Chapter 25

Several sunny, clear days arrived which helped Alex remain hopeful. If this kept up, the pass would clear and she could get her car. And see Steve again. He called on Sunday, but he seemed reserved. Of course, that could be because he was at Peter’s. She wished she could see him face to face to find out what he was feeling. Had his bear already awakened? He had felt it coming awake while she was still there. She had turned his life upside down. To find out he was a wizard and fall in love over a month’s time would be overwhelming. He had to be contemplating his life and what his future would bring. She was facing a new job and that alone was bothering her. She couldn’t sleep but paced the apartment or read until the wee hours of the morning. Would she be able to function well next week for the job interview? It had been years since she had to interview. Could she do it or would she fumble and get nervous, making a fool of herself? She breathed deeply. She had to get control and not worry or else she would be nervous. She kept repeating to herself, “She’s just a person like me. Relax.”

Alex got Joe to drop her off at the wizarding mall Wednesday morning. Next week she’d have to rent a car. The location for the interview wasn’t on a bus route. She didn’t want to have to walk several miles and arrive all sweaty. Maybe she could rent one for the day? Her budget would take too big of a hit if she did a whole week. After all, other people used the buses all the time, and it worked for them. She’d have to buck up and learn how to plan the bus routes.

She stood outside The Dirty Dog for several minutes thinking. The Dirty Dog was a restaurant which contained the entrance to the wizard mall. She hadn’t realized how much she’d missed coming here. Why had she ever wanted to give this up? She’d been a fool to ignore the gift. Not anymore. She was going to embrace the magic and try to do something with it. She didn’t know what, but maybe Principal Vale could give her some suggestions. She yanked the outside door open and strode down the entry hall. For the first time in her life, she proudly signed the entry board and opened the door. She took one of the booths along the edge and watched the other wizards. The candles on the tables were red so someone in here wasn’t a wizard, otherwise they’d be white.

At first, she thought about ordering something fancy for breakfast, but then she saw scrambled eggs on the menu. She missed having some every morning. She dug in when they came. After savoring a hot tea, she went to the back and signed the board which would give her access to the rest of the mall. For the first time she really looked around. Several hummingbirds and butterflies buzzed her head as she wandered around the mall. At a quarter till ten, she headed back to the traveling booths and took one to Aspen Glen, the wizarding school where Principal Vale was. Why did she ever consider not using magic would be a good idea? She could travel in minutes by the booths instead of making long drives. Of course, driving to Aspen Glen wasn’t even an option. The school kept its location a highly guarded secret.

She donned her traveling cloak and stepped into the booth. After signing the board and depositing a token she was transported to the booth at Aspen Glen. Exiting the booth and small building, she reached the gates. The school’s gray stone buildings stood like proud sentinels as several students dashed here and there in the distance. The snow-covered grounds brought back a flood of cherished memories. Would Steve enjoy it here? Would he even come? Maybe she should mention Caroline to Vale. Caroline would love it here.

Alex signed the entry board and waited for the gate to open. The gate clicked, creaking when Alex pulled it open. After entering, the gate shut with a resounding click. Alex headed to the admin building. She took a seat in the hard wooden chairs where she’d spent many times waiting to find out if she was in trouble for some prank she’d pulled when she attended school here. Pranks had been her way of standing out among the more talented wizards. Even old Mrs. Pratt was still here, glaring down her button nose at the troublemakers. Mrs. Pratt was definitely looking older, but she still wasn’t someone Alex would want to have upset with her.

Alex had to clear her throat so she could get something out. “I’m Alex Klein. I’m here to see Principal Vale.”

“Of course you are, dearie. He’ll be with you in a minute.” She glared at Alex for another minute. “Not into any trouble, are you?”

“No, ma’am.”

Mrs. Pratt turned her attention back to the job she’d been doing when Alex came in.

Principal Vale exited his office in his usual flurry, robes billowing behind as he approached Alex.

“Ms. Klein, you have something that we need to discuss?” He shook her hand.

All those years at Aspen Glen, she’d admired him, always feeling worse for disappointing him than about the prank that had gotten her into trouble. He still carried an air of authority and power that she was immediately drawn to. She guessed it was his magic that pulled her in. He had to be the most powerful wizard she’d ever met. She choked out a weak, “Yes.”

He took her elbow and escorted her to his office, holding the door open as she entered.

Always the gentleman. No wonder all the girls at school were impressed, so few men showed such respect to women these days. He held out one of the office chairs as she sat, then he sat in the neighboring chair so he could be close, like a friend.

