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They stayed that way for nearly an hour, sitting in the sun. Amelia watched as her skin began to blotch and darken, like her mothers and the other Garkain. Roan gently stroked her skin as it changed.
As they sat, Amelia forced herself to keep her eyes open longer and longer until they finally adjusted to the bright sunlight. It was uncomfortable but bearable.
“How do they look now,” She asked Roan for the hundredth time.
“Still beautiful, and still the same dark blue,” He said nudging her playfully. “Are you going to remember all this?” She asked.
“I hope so,” He said with a smirk. “Actually, I remembered the kiss. I just didn’t tell you.”
“Why didn’t you say something?” She pulled back looking at him.
“Because, I don’t know. I didn’t want you to be embarrassed maybe. I should have told you. But the look on your face was kind of worth it,” He teased as Amelia gave him a look.
“So, we can say that it worked. Officially,” She said, changing the subject.
“It did work, the only question is now, for how long? You said your mother's influence wore off after a few hours, so the same might happen to me,” He said.
“Well, even if it does, it means that for a little while at least, you can be human during the day. And we can keep track of how long it lasts. Maybe we can keep doing it through the day if we have to,” She suggested.
“You’d do that?” He asked.
“Of course. I hated watching you turn like that. I could hear your bones breaking. I can’t even imagine what you must have to go through each time. It must be agony.”
“It is. But it gets better over time. My first time was the worst. It took almost an hour to make the first transition. Each day got better and better. Now, it’s a lot quicker. But it’s still as painful as you think it is. Thankfully it just doesn’t last as long,” He said.
She heard footsteps from underground, still far away, but getting closer. “Someone’s coming,” She said. “They probably noticed when I didn’t come back.”
“Well, I suppose we’ll have a chat with Ambrose. I would guess that it’s him.”
The door inched open, Ambrose’s deep voice calling out. “Amelia?”
“Yes, I’m here. We’re here,” She clarified.
“We? Is Roan with you?” He asked, his voice laced with caution.
“Yes, but he’s human,” She answered.
The door flew open, as Ambrose took a step or two, his head appearing above the opening into the ground, still cautious. He looked around until his eyes found them, sitting under one of the trees, painted in sunlight.
“It’s fine Ambrose. I’m still me,” Roan called to him, as he kept climbing, standing on the ground, and walked toward them slowly.
“How is this possible?” He stared in shock.
“Amelia. She did it. She can influence me not to turn. This means that she can influence all Larougo. Or it’s a potential possibility. And don’t worry she didn’t do it without me asking her to. Begging her to, actually,” Roan said.
“Have you told your father?” Ambrose asked.
“No, the sun is up, he’s not in human form now. We can tell him tonight,” Roan offered.
“I was wondering about your gift,” Ambrose said. “And you’ve been able to do something that’s never been done before. At least not to my knowledge.
“They’re all leaving here today, but I’ve decided to stay until tonight. I need to speak to your father as well. We all should.
“If you’re able to, you can fly back to the city with us. If Amelia is agreeable, of course. And your father. But for now, keep this to yourselves. You can go around to the back of the rock, there are caves that you can hide in. I’d rather not spread this around just yet. Do you understand?” He asked.
“Of course,” Roan answered for them, getting to his feet and pulling Amelia up with him.
“Thank you. I will see you at sunset. Oh, and I brought these for you, Amelia,” He said pulling two bags of blood from his jacket pocket.
“We’ll see you at sunset then, and please tell Michelle that I’ll see her soon,” She said, as they took off in a jog. After a few minutes of searching, they found a niche in the rock where they could stay for a while.
“Did he seem nervous to you?” Amelia asked when they were settled against the wall.
“A little, but I’m not the one with the empathic gift, and from the way he made it sound, you have the strongest gift he’s come across yet. So, you tell me.”
Amelia shook her head. “I can’t always read him. Michelle said that he’s spent years learning how to put up a wall, kind of like a shield. I’m guessing so that my mother and other empaths can’t read him. I’ve been able to break through a few times, but briefly.”
“I couldn’t really get a sense of him either, but he said he needed to talk to my father,” Roan said.
