by Dawn Norwell
As we intertwined hands, the wedding officiant motioned for everyone to be seated. “We are gathered today to witness the joining of our fearless leader, Zander Malara, to his beautiful bride, Kai Markavitch,” the man said. “If anyone opposes this union, speak now, or forever hold your peace.”
My heart dropped into my stomach at his words. There were a lot of people in Nova who were still disgusted that Zander was with me, a suit. Many unsuits viewed our relationship as an abomination, that Zander should be marrying someone of own kind. I feared that those opposed to our mixed union would voice their opinion and ruin the best day of my life.
But then I realized that Zander was glaring at his people with cold, authoritative eyes, daring anyone to interfere. Of course, they wouldn’t dare; not if they enjoyed their life in Nova, that is.
When the room remained quiet, Zander returned his gaze to me. I raised an eyebrow, fighting back a smile that the tender, kind man that I knew at home, could scare a crowd of a hundred-thousand with one glance. He smirked at me, then nodded for the officiant to continue.
“Would the two like to say anything to one another?” the man asked. Zander nodded and took a step toward me, closing the distance between us.
“Kai, I have never met a more stubborn, more trying, and more problematic person than you,” he said with a playful smile. The room echoed with laughter. “You are unpredictable, and always defy the status quo. You are a constant adventure, keeping me on my toes. I never know what I will get with you, and I love you all the more for it.
“The moment I met you, I knew that my life would never be the same. You have challenged me like I have never been challenged before, and make me see the world differently. You filled a part of me that I didn’t know was empty. I wasn’t truly alive until I found you,” he said.
“I would have never pictured two people as different as we are being together, but now, I couldn’t imagine my life any other way. I am honored that you agreed to marry me. We’ve endured so much in such a short time, yet our love has persevered. I know we can overcome any obstacle life has in store for us, as long as we’re together,” he said, his words bursting with love. The last six months have been the best of my life, and I look forward to many more with you.”
A tear fell down my cheek. Zander smiled and wiped it away with his thumb.
“Kai, is there anything you would like to say to Zander?” the officiant asked softly.
The room full of thousands of other people disappeared. It was only me and Zander standing at the altar, our hands intertwined as we gazed into each other’s eyes.
The officiant looked to me, indicating that it was my turn to say my vows. I cleared my throat and took a deep breath.
“Zander,” I said, my voice thick with emotion, “Before I met you, I was broken. I didn’t realize it at the time, but a huge piece of me had slowly been chipped away over the years. You helped to make me whole again. You are the light that guides me from the darkness, the reason I smile every day. I have never experienced love like you make me feel,” I said, my voice breaking.
“When I’m with you, it’s like the world stops spinning. When you hold me, I feel safe, like nothing bad could ever happen. Despite everything that we’ve been through, and regardless of whatever happens in the future, meeting you was the best thing that has ever have happened to me.
“I love you, Zander Malara. I have since the moment we met, and I’ll continue to love you until my last breath. I promise that from this point forward, I will never leave you. After today, you’re stuck with me for good,” I joked. Zander smiled and discreetly wiped a tear from his eye.
As Zander slipped a wedding band onto my finger, he repeated after the officiant. “I, Zander Malara, take thee, Kai Markavitch, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish, till death do us part.”
When it was my turn, I slid a silver ring onto Zander’s finger, and repeated the same mantra, vowing to love this man until my dying day.
“As the certified officiant of Nova,” the master of ceremony said, “I hereby pronounce this couple husband and wife. Commander Malara, you may kiss your bride.”
Zander leaned down and cupped my face gently in his hands. With a smile, he pressed his lips against mine, and the crowd erupted into cheers of excitement behind us. We turned to face the residents of Nova, elated smiles plastered on our faces. It was the most perfect moment of my life.
“Introducing, Mr. and Mrs. Malara,” the man announced, and another round of applause ensued.
We walked back down the aisle hand-in-hand, and the crowd on either side of us cheered. Instead of being pelted by garbage like when I first arrived in Nova, flower petals rained on our heads. My heart was filled with joy as the unsuits nearest me grabbed my hand in congratulations, welcoming me into their family.
**********
Zander had security keep everyone out of the designated reception area until I was able to see it first. I was glad that he did because I wouldn’t have wanted to share that moment with anyone other than him. I spun in awestruck circles, taking in the magical scene surrounding me.
As promised, the room was covered in lilies, bunched together in vases on the tables, tied to form large, floral balls that hung overhead, covering the backs of our seats in a blanket of flora. Everywhere I turned, the smell of the lilies wafted up to meet me. I closed my eyes and sniffed appreciatively, trying to lock the smell into my memory forever.
Candles flickered on each of the hundreds of round tables, the soft glow reflecting off of the sequined tablecloths and setting a romantic mood. Ivy vines cascaded from the rafters and spiraled down the columns that lined either side of the room, enveloping me in a sea of soft green. Tufts of tulle were draped from the ceiling, the fine netting intertwining with thousands of twinkle lights. They sparkled overhead, glimmering in the dimmed room, like a replica of the stars in the night’s sky.
