I was called to the office late in my shift. Some people find it annoying to get a call so late in their shift because most of the time it means you'll be home late. Sals usually calls me for them though because she knows I don't mind. I don't have family waiting for me or anything, so it's no big deal.
Anyway, I get the call and head to the office for my briefing. Turns out it was a Class III delivery. Those aren't that common, and because of that, they can be more dangerous. Sals gave me the rundown, "We have a request from the estate of Walter "Drifter" Swansong. Yes, that Drifter. He passed last week and the executor is working their way through the will. We've had a few deliveries already, and expect more. This one is to be kept highly confidential. We don't want the press, or anyone else, getting wind that this item even exists, let alone where it's going and to whom. You will arrive with this package, she said handing me a parcel. There's nothing in it, but the cover is that they are receiving a package rather than sending one. Once you get there, you will be shown to an office where you will 'deliver' this package and pick up the real one. You are then to come back to The Rookery and the package will be stored here for a random time until delivery. That is the plan. That said, you will be given the delivery address. You are to use your best judgment. If you do not feel that returning here will be the safest course of action, you are to do what you need to in order to deliver that package safely to the recipient. Got it?"
"Yep. I understand."
"Questions?"
"Is this Rookery business, or unofficial?" I asked because if it's Rookery business I could use the known safehouses or call for backup. If not, I would have to find my own way.
She answered me by handing me a wad of cash. Unofficial then. This isn't to say that the Rookery would ditch me. This isn't a spy organization. It was just her way of letting me know that they would prefer to remain out of any news of this delivery and if money could solve the problem that would be the first choice I should make.
I nodded. "See ya, Sals," I said.
"Safe flying, Courier."
With that, I got my bag secure with the 'delivery' inside, memorized the address, and headed out. I love having wings. Sure, they can make sitting and sleeping difficult sometimes, but who really cares when you get to leap off a building and catch yourself by spreading your wings and soaring? I could never do a desk job. I love being outside and doing. I love that my wings carry me anywhere I want to be. I love the feeling of freedom and the wind tugging at my hair, and feathers. Did you know that feathers feel the wind? Okay, so maybe not the feathers themselves, but where they connect is sensitive. I can feel the push and pull of the wind current and my body just translates that into movement. A little lift here, a tuck there and it's a loop, or a dive, or a glide.
Kee has this idea that all of us can use magic and that my magic manifested my wings. He's not sure how it all works, but he's doing some research on it. Most of the time I think he's just a hopeful dreamer, but when I'm up here, well, it sure feels like magic to me.
I made my way at a leisurely pace to the address. In other words, a typical delivery. I did keep my eyes open and saw no one following me.
Drifter was really famous. He was a first-gen transformation. He was a tiger man. He looked mostly human, but he was covered with short hair all over with tiger striping and he had a tail, cat eyes, and ears. It made him perfect for new-age kung fu movies! He was strong and agile so he was said to do all his own stunts. He made a name for himself as the star of an action movie series. His character, Drifter, went around trying to advocate for peace. The character was a top-notch martial artist and fighter, who was in search of the family he'd been separated from in a war. The man was also had several black belts and had won international fame in competitions. There were like a bajillion Drifter movies and everyone loved them, and him. He was quite the philanthropist too. He donated both time and money to several charities. When news of his death last week broke there was widespread public mourning.
As I started to approach the estate I noted that there were still huge crowds paying their respects. The piles of flowers and stuffed animals nearly crested the gates. People are weird. I think Drifter would have preferred them to give those things to local hospitals, or domestic abuse shelters. Maybe the estate was donating them. One could hope so.
I landed in the approved area and went through house security. Even though I had been expected there was a pretty thorough scan, both physically and magically. That let me know that security was tight, even though I had known that simply by the precautions they had tried to take with this delivery.
I was shown into an office where a gentleman was sitting behind a large, ornate desk. I noticed that there were no windows in this room. He was dressed in what appeared to be an expensive suit, probably not off the rack. He looked up, "you must be the Courier," he said.
