Banished To Earth Book Two, Souls Adrift (22)

   Chapter 54

 

67

 

    “Mommie,” Nikki whimpered. Swinging her head around, seeing nothing she knew, she yelled, “Mommie!’ again.

 

    Her new body trembled, her thoughts spun, green shadows all around, no walls, no warm familiar light to comfort her. Everything was different, dark and strange.

 

    Her arms, glowing golden things she did not recognize, flung around her chest, a chest that was not hers. It was no longer flat. And like the rest of her body, it glowed with soft yellow light. But the wings. Translucent screens that caught the scant rays of the dying sun glowed gold as well, slid up and around her, caressed her, but certainly failed to comfort. She did not know them. They terrified her, trapped her in a reality she wanted no part of, shook her tiny body to the core and drove the truth through her heart and mind like a steel spike.

 

     She leapt from the pod, triggering the wings, which automatically swept out and gathered the cool dusk breeze, transforming it into soft, invisible pillows of buoyancy.

 

    “Mommie,” she screamed, “I want my Mommie!”

 

    Stunned by the child's explosive outburst, Thorn cursed himself for not killing her in her sleep. A cowardly act to be sure. Merciful. Maybe? But this, this he was not prepared for…

 

 Nikki screamed again. “Mommie! Help me, please! Mommie!”

 

   Thorn, of course, could not understand a word she said. Her mother, however, surely did. Her baby’s pitiful plea echoed through her mind, rumbling thunder in the dark, even as she smiled down at Nikki’s dark eyes staring up at her from the couch. Her smile slackened on her face until it became a thin line of doubt and fear.

 

    Her head jerked up, struggling to find the source of the scream. It was not the child slowly waking beneath her. There was no fear in this child’s face. But the scream was razor sharp with terror and dismay.

 

   Beth pulled away. The child’s eyes did not react. Their lids still sagged, still struggling against the weight of stubborn slumber.

 

    “Beth,” Davin sensed a sudden kinship with his new friend and charge. “What is it?”

 

    At first, she did not hear him. Her ears were waxed shut with anticipation.

 

   Her sudden shift in attitude cast a chill over the great room. Something was wrong. Had another monster stepped from the shadows?

68

    “Mama!” Beth leapt from the couch, “Yes, baby.” She spun around, searching. But Nikki was not there.

 

   Trudy rushed in, a cup of warm cocoa in her hands. “What’s the matter?”

 

    Beth looked down at the child, scanned the room again. “I think I’m losing my mind! Did you hear?” She almost said Nikki, but caught herself.

 

   “Hear what?” Trudy asked as she walked over to the child and squatted in front of her. “Nikki, got sumthin’ for ya.’”

 

    She groaned, louder this time.

 

   “Now you just take your time.” The child batted her eyes, tried to sit up, but could not quite do it. They waited for Beth to help her. Turning toward the child, Beth reached down. Her hands froze in the air. They all looked at one another. No one spoke. They had no words, until....

 

   Davin slid up by Trudy, “Let me.”

 

   Perplexed but compliant, Trudy relented, set the warm mug on the coffee table and backed away.

 

     An old familiar uneasiness crept up his spine as he slowly dropped to his knees, leaned forward and embraced the child. She stiffened, something she had never done, even when he fussed at Pry back at the beach house.

 

‘…who or what are you…’ he thought as he gathered her up in his arms. Visions of fangs and claws erupting from the child's mouth and fingers flashed in his mind. Somehow, the coldness he felt radiating from her tiny body was more unsettling.

 

   A burst of energy blossomed in her. She sat up, pushed Davin away, drew in a deep breath and surveyed the room with cool mechanical detachment.

 

    For a moment, Davin felt depleted but quickly recovered. He twisted around and offered her the cocoa. Her eyes fondled it, then darted up. “Bark?” She asked with very unchildlike flatness.

 

    “What?” Davin eased back.

 

   The child tilted her head back and forth, not unlike a serpent. Davin half expected a forked tongue to flip from her lips and whip the air for scent.

 

     “From. The. Tree.”

 

    “Sweetie, are you okay?” Silhouette drew near and leaned in.

 

  69

 

    The child’s head settled, bowed, then spun at her. Silhouette jumped.

 

   “Here,” Davin held the cup to her lips. “This is for you.” He held it up to his mouth and took a sip. Experimenting.

 

   The child's tongue did slip out. It licked her lips. “Tea? Bark. Tea.”

 

    She looked back at him.

 

  “Not bark,” Davin was playing with her now. “Beans.”

 

    She grunted and tried to smile. No fangs, but she was baring her teeth. Which was as much of a smile as she could muster. She leaned in. Davin pressed the cup’s rim to her lips and very slowly tilted it up.

 

  The moment the sweet, savoury liquid touched her tongue, she jerked away and spat.

 

   “Nikki loves hot chocolate. Do you know what that is?”

 

    Her small eyes narrowed. “Something. I. Love.”

 

    “Then have some more.” He handed her the cup.

 

   She grabbed it and chugged it down. “See. It. Was. Good.”

 

   “Yeah, okay. Who are you?” His question was blunt.

 

  “Nik. Ki.”

 

    “Where’s my baby?” Beth lunged at the child. Tucker caught her in mid-air.

 

  “That ain’t happening. Beth.”

 

  “Tell me what you did to her.”

 

   “I cannot. Tell you. Because. I will not. Tell you. Would. You. Hurt. Your child. I am her. Now.”

 

   “Beth,” Davin glared down at the little monster as he spoke. “She’s right. We hurt her, we hurt Nikki.”

 

   “Where is she?” Beth screamed.

 

  “Better question,” Silhouette's face was a mask of dark concern. “Where is the butterfly?”