I stared in awe at Reaper’s face. Now that I could see him more clearly, his Kryptid heritage was undeniable. Aside from his crescent moon horn that I’d already been well aware of, his inhumanly large, slightly slanted, almond-shaped, multifaceted eyes, identical to those of the bugs, should have frightened me. But instead of making him terrifying, they gave him a mysterious edge that I found mesmerizing. It was no doubt due to the beautiful harmony of his otherwise human face, with the straight nose I remembered outlining with my fingertips, and a wide mouth with full lips that smiled gently at me.
That’s also when I noticed the little bumps in an almost perfect line along his shoulders. I had felt them before under my arms when I had hugged him or held on to him while he flew me out of the base. But I had assumed them to be part of his armor. Now that I could see one protruding from under his black shirt, I realized they were a part of him. They almost looked like bone spikes certain lizards possessed.
Or certain Dragons…
“You’re so beautiful,” I said, the words half-choked from the tears spilling out of my eyes. “My Sun… I see you…”
I saw him stiffen, a horrified expression descending upon his face just as I was throwing myself into his arms. He remained frozen for a moment while I cried on his shoulder before his own arms finally closed hesitantly around me.
“Your son?” Reaper asked, shock and something akin to outrage seeping into his voice.
I nodded against his neck, still weeping. I didn’t have the words to express what he meant to me right this instant. So, I once more projected the image of the sun growing from my heart and swallowing him.
“Ooooh! The sun! Right…” Reaper exclaimed.
I instinctively knew that he hadn’t truly understood, but however he’d interpreted what I’d said seemed to pacify him. That was all that mattered. His arms tightened around me, and he gently caressed my hair until I finally calmed down and regained my bearings.
“Sorry for crying all over your shirt,” I said, sniffling.
Reaper laughed. “You can cry on me whenever you want. Although I hope you will never have any reasons to unless they are tears of joy.”
I smiled but was once more annoyed when Jessica stepped in to ask me questions about how I felt and what I saw. It was unfair to the sweet brunette who had gone out of her way to make me better. For some silly reason, I felt overly possessive and territorial as far as my time with Reaper was concerned.
Brees can tell you exactly why that is.
Pushing aside my wandering thoughts, I focused on the Medical Officer’s words, grateful for her simple, concise, and straightforward questions that didn’t require elaborate answers. I still felt very shaky with vocal speech and suspected it would last for a while.
Finally satisfied, she pushed Reaper out of the room to help me put some clothes on. Although it was currently too big for me, the black, above-the-knee-length dress with an embroidered golden dragon on the shoulder was beautiful. It matched the Vanguard uniform colors the other team members had worn. As I looked at myself in the mirror and then at Jessica next to me, I realized how scrawny and gaunt I’d become.
“You are a very beautiful woman, Janelle,” Jessica suddenly said as if she’d read the grim thoughts that had crossed my mind. “And a strong one, too. You may be a little skinny right now, but that will be fixed in a few weeks. Maybe even less with the help of the nanites. Once we get back to Khepri, I will take you on the craziest shopping spree of your life.”
I blinked in confusion. “Shopping spree?”
Jessica flinched, then gave me an apologetic look. “Of course, you wouldn’t know what a shopping mall is. Well, it’s this huge building filled with nice things you might want. Like dresses and clothes of every shape, style, and color. Amazing shoes, beautiful ornaments for your hair. And spas…! Girl, you have no idea all the wonders you are about to discover. You have suffered a long time, but your new life is starting now. And we’re all going to make sure you enjoy it fully.”
My lips quivered, and I blinked back the tears that threatened to well up. This concept of freedom exhilarated me as much as it terrified me. The base had been a suffocating prison, but now the outside world seemed too big, too vast, too free. I feared I would get lost in it and wander aimlessly, never finding my way home.
“You are not alone, you hear me?” Jessica insisted. “You will never be alone. We are your family now. And Reaper cares so very much for you. He will always be there for you. So, don’t you be afraid of anything. You have us now.”
“Thank you,” I said, grateful for her kindness and the gentle way in which she drew me into her arms and hugged me.
It wasn’t a maternal embrace, and yet…
“If you ever need someone to talk to about anything: your hopes, your fears, or whatever confuses you about this new world, never hesitate to talk to me. I would love for you to think of me as a sister. The women of the Vanguard are all sisters.”
“But I’m not of the Vanguard,” I said in a small voice.
Jessica gave me a knowing smile that left me even more confused.
“Come on,” she said with enthusiasm. “Reaper is getting impatient and asking what the heck I’m doing to you. Do you feel steady enough to walk, or should I ask Reaper to carry you?”
Ask Reaper to carry me!
I bit my tongue to hold back my instinctive response. “I can try to walk a little, and maybe ask him to help if I start to tire?”
“Strong, independent woman! I approve!” Jessica said with a wink.
We slowly made our way out of the Infirmary. The door parted before us revealing Reaper talking with another tall and large male. The stranger didn’t possess a crescent moon horn but had the same bone spikes on his shoulders as Reaper. His body was covered in golden scales. From what I could see of his features, he was as stunning as he was imposing.
“There she is,” Reaper said with a huge smile.
He approached me, and I immediately latched onto his arm, feeling suddenly intimidated. It struck me then that, after my initially semi-rude encounter with the rest of the team, I’d been so focused on enjoying my newfound freedom, I had not interacted with the other members of the team aside from Jessica.
“Hello, Janelle,” the stranger said in a warm and friendly voice. “It is good to see you already so recovered. The Vanguard uniform dress suits you perfectly.”
“Doom!” I exclaimed in a whisper.
The stranger’s eyes widened in surprise, and then his smile broadened with what looked like admiration.
“You are correct. I am Doom.”
“It was your voice in the message. I had been so scared. Thank you so much. So very much,” I said, my voice cracking at the end from the emotions that threatened to overwhelm me.
“It was my honor and my pleasure,” Doom replied in an almost paternal kindness.
It was strange considering he seemed the same age as Reaper. And yet, there was something undeniably wise and more… I couldn’t think of the right words to describe it. It was like staring at a two-hundred-year old soul inside the body of the thirty-year old. Just as the thought crossed my mind, I suddenly wondered if it might actually be the case. After all, Reaper had been reborn in a new, young body.