"I am," I agreed sliding the dummy package out of my bag and placing it in front of him. He took out a different package of similar size and we went through the ritual of sealing and signing. He tells me the address and has me repeat it back to him three times so he's sure it's sealed in my memory. "Good luck, Courier," he says and dismisses me, going back to his paperwork. I turn and head back out the way I came.
I take off from the landing area with no problems. I have to work to get off the ground here because the landing area is actually on the ground and not on a building. It's not as fun as a wild leap into the sky, but you do what you have to sometimes. Once in the air, I make a few big circles around the property to make it look like I'm doing a bit of sightseeing while I'm here, then I start to head to The Rookery as instructed.
I don't take it too slow, instead, I do my usual sky games, dipping and soaring and just skirting what the air patrol will allow. Doing my best to just be me. About ten minutes out I glance a shadow out of the corner of my eye and dodge to one side just as a gryphon bears down on me. Holy crap! I mean, I gathered this wouldn't be your normal run, but a gryphon! Not only are they tough physically, and magic resistant, but they are also the kind of predator that won't give up the hunt. And now it had me in its sights. I was going to have to outfly it, and I couldn't head for The Rookery either because if someone paid the big bucks for a gryphon hit, who knew what else might be waiting closer in?
I quickly started dodging. Luckily we were downtown so I could fly low and cut through alleys and under skywalks. That's probably what kept me alive. I did have an ace up my sleeve if I could get out of its sight long enough to use it, but that was going to take some fancy maneuvering on my part. I took a quick turn down an ally. It was a sharp turn but the alley was too wide to stop it from following. It just slammed into the wall legs first and pounced after me. I had a slight speed advantage, thank God! It kept extending its neck and snapping at my feet. Their beaks are sharp! I might not get mangled on a first bite since my boots have metal hooks and soles to aid in landing on buildings. I'm pretty sure that wouldn't last nearly long enough if it got in a big bite.
I caught the airflow up the side of the building as I turned the corner and headed straight up. This is my turf and I knew there was a sky bridge up three floors so I was ready for the quick bank to stay beneath it. The gryphon missed the turn and had to circle back. It was quick, but I had a plan in mind I headed for the subway entry mid-block. It was possible it would follow me in there if it was too far into the hunt. I'd just have to hope that it wasn't. I dove into the entrance scattering the few people who were coming out. There was some screaming as they saw the gryphon. That seemed to snap it out of hunt mode because it aimed back up to the sky. I knew it would keep watch for me to come out though, and that whoever it was reporting to would have someone else on me in minutes, if that. I dropped to the ground, ducked into the corner where you buy tickets, and slid the robe Kee had given me out of my bag and over my shoulders and head. I walked with the flow of people to the stop and got on the first train. I was now officially a normo.
I rode the trains for a while making train switches and looking for tails. As evening rush hour hit, I grabbed a connection to the commuter train from the suburbs. It would take me out of the city proper and the one I picked would get me closer to my eventual destination. While I rode I looked for a place to stay. It couldn't be a hotel because those would be watched and I might be traced. Kee has taught me a lot about what you can do with technology. Sals had given me cash but that will only get you so far in the tech age. Kee had given me a fake identity that went with the cloak. I went on Nomadic Life and found a great house for the night and got an AutoUber there. It was tucked into the quaint downtown area of this particular suburb and there was a bustling nightlife as well, though it probably shut down at ten. That still gave me enough time to get something to eat. I acted the role of a Nomadic Life yuppie and visited some art galleries and a hip eatery that had some vegan fare.
I spent the night pretty uncomfortably. The place wasn't set up for wingers so I'd had to sleep on my stomach all night. Not ideal, but better than being dead or broken [I had no idea how far these people were willing to go so probably best to assume dead]. I also did some research on the place I was supposed to deliver to as well. It was a small apartment complex about 50 miles from where I was then. That was far from ideal. I don't know if you've ever thought about it but driving is a real challenge for a winger. Most of us don't ever learn. Cars are just not designed for wings. The same goes for taking the bus. I mean, I look like a normo but I'm not and that leads to some challenges. The people after me are well aware that I'm a winger and so they can cross the normal methods of transportation off the list. I had to find a way that wasn't flying but would get me there under the radar. Walking 50 miles would have me standing out like a sore thumb and it would take too long. I'm not used to walking that far.
