Page 53 of It Varies
“Yes.It took a while for Mia to find me.I was born when she was eighteen.She didn’t have any reason to remember me, so I took all the jobs I could.Food service was one of them, but I am not suited to service, so I stayed in the kitchen.”
“And yet, you work for Mia.”
“That is different.”
“Is it?”
“It is very different.You have recovered well, Vine.”
Vine looked at Meeda.She exhaled slowly.“No.You...”
“Calm, calm, Vine.Yes.You ended up where you had started, and so did I.”
“But you have scales on your face.You had wings.”
“I know.Freaky, isn’t it?I am fish and fowl, and when I was trapped in that sinking vessel again, I learned how to put on my scales.We both knew we were heading back to horror, and we both survived it.”She flipped the ribs.“It is good to see you again, Vine.”
Vine hugged her.Her angel in the darkness had made it and was here, flipping ribs.“I have seen you with your sister, and I never realized who you were.The scales are rather attractive.Oh, do you want an aquatic mate?”
“No.Keep your ancient octopus.He is focused on you, and that is how it should be.I tend to set aquatic monsters off.”
She coated the ribs with the sauce and started to take them off the grill.
When the tower of food was in the heating tray, she smiled.“Go back to your tentacles, and we can talk later now that you remember who I am.And eat something.Now that you are healing, you need to replace your body fat.”
Vine chuckled.“You, too.You are a stick.”
“Well, I have finished my therapy and learning the swimwear business has occupied me for a few years.”
Mia walked over and said softly, “And now that she lets her glamour down daily, we can actually work with the real her.My gorgeous, elegant sister.The flying fish.”
Meeda snorted and nudged her sibling with her hip.“That has never been funny.”
Vine looked over at Xiroth, where he was eating and watching over Jennika’s intake.His eyes showed his admiration for the way she was savaging half a rack of ribs.
She nodded to Meeda and walked over to Xiroth.“Hey, Xiroth, how many pixies are female?Like what is the ratio?”
“Zero.The gene for the wings is on the male chromosome.”
Vine nodded.“I thought that might be it.Don’t get up, and do not freak out, but I know of a female with those particular wings.”
Xiroth looked deliberately casual.“Is she here?”
“She is.She’s descended from some of your people.She has just had it rough.”
Jenn paused her consumption.“Where did you meet her?”
“You remember that place I told you about?”
“Yeah.”
“I met her there, and she got me out.”She exhaled.“And then she went home to die.”
“But she didn’t.”
“No.She didn’t.She developed an additional adaptation that saved her and let her be found.”
Xiroth blinked, and his eyes glowed as he looked around.His head fixed, and he exhaled.“Xarrel.I see his energy pattern in her.Wait.Two of them.”