My eyes welled with tears, the sight reminding me of Athena and how she was smiling down on us from the heavens, sending her love and guidance. I missed her, but I knew that Zander was right; she was with us in spirit.
After ten minutes of absorbing the majestic reception hall, I finally allowed Zander to let the rest of Nova in to appreciate his hard work. They gasped in admiration as they entered the room, just as entranced by the decorations as I was.
As everyone found their seat, caterers brought out a large buffet line filled with steak, chicken, and hard to come by shrimp. Every dish you could imagine lined the outsides of the room. I stuffed my face with mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, broccoli casserole, and baked beans, until I felt like I couldn’t hold another bite.
The crème de la crème of it all was the amazing wedding cake. The delicate dessert was twice as tall as I was, with more than enough to feed the residents of Nova. I was intrigued by the small figurines of a man and woman on the top layer. Zander said they were supposed to represent the two of us, but I couldn’t see the resemblance.
Although I didn’t think I could handle another bite, I somehow found a way to eat an entire piece of the moist chocolate dessert. I nearly moaned with satisfaction as I inhaled the cake that was filled with chunks of chocolate chips and iced with a sweet vanilla frosting that was manipulated to look like perfect Tiger Lilies.
The most bizarre moments came after the dessert was devoured. Zander explained the tradition of throwing my beautiful bouquet over my head to see who would catch it. I did as he instructed, though I wasn’t sure how catching a bunch of flowers could predict the likelihood of someone getting married. Though I didn’t understand the custom, I still smiled when Ximea caught the bouquet with a shocked expression.
The flower tossing was a strange custom, but not nearly as strange as when Zander disappeared under my skirt to yank the garter off of my leg. I could feel my perfectly painted face turning scarlet as he vanished under the folds of my gown. Peo
ple whistled and cat-called as he retrieved the lace band from my thigh in front of the entire city, then tossed it to a large group of men with a sexy flourish.
Soft music started playing over the community PA system, and everyone came together on the dance floor. I surveyed the faces of those around me as they laughed, twirled, and enjoyed the festivities. They were happier than I’d ever seen them, the worries of the impending war temporarily forgotten. I was beyond glad that Zander convinced me to make our wedding a public event so that everyone could take part in the joyous occasion.
The best part of the entire night was seeing Jax’s sour expression as he watched one of his lifelong friends embraced a suit- now Zander’s wife- who he had harassed for so long. I had to fight the urge to stick my tongue out at him like I was a child.
As the music played in the background and exuberant laughter echoed all around us, I swayed in Zander’s muscular arms. When I looked into his blue eyes and saw my contentment reflected there, I couldn’t help but grin. His lip curled up into my favorite half-smile.
“Are you happy, Mrs. Malara?” he asked, twisting a loose strand of hair back into my chignon.
“Very happy,” I said, resting my hand against his chest. “And what about you, husband?” I asked, feeling a thrill at the word.
“The happiest I’ve ever been in my life,” he breathed. “Although I must admit that I am eager to consummate the marriage.” He winked, causing me to blush.
I leaned forward and put my lips to his ear. “Do you think anyone would miss us if we disappeared for a little while,” I murmured seductively, pleased when I felt his excitement at my words pressing against my thigh.
“Who cares?” he asked.
With a coy smile, he guided us casually to the edge of the dance floor. Our secrecy was unnecessary, however, because everyone was so enthralled in the wedding festivities that they would never notice the bride and groom’s absence.
With as much discretion as we could manage, we slipped out the front doors of the auditorium and sprinted toward our cottage hand-in-hand, laughing the entire way.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: A RISING REVOLUTION
I ’d never pictured myself being a wife, but matrimony suited me. It was strange, however, to be married to the leader of an entire nation. People who once treated me like the scum of the earth now made an effort to be amiable. I wasn’t sure if it was because my husband was their commander, or because if I was growing on them. Either way, it was nice being liked for a change.
Despite his initial qualms, Zander was a great leader. He took the time to truly listen to the people in his city and worked to be not just their leader, but their colleague and friend, as well. He was tough but fair. It was amazing to watch him command a military battalion one minute, and laugh with children on a playground the next. The people of Nova adulated him even more than they did Athena, a seemingly impossible feat. I knew that she would be proud of the man he was becoming.
Zander was taking a different approach than his mother from a military standpoint. Athena had believed in the power of peace, and though Zander agreed with her to a point, he knew things would come to a head with Concord eventually, and that we had to be prepared when that time came.
Though sending his soldiers to war bothered him, his eyes lit up a little at the notion of defeating Concord, his inner warrior thrilled at the prospect of battle. He was tired of people being rejected because he didn’t meet Syndicate standards. He knew that true peace would never be reached so long as there was such hatred between the two suits and unsuits. He also recognized that the Syndicate would never listen to reason, so he’d have no choice but to force them to.
The idea made me nervous. On the one hand, I knew it had to be done. The unsuits and I would never be out from beneath the Syndicate’s thumb until we made a stand. But at the same time, it wouldn’t be an easy feat. We were far outnumbered as it was. Factor in Concord’s advanced military equipment and the TIMs, and we’d never stand a chance.