To make matters worse, I had no idea what was waiting at the other end. Did they know where I was delivering to? If they do, then all of this is a waste of time and energy because I'll have to fight my way through anyway. If they don't then I may already be out of the range of the search. The other issue, and maybe more worrying, was what I'd learned about where I was delivering. It was not a high-powered, high-tech estate, or office. It was an apartment complex! How would the person receiving this defend themselves? What good would me delivering something that people wanted this badly do them if they were killed immediately after delivery? I know I'm just supposed to do the job, but seriously.
I decided I would have to risk flying. Gryphons are day fliers like me so I would have to risk night flying. I do not have the best night vision, but I do have great magic goggles. I researched the town I was going to and found a place to stay there. I booked three days, and a late check-in tonight. I couldn't just turn this over to some poor relative who didn't know this was even coming or what it would bring with it. I checked out at 10:50 and bummed around the town that day. I picked a different restaurant and hung out until after dark. I didn't see anyone obviously following me. After dark, I headed for the outskirts of the downtown area, took off my cloak and put it in my leg pouch then took to the sky flying as quickly and as low as I possibly could.
I covered the distance and found my place without incident. I suppose I should have been relieved and happy, but somehow it made me even more nervous.
I woke up early and felt even more agitated than the night before. A part of me wanted to deliver the package right away and face whatever came up head-on. And the more level-headed part of me wanted to be sure that the person I was to deliver to would be okay if I delivered this to them.
The rental house I was in made a pretty direct walking line past the apartments to the downtown area. Since it was so early, I decided to walk downtown. Maybe I could tell more about the sort of person I was delivering to if I saw what sort of people lived there. As I left the house, I could see right away that this was a family area. I saw kids walking to school, with and without parents. I saw crossing guards, and cops parked as a caution to the morning commuters.
As I walked past the apartments I saw teens waiting for the bus to the high school, parents heading out with younger kids, and people leaving for work. It seemed like a great community.
When I got downtown I found an open diner with bar seating. I found a nice seat at the counter in the back corner. The cloak hid my wings but they were still there. Couldn't have anyone tripping over them! They were upscale enough to have avocado toast. Not my favorite, but hey, it's a vegan option, and in a place like this that was surprising. I had some fresh-squeezed orange juice as well. I took my time eating as I tried to formulate a plan.
I finished up and headed back toward the apartment complex in order to be there a few minutes after the office opened. I was apartment hunting. Okay, not really, but I figured that going to see an apartment would give me a better idea of the nature of the place. Is it really an apartment complex? Is it high-end [though I didn't think so from the look of the place]? Is it maybe run by someone rich? Okay, I was clutching at straws.
Connie was so happy to take me on a tour of the complex in her golf cart! She showed me the dog park [no, I do not have a dog], the pool [yes, I love to swim], and the workout room [yes, I do work out, thanks for noticing]. She gave me a tour of the one-bedroom. It was clean and cute, but at least 15 years old. The appliances were new. It came with trash service, but I would need to get water, and electricity as well as cable. I wasn't allowed to have a satellite dish. If I decided to get a pet there would be a $100 pet deposit and $15 in pet rent per month. The town is 'bike-friendly' and they rented a storage area for bikes if I needed it.
As we were driving around I got a look at the porch for my delivery address. It was covered in an array of plants. They were all healthy and well cared for so someone must really live there. While I didn't see any signs of anyone watching, I felt the telltale prickle at the back of my neck that said something wasn't quite right.
Connie was just telling me about how they have community gatherings once a month and fun contests to enter. She said there was a $500 down payment if I wanted to hold a spot that would roll into my first month's rent. I told her that I would have to think about it and that I would be in touch by the end of the week. She told me not to wait too long because she'd had someone else looking just yesterday. I thanked her and headed back to my rental.
What to do next. The place looked like an absolutely normal apartment complex. There was no way I was going to trust that the person I was delivering to could handle whoever was willing to use a gryphon to get what they wanted. Sure, the individual might be able to handle it, who knows, Drifter must've thought they could, but what about everyone else who lived there?
