Oskar’s 14th Birthday, May 30,1996
Dad handed the large, white envelope to Oskar. “Jonathan assured me that this is actually a conditional present for both of you. It was completed a bit ahead of schedule, unusual for such an…undertaking, so it was decided that your birthday would be the perfect time to reveal it to you.”
“What could it be, Oskar? Last year, you got the complete works of Edgar Allan Poe, all first editions. Maybe this year you got an autographed photo of him,” Eli said, hefting the envelope carefully. It was too light for anything significant, and too thin to have much in it at all.
“Ha, ha! And how would that be a present for you, Eli? I know! Maybe it’s an autographed picture of Shakespeare, since you got the complete works last year for your birthday.”
Papa smiled as he remembered the look on her face when she realized the set was missing one volume; the very volume she had given him from her tomb. Including that volume, the set was complete, and probably worth a fortune. They had great fun trying to figure out whether or not Gudmund had bought it at the same time she bought hers, in anticipation of her distant birthday.
“Well, don’t just stand there, Oskar; open it!” Elaine put her hands on his shoulders and squeezed.
He bent the brads straight, slipped the flap over them, and pulled out several glossy photographs, and another, smaller envelope. “What’s this, Dad?”
“It looks like an island to me, Oskar.” Papa put his arm around Eli and winked at her.
“But…why? What does it mean?” Oskar looked at the next photo:
“Eli’s eyes got big. “Sandstrøm Home? Dawson Home?” Papa! What does it mean?”
“Remember that castle we talked about Eli? The one in Romania?”
“Papa! You were just kidding!...Weren’t you?”
“Jonathan told me just a little about this place last year, Eli. I just embellished the tale a bit. And, after all, isn’t your home your castle?”
“Eli! Did you see this?” Oskar pointed to a smaller house just north of the compound, with two suspiciously familiar gables on the roof. “Eli’s and Oskar’s Home (2002),” he read.
Elaine smiled at them. “That’s for…later.”
Eli and Oskar grinned at each other. This time, Oskar wasn’t the least bit embarrassed.
Eli pulled out another photograph:
“Wow! Look at that! It’s a lighthouse! Our island has a lighthouse!” Oskar exclaimed.
“How big is the island, Papa? And where is it?
It’s small, Eli; about eight square kilometers, and it’s located off the west coast. I’m not going to tell you exactly where just yet.”
“Is this a forest?” Oskar pointed to a dark area near the east end of the island.”
“A small one, Oskar. Not like you’re used to seeing in Sweden. After all it’s a small island.”
“How do we get there, Papa? When can we go?”
“Duhh! See the airstrip, Eli?” Oskar needled her.
Oskar’s right of course. And there’s also a helicopter pad near the lighthouse. The government has authority over that small area of the island, and in return has allowed Archaeogenetics, through Genterapi Ltd., to install part of the solar grid that provides most of the power to the island.
“Look at this, Eli.” Oskar pulled out another photo.
“That’s an old photo, Oskar. Jonathan informed me that the entire hillside is covered with panels now.”
“Papa…”
“We’ll decide when to go as soon as the Sandstrøm s join us for the party, Eli. We have a lot to talk about. Nils and Livia already know about this, or at least the reasons why it’s being revealed to you so soon.”
“Why, Papa? I thought we weren’t to get everything until we were 21.”
“Believe me, Eli; this is far from everything. And you’re not exactly ‘getting’ it. We’ll just be using it.”
“You mean it’s not Oskar’s present after all?”
No! I mean yes. I mean, it is your present Eli. Yours and Oskar’s. When you’re 21. It’s being made available to you now, not only because it’s Oskar’s birthday, but because…” He looked at Elaine, who nodded to him, with a look on her face that Eli couldn’t read. “Because of the research going on there and the need for absolute secrecy. Jack has been there for 5 months now. And there have been some developments. Jonathan wants Elaine there. And you.”
“But why, Papa? Why Mama and me?”
