Wings of Boden (31 page)

“Yes.”

“Can you help me then?”

“Help you with what, sweetie?”

“Um, can you help me … live?”

Half the room’s air sucked into my lungs.
“What? What do you mean?”

Her head hung, little eyes dipped to the
floor. “My friends told me I won’t be able to live without a mommy.
I prayed to you every night, Elle, before bed. I asked for your
help.” She lifted her head. Her pleading eyes filled with curiosity
as she whispered, “Did you hear me?”

The room was silent.

Still in my crouch, I looked up and around to
see everyone frozen in wait. Evidently, it was my job to help her
as they were all looking at me. I turned my head to study her. Was
she the girl from my dream? The voice? I reached out to clear hair
from her face, and said, “They don’t sound like very good friends
to me. Don’t listen to them, Cassie. They’re probably boys,
right?”

Her little green gems opened wider. “Yes, how
did you know that?”

“Just a guess. I know how boys can be. What
happened to your mommy, Cassie?”

“I don’t know, I think a monster got her.”
Her deep frown just ripped my heart in two.

“Oh, I’m so sorry, sweetie.” My eyes began to
sting, fill, but I blinked it away.

“Can you help me?”

“Of course I can. That’s what I’m here
for.”

Cassie leaped into me and hugged around my
neck. I wrapped her up, rose with her.

“I wanna see the sun, Elle,” she said over my
shoulder. “Not just pictures. I wanna see the real sun. Can you
show me the sun, please?”

Pulling her around to balance her on my hip,
I replied, “Of course. I’ll show you the sun and the flowers, and
trees and sky. It’s so pretty, Cassie. Just like you.”

She linked arms around my neck again,
squeezing as she whispered, “I love you, Elle.”

“I love you too, sweetie. I’ll help you. I’ll
take care of you now.”

After a long moment of total room silence,
Chris said, “Well, Phil, it sure looks like the time has come.”

****

We wandered around town, all of us: Me, Dad
and Chris, Penny and Cassie, strolling on a sightseeing tour of a
world completely new to me. I was coming to grips with this
reality, realizing there was so much more at stake than I had
imagined. Occasionally, Penny would see something to show me. She’d
clap her hands in a light, excited rhythm, hopping up and down with
energy while saying, “Come-ere, come-ere, I have to show you
this.”

And I’d follow, with little Cassie on my
hip.…

That evening, a light rain dotted the
windowpane of the White room. It wasn’t the weather that depressed
me. Angie was on the bed, two pillows behind her folded wings
propping her up to a semi-seated position. Sheets covered her legs.
Bright light of the sickroom set off the dark circles around her
eyes. The sight of her blue medical gown, and the IV tube in her
arm, squeezed my heart with guilt. Mom sat on a padded wooden chair
next to the bed. I stood in the doorway, in a fresh pair of jeans
and a T. Watching.

“Come in here, Ellie,” Angie croaked.

Mom glanced over with a grin for me. “Yes,
come here. I want you to hear this.” She turned and handed Angie a
drink off the nightstand. I walked in and stood beside her.

When Angie finished drinking, Mom took the
glass from her and set it back on the nightstand, next to a
hairbrush that was full of brown hair. It was so strange, seeing
them like this. Not just Angie, but Mom also, calm, not what I’d
expected to see.

Mom crossed her legs under her dress, laced
her fingers over her knee. No anguish. No stress or strain for her
daughter. Angie’s green eyes had lost the bright color, now veiled
by a muddy film that made me frown. She looked so sallow, skinny.
Sick. Hair hung over her shoulders in dull waves of brown. But she
was here, alive, and still with me. I offered the closest thing I
had to a smile while memories seeped in my veins.

“C’mon, no sadness,” Angie said. “Here, sit
with me.”

I took a seat on the edge of the bed. “I’m
sorry, Angie, I didn’t mean—”

“No,” she stopped me. “Don’t be sorry. You
saved me.” Her dry lips cracked a smile. She turned to Mom. “I just
have one question.” She cleared her throat. “If Ellie can see the
dreks, well, the way she does. Why can’t I?”

“I was waiting for Ellie to come up here
before I explained. So, how are you feeling?”

“Better. Whatever Vyn put in that bag seems
to work.”

“What did Vyn do?” I asked Mom.

“He didn’t tell you yet?”

“I haven’t seen him yet. I came straight up
here.”