I needed to figure out a way to get this package delivered to the right person at a safer location. That meant I would need to find out more about who I was delivering to. Luckily I have ways of doing that. Since it was the middle of the day I headed for the library. For a small fee, paid in cash, I was able to use one of their computers for a bit. I got past their primitive blocks and headed for the darker parts of the web. I had a name and address, let me find out a little bit more about Anna Dawkins.
It turns out that she is your average, run-of-the-mill, fourth-grade teacher. She went to New Houston University and studied middle school education with a specialty in diversity. She has been teaching at the school I passed for the last four years. She volunteers with the local boys and girls club and runs the inclusivity club at the school. She has a dog that she adopted from the local pound. There is nothing special, other than a good heart and an open mind, about this woman. There is no way she could handle the kind of heat I would be bringing to her.
So why on earth would Drifter leave her whatever the heck this was in his will? Did he just not know that others wanted it this badly? What connection did he have with her that would lead him to gift her something anyway? She wasn't a past lover. She was about the right age to be a daughter but there was no indication of that in her past. Her parents seem like nice people. Her mom was also a teacher here in town, and she looks like her dad. No matter how I dug I couldn't find anything.
There is no way I can just not deliver this thing. So I need a plan. I need to get her this item in secret so that those watching don't know she has it. I need to have enough time to tell her how badly people want it and then see if maybe she doesn't want to pass it along to like a museum or something just to keep herself safe.
My time was up so I got up and headed to my rental to come up with a plan.
I have a plan but it's a crap one. I just don't have enough time to really come up with something great. The longer I stay out of sight, the more likely it will be that I will be found out or they will tighten the net at this end. They obviously do know that she is the recipient even though it was supposed to be secret. I doubted that they had been watching her for much longer than I had, a day, maybe two, so they wouldn't know her routine or all the people she knows. Even though I was loath to do it, I was going to have to meet her in a public location, and do my best to see that no one got hurt. The hard part is that pretty much all of her activities involve kids and I refuse to put kids at risk.
Unless... Okay, this was a stretch but it might work. Her parents live in town. Maybe I can reach out to them and explain it and we can meet there for the delivery. I don't trust the phones. I don't think they know I'm here so my phone is safe, but I'd bet her parents' are not. That leaves going to their house and talking in person if I can get them to let me in of course.
I waited until evening and then walked to their house and rang the doorbell. A pleasant-looking older woman came to the door. She matched the photos of Anna's mother. "Mrs. Dawkins, may I have a moment of your time?" I asked.
"Do I know you?" she returned.
"No, you do not, but I am hoping that you can act as though you do for a few minutes and allow me into your home. I will explain."
She gave me a big smile and hug and ushered me through the door. Once the door was shut she stood back, crossed her arms, and said, "Well?" in a classic school teacher pose. You know the one. The one where you had damn well better have an excellent explanation. Her husband came from the back of the house and stood behind her.
"Who is this dear?" he said.
"He's about to explain himself now," she replied.
Hoping that their house wasn't bugged, I launched into my story. I had a script in my head, but I had seen that look too many times in my life. I knew there was no script that would convince them, only the simple truth.
Since we were still in the entryway, and there were no windows, they had me remove my cloak so that they could see the wings and the uniform. I donned the cloak again as they allowed me to move into the kitchen and Mrs. Dawkins got me some tea.
"I knew Billy when we were kids," she told me. "My mom was a teacher too, and Billy was in her class. The change hit him when he was still in elementary school, in her class, and it was horrible for him. Not many people had transformed at that point, you see, and his change was particularly obvious. Some of the parents thought he would turn vicious or feral and pulled their kids out of school. Others refused to have their kids in his class. He was bullied and tormented, but his poor mom had nowhere else to go and couldn't afford to home school him or move. She was a single parent working two jobs to make ends meet. My family, we sort of took him in. Mom had him in her class and made sure that the other kids got to know him and include him. After school, my mom would bring him home with her until his mom could pick him up. He was like my brother."
