by Andi J Feron
“If I stopped Allie’s recruitment, the second future would come true. He told me I had to help her be recruited, then you would live, and the Loctorians and humans would win the war. I struggled with nightmares for weeks. The vision of you dead wouldn’t leave my mind, it was so vivid. It was as though Jerap gave me the gift of fixing the worst thing that would ever happen to me.”
“Why didn’t you tell me all of this?”
“Jerap told me you wouldn’t accept it, and it would cause things to go wrong. Would you have let Allie be recruited if I told you?”
“Probably not,” I admitted.
“I don’t know what role Allie is going to play, but whatever it is, she’s going to bring about the end of the war. I don’t know how that’s possible. All I know is I want you alive and for our side to win.” Seraphine got up to put her flowers in water, and I followed behind her. She set them on the table and I pulled her to me. “I’m sorry Talon. You’re the last person I want to hurt.”
“No, I’m sorry. I already knew that, but I failed as a husband by not trusting you.”
“I’m sorry they took Allie. I know all you ever wanted was to keep her safe, but maybe the best thing you can do is let her destiny play out.”
“I don’t think I have much of a choice now. I hope Jerap is right. I hope there comes a time we win and we can all go back to Earth to be a family.”
As humans, we fight the inevitable and try to create the roads we see as best for both ourselves and those we love. Eight years ago, I fought recruitment into an alien war, but by losing that fight, I met, fell in love with, and married Seraphine Mallow. What I thought would be my downfall instead became the best thing that ever happened to me. Eight years later, I was losing another fight, the fight to keep my sister out of the same alien war. I had to grasp at the hope that in my failure, only good would come to her.