Carne set his watch. It beeped almost too quietly to pick up.
“Set, Dad. And she’s not our little gypsy, she’s mine,” he said seriously then his gaze switched to mine. “Hurry, Deli!”
Then we were off, tearing up the stairs. Faster than I’d ever allowed myself to run. We leaped two stairs at a time, flew around the first landing then around the next. I was a flurry of limbs and Carne nearly blurred he was so quick in his flight.
Carne stopped. Just like that he was still and so was I.
“Close your eyes, Deli.”
My head tilted. “Why?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“What’s a surprise, Carne?” I asked perplexed. If I closed my eyes how was I supposed to see my room?
Carne thought about it for a second. His mind played presents being ripped open in haste to see what was inside and a trip to the city with Ven that ended at the sports warehouse.
“It’s a surprise,” I stated knowingly.
“Yes, now close your eyes,” he stood behind me and covered them himself. Carne was about a head taller than me, and my shoulders slimmer so that I fit right in close against him. I was glad that Carne was as hard as I was but his breath was warm on my neck and his heart thudded quickly as the door opened before us and he guided me into the centre.
Chapter Eight
Carne’s hands flew off my eyes. “Surprise!” he belted.
I stood stock still in wonderment. Everything was so colourful! Pinks and oranges as burnt as the sun, whites so white they glowed, flowers printed on the pink and white comforter. A white four poster princess bed with mosquito net hanging from the roof, a huge white and gilded gold mirror enlarging the already spacious room. A worn but very comfortable day bed overflowed with red and orange cushions.
Carne plopped onto the bed, sinking in and reaching his arms out at far as he could reach. “We had to find the perfect bed for you, Deli. Come try it,” he patted beside him.
I went slowly; still in shock that anything could be as beautiful. One knee then the other, I crawled onto the luxurious comforter. The bed was a million times softer and warmer than my cot and scratchy blanket. Pillows scattered the bed, full clouds covered in cotton and silk. I hugged one to me before lying in the crook of Carne’s arm.
“I knew you’d come.” All I knew was I didn’t ever want to leave. Never wanted to be anywhere but near Carne.
“No more dark, Deli. I promise.” We could both see in my mind’s eye my little closet space under the stairs where we’d first talked.
Carne rolled over to the bedside and turned on the lamp. Plonking back next to me he enclosed me in his arms again and said, “Look.”
The ceiling was alight with prisms of colour. A vast rainbow streaming across the room, chasing away shadows. I laughed out loud and tried to touch the rainbow but couldn’t reach it. I jumped up to investigate the lamp. It was a clear stone with many facets, reflecting the light to create the rainbows.
No more dark, I agreed.
“Come and see my room, Deli.” He pulled me to the door centering the right wall.
“This door goes to my room. Mum put you right next to me so you could find me better.”
Carne’s room had the exact same layout as mine. Carne's room had more personal objects, a crossbow on a carved timber chest at the foot of his rough knotted, dark finished timber bed. A big blue barrel of balls and toys sat on the right corner of a train track carpet mat. A hover board rested against the wall beside that.
“You’ll get some toys soon, Deli. Mum said you wouldn’t mind too much to wait a few days since they left so quick to get you. I’ll share with you ‘til then, okay?” Carne asked, hoping I’d agree and not worry about not having toys to myself just yet. It sounded like toys were important.
“Okay, Carne.”
I tottered about his room noting the differences. Picking up a strange little fluffy monster, I cuddled it. His room was mostly reds and browns and blues. It was darker than my room but no less beautiful.
I was interrupted when a high pitched, ultra-sonic, beep rebounded in the room. I looked to Carne for an explanation.
“One minute, Deli. We best move or I’ll have to run the track two times in a row so I learn how to measure time.”
“Is that like a punishment, Carne?” It sounded like it. The promise of a punishment made me wary.
