The earth shudders and shakes and a low grumbling sound echoes from deep underground. The soldiers sway unsteadily as they exchange puzzled looks. The rumbling sound accelerates as the hill starts to crumble underneath them. Bodies zigzag left and right, and I can hear raised voices shouting harried instructions. A couple of men attempt to slide downhill on their bellies just as a crashing boom vibrates all around and a deep ravine opens up in the center of the hill, gobbling them all up. Shrieks and screams pierce the air as the distinct sounds of struggle mix with gushing rivers of mud. Airborne gunshots ring out and frazzle my nerves. If the guys are offloading their weapons, it could signify there are more troops in the area.
“I think we need to get out of here now,” I suggest.
Ariana’s eyes flit open and she raises one finger. “Give me one second.” She closes her eyes again. “Ugh,” she shrieks, scrubbing the side of her face.
“What is it?”
“I can’t see anything. Damned visions,” she mutters.
“Come on then, let’s get out of here.”
“Just let me try one more time.” I force back my sigh.
“Right,” she says, her eyes opening wide, a few minutes later. “I’m not sensing any more soldiers in our vicinity, but there’s a whole battalion advancing on the base. They aren’t far away. We need to warn them. Do you still have your comm-clip?”
“On it,” I say, fingers already delving in the bag. I clip it on my ear and tap in the CO’s contact code. I update him quickly, advising what Ariana has seen. Disconnecting, I clutch her hand tightly and start running around the edge of the now-deflated hill. Birds chirping gaily are the only sounds to be heard. “Don’t look,” I say, as we pass and I spot a huddle of inert bodies flung together in the middle of the mound.
We run rapidly back the way we came, and I’m impressed when she keeps pace with me the whole way. “You doing okay?” I rasp, when we reach the edge of the woods.
“I’m fine. Let’s keep going. The battle has just started.”
“That was something else back there,” I admit, ducking out of the way of an errant branch.
“I’ve mastered that ability quite well,” she explains in a breathless voice. “But I still suck at controlling my visions. I’m too damned emotional and I’m letting it get in the way.”
I don’t quite understand what she means, but the thirsty ache in my lungs terminates any further conversation. A massive fireball blazes a path through the darkening sky, causing both of us to slam to a halt. It sparkles and crackles and whizzes around the sky as if it’s the Fourth of July. Booming sounds tickle my eardrums as more fire bolts shoot through the air.
Taking her hand again, we walk the last half a mile to the base. Whipping the backpack off my shoulder, I extract two weapons and hand one to her. “Stay close to my back and no heroics, please.”
She nods and lines up behind me as I edge carefully out of the woods. Acrid smoke funnels up my nose and coats my skin and I cough loudly. I hear a sharp rip behind me. Ariana hands me a strip of material torn from her dress and I plaster it over my mouth and nose. The extent of the damage inflicted on the base in the short amount of time it took us to run here is horrifying. The field of pods is gone, replaced with burning, charred remains and bundles of brightly burning fires. Massive craters dot the ground and strewn bodies lie all over the place. Traded gunfire echoes all around us, and the noise is deafening. Rocket launchers fire missiles at an approaching flock of stealth-craft.
That would explain the Fourth of July theatrics then.
Ariana’s fingers clutch at the shirt on my back as she stumbles over a fallen body on the ground. I need to get her out of here. It’s like a mantra running through my brain. I can’t let anything happen to her or the babies. Reaching around, I grab her hand and pull her into my side. “Stay right beside me and stay alert. Let’s stick to the outer perimeter, it’s further away from the center of the fighting.” She nods and starts running with me. A soldier approaches in front, gun raised. Before I can react, a bullet lodges in his skull and he drops to the ground. Ariana keeps her weapon raised in front of her as two more soldiers advance. Dropping her hand, I fire my weapon to the left while she tackles the guy on the right.
“Damn!” I shout as another trio of soldiers quickly replaces them. “We’re totally fucking outnumbered again.” Fury charges my body as if I’ve just plugged my arm into an electrical socket, and I throw myself at the group, my fist pounding one after the other. Rapid gunfire rings out behind me and my whole body freezes in terror. Turning around, I almost collapse in a heap when I see Ariana still standing, bodies mounting at her feet.