He moved his chair a little closer and spoke in a quiet voice. “What did you need to tell me? You said it was an urgent matter that only I could help you with.”

Alex looked down at the floor and took a deep breath. She whispered, “I found a magical object.”

“Did you bring the object with you?”

She shook her head. “They’re too big.”

Vale got up and poured her a glass of water from the pitcher on his credenza. He handed it to her then took his seat again. “Maybe you should start at the beginning.”

Alex took a sip and twisted the glass in her hand.

He reached over and touched her arm. “Relax. We are simply wizards discussing something interesting. You do not need to fear me or be nervous.”

“It’s not that…exactly.” She looked into his eyes and set the glass on the edge of his desk. “This place brings back so many memories.”

“Not all bad, I hope.”

“Oh no. I have a lot of good memories of my time spent here. Some of my best memories are from here.”

“Then just relax. We have as much time as you need.” He settled back in his chair, resting his forearms on the chair arms.

Alex took another deep breath. “A little over a month ago, I was driving back from Grand Junction when I got caught in a blizzard. I ended up taking refuge in a cabin where I met Steven Davis. He let me stay and gave me food while the storm lasted for days. One of his neighbors stopped by and later planned a party for the people living there. The daughter of one of the couples kept talking about seeing a unicorn wandering around under the full moon. I spent the next few nights watching and I also saw him.”

“A wild unicorn?”

She nodded. “I remember studying about how rare they are. When the storms finally broke, I went out to find him. I remembered learning that they are drawn to magic. I knew he wasn’t drawn to me so I wanted to find out what pulled him into the valley. It took me a couple of days, but I found him in a cave. He had located two rocks that must have been there for ages.”

“Describe them for me.”

“They are about three feet long and egg shaped. After I brushed all the dirt away, I could get a good look. Both have a crystalline structure for the shell but are as smooth as glass. One is as blue as the deep ocean, and the other is blood red. At first, I couldn’t figure out what they were. I kept asking the unicorn questions. I ran my bare hands across the surface and could feel a strong magic coming from them. I knew they had to be some magical creature, but I couldn’t figure out what would come from an egg that size.” She stopped a moment to catch her breath.

Vale remained silent.

“After another round of questions, I figured out the answer with the unicorn’s help.” She sat up straight, “They’re dragon eggs.”

“Dragon eggs? They have been extremely rare for centuries.”

“I know, but the unicorn was insistent. I figured he would know with his magic being greater than mine and all.”

Vale got up and paced for a few minutes while Alex remained silent. He spoke more to himself than to her. “A pair of dragon eggs. I seem to recall a prophecy about a pair of eggs. I will have to find out more.” He sat back down in the chair. “Can you show me where they are?”

Alex nodded. “There’s a slight problem with that though. The pass I came through to enter the mountain valley is blocked. I only got out by making a hair-raising ride on the back of a snowmobile. We’ll have to wait until the pass has been opened before I can take you there.”

“Okay then. We will have to wait. Are the eggs protected?”

“I covered them with dirt again and the unicorn is staying in the cave watching over them.”

“Do you think he will be a problem if we try to move them?”

“He seemed friendly enough, but you can never tell. He is a wild animal.” Alex took a sip of the water. “That’s not all.”

Vale waited for her to continue.

“The man I stayed with, Steven Davis, promised to bring the unicorn some food.”

Vale leaned forward. “The unicorn allowed a man to approach him?”

“That’s not the problem. The problem is that Steve is a natural shape-shifter. He shifts into a bear.”

Vale touched her arm, “You did not put yourself in any danger, did you?”

Alex shook her head. “The bear’s hibernating right now, although I’m not sure for how much longer. Steve was worried that he could feel the bear waking up.”

Vale pulled his hand back. “A natural shape-shifter.”

“So they really exist?”

Vale nodded. “But they are also extremely rare. The only identified ones have been in the far north. Imagine finding one right here.”

Alex leaned forward and touched Vale’s arm. “He’s really worried about putting anyone in danger. I told him about Aspen Glen. Can you help him?”

“I believe we could, but are you sure he can do any magic?”

Alex leaned back in her chair. “When he touched my wand, some red sparks shot out. That means he’s a wizard, doesn’t it?”

“Yes, it does. Tell me a little about his family.”

“He said the change is automatic when the bear isn’t hibernating. His mom was one and his dad was normal.”

“That is interesting.”

“The eggs are in the cave where Steve spends his time as a bear.”

“I guess he was pulled in by their magic without realizing anything.”

