Shade sighed and kissed her softly. “Don’t you fucking hate reality?”
“So much.”
They waited for the corridor to go quiet again and slipped out.
“Hey.” Eddie caught Shade’s hand before he could walk away. “Let’s do that again some time.”
His answering smile was all heat and want. “Any time, Eddie. Any fucking time.”
“Eddie!” Dee hurried down the corridor. “I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You need to see something.”
“I was doing my pre-checks.” Eddie cursed the heat creeping into her cheeks.
Shade’s low chuckle didn’t help.
“I’ll help you with those later.” That Dee didn’t notice her blushing banished the high Shade had put her on.
Eddie followed Dee to their living quarters. “What is it?”
Dee stopped in the door to her bedroom and pointed to Emma.
Emma and Ethan were sitting on Dee’s bed watching the small television jammed amongst her collection of antique perfume bottles.
“I was watching the news,” Dee said. “The children were playing, not even paying attention.”
Emma was sitting cross-legged on the bed, and she was glowing. Not like good health and happiness glowing, but glowing like she’d been lit up from inside by her own internal follow spot.
“What the hell?” Eddie stepped closer to Emma and the nimbus of golden light.
Magic prickled against her skin and vibrated through her belly.
“Emma pretty.” Ethan stared at his sister and chortled.
Still intent on the television, Emma rocked back and forth. The light from within her grew even stronger.
Feeling way out of her depth, Eddie glanced at Shade.
He shook his head. He had no idea either.
Eddie kept her voice soft and nonthreatening so as not to startle the little girl. “Emma?”
“I can heal them.” Emma pointed at the television. “I can heal them.” Her high, childlike voice was at odds with the gravity of the statement. “I am here to heal them all.”
“Who, sweetheart, heal who?” Eddie looked at the screen.
A reporter was standing in an overcrowded hospital. The closed caption gave his name and the location as Muldersdrift, South Africa.
The reporter was talking about the outbreak of a virus in the region that had already claimed hundreds of lives. “Authorities are reporting the spread of the virus to surrounding urban areas.” The reporter stared portentously into the camera. “Coming so close on the heels of the COVID pandemic, the World Health Organization is urging—”
“Shit,” Shade whispered.
Eddie looked at him.
“Pestilence,” he said.
“I can heal them.” Emma raised her voice. She held out her small incandescent hands. “See.”
“Emma.” Dee approached the bed. “Those sick people are a long way from here.”
“In Africa.” Emma nodded at the television. “That man said so. You need to take me there.”
“We can’t take you there.” Dee gentled her tone. “It’s too far away.”
“No.” Emma wailed, and tears filled her eyes. “You don’t understand. I have to go there. I have to heal them.”
Dee sat beside her and reached for her.
“NO.” Emma shoved her hands away. “I have to go. I have to.”
Ethan’s lip quivered and he sobbed. “Emma! What’s wrong with Emma?”
Eddie sensed the compulsion before Shade said, “You’re tired. You need to sleep.”
Both children crumpled over fast asleep.
Eddie turned to him. “What the fuck was that?”
“She was getting hysterical, I—”