“Any idea what about?” Amelia asked.
“Not a clue. I guess we wait until sundown.”
“Oh yeah! Take a look at my nails,” Amelia said, holding out her hand for Roan to examine. Just as he did last time, he looked under her nails, pressing on the beds of them.
“You’re right, there’s something there.”
“And watch,” She said, slashing into her skin again, leaving a gash which healed nearly instantly. “Nothing,” She said proudly, flashing her arm for him to see.
“That is absolutely amazing and disgusting,” He marveled. “Larougo wounds don’t heal on Garkains. They heal when we happen to go against each other, unless it’s a fight to the death, which is rare. But never against a Garkain. It must be your Larougo side,” He explained as he grabbed her arm to look more closely.
“Ooh, you do it to me,” She said excitedly.
“Yeah, I think I’ll pass.”
“Why not? You’re here if I need help, and I’m already immune to myself. Let’s see if it’s an across the board immunity. For science,” She said playfully.
Roan flashed his fingers for her. “No nails,” He said pouting.
“But the venom glands are still there day and night, so you just need to get your venom into my blood,” She said.
“I guess, but really Amelia, we don’t have to take risks we don’t need to.”
“I know, but you’ve got me curious now. And it would be important for us to know for sure.”
She carefully and slowly sliced through her other arm, holding open the skin so he could put his nails inside. She didn’t feel any pain, but his fingernails brushing against her ligaments was a little strange.
“Okay, but if this goes badly, don’t say I didn’t try to talk you out of it.”
They sat for a while both staring at each other in anticipation.
“Anything?” Roan said with a yawn after a while.
“Nope, nothing. I feel totally fine.”
“Well, I guess that’s settled then. You’re immune to the venom, and I’m able to be influenced,” His eyes shot wide.
“Amelia, you’re strong, as in a special way strong. You have abilities that shouldn’t exist and haven’t before. You have all the benefits and none of the drawbacks. What if . . . What if my dad sees you as a threat? Or Ambrose?” Fear radiated from him, making Amelia nervous.
“But I’m not,” She said.
“But you could be. Look, the influencing thing is already out there. Ambrose already knows, so there’s no way to hide that. But for now, let’s keep this our secret.”
“Michelle said the same thing,” Amelia said.
“Michelle knows? Who else knows?” He was growing irritated with her.
“No one else, just you and her. That’s it. And she won’t say anything. I know she won’t.”
“Okay. But just let’s hold off on spreading around stuff like that for now,” He said in a serious tone.
“I will,” Amelia said, feeling like she’d just gotten in trouble.
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, she kept checking on Roan, who continued to doze as the day wore on, but still retained his human form. She’d heard plane after plane take off all afternoon. But the last one was over an hour or so ago. Ambrose would be coming for them soon.
“Roan,” She whispered. His head lolled to the side as his eyes blinked open.
“Hmmm, sorry about that, this is usually my time to sleep. I’m going to have to get used to a new schedule now, I guess,” He laughed.
“I haven’t heard a plane in a while, which probably means Ambrose will be coming soon. How do you feel?”
“I still feel good. I feel like . . . I made you happy by not turning. Is that weird? I feel happy that I didn’t have to turn,” He said.
Amelia’s head whipped around as she heard something far off, in the distance, but getting closer.
“What is it?” Roan asked.
“I hear him, or someone. I hear footsteps coming this way,” Amelia said, pulling herself to her feet. Roan did the same, stretching and yawning. They both stepped cautiously out into the fading light.
“Everyone’s gone,” Ambrose said to them both as he came around the corner, then glanced at Roan, “How did you do today?”
“She did it. I didn’t turn all day. From what we understand so far, this could be a temporary influence. Something that would need to be done each morning. But it is possible,” Roan explained.
“Your father is expecting us to have a final meeting tonight, so we should get going. We’ll meet him at the den. By the time we make it, it should be nightfall, or close enough,” Ambrose said, taking off without another word.
Amelia reached out to grab Roan’s hand this time, both of them following Ambrose across the open countryside.
While they walked, she thought.
She didn’t want to go back to the city alone. And if today was a success, she dared to think that every day could be the same, with a little effort. But that meant getting Anatole to agree to let Roan leave the pack. At least temporarily anyhow.