“He could also feel the eggs’ energy when he touched them.”

“He never knew they were there?”

Alex shook her head. “I guess not.”

Vale got up and went around his desk. He sat down in his desk chair, opened the black notebook that was on top of his desk, and started making some notes.

“I also wanted to let you know about Caroline Gibson. She’s a young girl that spotted the unicorn. I don’t know if she has any magic, but she’s certainly fascinated by magic and everything magical.”

“I guess I will have to look into her while I am out there. What is her name again?”

“Caroline Gibson.” Alex got up and approached Vale’s desk. “Do you mind if I ask you a personal favor?”

Vale closed his notebook, set his pen down, and looked at Alex. “After all you have done, you can ask, and I will see.”

Alex pulled the guest chair closer and sat back down. “When I was here I wasn’t serious about my magic. With what’s happened, I’ve found a new calling.” She ran a finger along the edge of his desk, then asked, “When I was here, the Book of Prophecy responded with a vague answer of writing. I took some time to re-evaluate my life, and I was interested if the Book can give me any better information now. Could you look?”

“Give me a few minutes of privacy, and I will look.”

Alex stood. “I’ll wait outside.” She opened the door and walked back out to the reception area to wait.

“Anything I can help you with?” Mrs. Pratt asked.

“No, thank you. Principal Vale asked me to wait here for a few minutes.” Alex started pacing around the small area.

Mrs. Pratt kept watching her. “Take a seat, or you’ll wear out the threads in that old carpet.”

Alex stopped then sat in a nearby chair. Within moments Principal Vale opened his door and motioned Alex in. Alex sat back down in the guest chair while Vale took his seat behind his desk.

“I checked the book, and I have an answer for you.”

Alex moved forward on her chair.

“The book now recommends that you should write stories for children and adults. The stories should be about people discovering that they have magic. When the readers check out the author website we will be able to look at their responses and judge if they should be considered as possible candidates for attending school. Hopefully this will help us find more wizards than we currently have.”

“It actually said all that?”

Vale nodded. “It did. The writing was minuscule so all the information could be included in the small space. I have never seen such a specific answer. Does that help?”

Alex nodded, “I’ve contacted a publishing company about getting a job there, but I’m not as sure about becoming an author.”

“You have time. Try to start writing in your spare time for now, then maybe more if you are still interested.”

“Thanks for looking. I really appreciate it.”

“Are you keeping in touch with Mr. Davis?”

“I’m trying to, but it’s hard. His cabin is on the basic side. He has to go to a neighbor, his best friend, to make a radio call. Right now, the phone lines are out.”

“Let me know when we can make a trip out there. I want to talk with Mr. Davis and see the eggs. Until then, I will find out as much as I can about dragons.”

They both stood and shook hands. Vale showed her out of his office and walked her back to the gate. After unlocking the gate, he said, “I always appreciate it when a former student contacts me. My door is always open.”

“I’m glad you could help. I’ll let you know when we can get out there.”

Vale nodded and shut the gate. Alex headed back to the traveling booths and back to Denver. She ate a quick lunch before calling a cab to take her back to her apartment.

That afternoon she got a call from the publisher she’d contacted. “This is Tami Fisher. I talked with Ms. Gibson, and you came highly recommended. I have three assignments I want you to do before we speak next week. As soon as you finish each task I want you to send it in, and I’ll send you the next task at noon the next day. Based on your input we can see if you’ll be a good fit.”

“Okay,” Alex answered. “What’s the first task?”

“I want you to write a short segment that advertises a movie, maybe something like The Wizard of Oz. This should be like what you find on the back cover or the inside flap of a book. Something that will entice the customer to want to read the book.”

“Okay,” Alex said.

“Do you have any questions?”

“No, it seems clear enough.”

“Good then. I’ll be looking forward to see what you send. If you have any other questions, send an e-mail. My assistant watches my inbox all the time.”

Alex hung up and powered up her computer. The “as soon as you finish” meant they were interested in finding out how long she took to get the task done. The sooner she finished the more impressive it would be, as long as she did a good job. By late that night, she’d sent in her piece.

The next day she got a request to write ten pages about anything she wanted to write about, fiction or nonfiction. She wrote a bit about Caroline seeing the unicorn and had it in by the next day. The following day Tami sent the first three chapters of a book asking her to read it and make any comments or suggestions. By the next day, Alex had sent back her response. She received only one more e-mail confirming her appointment to meet with Tami.

