by I. T. Lucas
“How come they got them while the other females didn’t?”
Sari shrugged. “Jin and her sister Mey are not Annani’s descendants, so maybe their ancestress had a mutation.”
“Were the mutant sisters Dormants who got induced?”
“Yes. But please don’t call them mutants.”
“Interesting. Maybe there are more people like them out there.”
“It’s possible. Jin and Mey were born in China. So even if we knew how to find Dormants, searching for them among a billion and a half people is not feasible.”
“What about the affinity? You said that your cousin felt it toward David and that was why he suspected that he was a Dormant.”
“Affinity is not a scientific method of identifying Dormants because it’s not objective and not quantifiable. It’s subjective. Kalugal was impressed by David, and he enjoyed his company, but he might have felt that way even if David was purely human.”
“I bet your cousin wouldn’t have felt an affinity toward Jonah, even though he had the same genes. He and David were nothing alike.” Lisa sighed. “It’s not fair. If Kalugal had met David six years ago, Jonah might have been alive today. He could have been immortal.”
David leaned forward. “In a way, he is.”
Lisa rolled her eyes. “Let me guess. He has reincarnated already and is giving his poor new parents hell.”
“He didn’t reincarnate yet, but he might do so soon. Kalugal’s wife is pregnant, and I hope that their child will host Jonah’s soul.”
“How do you know that he has not reincarnated yet?”
“Because he told me."
14
Sari
“Jonah told you that he hasn’t reincarnated yet?” Lisa looked skeptical. “Like in a dream or something? Because I dreamt of Jonah too, and he didn’t tell me anything like that. He just goofed around like he used to do when he was alive.”
“Some dreams are just dreams, and others are something else.” David rubbed a hand over his jaw. “After Kalugal induced me, I was in a coma…” He stopped when Lisa gasped.
“What? When did that happen? And why are you only telling me that now?”
“You had enough to deal with. Transitioning into immortality is not an easy process, and it gets more difficult the older the Dormant is. Your transition will probably be uneventful, so you have nothing to worry about, but since I’m more than two decades older than you, it didn’t go smoothly for me. Thankfully, I’m still here, but I almost didn’t make it. It was so tempting to float away into the light that Jonah had to force me to stay and practically shove me back into my body.”
Lisa grimaced. “You are not making it any easier for me.”
“You complained that I didn’t tell you about what happened to me, and now you are complaining because I did? Make up your mind.”
“You are right.” She let out a breath. “Tell me about Jonah.
“While I was in a coma, I dreamt of a past life that I thought was mine, but it turned out to be Jonah’s. Evidently, we have reincarnated many times as brothers or best friends or even as father and son, but since we were twins in our last reincarnation, we dreamt each other’s dreams.”
“How do you know that you weren’t just dreaming or hallucinating? How do you know that it was real?”
“Because I got my dreams and what Jonah told me was confirmed by Sari’s mother. She knew us back when we were Olek and Gudbrand.”
Lisa’s eyes widened. “You met the goddess?”
“I did. Apparently twice. In my past life as a Nordic tribesman named Olek, and in this one as Professor David Levinson.”
“Which version of you did she like better?”
“I’m not sure. She didn’t say.”
“She likes you better now,” Sari said. “You’ve reincarnated many times since you were Olek, and your soul has grown.”
“What were you like as Olek?” Lisa asked.
“I was a berserker. Do you know what that is?”
She shook her head.
“Nordic warriors used to get themselves into a raging fury state before battle.”
“Right. They went berserk.”
“That’s where the term originated.”
“How did you meet the goddess back then?”
David looked away. “That’s a long story. I’ll tell you about it some other time.”
“Why?” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Is it embarrassing?”
“No, just sad. I’d rather stay on happier topics.”
Lisa nodded. “I’m not in a mood for sad stories. What’s the goddess like? Is she awe-inspiring?”
David smiled. “Annani is tiny, formidable, and painfully beautiful. Oh, and she glows. I guess the legends about glowing angels started with the gods.”
Lisa cast a glance at Sari. “How come you don’t glow?”
“Only pure-blooded gods are luminous. I’m half human.”
“I guess it’s better that you don’t. It would make it difficult for you to blend in. Not that you can with those eyes and that body. Is the goddess even more beautiful than you are?”
“She is. I also have two sisters, and both are prettier than me.”
“They are not.” David wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “You are the prettiest.”
“You are not objective.”
“You’re damn right, I’m not.” He leaned and kissed her cheek. “I love you. And to me, you are the most beautiful woman in the world.”
“More beautiful than the goddess?” Lisa teased.
“Annani’s beauty is otherworldly. It’s intimidating. I prefer Sari’s.”
Smiling, Lisa shook her finger at him. “You wiggled out of that trap nicely.”
As Sari’s phone rang, the three of them tensed. Reaching into her purse to retrieve it, her hands trembled.
“It’s Kian.” She accepted the call and put it on speakerphone. “Any news?”
