Is what Kyle suggests possible? I don’t want Gray hurt or frightened. She asked the question only along the Middlemist Red network, knowing Jonas would feel that singing along his nerve endings. He would hear and see the images in his mind, and he would know she wasn’t asking him. That couldn’t be helped.
The answer came in the form of vibrations, a tuning of exact, beautiful notes. A dripping of chemicals into her bloodstream that lit up like a thousand candles. Those same notes and chemicals lit up in Jonas as well. His eyes met hers, filled with questions she couldn’t answer. Or wouldn’t. At least she had a reprieve until they were alone.
Is Kyle a good man? Are you certain he won’t hurt Gray? She would much rather take a chance with her own life than with her owls. The owls had chosen to follow her, but she felt responsible for them. They were family to her, just as the wolves and Middlemist Red were. She would protect them, just as Jonas would protect his family.
There was a brief silence, and again there was that tuning of precise, beautiful notes in the form of vibrations that spread through their bodies like a symphony. The chemicals blossomed into heated light, glowing and hot.
What do you need me to do, Kyle? When I send him out, do I need to call him to us first?
It was difficult to look at Jonas when he knew she was keeping secrets from him. Not just little secrets—big ones. It wasn’t as if they had fallen deeply in love with one another. They were connected on many levels, yes. She accepted that. She knew he was lonely and he found peace in her company. She calmed the savagery in him, and she was grateful that she did. The bottom line was, they hadn’t met like normal people, hadn’t had time to get to know one another and slowly fall in love.
Theirs was an explosive chemical reaction. There was no doubt about that. They also had a strong connective pull, not only because they were both so utterly alone in so many ways, but they were able to talk to one another and “see” each other. She knew Jonas was far more accepting of their pairing because he’d seen other pairings work. He wanted to have someone of his own. She had never believed it possible and had never seen pairings in action. The only pairing she had witnessed, that of Ken and Mari, seemed a terrible betrayal to her, and only because Marigold hadn’t come for her when she knew Camellia was waiting in the greenhouse when all the girls had escaped. Mari had chosen Ken over Camellia to the point she hadn’t even taken Camellia with them.
They were back to her trust issue. She doubted if she could ever overcome it enough to actually accept another human being into her life. Even Jonas. Maybe especially Jonas. And yet he might have her heart when no one else could ever come close to it again.
Call the owl close to us and let me see if he’ll accept me, Kyle said. If not, I’ll take over one of the wild ones. I like yours because he’s impossible to see when he doesn’t want to be seen.
She was especially proud that Kyle hadn’t been able to spot Gray, even though he’d sensed the owl’s presence, as Gray had flown slowly and silently past them to perch on the snag in the forest.
They’re very good at staying concealed. I’m calling him close now. She did so, using the mycelium network, knowing both owls were waiting for her to contact them should there be need.
The male looked much larger than he actually was due to the fact that he was tall and his plumage was very fluffy. Gray was patterned with brown-and-white mottling, streaks and barring across his wings and body, and he had white patches between his eyes and on his chin. His beak was yellow, and he had a large facial disk but no ear tufts. Camellia thought Gray was quite handsome.
The owl settled on the broken branch of the tree closest to them, where Camellia directed him. She wasn’t in the least surprised that Blue followed her mate from a distance, ready to protect him should there be need.
Camellia stroked the owl through the mycelium network and let him know Kyle was her friend and ally—that he wanted to share the owl’s vision in order to see the enemy coming to hurt her. If Gray objected, she would ask Kyle to use a different owl.
Gray’s wings rose and fell in agitation just once. His feathers looked ruffled and she had to hide a smile. She’d definitely irritated him with the suggestion that Kyle use a different owl.