Chapter 68
“You can’t put any of your plans in action until you can fly.”
“Then teach me. I’m ready.”
—Raphael and Elena (Once, after a Hunter Awakened with Wings)
Elena couldn’t believe her baby boy was now fifteen years old…and ready to fly. Which meant a long stint in the Refuge. It was the safest place to teach him. Not only because he could fall without questions and speculation from the mortal population, but also because he’d be learning with Aanisa.
The two of them had no other year-mates, but five children had been born in the four years that followed—it had been the first big baby boom since the time immediately after the War of the Death Cascade.
“It’s been eight decades since the last birth,” Jessamy had told them.
“The Refuge has been far too quiet for far too long.”
Also according to Jessamy, the age gap would be meaningless by the time the children hit about thirty years of age, so it was good for Phoenix to start spending regular chunks of time in the angelic stronghold regardless.
Because these babies would be his compatriots as he grew.
Nix was so excited about seeing his friend—and flying—that he was awake at four the morning of their departure, whereupon he tiptoed around in his room, whispering to a sleepy Bengal and a wide-awake Tigress.
“We’re both awake,” Elena whispered to her archangel. “Shall we head out?”
Raphael tapped her on the nose. “Is he talking to the not-housecats in Bengal’s language again?”
“He’s fluent now, I think.” Elena wondered what secrets the three kept, but those were things for a wild boy and his pets to know.
Both felines would be coming with them today.
Elena had volunteered to go on the plane with Nix and the not-housecats because she knew how much Raphael hated being in planes—didn’t matter how high-tech they were, they were still tin cans to him—but her archangel had shaken his head. “I will travel with my family.”
Which travel commenced with much excitement as Phoenix ran toward the plane behind an equally excited Tigress—only to stop on the doorstep to wait for his oldest friend.
The senior not-housecat was getting on in age, but Naasir had assured them that he remained in the prime of his life, and that they didn’t have to worry about losing him anytime soon.
“Come on, Ben!” Phoenix called from the doorway.
Of all the people in the entire universe, only Nix was allowed the honor of calling Bengal a nickname. The not-housecat wouldn’t respond to anyone else who attempted it. Today, he loped after his favorite person as if he were a kitten again, his tail curving and lush above his body.
Elena and Raphael entered after them—to find child and not-housecats eagerly exploring the transport. Nix had a thousand questions, only went quiet once he was strapped in by the window.
Then, he pressed his face to the transparent shield, eyes huge as they took off.
Tigress stood with her paws on the edge of the window, Nix’s arm securely around her body.
“Ben!” Nix called out. “Come see!”
But Bengal wasn’t as much a fan of flying, and condescended to curl up next to Elena on her seat, so she could stroke and comfort him as they flew. As she petted him, she murmured, “Thank you for protecting him, for always being by his side. We never worry when he’s with you.”
Bengal pillowed his head on her thigh and purred.
Raphael’s eyes met hers from the other side of the plane, the two of them seated opposite each other in seats modified for winged beings. Will you thank Naasir, then? For the not-housecat?
If I do, we’ll end up with wolf pups. So the fact I love Bengal and his daughter is our secret.
Her archangel’s cheeks creased as he rose to go to Nix. Leaning over their son, one arm braced on his seat, he pointed out landmarks, and explained how the plane flew and that it was different from angelic flight.
Framed against the light, that was her heart right there.
* * *
“Eeeee!”
Raphael caught Nix’s body for the fourth time that morning.
His son was grinning, his scream not of fear but of exhilaration.
“Papa, I’m flying!” While some angelic children needed to be bumped gently out into open air to start them on their flight skills before they developed a fear of taking off from high places, Raphael and Elena’d had the opposite problem: they couldn’t keep Phoenix from jumping off into thin air.
At least now, he had the wings to keep himself aloft once he’d had a bit more practice.
“A few more steps yet, Phin,” Raphael said, aware that he had to be realistic with his intrepid boy or Phoenix would be taking off into the gorge the second he turned his back. “You managed a longer glide this time.” While he’d grown another three gray hairs.
At least he wasn’t the only one.
Elijah had just scooped his tiny daughter up from her own uncontrolled dive—but like Phoenix, Aanisa was ecstatic about “flying.”
I begin to see why so many parents, no matter their territorial affiliation, are happy for Galen to teach their babes flight, Elijah said in Raphael’s mind. I’m not sure I can take the stress.
I think I must agree with you. And it was only the third day. He has offered to go over basics with them this afternoon, if you’re agreeable? His gruff and blunt weapons-master refused to admit that he was good with children—and often growled them away…but the babes always came back.
Because under the gruffness was a man with a heart as big as his mate’s.
