Chapter 12

The morning sun was breaking over the trees. I sat across from Zane who was staring straight at me. My eyes searched his to find any type of answer I could. He knew everything that happened between my parents and he was the only one right now I could trust with those answers. The kids slept quietly next to my side. Their light breaths were very cute. Abigail sat with her elbows resting on her knees. Her head was nested in the cups of her hands and she was looking between Zane and me.

“Where are we?” I finally asked after what seemed like hours of silence.

Zane’s eyes looked around, “You’re in someone’s state of mind, although it looks a lot like France.”

My hands went up and I looked at Abigail, “Thank you!” I said sarcastically. She scrunched up her face as if she was annoyed. The kindness I had gotten from her, I knew, was only temporary. I folded my hands in my lap again. “So what are we supposed to do?”

Zane coughed and looked at me, “That’s what you’re supposed to figure out.” Abigail and I both started to protest at the same time. Zane’s hands went up in surrender and his eyes shut as if our yelling was hurting his mind, “I will take you as far as I can, tell you as much as I know, and then you have to go on your own.” His eyes fell over both of us, “You should get some sleep while I’m here.” Abigail nodded. She slapped her thighs and stood up. Her frail body curled up next to Tori. They snuggled together and Abigail was out right away.

Zane’s silver eyes stayed plastered to me, “Not tired.” I said quietly and looked away.

“How much do you want to know?”

My eyes got huge and excitement ran through me, “everything, if you can please.”

Zane nodded and stood up, “I’ll tell you all that I know.” He started to walk away from the sleeping group. His black suit was tight around his slender body. He was obviously not built like the rest of the Oresons I had seen. He was taller and thinner than any I had seen. He sat down on a fallen log a few yards away from where we were before. He patted a spot next to him and watched me as I walked to his side and sat. “What would you like to hear first?”

I looked off into the trees and sorted through the questions that I wanted to find answers for. There was one that was constantly tugging at my mind, “Did my father really give up everything to have me?”

“Rylan?” Zane asked and I nodded giving him an answer, “without a doubt. The Khtulu are very strict with their traditions. To have kids outside the tribe is very much looked down upon. Not to mention a double gene kid.”

“A what?” In of all my biology classes I’d never heard that term.

Zane cleared his throat, “Your father is a geneticist, correct?” My head shook and my face twisted, “You really know nothing.” I was more amazed then he was. “Your father is a geneticist, a hero geneticist to be exact. He’s figured out a way to combine his genes with Collin’s. They put those into a surrogate then voila you!” His hands sprayed out and shook a little when he finished the sentence.

“So I’m part of both of my father’s?”

Zane nodded his thumb and pointer finger grabbed my chin, “Your facial structures don’t’ belong to Collin, I can tell you that right now. Your eyes are also darker, a gene from the Khtulu. Of course Collin is in there, in your lips and eye shape.”  He thumb dropped my chin and he wiped his hand on his suit.

“I just don’t understand any of this.”

“I could understand why. It was stupid for your parents not to tell you anything, it’s something that will be found out someday.”  His silver eyes looked over the trees I was looking at earlier. “There’s someone else here.”

My gaze followed his to the trees, “Where?”

His head shook and he looked over the tree line, “I can’t tell. But she’s one of us.”

“Should we hide or something,” I asked quietly.

“No, she’s fine.” He stood up from the log, “I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you anymore, that should be saved for your parents,” His eyes never attached to mine. I stood next to him and tried to look where he was looking.  Finally the silver pools looked down on me, “You’re different from your parents, remember that.” His hand tossed the hair on top of my head. “Keep following the stream, I trust you with my nieces and nephew.” I nodded and a great sense of pride lifted in my chest, “I’ll send the woman your way, then I’ll direct the rest your way.”

“Get William first,” Abigail was behind me, I knew she couldn’t sleep for long. “He will help you convince the others.”

Zane nodded, “Thank you. Something you have to remember, this isn’t reality. A day here might be two weeks in real life. Pay attention to your body, not the daylight.” Zane’s hand reached out to me. I shook it with great pride and excitement. When his hand slipped from mine it went to the side of Abigail’s face. He started to turn and walk away heading towards the tree line.

“Will you see Tex?” Zane spun around and his eyes shot straight to the ground beneath us. Abigail pushed the question further. “You know he’ll want to see you.”

Zane’s teeth bit his lower lip. This was the first time I saw him drop his tough guy façade. “You have to understand why I can’t.”

Abigail stepped forward sending Zane an extra step back, “it’s been years, everyone’s forgiven you.” She balled her hands into fists that hung heavily at her side.

“Abigail,” Zane’s silver eyes were illuminated. They moved up from the ground and shot straight through her. “If you tell Tex I was here, I can promise you’ll regret it. When and if I see him again, it will be on my own time. Now if you don’t stop listening to your a*s of a father and take only ideas he feeds into your mind, then I’ll send someone to fix that.”

A chuckle bubbled up from my chest and Abigail shot me a death glare, finishing my humor. “It was funny,” I whispered under my breath, “can’t help but laugh when things are funny.” A strong punch connected with the side of my arm. I rubbed the sore spot and she walked off back to where the kids were sleeping.

Zane licked his lips and smiled, “She’s something.”

“Tell me about it,” My hand continued to rub my sore bicep. Zane’s warm hand touched the spot releasing any ounce of pain I once had. My eyes got huge as I tried to fathom what just happened. Did he actually heal my pain? Could he possibly do more? Could I do that? Could I do more? The questions radiated in my head so loudly I hardly noticed Zane run off. The last I saw of him was his foot leaping through the trees. A smile spread brightly across my face. Smugly I walked over to the small group lying in the grass. I took a deep breath of the cool air surrounding us and sat next to Abigail. Her knees were pulled up to her chin and she was staring down at her feet, “Everything alright?” I asked with deep sincerity. Her eyes shrunk into a glare and she laid down next to Tori without a word.  As I laid back my hands went behind my head. I stared up at the clouds until my eye lids shut quite fulfilled.

Author's Note

I love Zane.