Chapter 41

Revelations

Taryn followed the cop back to the boulevard where she had
left Sylvie. Ambulances and police cars with flashing red and blue lights were
everywhere. Taryn saw, with relief, Sylvie being patched up by paramedics near
one of the ambulances. One of the men had a stethoscope out and was trying to
check Sylvie's heartbeat with a baffled look on his face. Taryn felt sorry for
him, they probably never prepared him to check on folks with two heartbeats
before! And there was Sylvie's mom, sitting next to her, holding her hand while
the paramedic checked her over and another police officer was taking her
statement. And there, to the left of them was…

Taryn felt her mouth fall open as the most gorgeous man she
had ever seen walked over to her. His haunch was a deep glossy black, with a
barrel chest and long legs. Taryn was no expert on horseflesh, but it looked
like his body was made for endurance and strength. His human half was just as
big as the rest of him, with thick biceps, broad shoulders that strained the
seams of his "Zombie Survivor: I Ran Faster than You!" shirt. And his face!
Sylvie couldn't imagine a better face, chiseled from stone, with a strong chin,
steel-grey eyes and a light beard the same brown as his hair. The man looked up
as she approached and gave a bugle of joy before leaping to his feet and
running at her. Paramedics and cops scattered at his approach, and the one at
his side appeared to be considering running or drawing his gun.

"Taryn!" The centaur shouted. He pulled up just short of her
with a broad grin on his face that somehow made it brighten the day and leave
her with a strange burning feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Taryn felt her mouth drop open a second time. "Josh!?" she
squealed. "B-but, how? When? I―"

Josh chuckled. "It's a long story. You see, I had been
working on that account Nightshade was using to give your money to your mother.
I must have spent weeks on it, with no success. Then, about a two weeks ago, I
run into Sylvie's mom while picking up a pizza. She tells me that you've been
in Rio this whole time and that there are dozens of web videos of it." He
looked chagrined. "I hadn't been monitoring any of my accounts, which turned
out were full of videos of the two centaurettes in Rio." He shrugged. "Well,
now that you were found, I felt like a bit of a fifth wheel. Chief Brodrick
couldn't help, he was trying to keep the gangs from erupting in all out warfare
again, and so was the mayor. There was serious discussion of implementing a
curfew. I needed to clear my head. Decide what to do and how to help. It was
then that I found the Enchanted Threads."

"The Enchanted Threads!" Taryn gasped.

"Yeah. I hadn't known about the costume part. I mean, who
thinks that? Well, I happened to see a centaur costume in the window, and it
made me think of you, so I went in. I met Roland, she was sweet in her own
way,  I guess, but―"

"Wait, Roland was a gir?" Taryn asked, confused.

Josh looked at her. "Yeah, why?"

"Because when he sold Sylvie and us our costumes, he was an
older guy, about fifty." Taryn told him. Inside her mind raced through
possibilities as she tried to bring the pieces together. It clicked. "Huh, I
guess Roland can change his appearance to suit his customers at will.
Apparently, though, he can't change his name at all, or at least not much."

Josh looked thoughtful. "Huh, that explains a lot."

"It does?" Taryn asked in surprise.

"Yeah. When I went in, she asked if I was a friend of yours.
When I said yeah, she told me that she had been looking for someone like me.
She knew that you were in terrible danger and needed all the help you could
get. I asked her how she knew, and she told me she was able to see things from
far away. I just assumed that she meant the web videos. I didn't think magic.
She asked if I would be willing to do anything she asked to help you, I said
absolutely." He flushed a little, Taryn saw with fascination. "Yes, well. She
told me she had something special in the back that would help. She came back
with the centaur costume and then asked me to try it on. 'And hurry.' She said.
'I've got one more coming that will help, and I need you to be changed by
then.' I was starting to think she was nuts, but she told me it would help, so
I went to the dressing room while we waited for this other person."