At this point, I’m far beyond willing. If we watch, we may work out how he does this without losing his mind.
As it was, to say that Galen’s teaching technique was gruff was a vast understatement. “Do you want to be a squashed egg on the gorge floor?” he asked the two children who stood before him later that day, his arms crossed over his chest, his biceps taut.
Both Aanisa and Phoenix shook their heads at once, their eyes wide as they stared up at a man who was, to them, a giant.
“Good. Then don’t practice without supervision. Your parents will be sad that you’re squashed eggs, but I’ll just scrape you up and throw you down again because you did something dumb after I warned you not to.”
Raphael, why do children like Galen? Elijah’s tone was mild, but Raphael knew that he was watching with a hawk’s dangerous attention.
Because he is a barbarian just like them.
“So,” Galen demanded, “are you dumb?”
“No!” two small but determined voices cried.
“Hmm, let’s see you prove it. Behind me is an area set up for you to practice flight training safely. Doesn’t matter if you fall a hundred times here, you won’t break. So if you want to try to fly, do it in that space.
“But,” he said before either child could so much as twitch toward that zone, “it’s not just about falling or gliding—it’s about learning your musculature.” The weapons-master spoke to the two as if they were full-grown adults, and they seemed to listen as intently.
“Now,” Galen said, “we’re going to do a set of controlled descents—you’ll be wired up, so you won’t get to just dive. This is about…?” A quirked eyebrow.
“Learning mas-cu-cha!” Aanisa and Phoenix said almost at once.
“Good. Now, who’s first?”
Both hands shot up, so Galen flipped a blade. “Lands point down, it’s Aanisa. Lands flat, it’s Phoenix.”
Aanisa jumped when she won. The sunlight coming through the sky windows glinted off the beads woven into her fine braids—which were then pulled back into a short ponytail. “Nixie, I’m gonna fly!”
Raphael was glad to see that while Nix was disappointed at losing the toss, he didn’t linger on it. Instead he cheered on his friend as Galen hooked her up to the wire system that Raphael had never actually seen.
He hadn’t been in this particular training area, either—a huge enclosed warehouse in a sheltered corner of the Refuge carpeted with a foamy material that would absorb the impact of small, falling bodies without doing them harm.
When did you come up with this, Galen? he asked from the other side of the warehouse—where he, like Eli, stood wrapped in glamour.
Few centuries back. I stopped on a roof that overlooked a live exhibition in Times Square and saw how humans “fly” when they do their stage shows. It gave me the idea to build something to train young muscles. He tugged on a strap to ensure Aanisa was secure. Eli?
Watchful but not about to murder you just yet.
Expression still outwardly stern, Galen’s mental voice nonetheless held laughter. He’ll love this.
Out loud, he said, “Ready, Aanisa?”
At her nod, he pushed a button that lifted her off the floor in a slow ascent to the cavity at the top of the roof. She waved excitedly at Nix, who was up and jumping now. “Anise, you’re so high!”
Galen pointed a finger at him. “Sit. Don’t distract her.”
Nix sat down on a nearby bench, his entire body taut with suppressed excitement. The instant Galen began to talk, however, coaching Aanisa on what muscles she needed to exercise, Nix went still and listened.
“When you gain that muscle control,” the weapons-master was saying, “I’ll release the straps that hold up that part of your wings. Muscle group by muscle group, until you’re descending on your own.”
I see it now, Raphael. Elijah’s voice had considerably warmed up. He might not be gentle, but he is kind.
You can trust him absolutely with little Anise, Raphael said. There’s a reason so many of those Galen has trained over the years still come to visit him anytime they’re in the Refuge.
I believe you—but I will still come by to watch these sessions. Elijah’s lips curved. Simply to see my girl fly.
Because Aanisa was shouting with joy now as Galen lowered her. “Look, Nixie!” she said, her dimpled cheeks aglow. “Look!”
Nix clapped, his grin huge. “You’re flying!”
Galen didn’t disabuse either child of their excitement even though the truth was obvious—the rig was doing most of the work. Because this was a first lesson, and in this one, they needed to find only joy and excitement.
Which they did aplenty.
Phoenix, when it was his turn, surprised Raphael. It was clear that his and Elena’s boy had listened carefully while Galen was teaching Aanisa, and now put himself in the correct formation in the rig.
Smart one you’ve got here, sire. Galen’s voice held amusement. I pity you as he grows older.
Raphael bit back a laugh. Shut up and let my boy fly, Barbarian.
A grin cutting through his cheeks, Galen did exactly that, and Raphael got to listen to his son’s wild excitement as he descended using the rig. “I’m flying, too, Anise!” he called out to his equally excited friend. “I’m flying!”