by S. L. Baum
My eyes misted and a tear slipped out. “I almost lost you,” I whispered.
“But you didn’t,” he whispered back, and brushed the tear from my cheek. “You saved me.”
“Cheer up, weepy girl,” Marcus squeezed my shoulders from behind. “I have a present for you,” he said as he placed something on the console.
Link picked it up. “It’s your phone.”
“You did see it,” I gasped. “I heard your voice in my head telling me you saw the phone, telling me you were on the way! I thought I was imagining it.”
“I got worried when you didn’t text back, like you were supposed to...”
“I heard that too,” I cut him off. “How could I hear your voice, so perfectly clear in my head?”
“Marcus, you’ve got a new one,” Eve clapped her hands with glee. “I told you that another one would be coming soon.”
“A new one what?” Link asked.
“You think it could be?” Marcus wondered aloud.
“Try it out, brother,” Cozmo urged.
The inside of the vehicle was completely silent, except for the sound of the tires rolling through the fresh snow. “Did anybody hear anything?” Marcus asked after a moment.
“Oh,” Link nodded his head, “you think he’s got a new power. Sorry man... I got nothin’.”
“Me either,” Cozmo chimed in.
“Try concentrating on just one person,” Eve suggested.
Another silent moment passed by.
“That’s just mean,” Oz blurted out, “There’s no way he’s still a mortal anyway.”
“What did you say?” I asked Marcus.
“Cozmo lost a race to a mere mortal!” Marcus laughed.
“You lost too!” Cozmo pointed out.
“Aah, this is true. But it doesn’t bother me. It bothers you,” Marcus reached across Eve to give his brother a playful shove.
“Do me now,” Eve clapped her hands again. She was clearly excited for Marcus.
Eve closed her eyes and waited for her personal message to come through. It must’ve been a good one, I thought as I glanced at her in the rear view mirror and watched a glowing smile appear. She placed her hands on either side of Marcus’s face and kissed him with passion.
“I’m going to assume that was private,” Link chuckled.
Marcus answered him, without taking his lips away from Eve’s.
“You’re right. I don’t want to know the details,” Link repeated the message aloud.
“Hey... tell James and Catherine to start a batch of pancakes as soon as they get home. I’m starving,” Cozmo told his brother, who was still a bit preoccupied. “How does that sound Lizzy girl,” Cozmo softened his voice as he addressed the Shape-Shifter who was sitting silently on his lap.
“It’ll be light soon,” Link muttered.
I glanced at the clock on the dash. It was getting close to six o’clock in the morning. “I suppose so,” I shrugged.
“I feel it,” Link whispered.
“You feel what?” I puzzled.
“I feel the light coming,” he answered.
How do you feel light? I wondered, silently, as I pulled into the driveway. James had already parked in the garage and I maneuvered Link’s vehicle into the empty space that remained.
We all noisily piled out, clambering our way into the house and toward the kitchen.
Catherine stood at the counter, stirring the contents of a large mixing bowl in front of her. “Pancakes,” she said. “I distinctly heard Marcus’s voice, in my head, saying that Cozmo wants pancakes.”
“He’s got a new power,” Eve beamed.
“I figured as much. Well Cozmo... I started them... You finish them,” Catherine smiled and pushed the bowl toward him. “The pan’s hot,” she pointed at the stovetop.
“Come with me Lizabelle,” I called out to the fox. “Let’s get you some clothes.” I said as I walked out of the kitchen.
The animal followed me up the stairs and to my room.
“I’m thinking comfy,” I stated as I entered my closet to pick out a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt for each of us.
“You can change, and dress, in here. I’ll go into the bathroom so you can have some privacy,” I explained, and set the items on the floor – in front of her.
After I changed my own clothes, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and brushed out my tangled hair – I walked back to the closet and knocked on the door.
“Is there anything else I can get you? Anything else you need?” I asked as I cracked open the door.