Alex rented a car the day of her appointment and arrived at the building where Tami had her offices. The location was a two-story brick building that had probably been someone’s home at one time. The assistant showed her in to the conference room.

Tami strode in and shook Alex’s hand. “I’m so glad we could meet.”

“I expected your offices would be in some big office building,” Alex said.

“Most of my clients, and half of my staff, work from their homes. We give them the choice to do what works best for them. We only meet here when we need to discuss things face to face.” Tami motioned Alex to a chair at the end of the conference table and took the seat next to her. “I liked what you sent in. What are you interested in?”

“I’m looking for something that will be more creative than my last job.”

“You have a gift for writing. Ever consider writing a book?”

“I might later on, but right now I need something that will pay my rent.”

Tami opened the manila folder she’d brought in. “I liked your suggestions on the three chapters. Are you interested in working as an editor?”

“This would be something I could do from anywhere?”

Tami nodded. “All you’d need is a good Internet connection. Then you would have to come here when needed to go over the project’s status with the rest of the team.”

“That would be great.”

Tami and Alex talked for over an hour going over the details of the job and the company’s policies. Two hours later, Alex walked out with a job which she could possibly do from the valley. She’d have to borrow Peter’s Internet connection to send things in, but it could work. As long as she could convince Steve that he could control his bear. On the way home, she bought a bottle of champagne and a couple of steaks to celebrate with Joe.

The weather continued to warm up. Three weeks after she’d left, Steve set a date for meeting at the hotel so she could get her car. Joe drove her out but left as soon as they saw her car and Steve waiting inside. Alex checked in and got a room for the night.

Alex asked, “How are the roads?” They headed into the restaurant and selected a table away from any of the other customers.

“Still snow-packed. The plows came through but there’s still a layer of snow and ice.”

Alex looked up from the menu she’d been perusing. “How’d you get my car here then?”

“I towed it behind my truck. I put my chains on so I got pretty good traction.” Steve reached across and took her hand. “Let’s grab a quick lunch, then we can go up to the room and you can tell me what you found out.”

They talked about Mandy, Anna Belle, and Peter until their food arrived. After wolfing down their sandwiches, they headed up to the room. Steve paced. “What did you find out?”

“I talked with Principal Vale, and he believes he can help.”

“How?”

“As soon as I can drive in, I’ll set up a meeting with you and him. He can tell you more than I can, and you can ask questions. He also wants to see the eggs.”

Steve nodded. “I’ve started a list of questions I need to ask.”

“Is the unicorn still there?”

“Yeah, he’s enjoying the hay. As soon as I get close, he comes out to meet me. I’ve been driving up to the cave now and he doesn’t seem to mind.”

Alex reached out to Steve. He took her hand and sat down on the bed next to her. She asked, “How are you doing?”

“Other than missing you?”

Alex nodded.

“Okay, I guess. Nothing changes much.”

“Only when someone stumbles onto your front porch?”

He pulled her into his arms and gently brushed his fingertips down her cheek. “The luckiest moment of my life.”

“I missed you.”

He started undoing the buttons on her denim blouse. “This fits you a lot better than my flannel shirts do.”

“But I enjoy your flannel shirts, especially when you’re in them.”

“Shut up and kiss me already.” He pulled her down onto the bed with him.

They spent the next few hours making love or wrapped around each other. They left the room when sunset approached.

Alex asked, “When will I see you again?” once they were outside.

Steve pulled her coat tightly shut as they stood next to her car. “I guess when you can come with Principal Vale.”

“That won’t give us any time to be alone.”

“No. We’ll have to see how this goes first.” He gave her a long passionate kiss and headed back to his truck.

He definitely didn’t believe in long goodbyes. Alex watched his truck disappear into the pass before she headed back in for some dinner. As much as she enjoyed their time together, it was over too quickly. She headed back to Denver the next morning.

At least in Denver the grass was finally starting to send up some green blades, and she could see tiny leaves forming on the crabapple trees. Spring was finally starting. Now she’d be able to get to Steve’s. But then there were also the April snows to worry about. As much as she would like to, she couldn’t risk getting stuck there again.

Her new job was keeping her busy. She had a stack of manuscripts to review, and she had to have electricity to power her computer to do this. She could work at Peter’s with all his solar panels, but Steve didn’t have any. No matter how much she hinted about getting some, he seemed wary. After spending most of his life with only limited electric, this would be a major change she’d be bringing about. Would he start feeling overwhelmed by all the changes? She couldn’t blame him if he did. All she could do was try and convince him how much better his life would be.