"When he went off to college though, I stopped hearing from him, and then I saw him in the movies. I was so proud of him! Knowing how hard it was to be different in school and then going out and trying to normalize those who appear different by being on the big screen. Even more importantly he was teaching the lesson that peace should always be the first course of action. I was just so proud," she told me.
"Why do you think you didn't hear from him?" I asked. I mean, if they had been such good friends, why shut her out?
"I've given that some thought over the years. I think, at first, that he was training. You know he really was a black belt in all those areas, and to learn that quickly he must have been very focused on it. After that, he was working on his movie career. I think that the biggest reason though is that he didn't want to bring attention to us. There were so many death threats and strong feelings about him. If he had acted at all like he cared it would have brought attention to us, you know?"
"I guess I can understand that," I replied.
"And if what you are saying is true, and I don't doubt you so get that look off your face, he didn't forget us. He has something for Anna."
"And I need to find a safe way to get it to her."
After talking it over with her parents, we agreed that their phone lines probably couldn't be trusted to tell her what was really going on. They could invite her over, but their house was likely watched as well as her apartment. They hated putting anyone else at risk, but public was probably generally safer as they doubted anyone would cause a serious ruckus where there were police and witnesses close at hand. They would call her and invite her to dinner with an old student of Mrs. Dawkins. They picked a nice restaurant and one her favorites. It had booths as well as tables and was fairly small as well as pretty popular. Mrs. Dawkins called ahead to make a reservation and then called Anna. At first, Anna seemed reluctant [she probably thought mom was setting her up on a meet and greet for a potential husband], but moms have their way and she agreed to meet us there at 5:30.
It was four by this time, so we hung out talking. They were actually pretty darn hilarious. Mr. Dawkins regaled me with stories about his time at UPS, we are fellow deliverers. He had some great stories. People are seriously weird. I shared with him some of my less adventurous tales; no need to scare them more than they might already be, right? They were curious about what my transformation was like and weren't at all shy about asking but they did so respectfully and I could tell they really wanted to hear about my experience. They hadn't heard of The Rookery and they asked a ton of questions about it. They wanted to know if there were more places like that for others who transform. I told them that I knew of a ground delivery group that was just getting started that hired anyone with a ground-related transformation. I'd heard of a few groups that would take in the aquatic. Life can be rough for those who transform, but we were starting to get a foothold and find our place. They seemed genuinely glad to hear about it and suggested that I mention it to Anna as well since she was still in a position to help children of transformation age. I kept thinking how lucky Drifter was to have known these people back when transformation was new and the world was a lot tougher for our kind.
We started moving when it was a little after five. The place was about 15 minutes away by car, but they hated being late. They apologized repeatedly in the car for not having something that was more winger-friendly, and for getting a booth at the restaurant. I reassured them that I had learned how to make it work a long time ago and that they needed to stop fretting or they might give me away. To everyone else, I was a normal guy who wouldn't think twice about any of this. They apologized one more time and then dropped it. Yep, really nice people.
We arrived at the restaurant and found Anna waiting inside. While her dad when to tell them we were here, her mom introduced us. "Anna, this is my old student, Ben White. Ben, this is my daughter, Anna. Ben is visiting from Oregon. He came into town on business and took a few days to visit his old hometown. He is a freelance writer for travel magazines." she explained.
I put out my hand, "Nice to meet you, Miss Dawkins."
"And you Mr. White."
"Oh stop being formal. We're all friends here," Mrs. Dawkins said.
Just about then, Mr. Dawkins returned and we all went to our booth. The restaurant was nice, but not too fancy. They served Italian food, which is good because I can usually find something Vegan, or mostly so. The garlic knots were worth eating butter over. We chatted a bit and then ordered. When our food arrived would be the right time. That would give us the most time without anyone close overhearing. Since it was so early one booth next to ours was empty and the other had a family with kids. I seriously doubted they were after the delivery.
