Dreamwalker's Bride - Chapter 270

Chapter 270: Disappearing act
Ford lingered behind the others as Mia began telling her grandfather everything. There was only one way out of the cave, so he couldn’t exactly stay behind indefinitely—he was getting rather hungry, after all—and so, he followed at a distance.

However, voices carried in the cave. He could hear every word Mia said, and doubtless Seth could too.

Grandpa didn’t seem in a homicidal mood, but Seth? Ford wasn’t so sure. After all, Ford had run away with the man’s daughter after enjoying the family’s hospitality and care for a week. That was probably the gravest wrong he could have done to these people, if he’d actually… done anything, that is.

Other than travel with Mia, and keep her alive.

A shadow of doubt passed over his face. Maybe, now that she’d accomplished coming back to the cave, she wouldn’t want him around anymore. He’d served his purpose for her. She couldn’t have done it without him.

If she’d encountered Denholm on her own! Why, things would have been so much worse. The man certainly didn’t hold any fond feelings for Mia’s family, and Ford could only imagine what the man would have done if the pair hadn’t been useful to him, with Ford’s digging expertise.

That part of things, Ford admitted he had to own. Without him there, the cave would not have been breached. Denholm likely would have been killed in a collapse–going deeper without Ford’s mitigating measures would have been disastrous.

The cave never would have been entered by humans, and the dragons and wights would have taken the tree without anyone the wiser. Wouldn’t that have been best? Trace would still be with his family.

His wife and young sons. A lump grew in Ford’s throat. He’d never known his father, but his uncle had raised him alongside his mother from a young age. And then died. He knew what it was to grow up without such a person, and he didn’t wish that on anyone.

Especially if it were even partly his fault.

Mia was telling Grandpa about the journey in enough detail that he became nervous. Very nervous. Surely she was smart enough to leave out the part about that cold night?

Even if Grandpa seemed calm on the surface, Seth could doubtless hear every word like Ford could. The young man wanted to cry out a warning to Mia, but of course that would draw far too much attention to the fact that there was something he wanted to hide.

That would be counterproductive in the extreme. Seth might kill him before even finding out what it was he wanted to hide!

He’d apparently disappeared before, however briefly. It might be prudent to do so again… After all, they were a bit pressed for time, they wouldn’t wait around and look for him while Trace was missing, would they?

How had he done it last time? Wishing he could disappear?

A shiver ran down his spine, and he looked down at his hand. Gone!

It was disorienting enough that his next step faltered. He could see the cave floor, but not his own feet and where he was putting them!

He wouldn’t have thought that would be so important, but maybe he just needed to look forward and not down. Ford didn’t spend that much time looking at his feet while walking, he just walked!

That helped, and he moved onward. When he paid attention to his injuries, he could feel their sting intensely, but as soon as he pretended to himself that they weren’t there, the pain was gone.

Was that similar to wanting to disappear and not being visible? Grandpa had said there was usually only one power at a time…

Ford frowned as Mia looked over her shoulder. Her eyes seemed to scan for him but not quite settle on where he was. Her expression fell slightly as she went back to her story, selectively editing out portions that would have gotten Ford in big trouble with her family.

He appreciated that a lot more than he could tell her right now. Maybe find some way to thank her in the future.

“And when we found the cave, there was a man–Denholm, but he said his name was Gary–Do you remember Gary, one of the guards back then?” Mia was saying.

“One of the guards?” Grandpa seemed thoughtful. “I couldn’t pick him out of a crowd now if you offered me a hundred gold bars to try, but the name does ring a bell.”

“I couldn’t remember his face at first either, but it made sense for him to know about the cave…” Mia went on with her story, revealing Denholm’s sudden personality change and betrayal, and the revelation of the man’s identity.

Throughout her tale, Mia had continuously painted Ford in a positive light as protector and helper. Sometimes she was laying it on a bit too thick, in his opinion, but Grandpa listened without much comment.

Once the story progressed to Denholm’s betrayal, however, Mia’s rendition morphed him into a hero, ready to sacrifice his own well being and lay down his life when Denholm moved to strike her.

Grandpa looked over his shoulder with an unreadable expression. Despite Ford still being invisible, for some reason it felt like Grandpa could see him anyway.

Ford looked away, and Grandpa turned back to Mia as she completed her tale.

“And… I’m really sorry about Uncle Trace,” She concluded. “I didn’t know…”

Her voice broke and Grandpa squeezed her shoulders with an arm around them. “Of course you didn’t. There’s no way you could have. That whole thing doesn’t make sense to me. Why take him? Because of his magic? I have magic, and so do you, and Ford as well, now. They seemed to take Denholm intentionally, as well, and that baffles me even more. Don’t worry, though, Bug. We’ll get it sorted out.”

“I… how are we going to tell Aunt Anaisa?” Mia asked.

“Uh, you better leave that to me and your father. That’s above your grade.”

Ford blinked. Grandpa’s tone implied that task would be much more difficult than any other.