The Bonding Chronicles Ch. 15

Now, things were somehow different, and that scared the large and noble rabbit, who feared what may be stalking them in the night. Tani'm was brave and powerful, in ways that Thunderfoot knew but could not understand. Whatever lurked between those trees, shrouded by the shifting shadows cast by the moon, felt different.

It was Thunderfoot's nature, an instinct that guided him towards safety and away from danger, that told him whether a creature meant him harm. The monster, hidden and alone, was an enigma to his sense, and what he felt confused him. As a cracking branch echoed out from behind them, drawing their attention, he knew that the creature was having fun.

He was reminded of his youth, chasing his brothers and sisters through the tall grass of the wide fields in summer, with the great sun beating down and heating their fur, and joy filling their chests as they pushed their bodies further than they ever knew possible. For whatever reason, as every one of his senses struggled to find the creature that seemed to surround them, he could not shake that memory.

Another branch snapped, falling from a tree thirty yards out in the forest, and Tani'm took off. The colors of her body began to darken and shift, until the young woman seemed to vanish from sight, her silent footfalls barely audible to Thunderfoot as she closed the distance to where the branch fell. The jackalope knew better than to fall for the ploy, and began scanning the small clearing, until he saw movement where Tani'm had set the segmented pieces of the elk remains aside.

There was a beauty in the predator that came out from the shadows. It stalked up to the elk remains, its eyes focused on Thunderfoot with a playful cast to its gaze. He had seen many cats since arriving in that land, though never one as large as the one that darted out before him. It was orange with mottled black spots across its large body. Thunderfoot was trapped in the gaze of the three-and-a-half-foot tall feline, the calculating intellect contained within its eyes reminding him of Tani'm more than the creatures from his land. There was something playful and mischievous in its amber gaze that reminded Thunderfoot of something he could not place.

It was only out of the shadows for a couple of seconds, just long enough to capture a large segment of hind-shank in its mouth before it withdrew back behind a tree. It was a strange sight, seeing such a large piece of meat get lifted with ease, the cat vanishing without making a sound. By the time Tani'm realized her mistake, the beast was gone, and the only sign of its passing was the confused look upon Thunderfoot's face, and the missing segment of elk that Tani'm had intended to donate to a food shelter.

"Yeah, maybe it would be better to wait, after all," Tani'm mumbled to herself, unsure what just happened, but realizing that she was not prepared for the dangers that now hunted her forest.

***** A Troubled Past *****

It had not taken long for Andrew's friends to finish packing their belongings and leave. Allison was the last to vanish into the night, her gaze shifting between Vivienne and Andrew until the last moment, recognition written across her face, and a thousand unasked questions simmering behind her eyes.

"Come on, already." Seth's voice had called back, before Allison finally shut the door, sealing the two strangers in a small house in the center of the majestic rainforest.

"Can I get you some tea, or coffee perhaps?" Andrew asked, his annoyance showing in his tone despite his efforts at masking his anger.

The tall woman scanned the room, and smiled at the scene before her. There was fondness in her eyes, and Andrew got the sense that the room brought back memories for the older woman. He was not surprised, there was something about Vivienne that was familiar, and in many ways that bothered him.

"No, I'm fine. Thank you."

Andrew leaned against the door, his fake-blue eyes digging into the smiling woman. She was holding a thick envelope in her hands, her fingers clinging to the manila sleeve as if it were precious, and that single act was the only sign of nervousness from the otherwise joyful-seeming woman.

He took the moment of silence that followed and used it to check the Monolith, finding that Vivienne had brought her smart-phone into the house with her, and left her state-of-the-art laptop locked in her Mercedes, which was parked outside. Her assistant, Jessica, was nowhere to be seen, which Andrew was not sure what to think of. Something told Andrew that Jessica was never far from Vivienne; the commanding woman's trust and reliance on her protege was obvious from the first time he had met them.

What frustrated him most, was how her devices were both encrypted, their secrets locked behind a jumbled and confusing arrangement of seeming randomness.

