Heritage

Heritage (Chapter 38)

Chapter 38 - Elena

"Buckle up, everyone, we're going to be preparing to land in just a short while!" Ethan exclaims, a mixture of worry and relief on his face.

A quick succession of several metallic clicks fills the cabin as we all strap in, waiting anxiously to land. I can't help but to glance over at my son, strapped in tightly to his seat with several heavy-duty straps securing him in place, preventing him from harming himself or others.

His dark hair is tousled gently as the ship lurches to-and-fro from the turbulence of entering the Earth s atmosphere, revealing the tell-tale scarlet streak amidst the mahogany colored locks. Stella is at his side, buckled in herself and gripping his limp hand firmly, as if sending him a silent wish to get better.

I just hope that Tanya can help him...

I swivel my chair, taking in the astounding scene around me. Dante is seated along the side wall of the back cabin, Anika at his side, the two gazing into each other's eyes as if the entire galaxy revolves around each other's irises.

Such an amazing development, Dante coming back to...life? He was already alive, though, so that's probably the wrong way to put it. Nevertheless, his return to the land of the living is an amazing gift to all of us.

Behind me, Rin'Gal is sleeping soundly in his seat, his head leaning precariously against the back wall and his mouth slightly ajar. The chaos and excitement have left him exhausted, given his previously injured state.

Switching my gaze to the front of the cabin, I spot Ethan and Damien, seated in the cockpit, handling the ship's controls. Looking at my husband, I feel a twinge of sympathy that twists my heart. His ship, all of his hard work, and our son...all of it has come crashing down on us in the course of just a few days.

What must he be feeling right now?

I make a mental note to pull him aside as soon as possible, if only for a moment, to comfort him.

I turn my sights back to Stella as the turbulence rocks the ship precariously, noticing a single crystal tear slip down her porcelain skin. Another twinge of sympathy and pain.

My hope for the moment is that after all of this chaos, we can find just a shred of hope and happiness. Thinking of this, being the mother and wife and eternal dreamer that I am, kicks my thoughts into overdrive as the thick white clouds whiz past us.

The ship shudders for a moment and immediately begins to slow as Damien punches the brake thruster on the dash, setting us at a quick gliding pace across the sky.

"Okay everyone, we are now directly above New Jersey, we'll be landing in Redbank in about twenty minutes, stay in your seatbelts until I give the all-clear," Ethan announces, swiveling his seat around to face the rest of us in the back.

"Honey, where are we landing? We can't exactly land at the airport without clearance, and in order to get clearance we'll all be arrested on site," I say to him, concerned.

"We re landing at good ol' Sandy Hook," Damien says with a grin, nudging Ethan's elbow in a brotherly way.

"What's Sandy Hook?" Stella asks, her voice low and curious.

"It's the beach in Redbank that these two hooligans raised hell at when they were growing up. When things settle down a bit, have them tell you some of the stories of their teen years, before they enlisted," I reply with a smirk. Ethan simply grins back at me and Damien crosses his arms over his thick chest in a self-satisfied and mischievous way.

"I can only imagine what the two of you would have gotten up to in your youth. I wouldn't mind hearing those stories myself, Ethan," Dante pipes up, stretching his long legs out in front of him as Anika's head leans on his shoulder.