Legend of the Touched

by JF Jenkins

  After feeling awkward and uncomfortable in front of everyone for about ten minutes while their teacher went through roll, the class was finally allowed into the pool. Slowly she got in, and savored the feeling of the water on her skin. Instantly, she filled with energy. She totally submerged herself, smiling as she did so. Everything was perfect. For about five minutes.

  The pain started in her stomach like a bad cramp, and then the nausea followed soon after.

  Out. Get out, Ethan cried in her mind. She'd heard him upset and disgruntled before, but never like this. There was a different kind of urgency in his tone, almost as if he were in some kind of pain.

  Her arms shaking, she was barely able to haul herself out of the pool. She ignored all of the stares her classmates gave her and didn't even bother to get her towel. Tai needed to get out of there, and fast. Determined to stay strong in front of her peers, she rushed along the side of the pool as fast as she could with a hand over her stomach to keep herself from keeling over in pain. As soon as she was through the door to the girls' locker room, she found the nearest garbage can and vomited so violently she started to dry heave.

  Darien I need you. Would he hear her though? She was wet. Water almost always blocked their connection. She tried to push her psychic voice louder. Help me. She prayed he heard. Something was wrong.

  Tai? His voice crackled into her mind.

  I'm in the gym locker room. It hurts. I don't know what's wrong. She bit down on her lip to stop herself from crying. It was important for her to stay together. Breaking down would be giving up. Ethan was still freaking out. What do I do?

  Water, good water.

  I was just in the water, and you got upset. She scowled.

  Good water.

  Taking in a deep breath, Tai made her way to the shower and turned it on. The nausea was coming back with a strong force, and so were the cramps. The pain caused her to buckle and her head went dizzy. She didn't care that the water was freezing, the second it touched her skin, her head cleared of pain and the tightening in her stomach lessened.

  Darien fritzed in and out of her head. Coming...there soon...in hallway.

  Did that mean she was supposed to meet him in the hallway, or that's where he currently was? It might not be a good idea for him to collect her in the girls' locker room. Her strength was returning to her, if only a small amount.

  I can do this. She mentally chanted over and over again. Pulling herself to her feet she crossed the tiled floor to the door. With a great deal of effort, she was able to get the door to the locker room open. Darien was a few feet away and closing in fast, barreling through the hallway towards her. Which was a good thing because he was able to catch her when she collapsed again.

  "It hurts, he's hurting," she sobbed, unable to keep it at bay any longer.

  "Where does it hurt? What's going on?" he asked, holding her close while he examined her.

  "I don't know. We went to the pool, and then everything went wrong."

  Darien squeezed his eyes shut and let out a long breath. "You're doing a swimming unit?"

  "Yes."

  "Why didn't you tell me?" There was a slight accusing tone to his voice.

  "I did," she murmured.

  He shook his head. "You did, and I didn't even realize.... This is my fault. I should have said something right away. It didn't cross my mind."

  "What's wrong?" She groaned as the pain started to sharpen and move closer together in time. The cramps were beginning to come in waves and move towards her back. "It hurts so much."

  "I'm allergic to chlorine," he said and took in a sharp breath. What did that have to do with anything? She didn't understand until he elaborated further. "Ethan probably is too. I need to get you home, now."

  "I—" She began, but that was the inconvenient time she decided to pass out.

  Chapter Fifty-Three

  The Oceina

  Darien paced the infirmary room where Tai lay, still unconscious. His brother Asher was able to stabilize her and Ethan. After she passed out in school, he got her home in his car. From there his brother went to work, using his magic and medical knowledge to help her. That had been about twenty minutes ago.

  "She's contracting, that's what the pain is from. I got them to slow down, but I can't make them stop," Asher said re-entering the room.

  "I don't understand what you're saying." Darien knew absolutely nothing about egg birthing. "Contractions" was a term he'd heard before. He knew it had something to do with delivery, but what did it mean for this situation?

  Asher sighed. "It means she's going to have the egg soon if I can't get it to stop. I called Uncle Aaron for advice since he knows more about complications and advanced treatments. He was the one who delivered you safely. He said he can get here in an hour and I need to try and stop her labor."

  Darien frowned, his eyes looking down to the floor. "But it's too soon for her to..."

  "Exactly."

  "This is my fault."

  His brother shook his head. "Don't sit around and start blaming anyone for anything. It's a waste of time, and you have to focus on what's happening now. Your job is to keep her calm. If she can stay calm, she can get your son to do the same, and then he won't feel such a strong urge to leave her womb. Because I'll be honest, the chances of him surviving if he got out aren't too good. There have been some advancements in technology. We know more about how all of this works. I've seen cases of this happening before, and some of them do go on to live and have normal lives. I'd say it's about thirty to forty percent. But I'd rather not risk it if it's not necessary."

  Darien closed his eyes and nodded. "You're right. I'll do everything I can. Is there anything my magic can do?"

  "Nothing that hasn't already been done. I was able to get all of the chemicals out of her system and get some pure water going through instead. It helped a little."

  Where am I? What happened? Tai's voice entered Darien's head. He turned around to see her eyes now open and she tried to lift herself to a sitting position.