"Well, Sara's out for her nighttime run."

Vivienne laughed and shook her head, "She's still doing that, huh?"

Andrew was annoyed by the genuine fondness in the woman's voice, and the longing he could sense behind her words. All he could think of was the betrayal of Sara's privacy, and attempted violation of his network.

They stared at each other for a few painful moments, Andrew unsure what to say, and Vivienne seeming to weigh the moment.

"So, 'Techno Wizard,' huh?"

Those few words were the last thing that Andrew expected to hear, and they hit him like a bucket of cold water. He was grateful for his nature, as the adrenaline which would have caused most people to panic, caused him to focus.

It was clear that Vivienne did not believe what she had said, having used the label sarcastically, but that single clue was enough for Andrew. He had only ever said that name once in public, and out of all of the people who had heard it, only one was in a position to have repeated it to her.

"So, you and Xander are still talking?"

Vivienne's smile broadened at Andrew's observation, her eyes twinkling with recognition as she studied Andrew.

"Alexander and I share a common interest."

Andrew walked from the door and headed into the kitchen, where he prepared two cups of tea.

"Listen, Vivienne, your little attempt to take my firewall for a joyride has put me in a less than cooperative mood."

He was not sure what her reaction was going to be to his accusation, but he had not expected her to laugh and shrug.

"Can't blame a girl for trying."

He set the tea down on the table beside her, and stated, "Like hell I can't."

She picked up the tea and sniffed at it with some small sign of disgust.

"Just sit down and drink the damn tea. You came here to put your cards on the table, I'm guessing, so stop fucking around."

Andrew was forced to wonder if perhaps Sara's wild moods had influenced him more than he thought, as he heard the anger-filled words that spilled from his mouth. He had gotten angry in the past, sure, but he had always been better at controlling himself than that.

She set the manila envelope down, and brought the dark, rich brew to her lips. After taking a sampling sip, she seemed to brighten up, surprised at the depth of flavor she had just discovered.

"Well, sorry for trying to breach your network."

"If you want this to work, you should probably start with full transparency."

Vivienne looked at him as if she didn't know what he was talking about, but as his eyes looked between his phone and her, she realized the depth of his understanding.

"Seriously?"

There was surprise in her tone, and he could tell by her expression that she was conflicted about admitting to the virus she had placed on his device.

"You can't seriously be upset that I wanted to keep an eye on my daughter."

"No, I understand your concern for Sara, and I even think I understand where your heart was at, but I'm upset at the felonies you've committed to achieve your goal."

There was no humor in Andrew's statement, and as Vivienne rolled her eyes, Andrew could tell that her perspective on what she had done was askew, as if she didn't realize the severity of the crimes she had committed.

"To be fair, until your phone, I had committed no crimes. Sara's phone is technically my property."

Andrew shook his head, and was surprised by the strange turn of events, where he found himself playing the role of adult in a conversation with Sara's mother.

"Listen, I can tell this is going to be a long conversation. You should text Jessi, and tell her to hold all your calls."

It was not the most clever of ploys Andrew had ever waged, but it worked just the same. No one, except for Sara and Karen, could have known what his gift was capable of, and not even Andrew, who watched the Monolith with bated breath, was sure what would happen when she unlocked her device. But, as she entered her password, and the sliver processes which ran in memory relayed their waiting messages, his gift logged her password, and retrieved her decryption key the moment it was loaded into memory.

While she texted Jessica, Andrew sipped from his tea, and smiled, knowing that he had full access to everything on her phone. He was not capable of reading it all at once, and was forced to wait as the Monolith focused on the pieces he was most interested in. It started with her texts, where it worked from latest to oldest. The transfer speed was beyond anything he thought possible, and the long moments between her unlocking her device and when she finished her message to Jessica, provided Andrew with enough time to read her most recent exchange with Xander.

Sara's father had texted Vivienne an hour after Andrew and Sara had left The Clowder.

Alexander:

"You were right, she stopped by."