“Watch out,” she shrieks, darting toward me. She raises her hand in a sweeping gesture, and I feel a crisp breeze at my back, followed by a loud thud. Swiveling around, I spot the soldier tossed to the side.
“Did you do that?” I toe the motionless body with my boot.
“Yes, but he’s only knocked out so you should probably stop prodding him. Come on,” she yells, also clearly spotting the barreling tunnel of fire heading this way.
Diving to the side, I cover her body with mine as the missile implodes beside us. Shit, this isn’t going to be good. Squeezing my eyes shut, I concentrate on the feel of her body underneath me and think if this is our time, then it isn’t such a bad way to go. Together.
“Open your eyes, Cal,” Ariana says, in a soft voice. I crack an eye open, and I’m immediately aware of the blurry haze that surrounds us. Outside our bubble, soldiers and rebels trade shots, fires blaze, and dark smoke creeps around the burning remains of the base.
My eyes lock on hers as she wriggles out of my heavy embrace. I let out a low whistle. She’s a damn magician. The things she can do? Yeah, there aren’t adequate words in this world to describe it. “I’ll have to release the shield as it zaps too much of my strength. In ten, you ready?” she says, lifting up.
I stand beside her and grab her hand. “Ready.”
Piercing noise assaults my ears as all my senses reactivate at once. The smells, sounds, and sight we are reacquainted with are an affront to humanity and my inner-super-soldier roars to life. I whip off my sling, ignoring the remonstrating pain shooting up my arm. Ariana nods at me. “Let’s fight,” she says, fierce determination etched on her face.
I charge into the middle of the battle with my avenging angel by my side. Ripping through the opposition, I toss soldiers all around me. Who needs weapons when the government has already turned my own body into the most effective weapon of all? Ariana never strays far from my side. Turns out she doesn’t need her weapon much either. Our spiritual mother has equipped her body and mind with all the tools she needs to defeat the enemy.
Her arms sweep out in front of her in graceful, swirling motions as she thrusts handfuls of soldiers into the sky with a flourish of her hand. I’m enchanted by the ethereal quality of her movements, and if we weren’t locked in a life or death situation, I might be tempted to grab a bucket of popcorn and settle down to watch the show.
“Cal,” Xander calls out. Pivoting around, I see my bud barreling his way toward me, Amber hot on his heels. “Holy hell,” he exclaims when he reaches me and notices Ariana. At this moment, she is standing tall in front of an approaching line of soldiers, a calm confidence igniting the space around her. Raising her arms, she flings them out extravagantly and the entire line is rocketed into space. Amber and Xander draw in audible breathes and share matching awestruck looks.
“No time to appreciate the show,” I shout, gesturing behind them. “Incoming!” We form an informal circle, our backs to each other as we twist around and take out the competition, but more and more soldiers just keep on coming. Like they’ve been spit out of a birthing machine.
Swiping my arm across my sweat-soaked forehead, I feel like punching the air when I notice some of our colleagues approaching from the easterly side. Reinforcements, at last! Six Saoirse soldiers march forward in a steady line. Euphoria gives w
ay to unease as I note the glazed look in their eyes. I grab a government soldier as he attempts to creep up behind me and wrap my hand around his neck, squeezing until I feel him lose consciousness
The whole time my eyes are fixated on the group approaching, and every cell in my body screams out in warning. Our rebel colleagues’ movements are almost comical in their uniform robotic walk. But it’s the numb look in their eyes that concerns me the most. They stare at us, seeing but not seeing, like functional empty shells.
“Eh, guys. I think we have a problem.”
“Thank God!” Amber says, “Backup at last.” She takes half a step toward them and I lunge for her. But I’m too late. A familiar red-haired girl points her gun at Amber and pulls the trigger. It happens so goddamned fast and I’m not quick enough. Time seems to stand still, and the only things I’m aware of are the sound of Xander’s ear-crunching wail and the slant of Amber’s body as she collapses in my arms.
