Page 9 of The First Child
By the time I reach Aniska’s room, he’s already there, standing beside the crib with his hands clasped behind his back. His bioluminescent markings pulse with soft blue light, creating patterns I can’t read but somehow find soothing.
“She’s dreaming,” he says without turning around. “Zephyrian children often experience empathic echoes during sleep. Fragments of memory and emotion that don’t belong to them.”
“Whose memories?”
“Her parents’, most likely. The empathic bond between Zephyrian partners includes shared consciousness to some degree. That connection doesn’t sever completely at death—it leaves traces.”
I move closer to the crib, where Aniska’s tiny face scrunches with distress even as she sleeps. Her small fists clench and unclench, as if she’s fighting something in her dreams.
“Is that normal?”
“For full Zephyrian children, yes. But Aniska…” He trails off, his expression troubled. “Her human genetics may amplifythe effect rather than buffer it. She could be experiencing her parents’ final moments.”
The thought hits me like a punch to the gut. This tiny child, reliving her parents’ deaths every time she closes her eyes. No wonder she’s been inconsolable.
“There must be something we can do.”
“Traditional methods involve empathic shielding, but that requires training Aniska doesn’t have. The techniques aren’t designed for hybrid physiology.”
I watch her struggle against whatever phantom pain she’s experiencing, and something protective and fierce unfurls in my chest. Margot used to have nightmares too, after particularly brutal missions. I’d learned to recognize the signs—the restless movements, the way her breathing changed, the small sounds of distress that meant she was trapped in memories she couldn’t escape.
“What did you do for Margot?” I ask.
Sylas turns to look at me, surprise flickering across his features. “I beg your pardon?”
“When she studied with you. When she had empathic overload from her connection to Krel’lun. You must have taught her coping techniques.”
“I… yes. Basic grounding exercises. Meditation practices to help her process the additional sensory input.” His markings shift to a deeper blue. “But those methods require conscious participation. Aniska is too young to?—”
“But I’m not.”
The words are out before I fully think them through, but they feel right. If Aniska is experiencing her mother’s memories, maybe she needs someone who knew Margot. Someone who carries their own empathic connection to her.
“Captain Blaxton?—”
“Hada.” I reach down to stroke Aniska’s cheek, and her restless movements quiet slightly. “If we’re going to be co-parenting, you might as well use my name.”
“Hada.” He says it carefully, as if testing the sound. “What you’re suggesting is theoretically possible, but extremely dangerous. If you attempt to form an empathic connection with Aniska while she’s experiencing traumatic memories, you could become trapped in the same psychological loop.”
“Or I could help her break free of it.”
“The risk?—”
“Is mine to take.” I look up at him, noting the way his silver-gold eyes reflect the soft light from his markings. “You said yourself that she responds to my empathic signature. Maybe that’s exactly what she needs right now.”
Sylas studies my face for a long moment, and I practically see him weighing the risks against potential benefits. When he speaks again, his voice carries the careful tone of someone explaining something dangerous to someone who might not understand the implications.
“Empathic connection requires absolute emotional honesty. You would need to open your mind completely—not just to Aniska, but to whatever memories she’s experiencing. Herparents’ final moments, their fear, their pain. Are you prepared for that?”
Am I? The thought of experiencing Margot’s death firsthand makes my stomach clench, but Aniska whimpers again and the sound cuts through every other consideration.
“Yes.”
“Very well.” He moves to the other side of the crib, his expression grave. “But we do this together. If you become lost in the connection, I’ll need to guide you back.”
“Together?”
“Zephyrian empathic techniques work best with a trained facilitator. I can maintain the link while you provide the emotional anchor Aniska needs.”