Andrew was glad there was no mention of the attack by Brandon, or the fact that Sara had almost killed the young man.

Alexander:

"Andrew is like iron in thought, unmoving and difficult to change. He reminds me of you, wildly smart and as perceptive as a hawk. I see why you like him. Though be careful, he's a Techno Wizard, whatever that is."

The young man could almost hear Sara's father's voice as he read the words, deep and commanding, yet aloof and persuasive, all at the same time.

Alexander:

"As you suspected, our daughter has changed, though she is still somewhere between us both in nature. She has bonded with Andrew, and they seem to be well matched. I see in them the potential of what we had once shared."

For some reason, Andrew suspected that last sentence must have hurt Vivienne, and the history that had resulted in Sara's entrance into the world became, for a brief moment, a bit more clear to him.

Andrew was beginning to understand the conflict that Sara felt when she thought of her father. Whatever terrible things her parents had done seemed to have all stemmed from the same source, and Vivienne's response made that clear.

Vivienne:

"Whatever our mistakes, Sara is not among them. I value the moments we shared, Alexander, more than you probably know. But, most of all, I value our daughter, and want her to be safe."

The text had been touching and sincere, forcing Andrew to wonder what had driven the two lovers apart. The following text shed some light on that very question.

Vivienne:

"You used that same word when explaining to me your weakness, back in college. 'Bonding,' as you call it, is a naive excuse that young people make when allowing their hormones to make their decisions for them."

Andrew was watching Vivienne as he read those words, her face reminding him of his mate's so much. From the pristine contours of her jawline, to her straight black hair, she was stunning, and unlike her daughter, she knew it. As he considered her appearance, he realized that their resemblance ran deeper still. They both held their views of the world close to their hearts, unwilling or unable to shake themselves from the notions they carried.

While Sara's nature had held her true and given her guidance, Vivienne had been raised as Andrew had been, and held onto views that were culturally relevant, but not true. At least not within the world that she had stumbled into when she had fallen in love with Alexander. So he was not surprised when he saw her following text.

Vivienne:

"Our daughter is young, and has never been in love. She doesn't need magic to explain what is driving her, and Andrew is a young boy, we all know what rules every choice he makes."

Alexander:

"This conversation is a trail that may be grown over, but it is still well-defined from the many journeys we have taken along its hazardous path. I have always considered you to be the start of my family, and we maintain our offer for you to join us, if you ever find a way to accept our nature."

Alexander:

"I know this is difficult for you to hear, but in this way Sara is my daughter, and no force will break the family she has started with Andrew. My only hope is that you can find a way to love within your daughter that which you hate in me."

Andrew was stunned by the compassion in the man's words, and as he thought back on the conversation he had shared with Sara's father, he realized how the older man had tried to give him the same lesson. How frustrating must it be for Alexander, to be so misunderstood by the human world. Even the woman he loves cannot accept him, because of his nature.

There was a few days' break until the next message was sent.

Vivienne:

"I hope you are wrong, because I can't trust Andrew. His arrival seems too coincidental."

Alexander:

"You're just being paranoid. I always loved your piercing intellect, but it tends to make you chase after shadows."

Vivienne:

"Alexander, you don't understand. Andrew's parents work for the military, and no matter what I try, I can't seem to get my hands on their service records. It's... Spooky."

The woman had finished sending her text just as Andrew finished reading that message, a fairly standard and impersonal message to her assistant that Andrew read for no other reason than he could. In a weird way, Andrew thought it felt nice to betray her assumed sense of privacy.

"So, you really don't understand why we're bothered by what you've done?"

Viviennes cheeks flushed red as she set her phone down.

"Sara knows then..." Her voice trailed off as she considered what that meant. "It had taken so long for us to get back to where we were, she must hate me now."

Andrew watched as Psycho crawled out from within the blanket that Stewart had been using. The cat had spent a lot of the night curled up within the boy's lap, and as the calico stretched out its body, he was reminded of Sara. It didn't take long for Psycho to make her way to the water bowl.

"She's hurt, Vivienne. Which I hope you can understand."

