Gods and Mortals: Fourteen Free Urban Fantasy & Paranormal Novels Featuring Thor, Loki, Greek Gods, Native American Spirits, Vampires, Werewolves, & More (195 page)

“
Y
es
, I think your wife will love the weaving,” I said. I didn’t know his wife and I had no idea whether or not she would like it, but the guy buying it seemed pretty happy about his purchase. Tourists usually did. Native American art was particularly new and exciting to people who had never seen it before. I had been around it so much I didn’t get quite as excited as this guy did anymore. It was a beautiful rug, though.

I watched him walk out to his car and picked up my book again. It was going to be a long boring weekend. Normally, I avoided my dad’s trading post religiously, but with the arrival of spring, Uriah was needed at the ranch as much as possible. Knowing that I would see so little of him for the next couple days, and how lonely I would be without him, I gave in to my mom’s suggestion to try and build a better relationship with my dad. Plus, I needed something to distract myself while I was away from Uriah.

My dreams had been focused on him lately, but I was afraid that being away from Uriah all weekend would invite someone else back in. He slipped in rarely anymore, but when he did…just thinking about the intensity of my last dream brought a blush to my cheeks. It sounded bizarre, but I could have sworn he was fighting to keep me from forgetting him. I wasn’t sure I wanted to remember him anymore, though. Whether he was truly out there somewhere or not, I had Uriah now. The fantasy of my dream man finding me one day lost more of its allure every minute I spent with Uriah.

So, when one of the girls who worked at the trading post called in sick, I agreed to work in my dad’s store for the weekend. I really only braved coming here because I knew my dad spent very little time at the store now that he had the casino to keep him busy. At least manning the cash register gave me a chance to search my dad’s collection of Tewa related books. Prepared for a boring afternoon, I grabbed a couple more books off the shelf that I wanted to read. A few of them actually looked promising. It was a little early in the year for the tourist rush, so I was counting on having plenty of alone time this weekend to try and ferret out some answers.

I had searched everything I could find at home and at the library over the past few months and gotten nothing. Well, not nothing, I guess. My mom wasn’t Tewa, so she never told me any tribal stories, and my dad never had the time to tell me much about my heritage. In the books, I had discovered the wondrous stories and myths of my people. It felt good to finally know more about who I was.

The stories about Twin Souls turned out to be my favorites. The idea of a single soul split into two bodies, in the hope that they would find each other on earth, were too captivating to put down, even though they had nothing to do with the answers I was trying to find. Once I thought the man in my dreams was out there searching for me, but I felt sure I had already found the one person I wanted to be with forever.

It was the stories of the heroes of our past that gave the most relevant hints about Uriah. Unfortunately, those were the ones Uriah wanted to talk about the least. I didn’t understand that at all. I wasn’t even close to giving up, but in a world of men gushing water and fish out of their body, people turning into animals for various reasons, and White Corn Maiden and Deer Hunter being shot into the sky on arrows to chase each other through all eternity because of their selfishness, Uriah seemed to be unique even then. I was actually starting to believe that the kind of stories I was looking for might have been hidden purposely, just to irritate me to death.

Uriah still thought I wouldn’t find anything, but I kept digging. Making people do what he said, not being able to touch me without feeling like he was going to pass out, and the way the animals freaked out when he and I were together was too much for me to ignore. Flipping another page, I read a story about a legendary warrior that was blessed by the Great Spirit to be able to speak to animals. That wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, but I kept reading.

I was fully immersed in the story of a man trying to save his village from a raiding tribe when the door slammed open. I looked up to see Cole dashing up to the counter in a panic. Usually so carefree, the worried expression on my brother’s face set my nerves on edge. “What’s wrong?” I asked.

“It’s Uriah’s dad,” Cole explained as he tried to catch his breath. “He had a heart attack. Sophia tried to help him, but the ambulance took him a few minutes ago.”

Dropping my book on the counter, I was already on my way out the door. Cole grabbed my hand, shoving a set of keys between my fingers. “The ambulance just left for the hospital in Espanola. Uriah’s mom went with them, and Uriah’s following in their truck.”