“Because of your…unique histories, Eli. I won’t say anything more than that. But the island, within the limits described in the small envelope, is available to you for any purpose, and I DO mean any purpose. You can come and go as you like at Genterapi’s expense, make use of any of the facilities there, explore the caves, climb the trees, anything you like. All the assets of Genterapi Ltd. are at your disposal, again within the described limits.”
“Now, Papa! We want to go now!”
“Patience, Eli. Shouldn’t you see who’s at the door?”
Oskar was already opening it when Eli got there. “It’s just us, Eli!” Hannah grabbed Oskar and hugged him. “Happy birthday, Oskar.” she handed him a present. “This is from Jason and me.”
Jason winked at him. “You’re going to really like it!” he whispered.
Einstein jumped up and smothered Eli with kisses as though to say I’m glad to see you too.
§
Eli and Hannah sat on the edge of the pool, feet dangling in the water, talking quietly together. The date had been set. They were all leaving for a week’s stay on the island in two days. Hannah had helped Eli lay out all her clothes for the trip and had put her hair up in a bun after swimming, but they had avoided talking about the specifics of the trip until now.
“Hannah, I think…I hope…” she began again. “You know Jack has been gone for over five months now, and Papa just told us that he has been on the island all that time, working with Jonathan on something.”
“What, Eli? What’s he working on?” Hannah was puzzled. Jack had been advising her on her science project, off and on, for almost that whole period via regular e-mail messages, and his e-mail address hadn’t changed. She knew he was busy, which was why he hadn’t stopped by; but on an island? Doing secret, exciting stuff and he hadn’t even told her?
“Papa says he wants Mama and me there for some…tests of some kind. Because of our ‘unique histories.’” She put her arm around her, “Hannah, I think it’s about the wings!” Her voice was almost a whisper.
“Really?!” Hannah couldn’t believe it. “You mean you’ll get your wings back? Eli, that’s...wonderful!! You’ll be my fairy again!”
Eli took her face in her hands when she saw the tears in her eyes. “You too, Hannah! You’ll have them too, or I won’t do it!”
“Of course you’ll do it! You have to! Promise me you’ll do it no matter what!” Hannah was really worried. She knew her parents would never agree to her getting wings. She wasn’t even allowed the eyes until she was 18. “Promise! Right now!”
“Okay, Hannah. I promise,” she said softly. She could see how upset Hannah was, and realized immediately why. “But you have to promise me that you’ll get them as soon as your mom and dad say it’s okay.”
“Of course, Eli. I promise.”
“Don’t say anything to anyone about it though. I could be wrong. I just had to tell you, just in case. You’re my kindred spirit. You and Oskar both understand how much I loved them.”
“You’re not wrong, Eli. That’s what it is, I’m certain. Otherwise, Jack would have told me where he was, or at least what he was doing. That’s the only thing he could have been doing that he wouldn’t tell me because he would know how hard it would be for me to keep it from you.”
“Hannah, you’re amazing! Why do you think Jack would have told you where he was if it was some other secret?”
“Because he would never lie to me, and that would have been a ‘Lie of Omission.’ A lie told to keep from hurting you until he knew for sure that the wings would work, is the only lie he would ever, ever tell me. I know it, and that’s final. You’re getting your wings, and they’re going to work.”
And Eli knew she was right. Whenever Hannah was that certain, she was always right. Finally, she dared to think about it as if it were a real truth. She was getting her wings back at last. And Mama too. They could fly together again, like before.
“Oh Hannah! I love you so much!”
Hannah grinned at her, stood up and grabbed her arm, “Come on, Eli. I’m going to make you pretty. If you love me so much, you’ll let me do it.” She had brought some of her favorite dresses over to show Eli, but she knew it would be difficult to get her excited about them. Eli was, after all, very like a boy in most things, clothing included, and in her attitude, in spite of recent physical developments. After all, they were thirteen and a half now. Dresses really fit them the way they were supposed to. Besides, she loved making Oskar uncomfortable. This was a win-win for her.
