and his unique family. He shrugged, not wanting Baer to worry over him. “Yeah, but not everyone can be special.”
Baer frowned. “I think you’re pretty damn special, and you’re so obviously talented. Not everyone can draw like this.”
“It’s just drawing. I’m not saving the world or anything.”
“No, but you’re giving people stories to take them out of their own realities. Giving enjoyment and happiness. That’s nothing to scoff at. What you do is just as important.” Baer flipped toward the end, then pointed at a sketch. “This one is my favorite of me.”
Wiley held out his hand for the sketch pad, and Baer handed it to him. He glanced down at his drawing, taking in the image of Baer morphing into a cougar. “I like this one, too. I’ll never forget seeing you change like that. I’d like to see more.”
“Oh, yeah? What would you like to see me change into?”
Wiley thought for a moment. “Can you be a snake?”
Baer shuddered. “Now why would you want to see that?”
“Got a problem with snakes?”
“Nah, I love all creatures, but I’ve been one several times, and the urge to swallow mice was hard to fight. Plus, you taste everything on that forked tongue.”
Wiley laughed. “Just how much of your personality do you retain?”
“All of it, but it’s hard to think in the smaller brains, and nature comes heavily into play. When I’m a wolf, I have the urge to run and chase things. When I’m a rabbit, I’m skittish as hell. Most of the animals out there are just going about their lives, searching for food and making families. It’s quite beautiful. Simple even though survival is hard for a lot of them.”
Holding the sketch pad against his chest, Wiley looked out at the trees at the back of the yard as they swayed lightly. Birds darted here and there. A squirrel was feeling brave and climbed out of a nearby tree to search for food. Luckily, Ruby was asleep by his feet. “It must be wonderful to hear them. Do they use words?”
“Occasionally it’s like words, but it’s more like images and feelings—it’s hard to explain.” He reached down to ruffle Ruby’s fur. “Like this one here. She’s happy being around us right now. Always, really. She’s projecting the feeling of contentment. She’s a sweet-natured dog.”
“She is. I just love her.”
“She loves you, too. Quite a bit, in fact. It helps that, like Dane, you sneak her food.”
Blushing, Wiley opened his mouth to kind of apologize just as Clay walked out of the house and approached them. He looked good in his jeans and a loose T-shirt, but he’d obviously been helping Dane with something, as dirt streaked his clothes.
“You two want to take a ride with me?” he asked.
Baer sat up. “Where to?”
“I was going through receipts earlier today and found a reoccurring charge for a storage room about an hour from here. I can only assume one of us set it up in the past. There’s no date on the receipt, but when I went through the books, I saw it’s been on a reoccurring payment for more than thirty years.”
“You’re kidding?” Baer stood up. “Maybe it’s full of more antiques.”
“Or the spell books Flo mentioned,” Wiley said.
“That’s what I’m hoping.” Clay shoved his hands into his pockets and squinted into the sun. “I don’t want to go by myself, so I thought you two could ride along. Help go through things and possibly move things out, if needed.” Clay lifted his head and looked toward the trees. “I’m guessing Grey and Lucien are out in the clearing, practicing.”
Baer nodded. “I left them there not too long ago. Do you want me to run and grab them, too? Might be good to have the Fire Weaver along in case we meet with trouble.”
“I doubt we’ll encounter anything. This has been quietly paid all this time. We’ll just sneak in. The two of us should be able to handle anything that comes up.”
Wiley jumped up, more than ready to get out of the house again and be included in an adventure. A thirty-year-old storage unit sounded exciting. He’d been addicted to a show on television where people bid on storage units that had been let go. Anything could be in there. He grabbed his sketch pad and ran a hand over his swim trunks. “I’m just going to put on some jeans really quick.”
Baer nodded as the three of them and Ruby went into the house.
It didn’t take long for