Of Cinder and Bone Read online

  Kamala grinned. “Oh, please do. I could use something else to torture him with.”

  They shared a giggle as Jack’s cheeks heated up a bit. “And he still blushes like a little school girl. I swear, it’s the cutest thing in the world.”

  “There’s that word again,” he sighed. “Can we get going already?”

  “My sentiment exactly.”

  A gravelly voice spoke from behind Jack, and it made his spine snap straight at attention. There was just a hint of a Southern accent in it, and though it was soft, he knew the texture and hardness underneath the tone. It had always reminded him of granite, as if the syllables that dropped from that mouth were always a dark, murky grey.

  Jack turned around to find a tall, brown-but-peppered-with-grey haired, sun-tanned man wearing a blue-and-green plaid shirt, jeans, boots, and a leather jacket. He had a suit bag and two suitcases with him, and his blue eyes held none of the warmth that Edie’s had. Or maybe that was just Jack’s imagination.

  “Rhett,” Richard Jackson said, nodding to him. “Nice to see you.”

  Jack nodded back. “Same. How was the flight?”

  “Not too bad. Mind getting the bags?”

  “No, sir.” Jack took them from him and popped the trunk, carefully tucking them inside it and casting a careful eye over the three of them as Kamala stepped forward.

  “I’m Kamala Anjali,” she said, offering her hand. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Jackson.”

  He shook it once. “Name’s Richard. No need for the formalities.”

  “Well, that’s a relief. Jack’s told me a lot about you.”

  Richard cocked an eyebrow upward. “Jack? Who the hell is Jack?”

  Kamala licked her lips, startled. “Ah, Rhett, that is.”

  The older man glanced at his son. “That what you’re going by these days?”

  Jack shut the trunk a little harder than necessary. “It’s a nickname.”

  “I see.” He glanced at his watch and then gestured towards the car. “We should get going. Isn’t your thing happening soon?”

  “My thing,” Jack laughed bitterly under his breath. “Right.” He walked around towards the front passenger’s side and opened it. “Ma, why don’t you ride up front with Kam?”

  “Thank you, honey.” She slipped inside and Kamala went around to the driver’s seat, firing up the car. Jack and Richard climbed stiffly into the back and she pulled into the flow of traffic to head towards their hotel.

  “I saw you on the news,” Edie said, grinning over her shoulder at her son. “You looked so handsome. The family blew up my phone after they heard the announcement. They’re all clamoring to see you this week.”

  “Might be a little hard,” Jack admitted. “If things go right today, the press is going to be all over us like a pack of locusts. We’ll be swamped with interviews and then we’d have to get the project published as soon as possible.”

  “I’m sure it will. I didn’t raise a dummy, and Kamala here is sharp as a knife. The whole world is going to love what you’ve done.”

  Jack snorted. “Most of it. That interview got the Bible thumpers worked into a frenzy. They’ve been picketing the lab most days, claiming that we’re creating an abomination that will destroy us all, even though the species of dragon we bred is seriously only the size of an iguana in its adult stage.”

  “Some people are small-minded,” Edie said. “They’ll come around.”

  “Maybe,” Jack murmured, staring out the window.

  “That reminds me. Why weren’t you in that interview, Kamala?”

  “It was at my request,” she admitted. “I wanted it to be Rhett’s moment, since he’s the one who began this project and did most of the groundwork before I joined him. Besides, sometimes the media doesn’t respond positively to a woman of color in the spotlight. I didn’t want to draw any more negative attention.”

  “That’s a damn shame,” Edie said, frowning. “I can’t believe anyone would think less of you or this project for such a superficial reason.”

  Kamala shrugged. “They’ll either evolve or die. That’s nature.”

  Edie grinned. “I like you already, hon. So, were your folks able to make it out here for the birth?”

  “Yes. They got in about an hour ago. They’re going to meet us there.”

  “Great. I can’t wait to meet them. Any siblings?”

  “No. Only child, but I have a big family nonetheless.”

  “Husband?”

  “Ma,” Jack said sharply.

  Kamala chuckled. “No. There will be plenty of time to start a family later. I’m in no hurry.”

  Edie sent a teasing look over her shoulder. “Why does that sound familiar?”

  He sighed. “I’m not even thirty yet. What’s the rush?”

  “I just want some grandkids to spoil before you become a world-renowned scientist and have no time for your poor old mother.”

  “You are neither poor nor old.”

  She pursed her lips. “Don’t try to get back on my good side, mister.”

  Jack flashed her a cheeky grin. “All your sides are good sides.”

  “Ugh!” She threw up her hands and faced front again. “Incorrigible.”