Roan had been so supportive during her adjustment after the Unbinding that she almost looked at him as a guide. She felt like she needed him. That they were friends now and maybe a little more. Which was a good place to start for now. She didn’t want him to stay behind. She knew it was selfish of her, but she couldn’t help the way she felt.
She wasn’t sure how all of it would go, but she was willing to try and persuade Anatole. Being so truly unique and different from anyone else, she felt lonely without Roan. And if she had any questions about her Larougo side, or if anything came up that she needed help with, she knew he would be there for her. Somehow, she knew that she could count on him.
Building a house out here was still an option, and one that Ambrose had already agreed to, but she would much rather have other options as well. And from the way Roan talked, so would he. They’d need to work out all the specifics, but first things first. Anatole.
As Ambrose predicted, the night was closing in as they heard the yips of dingos in the distance, turning one by one to human voices.
Amelia’s sensitive eyesight had seen his form coming toward them, long before anyone else had. As he drew near enough for Ambrose to see, he greeted him with seriousness. “Anatole, good morning.”
“Ah Ambrose, good morning. And welcome back Amelia, it’s so nice to see the Unbinding was a success, and that you and Roan are getting on well together,” His teeth flashed white against the growing darkness as he smiled.
“Can we speak in private?” Ambrose asked his fellow leader.
“Of course, please come inside,” He said leading them all the short distance to the den entrance. Amelia smiled thinking of Ambrose crawling his way into the den, but then again, he must have been here before at some point, she reasoned.
As they entered the den, Anatole took the same corridor to the room he and Amelia had spoken in days before, when he first put forth his proposal to her. Having four people in the small space was difficult. Anatole and Ambrose took the chairs at the small desk, while Roan sat on the bed, motioning for her to do the same.
“First, I want to say thank you for allowing Roan to stay with Amelia. He’s been a great comfort to her, while she was in isolation,” Ambrose said, starting the conversation in a friendly tone.
“And how is our Amelia?” Anatole said, looking at her carefully, making her feel like she was being put on the spot.
“Fine. Great,” She answered him, keeping her replies short and concise.
“Any concerns with the Unbinding? Did you transition during the day?”
“No, I didn’t. The same sensitivity to light, although Roan and I discovered, if I can endure the brightness, my eyes will adapt in a similar way as my skin. I still have difficulty with loud noises. But it’s not as bad as it was when I first Unbound,” She said, trying to present her answer in a Roan-like clinical way.
“She’s doing fine, Anatole. More than fine. Her mind is strong, she’s able to control both sides of her new self. I don’t think she’s a danger at all. In fact, I’m proposing to allow her and Roan to come back to the city with me tonight.” Pride snuck through Ambrose’s wall, as he looked over at his granddaughter.
“And how would that be possible, during the day? Roan can’t be inside or run freely through the streets of Perth during the day. It’s too dangerous, I can’t allow your request,” Anatole said resolutely.
“Amelia can influence me, father. She did it this morning. I didn’t transition,” He said. Leaving Anatole to stare. Finally, at a loss for words. “We understand that her influence has its limits. That we may have to repeat the same routine each day. But I’m agreeable, as long as she is,” Roan continued.
“You can influence my son. Have you tried with anyone else?” Anatole said leaning over toward her.
“No,” She answered flatly.
“I asked her to try, I trust her. She wasn’t entirely comfortable at first, but we see now that it was a success,” Roan said as he looked at Amelia.
Anatole stayed deep in thought as Roan reached out and grabbed Amelia’s hand, reassuring her that he was there.
“You did not change during the day?” Anatole asked Amelia again.
“No, I didn’t. Not fully, I did have some change. Most noticeably my nails and teeth,” She admitted. She wasn’t outright lying. She was just leaving out the immunity part.
“Can you be more specific?” Ambrose was the one who was curious now.
“My normal human teeth grew, only longer and sharper. My nails did the same. But that was the extent of my changing,” She said, again being very clinical and selective with her words.
“I witnessed it myself today. Just as she described,” Roan backed her up.