Our food was delivered, and I leaned closer to Anna. "I apologize for invading your space, but your parents and I have deceived you a bit." I watched as she sighed, yep, she thought mom was fixing her up. "I am actually a Courier and I have a delivery to make to you from the estate of Drifter." She turned to me looking a little shocked. I needed to get this out quickly before she said something loud enough to be overheard. "The thing is that someone has already tried to take this package from me by force and you may be in danger once I deliver it." She turned to look at me, and since I was the one near the wall, I didn't think anyone but myself and her parents saw her shock. "It is my intention to deliver the package to you now, and then, if you deem it too dangerous, you can contract with me to deliver it to a location of your choosing. That said, I have no idea what the contents are, only that someone wants it badly enough to hire a gryphon."
She let out a slightly forced chuckle and took a bite of her meal. The woman was calm under fire. I guess that is what I should have expected from an elementary school teacher. She chewed slowly and then turned back to me. "Okay, Ben, please go ahead and let me see this delivery of yours." No point in correcting her about my name at this point. I reached into my bag and pulled out the package and place it between us. I also pulled out the pen for her to sign for the package. She signed on the line and being careful to keep the package between us and under the table, she opened it. Inside rested a necklace. It had a simple cord that appeared to be fashioned from braided leather and a pendant. The pendant appeared to be some sort of gem or stone. It was teardrop-shaped and had a rune carved into it. I had no idea what it represented, though it did look like the one that Drifter was always pictured wearing.
It may not have meant anything to me, but it obviously did to the Dawkins. The family let out a collective gasp that came out as more of a sigh. All three of them started to tear up a bit. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I figured I'd better act fast in case someone was around and could see it.
"Anna, do you want me to deliver this to someone?"
"What? No!" she said.
I was somewhat taken aback by her response.
"You'd better put it on, Anna, quickly now!" her mother said.
Just like that Anna slipped it over her head and settled it over her shirt. The family breathed a collective sigh and smiled.
Did they not realize how dangerous keeping that thing was? My confusion must have finally registered because Mr. Dawkins looked at me and said, "Now that she has it on there is nothing to worry about. Thank you so much for bringing that here. I'm sorry you were in danger, but it's all okay now."
"Seriously! You've got to be kidding me," I spluttered.
"Not all all. We know what this is. It belongs to our family. My mother gave it to Drifter because at the time he needed it more than our family. I'm very grateful that we have it back." Mrs. Dawkins explained.
"This item has been passed down through my family for generations. It was originally gifted to my umpteenth generations great-grandmother by a grateful were-cat. The story goes that my ancestor's family lived next to the woods. She would go out each full moon and leave an offering of rice or whatever food they had on hand. One night, while she was in the woods, it started to rain. She ran to take shelter under a tree to wait out the storm. As she approached the tree, she saw that there was a forest cat caught in a hunter's snare. Unsure what to do, but unwilling to leave it there, she approached carefully. The animal, for so she thought it was, watched her warily. Rather than take out her knife to cut the animal free, she instead pulled the offering from her pouch and set it in front of the cat. After sniffing it carefully the cat began to eat. The woman slowly loosened the snare and the cat was free. It bolted away, and the woman was sure she would never see it again, but she did. Each full moon found it watching her make her offering. it never touched the offering, at least not while she was watching.
"After three months of this, with each full moon, the woman began to bring two offerings, one for the forest and one for the cat. The cat would approach after she moved away and eat its portion, but would never touch the other. It went on like this for some time. The woman began to come with a young girl. She showed her the ways of honoring the forest and the cat. The two made the journey together for years. The older woman started to struggle with the monthly trek to the woods. The portions they could spare became smaller, and yet they both still came every full moon, until one night it was only the younger woman. The older woman was dying. As she lay there feeling her breath begin to fade, a beautiful woman covered in fur entered their home. She held the old woman's hand and offered her thanks for rescuing her from the snare so many years ago.
"You spared my life when you did not have to, and have continued to care for me all these years. I am gifting you with this," she said, holding up a necklace of braided leather with a pendant that resembled a teardrop made of amber with a single rune carved upon it. "This necklace will bring the wearer good fortune for all of their days. It cannot be taken, only given, as you have given to me." And with that, she placed the necklace on the woman and left.