“The guy we sent found them exactly where Syssi said they were. They are both alive. Ronja is conscious, but Frank is not. She thinks he had a stroke. The guy called for an air ambulance. They are going to evacuate them to Kane County Hospital in Kanab.”
“Thank God.” Lisa’s chin started quivering. “Did Mom tell the guy how they got to Utah?”
“She wasn’t in any state to talk. They were stuck out there for days.”
Lisa swallowed. “Why didn’t she call for help?”
“There is no cellular reception where they got stuck.”
“Crap.”
Ignoring Lisa’s outburst, Kian continued, “Magnus and Bowen are on their way. They are going to pick you up at Victorville airport. I suggest you head out there now.”
15
David
“I’ve never flown in a helicopter.” Lisa stepped out of the car. “Are we taking all of our luggage with us?”
“Yes.” David popped the trunk. “We don’t know how long we will stay in Kanab, or even if we are coming back here.”
“What about the water and the snacks?”
“Just throw them away.”
“That’s wasteful.”
Stifling a biting retort, he pulled their luggage from the trunk. “It’s an emergency, Lisa. Do what you want with the stuff.”
“We can take it with us on the helicopter.”
Sari put a hand on her shoulder. “If you want, pack a couple of water bottles and a few energy bars in your backpack. David and I will do the same, and the rest we can leave next to the trash cans for someone in need to collect.”
“Okay.”
“Thank you,” David whispered to Sari as Lisa got busy with snacks and the bottles of water.
“I have a younger sister too. Amanda was quite rambunctious as a teenager and much more difficult than Lisa.”
With both sisters looking about the same age, it hadn’t occurred to him that Sari had seen Amanda grow up.
“And look at her now.” He locked the car. “A professor.”
> As they entered the helicopter designated area of the airport, it was easy to find their ride. It was the only chopper on the ground, and the two men standing next to it looked formidable. They were both tall and muscular, but only one fit David’s idea of a Guardian—cropped hair, jeans, and a black T-shirt that struggled to contain his bulging muscles. The other was dressed like an executive on a business trip, wearing a pair of slacks and a fitted dress shirt and sporting a neatly trimmed goatee.
“Good afternoon,” Sari greeted them. “Thank you for picking us up.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Hello, David.” The fancy dresser offered his hand. “I’m Magnus.” He turned to his friend. “And this is Bowen.”
The guy dipped his head.
David shook what was offered and then turned to Lisa. “This is my sister, Lisa.”
“Hi.” Her smile was forced. “Thank you for taking us to the hospital.”
Magnus took her offered hand. “A pleasure to meet you, young lady. I have a son about your age.”
“That’s nice.”
“He’s almost fourteen.”
“I’m fifteen and a quarter.”
“That’s not a big age difference.” Magnus smiled and then waved a hand toward the helicopter. “Climb in. We are ready to go.”
“How long is it going to take us to get to the hospital?” David asked.
“About two and a half hours.”
Lisa poked her head out the open door. “Can’t you fly any faster?”
“I’m not the pilot, Charlie is, and that’s the maximum speed this bird can go.”
“Is that so?” She turned to the pilot.
He nodded. “Choppers are not that fast. Their biggest advantage is that they can go where cars cannot.”
When they were all seated and strapped in, Magnus handed each of them headphones. “Have either of you ever flown in a helicopter?”
David and Lisa shook their heads.
“The headphones are all connected.” He pointed to the microphone. “We can all talk to each other. They are also noise-canceling, for which you’ll be thankful when we take off. It gets really loud in the cabin.”
David had never flown in a helicopter, and if not for the urgency of the situation, he wouldn’t have stepped foot on one. For some reason, it felt much less safe than a plane, and when it took to the sky, David struggled to keep the contents of his stomach in.
“This is fun,” Lisa’s voice came loud and clear through the earphones. “Can we do it again when it’s not an emergency?”
“You’ll have to do it without me. I’m not a fan.”
Magnus nodded. “Fates willing, we will take you and your parents back to Anaheim once they are taken care of.”
“It might take days,” David said. “If Ronja is just dehydrated, then she will probably get released tomorrow. But we don’t know Frank’s situation. He was unconscious when he was found, and my mother thought that he suffered a stroke.”
“We will know soon enough.” Sari put a hand on his thigh. “Once they are brought to the hospital, we can call and ask the doctors to give us a prognosis.”
David tapped his earphones. “It’s going to be difficult to do from here.”
“Right. I’ll ask Bridget to call. She can claim to be Ronja and Frank’s personal physician. And if they refuse to give her information, Kalugal can call and compel them to release it to him.”
Magnus frowned, and Bowen arched a brow.
“It’s okay, guys. We told Lisa about who we really are. There is no need to pretend.”
“Isn’t that too soon?” Magnus asked. “She is too young to go through the induction.”
Lisa waved a hand. “I’m right here, people. Don’t talk about me like I’m not.”
Magnus dipped his head. “My apologies, young lady. Keeping our existence secret is a matter of life and death for us. We can’t be lax about it. You are either one of us and in the know, or you are an outsider with no knowledge of us.”