"She needed me to look out for her."

Andrew was confused and perplexed by what he was hearing, and had no idea where the conversation needed to go, or how to make the woman see the truth of what she had done. Vivienne watched him as he thought, seeming to understand the difficulty he was facing, and in some way he felt like a part of her knew that what she had been doing was wrong.

After a few moments of consideration, he decided on a course of action, and while he was not sure it was the right way to go, he felt like sometimes you just have to fight fire with fire.

"How would it make you feel, if you found out that I had infiltrated your phone because I wanted to make sure you weren't plotting against me or my family?"

It barely took a moment for Vivienne to look between Andrew and her phone, and after her eyes crossed that short distance a couple of times, she leaned back and smiled.

"Nah, you couldn't have."

They hadn't been talking long, but the Monolith had already downloaded and decrypted the vast majority of information from her device, and Andrew could feel a small weight that was being pressed upon him as magical energy was trickling out of his core to maintain the data that had been transferred. It was not much, but ever since the ambush, he had decided not to take unnecessary risks, so he used his gift to start his personal computer for the purpose of storing the information.

Andrew raised his eyebrow and smiled.

"You know how gifted I am with computers, how can you be so sure?"

The Monolith brought up a screen, highlighting several scripts that monitored her device. At a cursory glance, they seemed to track various aspects of her phones runtime, most relevantly, disk I/O. It was in that moment, that Andrew realized that the Monolith was not using the device's mechanisms to read data, but rather, was reading the bits directly from the physical device using magic. That was how it was capable of transferring so much data so quickly, and decrypting it nearly as fast. Further, that explained why her script had no way of detecting the added I/O on the device, because as far as the machine could see, there was none.

Andrew tried to fight it, but a small chuckle escaped his lips. The moment his computer finished booting, he shut it down, realizing that he could store Vivienne's data with the hardware powered off.

"You really should have heeded Alexander's warning."

Vivienne lost all color as she picked up her device, and while she held the power button, intent on turning the phone off, Andrew smiled and shook his head. He was still unsure if he had chosen the best path for the conversation, but knew that they would need to come to terms. She needed to understand the gravity of the situation, and just how special his new family was.

He swallowed the last of his fear, and settled himself on his course of action.

"That's not going to help, but I understand if it makes you feel better."

She looked up at him with suspicion, unsure just how he had infiltrated her device. Worry was seated behind her eyes, an old friend she had not felt for many years, and its presence was written in the lines of her face.

"No, it's impossible. I would have known."

Andrew again shook his head before he responded, "He told you himself, I'm a 'Techno Wizard.' What did you think that meant?"

"However you did this, it was not by magic. Andrew. Stop being childish."

It was surprising to Andrew how fast she was to dismiss what she had been told, and what she herself knew to be true — her device would have shut off the moment it detected suspicious activity. Though he was forced to admit it, before Sara had come into his life, he never would have considered magic as an answer to any problem.

The world, as far as Andrew had always considered it, was governed by natural laws. Laws, which until recently, had seemed reliable and unrelenting. There was one question that Andrew kept coming back to, and he had to ask.

"How is it that you could have dated Alexander, and not left that relationship believing in the supernatural? I mean, he's a Ailuranthrope, surely he must have shown you his powers."

Vivienne had shut down her phone, and was beginning to power it back on as she considered Andrew's question. Once the manufacturer name appeared on the screen, she pressed the power button again, setting the device to start in 'safe mode.'

"Alexander's an enchanting man, and while we were together his wild and aloof nature was intoxicating. He would vanish into the forests for days on end, leaving me to my studies."

Andrew could almost see the romanticised visions that were passing through Vivienne's mind as she spoke, the nearly full moon cresting over the tall trees as she stared out over the forest with love in her heart.

"It's easy to believe in magic when you are so close to a man like Alexander, but that very nature is what betrayed us."

She was forced to pause as a tear dripped down her cheek, and despite that single sign of loss, she appeared withdrawn as she considered her next words.