The Legend

by Melissa Delport

  “Alex,” Aidan intervenes, kneeling in front of them and getting their undivided attention, “your mother gave you an instruction. There is nothing you can say that will make this okay. And you, young lady,” he rounds on Brooke, “you also know the rules.” Brooke looks as if she is on the brink of tears, but I am not fooled. Brooke can be very manipulative – she is, after all, Reed’s child. Apparently Aidan is not fooled either, because he continues regardless. “You know how dangerous the Rebeldom can be.” Brooke nods her head three times in quick succession.

  “What do you have to say for yourselves?”

  “Sorry,” Alex whines and Brooke mumbles something unintelligible.

  “As impressive as that was, I’ve heard it before,” I say, my temper barely in check. “Apparently you two think you are above the rules.”

  “We don’t!” Alex insists, sensing trouble.

  “Maybe they should be separated.” I address Aidan, and he meets my gaze, playing along, while Reed looks thunderstruck, thinking that we are being serious.

  “That might be a good idea,” Aidan replies levelly. We both studiously avoid looking at the children, although I can tell by their stunned silence that this particular form of punishment hadn’t occurred to them.

  “Brooke can go and stay with Henry and Sofia,” I propose, and I hear her gasp of horror.

  “Mom, no!” Alex is hysterical. “I promise we won’t do it again. We just thought . . .”

  “That you wouldn’t get caught?” I prompt, raising an eyebrow.

  “Yes! I mean no! Mom . . . you’re confusing me! We’re sorry, aren’t we?” He turns to Brooke, who is on the verge of real tears. She bobs her head, her eyes swimming.

  “I promise,” she whispers.

  “I’ll think about it. Now both of you go and get something to eat – I’ll take you back after lunch.”

  “But . . .”

  “I said I’ll think about it, Alex. Now go.”

  As they scamper off, whispering to each other, Aidan’s face creases in a broad smile.

  “Good job.”

  “I’ve still got my poker face,” I grin back.

  “Wait a minute,” Reed intrudes. “You mean, you guys were bluffing?”

  “Of course we were!” I exclaim. “You don’t really think we could keep those two apart, do you?”

  “They don’t know that, though,” Aidan explains, “and it would be the worst punishment in the world. Our parents used to threaten us all the time exactly the same way.”

  “It was the only thing that would make us behave ourselves,” I add. “Well, for at least a day.”

  “How long do you think they’ll take heed?” Reed asks, a strange expression on his face as he looks between the two of us.

  “Probably a day or two,” I reply. Alex and Brooke are as headstrong as Aidan and I ever were.

  “I have so much to learn,” Reed groans.

  “It comes easier than you think,” Aidan reassures him.

  chapter 35

  Reed offers to walk with me when I take the children back to town after lunch. It didn’t take long for them to drop the repentant charade and they are happily bounding along ahead of us. Reed is soon chasing after them, throwing them into the air to much gleeful squealing. I watch with mixed emotions. My heart aches for his reassuring presence in my life. I have never felt safer than when I was with Reed – in the short time that we were together I felt that I could take on the whole world. He makes me better, makes me stronger, and makes me feel more alive than anyone else. I cannot deny the fact that I love him any more than I can deny loving Aidan. And my inability to choose will cost me both of them, because I would rather live a lifetime alone than hurt either one of them.

  We drop the children at Jenna’s.

  “So, Chase has moved in then, I presume?” I ask, taking in the man’s jacket hanging over a dining room chair and the shoes in the hall. Jenna has never been the best housekeeper, but the uncharacteristic tidiness of her living area suggests that Chase may well be.

  “Yeah,” she grins. “We figured it was simpler this way.”

  “I’m sure you did.” I waggle my brows suggestively and she laughs. “Just don’t scar the kids,” I add.

  “Shut up.” She smiles good-naturedly as we make our way to the kitchen. I can see Reed playing hide and seek with Alex and Brooke in the small garden. He’s terrible at it – hiding in plain sight – but the sounds of their laughter is proof that the children haven’t noticed.

  “He gets sexier every time I see him,” Jenna muses, following my gaze. I quickly avert my eyes and fetch cups from the sink.

  “I bet he doesn’t do dishes as well as this, though,” I retort, holding up two sparkling mugs.

  “Yes, Chase has his uses.”

  “Using my name in vain?” Chase calls as he enters the kitchen. Unabashed, he walks straight over to Jenna and plants a kiss full on her mouth. “How are you, Rebecca?” he asks, squeezing Jenna’s waist before switching on the gas.

  “Fine, thanks.” I watch, amused, as he swiftly takes over the making of our tea and I mull over the fact that, despite my initial reservations, Chase is perfect for Jenna. He indulges her almost as much as she indulges herself.

  “Thanks,” I gratefully accept the steaming mug from him.

