“I’m not his spy.”
“I’m just saying someone like you could easily have done so.”
“I’m not a spy.”
“Regardless, I can’t let him attack them. They’re not shielded well enough to survive.”
“So you’re just going to send me away?” Aerie got up and stormed over to him, vehemence in her voice. “You’ll stick me in an escape pod, toss me down to Earth, and forget I was ever here?”
“I will take you back, Aerie.”
“Nothing will stop me from staying with you,” Aerie insisted. “I’ll go to the Ecclesia. I’ll talk to Emery or Olga or someone. Anyone. I don’t want to go. I don’t want to leave you.”
“I don’t want you anymore,” Exton told her, deliberately making her flinch. She stepped back from him, and he hated himself for it. Don’t make this harder on yourself, Aerie. Or me.
“You’re lying,” she shot back. “I know you’re lying.”
“You’re a danger to us here. You’ve lied to us, and you’ve brought this mess on yourself,” he told her. “Do you have any idea how much harder you’ve made our lives?”
“I made it better,” Aerie argued. “You wouldn’t have even known the General knew about your aunt’s settlement. Now you do. You can fight him better now that he’s shown his hand.”
“You can’t stay here. You don’t even pay for yourself here.”
“I’ve worked. I can handle my credit on my own, so you don’t have to worry about it anymore.”
“You don’t belong here.”
“This is the only place where I have ever belonged!”
“I don’t want you here anymore.”
“Yes, you do!” She stepped forward again, her resolve returning as he was running out of arguments.
He threw up his hands in exasperation. “What about Petra? Would you have an entire settlement wiped out so you could stay with me?”
“We can find a way to protect them.” Aerie gestured toward his desk. “I know you have nuclear weapons here. We can bluff until we can convince the General to let me go.”
“You’d be a traitor to the URS.”
“I already am!”
“No, you’re not. He’s protecting you, Aerie. He’s put you on medical leave. No one other than your father knows you’re missing.”
“No one?” She stopped for a moment, surprised at the new information.
“No.” Exton snorted. “Not even your boyfriend, from the sound of it.”
“He was never my boyfriend. I told you that,” Aerie snarled.
“Regardless, you’ll be able to return to your life.”
“I don’t want to.”
“You’ve always wanted this, Aerie,” Exton told her. He sighed. “Your father is fighting for your return.”
“And I’m fighting you for the right to stay.” Aerie’s eyes lit up. “I want our rematch now.”
“Not now, Aerie.”
“If I win,” she barreled onward, “I get to stay.”
“If you lose?” Exton asked.
“I won’t lose.” She adjusted her feet into a fighting stance.
“Aerie, stop.” He came up to her and placed his hands on her shoulder. “There’s too much on the line for you to—ah, ha!”
He reached around her and grasped her, getting her into tight hold. “I got you.”
“Hey!” Her arms went flailing, but Exton had the advantage. He tightened his hold on her arms with one arm and lifted her off the ground with his other.
He swiveled around and tossed her down onto the bed, before securing her with his body on hers. His legs wrapped around hers, while his arms held hers down.
Aerie flailed against him. “You cheated!” She kicked at him unsuccessfully, trying to break free.
“I told you when we first met that we don’t fight fair here, Aerie. I’ve got you. Yield.”
“Never!” Aerie frowned up at him. She butted her head into his chin.
“I said I would fight you in a rematch. You’ve had your fight, Aerie, and you lost.”
“You need to lose the smirk.”
Exton was surprised to find that he was smiling. “Submit, Aerie.” He lowered his voice. “If you love me, you’ll relent.”
“I might love you, but I don’t trust you.”
“Welcome to my world.”
“It must be your world, because it’s much more convenient for you than it is for me.”
“Believe me, there’s nothing convenient about this for me.” He met her gaze, allowing her to feel the weight of his body on her. She slowly stopped fighting as the color in her cheeks heightened.
“I ... yield.” The tears in her eyes mixed with shame as he reached for her.
“Thank you.” Exton leaned down to place a kiss on her brow. That had to be extremely difficult for her, he thought affectionately.
But when she raised her lips up to meet his, and like an instinct in his soul, implanted before time began, he kissed her.
Passion and desperation instantly threatened his self-control, momentarily overbidding his senses. Aerie responded to him, linking her arms around him and pulling him closer to her.
As the warmth between them exploded into searing heat, Exton pulled back from her.
“Don’t,” Aerie moaned. “Don’t stop.”
Anger—at himself, at her, at their whole situation—finally allowed him to break away completely, against the raging tide of temptation as she held onto him. He stepped back from her swiftly.
“You shouldn’t tempt me, Aerie.” He began pacing away from her, anything to relieve the pain. “I’m already tempted to use you against the URS. Don’t tempt me to hurt you more than I already have.”
“You’re killing me,” Aerie cried.
“I am already dead!” Exton reminded her. I was foolish to think a ghost could be brought back to life. “I need you to go back to the URS. To your father.”
Pain poured out of her gaze. “You’re doing this just to hurt me.”
“Then we are even,” he shot back. “I can’t let everyone else suffer for my mistake. You need to go back, for your own good as much as anyone’s.”
