Defiance Rising

THIRTY-TWO

  People scurry past, each one prepping to dismantle camp and head toward the City. I watch the flurry of activity from the sidelines, desperately searching for any sign of Bastien but he appears to have vanished.

  Zahra offers me a half-hearted farewell before heading to join the men. Toren gives me an awkward hug before stepping back to allow Aminah a turn. She wipes tears from her eyes as she clutches me in a hug. “Please don’t do anything rash while we are gone.”

  “You know me. I love being a babysitter.” I try to smile, but it falls flat. Anyone else would be better at looking after the kids than I would be. Even Tomen, the eldest among the group despite only being eleven years old.

  She pulls me to her again, squeezing me with more strength than I knew she possessed. Maybe she isn’t as frail as everyone thinks. “He’s not here,” she whispers into my ear. “Toren sent him away early this morning to scout ahead.”

  My shoulders droop with disappointment and something more, something visceral. “I understand.”

  She pulls back and gives me a knowing smile. “He’s the best fighter we have. Bastien will be fine.”

  I nod and step away. “Take care of everyone,” I call to Toren.

  He nods with grim determination. “I will do my best.”

  “I know.”

  Toren pulls Aminah away as Eamon approaches. He has changed into new clothes to match the other Caldonians. Unlike Zahra and Aminah, Eamon is on the front lines and must look the part. Fear clutches my heart thinking of the numerous ways this could go wrong for him. What if he is mistaken for being on the wrong side? What if our own men shoot him by accident?

  “Hey,” he says, stepping up to wrap me in his arms. This time I allow my tears to fall unashamedly. “It’s going to be ok.”

  I try to nod but he’s squeezing me so tight to him I can barely move. “I know.”

  My feet lift off the ground as he whirls me around like a little girl. When he sets me down, he grins as he kisses my cheek. “I’ll be careful. I promise. You can’t get rid of me that easily.”

  His goodbye kiss is brief, but filled with loving promise. I wish I could fully return the sentiment but he slips from my hands, waving a farewell as he disappears into the trees.

  I read doubt and no small amount of fear on each of the faces that pass by. They are gravely outnumbered and their best weapon is being forced to stay behind, a broken tool that is no longer useful.

  It doesn’t take long for the noise of their passing to fade. Their hike to the City will take a couple hours from here. Toren will help to lead them at a quick pace, slowing only at the end to help conserve their energy for the fight.

  From my crazed ranting, while I was unconscious, they deduced that Kyan’s execution is set for noon. They know a location and a time, but are unsure of the means. All they know is that it will be public.

  Time slows, inching ahead at a snail’s pace. As the sun begins to climb the morning sky, I sink to the ground, fully prepared to wallow in self-pity for the remainder of the morning.

  “I hate this!” I scream, launching a rock at a tree. I feel only a small amount of pleasure as it carves a small notch out of the bark.

  “Still got your temper, I see,” a voice calls from behind.

  Startled, I spin around and come face to face with Bastien, who leans lazily against a tree. “But I thought…”

  “You thought I left without saying goodbye.” He walks directly up to me. I nod, speechless by his sudden appearance. “To be honest, I did consider that. I spent most of the night fighting with myself. In the end, I convinced myself that I could go through with it. Apparently, I was wrong.”

  I look away, desperate for him to not see how glad I am by his weakness for me. “You’re not supposed to be here. Toren needs you.”

  “I did my job and once I’m done here I’ll catch back up.” His smile captures my heart all over again, just like the night he pulled me from the lake.

  Through the weeks of separation from him, I have learned one thing──love can survive anything. It is invincible. Nothing can stop it.

  I know, within the very fibers of my being, that I am meant to be with Bastien. I have never doubted it, but what I want most in life doesn’t seem to matter.

  “Why are you here?” I ask.

  “You didn’t think I was going to let them leave you here, did you?” I suck in a breath as he grins down at me, offering me his hand.

  “Are you serious?” I curl my fingers around his hand and he pulls me upright. I try not to focus on the warmth of his body when I stumble against him, as pins and needles prick my calves from sitting in one position for too long. He wraps his arm around my back, steadying me until I regain control.

  “You’re a fighter, Illyria, and fighters tend to do stupid things when they are left behind. Eamon might not realize that but I do, so I’m taking you with me. I’ll leave you on a rooftop on the outskirts of downtown. You’ll be safe there as long as you keep your head low.”

  I grin, instantly falling in love with his plan and him all over again. “Thank you…for understanding.”

  He reaches out and gently runs his finger along my jaw. He opens his mouth to speak, but thinks better of it. Clearing his throat, he turns and looks to the sun. It is almost noon. “The battle starts in less than an hour. We will have to hurry.”