“Yeah. I spose it is, but not like what you’re thinking, Deli,” he scowled. “Cause we’re special we have to learn control. That’s what my parents say anyhow. It’s fun. The track is an obstacle course. Dad said you can run it too. It don’t matter none that you’re a girl. But Lyndie’s daughters can’t do it. Only us. You’ll see, Deli. Don’t worry, okay?”
I trusted Carne to know if it was okay and the memory he had of the obstacle course did look like loads of fun. So I didn’t worry and I followed Carne’s scent and racing footsteps down stairs to the dining room where everyone waited.
I pulled myself to a stop at the door. The dining table was not as big as the meals room ones but it held twelve chairs. Eight were taken. The heads of the table were vacant. On the far side of the table sat Lyndie, two girls and a man in navy blue overalls. Lyndie looked pleased whilst busy dishing out plates from her seat. The two girls stared at me from their places beside the man in overalls, making me uncomfortable. Overall man wasn’t a big man; he was really quite stringy and had thinning silver streaked hair and black stained calloused hands. He didn’t stare but he did notice me discreetly.
The two girls had the same features as their mother – strawberry blonde, shoulder length, fine hair, though Lyndie’s was pulled into a knot at the back of her head. All three females had crystal light blue eyes and freckles on their tanned noses. One girl appeared younger than the other, but not by much. By my guess they’d be about ten and eleven.
The near side of the table held Ava between Ven and Troy. Carne was seated by Ven and was waving me to him. He shimmed one of the vacant chairs over to his and offered me the seat. Once I did Ava began introductions. First to Lyndie’s husband, Sal who was the grounds and barrack keeper. He fixed the hover cars and the generators when the power went out, which I was told, happened frequently.
Claudia was the eldest daughter. “Hello,” I tried a clumsy smile at her while she glared unfriendliness. Her younger sister Dani sparked compared to her sister, saying “Hi” happily. That gained a quick reaction of pursed lips adding to the sour expression held by her older sister.
Ava intervened then, breaking my line of sight to sourpuss. “You’ll be doing your general lessons with the girls as well as Carne, Delilah. I’m sure they’ll all be helpful,” Ava warned meaningfully.
“What, so she’s,” Claudia stabbed a finger in my direction, “never done any lessons? We’ll have to go back to shapes and colours! You can’t do this, Mum!” Claudia whined her objections. When her face scrunched you could see up her nose.
Lyndie pinched Claudia’s arm making her squeal.
Introductions out of the way and Claudia gagged, conversation rekindled.
“I think it best to start her training right away; she’s missed a lot but shouldn’t have trouble catching up. It will help that she has Carne’s experiences to lean on,” Ven stated, in between mouthfuls of some sort of vegetable bake.
“Damn Ven, let the little gypsy have a day or two rest. What do you reckon Ava? She’s been through a bit.” Troy said in my defence.
Ava didn’t look at me while she ate but put her fork down to say, “Why don’t you ask her?”
Ven’s attention became mine. “Delilah, would you like to begin training with Carne this afternoon?” I felt the air at the table. I’m sure I would have looked like a little piglet, rolling my face around as if sniffing for food, but my instincts and senses hadn’t ever led me astray.
Despite what Troy had said about allowing me time to adjust, he was eager to begin. Every emotion had a scent and a feel. Not like a food or a plant but
a scent nonetheless and they contributed to the wisps of emotions that evaded me while twined so tight with others that I had to hunt for them. Troy’s was eagerness, anticipation.
Ven was harder to read. Troy allowed his emotion to filter through to the others - Ven did not. He wasn’t purposefully being intimidating. Well that wasn’t what I read from him. More like patient or controlled though I could see that it would please him if I did begin ‘training’. For some reason I didn’t feel that he’d be disappointed if he had to wait, though.
If training began I’d learn more about myself. I felt on the outside of a huge secret and I wanted in.
I back-tracked my gaze to each of my new family members and evaluated whether I could be so honest.