“Espanola?” I questioned. “He needs to go to Santa Fe if he’s had a heart attack.”

“They don’t think he’ll make it that far,” Cole said seriously.

My breath caught in my throat. Tears filled my eyes. Uriah and his father were closer than any father and son I had ever met, including my own dad and Cole. I knew Uriah would be devastated without his father. There was no way I could let him face that alone. “Thank you, Cole,” I said before sprinting out the door.

Driving from San Juan to Espanola only took ten minutes, usually. I made it in less than five. The little hospital had a very small parking lot, too small to fit the number of cars there on a daily basis. Cursing at whoever’s idea it was to make it so tiny, I parked at the very back of the parking lot and sprinted for the entrance. Unfamiliar with the building, I searched the lobby, wondering where they would have taken Uriah’s father.

“Can I help you, miss?” a receptionist asked. The polite smile on her face flinched when she saw my frenzied expression.

“Where’s the emergency room?”

“It’s right down the hall,” she said, pointing to a black and white sign fifteen feet away. It read “Emergency Room” with a black arrow pointing down the hallway. I wondered whether I had thanked the woman for her help as I ran down the hallway. The thought was fleeting. Rounding the last corner, I knew I had reached the right place.

People milled around the small room, some in white coats and scrubs, others sniffling or coughing. A phone rang above the din. Searching for the source of the sound, my eyes fell on the main desk, tucked away in a corner. I tried to walk, but the relative calmness of the room grated on me. My hands were twitching nervously when I reached the desk.

“Notah Crowe?”

The receptionist’s face wrinkled with concern. “Room three, dear. Down the hall to the left.”

“Thank you,” I remembered to say before following her directions deeper into the hospital. Running past several nurses, I turned the corner without slowing.

“Claire!”

Skidding to a stop, I looked around. Strong hands grabbed my shoulders, turning me around and crushing me in a trembling embrace. “Uriah,” I said, not needing to see his face to know who the arms and chest belonged to. “I came as fast as I could. How’s your dad?”

Uriah’s chest heaved as tears splashed on my face. His choking sobs terrified me. “He’s gone, Claire. They couldn’t save him.” Uriah’s arms tightened around me. I could barely breathe, but I squeezed back.

“I’m so sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say to him. I had never lost anyone close to me before now. Even though Uriah’s father was not an actual relative, I loved him like a father, more than my own, probably. I had planned to be part of his family in the very near future, but now he was gone. My heart was breaking for my own loss, but it was nothing compared to the hurt I felt watching my gentle Uriah in such exquisite pain.

Uriah leaned heavily against my small frame. I knew I couldn’t support his weight if he collapsed. “Uriah, let’s sit down,” I pleaded. A slight nod was the only response he could muster. Pulling back from him just a little, I searched the hallway for a place to sit. A few yards away I spotted two well-worn chairs. Moving toward the chairs, I pulled Uriah along. After a few steps he looked up, realizing where we were going. Suddenly he was pulling me.

Uriah fell into the chair. I moved to sit in the chair next to him, but Uriah pulled me onto his lap. Wrapping me tightly in his arms again, he nestled his face in my hair. Breathing deeply, he tried to shut the world out. Uriah was strong, physically and emotionally, but when he felt overwhelmed he tried to limit his thoughts to one simple thing, the scent of my hair. I often wondered what he had done to calm himself before we were together.

We sat there in the hallway, quietly consoling each other until Uriah’s tear streaked mother emerged from the hospital room. An elderly doctor held her arm warmly as he led her through the doorway. Knowing Lina needed her son, I pulled myself out of Uriah’s embrace, leaving him free to go to her. His tears flowed again as he went to her. I watched them silently, not wanting to intrude on their grief.

Their words were hushed, neither one capable of speaking above a pain-filled whisper. Reaching up to kiss her son’s cheek, Uriah’s mother tried to calm her tears. She nodded and gestured toward the hospital room. Uriah turned to me, his expression begging me to come to his side. Quickly, I stepped forward to answer his plea.

Before I could find Uriah’s hand, his mother snatched me away, her shaking arms pulling me close. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Crowe,” I said quietly.