Josh chuckled slightly. "Well, I'm sure you can imagine my
shock when the costume's zipper fell off and I was suddenly standing tall
enough to dunk basketballs! I came out of the dressing room to find Roland
sitting in the middle of a deserted floor, a mermaid beside her! I was
surprised to see her, I hadn't noticed the sound of the front door opening at
all.

'Now that we're all here, I need to give you something.'
Roland said. She passed this funny glowing orb to the mermaid. 'Cindy, this orb
will amplify yours and Megan's voices, allowing you to cast a spell on the
docks. That will hold all but two people. They will end up giving chase,
determined to stop Sylvie and Taryn. That's where you come in.' She turned
towards me and gave me this stone." Josh paused a moment and pulled off a
leather necklace that she hadn't noticed before. Inside was a glowing stone. It
looked like a Tiger's Eye, Taryn thought, except for the glowing, of course.
"Well, I was a bit surprised to have the stone, but she told me that it would
be important. 'When you have finished saving them, you will give this stone to
Taryn. You will know when. Tell her, it is a gift like no other, and an
apology. This was not what her fate was to be. I hope she will be happy with
this gift. Now be gone!' And just like that, the store vanished, leaving me and
the mermaid standing in the middle of a deserted apartment. Let me tell you, it
was fun getting her to the lake undetected! Fortunately, Sylvie's mom happened
by, and I was able to bring her in. She told us of her plan to go to Rio and
rescue you. I volunteered immediately, and so did the mermaids when they
heard."

 "Here." He said
quietly. Josh passed her the stone, which she took, staring at it curiously. He
then hugged her, and Taryn was surprised to feel dampness on her cheek. He was
crying, she realized. "I'm so glad we found you." He whispered.

"Yeah, me too." Taryn said awkwardly. She returned the hug
though, and refused to let go of his hand when he finally let go. They walked
over to where her mom was being treated in the cab. Taryn was relieved to see
her sitting up on the gurney and talking to a couple of the paramedics. She
looked up as Taryn approached.

"Taryn!" She said excitedly. "I'm so glad you're all right!
They wouldn't tell me what had happened to you!"

"I'm fine mom, I promise." Taryn walked over and gave her a
gentle hug.

"I'm so glad, honey. Tell me, what happened to Nightshade?"
She asked kindly.

"It's OK mom. He's going to jail for a long time."

"Good. I'm glad to see that he's getting what he…Taryn, why
is that stone glowing?" She asked in confusion. Everyone was staring at the
small stone that was shining like a mini sun in the palm of her hand.

"I…I don't know!" Taryn said worriedly. Should she get rid
of it, what should she do? The stone took the matter out of her hands as it
rose to about eye level. It shot to her mother, hitting her firmly on her chest
where her heart was. Taryn cursed as she reached for the stone, so did the
paramedic. They stopped as the glow transferred itself to Mary's body. "Oh,
no." Taryn whispered in horror. The stone was going to transform her mother!
Her mom rose off the gurney, the light enveloping her, coming from her. She
seemed brighter than the noonday sun as she hung there, ten feet off the
ground. The light flared, and vanished, leaving her mom wild-eyed in the air.
She began falling gently to earth, arms outstretched. Taryn noted absently that
her clothing had changed; she was wearing a buckskin shirt and pants, matching
her costume completely. Her calf-skin boots touched the ground. Taryn gaped as
her mother stood on unsteadily for a moment.

"Mom?" The question came out half-strangled.

"Oh, Taryn!" she sobbed. Her mother flung herself at her.
Taryn was caught her and lifted her up, crying just as hard. Behind her, she
could hear people suddenly cheering, and Sylvie bugling her joy. But all that
mattered was right here, right now. Her mother could walk again! Tears
streaming down, Taryn walked beside her mother as they followed the policemen
to a waiting trailer that was going to take them to the American Embassy.

"Thank you, Roland." She whispered. Somehow, she knew it was
over. Her life might be infinitely more complicated, might be going to be
harder in some ways, but she had her mother back, her best friends were with
her. Somehow, no matter what was going to happen next, everything was going to
turn out all right.