“How can you say that?” Aerie sat up slowly.
“Because you’re getting what you’ve always wanted—your freedom.”
“I don’t—”
He turned toward her. “If you trust me,” he said, “you’ll agree with me in this matter. Petra is the main reason we believe we can win against the URS. It’s one thing to destroy, Aerie. It’s another to protect. Petra is the hope of the world right now, as a place that can handle refugees and establish a sound government—one that doesn’t take advantage of its people. If we lose Petra—”
“I know.” Aerie slumped over, defeated. “I know.”
He was crushed to see her spirit extinguished. I can’t do this anymore.
“I have to go prepare for your transport,” he muttered. He hesitated. “I’m sorry.”
He hurried out the door and locked it behind him. But he faltered for a few moments, scarcely able to believe he managed not to condemn his soul in the process of breaking her heart.
It was only as he heard her soft weeping that he realized he was condemned already, and the price of redemption was too steep.
♦27♦
Aerie wasn’t sure how long it was she remained there, curled up on Exton’s bed, alone, with only the darkness for comfort. She only knew that each second seemed to stretch out painfully, as it pulled her further away from Exton’s comfort, and it pushed her toward a future without him entirely.
She wrapped her arms around a pillow drenched in her shed tears. There was nothing left to do but go back now, Aerie thought bitterly.
A knock at the door sounded softly. “Aerie?”
Aerie jolted, and strained her ears. “Emery?” she answered. “Emery, is that you?”
“Yes,” she replied.
“Can you get me out of here? Exton’s trying to take me bac
k to the URS—”
“I know,” Emery interrupted. “I’ve come to say goodbye. I can’t help you. The door is locked and secured, Aerie. Even if I wanted to help, I couldn’t.”
“Because he’s your brother, I know,” Aerie said with a sign.
“No, because he’s the captain.” Aerie could almost see the wistful smile on Emery’s face. “He’s my brother, and I love him. But I think he’s wrong in this matter. Once I heard he didn’t send you away earlier, I knew.”
“Knew what?”
“I knew that you matter to him.”
“I don’t know about that,” Aerie admitted, defeated. She walked over to the door and stood next to it. “He has a strange way of showing it.”
“It’s not quite as difficult for me to see it as it might be for you.” Emery’s back pressed against the door. “But I know he’s in pain.”
“Because of me?”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t mean for things to go this way,” Aerie squirmed.
“I’m not talking about your deception, or even because of Petra. I’m trying to tell you, I’m happy that he’s found something—someone—worth coming back to life for.”
“I don’t think he sees it that way.”
“Even if he did, he wouldn’t know what to do with it, likely,” Emery snorted.
Aerie managed a small smile. “You know, Emery, I was just thinking about how much my mom would have liked you.”
“My mother would have liked you, too.” Emery sighed. “I don’t have much more time. I have to get back to the Bridge. But I wanted to tell you that I will miss you. And I’m sorry you can’t stay.”
“Oh, Emery,” Aerie felt tears swell up behind her eyes again. “You’re my best friend, you know that? And I love you.”
“I love you too,” Emery replied.
“I wish I could hug you.”
Emery laughed, her voice cracking slightly, making Aerie wondering if she was having trouble holding back tears, too.
“Emery?” she called. “Can you do me a favor?”
“What is it?”
“Can you take care of Moona for me?” Aerie bit her lip. “I don’t know how long I’ve been here.”
“You’ve been in here for about a day and a half. We’re coming up on Earth now. Exton and St. Cloud have made arrangements to meet in a few hours.” Emery paused. “I’ll see to it that Moona is well taken care of.”
Aerie sniffed. “Tell her I’ll miss her and I love her, too. But I’ll be happy knowing she’s in your care.”
Emery sighed. “I’m not particularly fond of cats,” she admitted, “but if nothing else, I’ll keep her until Exton returns, so he can take care of her.”
“That’s perfect,” Aerie murmured. “Thank you.”
“Exton’s coming out of the elevator,” Emery said. “I’m going to sneak off in the opposite direction.” She paused. “Hopefully, I’ll see you soon. Don’t give up, Aerie. God is a god of miracles.”
Aerie sighed. God, if you are there, help me find a way to stay with these people I’ve come to love so much.
She wasn’t sure if he heard her or not. But when the door finally opened, she felt more steady, and ready to face her fate.
♦♦♦♦
“Move out,” Exton commanded the guards. They left, their movements regimented like seconds on a clock, counting down to her demise.
He turned to her. “Aerie,” he said. “It’s time.”
She lowered her gaze. “I know.”
“Your father’s ship just landed.”
“Where are we, anyway?” Aerie asked.
“Outside of Nova Scotia,” he said. “There’s a special medical ward here that will claim you as a victim of an attack and have you admitted. General St. Cloud told me he would see to it that you would be back at work within the week.”
“I’m sure he’d love that.” She sighed. “I already know you can’t forgive me and you won’t forgive my father. I love you anyway. You were the one who said that real love doesn’t come with conditions. I understand that.”
Exton came over and released her seatbelt. “You’ll need to unbuckle,” he told her, trying to smile kindly at her.