  Kamala and Edie continued getting to know each other as they drove to the hotel while the two Jackson men sat silent, both looking out at the city. Jack shut his eyes and let their voices soothe his jangled nerves. He hadn’t been this close to his father since the past Thanksgiving. He’d forgotten how he smelled of earth and sawdust, and how those scents sent whirlwinds of childhood memories spiraling through his mind. He remembered the bumpy unpaved roads of Greenville, Georgia and the endless fields of grass spotted with the occasional cow. He remembered sitting in the back of their beat-up truck reading a dog-eared Octavia Butler novel, his mother humming Johnny Cash songs under her breath along with the radio, and his father talking about all the work they had to do that day. Their fluffy faithful Maremma, D’Artagnan, had his head out the window and thumped his tail against Jack’s lap occasionally. The dog’s name had been Jack’s idea, of course. His father had rolled his eyes, but accepted it, choosing to call him “Dart” for short.

  “We’ll be back around one to pick you up,” Jack promised once he’d opened the passenger’s side door for his mother at the curb in front of their hotel. “If our projections are right, that’s when they’ll start to hatch. Don’t be late.”

  Edie held his large hands in her own, her voice soft. “I wouldn’t miss it for the world, sweetheart. See you in a bit.”

  She gave him a peck on the cheek and waved cheerily to Kamala, before taking Richard’s arm and walking into the hotel lobby. Jack watched them until they disappeared in the crowd and let out a breath, climbing back into the car.

  “You did good,” Kamala mused, pulling around to return to the street. “Thought your head was going to explode for a second there, but you held off. I’m impressed.”

  “Don’t be.”

  Kamala shifted in her seat a bit. “So, your father was awfully monosyllabic.”

  Jack grunted. “It’s for the best, trust me.”

  “Is he not a fan of your career choice?”

  “That’s inaccurate.”

  “How so?”

  “I think he’d have preferred that I became a prima ballerina to a scientist.”

  She gawked at him momentarily. “Bloody hell. Why?”

  “Dad’s a simple guy. Works with his hands. Very literal person. He’s not much for books and higher education. He thinks I’m just theorizing life instead of living it.”

  “Even after all you’ve accomplished in this field?”

  Jack shrugged. “What’s one more animal brought into the world? He helps breed calves, goats, and sheep for a living. It isn’t mind-blowing to him in those terms.”

  “You’re resurrecting an extinct species for the
betterment of mankind.”

  “Tomato, to-mato.”

  Kamala shook her head. “No wonder you’re so stubborn.”

  “Hey.”

  “Hey is for horses. Let’s go pick up Faye and grab breakfast.”

  “Great. As if this morning couldn’t get any worse.”

  “Shush or I’m not buying you a blueberry scone.”

  “…yes ma’am.”

  ~ * ~

  “If you mess with your hair one more time, I’m gonna break your hand.”

  Jack shot Faye a dirty look. “Try it and die, blondie.”

  She smirked. “Well, you did teach me how to punch.”

  “I can still break your arm in five places.”

  She waggled her eyebrows. “Ooh, I like it when you talk dirty. Say something else horrifically violent.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Any chance you’re gonna muzzle yourself when you meet my folks?”

  “Doubtful. But since this is your big day, maybe I’ll make an exception.” She reached up and straightened his blue-and-white paisley tie, her lids lowered over her topaz eyes, smiling gently.

  “Congrats, Jack. Really. You’ve earned this, so try to enjoy it, okay?”

  He eyed her. “I’m waiting for the punch line.”

  She patted his cheek. “Even I can be sincere sometimes.”

  “What about your folks? Any last minute changes to their schedules?”

  Faye shook her head. “It’s still summer. Mom won’t be stateside until she’s done in Milan showing off her newest clothing line. Dad sent Kamala a congratulations card. He’s pretty useless when it comes to understanding when something’s actually important.”

  She turned just in time to see Kamala return from the restroom. Like Jack, she’d dressed up for the occasion in a smart black pin-striped suit with a canary yellow blouse beneath it. She had her lab coat flung over her forearm, and her heels clicked on the linoleum as she approached. She’d left the nose stud in on purpose, just to feel more like herself.

  “I see you two didn’t kill each other while I was gone. I’m proud of you.”

  “Didn’t want to get his blood all over my new dress,” Faye said with a dramatic sigh, swishing the hem of her sapphire-hued Ralph Lauren attire. “Your folks en route?”

  “Yes, the taxi just dropped them off. They’ll be here any second.”

  Jack ran his hands through his hair again. Kamala arched an eyebrow at his fidgeting. “What’s with you?”

  Jack opened his mouth, but Faye answered for him. “He’s nervous about meeting your parents.”

  “I most certainly am not,” he growled, glaring daggers.

  Kamala covered her mouth, hiding a smile. “You aren’t, are you?”

  “No. We’re about to unveil the resurrection of an extinct relative to a dinosaur. So, I’m a little tense. Sue me.”

  “Right. Of course. Is that why your face is red?”

  “Y’know what, I’m feeding both of you to the dragons when they hatch.”