“No, this is good. Thank you,” a soft whispery voice responded. She eyed me warily. “Why aren’t you screaming at me, hating me for what my brothers did to you?”
“You tried to stop them. You are not to blame for their actions.”
“I’m so sorry... I followed them here. I tried to talk them out of it. They wouldn’t listen to reason,” her voice strained as she tried to maintain a measure of control over it.
“It is enough that you tried. Thank you,” I smiled.
“Thank you for being so nice to me,” she whispered.
“I have no reason to treat you otherwise. Anyway, I don’t think I have a choice, but to accept you with open arms. Cozmo has taken quite a shine to you.”
A small smile appeared on her face. “He has,” she agreed.
“Let’s go find him. Those pancakes smell heavenly,” I winked at her.
Lizabelle nodded her head in agreement.
As we walked down the stairs I looked out the window. I could tell that the sun would soon peek its head up over the mountain. There was a dim glow far in the distance. I wondered, again, how Link could feel the light – when now, thirty minutes or so later, my heightened senses could barely perceive it.
Lizabelle and I walked into the kitchen, where Cozmo was flipping pancakes with expertise. He scooped up the three finished cakes in the pan and added them to the stack he’d already built up.
“Hungry?” Cozmo asked, without turning around.
He poured three more perfect circles of batter into the sizzling pan.
“Are they edible?” Marcus quipped from where he was seated with Eve.
“Don’t worry brother. I’ll make a special batch just for you. Actually, why don’t you just take over,” he said, and handed the spatula to Marcus.
“With pleasure,” Marcus smiled. “I’ll show you how it’s supposed to be done.”
Cozmo slid over to where Lizabelle and I stood, and immediately wrapped his arms around her waist.
“How are you feeling Lizzy girl?” he asked with concern.
“Better, now that I am not shifting so often and I’m back in clothes again,” she smiled a small smile. Sadness crept through each of her words. She sighed, heavily, and rested her head on Cozmo’s shoulder.
“Where’s Link? He’s not out running laps is he?” I joked.
“He went upstairs to change, right after you did,” Eve answered.
I spun on my heels and headed back upstairs. “Be back in a minute,” I called out, over my shoulder.
The door to his room was closed. I could hear him rummaging around inside. “Whatcha doin’?” I asked, in a sing-songy voice as I pushed open the door.
He was going through the contents of his top dresser drawer. Digging around for something.
“Looking for my sunglasses. My eyes feel like I’ve just had them dilated by the optometrist. It’s as if too much light is coming in.”
“Weird...”
“Have you ever had your eyes dilated?”
“No. Twenty–Twenty before and better than anyone could imagine now,” I pointed to my eyes.
“Well, your eyes are really sensitive to light for a few hours after they put in the drops. They always give you these dark, plastic, disposable glasses to wear afterward. Aah, here they are,” he sighed, pulling a pair of sunglasses out of the drawer and sliding them onto his face in one fluid movement. “Much better,” he blinked rapidly
behind the dark lenses.
“Ready to go downstairs?”
“Not just yet,” Link smiled that perfect brilliant smile and I immediately melted into his arms. “How about a Christmas kiss?” he whispered into my hair.
“You don’t have to ask me twice,” I sighed, tilting my head up to his.
“God I love you,” he murmured, his lips against mine.
“Hey that’s my line,” I smiled and moved my arms up, to wrap them around his neck.
I weaved my fingers through his thick blonde hair and pressed my body against his, kissing him, tugging at his bottom lip with my own, wishing the embrace would last forever.
“Mmmm,” I hummed against his lips, still kissing, lost in the feeling of us.
“Merry Christmas beautiful,” he whispered and pressed his forehead to mine.
“Merry Christmas,” I echoed.
The tender moment was interrupted by a voice, ringing clear in my head. These pancakes are getting cold down here, it announced.
“Marcus,” we both said at the same time.