“I’d like to run,” I whispered shyly. I’d never been able to at my fastest. It was one of the many things I’d thought about in the past as I was coming to terms with all my differences that I’d had to hide. I was lucky Ana-bird had been a few years older than me and knew that I’d needed to.
She couldn’t see the things I saw or know things like I did. She didn’t speak Romanian very well and couldn’t remember English words that I’d tried to teach her, but she’d helped me in her own way.
Now that I was with Carne I could do those things. I wanted to run so fast the wind was hard enough to graze my face and whistle in my ears. I wanted to feel the grass outside crunch between my toes. Grass I’d never had at the orphanage. It was all snow, dirt and rock there - something about the Ozone and nuclear winters. Winter had never left Brasov.
“Well? There you have it, Ven, the girl wants to run. After lunch the five of us will go out to track three. The grass there has recently been cut and no rain means good traction at least,” Troy decided. I began to think that most of Troy’s playfulness and enthusiasm was not completely honest. I didn’t think his deception was cruel but simply welcoming. I appreciated the ‘white lie’. I know the Sisters of Hope would not, but I did. I didn’t mind those kinds of lies. It wasn’t a big sin anyways.
As the attention on me dwindled and other topics came up I listened intently as I scoffed vegetable bake and steak. I ate two helpings of the ‘real’ meat. I didn’t have to worry about how much I ate here, or that there wouldn’t be enough.
“We have a contract in St Petersburg in a week. I’ll go with Team Two, since Team One is still returning from dropping water barricades and medical to Holland,” Ven announced idly.
“I’ll make sure to be here while you’re gone. I’ll be running drills with Team One when they return. Luca will have to be let go if he can’t work with a team. I had high hopes for him, but we’ll see. I swear that boy has impulsive written in his genetic code,” Troy half joked but Ava and Ven took the statement seriously by their significant glance at one another.
“Nothing the Big Bad Destroyer can’t handle,” Ava gibed her husband, patting his massive hand with her dainty one mockingly.
“Don’t even say it Vengeance.” Troy said with raised eyebrow, pointing his butter knife at Ven, daring him.
I had to ask. Curiosity was getting to me. “What are the Teams?” I fit in, disturbing their game of stare down with each other.
Ven’s eyes lighted in surprise but answered right away. “We head a Private Military Company called Onyxeal,” he said, looking me in the eye. “This is Home Base. But we don’t tell outsiders Delilah.”
“Okay,” I replied.
“We have five teams and five team leaders. Troy and I are leaders for Teams One and Two. Twenty a head to a team. Sometimes a shipment or package needs protection from rebels, pirates or terrorists. Sometimes we guard people and sometimes we are hired for combat or humanitarian missions by governments.”
“Is that why I need to train?” I asked.
“No.” Ven informed me promptly. “We train for control just like we learn other subjects, so we can make informed decisions as we get older. Troy, Ava and I still train and we still study. You will be no exception. Understand?”
It wasn’t a command to understand, just a question. It made me happy to be included and to have someone talk to me as if I were older. It made me want to preen with pride in myself that I did understand. More than that, I was ready to learn.
Chapter Nine
“Ready? Set. Go!”
Muscles burned as they pumped. My breath took two laps to regulate itself into a slow steady rhythm but oh! Endorphins flooded my brain and bled into my veins. The run was a high I never wanted to come down from. I’d nearly caught Carne when he suddenly exerted hidden energy and blurred ahead. I laughed out loud at his competitive streak.
Carne won our race, but it would be harder for him next time. Troy explained I had to start slowly and work up to my full potential. Despite my young age an explanation was given as if I were older. My young brain understood it as acceptance.
Due to our muscle density and neural receptors within any given muscle, our bodies were capable of utilizing more of our muscle fibers –which were triple a normal humans. So economical were the coordinating activities among muscle groups that it enabled a super-fast neuron firing rate, surpassing performance despite say, my muscle size and body mass. The only down side was that since I’d not been training as long as Carne it would take much less time for lactic acid to flood my muscles, which was bad. It meant that my body would have used all the oxygen and converted all its chemical energy so starts to eat other chemicals available for the required energy.