“Well?” she tapped her foot impatiently.
“Okay, okay!” Eli pretended to be irritated, and obediently allowed herself to be dragged up the stairs to her room, where Hannah proceeded to work her ‘magic’ on her, over and over again, until she was satisfied. Tubes of lipstick, mascara brushes and various multi-colored jars and powder-laden pads covered Eli’s desk by the time Hannah was finished. They grinned at each other in the full-length mirror and turned around several times, admiring and complimenting each other. Eli had to admit; she was actually enjoying herself. Hannah was contagious.
Hannah slipped a tape into the recorder, pressed the ‘play’ button, and held out her hand. “May I have this dance?” The waltz music swelled up around them
Eli attempted a curtsy, failed miserably, took her hand, put her arm around her waist, and they danced quietly together around and around the room. She felt so relaxed and happy, thinking about all the wonderful times they would have together just like this, forever. Hannah was so unpredictable and so full of life that she was able to suck Eli into her world effortlessly. It had been that way from the very beginning, she realized. She laid her head on her shoulder, and uncharacteristically, let Hannah lead, which Hannah did, with great enthusiasm. Soon, they were a blur of deep blue charmeuse, and white satin as they spun around together in a graceful waltz.
They heard the twin gasps as the door was flung open, and Jason and Oskar stood there, dumfounded, mouths wide open. The two of them had been completely absorbed in Oskar’s new video game, Riven, the sequel to Myst, blissfully unaware of the activities next door until they heard the music pouring through Eli’s closed door.
“You’re…you’re beautiful!” The words spilled out of Oskar’s mouth before he could stop them. He felt like an idiot, especially with Jason standing right next to him.
“Wow! Sis, you’ve outdone yourself. You’re gorgeous! Both of you!” he slapped Oskar on the back. “Now, the question is, which is which? I’m sure Oskar wants to know in the worst way! And I’m just a bit curious myself.”
Oskar breathed a sigh of relief. If he had made a fool of himself, apparently Jason hadn’t noticed.
They both giggled, “You’re going to have to guess,” White Satin said.
“And you have to dance with the one you pick,” Blue Charmeuse said.
“I’m not going to touch this one,” Jason said, “You pick, Oskar.”
“No touching!” Blue Charmeuse batted her pixie eyes at him.
“Hannah? You must be Hannah. That’s something Hannah would say.”
“Oskar? Where’s your twin brother?” White Satin asked, a mischievous grin on her face.
“You’re Hannah! Only Hannah would know about that morning.”
She smiled at him and backed away, wagging her fingers at him, “Bulleribulleri bock, Oskar.”
“Eli? You’re Eli!”
“Coooome ... coooom ... I have candy and ... banaaaanas!” Blue Charmeuse whispered in a familiar ghostly voice.
He realized he had absolutely no idea which was which. They had outsmarted him. Unless…
“Jason? Which dress is Hannah’s?”
“Both of them, Oskar. They’re both Hannah’s.”
His eyes lit up, and he confidently stepped over to the beautiful apparition dressed in the strapless blue charmeuse dress—that came to just above her knees, he noticed. She’s so…pretty. “May I have this dance?” He held out his hand.
“How did you guess, Oskar?” Eli pouted.
“Blue’s your favorite color and the dress matches your eyes. And Hannah, because she’s Hannah, would have let you wear whichever one you liked best.”
“Oskar, are you sure you don’t have a twin brother? If you do, he’s mine, remember.” Hannah grinned at him. “But he has to be at least as smart as you.” Jason took her hand and led her to the center of the room. He kissed his little sister on the forehead, bowed, and spun her around.
Oskar didn’t notice. All he could see was Eli; how absolutely beautiful she was, how sweet she smelled, how much he loved her and how wonderful she felt in his arms. And how happy he was that they had picked a waltz.
Oskar doesn’t look a bit uncomfortable to me, Hannah thought to herself as Jason really got into it; he had always been a good dancer. She smiled as she gave her big brother a hug. Guess I can’t win ‘em all.
