open doors and walked past us.

"I will do that," I agreed, "but let's go to my room. The things we have to discuss are too sensitive for the lobby's audience."

He nodded, and as I led the way back to my room with long strides, I pulled out my phone and dialed Celeste.

"Good evening, Caesar," she replied after two rings. "Did you find what you were hoping for?"

"No, not yet, but that's not why I'm calling," I said quickly. "Have you had any visions about an impending attack on the school?"

"No," she answered, her voice lilting questioningly. "Why do you ask?"

The first signs of relief began to settle the tension in my muscles, but I wasn't completely reassured yet. "Have there been any signs of proximity, either in the lake or at the subway?"

"No, none of our radar or senses have detected anything alarming," she said, concern raising the pitch of her voice. "Do you have reason to believe there will be an attack?"

My shoulders relaxed, and suddenly, I felt both foolish and guilty for causing Celeste to worry unnecessarily.

"No," I sighed. "I guess I'm just uneasy being away from the school. Paranoia is getting the best of me."

She hummed in understanding. "I know it's been a while since you've gone on any extended trips, and with the recent dangers, it makes sense that your fears might run away with you. But let me assure you that I've foreseen no such threats tonight—or tomorrow, for that matter. Enjoy this time away, Caesar. If anyone needs it, it's you."

"Thank you," I said. "I'll try."

I hung up as we got to my room, then pulled out my key and unlocked the door. Pushing inside, I made my way to one of the armchairs and collapsed into it, letting out a heavy breath.

Julian closed the door and came to sit in the opposite armchair. "Is it just my imagination, or is it very cold in here?"

I groaned, the chill coating my face as if inspired to do so by Julian's reminder. "Yeah. I left the window open while I went out for a flight."

"Then it's a good thing I brought this." He set an expensive-looking glass bottle filled with brown liquid on the small coffee table between us. "That should warm you up quickly."

"Where did that come from?" I asked, leaning forward to pick up the bottle and inspect it. Thirty-five-year-old Glen McKenna.

"I snagged these from the bar downstairs before I headed up here," he replied, pulling two glass shot glasses from one of his jacket pockets. "I was of the same mind that we shouldn't talk in the lobby, and I figured I could extend this as a peace offering for the conversation to come."

"I didn't even see you holding it," I mused as he set the two glasses on the table and began to fill them with the scotch.

He held one of the brimming glasses toward me.

"I shouldn't," I protested with a shake of my head.

He sighed. "The mermaid told you to enjoy your trip. And do you really want to have this discussion sober?" He arched a dubious eyebrow at me.

I rubbed a hand over my face. He had a point. If we were really going to hash this out, I'd need more than one shot.