  “No problem. I went up to the Academy today, watched your exercises. It’s amazing what you guys are capable of.”

  “Don’t even think about it,” Jenna warns, a completely out of character scowl settling on her angelic face.

  “Think about what?” I look from one to the other as a silent message seems to pass between them.

  “Chase is being utterly ridiculous,” Jenna snaps, but I can hear the underlying fear in her voice. Jenna and I have known each other for a very long time – there is very little she can hide from me.

  “It’s not ridiculous,” he replies gently, stepping towards her, but she quickly moves away from him. “I’ve been considering volunteering,” he turns to me with a sigh, “for the procedures.”

  “You want to join the Legion?” I almost drop my mug in surprise.

  “I want to be able to protect her,” he corrects.

  “That’s what the Legion is for,” Jenna interrupts. “All I need from you is to be here, to be alive. You’re no use to me dead.” Her fear is making her lash out.

  “She’s right,” I point out. “I admire your courage, Chase, but we can handle this. The only reason for anyone to become Gifted would be to enlist in our army.”

  “Well, I could,” he murmurs, and Jenna gives a small shriek of outrage. “I could help, it’s the least I can do after everything you’ve done for me.”

  “What exactly have I done for you?” I smile, remembering that I have done nothing but give Chase hell since we arrived in Georgia.

  “You freed me,” he replies, with utmost sincerity. “You enlightened me to the truth, you opened my eyes. Never mind the fact that you introduced me to Jen,” he grins across at her. She doesn’t smile back and he falters. “The point is, I want to help.”

  “You are helping,” I state, setting my mug down on the counter beside me. “The two of you are taking care of our children, which is the only reason we can focus on this war.” My eyes find Reed again through the window, this time he is crouched behind a bush that barely conceals his legs. “That is the most important job of all, believe me.”

  Chase looks less than appeased but he moves to the back door and joins Reed outside.

  “Thank you,” Jenna says, with a ridiculously smug look on her face.

  “Just do me a favour, Jen. Don’t let Chase anywhere near the General, okay?” Harrison would have Chase Gifted in a heartbeat.

  Reed is covered in grass and leaves as we make our way back home.

  “So there really isn’t any chanc
e you would separate them, is there?” he asks.

  “No, really there isn’t, but they don’t know that.”

  “You sure had me fooled. Aidan’s a good dad.” I can hear the underlying doubt in his voice, but he underestimates himself.

  “So are you,” I point out sincerely. Brooke adores Reed already, even without the knowledge of his real identity.

  “You think I’ll ever be able to do that? What he did? Act instinctively as a father? I wouldn’t know the first thing about raising a child.”

  “Nor did Aidan when we first had Alex. He’s only so good at it because he’s had years of practice. He raised Alex alone, and he did it well because he had to. Give it time – you’re going to be a great dad. Trust me, I know.”

  “What makes you so sure?”

  “Because I know you. You’re brave and strong and beautiful. And despite your cocky, devil-may-care attitude, you actually care very deeply. You would sacrifice yourself in a heartbeat to save any one of us.”

  “Probably not David,” he jests, but his eyes are serious. He takes a step closer to me and I draw in a shaky breath.

  “Yes, even David,” it comes out barely more than a whisper. “You’re that good.”

  “I love you.”

  The words ring out in the quiet stillness, so out of the blue and yet not unexpected. We have both been avoiding the topic for weeks, tiptoeing around each other and pretending that everything is fine. Now, I cannot tear my gaze away from his hypnotic green eyes.

  “Reed, please . . . don’t . . .”

  “I’m not expecting anything,” he replies, moving closer and shadowing the sun. When his mouth touches mine a jolt of longing courses through my body, so powerful that my knees go weak. I lose myself in that kiss, my body reacting instinctively to his touch and when he pulls away, I feel empty and hollow. Reed closes his eyes and rests his forehead against mine. “Just answer me one thing . . .” he begins, but I cut him off immediately.

  “Yes,” I answer, already knowing the question. “Yes, I love you. You know I do. I always have, I always will.”

  He nods slowly and acceptingly. He knows that this changes nothing. He knows that I love Aidan too. And he knows that I will die before I choose between them. He once vowed that he would fight for me, even if he had to fight dirty, but there is no point. It would only hurt us all.

  He presses his lips against my forehead, and I instinctively wrap my arms around him, burying my face in his chest and wishing that he would never let me go.

  “We’re going to be late,” I point out after a long moment and he nods. We have an important council meeting this afternoon. Adam has agreed to be instated as President if we manage to overthrow Kenneth and we need to discuss the process. We have given very little thought to what would come after that but Adam, being the philanthropist that he is, is insistent that we come up with a plan to win the people over. I personally don’t think much winning over will be necessary – given that the citizens of the States have been so accepting of the changes made already, but I am so thrilled that Adam has agreed that I keep my thoughts to myself.