§
“Look, Hannah! That’s you!” Eli moved away from the window so Hannah could see the Archaeogenetics logo on the side of the sparkling white building, as the Learjet 55C made a U-turn and taxied back down the runway.
“You were cute as a bug when you were ten, Hannah. What happened?” Jason joked.
Hannah reached over the seat and punched him on the shoulder.
“Seat belts on until the plane stops, Hannah.” Elaine scolded.
“Sorry!”
The plane turned and taxied slowly towards the huge white warehouse, the southern border of the fenced compound comprising the warehouse and both large, red-brick two-story houses and a few assorted outbuildings. They could see the beautiful, flawless expanse of green lawn though the open gate next to the warehouse as the plane rolled to a stop.
As the engines wound down, Eli saw a door at the end of the main building open, and immediately recognized Jack and Jonathan as they stepped out and hurried toward the plane. The ground crew had already chocked the wheels and had begun securing the plane to the ground with cables when the engines finally fell silent. Hannah waved to Jack through the window and grinned from ear to ear as he waved back.
“Welcome to Phoenix Island,” Jonathan shouted, as the children poured out of the plane onto the tarmac, followed by The Dawson and the Sandstrøm adults, just as two large golf carts swung around the side of the building and pulled up beside them. Two men unloaded all their luggage and sorted it out into two piles—one for each house—loaded up the carts, then headed through the gate and disappeared around the corner along the narrow paved pathway next to the warehouse.
Jack put one arm around Eli and the other around Hannah and led them to the end of the tarmac. “I’ve really missed my favorite girls in the whole world,” he grinned at them. “I couldn’t be prouder of both of you. Your grades in school were exemplary of course, and Hannah, your science project in genealogy was reviewed, at my request, by Jonathan, who was quite impressed. He told me that your attention to detail was above and beyond anything he had seen in someone so young.” He turned to Eli. “Of course, you’re excluded from this review, because you’re over 200 years old. You are, and always have been, in a category all by yourself. I’ve watched you work with your Papa in the lab for years now. You don’t need a recommendation; you have 14 years of experience and an impressive, albeit secret, résumé already. You two are so much alike in talent and tenacity, it’s a bit frightening.”
“Thank you, Jack. And thank Jonathan for me. You…you didn’t have to…” Hannah stammered.
“Jack, you’ve been around Papa too long. You always know just what to say!” Eli smiled up at him.
“I learned from the best, Eli.” He kissed them each on the forehead. “But I meant every word of it.”
“Now, I have to spend some time with your parents before dinner. Would you like to walk to your new homes, or should I get you a cart?” Jack gestured to Oskar, who hurried up beside them with Jason.
“If we get a cart, can I drive?” Jason asked.
“Only if you have a Phoenix Island Cart License, Jason,” Jack kidded. “And Jonathan is a pretty tough driving instructor. All kidding aside, I don’t see why not…in the future; but not today.”
“Let’s walk, Eli! It’s so pretty, I want to see it all! Oskar? Jason? Is that okay?”
“Yep! Let’s go!” The boys headed for the gate, followed quickly by Eli and Hannah. Hannah turned and waved to Jack as she disappeared around the corner.
§
The four adults followed Jack and Jonathan down the long terrazzo-floored corridor. Everything was so white and clean, it almost hurt Elaine’s eyes, but it just amplified the sense she got that no expense had been spared in this endeavor. At a wide space in the center of the building, Elaine was surprised to see a set of elevators set back in the wall, one of which was an open freight elevator. Even the freight elevator is spotless. Elaine smiled to herself. She also noticed that there were two lower levels indicated on the light panel above the doors. She shook her head. This building appears to be set on solid rock. Excavating a two-story basement must have been a huge expense, she thought to herself.
Finally, Jonathan ushered them into a small conference room near the end of the corridor. Tea, Coffee and assorted pastries were visible on the cart at the other end of the room. “Help yourselves! We have a lot to talk about.” He sat down at the head of the table; Jack sat down at the other end.