Her sniffle cut off quickly as she pulled back and forced a weak smile onto her lips. “Thank you for coming, Claire. Notah loved you like you were his own daughter. He would have wanted you to be here.”

“I loved him too,” I said. Loved. I loved him, not,
I love him
. Notah Crowe was gone. He would never give me one of his shy hugs again. It was hard to look Uriah’s mother in the eye and not burst into tears. She pulled me into another hug, tears flowing freely down her cheeks. After a few seconds, she squeezed my hands tightly before releasing them and glancing at Uriah. Following her gaze, I saw Uriah reach for me, needing me.

Taking my hand, Uriah took a hesitant step toward the doorway. His breathing was ragged, but he steeled himself and crossed the floor to his father’s bedside. Wires and tubes sprung from his father’s body. It pained me to think that none of them had been able to do any good.

“I can’t do this,” Uriah whispered. “I can’t say goodbye to him.” I squeezed Uriah’s hand gently. Any words I might have offered were stuck tightly in my throat.

“What am I going to do without him?” Uriah said.

“It’ll be okay, Uriah,” I said finally. “You’re strong, and so is your mom. You
will
get through this.”

Uriah crumpled, his head falling onto his father’s bed. His free hand grasped his father’s tightly. “He has been my guide and my friend my whole life. I don’t even know how to begin going on without him.”

“You’ll find a way,” I promised. “I’ll be by your side to help.”

Looking up, Uriah turned to me. “Do you promise? I don’t think I can do this without you, Claire.”

“Of course I will. I’ll always be here for you.”

His expression softened. Turning back to his father, Uriah closed his eyes as he touched his father’s hand for the last time. His farewell was private, but I could feel the strength it took for Uriah to offer it.

Slowly we walked from the room. I didn’t know how a person got over losing their dad, but I knew Uriah was strong enough to survive this, even if he didn’t. He always said he was just a simple rancher. He never saw how much strength he really had. Perhaps he would realize that now.

C
laire
and I were the only ones left at the gravesite. Someone had pulled my mom away a while ago, probably Sophia or Claire’s mom. I wasn’t sure where anyone but Claire was anymore. Claire was the only thing keeping me together right now. I literally had not let go of her since my dad died. Not even Thomas objected when Claire didn’t come home night after night.

In the week since leaving the hospital, she stayed by my side through the long days, where everything I saw reminded me of him, and the torturous nights that gave me dreams of fishing or hunting with my dad again. I felt like a child huddling on the couch with her, but I couldn’t let go. And for once, touching Claire didn’t affect me at all. The pain of losing my dad outweighed everything else.

“Uriah,” Claire said softly, “are you ready to go?”

When we left, the mound of dirt sitting to the side would pour back into the hole and seal my dad away forever. I would never sit on the riverbank with him again. We would never spar with one another and laugh about the bruises we gave each other. The last talk we would ever have would be of me asking Claire to marry me.

At the time, I hadn’t been sure whether I would go to the Elders or not, but there was no way I would ignore my dad’s advice, now. I still thought it was pointless. The Elders’ permission didn’t mean very much to me. Knowing I had followed my dad’s last piece of advice meant everything to me, though. He loved the traditions of our people, and thought they should be kept close so they weren’t lost to the future. I would go to the Elders this summer.

“Uriah,” Claire said again, “let me take you home, okay?”

I nodded, feeling slightly better than before. Leading me away from the gravesite, Claire slid in close to me and let me hold her under my arm. I didn’t need to tell her that I wanted her close. The brief moment she let go of my hand to walk around to the driver’s side brought back the full intensity of my pain. I should have been able to bear it better when I wasn’t touching Claire, since I felt my strength rush back in when she left, but the opposite seemed to happen. Claire stole a part of me when I put my arms around her, but having her near me gave that part back along with all of her own strength that she let me borrow from. In the face of the pain from losing my dad, I actually felt stronger with her near me.

“I talked to my parents about helping you and your mom out at the ranch after school, and over the summer,” Claire said. “I know the animals don’t really like me, but maybe I could do other stuff, like helping in the fields or mucking stalls. I at least know how to do that already.”