  The girls both shared a laugh while he scowled. Just then, the hallway doors parted, revealing Daeshim and Sahana Anjali.

  Daeshim was tall and cut an intimidating figure with sharp cheekbones and a deeply furrowed brow. His dark hair was neat and parted to one side, leaving a slight curl to the forelock above his right eyebrow. He had a thin mustache around a mouth that seldom smiled. He wore a black suit and white dress shirt beneath it, with a deep purple tie.

  Sahana could have easily passed for Kamala’s sister from a distance away. She too was of diminutive stature, but her beauty was more noticeable than her height. She wore a modest floor-length wrap dress of the same purple as her husband’s tie and a lavender headdress with a silver Tikka glittering between her delicate brows.

  They glided over and gave Jack and Faye both faintly interested once-overs, before Kamala nodded to them in greeting. “Welcome. Glad you could make it.”

  “Happy to be here,” Daeshim said in a soft, deep voice. “It’s been too long.”

  “Yes. Much too long, beti,” Sahana said, hugging her daughter. She gestured towards Jack and Faye.

  “Am I to presume these are the friends we have heard so much about?”

  “Yes,” Kamala answered. “This is Faye Worthington and Dr. Rhett Jackson.”

  They shook hands. “Nice to meet you.”

  “These are my parents, Dr. Daeshim and Dr. Sahana Anjali.”

  “Pleasure to meet you.”

  Daeshim glanced at the lab, which was bustling with activity. Through the window, the incubator was visible, casting a red glow over much of the room. Six eggs, each one ovular and about the size of an ostrich egg, sat underneath a heat lamp. “I take it from the group gathered outside that we’re going to begin soon?”

  “Yes,” Jack said. “We didn’t want the press to fill up the place before our personal guests arrived. After my folks and our Principle Investigator, Matt, gets here, we’ll begin the observation.”

  “This is quite the medical marvel,” Sahana said, peeking around her husband’s shoulder and into the window of the lab. “It could move the biological engineering field decades into the future if it works. What is the practical application?”

  “Eventually, we hope to be able to rebuild the population of endangered species.”

  Daeshim lifted an eyebrow. “Is that all? You are not interested in applying this process towards human subjects?”

  Jack shook his head. “No disrespect to your practice, sir, but I have no interest in human genetics and cloning. That’s above my pay grade, frankly.”

  “Interesting,” he said, narrowing his brown eyes slightly. “Either way, I assure you that someone will come calling with that purpose in mind. Perhaps you should reconsider.”

  With that, he opened the door to the lab and ushered his wife inside. “We’ll see you when you’re ready.”

  “Wow,” Faye murmured after they’d gone. “Direct, aren’t they?”

  “You have no idea,” Kamala sighed. “This had better work, or I’ll never hear the end of it.”

  “You and me both,” Jack said. He took a deep breath and nodded towards the hallway doors. “Should I tell the vultures they can come in?”

  “Wait.” Kamala reached up and smoothed his hair down. “Now you can.”

  He grumbled something under his breath and strode for the doors. Faye elbowed her roommate in the side, smirking. “Look at our little boy. All grown up.”

  “Yes,” Kamala said with a soft, fond smile. “He is.”

  ~ * ~

  “Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. This is Dr. Kamala Anjali and I am Dr. Rhett Jackson.” He paused. “Miss Jackson, if you’re nasty.” Several chuckles circulated through the room. “All kidding aside, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend the unveiling of what we hope is a small pack of animals that haven’t been seen since the early 15th century. Dragons are one of the most mysterious reptiles on the planet. We’ve all been told fairytales as children about their abilities and mythical powers, but today, we hope to understand the hard science behind the legends. The species we bred is varanus lacerto. We were able to successful splice its DNA with its closest living relative, the Komodo dragon, and then we implanted the egg into our lovely subject Sarah, who was kind enough to give birth to our subjects here, all of which are female according to the ultrasound imaging. Those of you in the scientific community who have been watching this project know the surprising results we achieved, but for the newcomers, Sarah’s pregnancy lasted a whopping thirty days.”

  Someone let out a long whistle and the room filled with faint laughter again. “Yes, it’s extremely unusual and we’ve been studying the anomaly quite closely. In any case, it’s been a long road, but we hope that we can use this technology to repair the ecological and environmental damage that has been done over the last century. Now,
try not to get twitchy, but there is no exact time when they’ll hatch. An hour ago, Dr. Anjali and I checked for heartbeats and vital signs, and the data suggests they’ll break out of their shells around this time. Be patient. Trust me, no one’s waited for this longer than the two of us. With that, please make yourselves comfortable and wait for the magic hour.”

  A polite round of applause rippled through the room and the pair broke away from the crowd, which diffused to different parts of the lab for a good view. Jack and Kamala donned their rubber gloves and flipped off the heat lamps, letting the eggs cool a bit before getting out their stethoscopes.