“See you in a week,” Rachel said to Ava with a smile. “Enjoy it while we can, hey?”
Ava nodded, but on the inside, her stomach churned. The excitement would have kept her awake if she’d actually needed sleep the last few nights. Instead, all Mark had done was work her into exhaustion. She’d been glad he’d been there, or the last few days wouldn’t have gone anywhere near as quick.
Watching as they drew in, the fanfare and sheer amount of people who were waiting was astounding. Mark hadn’t been expecting it, but Ava had told him there would be a huge celebration for their return. Huge wasn’t the word for it.
Literally thousands of people lined the streets to see them fly in this time.
Mark stood with Ava. “Ready for this?” he asked.
Ava smiled. It was different than the last time they’d dropped out over the palace gardens. This time they were coming in at a different angle to see Crisidium and her people.
A huge show of respect for them was out there. The royal colors blazed from flags and buildings.
It made Ava very proud, and, glancing to Mark, she could only smile. Tears brimmed in her eyes and she fought very hard to keep her composure.
“Let’s do this,” she finally said.
Gripping his hand in hers, Mark gave it a squeeze.
Seconds later, they were both fully suited and ready. When the doors opened and they dropped above the city, this time they’d do a lap of honor. For all those who weren’t coming home, and for those out there to see their princess return.
The city itself now was brimming with greenery. Everywhere that Ava looked, something new had appeared; something that had been destroyed was now rebuilt and for the most part, she thought, much better for it.
Finally turning in to the palace gardens, Ava let her suit go, hopping to the ground before her parents. The guards, having seen it previously, were a little more prepared than before. Mark landed beside her; Ava reached for his hand, then the two of them walked to where her parents waited.
Ava had known doing this would cause a raised eyebrow from her father, and it did just that. But it was her mother who grinned as she rocked the stroller before her.
“Welcome home,” Hael said.
Ava dropped Mark’s hand, and moved quickly to her father. He wrapped her in his arms for that hug he’d said he’d wanted. Even though she was much taller than him, it didn’t stop her. Ava tried not to cry, but this time she couldn’t stop it.
“There, there, little princess,” Hael whispered to her.
Ava didn’t want to pull away, but she knew her mother also wanted a hug.
Thia also hugged her hard. “You and Mark, hey?” she said, looking up into her eyes.
Ava stopped her cheeks from flushing, but she couldn’t help the tiny giggle that escaped her lips. “Took me a long time to get him to come around, but yeah.”
A gurgle came from the stroller, and Ava’s attention drew to her younger siblings. “They’re so small.” She dropped to one knee to get a better look inside.
“Actually, they’re growing fast.” Thia laughed.
Ava couldn’t help it; she wanted to hold them, but they looked so warm, snug. Turning around, she noticed her father and Mark talking and she wanted to step in.
Her mother touched her arm. “Leave them to it. Your father will be making sure you’re all right, nothing more.”
“I…” Ava met her mother’s eyes, but stopped herself with a nod. She had no doubt they had a lot to discuss in many ways, and she knew their relationship would be on that list.
“Come,” Thia said. “Let’s get these two inside so you can have a proper cuddle. I know they look nice and peaceful but they’ll want feeding soon and I think that’s just the job for you.”
Ava’s heart melted. “Really?”
“You won’t break them, Ava.” Her mom laughed. “You might be a merger, and I still don’t understand everything about that, but you’re still you.” She tugged her arm and Ava strolled away with her mother, leaving Mark and her father to follow. At first they didn’t, seemingly very interested in their conversation.
“Come inside,” Thia called to them. “We can all sit down and talk much better than in the open.”
Thia had their family room made up and ready for their arrival. Warm drinks and snacks were laid out for them all. The larger family dinner would be later, where they could sit, eat, and talk the night away. This was for just them, and she was quick to get the babies bottles before they realized. Ava watched as her mother picked out Akai, obviously her sister as she was bundled in a soft pink wrap.
“Here you go. I’ll take Kail. He can be cranky if you don’t quite hold the bottle right.”
Ava took her now awake sister and, sitting down with her, placed the bottle to her lips. Looking into her eyes, nothing but pure love filled her veins. She’d held many babies over the years, but this tiny little one was part of her family. She wanted to do everything for her—protect her, love her—and then suddenly the idea that she’d be leaving her home surfaced and that hurt. Ava knew her feelings had seeped across to Mark. She looked toward him, now in even deeper conversation with her father. Mark’s eyes said everything she needed; they’d talk later, no doubt, but he let her know how much he cared by nothing but love crossing back to her.
Ava watched her mother pick Kail up and sit before her, his bottle soon in hand and the gurgling baby happily feeding.
This was everything she’d imagined and so much more.
Listening to Mark and her father, she tried not to let her wandering thoughts and emotions drift his way again. It took Mark awhile to update him, but eventually their conversation seemed to drift to more personal things.
“So,” Hael said eventually, and loud enough for her to look over at the two of them. “You’re together?”
Ava sought help from her mother, but she just smiled and stood. “Let’s put them down for a nap.”