“But, Claire, you have dance after school. And we finally convinced your dad to let you play volleyball. You have preseason camp all summer. I don’t want to interfere with that. Me and Mom will figure it out,” I said. Sophia had mentioned a couple of people who might be able to help us out regularly. It meant paying wages, but it was just what we were going to have to do for now.

“I don’t care about ballet, at all, you know that. I only did it because I hated piano more. And volleyball, it’s not that important. I’ve never even played before. I just thought it would be fun.” Starting the engine, Claire pulled onto the road and headed out of the cemetery.

Volleyball was important to her. She had been so excited when I finally talked her dad into lifting his “unladylike” ban on the sport. She only had one year left of high school. It was probably her last chance to play. “We’ll be fine. There’s a couple guys around town looking for work. I’m sure one of them will be able to help us. You can’t give up everything just to come feed sheep and brush horses.”

“I’m hardly giving up everything, Uriah,” she said. “I want to help. I love you, and I promised I would be there for you. Besides, I have to get used to living on a ranch eventually, right?”

The teasing smile she gave me actually made me smile. She knew I wanted to marry her. The fact that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together was no secret. The timing was the only thing she didn’t know about, yet.

“Are you sure, Claire? I don’t want you to do it just because you think you have to. We’ll keep the ranch running either way,” I said.

“But having me there will make it easier.”

“Sure, but…”

“There’s no but, Uriah. I’m part of your life. You need help, and I want to be the one to help you. I love you,” she said. She had been so strong for me all week, but tears suddenly filled her eyes. “And I loved your dad, too. I want to do this for him as much as I do for you.”

I knew she missed him too, but I had been so concerned with my own pain that I hadn’t even attempted to help her with hers. I felt like such a jerk. Squeezing her hand even more tightly, I said, “Okay, Claire. It would be great to have you help out. Summer will be pretty busy, but things should calm back down in the fall, and maybe you can still try out for the volleyball team.”

Claire shook her head. “Uriah, you’ll be gone in the fall. Your mom will need help even more than ever. I don’t want you to worry when you’re gone. I’ll be here to take care of her.”

“I’m not going,” I said.

“What? You have to! Your mom will never let you stay here. You know she won’t,” Claire said. I didn’t know why she looked so shock. My dad just died, leaving me and my mom to run the ranch by ourselves. The two of us working together was going to be hard enough. I could never leave her to take care of everything by herself. I knew Claire was right about what my mom would say.

“I’m going to do some classes online,” I said. “I can’t get the whole degree online, but I could do the first couple years, at least. Maybe by then things will be going good enough that I can leave without dumping everything on my mom. I know Mom won’t like it, but that’s how it has to be right now.”

Claire was quiet, then. I wondered if she was feeling the same way I had when I first thought about staying here. Not leaving for college meant staying here with her. The reason I was making this choice was the worst one ever, but the idea of being here with Claire for the next year did take some of the pain from my heart.

The quiet that spread through the car when Claire parked and turned off the engine felt heavy against me. If Claire didn’t agree with me, I would have an even harder time trying to convince my mom. Finally Claire reached over to me and hugged me across the seats.

“You have to promise that you’ll finish college. I know you plan on running the ranch forever, but I know how much you want to be a vet, too. Things can change before you know it. Plus, your dad wanted you to get your degree. I’ll only agree to this if you promise you’ll finish,” Claire said.

I kissed her lips, borrowing from her strength again even as she stole it away. “I promise.”

She nodded and let go of my hand so we could both get out of the car. Making our way past the myriad of vehicles that had brought everyone here from the funeral made it difficult to keep a hold of her. She turned and twisted however she needed to so she could keep her hand in mine. When we reached the house, stepping into the heat of dozens of bodies made me nauseous. People patted my shoulder and told me how sorry they were, but I didn’t stop to respond. Instead I pulled Claire back toward my bedroom so I could find some space to breathe. Sophia caught Claire before we got halfway across the living room and asked her to help with the food. I motioned that she should go, and turned away to escape the crowd.

I was about to drop onto my bed when I noticed a small box and a letter sitting there. Curious about what it was, I sat down on my bed and picked the letter up. In my dad’s sharp script I saw my name printed on the front. Below that was a careful note from my mom.

