But he was happy. He was euphoric.
Adrian threw his arms around his Prince Charming's shoulders and they exchanged a true love kiss.
Epilogue
The immense wreck of the airplane lay silent and abandoned, washed by the acid rain like a relic of a hundred years earlier. Adrian's heart froze.
But then someone peered out through the open door.
A little, coffee-colored face showed up, breaking out in the shiniest of the smiles. "Captain! We were losing hope!"
Thomas came out onto the edge of the emergency slide.
"I wasn't losing hope at all!" Samantha pointed out, appearing behind the boy, pretending to be a little sulky. "Captain, I'm way too happy to see you!"
Adrian wanted to cry in relief. The kids were there, and they were okay. He had kept his promise, after all.
Samantha elbowed Thomas and slid down first. She barely touched the ground with her feet, jumping up to embrace Adrian. The little brat threw herself on him, holding him in a hug that took his breath away.
"I'm sorry, Captain," Thomas began seriously, joining them. "The Swedish tourists. I tried to tell them to protect themselves from the phages, but I don't think they did so because we couldn't find them in the morning. We spent two nights in the closet, and the phages didn't find us. I think they're attracted by noise."
"You were great, and you've done everything possible." Adrian pulled the boy close and hugged him, too.
Thomas patted his hands on Adrian's back. "Thanks for coming back, Captain."
"I'm sorry it took so long."
The two kids glanced with suspicion at the two men who waited, leaning against the off-road vehicle with the shattered windshield that they had retrieved from the road. Mendoza, with his battered face, seemed more menacing than ever.
"Hello, I'm Ian," the doctor said while Mendoza didn't speak. "I'm a doctor, and I'm helping the captain because he's injured. We need to find a shelter near here so he can rest. In the meantime, we need to collect a few things and prepare to leave. Do you feel up to helping me?"
"Yes," Samantha said. "I stayed in that crappy plane for two days doing nothing but listen to that little smartass's theories."
Thomas ignored her. "I'm Thomas," he said, holding out his hand. "Are you really a doctor? I want to be a doctor, too."
Ian shook Thomas's hand warmly. "If you want, I'll teach you something useful. I could use a helper."
"Oh, Captain, what have they done to you?" Samantha said, gently touching the bandage on one of his wrists.
"I'm okay now. I just need some rest."
"I'll take care of you!" the girl cried, holding him tightly.
Adrian thought that it was time to introduce his lover. He walked Samantha to the car and she stiffened when they approached Mendoza.
"Don't worry," Adrian said. "He may seem wild, but he doesn't bite. He's a very special person to me. His name is Paul."
Samantha jumped when Mendoza stretched out his hand. "Very pleased to meet you," he said, squeezing all the kindness he could muster from himself.
Samantha shook his hand. "Hello. If the captain says you're okay, I believe him," she declared, although she didn't look at all convinced. "If you're a friend of the captain, then you're a friend of mine, too."
"I'm more than a friend," Mendoza pointed out.
Samantha's eyes widened. "Oh. My. God. Are you the captain's new boyfriend?"
"No," Mendoza said. "I'm more than a boyfriend. I'm his husband."
The girl went speechless. "Well, this is big news!"
"You'll love him sooner or later, I assure you," Adrian said.
"If you say so," Samantha commented, making Adrian laugh.
"Can we go now?" Ian said.
Adrian nodded in relief. At that moment, he had no desire but to curl up somewhere in the arms of his grumpy husband.
* * * *
In the nearby town, few buildings were still standing. They found refuge in the cellar of a damaged house. Mendoza helped him down the stairs and settled him on an old sofa Samantha had freed from the plaster dust and debris.
"Do you think Ghost will leave us in peace?" Adrian asked.
Mendoza sighed. "I don't think so."
"Luckily, something distracted him," Ian said. "Yesterday a young boy appeared in the hideout. An extremely unpleasant individual, according to Serpent, but Ghost welcomed him warmly."
Adrian's blood ran cold. "A guy with curly hair? Fifteen or sixteen?"