“I’m good at keeping secrets. I’m not going to tell anyone.”
“You are about to enter a hospital full of humans, and you might inadvertently blurt something out. It would be best for you to forget what you’ve learned.”
“How am I supposed to do that?”
“Bowen or I can thrall away your memories of what you’ve learned about us. Sari can do that as well.”
“Please don’t.” Lisa turned to Sari. “I promise to be careful. What David told me about Jonah made me feel a little less scared because I know now that the soul never dies. But if you take my memories away, and David tells me again about Jonah coming to him in his dreams, but without the part of the goddess corroborating his story, I’m not going to believe it.”
“That was why I decided to tell you about us in the first place. I might have to erase your memories before you go back home, but until then, I trust you to be super careful and not breathe a word about what you’ve learned.”
“Thank you. I promise that you can also send me home without erasing my memory, and I’ll keep your secret safe.” She looked at David. “My brother is one of you now. Do you think I would do anything to endanger him?”
“Not intentionally. But you are fifteen, Lisa, and you didn’t grow up in a community of immortals where the need for secrecy was drilled into you from birth.”
16
Sari
“I have an update from Bridget.” Sari handed her phone to David.
The message from the doctor arrived about an hour and a half after they had taken off.
He scanned it quickly and then read it out loud. “Ronja’s prognosis is good. She is dehydrated and is getting fluids intravenously. Frank suffered a stroke, but although it wasn’t catastrophic to start with, the lack of medical attention and dehydration has worsened his situation. He is unconscious and is on a ventilator. If the intracranial hemorrhage gets absorbed naturally, he might pull through, but he will most likely need extensive rehabilitation.”
“What does that mean?” Lisa asked in a shaky voice.
David put a hand on her thigh. “When an artery in the brain bursts, the bleeding creates pressure on the nearby brain tissue, restricting the blood flow. That kills brain cells and therefore causes disability or worse.”
“How did it happen?”
“Frank probably had high blood pressure. Do you know if he was taking medication to manage it?”
Lisa nodded. “He had frequent migraine headaches. Do you think there is a connection?”
“There might be.”
“Why aren’t they operating to drain the blood?”
“Depending on where the bleeding is, it’s not always possible.”
“So, what, they are just going to wait?”
“I’m afraid so.”
Lisa threw her hands in the air. “No offense, David, but what are doctors good for?”
“That’s why a medical doctor is said to be practicing medicine and not curing diseases. We are still learning, and new treatments are continually being invented.”
“Yeah, but not fast enough to save my dad.”
Lisa slumped in her seat, crossed her arms over her chest, and screwed her eyes tightly shut, probably to stave off the tears. But when David wrapped his arm around her, she put her head on his shoulder and let them flow.
Sari’s heart squeezed with sympathy, but there was nothing she could do for the remainder of the flight. The steady hum of the helicopter’s rotors, which was still quite loud despite the noise-canceling earphones, was lulling her to sleep, and after a while, she closed her eyes and allowed herself to drift off.
“Prepare for landing.” Charlie’s announcement woke her up. “I got permission to land on the hospital helipad.”
That was convenient. Sari had expected to have to call a cab to take them from the airport to the hospital.
Instead, five minutes after landing, they were standing outside the intensive care unit.
“I�
�m sorry.” The nurse smiled apologetically at David. “Usually, only one person is allowed inside the unit. I’ll make an exception and let you and your sister in. The rest of you will need to stay in the waiting room.”
Sari leaned closer and looked into the woman’s eyes. “I’m David’s fiancée, so I’m practically family. You can make an exception for me as well.”
The nurse’s eyes glazed over. “You are family, and I can make an exception for you as well. Mrs. Clarke is in room seven.”
“Thank you. Can we go see her now?”
Still looking dazed, the nurse shook her head. “Since these are not regular visiting hours, I need to let her know that she has visitors.” She rose to her feet. “I’ll be right back.”
“How did you do that?” Lisa whispered in Sari’s ear.
“I thralled her.” Sari threaded her arm through David’s. “It does more than erase memories, but we are not supposed to do it without just cause.”
“What’s considered just cause?”
“Saving lives and ensuring that our secret stays hidden. But since this is an emergency, an exception is allowed.”
Sari doubted that Edna would agree that the situation justified the use of thralling on the nurse. No one was in immediate danger, and Sari wasn’t family, not yet. But David needed her, and so did Lisa, which in her eyes justified bending the rules a little.
“Bowen and I are going to look for the cafeteria,” Magnus said. “Can we bring you anything?”
“Coffee would be nice, but it will have to wait for later.” Sari leaned closer and whispered in his ear. “I don’t want you to thrall that poor woman again just to bring us coffee. What you can do, though, is find us hotel accommodations for a few days.”
Magnus grimaced. “Don’t expect anything fancy. This is a small town in the middle of nowhere. I’m surprised that they even have an airport and a hospital. Seeing it from the air, I doubt if the entire population is more than five thousand.”