“Were you aware of this Ambrose?” Anatole asked.
“I was not, although it’s not to be unexpected. Some changes during the day,” He said dismissing Anatole’s pointed question. “She was in isolation during her first day, no one was allowed to visit, not knowing what to expect.”
“And you trusted her, to influence you, Roan?” Anatole looked back to this son.
“I did. I do. She’s been honest with me, and I feel that she’s a trustworthy woman. Yes, I trust her.”
Amelia smiled at him, a silent thank you. She turned back to Ambrose and Anatole. “When we first talked, you had said that this would, or could all happen. You’ve been proven correct,” She chose her words carefully, making her case. “The ‘experiment’, also known as me, was a success. I’ve proven that I am no threat to either Larougo, or Garkain.”
Amelia squeezed Roan’s hand gently. “Roan can affirm that my time after the Unbinding was difficult, but that over the past two days, we’ve learned together how to overcome some of the challenges and work as a team. If, as you believe, our children inherit my same dual genetics, your plan will have succeeded,” She finished her pitch, feeling like she’d just led a meeting at work
“You’re very well-spoken when you want something,” Anatole said.
“I’m going to choose to take that as a compliment,” Amelia shot back, attempting to continue to exude confidence.
“There’s only one part you’re leaving out,” Anatole noted.
“The Larougo venom. Does it affect you?” He said, meeting her eyes and holding her, while her gaze never wavered, never left his.
“I wouldn’t know. At least not yet. Roan didn’t transition this morning, and I haven’t been infected,” She lied as convincingly as she could.
“For now, that’s an unknown. But all of the things we do know about Amelia, about her gift, and her differing traits, were things we always suspected or assumed. This means that the idea of bringing her home, bringing her here, the Unbinding, was all a success,” Roan jumped in, deflecting the conversation as well.
“If it’s true, as you say it is, that you can influence my son, not to turn. Would you be able to use your gift on other Larougo as well?” Anatole asked.
“I’ve been locked in a room for two days, with only Roan. I don’t know the answer to your question. It’s possible, but I wouldn’t know,” She answered honestly.
“She didn’t want to at first, as I said. She didn’t like the idea of it. But I insisted. We’ve all hated the change. It was my chance to see if there was a way around it. She took some convincing, but it worked. And it lasted all day,” Roan said.
“I think the only reason it worked is that we have a connection. Roan was willing to let me into his thoughts. If he had resisted, it may not have worked. With someone I don’t know well, or that isn’t willing, I doubt I would be able to. Or that it wouldn’t have the same long-lasting effects on them.
“When I was human, my mother influenced me several times, and each time it wore off. I fought my way out of it. It wasn’t permanent. She assumed that my Larougo side played a role in that. If Roan tried to fight through my influence, he may have turned,” Amelia explained.
“Have you tried to influence any member of the Colony?” Ambrose jumped in.
“No. As I’ve already said, you’ve had me isolated for two days. I haven’t had the opportunity to see anyone but Roan, and you. And mother has already told me that influencing other Garkain is against the rules of the Colony. I wouldn’t have tried,” She said.
The two elders asked for privacy. Amelia and Roan made their way back into the main den. The chatter around them made it impossible for her to focus in on Ambrose and Anatole’s private conversation. She wished she knew what they were talking about.
“Are you nervous?” She asked Roan.
“A little, you?”
Amelia nodded but tried to be polite, as so many Larougo came up and welcomed her as an honorary member of the pack. It was strange to feel a part of two societies, two worlds that she represented equally. She’d never thought of herself as part of the pack, but now she realized that’s exactly how she was being treated.
“Everyone in the pack likes you,” Roan teased, trying to get her to smile.
“Everyone here is curious, that’s all,” She said.
“Not true. You do realize that you have two families now. Right?”
“I was just thinking that. Maybe it’s you who can read my emotions,” She smiled at him.
“Maybe it’s a bit of both,” he said, daring to steal a kiss.
Anatole cleared his throat, cutting into their moment. She may be a part of two families but dealing with two different leaders might be tougher than she thought.
“We’ve reached a decision,” Anatole said, motioning for Roan and Amelia to follow him back to the room.