“She looks really beautiful tonight,” I said as I watched her and Wix dance together. Their red hair nearly glowed under the twinkling light. Brady danced by himself next to them in his own little suit.
We slowed a bit as Avian turned to look at her. The fabric draped around her thin frame in an almost dreamy way, shimmering in the lights.
“Would you wear one?” Avian asked quietly as he looked at me with his burning blue eyes. “Someday. For me?”
My eyes widened a bit as I realized what he was really asking. My insides swelled, my heart picking up in pace. A smile crossed my lips as I leaned forward, pressing my lips to his. “Only for you,” I whispered.
Avian smiled as I pulled away, giving me a small squeeze. His eyes still on mine, he took a step away, keeping my hand in his. He led me through the crowd, through the door, and back down the stairs into the hospital.
As we walked past the door to the Extraction room, I gave a hard swallow. It was hard to fully enjoy the wedding party when I knew West was sitting unconscious in that room.
We continued to watch West on a daily basis. His vitals remained stable, his wounds completely healed from that awful day. Every night someone would go in to sweep up the cybernetic scraps that worked their way out of his skin. They were melted down and transported away.
I asked the doctors every few days what they thought would happen to West but they only said that they still don’t know if he would recover or not. We could only hope.
Things had escalated between Avian and I the last few days. Even though West still didn’t know what had happened, things feel whole. Maybe it was the nights we’d spent together, sleeping in each other’s arms. Maybe it was the hunts we’d gone on. It didn’t matter. It only mattered how right it was, how perfect.
There were a lot of things that I didn’t know about the future. I didn’t know if West would ever wake up. I didn’t know how I would deal with it if he never did. I didn’t know if the Bane would ever travel here from another city, if we would ever have to fight them off again. I didn’t know how everyone in Eden would adjust to our new way of life.
I didn’t know if we would ever reclaim our planet or even just our country, whatever that meant anymore.
But there were a few things that I did know.
I knew that I would continue to take care of Eden. I knew I would help till our new gardens come spring. I would continue to do everything in my power to keep my family alive.
I knew that I could count on Avian to be by my side until the day my heart stopped beating.
And I finally knew what love was.
I woke the next morning just an hour from dawn. I felt the cold sheets next to me, realizing that Avian was gone. At the same time, the door to my room opened, letting in a little sliver of light.
“Where were you?” I asked as I pushed my hair out of my face.
“Come on,” he said through the dim light. Even with how dark it was I could see the smile on his face. “I’ve got a surprise for you.”
I pulled on my boots and followed Avian silently through the sleeping hospital. We came out on the ground level and exited through the front doors. Sitting on the sidewalk was a beautiful two-wheeled red mass of machinery.
“What is it?” I asked, running my hand along its glossy surface.
“It’s called a motorcycle,” Avian said with a smile as he walked over to it.
“Does it still work?”
“Royce had it saved in the basement of the hospital. Do you want to go for a ride?”
I couldn’t suppress the smile that spread on my face as I nodded.
Avian straddled the motorcycle and a moment later had the engine roaring to life. I sat on the seat behind him, wrapping my arms around his chest. “Hang on,” he said over his shoulder.
The beast ripped to life, the pavement falling behind us as the hospital faded away. The night air caressed my cheeks as we sped by, my hair fanning out behind me. This was a freedom I had never experienced, one I vowed to live over and over again.
We drove for nearly an hour and I realized where we were going when I smelled the salt in the air. Avian parked the motorcycle in the middle of the road and looked out to the west.
I didn’t wait for him to follow me as I slid off the back of the motorcycle. My eyes fixed in front of me as I crossed the pavement and then my boots sank into the sand. I walked to the edge of the water, staring into the horizon.
There was nothing but water and sky for as far as I could see.
I understood then what West had said about the ocean being scary and beautiful at the same time. I felt so small, so helpless. It could claim my life in just a moment if it were to awaken with fury. But it was beautiful. The slowly fading moon gleamed on its surface, an endless dance of celestial skill. Mankind could never hope to have that kind of grace.
And then I noticed something at the edge of the sand. My old tent had been pitched, waiting there like an old friend.
“Welcome home,” Avian said softly.
As I looked back out over the water, his thumb brushed across my cheek. I realized there were tears streaming down my face.
Maybe I was more human than I thought.
AWKNOWLEDGMENTS
My how this story has evolved! It has come through quite a journey to be the story that it is today and there were many, many people who helped along the way.
Thank you to those who were there in the beginning: Mom, Jenni, Alex, Crystal, Halley and Kim. You read it in its early stages and gave me the direction I needed to make this into a readable stack of pages.
Thank you to my dad who took me shooting and who answered many random, bizarre questions that helped to create the world of Eden and the Bane.
A huge thank you to Kami Garcia, a woman who I consider my mentor, good friend, and amazing author.
And the biggest thank you to my readers. You loved Eden enough and kept pestering me enough to turn this story into a trilogy and gave me the courage to finally do it. Thank you for your support and enthusiasm. I love you all!
Keary Taylor grew up along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she started creating imaginary worlds and daring characters who always fell in love. She now resides on a tiny island in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their two young children. She continues to have an overactive imagination that frequently keeps her up at night.
Please visit www.kearytaylor.com to learn more about her and her writing process.
Keary Taylor, The Bane (The Eden Trilogy)
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