Ava swallowed as Mark answered for her with nothing more than a simple, “Yes.” That wasn’t going to be good enough for Hael, though, and Ava knew it.
She followed her mother out of the room, catching her father’s next question: “Do you intend to marry my daughter?”
Ava felt her heart skip, though she knew it hadn’t. They’d not discussed anything like this, and she suddenly panicked, thinking that this would be Mark’s way out. She couldn’t stick around for the answer. Moving quickly to where her mother had gone, she let her thoughts race, but focused on carrying her sister, without her grip being too tight.
***
Mark had known the question would arise. He’d no doubt about it that Hael, as a father, would want what’s best for his daughter. The fact that she was a merger had been pushed aside. The man before him looked deep into his eyes, searching for something that Mark wasn’t so sure he could give.
“Do you intend to marry my daughter?” Hael asked again.
Mark couldn’t tell the man he’d no intentions of anything with Ava, that she’d just never relented with her feelings. That showing him how much she cared and loved him without needing anything in return, without remorse for it, had eventually allowed him to see his own feelings. Mark didn’t want to disappoint her, or her family. Remembering the day that Alexis and Tyler got married, remembering how happy it made them, all of them, he realized then he wanted that. He wanted much more than that. Sectioning off those thoughts and feelings, Mark looked at High King Hael Desialias and replied, his voice cracking, “If you would allow me to take your daughter’s hand, I would be honored if she were to become my wife.”
Hael nodded. “You’ve not talked about it, though?”
Mark answered honestly. “There’s a lot of things we’ve not actually talked about.”
“It may have started out as a life debt to you, but I can see the way she looks at you and in turn you at her. I can’t ever say I’ll know what you’ve been through together, but you made it out alive, together. I am grateful for that. Wh
en you ask her to marry you, you have my permission.”
Mark didn’t know whether he was relieved or what worried him more: to have Hael’s blessing, or to know that Ava half heard the conversation on leaving the room.
***
It seemed that now Akai wasn’t going to settle. Her mother had put Kail into his bed and he was asleep before she tucked him up. Ava rocked with Akai and waited for her to settle but she wasn’t.
Thia moved to take her, but Ava held on tight. “Could you give us some time together?” she said.
Thia nodded. “Take all the time you need.” Pulling her daughter to her, Thia kissed her cheek. “I’ll make sure the boys have been behaving. I think your father will have broken out the drinks by now. Come down when you’re ready.”
Ava rocked back and forth with her sister; she wasn’t crying, just agitated and not sleepy. Maybe she felt the emotions from her, or maybe there had been just too much excitement for her.
Now time passed and she let it. The sun set, and moonlight trickled in through the window, illuminating both her siblings’ beds. Finally, little Akai calmed down and Ava was able to put her to rest properly.
Then her thoughts turned back to Mark and their relationship. To that question he’d been asked as she was leaving the room. Her father had poked a little bit at Mark after her parents had intercepted them holding hands. It had turned quite a few heads. The guards didn’t know where to look either. Without them actually even saying anything, it had been made clear that they were together. It hadn’t been planned, but it was one solid way of letting them both know something else was going on between them.
Ava tried to laugh it off, but now she was filled with even more sadness. Moving to the window, she found the door easy to slide open with her passcodes. Out at this height, there was likely no one would break in, but they were still cautious. She moved onto the balcony and sat, the wind caressing her hair. The night was cool, but not cold enough for her nanites to warm things up.
The lights and movements from the city before her kept her eyes busy, but her mind wandered all the more.
She’d no idea how much time had passed when the door behind her moved and she turned to look up into Mark’s deep eyes.
“Thought I’d best come get you. You’ve been up here over an hour.”
Ava looked back out to the skyline. “Sorry, it just got away from me.”
***
Mark reached down, took her hand in his, and tugged her up into his arms. Ava was sobbing against him within a moment.
Picking her up and holding her against him as he walked, Mark made his way back through the corridor.
“Sarah?”
“Take the next left and her bedroom is second on the right.”
Ava didn’t move; she clung tight to him. Mark noticed Hael at the top of the stairs. Their eyes met and he didn’t need to be connected to the man to know the pain that flittered over his eyes. Mark couldn’t let her know this, or see it. So he kept walking, and took her to her room.
There was nothing he could do but hold onto her while she cried. There in the darkness, Ava finally let out her grief—grief for Chyna, for all they’d lost, and then for what she’d lost in giving him her humanity. Mark had never once thought she’d have regrets, never once thought she’d change her mind on wanting children. After all, he’d met women over his lifetime who had, and who had made sure it was impossible to get pregnant.
Now he knew she’d not really thought about it, that she’d been impulsive and courageous, and more a heroine than she’d possibly ever think she was. But here now and in pain, there was something about this moment in time that he never wanted to happen again.
There while he held onto her, he spoke in low, hushed tones, telling her how much he loved her, and he really did. Without thinking this time, with a more natural response, he let his mind speak to hers in full. As the connections were made, and Ava finally started to respond to him, she looked up and into his eyes. Then she kissed him, melting into him like no one else ever could.