  "Lay back down, please, you need your rest," he said, going to her side. He took her hand in his and gave it a squeeze and a kiss. "You're home, in the infirmary. The pain you're feeling are contractions. He wants to get out."

  "But it's too soon," she whimpered.

  "You'll be okay. You both will. So I need you to relax and focus on that. It's important for you to remind him that he's safe."

  "He can hear you. He knows. I don't think he cares." She groaned softly.

  "Try. More help is coming soon."

  Chapter Fifty-Four

  The Oceina

  After laboring for two more hours, and both of the doctors unable to make it stop, the egg slid out of her. She barely pushed. It was two pounds and glossy, and according to Darien's uncle "well shaped", whatever that meant. Neither she nor Darien got to hold it, let alone see it in full detail. His uncle took it out of the room in a hurry. All she could do was cry. Why had she been so dumb? She remembered Darien's allergy to the chlorine and he had said it was a violent one. Why didn't she make the connection that maybe their son would have the same kind?

  Darien lay next to her on the bed, holding her hand, and stroking her fingers with his thumb. She was a gross mess, but she didn't care. His arms around her made things a little better. At least she knew he didn't hate her.

  Everything is going to be fine. He's strong, just like us, Darien said. She liked that he used their telepathy and didn't break the silence. Outside of her sniffling, the room was void of noise. It was fitting because that was how she felt inside. The moment Ethan left her body, she felt a break in their connection. That scared her more than the laboring itself. Besides, she hated how she sounded when she tried to talk while crying. It came out as a blubbering mess, and she always felt foolish afterward.

  The only thing she could do was nod in reply to her husband, and it was barely a nod. The door to the room opened and his brother walked in. She sat up slightly, and Darien got out of th
e bed. His brother's body language was hard to read. On the one hand, he didn't look anywhere but down at his hands; however, his steps were firm and confident suggesting it might not be all bad news.

  "Uncle Aaron says he's going to be okay."

  Darien closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. "Thank God."

  "There might be some complications though. We're not sure if all of his organs have developed fully. There's still time for that to happen though. We also don't know how long he'll be in incubation. The more accurately we can recreate the womb, the better chances he'll have of continuing to grow. Ideally, he should be at least six pounds when he hatches. We'll aim for five, even four would be great."

  "What can we do to help?" Darien asked.

  "Keep talking to him, touching him. He's not to leave the incubator unless you're holding him though, and not for any longer than twenty minutes at a time. For every minute you hold him, he needs to be back inside for at least ten. But he should live."

  "What kind of complications?" Tai asked, her voice choking.

  "It depends on how he develops. So that's a wait and see sort of deal."

  "When can we see him?"

  "As soon as we're done making sure you're okay." His brother pointed to Tai.

  She shook her head, already moving to get out of bed. "I know I'm fine." Outside of feeling exhausted both emotionally and physically, she didn't have any pressing needs. Unless she was still bleeding and didn't know it.

  "I'll check anyway. It won't take long, and then you can be with him."

  With a heavy sigh, she lay back down. "Fine. Hurry up, because he needs me."

  Chapter Fifty-Five

  The Inero

  "Look at how big he...she is." Matt stared down at the seven-pound egg in his hands with awe. "And it's two and a half weeks early!"

  Jason nodded, peering over his shoulder at it. "Pretty incredible, but I guess when they're done, they're done right? So you still think he's a she?"

  He shrugged. His guess was as good as any at this point. "We'll find out in three months."

  The brothers continued to stare at the egg. It was oval and plump. Unlike most lizard eggs, the shell wasn't hard, but rather a flexible leather-like texture. Tough, but malleable to fit through the birthing canal. It had beautiful coloring: red and rustic with a few black spots and a beautiful shine in the light. In fact, when the light hit at a certain angle it shimmered with magic.

  "Want one yet?" Matt teased.

  "I have for a while," Jason said quietly.

  "Better get on that then." He winked.

  His brother's cheeks flushed slightly and he shook his head. "Still complicated."

  "Whatever you say." He kissed the egg before putting it back into the incubator. "Thank you for coming home for this. Having your support means a lot to me. I'm sorry things have been so distant."

  "A lot has been going on for us both," Jason said.

  Matt wanted to know what was so big that his brother couldn't contact him, but decided it wasn't his place to ask. Because he didn't have a clue, and because he didn't want to start a possible fight. He would trust him. If Jason said a lot was going on, then a lot was. Whatever life he was working at building on the island, it obviously meant a lot to him. It saddened Matt that he wanted to stay so far away from the family, but there was something different about his brother's happiness. He liked it.

  With a sigh, Matt left the nursery. He didn't want to go, but it was important for his child to rest under the hot lights and not be surrounded by overwhelming stimuli. He also didn't want the baby to overhear the conversation he was about to have with his brother. "Father is getting ready for his first wave of attack. He wants me to lead it."

  "I figured he would want that," Jason said quietly. "I also gathered it'd be soon. I've been following the news."