But, despite the odds, the majority of Nova agreed with Zander’s view. They lined up in droves to volunteer in the fight. Even though they knew there was a chance that they could die, they accepted this possibility with grace, determining that it would be worth it if Nova won the battle. And even if Nova didn’t win the war against Concord, the unsuits would happily die fighting for their freedom if it prevented the Syndicate from controlling their lives.
I did what I could to help the coming battle by continuing my research on the Syndicate’s files. The more I looked into it, the larger and more complex Project Tiger Lily became. My mother had multiple research campaigns in the works that could reverse the complex changes the Syndicate made to fetuses in vitro. I vowed that, should we win the battle, I would continue her work by undoing the Syndicate’s brainwashing.
It didn’t take long for us to find files containing the newest viruses the Concord medical center was working on. I was shocked at how detailed the information was, listing estimated inoculation periods, mortality rates, and the likelihood of successful transmission from patient to patient. Reading through the symptoms- including serious symptoms like bleeding of the eyes, dangerously violent outbursts, and melting skin on contact- it was clear they weren’t created for use on suits. I shuddered, realizing that the Syndicate might have planned to one day use these illnesses on unsuspecting unsuits.
Seeing the new viruses motivated me to help however I could. I started putting theory into practice, attempting to create an inoculation for the many ailments that afflicted the unsuits, along with the new medical threats. When I wasn’t staring at the files on the laptop, I spent much of my day at a microscope, spreading my curative wings and venturing into areas of healing that I had never been to in an effort to find vaccinations.
I knew that to find a solution, I first had to find the cause. Thanks to decades of grotesque treatment at the hands of the suits, I had plenty of samples to work with in Nova. For weeks, I examined the boils and blemishes that plagued the unsuits, studied the scars and mutilations that were the result of the Syndicate’s tyrannical methods. It was time-consuming work and kept my mind busy, but that was preferable to worrying about Zander and the baby growing inside of me.
After much trial and error, I was finally able to make a cocktail that contained dozens of vaccinations compiled into one. I wasn’t sure if it would work, but if it did, it would prevent many of the Syndicate’s viruses from affecting the unsuits in the case of an attack.
It wasn’t until after all of the residents received their dose of medicine that Ximea told them it was my innovation. Many protested, still convinced that I was a secret Syndicate worker sent to poison them. But things calmed down when no one showed side effects or died from the injection. I think it softened the sentiments of many of the unsuits when they realized that I wasn’t out to get them.
There wasn’t a moment when the unavoidable battle wasn’t on my mind. We practiced daily, running drills, and going through probable scenarios. I tried to convince myself that the drills were a good thing, that they would make a huge difference in our ability to succeed because we were planning ahead. That didn’t prevent the near panic attack I had when the alarms would sound, and I didn’t know if it was another drill or the real thing. But how much could you really prepare for the probability of death?
Zander seemed optimistic, but I think it was a show to keep me from being worrying- for the baby’s sake. Still, I saw how the enormity of the situation weighed on him, and understandably so- thousands of souls could be lost if he made one wrong call. Though I couldn’t stop the nagging feeling in my stomach that the battle wouldn’t turn out the way we wanted, I caressed his arm and told him that everything would be alright, hoping that I could will it into reality if I repeated the mantra enough.
Though the notion of war still caused knots to form in my stomach, I was grateful to be included in the battle plans for a change. When I first brought the idea up to Zander, I was certain that he w
ould lose his temper again.
But, to my surprise, he handled it well. Though he was not particularly happy that my thirst for battle hadn’t been alleviated, he kept his opinions to himself and eventually allowed me to sit in on board meetings so I could share my knowledge of Concord and the Syndicate.
Blythe was also contributing substantially to the battle plans. It turns out that he’d tagged along during my retrieval mission in an attempt to search for his wife. When he finally found her, she spit in his face and called the TIMs, leaving him to die. Zander managed to save him, but the experience was enough to help Blythe see things clearly.
After a few days of moping, he woke up with a new perspective and, soon, he joined in the resistance, using his technological and engineering knowledge to help us progress. He had also started seeing Ximea, something I was thrilled about.
It was exciting to see the progress we were making in Nova because of Blythe’s expertise. The information that was obtained from Concord during the covert retrieval mission was being used to create new weaponry and technology. What we lacked in soldiers, we were making up for with defense and artillery that was far more advanced than that of the Syndicate.
Zander was like a kid in a candy store when Blythe’s new weapons were finished. He was the first to use them- for “safety” purposes- arguing that the leader of Nova needed to do a trial run before his people had access to them. But I knew him better than that. I just smiled and let him go, realizing that it could be one of his last chances at excitement before the inevitable war came.
He was in such good spirits after trying the new weapons, he decided to teach me how to shoot so I could learn to defend myself, if needed. Zander was pleasantly surprised when we went to the shooting range because we learned that I wasn’t a bad shot.
Zander often spoke military strategies aloud, most of which went over my head. But I gathered that he thought we would have the upper hand if the war happened in Concord, rather than Nova. He wanted the fight to be as far away from the unsuits as possible to minimalize casualties, but Blythe advised against this.