Page 36 of Bound By Destiny

Dane wrote his goodbye note on the back of a letter that contained the addresses of each member from the Guild.Silly man. Did you really want to say goodbye forever?

The driver tells me it will be almost three hours to Dane’s ranch. Time goes by quickly as I stare in fascination at the landscape flying by my window.Here I am, over eight thousand miles away from home.I can hardly believe I actually left the country.

Somehow I feel fifteen years younger, like the teen who dreamed of traveling the world. The landscape is beautiful, greener than I’d imagined. I keep my eyes peeled for cute critters like a koala or a wombat.

“Oh my goodness!” I squeal when I see a bouncing silhouette in the distance. “Mister, is that a kangaroo?”

The driver only responds by turning the volume of the radio up.

“It was the calm before the storm for Perthies, as hundreds claim to have spotted a tornado just outside city perimeters. Locals battled epic winds only last Monday, and thought the worst had passed after two sunny days.”

The car stops in the middle of the road, and I’m sent nose first into the front seat.

“What was that about?” I sputter in indignation.

“Did you hear?” The man responds, gaze wide and dancing with fear. “They say there’s a tornado near Perth. Mundaring is right next door!”

My excitement over the kangaroo dwindles in a flash, only to be replaced with gut-wrenching, bone-deep terror.

“Can’t we drive a bit further?” I beg, voice jittering as I speak.

He shakes his head. “Lady, you’ve got to be out of your mind to be thinking of going anywhere near a tornado!” I continue to implore him with my eyes. “Hell no. I just finished paying off my loan on this car.”

With a sigh, I square my shoulders. “I’m going to go on from here then.”

He gawks at me wordlessly, but I’ve already opened the door and retrieved my suitcase by the time he recovers from the shock.

“Are you sure? Don’t be a drongo. I’ll get you back to Busselton free of charge.”

I’m not sure what adrongois, but I get the gist of it. “Thanks for your help. I’ll be fine. Really.”

When the tires finally screech and the road is clear, I look up to the skies.

I guess it’s time for my greatest flight yet.

Dane

“Dane!” Luciana cries to me over the deafening wind. “Have you seen Sriracha?”

Sriracha is the red panda Warwick and I collected from Nepal six years ago, based upon rumors of her phoenix nature relayed to us by Palden, a fellow member of the Guild. She’s a playful but a jumpy little thing, and I’m sure she’s terrified of the ruckus.

I shake my head as Warwick, Luciana and I dash in every direction in the barn, trying to collect all the animals to cram them in our tiny basement. The walls shake uncontrollably. It can’t be any later than three in the afternoon, yet most of the light is gone already.

“What about the Peryton?!” I bellow, searching for the stately hybrid Luciana inherited from her father.

My heart stills when I spot a pair of antlers in the distance, barely perceptible among the fiercely swaying branches.I have to catch him before he runs away into the wild.

Needless to say, I had to postpone my travel plans to Arizona for the time being. A couple of days ago, violent winds ravaged the roof of our barn, leaving gaping holes. And as if that wasn’t enough, now it looks like we may be the last stop of a formidable tornado. It hit the hamlet a few miles ahead of us hard, and word is it keeps gaining momentum.

I jog outside to snatch the Peryton before he puts himself in any kind of danger, but he’s spooked by a plank of wood that flies his way and nearly knocks him out. Cursing out loud, I only narrowly dodge a piece of debris myself as I run as fast as I can through the prairie. Out of the corner of my eye, I spy the tornado, dark and daunting. The path to our ranch is clear.

I struggle to stay focused, jumping over a fence and crawling underneath another. The Peryton, unlike most of our animals, isn’t a phoenix. Any injury to this fine creature may prove to be fatal.

“No!” I cry out when he spreads his wings.

I lunge forward, and to my great relief manage to catch his reins before he flies away. I’m lifted off the ground, but the Peryton isn’t strong enough to carry me.

“Come here, buddy,” I mumble as I lay a few reassuring strokes on the Peryton’s fur.

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