  "When I left for my last mission against the Oceina, I had asked you to please look out for my family. Our family. I need to ask you to do the same thing again. You are the person I trust the most, even over Father. I know he'll make sure my family has everything they need to be comfortable and happy, but you'll look out for them in other ways." He kept his voice low.

  "You know I will," his brother said.

  "So you'll stay then? Until this is over?"

  Jason averted his eyes to the floor, but nodded. "Yes, I will stay until this is over. If something were to happen, though, I don't think we'll continue to live here. I just want to be up front and honest about it."

  "I can respect that. It might be for the best for the girls. Good thing everything will be fine right?" He gave his brother a small smile, and he watched his face hoping to see reassurance in his eyes. Jason returned the smile.

  "I'm not worried."

  Matt was pretty sure he meant it.

  Chapter Fifty-Six

  The Oceina

  It surprised Tai how much she wanted to spend time in the nursery with Ethan. Not simply because she felt guilty either. She genuinely wanted to be close and to try and regain the connection they once had when he had been inside of her. The door opened, and she had expected to see Darien coming in. He visited with her often as well. The two hardly ever left. For the most part, she felt fine, but still tired from the ordeal even though five days had passed. Labor took more out of her than she originally thought. More importantly though, she just didn't want to leave. Something kept her glued to Ethan's side.

  Darien didn't enter though; it was Katelyn who came in. She was slowly starting to connect more with Tai, like the two were sisters, or even the mother figure that Tai had been missing in her life since she left. Having the void in her heart filled, even a little, helped a lot with the pain.

  "It's been requested that you go up to the pool in an hour. I'm supposed to help you get ready." She reached out to grab Tai's hands to pull her out of the room. "I promise he'll be fine for a little while."

  "Okay," she said with a heavy sigh, glancing over her shoulder at the egg as they left. She was curious about what this was about though. What on earth did Darien want with her on the roof that she had to get ready for? Katelyn led the way to her room, and closed the doors behind them quickly. Laid out on the bed was the dress she had picked out from her shop. Originally it had been a royal purple satin dress with a slightly lighter purple chiffon layer over the knee length skirt. There was an empire waistline and spaghetti straps and while wearing it, Tai felt cute. It wasn't anything fancy though.

  Katelyn doctored it up and made it much more beautiful. The straps now had tiny sequins on them that matched a bust glittering with the same sequins. Tai's eyes widened in awe at it. She'd never seen anything like it before in person in her entire life. Her family had never been wealthy enough to afford a dress like this.

  "Do you need help getting it on?" Katelyn asked.

  "I think I'll be okay. You may need to zip me up though," Tai said. Soon after, the dress was on, a plastic styling cloak was placed over, and Katelyn took the time to do Tai's hair and makeup. The makeup was light, and her hair was curled and pulled back into a simple ponytail. Normally, her hair had a hard time staying in curls, but whatever Katelyn did to her hair kept them in their loose coils. A few tendrils framed her face.

  With a smile, Katelyn hugged her from behind. She giggled. "Have fun, and don't worry about the little one. Lance and I will take turns watching him. He won't be going anywhere."

  Tai laughed, knowing full well he wouldn't be. Ethan was an egg, and she doubted anyone would take him from the nursery. Why would they? "It's okay, but thank you."

  "We watched our first one like a hawk too. So it's not a problem."

  She nodded, glad for the understanding.

  Katelyn shooed her out the door. "Get going already."

  Her hands clutching the sides of her dress, she went to the elevator, a nervous excitement filling her gut. Once at the pool floor, she stepped through the glass doors, her eyes going wide. The room was barely recognizable. Normally, it was bland with pl
ain white walls and blinding lights. Her eyes went up to the glass ceiling where the moonlight poured in, bathing the room with its glow. A few of the stars were visible as well in the black sky that was the backdrop of the skyscrapers that surrounded their home. The overall combination of that alone was enough to take her breath away.

  Darien had really out done himself though. Because not only did the natural lighting provide a romantic mood, but so did how he decorated the room. Strings of light draped themselves over the support pillars, doorways, and outlined the windows. Small stands holding glowing, blue flowers created the outline of a dance floor on the mat where he and his brothers usually sunbathed as dragons. The pool had a glowing blue candles floating on lily pads. Music played out of the stereo.

  "You look amazing." Darien came up next to her and offered an arm. He walked her towards a small table with dinner. Baked macaroni and cheese filled her nostrils, with a slight hint of bacon and tomato. She would have drooled if it wouldn't have been considered unladylike.

  Tai looked him up and down in his black suit. The jacket was open, and he didn't have a tie, but he looked sharp, suave, and sexy. His usually messy shag hair was combed neatly so it was out of his beautiful blue eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, anything, to him, but the words wouldn't come.

  "Speechless?" He smirked. She nodded. "I was kind of hoping you would be. Not because I don't like to hear your beautiful voice, but because that means I did an awesome job at surprising you."

  "Yes, you definitely did." She managed at last.

  "Tonight was important to you."

  "It was important to us. In the craziness of everything, I'd forgotten tonight was the actual dance at school. But spending this time with you makes up for it all. That's what I wanted the most."