Rich and Elaine helped themselves to some tea, then sat down across from Nils and Livia.
“You’ve been briefed on the plane as to what this is about,” he began, “but there are many consequences of this research that we should discuss, some of which were a bit…unexpected, to say the least. We’ll be discussing the wings, or more specifically, the mechanism that allows the wings to function efficiently in spite of the impossibly low, at least in theory, surface area-to-load ratio; and to grow, in spite of the huge amount of energy required for it to happen; and, as a side issue, how the instinctive, or hard-wired, flying abilities are integrated into the human brain via the Fragile neural network provided by the parasite and how the extreme wing and spar sensitivity affects and expands proprioception.”
“Jonathan, I think we should stick to the basics. These are all exceedingly interesting subjects to us, but we don’t want to put anyone to sleep.”
“Sorry, Richard. You’re absolutely right. It’s a fault of mine to get enamored of the details and forget the big picture. It’s certainly caused your family enough trouble already. Why don’t you lead the way?” Jonathan still regretted the problems between the two families caused by his cavalier handling of the ‘big reveal’ so long ago.
“These issues actually pale into insignificance compared to what we’ve discovered about the strength issues associated with the ability to grow and use wings – really the basic essence of what makes a vampire so dangerous,” Richard continued. “It’s really a game changer. With the wings comes something potentially darker: Inhuman strength and resilience.”
“What do you mean, Richard?” Nils asked. He was beginning to feel a bit uneasy.
“How dangerous do you think Eli would have been for over 200 years with the strength of a scrawny 12-year-old boy, no matter what he ate for dinner?”
“Rich! What an awful thing to say!” Elaine scolded.
“I’m trying to make a point, Elaine.” He paused, “You, on the other hand, have proven to be quite dangerous in spite of your loss. And I’m quite sure Oskar and Eli would agree with me.” He winked at her.
Nils laughed. “I get your point, Richard, but aren’t you taking a chance, given what you’ve just told us? If you are truly going to give Elaine back her wings, shouldn’t you be a bit more careful what you say on the eve of her new ‘darkness?’”
“Thank you, Nils. You’ve segued nicely into the next part of the discussion; the reasons why Elaine and Eli are here.”
“We’re sitting on a keg of dynamite here,” he continued. “I can’t emphasize that fact enough. This is about something you normally find only in science fiction novels. With each injection, we create, essentially, a superman, or as close to it as possible in the real world so far. And there are indications that a vampire, because of its rather unique diet and much more efficient digestive system is at least an order of magnitude stronger yet, but believe me, this increase, by itself, is significant. The main difference between a vampire and a person receiving this injection is that the darkness accompanying the injection is made up entirely of the darkness within all of us. So! How do we know who is capable of receiving this amazing ‘gift’ without, as they say, turning to the dark side? The answer is quite simple, actually. We give it to the only two human beings we know who have been tested, and have proven themselves, even if it was against their will. ”
“But Richard, I can see the logic in giving the injection to Elaine,” Livia said. “She’s an adult and has proven herself as an adult; but Eli? She’s just a child. And she’s growing up now. How do we know she’ll…retain that stability as she …” Livia’s voice trailed off as she remembered that day Eli showed her what her life was like before Oskar and Richard came into it; and she remembered how Eli had saved Hannah’s life – not just the fact that she had done it, but HOW she had done it; with a minimum of ‘collateral damage.’ And more than once. “Sorry, Richard. That was an absolutely stupid thing for me to say.” She sat back in her chair, a bit embarrassed.
He smiled at her, “It’s okay, Livia, I understand. I went through the same inner turmoil when Eli first came into my life. And until I realized how deep her humanity is rooted in her, she often made me nervous. But now? I would trust her with my life. And, I would trust your own daughter with it too.” He winked at her.