He felt complete with her. He’d do everything he could to make her sadness go away. Even if it were only for short periods of time.
Chapter Fifty-Four
Fornau
Tricticus, Emarl System
12/3556
Pela hopped onto the waiting shuttle. She was surprised to see a beautiful woman sitting there with her head tilted back, asleep. She wore Pluto armor but had her helmet hooked to her chest.
A merger from the Vanguard!
Shock ran through her system. She had heard of them before and the troopers she had trained with talked of them in hushed and respectful tones.
They seemed as if they weren’t human: they were neither human nor machine, but something else and something more powerful than both by themselves.
She stopped staring and quickly got into her own seat on the shuttle and strapped in.
There was no atmosphere in the shuttle but the merger was just sitting there, asleep, without any signs of oxygen deprivation.
The other people on the shuttle got in and locked their harnesses, leaving the merger some room.
The combat shuttle took off, closing its rear hatch and heading toward Tricticus.
The shuttle bucked and shook. The merger’s head lolled forward. The ride smoothed out as they entered Tricticus’s atmosphere; they reached a few cities, dropping and picking up people.
It wasn’t long until they were on their approach to Fornau city.
“Landing in five.” The pilot’s voice carried to everyone in the rear of the craft.
The merger woke up, clearing her throat and stretching lazily.
The shuttle started slowly descending toward the ground.
The merger grabbed her helmet as the shuttle landed. She pulled it on as the rear of the shuttle opened. A wave of heat hit everyone with the dry taste of the desert.
The woman unlocked her harness as Pela did the same and stepped for the ramp. Just as it touched the ground, the woman walked off it and then shot off into the sky.
Pela stopped her steps in shock. Anti-gravity systems built into her suit. Pela looked at where the woman had gone and continued on her path.
“This time last year, I would have no idea what anti-gravity systems were,” she said, laughing to herself.
She made her way to the edge of the shuttle pad. There were no passengers here to pick up, so the combat shuttle set off before Pela reached the end, sending sand pillowing around her.
She got out of the pad and saw a group of her family members waiting for her. Her mother and father greeted her with smiles, but she felt something was off.
I’ve been away for a long time, and we did fight—it would be odd if everything was okay.
Her father took her bag and even the elders greeted her humbly with a smile. They moved out of the area around the shuttle pad to where they had a caravan of animal-pulled carriages waiting for them.
Pela’s smile was tight. She knew what to expect but it still felt as if she had stepped back in time, going home.
They got into the carriage as Pela looked around the city. Her eyes fell on the technology that had started appearing in different places. It looked like the poor and noble people had both upgraded.
Thinking back on her time in the schools, she saw that it was mostly the people who didn’t have options who were likely to succeed and put in the most effort.
Those from noble or backgrounds of power relied on their power and their name for their position.
The carriage ride was quiet but she spent her time looking at the city she hadn’t seen in months and the changes it had gone through.
The carriages quickly passed through the city, their drivers not stopping for anyone. They made it to the central areas of the city and one of the larger compounds to be found there.
The carriages entered; a few people stood on the steps into the main hall.
Her mother and father got out ahead of her.
&n
bsp; “Greet the grand elder,” her mother said, as they stopped in front of the kind, smiling man.
“Grand elder.” Pela bowed to the man. She had seen him before but his position was still above hers.
“Welcome home. I hope it will be a fruitful time.” The old man smiled.
Pela smiled back, finding his words a bit odd but happy to be greeted by someone of his position. It showed how the family looked to her as a pillar of strength now.
She bowed a bit deeper, finally feeling that sense of triumph she wanted.
The elder looked to her parents. As she was bowing, she couldn’t see the stern look on his face.
“Make sure that all of the preparations for tonight do not go wrong.”
Pela came up out of her bow, seeing the grand elder turning around and leaving.
Her mother and father bowed to the grand elder before looking to each other and then Pela. Still, there was something off but their smiles hid it away.
“Come on, let’s get you showered and into something comfortable. I have some new clothes from the market that should fit you well!” Her mother took her away as her father looked to her bags.
***
Pela felt incredibly relaxed. Her mother was still confused by the NIAI on Pela’s arm, asking whether she could take it off. Pela tried to explain she couldn’t, leading to her mother asking whether it sent messages.
Pela smiled, shaking her head at her answer. “Yes, but only when I let it.”
“Oh, well, that’s good.” Her mother seemed a bit relieved before she helped to clothe her with all new items she bought.
After the clothes from the Victor Corporation, even these fine clothes felt a bit rough. She also missed her space suit. She’d lived in it for four months and although it felt good to be out of it, it was familiar and she found herself reaching for her pockets but only finding parts of her dress.
“It’s dinner time.” Her father knocked on the door.
“All right—I’ll be right out!” Pela went to the door. Her father stood there; he looked her over before nodding to himself.
Enemies on All Sides (Maraukian War Book 4) Page 24