  “But the City is miles from here. I won’t be able to keep up with you now that my abilities are gone.” Not gone…Kyan’s words echo through my mind.

  “Not a problem,” he grins, lifting my arms to twine around his neck. “We’re going to fly.”

  “Fly?” My mouth gapes open with shock. “So that’s what you being doing in the woods all this time!”

  His grin widens. “I had a lot of free time on my hands so when Kyan said that was the natural progression of my abilities, I decided to perfect it.”

  “And did you?”

  “I guess we’ll find out.” He wraps his arm tightly around my back. His flame-blue eyes darken to deep sapphire as I mold my body around his. His jaw tenses as I close my eyes to the desire rising within. To be this close and not be able to really touch him is unbearable.

  “What about the kids?” I ask.

  “I’ve already got that sorted. Stop worrying!”

  I feel my feet lift from the ground. When I open my eyes, he clears his throat and cracks a smile that doesn’t quite quench the fires I can see burning in his eyes. “I know this will be nearly impossible for you, but I must insist on a no groping policy during the flight.”

  I laugh. “Nice to see the old you peeking through.”

  His smile falters. I could kick myself for bringing up the past. “Sorry,” I mutter.

  “No, it’s fine.” I brace myself as he crouches low and shoots straight into the sky. His take off is smooth and effortless. “Show off.”

  Bastien looks pleased, but quickly turns away. I close my eyes against the biting winds, imagining how wonderful this would feel on a warm spring day.

  “Open your eyes,” he whispers.

  When I do, I gasp, realizing we are soaring only a couple feet over the treetops. If I were to stretch my fingers out I would be able to touch them. “This is amazing!”

  Bastien grins. His cheeks are flushed from the thrill of being in the air. “I know. I never get used to it.”

  “Shouldn’t you be looking where you’re going?” I tease as he returns his focus to the tree line. “I’m not sure it’s safe to fly with you.”

  Rumbling laughter vibrates through his chest into mine. “I thought you liked danger.”

  “You know I do!” I spread out my arms and soar like a bird, arching my back so the tips of my hair slap against the treetops. It is exhilaratingly freeing. I wish this would never end.

  We dip with the curve of the mountain, following a straight line toward the far horizon where I c
an just spy the tip of the Shard tower. “What happened to you the other night?” I ask.

  He grimaces. “I’m sorry. I needed time to think…”

  “Not that.” I pull my arms back in and focus on Bastien’s profile. His hair whips around his face, no longer in long strands. I find that I actually miss the rugged style. “Who attacked you with a knife?”

  The skin around his eyes pinch as the fresh memories of pain washes over him. “You don’t miss anything do you?”

  “Not when it comes to you,” I whisper.

  His voice sounds strangled when he speaks. “After the fight with Eamon, I took off. I couldn’t stick around and watch…” he trails off. “Anyways, I landed somewhere halfway between here and the City. I paced all night, trying to figure out how to apologize to you.”

  “But you didn’t have to.” I place a hand on his chest and he breathes out a heavy sigh.

  “I should never have let him bait me. It was my fault you were hurt. I should have just let him hit me.”

  “No,” I shake my head, spluttering as great clumps of hair are blown into my mouth. I pull them free. “I don’t blame you, Bastien. I never did.”

  He nods but stares straight ahead. “I was on my way back when I was jumped in the woods. I didn’t even see it coming.”

  “But Drakon’s men use lasers, not knives.”

  Bastien nods. “Apparently he has some new recruits.”

  “So he’s rounding up mercenaries too now?” I mutter.”

  “There were only five of them. They wore tattered clothes with a three moons emblem cloth tied around their arms. The one holding the knife bested me before I even knew he was there.”

  “I didn’t think that was possible.” I frown.

  Bastien winces. “I should’ve been more careful. I knew Drakon’s men were on the move. I shouldn’t have left.”

  I squeeze his arm. “You did what you had to do. No one would fault you for that.”

  “The families of the men lost at the camp back there might,” he mutters.

  “They would have found us eventually. This wasn’t your fault.”

  “I wish you’d stop saying that,” he growls. He dips low, sweeping down into the final canyon before the straight shot into the City. From this height, I can spy the glistening waters of the lake where he saved me.

  “Why? Do you want me to blame you?”

  “Maybe,” he admits.

  “Tough luck. I don’t and these things just happen.”

  Bastien falls into a tense silence as he sails so low the tips of the trees snap against my shirt. I cling to him, unafraid but worried about the landing. At the edge of the forest, Bastien dips to hover only a few feet over the ground, under the radar of the Sky Ships that circle the inner blocks of the city.