“I’m not fighting you,” Aerie promised. “I … I know you need to protect the others. I know you need to take me back.” She met his gaze. “I do trust you, Exton, and if this is really what you think is best, I’ll follow you.”
He ran his hand over her hair softly, pleasing her and paining her at the movement. When the last of her tresses fell free from him, she sighed.
“I do want you to know, however,” she said, as he began to lead her out of the ship, “that even though you’ve returned me, I’ll never be free of you.”
When he paused, she added, “You told me once that everyone has to have something greater in their lives. You said it was God for the Ecclesia, and revenge for you. For me, I thought I needed my family’s love and acceptance. I was wrong. I just needed you.”
“Find something greater than me, Aerie,” he told her. “I’m hurting you. I’m letting you down already.”
“What’s greater than love?” Aerie asked.
“Truth.”
“Well, the truth is I love you.” She lowered her eyes again. “Whether you love me or not.”
He was silent for a long moment. Aerie peeked up just in time to see him reach for her.
“Oh, Aerie,” he murmured, before he kissed her. His arms wrapped around her, cradling her in the nook of his shoulder. “I do love you.”
Aerie felt his kiss, gentle and slow, reveling in his embrace. She struggled to relax against him, confused even as she felt torn apart.
He pulled back from her once more, this time achingly slow. “Your father is waiting to see you.”
The words flattened her.
She nodded and eased out of his grip, even though he seemed reluctant to let her go. I could fight here. And, she realized, she would likely win.
But it wouldn’t be successful in the long-term, she thought bitterly. She would show Exton she could trust him, and she had to show him that he could trust her to follow orders.
Following orders. Aerie shook her head to herself as she stepped down off the shuttle behind Exton. No wonder he had trouble trusting her. Apparently, she thought, chagrined, it has been a lifelong problem.
Aerie squinted her eyes against the dying light of day. The world beneath her feet was soft, the muddy molding already encasing her boots. She glanced ahead, and there he was.
The General was walking up from the small plane he’d no doubt piloted to the site himself. Aerie was surprised to see she no longer recognized him as a daughter would, but as an enemy. She saw his right foot limping slightly, and his body seemed more tired than she’d noticed before.
She walked out to greet him. She glanced over at Exton and his guards. “Please wait till we leave before you go.”
It was a small request, one Aerie had a feeling Exton had meant to fulfill on his own. When she saw his curt nod, she rejoiced inwardly.
At least she’d get to see him until the very end.
“General,” Aerie said. She held out her hand to shake his.
He sighed. “Two weeks in enemy territory and you’ve already forgotten proper procedures, Aerie?”
“I don’t want to bow to you here,” Aerie told him, her voice hardened with anger. “Especially since I heard you threatened several hundred people’s lives to get me back.”
“I would have threatened more,” he told her, “if it would have gotten you home.”
“I was home,” Aerie told him. She glanced back at Exton. “I love him, Daddy.”
She was as surprised as he was to hear her say “Daddy,” but she pushed forward. “I want to stay with him.”
“You can’t.” The General shook his head. “You’re in danger as it is.”
“But—”
“You’re also endangering them, Aerie. Their survival, along with the Ecclesia
, depends on our cunning. You can’t just disappear.”
“Help me, then,” she said.
“It would be too suspicious,” he argued. “I can’t. I have to cause you more trouble as it is.”
“Why?” Aerie suddenly heard the wind rushing through the trees. She turned back to see the General pull out his gun. “What are you doing?”
Before he could answer, Aerie knew. She turned back to Exton.
“Exton, it’s a setup!” Aerie called. “Go!”
The instant her cry hit the wind, a team of fighter jets came rushing over the skyline.
She turned back to her father. “You tricked us!”
“Aerie!” Exton called from behind her.
“I had to,” he said, sadly. “There is much you don’t know about me, or my mission, Aerie.” He lifted his gun and took aim for Exton.
“No!” Before Aerie could think, she grabbed his arm and twisted it back. Her other arm lashed out and punched him, hitting him square in the nose.
Aerie gasped in horror, before she heard Exton calling her again. “Come back, Aerie,” he called. “We’re leaving.”
She lost her fear and grinned. “Coming!” Aerie turned back to her father as his nose ran with a thick trail of blood. “I’m sorry, sir.”
And then she took off. “Exton.”
The jets screamed as they dove and shot past them, and missiles exploded all around her. But when she found Exton’s arms again, she knew nothing but joy.
“Aerie.” He picked her up and swung her around once. “Let’s go home.”
She kissed him, hugging him as he held her, while he carried her toward the ship.
She barely noticed the glint of sunlight in the distance—and then it was all she could see.
“Exton, look out!” She pushed him aside.
Blood splurged from her shoulder less than a second later.
“Aeris!” the General’s voice echoed in the distance.
“Aerie,” Exton grabbed her as she tripped. Both of them fell to the ground as strong, burning pain ran down the length of her arm and across her chest.
She cried out in pain as she gripped onto Exton. “Ouch!”
A missile exploded into Exton’s shuttle. She heard the crew crying out orders, trying to get it to fly, all while Exton tore his jacket to try making a bandage for her wound.