The Unveiling - Modern Magic: Book 1

Chapter 24

A/N:  The last chapter made the book pass 300 reads!  I'm so glad people seem to be enjoying things so far.  This chapter is a little shorter, but it's also posted faster, so I hope that's a consolation.  Honestly, I wanted a clean break between Zane's traveling and the beginning of his summer.  Time is probably going to go by a little quicker in the story rather than 1 chapter for 1 day (or sometimes less).  I'll do my best to make it as clear as possible when things occur compared to one another!

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Chapter 24 - Summer Begins

The plane rolled into the terminal with the sun in the process of setting. Going through customs on this side of the trip took considerably longer than my time in security back in Boston. There were no issues for me or any of the other passengers around me, it was just thorough. By the time I was finished, it was already past 9:30pm local time. For me, that felt like past midnight. Being up late packing the night before, and having to be up early that morning, I was definitely ready to find my way to anything moderately resembling a bed. As I left the secured section of the airport, I saw people standing either alone or with families, watching for passengers they knew. It didn't take me long at all to see a tall, older version of the man from my memory.

Alistair Lamont would be hard to miss in most crowds. 6'4" and built like a Redwood tree. The 78-year old man was looking for me through the crowd. I assumed my mom had given him a more up-to-date picture of me, or at least a description. I waved in his direction, keeping my eyes on his until he caught the movement out of the corner of his eye. I watched his serious expression transform to a bright smile, wrinkles instantly becoming more pronounced on his weathered face. We eventually reached each other through the crowd and he grabbed me in a giant bear hug.

"Well, look't you! Last I saw you, you barely came up to my knee!" His laugh was as loud as you would expect from someone of his size. I wouldn't have been able to stop myself from smiling if I wanted to. I returned the hug with my one arm not carrying my luggage.

"Hey Grandpa, thanks for putting me up for the summer, and at the last minute, too." He pulled back, holding me by the shoulders and looking me over.

"Think nothing of it, Lad. And we're both adults here, aren't we. Just call my Alistair. Much simpler, don'cha think?" It felt a little awkward, but I had nothing against it, although I did notice a little bit of irony that a complex name like 'Alistair' would be considered simpler. I nodded which triggered another brilliant smile. "Good. Let's get'ya home. Those long flights drain the very life outta ya!" Without asking, he took the luggage from my hand, leaving my just to carry my backpack. I had no interest in complaining as I followed him out of the terminal.

The heavier jacket I had used as a blanket on the plane trip was definitely needed when I walked out into the cool weather. We crossed a few roads to get to the short-term parking lot. After weaving through several rows of cars, Alistair finally stopped behind a dark green late-model truck. Fishing his keys from his pocket, he opened the covered bed. Inside was a mesh net held against the tailgate by elastic cords. He stretched this, placing my luggage inside and holding it open so I could put my backpack inside as well. I assumed it was designed to keep smaller items from flying all over the truck bed while we drove. Offering another smile, my grandfather unlocked the driver's side door and leaned over to unlock my side. Once I had climbed in and fastened my seat belt, we were backing out and getting on the road.

Not too long after leaving the airport, we crossed a bridge into Vancouver, the airport being situated on an island south of the city. With the sun down, Vancouver could have been any city, as far as I would have known. The drive took about an hour. We skirted the busiest sections of the city before arching north through what looked like suburbs. We turned east again when we neared the river north of the city. This road was wider, and obviously used to heavier traffic, although at this time of night the majority of the traffic was heading in the opposite direction.

I felt each blink of my eyes taking more effort to complete. I was suddenly roused from what must have been sleep when the truck started bouncing on a dirt road. I blinked, trying to get my bearings. Framing the roadway was deep forests, mostly evergreens from the look. My grandfather must have noticed the sudden rousing and offered a little prospective on our location. "We're almost home here, Lad. I like ta keep away from the hustle and bustle of those big cities, but that hardly means I live like a cave man." He smiled as the truck slowed, turning onto a better-kept dirt driveway, leading into the dense woods. Rounding a bend, his home was revealed.

His home was beautiful. At first glance, it looked like an old-style log cabin, but it was quickly obvious that there were far more modern construction techniques that went into it. The log styling fit in perfectly with the dense woods surrounding the lot, but the windows were clear glass, and it even had a two-car garage off to the side. We pulled into the garage, parking next to an older truck that was probably mostly held together by rust. I climbed out with my grandfather, and we collected my bags from the back before he led me inside. Just inside his home, there was a large mud room complete with racks along the ground for boots, a large sink, and a closet for coats and such that could easily have been the size of a large pantry. We both took off our coats and shoes, and I followed his example where to place everything before he led me up a few stairs into the rest of the house.

My grandfather gave me a short tour, promising to give a full one once I had gotten some rest. I didn't complain; I honestly wasn't sure how much I would have retained at that moment. Passing through the kitchen, we headed for the stairs to the second floor through a nicely furnished living room. At the top of the stairs was a simple hallway with four doors: Bathroom, Alistair's room, his office, and the guest room - or mine for the next three months. The room smelled a little musty, but I wouldn't complain. I hadn't even thought to ask how many visitors he usually entertained. Clapping me on the back, my grandfather bade me goodnight after laying my suitcase in a corner of the room. I remembered at the last second to ask for his WIFI password, and set my phone before sending a text out to my mom and Diana. It was almost 11:00pm here, so I was not expecting any replies until the next morning, given the difference in time zones. I must have found my way under the sheets after that, but I was so tired I don't remember much before finally succumbing to tiredness.

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A/N, P.S.  I'm actually having a fun time researching things for this book.  For the last two chapters, I got to look up flights from Boston to Vancouver, spent several hours on Bing Maps staring at satellite images of Vancouver to get an idea of where I wanted Alistair to live, work, etc.  Oh and on that note - anyone have any thoughts on Alistair so far?  I know we haven't heard a lot from him, but I think I like how he's coming together so far.  :)