“Not until she’s eighteen, Richard, and is allowed by law to make her own decisions,” Livia said quickly, anticipating the direction Richard was heading. “Nils and I are in complete agreement on this.” She looked over at him, but couldn’t read the expression on his face. “Nils?”
“Of course! You’re absolutely right, Livia. Eighteen.” He was still thinking about the ‘superhuman’ aspects of the injection. Having a ‘superhuman’ daughter could certainly present problems for them – but still…
“Now, then,” Jonathan stepped up to the blackboard. “If all goes as planned, we’ll be injecting them both this evening. Our experiments have shown us that the full effects won’t manifest themselves until roughly 12 hours after that.” He scribbled the timeline on the blackboard, breaking the chalk twice, giving up, tossing it aside and grabbing a new piece. “We’ll test them both in the sunlight tomorrow morning, then go through the wing-growing process slowly inside, out of the sun. Then, we’ll gradually expose the wings, with their much higher concentration of the Strong neural network, to the sun. If they pass that test, we’ll let them fly as soon as the sun goes down. No sense in taking any chances for the first flight.”
“I have a question, Jonathan,” Livia glanced over at Elaine, then at Richard. “Why are you doing this at all? It strikes me as exceedingly dangerous. If this secret ever gets out, the effects on society could be far worse than that of the ‘immortality’ vaccine. Once the origins of the wings and strength becomes linked to the vaccine, just imagine the outcry from religious leaders all over the world, who will consider this a ‘gift from Satan’ or from whomever their ‘bad guy’ happens to be. And the inevitable ‘outing’ of vampires could cause witch hunts that will make the ones that took place in the dark ages look tame by comparison. Because these ‘witches’ are real.”
“Eli!” Jonathan said it as though it should have been self-evident. “This is being done for Eli, first and foremost. I don’t think that Gudmund gave the consequences any thought at all. It wasn’t his nature.” He paused a moment. “And I must confess, I hadn’t given the consequences much thought either, until Richard brought it up over a year ago. But I must confess, it wouldn’t have made any difference to me. It’s not like we’re creating a doomsday machine or anything of that nature. These abilities can’t bring about the end of the world, like nuclear weapons can do. The only way this discovery could be dangerous is if its use was restricted somehow by those in power. And we won’t allow that to happen. If everyone’s a superman, where’s the imbalance?”
“But everyone won’t be a superman, Jonathan. There will be significant numbers of people who may, for very good reasons, choose not to make the change. Religion is only one reason people may reject this. The change in diet is another. I myself haven’t made a final decision yet. In fact, as we speak, I am personally more against the idea than for it. And, before you ask, my reasons are my own.” He squeezed Elaine’s hand.
“I think this would be a good place to stop, at least for me. I think we need to get settled in and feed the children before they get too restless. Livia? Why don’t you and I head over to the compound while the men…finish doing whatever they do when we’re not around?” Elaine headed for the door, with Liva close behind.
§
Oskar and Eli unpacked and settled into their rooms on the second floor of their new ‘family home’ across the hall from each other. Eli’s room faced the small harbor and the forest-covered hills on the other side of the bay; Oskar’s the compound and the sprawling hills to the southwest. Through the porthole window on the north wall of Eli’s room they could just catch a tiny glimpse of the ‘Eli and Oskar’ home, barely visible past the adjoining Sandstrøm home. Jonathan had told them firmly that it was completely off limits to them, unless they wanted to endanger their own futures by learning too much about them. “Look, but don’t touch, and don’t go inside,” he had told them.
“Where should we sleep tonight, Oskar?” she sat next to him and bounced nervously on her new bed, trying to get a feel for it, and maybe break it in just a bit.
“Right here, Eli. We always sleep in your room the first night in a new house. It brings us good luck.” He smiled at her. “I’m sure it’ll be okay with Mom and Dad, but I’ll ask them.”
“Okay Oskar. Let’s go see Hannah’s and Jason’s rooms.” Eli waved to Hannah through her window. Hannah waved back through her own oval window on the south side of their new home.