“Oh, well, Vyn used that serum he invented.
He took some of Angie’s blood, and then he went to his lab and was
back in twenty minutes with this bag. He said it might be a vaccine
to the dark sickness. He’s such a good boy, Ellie, so smart.”

Thoughts of checking on him lifted my mood a
bit. Mom turned back to Angie:

“Anyway, I meant, how were you feeling before
this happened?”

“Uh, I don’t know, why?”

“Think, honey. Try to remember.”

Angie went quiet, while she seemed to look
through the walls. She finally turned to Mom. “I guess, um, I
didn’t have any energy. And every time I got scared or something, I
felt like I was gonna throw up.”

Mom placed a palm on Angie’s arm. “It’s just
not your time yet, honey. You have more important things to take
care of first.”

Angie’s green eyes sparked. “More important
than helping Ellie take care of the dreks? She can’t do this alone.
I won’t let her.” She scooted back against the pillowed headboard.
Her eyes were clearing, skin filling with color. Even her hair
began to take on a gloss.

I commented. “You still wanna do this, after
all that? Why would you—”

“Vyn told me about everything, about where we
were and the town, about how the humans saved us. I wish I could’ve
seen it. I have to return the favor, Elle. I’m not gonna just sit
here and pity myself while they’re locked down there.
I
won’t.”

Mom gave Angie a grin. “He didn’t tell you
everything, sweetheart.”

“What else could there possibly be?”

Mom giggled. “Angie, you have no idea how
important you are.” She uncrossed her legs, leaned and placed a
gentle hand on Angie’s stomach. “You have to protect yourself, and
the little angel in
here
. It’s a girl, by the way.” A
rapturous smile so large her white teeth lit up the room, blue
sapphire eyes sparkling.

“What?” Angie said. “Wha-what?” She sat up
bolt straight, wide-eyed with a hand over her mouth.

Warm tingles sprinkled down on me as I
drifted in a daze.

Mom settled back into her chair. “That’s why
you can’t see the white like Ellie. You have one purpose, to
protect yourself and the baby. She’s a special one, Angie. And
Ellie knew that, even though she didn’t know that. She protected
you with her life. It’s instinct, honey, and after I put all the
pieces together I realized what was going on. See, the same thing
happened to me when I became pregnant with you. I couldn’t see the
white. So I suspected—”

“I’m. I’m. Pregnant.” Angie’s wet eyes went
down to the hand she’d placed on her belly. “There’s— we’re, going
to have, ohh.” A tear spilled, trailed down her cheek. She snapped
eyes on Mom. “You didn’t tell Jaydenn yet, did you?”

“Of course not, honey. That’s not my job.
You’re going to tell him, however you want.”

“Where is he?”—a touch of panic—“He’s not
going out there tonight, is he?”

“Don’t you worry about that. Your father is
keeping him here. I’m sure he’ll come up with some good excuse. And
Jaydenn won’t be going out there any longer. Your little angel
needs him too.” Mom’s face held a perpetual glow.

Angie turned to me, questioned, “Ellie?”

“What? Oh. I’m just so happy for you, sis. I
don’t know what to say.”

“Come here.” Angie leaned, arms stretched out
for a hug. We embraced while she said, “You saved us, you and Vyn
both.” She released back, held my gaze. “And you know what. A name
just popped into my mind. Emmelina Ellie.” She gave me a grinning
head tilt. “Our little Emmie, named after her Aunt Ellie.”

Through watery eyes, I looked at my sister.
Just looked. My bottom lip curled and I felt it start to quiver. I
buried my face into my cupped hands, and sobbed. Then felt Mom’s
hand on my leg, Angie’s rubbing my back.

****

Time passed while Angie, Mom and I marinated
in the news, giggling and planning a future for our new little
angel.

Somehow, Mom knew it was a girl. Yay!

Jaydenn ambled into the room. He stopped,
eyes tracking. In his low male tone he said, “Uh, what’s up with
all the smiles? Looks like you’re feelin better, huh, Ang? You
girls been into the liquor cabinet? There must be somethin weird in
the air tonight. Even Phil’s gone all batty on me. He’s got me
cleaning up the den, organizing books, stuff like that, said I
can’t go anywhere till it’s finished.”

We girls exchanged glances … broke out into a
collective giggle.

“Come here, Jay,” Angie requested. “Come sit
by me.”

Jaydenn strolled to the opposite side of the
bed and took Angie’s hand. “I was worried about you. Looks like
you’re in top shape, now, huh?” A crooked grin.

