Phoenix

They carefully eased the kitchen door closed behind them, tiptoed down the steps and moved quietly across the lawn toward the pool. Oskar hesitated a moment, glanced back at Hannah’s porch steps, and despite his attempts to stop it, relived that moment when Adrian had tried his best to take Hannah from them forever. He had seen it himself through her eyes, despite her attempts to keep it from him and, at inopportune moments, it replayed itself without warning.

Oskar rode his bike rapidly down the hill toward the lighthouse. He knew where Eli was, but he also knew she was trying very hard to keep him from knowing. And he was afraid for her. And he was afraid of what she would do if he approached her. Would she just fly away and leave him behind again? And if she did, should he go after her; a pointless exercise since when it really mattered, she was so much faster than he? It had taken him days to find her, even with Hannah’s help.

It was the third day of Hannah’s hibernation, and Richard was getting nervous. “She’s not a vampire, Elaine. I don’t think she’ll be able to survive months of hibernation like Eli did. She’ll die of starvation.”

“We don’t know what she’s capable of, Rich. She’s…unique.”

“We know she’s no stronger than Eli or Oskar,” he retorted. “And Eli just barely survived herself with her full strength.”

“That doesn’t sound like a rigorous scientific observation to me, Rich. You’re thinking with your heart now. Eli could have hibernated another month or two safely. Believe me, I know.”