"The woman, who had been very ill, made an amazing recovery. She continued in good health until her final hours. She gave the necklace to her daughter as she lay dying, and so on until my mother and I chose to give it to Drifter instead of me keeping it. I already had so much, loving parents, a good home, and good friends. His life was so rough. After we gave him the necklace, his mom got that great job offer and his life really turned around. I knew we had made the right choice. I haven't regretted it a day, my life is wonderful. I have Derek, Anna, and all the kids I was lucky enough to teach through the years. I am truly blessed even without the necklace. I'm so sad that he has passed, but now it feels like a part of him will always be here in our family."
"And there is no danger anymore because the necklace brings good fortune?" I asked.
"It will protect Anna from here until she chooses to freely gift it to another, yes. Honestly, whoever was after it was a fool. It would never have protected them because Drifter had already given it to Anna even though it was not yet in her hands." Mrs. Dawkins said. "Now it's you we have to worry about." She continued.
"Why?"
"Well, we need to e sure that the people who were trying to take it know that you have delivered it. It will keep Anna safe, but not you."
"Oh."
"Why don't you go ahead and take off the cloak. When we leave here, we can walk around town together to give them a good view of Anna wearing it. That oughta do it." Mr. Dawkins said.
I slid off the cloak and Anna gasped. I'd forgotten that she didn't know I was a winger. I finished folding it and putting it away only to turn and find her staring at my wings. When she saw me looking she turned a deep red.
"They are so beautiful. May I touch them?" she asked.
"Sure," I said with a smile. This was ground I had covered a ton in my life. As she reached out a tentative hand, I flicked my wing up to touch her. Well, as much as I could given that I was doing my best not to sit on them in the booth. As expected, she jumped, startled. She looked at me and I laughed. That joke never gets old. She blushed again but didn't hesitate to run her fingers along my feathers; the correct way too. I'm glad she was a good sport about the teasing.
"They are lovely, but not really soft."
"The soft ones are the ones closest to my body. The down. I'd have to know you far better to let you feel that," I said with a wink before I remembered that her parents were sitting right across from us. Then I was the one to blush. Mr. Dawkins let out a guffaw at my discomfort. Fair enough. We finished dinner in full view of the diners. I'm happy to say that while I did get some attention, it all seemed to be curiosity, or interest not hostility, or anger.
I tried to pick up the tab but Mr. Dawkins had gotten up to 'go to the bathroom' and already paid for all of us. I was going to pull that trick but it was tougher on the inside seat and with my wings. Ah well, I'd find a way to repay him.
It was a nice night out, brisk but not cold. I was still in my uniform, though I'd washed it [that's the nice thing about renting an Air B&B]. I did feel a bit conspicuous. Everyone else was dressed nicely enough for a night on the town, and don't get me wrong, the uniform is sharp and a man in uniform is almost always welcome, but still.
Mr. and Mrs. Dawkins were strolling ahead and window shopping while I walked next to Anna. We chatted about her work, and a bit about mine. She was really curious about The Academy so I filled her in from my experience. It was fun. We ended up in a little pastry shop and coffee house. It was local so it wasn't anything I had tried before. I'll be honest, I didn't expect to be able to eat anything. It's tough for vegans to eat out if you aren't in a vegan community. Color me surprised then to find that they had a vegan chocolate cake! I ordered some, and the Dawkins' all wanted to try it. They decided it was just as good as the regular cake. It also led to an interesting conversation about why I chose to be vegan. I agreed to get Kee to share some recipes. [I mean, I can't really cook!]
"I'm sure they've seen enough now." Mr. Dawkins said. "Thank you so much, Courier, for all you have done for our family. If you're ever in the area, you are very welcome to visit."
"I appreciate that, and I may take you up on it depending on the circumstances," I said with a grin. "I know you are all convinced that this is done and settled, but Anna," I said turning towards her, "would you mind if I called a friend and had him come look at that thing? He would be able to tell me if it'll be okay or not."
"Okay, I guess there's no harm in that. I assume he's in New Houston? How long are we talking? I do need to work tomorrow.
"Let me call now," I called Kee. He picked up the phone on the second ring. I explained the situation to him, and he asked me to hold on while he talked to Anho. There was some back and forth, then Kee was back. They could be here in about an hour. "They say they can be here in about an hour, and they should be able to tell enough to know if you're safe in another hour. Would that put us past your bedtime?" I asked teasingly.