“Uriah, I found this in your dad’s closet this morning. He was planning to give it to you when you graduated, but I thought you might want to have it now. Love, Mom”

Turning the envelope over, I lifted the flap and slid the single sheet of paper out. The fresh creases unfurled to reveal my dad’s handwriting.

“Uriah,

“I have been struggling the last few months about what to say to you when you graduate. It’s been a difficult year, knowing that you’ll be leaving for college soon. Watching you grow has been such a joy for me and your mom. You’ve always been an amazing kid. In more ways than you know, probably.

“I’m proud of the man you’ve become, Uriah. I hope I have been the reason behind at least some of why you turned out so great. Your mom can probably take most of the credit, though.

“I wish I knew what to tell you before you leave home. I know that there are some things in your future that will be wonderful, and other things that will be incredibly difficult. I’ve tried to prepare you for what you must do one day. It’s hard to know if I’ve done enough, but I have faith that wherever I’ve failed, you will fill in the gaps with your own incredible talents. I had hoped to have more help from Quaile in this, but she has always been a very strange woman. When she feels the time is right, I have no doubt she will give you the guidance you need to face your future.

“But hopefully all of that will still be a while off.

“Right now, I see you with Claire and I am proud of how much you love and care for her. I never knew for sure that the two of you would end up together. Maybe you shouldn’t have, considering the way things are. You always seemed like an unlikely pair to me even without that, but it just shows I don’t know everything. It’s plain to see that you love each other, and I truly hope that the two of you will be able to stick by each other through everything you’ll have to face. You’re both strong. Just hold onto each other and everything will work out.

“I’ve probably gone on long enough, now, but just know that you have the strength you need inside of you. Treasure your heritage and the lessons that go with it. The stories we told you as a child might seem silly to you now, but they will help you through your life. Be strong, and be careful.

“I love you, son.

“Dad”

My dad gave me advice all the time when he was alive, but this letter was completely beyond me to understand. The words were plain enough, but half the letter felt like he was trying to tell me something important, but couldn’t bring himself to do it. That wasn’t my dad at all. When he had something to say, he just came out and said it.

What did he mean when he said he thought Quaile was going to help them more? Despite the fact that she scared me to death, she was a close family friend. I remembered her being around our home since I was a baby. She always seemed too involved in what we were doing for my tastes, but my dad seemed to think she should have done more, and eventually would when the time was right. What did that mean?

It seemed like every other line said something about my future, whether I was prepared, what I would have to face, the strength I would need. The whole letter felt like a warning about something. Of what, though, I had no idea. What on earth would my dad need to warn me about? If he really thought he needed to give me a warning, why wouldn’t he just tell me what he thought might happen? And why couldn’t I remember what happened before he died?

Maybe my mom would be able to tell me what the letter was about. Placing it carefully back into the envelope, I set it aside. The box was still on the blanket next to me. The dark wood was beautiful. Whatever was inside, the box was part of the gift, made by my dad to carry something precious. I gently lifted the lid and peered inside.

A thin strip of beaded leather lay inside the box. Tears welled in my eyes when I saw it. To anyone else, it would look like a simple piece of beadwork, maybe even just something for an artist to practice on. I knew what this was. I had wanted to have it since the first time I saw it. The long, thin leather strips on each end would tie the leather band to my wrist, a bracelet given from father to son when the son had reached manhood.

Whatever the letter was supposed to tell me, I kept it in the back of my mind as I stared at the gift. This treasure had not come to mind once in the last week, but if my dad had died without ever giving it to me, I would have been crushed. It was a tradition our family had carried on for generations. Dad always did like to have things ready ahead of time. If he hadn’t already set this out for me I might never have gotten to have it. It was a piece of him I could always keep with me.

I laid down on my pillow and felt something close to peace for the first time in a week. Following that closely was exhaustion. Clutching the bracelet against my chest as I laid there let me breathe in my grief and not feel consumed by it. I stayed there unmoving for a long time. At some point Claire crept into my room and laid down beside me, holding me, and completing the elusive feeling that I was going to make it through this.

My biggest question now was whether I could survive whatever my dad had been trying to warn me about in his letter.