by Chad R. Odom
Oryan glanced at the fountains and the obelisk behind Corvus. This spot was of some importance. Perhaps it was the last escape route forged by Corvus in case the worst should come. Oryan looked back at Corvus and nodded. “What’s here?”
“The door with no key,” he replied. Oryan held a perplexed look on his face and started to ask another question when Corvus’s vambrace lit up. It was Sicari.
“Are you with Oryan?” Sicari asked.
“Yes, why?”
“Celeste is looking for him.”
Corvus’s hard look faded. “Another time,” he said and parted ways.
Parting
Oryan walked Asher to bed and told him stories of the places he’d seen as a Centauri and as a soldier. They were Asher’s favorites.
When he came from his son’s bedroom, Celeste was waiting for him. “I don’t know how he doesn’t have more nightmares, hearing your stories before bedtime,” she chuckled.
“He spent his formative years being raised by a woman. It’ll take intense therapy to undo the damage,” Oryan fired back.
Celeste glared at him. “If I didn’t know I’d only be punishing myself, I’d knock every tooth out of your mouth.”
Oryan took a few large steps across the room to her and pulled her close to him. “I guess it’s a good thing for the both of us.” He kissed her as his hands wandered below her waist.
“What do you think you’re doing?” she whispered.
“Anything you’ll let me get away with,” he whispered back.
She smiled and kissed him again, then took his hand and led him to their bedroom. Hours later, they were both still awake, lying together in bed. He was on his back with his arm wrapped around her and she was content to lay her head on his bare chest.
“I’m coming back. You know that, right?” Oryan said reassuringly.
“I do,” Celeste replied. “I really do.”
“Then what is it?” he asked. “You’re so quiet tonight.”
“Something’s still bothering me,” she admitted. “I can’t put it all together in my head. When I say the words out loud, they sound ridiculous.”
“Try me,” Oryan encouraged her.
“I don’t feel comfortable here. I told you before, there are too many secrets. Sicari only tells you what he wants you to know. That bothers me. Corvus broods all the time. Then, there’s everyone else. Don’t get me wrong, everyone is so nice but it’s creepy. It’s like they’re living in some dream world that doesn’t really exist.”
“Did you see their faces when I was attacked?” Oryan asked.
“That’s exactly what I’m talking about,” she agreed. “They weren’t afraid but they weren’t going to do anything about it, either. They were all clueless. Like they’d never even seen violence before.
“But that sounds so insane. I mean, shouldn’t I be happy about that? Between your life, mine, and what little he’s lived, shouldn’t I be grateful for Asher to have a place where violence isn’t commonplace?”
“Sometimes I think it’s me,” Oryan started. “I wonder if I bring the violence with me. No matter where I go, it follows.”
“I don’t think you’re wrong,” Celeste replied.
Oryan raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you supposed to comfort me?”
She rolled her eyes. “You know better than that! I’m not trying to be a jerk about it, but I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.
“You’re a good man, whether you believe it or not, but I think there’s a balance to things. Where there’s good, there also has to be bad. The violence follows you because it’s trying to stop you from being the man you really are. You have to fight through that, no matter how bad it gets.”
Oryan was in awe of her. How could she see that in him when he couldn’t see it in himself? The idea of charging off to rescue Tamrus shrunk.
“We could leave, you know. I don’t think they would stop us,” he thought out loud. “I don’t know where we would go, but we could take Asher and try to make it on our own.”
“Not before you help your friend,” she scolded him.
“The only one I have.”
“We can’t both be cynics at the same time,” Celeste said flatly. “I may not trust Sicari and Corvus but Tamrus let you go when he didn’t have to. He did it knowing it would put him in a bad position.”
Oryan took a deep breath. “There’s always strings attached.”
“He saved your life and now you get to save his. That’s not a string, that’s what’s right.”
“You’re right,” Oryan admitted.
“Get used to it,” Celeste replied.
“It’s not that I don’t want to help him. I do and I will. I’ve never exactly been known to look before I leap but this feels different.”
“How so?”
“I want to come back this time.”
Celeste raised her eyebrow. Oryan continued, “When I was a soldier, I didn’t care if I made it back alive. I only wanted to make sure the guys with me did. This time, I want to see you again. I want to raise Asher with you. It feels selfish.”
“Wanting to be with your family isn’t selfish,” she reassured him.
“It’s not just that. It makes me afraid because before, I wouldn’t hesitate. I would do whatever it took because I didn’t care about the consequences to myself. Now, I do. What if, because I feel this way, I take a step back when I should take one forward and everything falls apart? My selfishness could cost everyone.”
She shook her head. “You’re the best there is. You’re doubting yourself now, but when those moments come, you’ll do what you have to. Failure isn’t in your nature.”
He kissed her head. “You’re amazing.”
Celeste yawned. “I know. You’re just figuring that out?”
“I meant what I said. When I get back from helping Tamrus, we can leave here, if that’s what you want.”
She tightened her arm around his body. “I love you,” she said gently. “I’m going to talk to Eldar tomorrow. He’s the only one I really trust here besides Rebekkah. Maybe he can sort things out for me. If I still feel like this when you get back, we’ll talk then.”
“I am coming back, you know,” Oryan reassured.
She rose up and kissed him sensually. “You’d be stupid not to,” she said before curling back up with him and falling fast asleep.
TO BE CONTINUED
The secrets Armay never revealed are coming to light. Oryan now knows his father was an Arkon-a hunter of the terror known as Damrich.
Damrich is making his final preparations to make his rule absolute. He only needs to remove the Archide threat before he the pieces are in place to bring the world to its knees.
Having been shown the depth of their wisdom and the scale of their struggle, Oryan must choose to aid the waning Archides or live out his life in quiet retirement with Celeste and Asher.
Celeste feels there is something sinister in the seeming altruistic Archide crusade. She will stop at nothing to assuage her fears and save her family.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Both Damrich and Oryan will turn to old allies and new weapons in the ultimate high-stakes game of cat and mouse.
Download now at www.chadrodom.com/Genocide
Chad R. Odom
The Last Archide Series
Asension: www.chadrodom.com/Asension
Puppet Master: www.chadrodom.com/PuppetMaster
Ashes of Andromeda: www.chadrodom.com/AshesOfAndromeda
Genocide: www.chadrodom.com/Genocide (coming October 2018)
Atonement: www.chadrodom.com/Atonement (coming November 2018)
The Last Archide, The Complete Series: (coming January 2019)
About the Author
Chad R. Odom, just like many authors, hears voices in his head. He can’t contain the stories any longer, and is relieved to be releasing his first series--The Last Archide.
Chad was born and raised in St. Louis but loves to travel. He met the l
ove of his life in Las Vegas, and his wife Katie is his inspiration for his character Celeste.
He spends his spare time watching movies and doing a critique vlog with his best buddies. He also loves spending time with his sons and daughters, and serving his church and community.
To find more about Chad R. Odom, please go to www.chadrodom.com.