Xander slams into me and we dive-bomb to the ground. Shots whizz over our heads, and we hop up at the same time and return fire, condemning our team mates to their death. I know it was them or us, but the burning fire coating my heart refuses to go away. Sliding to my knees, I move to check Amber as a shot slices by my face. Looking sideways, I spot four soldiers sneaking up on us, and I think the time to start a novena has definitely arrived.
A pair of worn black boots settles in the mud beside me as Ariana makes light work of the competition. She crouches down and pins me with a sorrowful look. “Cal, she’s gone.”
Taking one look at Amber’s soulless eyes, I can instantly see the truth of her words. The fire around my heart frosts over as chills solidify my insides until I feel nothing. As I stare at the beautiful face of a girl who once meant a lot to me, all the fight leaves my body.
I hear Ariana and Xander conversing in low tones, and he huddles beside me. Bathed in a brilliant white light, all my senses fall away as the hazy environment of Ariana’s shield folds over us protectively. Tilting my head, I look up at my fiancée, mesmerized. Her eyes are slammed shut as she focuses her mind. She weaves her arm elegantly through the air before fisting her hand and pulling her arm downward in one fluid, swift motion. The shield wobbles as a beam of light blanket-sweeps the entire field.
Ariana slumps to the ground as my senses return. I catch her in my arms and draw her into my chest, my fingers probing her wan face. I inhale her sweetly feminine scent as her breath shoots out in a steady stream. Clutching her to me, all manner of emotions cloud my mind.
Xander stands on shaky legs. “Oh my God.”
I scan the scenery in front of me, my brain grappling to understand it. The only sound is the wind whooshing through the trees. Everyone is motionless. All the fires are gone. The noise of battle quieted. Total empty silence. Ariana’s eyes flutter open and I help her to stand up. “Are you feeling okay?”
“Yeah,” she pants. “Just so tired.”
“What did you do?” Xander asks, concern and admiration mixed in his tone.
“I sent a calming wave over the area.” Two dumbstruck boys stare back at her. “Basically, I’ve put them all to sleep. It buys us a little time.” She bites down shyly on her lower lip. “The others are arriving so we need to move fast.”
“What others?” Ignoring the throbbing pain in my arm, I frown.
“I relayed a message to Saoirse HQ asking them to send additional troops. They are rounding the bend now. We need to greet them, explain, so they know what to do.”
There is only one way she could’ve communicated that message. Instantly, everything else clears out and we’re back to an hour ago. Heart-stomping agony rips through my insides. I can’t keep doing this. It’s going to kill me stone dead.
I shoot a glacial look her way. “You contacted Zane?”
CHAPTER 19
“Yes, I asked Zane to get a message through to Dad.” She says it matter-of-factly, her expression impressively passive. “We need to move now, Cal. Are you okay to carry Amber?”
Bending down, I gently lift Amber into my arms and nod tersely at Ariana.
We’re a glum group as we race through the field, dodging potholes and jumping over motionless bodies, as if we’re champion hurdlers.
Commander Skyee’s imposing form waits for us at the top of the field. Ariana goes straight to his side and they talk in hushed whispers. His features set in a hard line as he argues with her and my interest is piqued. I take a step forward as her eyes lock on mine. Shaking her head, she shoots a warning look my way.
Whatever.
I walk to the medical van and carefully lay Amber inside. The ghostly numb feeling has returned to my body and my limbs feel heavy and burdensome. I’m sick to my stomach of all this. The reality of war is so far removed from the theory of it. All those years spent training in NSAFTA are little more than a blip. Not once did I ever let reality sink into my brain. This isn’t what I wanted out of life, not even close to it.
Xander materializes alongside me, and he shares my surly, pained expression. I whisper my request to him. He nods in agreement, his gaze unblinking. Part of me longs to go, to get away from the nightmare of war, but there’s a bigger part of me that can’t get over what she’s done. I know Xander will keep her safe.