“You mean
we’re
in top shape.”

“What?”

“Just sit down here.”

Mom and I watched, anticipating the news.
Angie took Jaydenn’s hand and placed it on her belly, then gave
Jaydenn those twinkling green eyes. “
We’re
in top shape. Me
and little Emmelina Ellie. Our new little girl.”

Jaydenn locked a dazed look at Angie. I
thought he went comatose for a moment. Eyes wide and vacant. Face
blank. He finally shook his head, snapped out of it. “You’re—”

“You mean,
we’re
. And yes,
we’re
pregnant.”

Jaydenn feathered Angie’s temporarily flat
belly. He bent down, put his ear to it, turned his head and kissed.
Then moved up to Angie, folded his hand around the back of her
neck, and pulled her into one of those kisses meant only for one
those moments.

He got to his feet, unfurled his shimmering
wings out wide, looked at the ceiling and let out a howl of joy.
The sound shaking everything that wasn’t nailed down. It was kinda
funny actually; all cracked and screechy. A chuckle slipped from my
mouth while my face warmed with embarrassment for him. But I
understood, and I couldn’t have said it better myself.

When the howl finally subsided, Dad called
out from downstairs, “Well, congratulations! By the way, great job
on the den, Jay! Celeste, are you coming with us?”

Jaydenn gave Mom a chuckle. “You two are sly,
aren’t you?”

Mom smiled, winked. “I just bet that den is
spotless.”

“Mom,” I asked, “what did Dad mean? You’re
not going with them, are you? If you are, so am I.”

“You’re not—” Angie started to say to me
before Mom cut her off:

“She’ll be fine. We just have a few things to
take care of, that’s all.” She turned to Jaydenn, her eyes piercing
like blue daggers. “And
you’re
not going anywhere, Daddy,
for a very long time. Do you hear me? I’ll fight you if I have to.
And you don’t wanna mess with me, Jay, trust me.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Mom sharpened those daggers. “I know you
didn’t just call me, ma’am, did you?”

“Oh, yeah, sorry. Uh, I’m gonna go, go grab a
drink. Do you need anything, Ang?”

“No thanks, Daddy. Now get outta her before
you get hurt. You’re outnumbered.”

“What’s with all the noise up here?” Ginelle
smiled from the doorway in blue flowered silk. That dress, just.
Wow. All eyes went to her.

Angling by Ginelle on his way out, Jaydenn
said, “Excuse me, ma— I need outta here. Uh, nice dress. You look,
nice.”

Ginelle gave him a wink. “Good catch, Jay.
You almost slipped on the M word. Be careful, it’s a slippery one.
We wouldn’t want you to fall and hurt yourself. Oh, and thank
you.”

A sheepish grin tugged at one corner of
Jaydenn’s mouth. As he turned to step out, he almost tripped over
Steffunnie as she ran into the room, arms in the air, chasing the
flying mouse. “Come back here,” her little voice called,
“
ugh
, Tinkle.” She chased around the room as Jaydenn made
his escape.

We all watched Steff, no doubt all of us
thinking the same thing; little Emmie would soon be running around
here too.

Ginelle said, “I guess I should say
congratulations. You’re gonna be a great mother.” She padded bare
feet to the opposite side of the bed, bent a kiss to Angie’s
forehead, straightened up with a mischievous grin. “We’re gonna
spoil her rotten, you know.”

“Absolutely,” Angie replied, and lifted a
new-mother smile.

“That’s better,” said Steff. “Now just stay
still for a little while, will you?”

Ginelle turned to me. “And, Elle, I have some
news. Dahlia Emil has a birthday present for you. She’s bringing up
tickets to the Angel’s Closet fashion show in Boden. You won’t have
to watch it on TV this summer. We’ll be in the front row, with
backstage passes.”

Did she just say—? There were those little
stars dancing behind my eyes as I dragged for a breath. No, not
again. I can’t—

“Hey, Ellie!” Ginelle yipped. “Wake up. Do
you want one of those tube thingies in your arm, or maybe a bag to
breathe into?”

I shook my head, released some trapped air
from my lungs.

“Are you coming or what?” Dad boomed out from
below.

Mom tossed a sigh. “Let’s go, Ellie, before
your father has a fit. We’ll talk later.”

As Mom and I stepped down the stairs,
thoughts brought ladybug wings to flutter in my stomach. Dahlia
Emil wants to meet, me! And little Emmelina Ellie is on her way.
Oh, my
.