“You heard him too? He must be getting better at his new skill,” I noted.
“I guess we should go,” Link sighed and held out his hand, immediately linking his fingers with mine.
“I guess,” I returned the sigh and leaned forward for one more kiss.
“He’s about to come get us,” Link warned.
“How do you know that?” I asked.
“I hear him walking toward the stairs,” he answered.
“So do I. But how do you?” I shook my head.
“I just do,” he shrugged.
“Weird...” I uttered in confusion, for the second time since I’d entered his room.
“I know...” Link trailed off and pulled on my hand, leading me out the door and down the stairs.
Marcus was standing on the bottom step. He took one look at Link, and quipped, “Future’s so bright?”
“I gotta wear shades,” Link smiled.
“Wow, Charity, he actually got an Eighties reference... impressive. But what’s with the shades?” Cozmo asked.
“His eyes are bugging him,” I explained.
“Lincoln, you should allow James to give you a thorough examination later. You had quite an experience last night,” Catherine suggested.
She made no attempt to hide the concern that was openly displayed on her face, and in her voice.
“I’m inclined to agree,” added James.
“I shall comply with your request,” Link uttered in an overly staunch tone, then smiled and said, “Later, I promise. It’s Christmas morning. Let’s eat and open some presents.”
All eight of us were gathered in the kitchen. Once Marcus was finished with the last batch of pancakes, he joined Eve, James, and Catherine at the round table that joined the kitchen to the living room. Cozmo, Lizabelle, Link and I sat at the counter and we all devoured the meal in relative silence.
The quiet moment gave me time to reflect on the previous night’s events. I had altered Lincoln somehow. I knew it. I had saved his life by giving him my blood. But had I damaged him?
I glanced at Link. He was leaning back in his chair, massaging his temples. His eyes were closed, behind the dark shades he still wore. A slight throb began to percolate in my head. It was a steady thump... no, thud... no, beating of a drum. No, that wasn’t it either. It was a pulsating... a pulse... Link’s pulse!
I could sense every drop of my blood, as it was being pumped through Link’s veins! How was that possible? I’d have to ask James if anything similar had ever happened to him.
“Time for presents,” Link said slowly.
I watched as he rubbed at his eyes, then blink repeatedly.
“You sure you don’t want to rest for awhile? We’ve officially been awake for over twenty-four hours. It’s hard on me sometimes. It’s gotta be difficult for you to even keep those eyes of yours open,” I worried.
“Actually, I don’t really feel tired. I just have a slight headache and my eyes are a bit sensitive.”
“And you’re not hungry,” I added looking at his plate
“I just don’t seem to have the taste for pancakes this morning,” he said, as he pushed the one, half eaten, pancake around the plate with his fork.
“Come with me,” I held out my hand. “Let’s go lie down for a little while. Presents can wait until later.”
“Rest, Lincoln,” Catherine agreed.
Link and I retreated to my bedroom and immediately snuggled under the covers of my bed. We lay on our sides, my back pressed firmly into his chest, and Link’s arm draped across my side - my favorite cuddle position. Actually anywhere, spent wrapped in Link’s arms, could be considered my favorite position. I sighed, deeply satisfied, as Link drew me even closer to him.
I closed my eyes and listened to the rhythm of my blood, as it pulsated through my love – a lullaby that had me soon drifting off to sleep.
The light woke me. It was a single, dazzling ray of sunlight, which beamed through my partially closed shutters, and concentrated itself on my closed eyelids. The brilliant glow made its way through layers of my flesh, to tell my brain to wake-up.
“I’m awake,” I grumbled to the sun, “and I’m alone,” I mumbled as I sat up in my vacated bed and gazed around my empty room.
chapter seventeen
SOMETHING ALTOGETHER NEW
He was near – in the house – I was sure of it. I could still feel the steady rhythm of his heart. This new and unfamiliar connection to Link was bizarre, comforting but bizarre. It was a homing beacon of sorts, a metal detector... a Link detector.
