THE GLASS INHERITANCE

Chapter 2: The Edge of the World

The Isle of Skye did not welcome visitors; it put up with them.

As the helicopter flew over the peaks of the Cuillin mountains Elias Thorne felt a strong sense of being trapped. He was used to the buildings of New York, where the steel structures showed how big people could dream. Here the mountains were old didn't care about humans and were covered in a mist that felt heavy against the glass.

"We're landing in five minutes sir " the pilot said over the headset. "The Mercer property is past that ridge. There's no helipad so its going to be a bit bumpy if the ground's as soggy as it looks."

Elias looked down at his shoes— Italian leather—and sighed. "Just get me on the ground, Captain."

When the helicopters skids finally touched the earth the rotor wash sent a whirlwind of mud and seawater spraying against the stone walls of a cottage. The house was small, built of grey rock with a roof of slate that looked like it came from the sea.

Elias stepped out his coat flapping wildly in the wind. The air tasted of salt, wet wool and something sharp— heather. It was very quiet once the engines stopped.

"Mr. Thorne " Marcus warned, stepping out behind him. "There's movement by the barn."

A woman came out of the shadows of an outbuilding. She wasn't dressed in clothes. She wore work boots covered in mud, old trousers and a thick oversized sweater the color of a bruised sky.

She didn't look happy. In fact she looked like she was calculating how fuel Elias had just wasted.

"You're trespassing " she shouted over the dying sound of the rotors. Her accent was a musical burr but the edge on it was pure steel.

Elias adjusted his cuffs. Began the tricky trek across the muddy yard. "I assume you're Juno Mercer."

"I assume you're the man who thinks a helicopter is a doorbell " she countered, crossing her arms. She stood her ground as he approached, her eyes—a grey—scanning him with a detached interest.

Elias stopped six feet away. "My name is Elias Thorne. I believe you've received a letter about Arthur Thornes passing."

Junos expression didn't soften. If anything it turned hard. "I got an envelope full of legal jargon that I used to start my fire. If you've come to collect a debt you're out of luck. The only thing of value on this land is the animals. They wouldn't like a man in a three-thousand-dollar suit."

"I'm not here to collect " Elias said, his voice dropping to a serious tone. "I'm here because you're named in his will. You've been left a lot of money and a seat on a board that currently wants to see you fail."

Juno let out a dry laugh. She turned her back on him. Walked toward a large mesh enclosure where a hawk sat perched its yellow eyes tracking Elias.

"I don't want his money " she said, her voice muffled as she reached for a leather gauntlet. "I didn't want him when he was alive. I don't want it now. Go back to your city Mr. Thorne."

"It's not that simple " Elias said, stepping closer ignoring the mud ruining his trousers. "There's a Unification Clause. If you don't claim your seat the estate is liquidated. My estate. My lifes work. My father made sure that my future is tied to yours. If you stay here you don't just walk away from money—you destroy everything I've built."

Juno spun around the hawk now perched on her wrist its wings half-fanned. The power dynamic in the yard shifted instantly. She wasn't a girl in the woods; she was a woman who dealt with wild animals.

"And why should I care about your 'lifes work'?" she asked, her voice low and serious. "You look like a man who has never had a problem in his life. You come here smelling of cologne and entitlement asking me to save your fortune? I'm busy Elias. I have an eagle with a broken wing and a sanctuary thats falling apart."

Elias froze. "He blocked your credit?"

"He wanted me desperate " she spat. "He wanted me to beg. He's dead. Hes still trying to control me."

Elias looked at the roof of the sanctuary then back at Juno. He saw it then—the Thorne stubbornness. It wasn't in the set of her jaw; it was in the way she refused to back down.

"I have a proposition " Elias said, his mind already spinning a plan. "One year. Come to New York for twelve months. Take the seat. I will personally guarantee the funding for this sanctuary—not from the inheritance. From my own accounts. Enough to make this the best rehabilitation center in Europe."

Juno looked at the hawk at the horizon. ". After the year?"

"You can sign your shares over to me and vanish back to this island with enough money to never see a human again if thats what you wish."

Juno stepped toward him the hawks beak inches from Eliass face. He didn't flinch.

"You're a vulture aren't you?" she whispered. "That's what the papers call you."

"Vultures are necessary " Elias said. "They clean up the mess others leave behind."

"Well " she said, a slow mocking smile touching her lips. "I hope you brought than one suit. It's a way to New York and I have three more cages to clean before I even think about packing a bag."

Elias looked at the mud. He looked at the hawk. For the time, in a decade he didn't have a plan to tell him what to do next.

"Marcus " Elias called out without looking

"Yes, sir?"

"Find a shovel. It looks like we're staying for the evening."