Ian shook his head. "I didn't see him. I don't know why, but his arrival excited Ghost."
"I saw him," Adrian said under his breath. "I don't know who he was. He knew all of us and he told me Mendoza was dead so that I would lose hope."
Ian's face looked very serious. He was worried about Serpent.
"Captain," Samantha said, appearing on the stairs. "The little smartass and I want to go looking for food and water. Can we go?"
"I'm coming with you," Ian said. "We'll leave the wounded to rest."
Ian took the gun and followed the kids up the stairs.
"Doctor?" Mendoza said before they disappeared out of the door.
Ian turned, raising his eyebrows.
"Be aware that this is our honeymoon," Mendoza said. "So, knock before you enter that door."
Ian pretended to be shocked. "I warn you, Adrian needs to rest. And you, too."
"We'll have all the rest we need, but we just got married."
"Yes," Ian agreed. "I understand."
His voice carried a hint of envy.
* * * *
Mendoza turned and looked at the man he loved, exhausted and sore, lying down on the sofa.
"Wait, I'll help you," he said when Adrian tried to take off his boots, his hands clumsy with the bandages.
Mendoza took off the footwear.
"Thanks," Adrian said lying down again.
Mendoza toed off his shoes too, and then grabbed the backpack he'd managed to retrieve from the off-road vehicle. He took his sleeping bag and opened the zipper completely, using it as a blanket, stretching it over Adrian. Then, when Adrian made a little more room, Paul settled next to him.
Adrian cuddled against his chest and sighed. Mendoza kissed his blond hair, feeling okay for the first time in ages.
Not only okay, but happy. A feeling so strange, he had to study it carefully to recognize it.
All about Adrian. Adrian had taken him and changed him. The idea seemed so incredible, since his heart had been hard as a rock and equally arid. Using nothing but his hope, Adrian had turned Mendoza into his soul mate.
A kind of magic.
Mendoza, already on the verge of sleep, startled at the intuition. Now the world had changed and assassins had become dark leaders with strange powers, but even Adrian had his magic. And it was a real thing, with real results.
"What's up?" Adrian asked in a sleepy voice, eyes closed.
"Nothing," Mendoza said. "We can't stay here more than a day or two. Have you thought about what to do next?"
"Damn, Paul, I have yet to recover from what happened. Do I have already to think about what I'll do next?"
Mendoza grinned in silence. He was just curious about this power. Whatever Adrian would do, would be great, he was sure. And Mendoza would be at his side to support him and protect him.
This was Prince Charming's duty.
Adrian opened his eyes for a moment, observing Paul, then snuggled up to him, slipping a leg between Mendoza's. "I would like to know what's in your mind."
Mendoza touched Adrian's hair. "I thought you just wanted to sleep."
"But you are strange," Adrian said.
"I was just thinking about the future," Mendoza said, combing Adrian's tangled hair with his fingers, something he had never done to anyone.
Adrian got up on his elbow to meet Mendoza's gaze. "I don't know what we are going to do tomorrow. But I'm pretty sure I'll be okay with you at my side."
"No doubt about this," Mendoza stated.
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"Probably we'll have to deal with difficult situations and stay alive, but in the end we'll manage to grab our happily ever after."
Mendoza held back a chuckle. He'd known Adrian would say that. And he knew he would succeed.
Adrian peered at him. "And now, can I finally sleep?"
"Yeah. Sure."
With a sigh, Adrian rested his head on Mendoza's shoulder, pulling up the blanket.
Mendoza closed his eyes, too, still grinning.
Maybe fairy tales existed, after all.
The End
About the Author
I'm Talia Rose Blackwood, I love writing and I plan to do it forever—if my cat doesn't spill any more tea on my laptop.
Thanks for choosing my book among the others. If you loved it, take a minute to post a review. This will help me to keep on writing.
Website
www.taliarblackwood.com
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Email
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Titles by Talia R. Blackwood
Available from Silver Publishing
APOCALYPSE SERIES
The Event
The Landing
The Landing (Apocalypse) Page 11