Eli and Oskar raced down the stairs and headed across the lawn to the Sandstrøm house.
§
Elaine and Eli sat side by side at the kitchen table, sleeves rolled up, as Papa carefully placed the syringes on a clean cloth, folded neatly on an oval stainless-steel tray. “Is everyone ready?”
Eli nodded excitedly. “Yes Papa!”
He sat down beside her, took her hand in his for a moment, then wiped her arm carefully with an alcohol pad. “I took this thing from you that you loved so much, with an injection; now I’m returning it to you. You deserve it, Eli, and it’s my great pleasure to make you whole again.” He pressed the needle into her arm so gently that she didn’t feel a thing.
Eli could see the tears in his eyes. “Thank you, Papa,” she whispered. She kissed him gently on the cheek.
He stepped passed her and sat down next to Elaine. “I don’t know what to say, Elaine. I know you’ve missed your beautiful wings because, together with your beautiful eyes, they made your art so much more powerful and gave you a perspective on the world that any artist would envy. I, on the other hand, loved them for selfish reasons. They made you mysterious, powerful, and incredibly beautiful. I fell hopelessly in love with you that night you flew me over the city, but I didn’t realize it until you came to live with us and worked your magic on me. And when I realized your mystery, your power, and your beauty came, not from your wings but from your soul, I asked you to marry me, and almost died of fright when you initially said ‘no.’ Somehow I was able to salvage my dignity with a 13-year engagement commitment.” He wiped her arm with another alcohol pad, and without further ceremony, gave her the injection.
Elaine smiled at him, put her arms around him and kissed him gently. “You’re the love of my life, Richard. If I hadn’t loved you so much that night, I might have given you an unconditional ‘yes.’ But I did love you, and I loved both of your children. Together, you were, and still are, my life.” She paused, “And now, my second-greatest wish has been fulfilled. Now I’ll be able to protect you from harm, and keep you all safe until you come to your senses and inject yourself. You have no idea how much I wanted my wings and my strength when I watched helplessly as those animals took Jason, invaded our home, and almost killed you all. I swear to you now; this will NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN, while I’m alive.” There were tears in her eyes, which she quickly swept away with the back her hand. “Sorry,” she mumbled. Eli slid into her lap and put her arms around her.
§
“How are you ever going to get to sleep!” Oskar said, excitedly.
“I don’t know, Oskar. But I am really tired. Maybe the injection is making me tired.” Even as she spoke, Eli could feel strangely familiar stirrings deep inside her, as her body went through the changes. Eight more hours to go!
“Does this mean you’ll chase me again?” Oskar asked, hopefully. Even though they often went through the motions, now that he was taller and stronger than she was, it wasn’t as much fun as it had been before. He had sort of enjoyed fleeing for his life after he baited her to the point where she pretended to lose her temper, especially when she finally caught him, golden eyes blazing and just the hint of fangs in her mouth.
“Count on it, Oskar! You’ve gotten away with things around here waaaaay too long.” Her eyes turned golden in anticipation.
Oskar pretended to shudder. “Well, don’t get too big-headed or I’ll move up the schedule and get my own wings before I’m 18. Dad and Mom both say I don’t need to wait if everything goes as expected with you and Mom.”
Eli giggled, just trying to imagine Oskar with wings. She pictured him flying into walls, tumbling out of the sky, and crashing through trees as he practiced, just like on the TV show, “The Greatest American Hero.” And Oskar saw it all.
“What’s so funny?” He smacked her on the arm. “Dad says flying will be instinctive; I won’t have to learn.”
“Even I had to learn some of the fine points, Oskar, just like a baby bird. But Mama! She flies so beautifully, not at all like me. She told me she’d teach me.” Eli was really looking forward to those night flights again.
“I’m so happy for you, Eli. I can hardly wait for tomorrow!” He wrapped the blanket tightly around them both and closed his eyes.
She kissed him gently, snuggled up against him and dropped off to sleep.