As I exited my room and then descended the stairs, I just knew I was getting closer to him with every step that I took. A quick scan of the main level turned up no one. I closed my eyes and allowed my “Link detector" to take over, turning my head to the left and then to the right.
His signal got stronger.
My thoughts turned to our soundproof, windowless Game Room and I walked down another flight of stairs. I paused just a moment, when I reached the door, resting my hands on the surface in front of me. I could feel him strongest there - he was on the other side of the door. I was sure of it. The realization sent a shiver through my body.
I closed my eyes again and concentrated on Lincoln. He was exerting himself, but just slightly. There was a smile on his face. Not my favorite brilliant smile, that lights up his whole face and immediately brings a smile to my own, but a warm confident smile. He was talking to someone, but I couldn’t tell to whom.
I opened the door.
James, Marcus, Cozmo, and Link turned to stare at me. Each one of them held a different sharp weapon in his hand. The targets on the other side of the room were nearly full of them. Well, that explained the slight exertion.
“You’re awake,” Link beamed at me. “It’s afternoon sleepy girl. You were exhausted.”
“I guess,” I shrugged. “I didn’t think I was that tired.”
James stepped forward, concern filled his face. “Your body needed to recuperate. It was working overtime to replace all the blood that you... um, donated to Link.”
“Did anybody else sleep? Or am I the only one wasting away Christmas Day?” I shook my head.
“I was up there with you for an hour or two. But it was just getting too bright, with the sun coming through the window and all. So, I came downstairs and started throwing knives. Then these three joined me a little while ago,” Link explained.
“Actually we all got a couple hours of sleep in. It was a long night,” Marcus assured me.
“Where are the girls?” I asked.
“They decided to walk around in the snow. Lizabelle needed to get out. She doesn’t like being inside for too long,” Cozmo answered.
“Do you want to go outside too, now that I’m awake?” I asked Link.
“No. I like it in here. There’s no sunlight. My eyes are still oversensitive for some reason,” Link shrugged.
I looked a
t his eyes and realized the sunglasses were gone. The bright lights in the room didn’t seem to bother him at all. So, he was oversensitive to sunlight – but not light in general.
“Did you eat?” I worried.
“I made a steak while everyone was still asleep. I’m good. Don’t worry about me,” Link smiled and wrapped his arms around me in a great big bear hug. “Look how good I’m getting,” he pointed to the target directly in front of him.
His aim was improving. He was getting closer to the center than he ever had before. “Much better,” I smiled, snatching the knife from his hand and sending it toward the target with a deft flick of my wrist.
“Show off,” Link whispered into my hair as the knife hit the bull’s-eye – dead center.
And the competition was on. Cozmo, not one to be outdone, tried to match my throw. He came fairly close too, but I still had him by at least a half an inch. Marcus and James instantly joined in, and we were soon lost in the rivalry... although James, and I, continued to closely study Link. I watched the slight nod of his head as he made a mental note of all that he observed.
I don’t know how long we remained in the Game Room. I hadn’t bothered to note the time when I roused from my sleep. My internal clock finally registered and I let out a gasp.
“It’s after five,” I stated with wonder. The day had slipped away from me.
“I know,” Link replied and shot another knife toward the target. “My eyes are starting to feel much better now that the sun is going down.”
“Weird,” I whispered, looking around our windowless room.
Link’s head snapped around the second the word had escaped my lips. He smiled – and winked.
The door swung open and Catherine stepped into the room. “Okay, we’ve been home for about an hour now.”
“We gave you extra time to play because Marcus sent me a message saying he was having too much fun to come upstairs,” Eve added.
We all turned to look at Marcus. “Didn’t I mention that?” Marcus shrugged, sounding quite guilty.
“I swear darling, I knew nothing of it,” James crossed the room to wrap his arms around her. “But we were having fun,” he smiled.
