Free A Path of Oak and Ash by M.P. Reeves Page A

moment, going not back into the space Carrick had been given but up the circular stair.
    Alone in the great room, he felt the urge to wander.  Walking the space his eyes glazed over the spines of book covers, marveled in the carvings on the various woodwork; the end tables, the bookcase, even the stairs.
    “Creeee!”  Whirling around, Carrick found himself face to face with Arcedes. The bird had perched on the back of the sofa, its eyes fixed on the boy.  Up close the giant creature was intimidating. Its large beak easily one that could peck out an eye or gouge a jugular, each of her claws wider than two of Carrick’s fingers put together.
    “Hi there.”  He spoke softly, figuring if Erik talked to the bird, she obviously could understand so he shouldn’t be rude.  “Thanks for saving me, back in that apartment.  You’re a pretty awesome fighter.”
    Despite the fact that he felt ridiculous complementing the creature on something like that she tilted her head, blinking at him as though she agreed.
    Which was nuts.  No, more than nuts, it was bloody batty.
    Carrick ran his long fingers through his hair, with a groan he complained to nothing and everything.  “Now I’m talking to birds...what's next am I going to sing to a fern?”
    “I imagine that would be quite silly if you did.”  Erik called down, having reappeared at the top of the stairs with some sort of clothing in his hands.  Arcedes ruffled her feathers while Carrick leapt back in surprise. "I doubt you have the voice of a minstrel."
    “Oh he didn’t mean it.”  Erik told his bird with a frown, even so she took flight, disappearing up behind a large branch above.  “Well done, you went and hurt her feelings.”
    “I didn’t mean-”
    “Put this on.”  Erik handed him an asparagus green hoodie, although the sleeves were open and cut mid forearm and rather than a zipper it had seashells for buttons. Seashells, the little pretty iridescent ones children clamored for on vacation.  He had a small jar full at home from when he was seven and they went to Myrtle Beach.  Shiny little things collecting dust on a shelf next to his old robot action figures, never serving a purpose outside of wonder.  Little holes had been punched into the shells to sew them onto the cloth.  It reminded him of an old woman’s craft project, he knew better to complain though.
    “Fit well?”
    “Yeah, this works.”  Carrick clapped his hands together, feeling anxious.  Thoughts of home did little to improve his mood.  He tried not to think of what the place would look like now. Police tape and dead plants, everything they owned being filed into evidence boxes. “So, what now?”
    “Now you learn.  Learn what you are, what we are.  Now you fulfil your destiny.”   Erik headed toward the circular stair that led down.  “Come.  Time to get acquainted with Dre’ien.”   Carrick followed him down the stair, which curiously did not open into another room.
    It opened into nothing. 
    A doorway to a thirty foot drop to the grass below and Erik just kept walking.  Before Carrick could shout stop, halt or anything of the sort, his uncle had both feet out the door.
    Yet he did not fall.  Vines snaked up the tree and shot out, interlocking beneath his feet.  A living pathway forming to the ground below in a slow easy decline.  Despite Erik’s assumed weight of at least two hundred pounds, the greenery held him easily.  Stretching and yawning under his foot falls, untangling and retreating after his step.   
    The boy behind him watched this in amazement, lurking in the doorway of the loft.  There were other people on the stone pathway between the houses, casually walking and talking.  Folks going about their business paying absolutely no mind to the marvel unfolding before them.  Taking a deep breath Carrick considered the wonder, had he never seen a smartphone he would also marvel at how magical sounds and pictures got on the tiny screen.