“Xander,” Commander Skyee says, appearing in front of us. Ariana hovers at his heels. “Can you assist my troops in gathering up our soldiers and helping load them into vans for transport to the Velo station? We need to evacuate everyone promptly before our enemy awakens.”
“We’re clearing out?” I ask.
“Yes. The order has been given to withdraw all ground troops from active combat. We need to hunker down and reassess our options.”
“About damn time,” I snap, folding my arms across my chest.
“I understand you are going to Greece with Ariana,” he says, his voice roughened.
“Actually, sir,” Xander says, stepping forward, “I’m going to escort Ariana back to Greece.”
Ariana’s eyes flip to mine. “Can I talk to you for a second?”
I nod. “Xander, can you locate Taylor please?” I ask, without taking my eyes off Ariana. Xander claps a hand on my shoulder and then I hear the heavy thud of his retreating footsteps.
“Make it snappy, Ari,” Commander Skyee says.
I walk toward her and gesture with my head. She follows me behind the back of the medic truck. “Talk to me.”
My gut tightens and I can’t even look her in the face. “I need time to digest what you’ve told me.”
“Cal,” she whispers. Her soft voice threatens to unchain the tenuous lock on my volatile emotions. “I understand that you need time to think, but please come to Greece. It’s so peaceful there, and I’ll give you as much space as you need.” A feathery light tingle dances up my arm as her small hand wraps around my wrist. I lift my head to look at her, and my eyes burn painfully as I all but melt under the powerful sheen of her gaze. With her hair spilling over her shoulders and her lips slightly parted in expectation, she’s like my own personal version of heaven.
Or hell.
I don’t want to leave her side, but I also can’t bear to be in her company right now. Raw hurt pounds through my veins, making my blood thrum faster. Anxiety presses down on me, and heart-crushing pain threatens to rip my chest wide open, exposing my vulnerability for all to see.
“I can’t.” I shake my head. “I don’t know what I feel anymore. I’m so sick of everything.” And isn’t that the truth.
She attempts to smother her disappointment but she was never much of an actress. “I understand.” Releasing her hand, she steps away. I spin around and spot Xander approaching, Taylor’s slumped form draped over his back.
“Ready, Ariana?” he asks.
“Yes. Thank you for coming with us, Xander.” She smiles widely but there’s no warmth behind it. She steps around me and then stops abruptly. Turning around, she faces me head-on and speaks in a loud, clear voice. “Know this much, Cal. I
understand that I’ve made a total mess out of everything, but it doesn’t change how I feel about you. I love you with all my heart, and it’ll kill me if you can’t get beyond this. But I’ll respect your decision either way, and I give you my word that it won’t affect your ability to form a relationship with your child.” She lowers her voice so only I can hear. “I would never keep our babies from you. Whatever decision you make should not be influenced by my pregnancy.”
She holds her head up stoically, and where once there would have been copious tears, there is only maturity and sincerity. I almost cave on the spot. Stepping forward, she wraps her arms around my neck and envelops me in a firm embrace. Kissing my lips ever so softly, she pulls back and whispers, “I love you, Cal. Please find it in your heart to forgive me.”
God, I want to. Truly, I do.
But I just don’t know if I can.
Then she’s gone and I’m standing in the middle of the field, watching all the activity around me, as if I’m an invisible bystander.
Only a third of the base makes it out alive. We only manage to fit a tiny fraction of our dead in the two medical trucks, so we’re forced to leave our remaining colleagues to rot in the field like day-old rubbish. Bile floods my throat and I gag. Standing, I shimmy up the truck, squeezing past world-weary soldiers standing between the two crowded benches. Sweat, blood, and the scent of unwashed bodies waft in the humid air. I gag again.
Poking my head through the canvas cover separating the driving area from the back, I motion at Commander Skyee. “What is it, Solider Remus?”
“Sir, I need to speak to you about an urgent concern.”
“Right now?”
“Yes. This can’t wait.” Sweat slicks across my brow and drips down into my eye. The truck shudders to a halt, and the Commander gestures for me to get out.
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