"Hey, mom, can I have a boy, or several over until about 10:30? Can I please?"
Mrs. Dawkins gave a laugh. "You're a big girl now, you have to make your own decisions."
"Alright, Courier," Anna said. "Your friends can come to check out the necklace so that you can have some peace of mind. They can come to my apartment."
I told Kee the address and he said they were heading out now. We said goodbye to Mom and Dad and headed back to Anna's place. I kept a wary eye out, though I didn't see, or feel, anything suspicious. Her place was neat and organized. Her kitchen table was full of art supplies and folders of teaching materials. She gestured me to a kitchen stool.
"I apologize that my place isn't more winger friendly. I wish I had a chair that would work, but I hope the stool will be comfortable enough. I'll make us some tea. Herbal okay?"
I assured her that I like herbal and that the stool would work just fine. "I need to call the office to check-in and let them know I made the delivery and that I am safe."
"You can use my room if you need privacy."
I'm not going to lie. I was sorely tempted. I didn't actually need privacy though so I should probably let her have hers. I brought Sals up to date. She clucked her tongue about the gryphon and I knew someone would regret that choice. Glad it wasn't me! I explained that I had called in Kee and Anho because I wanted to be sure Anna would be safe and told her I would be back at the office later that night. She said, "good work, Courier," and hung up. High praise indeed!
I stayed on high alert though I did my best to hide it. I didn't want to freak her out [though truth be told I did seem to be the only one concerned]. We talked about all sorts of things and I found myself suggesting that she should come to visit The Academy sometime. I could get her the grand tour and we could eat at one of Chef's restaurants so she could try a great vegan meal. She seemed to really love the idea. We exchanged numbers just before Kee and Anho knocked on the door. Whew! I didn't need Kee getting the wrong idea.
I gave the introductions, leaving out that Anho is a dragon of course, and Kee and Anho got right to work. I have no earthly idea what they were doing. I heard Anna recounting what she knew about the necklace, and saw Anho and Kee drawing things and nodding a lot. I just sat on my stool and watched. I allowed myself to relax because seriously, a dragon was here if anything were to come down. I may have dozed a bit. I'd been on high alert for too many days in a row and even with sleep that still wears on a body. Next thing I knew Kee was nudging me with his elbow.
"C'mon, bro. It's all good here. Even if whoever was after her is stupid and doesn't know what they're after, that necklace will keep her safe and there is no way anyone can forcibly take it from her. The story her family tells is right on the money. Honestly, it actually better than she thinks. The protection extends to those she loves, so her family and friends are good too; heck, based on how she talks her students are probably covered too," he said with a smile in his voice.
Anho was over at the table talking with Anna and she was smiling and laughing. She'd put her hair up, probably so Kee and Anho could see the necklace better and it shone in the light. She was a beautiful woman and loving. She would help a lot of people simply by caring about them.
I stood up. It was time to go home. She had a class and my mother hen routine wasn't needed thank goodness.
I walked over to them. Anho wrapped things up with a hug. Kee said his goodbyes and they headed for the door. "Aren't you going with them?" Anna asked before blushing as she recalled that they had an uncomfortable car and I had wings. "That was dumb," she said.
"Not at all. You haven't had to live with wings so it would be really hard for you to think of everything that might be impacted."
"Okay, fair enough. I won't beat myself up about it. Instead, I will absolutely visit The Academy to learn how to make accommodations for wings, and anything else they might be able to share. I will learn and I will do better to prepare for when one of my students needs that kind of awareness." There was a fire in her eyes as she said it. I smiled. "Are you going to be okay to fly home?" she asked.
"Sure! I got a bit of rest while the others did their thing. I'll be just fine. Thank you for humoring me and allowing them to investigate."
"And thank you for caring enough to worry," she said meeting my eyes. She leaned in and kissed me on the cheek, and just like that my face was as red as my hair. Damn it! She smiled and glanced down.
"You'll be hearing from me, Courier. Safe travels."
With that I headed home, another delivery complete.