“So every time we run Deli will get better and even though Deli is small her muscles work better than Claudia’s or Dani’s and she has more of them?” Carne paraphrased, explaining more in his single sentence than what Troy had in all his.
“That is correct.” Carne got his caramel curls patted by Ven’s great hand.
“Time to go in now kids. Walk back slowly and walk once around the house when you get back so your tough cookie little muscles get some down time,” Ava advised. She looked between both Carne and I. “Actually,” she mused conspiratorially. “Since there wont be any afternoon lessons today why don’t you show Delilah around the obstacle course and play gym, Carne? I bet she’d like that.”
“Yeah, Mum, that’s great! We can do that. Come on Deli,” he latched onto my arm. I did a little wave in his parent’s direction before we were out of sight.
“Don’t go near the barracks!” Troy made his warning heard from the distance. I wanted to ask why we weren’t allowed near the barracks.
The obstacle course took up an entire field. It was shaded from view by high bushes and a solid fence. The obstacles included balancing beams, walls of netting, ropes to swing from and more nets to crawl under. There were plastic tube rings that you had to step into without tripping and tunnels to wriggle through that were so tight I wasn’t sure how Carne would fit. There was a twenty metre gap, Carne called a ‘sprint gap’ between each obstacle and even a double lane lap pool between a timber log wall - with finger tabs, sporadically placed – and a knotted rope leading to a platform that then led you to a flying fox. Once landed there was one more sprint gap to the finish.
I wanted to run it, fight it and conquer it. My cheeks hurt I grinned so much! No such luck. Carne relayed Troy’s explanation and Ava’s warning to let our muscles cool down so he led me to the monkey bars.
“There isn’t any monkeys anymore but when they were alive they were good climbers. I think that’s why the bars are named after them,” Carne reasoned.
When Carne was motionless I could see the glow in his amber eyes and the tinted flush in his cheeks. He wasn’t skinny or sick like other kids I knew and he was a million times nicer. He was like me, matched me. I was glad to be there with him.
“Let’s climb to the top,” I suggested boldly.
“Race ya,” he goaded and winked, like Troy did to him.
I found it easy to manoeuvre my limbs around each bar and gain momentum to swing upside down to reach backwards for the next bar. My dark coffee hair hung towards the
ground and tangled up the more I climbed and my muscles burned a little with the effort but I beat Carne to the top.
“Cheater,” he grinned showing pearly white baby teeth and one missing on bottom.
We sat in silence and stillness for a long while, just staring out at the obstacle course. I ran it in my mind, working out the fastest route and possible strategy through and over each obstruction. Carne thought I was finally here and I had better be careful on the course. Maybe he could get mats put down for me for a while.
I don’t need mats! I told him indignantly.
Humph. You might want them after a couple days, Deli, he cautioned. Hey, wanna play a game?
Okay,I agreed readily. What kind of game?
Slaps. Its sposed to be for our reflexes, he waved his hands about adding to his derision. But it’s fun. Try it?
Okay.
“Hold out your hands like this,” he showed me his hands, palms down, forearms out front. I copied him then he aligned his fingertips against mine with his hands in the same position.
“Now, I’ll go first so you know what to do. What we try to do is slap the other’s hands before they can move them away. I’ll try not to hit you hard though, Deli.”
“What happens if you miss?”
He laughed at me like that was unlikely. “Then it’s your turn to try and get me. Ready?”
“Ready.”
SLAP!
My fingertips stung. “Ow,” I complained. It was not often I felt a sting from a slap. It caught me unawares.
Carne was immediately concerned, clutching my fingers for his inspection. He held my hand tenderly, as if wounded beyond measure.
His lips were warm and feather light as he brought my fingers close enough for him to kiss.
I shook my hand.
“Go again, Carne, come on! I’m okay, promise.”
Variant: A Sci-Fi Romance (Variant Trilogy Book 1) Page 6
