Immortal Tales #Wattys2020

Chapter Thirty Eight - Part Two

-When you went back into your body, Isaac realised that there was no way his magic could save you. - Andre held back a sob. - And that's when you disappeared again from the plane, leaving no trace. Mathias told us he though you were trying to use magic to heal yourself, but ... but you weren't there. As soon as they reached the house Jane started throwing stuff around and almost strangled poor Sarah, blaming it all on her. We had to ... give her a little something to calm down. -

Jane.

Annoying, troubling, loving Jane who could never feel anything but joy and violent rage. The fake sister she was now so used to having around. The girl whom she almost killed centuries before and would now kill for if anything happened to her.

The girl felt her heart breaking at the thought of having caused her any pain.

-We spent three days gathering as much info on the outside world as possible. But our best tech expert was ... incapacitated. - she said emitting a sad laugh. - Mathias stopped talking, and just sat there with his eyes closed. Whenever Sarah tried to snap him out of it he just told her to shut up cause he was ... and I quote ... pulling strings. -

Three days. She had been a shadow for three days. It had seemed only like seconds in her vision.

Andre got closer to her chair and took her hands in hers, as if she was making sure she was really there.

-Then Mat screamed and all the glass in the room shattered. You materialised from nothing, in the middle of the living room. - she whispered. -You were still hurt, but nothing that Isaac couldn't cure. You went into some sort of trance and slept for a day or so. Until now. -

The girl wrapped her fingers around Andre's cold ones.

-I didn't know I could do that until I did, you have to to believe me. - she said, a sob trapped in her chest. -And I didn't meant to keep it hidden either ... I just didn't want you guys to be scared of me. -

Andre laughed heartily. - Sweatheart we could never be scared of you. Scared for you it's more like it. You are family. - she said, causing the other girl's eyes to tear up. -And as long as you don't turn into one of them, I am good with whatever, Emily or Valeria or ... what is we were calling you this days? -

The girl bit her lip. - Luz -

Andre eyed her suspiciously.

-Just for simplicity I might stick to one name only. - she lied. There was so much more to it. It was that name that had pulled her back from the darkness, the knowledge that she was not just a shell, but a true human being. An identity she hadn't believe she deserved, all because of some memory stuck in her brain she hadn't be able to remember. She wasn't ready to reveal that truth just yet, but there was another reason why she had asked Andre to talk to her in private.

-Oh and also, Mathias figured out that immortality is a genetic mutation of an inheritable gene. - she said out loud.

Andre put instinctively a hand to her belly, understanding the hidden meaning of her words.

-You think my baby will be immortal - she concluded and then shook her head. -No, that is ... not possible. My other child was mortal, I saw him growing old. -

It was Luz's turn to correct her. -It's a recessive gene, much like blue eyes or light hair. If only one of the parents is immortal you get a much smaller chance that the child will possess the quality. It is still possible ... like with Mathias, but very rare. - this reminded her of the time that the boy had referred to his condition as extremely rare. Was this what he had meant? - But if both parents are immortals ... - she didn't need to finish.

Andre's heart sparkled with hope and joy and fear mixed together.

-I just wish there had been any precedent for me to hope in your words. - she said finally, looking away.

Luz got up painfully from her chair, the stitches pulling her abdomen in places. She wondered how all her organs were still intact. She didn't even know what her spleen was for, but she figured she would miss it if got sliced in two.

She took Andre by the hand and went back on the living room, where her friends had started to awake. Mathias was fidgeting with his GPS tracker laying down on the bed, awfully close to something that looked like her iron pulveriser. A recent label had been attached to it, stating "Deodorant for dauntless immortals".

"Very funny Mat" she though, but a real smile was arising on her lips.

Isaac was shaking Sarah by the shoulder while Jane was making coffee. Just there, Luz would have loved to take a picture. They all seemed so at peace.

She felt a string pulling at her heart and Mathias turned towards her grinning. His beautiful green eyes were surrounded by dark circles and his cheeks were slightly hollow, as if he hadn't eaten in days.

-Look who came back from being an immortal kebab. - he said, making the others realise she was there.

Isaac smiled beautifully in her direction as if a large weight had been lifted off her shoulders. Jane faked lack of interest but was looking at her sideways from time to time.

The only one seemed genuinely unaffected by her presence was Sarah, whose eyes were wide in fear towards Jane and was openly avoiding the mortal.

-Well people ... I have some news. - she said.