  “There’s so many of them,” I whisper.

  He nods. “Looks like Drakon has called everyone in for the fun.” He grinds his back teeth as he flies down several blocks.

  I count the small circular manholes as we pass over. When I reach twenty, Bastien veers straight up and levels off at the top of an abandoned building. It is higher than many of the others in this area. The brick along the building face is scorched but the street is clean. Drakon’s army has been working overtime to clean up this section of the City.

  “You should be safe here,” Bastien says as his feet touch the ground and he releases me. I step back, slightly wobbly at first, but surprisingly thankful to be on solid ground.

  Bastien moves toward the low roof edge, his hand pointed toward the Shard building only five blocks away. “We know Drakon is holding Kyan there. That is where we will concentrate our attack. Keep your head down and, if for any reason the fighting comes your way, I want you to run and don’t look back.”

  “But─”

  “No,” Bastien snaps, rounding on me. “For once you are going to listen to me. If you can’t promise not to get involved, I swear I will fly you out into the woods again and leave you.”

  My mouth gapes open at the ferocity of his demand. The urge to fight back rises up within me, but I squelch it back down. “Fine.”

  He turns his back on me. “When the battle is over, I want you to leave if I don’t come back for you. Head straight back to the emergency camp and wait.”

  Without looking at me, he steps up onto the ledge. “So that’s it? You’re just going to leave me like this?”

  I don’t know what I was expecting once we arrived, but this cold sendoff wasn’t it. “I have no other choice, Illyria.” His voice lacks the emotion I know he is feeling.

  “You always have a choice.”

  “Do I?” He turns and faces me, leaping down from the ledge. “You took that choice away from me a couple months back, remember? What I want, what you want, doesn’t matter anymore. This is the chosen path. You can’t deviate from it.”

  His fists clench tightly against his legs. His shoulders are taut as he approaches. “What do you want from me, Illyria. You drew a line and I’ve done my best to respect it.”

  “I know,” I whisper, dropping my head in shame. I’ve tried to stop loving him, to try to forget but it’s hopeless.

  “This isn’t fair,” he growls.

  I hide behind my hair, wishing I had been strong enough not to call out to him. “I’m sorry…for everything.”

  Bastien growls, gripping my arms and shaking me. I lift watery eyes to meet him. His anger falters and he pushes aside my damp hair with a finger, curling it gently behind my ear. “What do you want from me?” He asks gently this time.

  Staring into his eyes, I know he will be my undoing. That’s not going to ever change. “I want you.”

  His breath catches. “Don’t do this,” he pleads. His grip on my arms tightens. “You can’t ask that of me. Not now.”

  I sob and try to pull away from him. “I’m weak without you. I don’t…I don’t know how to live up to Kyan’s destiny if that means sacrificing my heart.”

  Instead of releasing me, Bastien crushes me against his chest. He lifts my chin and stares down at me with liquid fire in his eyes. His lower lip quivers as his breathing becomes haggard, fighting with his resolve. Mine is completely shattered.

  Without closing his eyes, he lowers and brushes his lips against mine. I forget how to breathe as the earth stands still. Every kiss is slow and controlled, but I can feel the passion within him begging to be released. I sink into his embrace, desperately wishing I never had to let go, that time would move on without us and allow me this one small gift.

  Bastien lifts me into his arms and lowers me to the ground, covering my body with his. My skin trembles beneath the trail of his lips along my collarbone. His hands roam down my arms, grasping my slender waist as he pulls me up into him. I can’t get close enough to him. My heart aches for more.

  I wrap my legs around his waist and part his lips with my tongue. He groans against my lips, as the fires burn deep within my soul, rejuvenating me. I plunge my hands into his hair, begging him.

  His hand slips under my shirt, splaying across my abdomen as I press up into him “Bastien,” I moan against his lips, feeling as if my heart has just woken from a long hibernation.

  He pulls back as the fire in his gaze dies out. He gasps for breath, shaking his head to clear his mind. “We can’t do this.”

  Bastien scrambles away, wiping his lips as if I’ve burned him. “I’m sorry. That shouldn’t have happened.”

  “Bastien…” I beg.

  “No,” he waves his hand at me. “That is exactly why we can’t be together. I want you too bad to ever be able to let you go again.”

  His face crumples with despair. I don’t have the heart to beg him to stay, to force my weakness upon him.

  “I have to go.” He backs away. When he reaches the rooftop ledge, he steps up and pauses before leaping. “Goodbye, Illyria.”