  We all take our seats around the large wooden table. I sit beside Aidan, who gives Reed and me a contemplative look as we sit down, almost as if he can sense something has happened. I keep my eyes on Adam who is the focus of the meeting.

  “As I have already told Rebecca,” he begins, in his quiet, melodious voice, “I am prepared to stand in as President when Kenneth Williams is removed from his seat.”

  “You mean when we kill him,” Reed interjects.

  “Yes,” Adam accedes, “when you kill him – if it comes to that.”

  “Oh, it’ll come to that,” Reed remarks seriously.

  “I will not act alone, though,” Adam continues. “If I am instated I will need a cabinet.”

  “A cabinet?” I ask, having no idea what he is referring to.

  “A body of advisers to the President,” my father informs me. “They assist the President in decision making.”

  “The President has sole authority over any law making,” I counter.

  “Only since the war, Bex,” my dad smiles fondly, reminding me that the world I grew up in is very different to how it was before.

  “Giving one man that level of power is dangerous,” Adam warns.

  “Even if that man is you?” Reed asks.

  “Even if that man is me,” he replies simply.

  “Okay, a cabinet,” I agree. “How will you select the cabinet members?”

  “We will vote them in. All of us.”

  “Done. What else?”

  “What we need to decide is the best course of action to introduce the changes that we will be making to the citizens of NUSA.”

  “The citizens have been accepting of the changes made so far,” I say. “I don’t see there being much of a problem.”

  It has been a long time since I shared their mindset, but I can still recall how easily we accepted whatever the President proposed. The fear of the unknown keeps NUSA’s population much like sheep – they do not think for themselves as long as the boundary fences are protecting them from the savages out in the barren lands. Eric’s propaganda made sure of that.

  “Fiona and her people are proof that change is occurring,” Adam reproves. “You can only subdue the human spirit for so long. Also, we are talking about a change that challenges everything that the citizens of NUSA have been taught. We are going to bring down the fences.”

  This brings me up short because Adam has a point. The very fear that has kept the people within the States bound to the tyrannical rule over them is the single thing that could turn them against us.

  “You’re saying the fences should stay up?” I ask incredulously.

  “Not at all,” Adam assures me. “What I’m saying is that we will need to address the nation – to enlighten them, and educate them.”

  “How?”

  “Through a series of public speeches aimed at reassuring them and instilling confidence in the new leadership. Their fear of the unknown is the single biggest obstacle we will face. We cannot afford a riot. Anarchy could result if we don’t handle this properly. First and foremost, we need to show them that the Deranged are not dangerous. What do you think I’ve been doing all this time in town?” he smiles. “I may not be much physical use to the Legion, but I can make our transition into NUSA easier. I’ve already selected twenty previously Deranged and am personally attending to their education. They are the worst of NUSA’s fears. Add to that the number of ordinary people we have in our community, who are perfectly civilised, and we should be able to convince NUSA of the truth – that they have been fed nothing but lies.”

  “What about the Rados?” I say. “There’s no way you can convince NUSA they’re not dangerous. They are – and we all know it.”

  “Sadly, I must agree with you. But as dangerous as they are, they are also still human, and deserve to be treated humanely. They are unable to reproduce and not many of them will make it into old age so they will not be a long-term problem. I propose we open a secure, specialised facility to care for them – not only to protect the general population, but also to prevent them from doing harm to themselves. We cannot rehabilitate them, but we can certainly make them more comfortable.”

  “I doubt it will be that easy,” I point out.

  “Nothing worth while ever is,” he replies enigmatically. “But leave the details to me. All I want from you is confirmation that you will support my strategy. If you want me to take up the mantle of President you need to respect my decisions and trust that I will act in the best interests of not only our community, but the country that I am obligated to serve.”

  A hush falls over the table at his words, which are spoken with absolute conviction. I am amazed at Adam’s natural leadership, and even more convinced that he is the right man for th
e job.

  “Your father would be proud of you, Adam,” my dad breaks the silence. “God rest his soul.”

  chapter 36

  The following morning I see Fiona standing by herself on the lawn and I make my way over to join her, a steaming mug of coffee in my hand.

  “Morning,” I call from a few yards away, alerting her to my presence.

  “Morning,” she greets me pleasantly enough but she doesn’t turn around. We stand in companionable silence for a few minutes before she finally turns to face me.

  “I couldn’t help but overhear the row you had with your son yesterday,” she murmurs and I flush guiltily, despite knowing that I had handled it properly.

  “Don’t feel too bad about Alex,” she soothes. “You dealt with it well. He’ll have forgotten already – children are so forgiving, they don’t hold grudges.”

  “You sound like Aidan.” It occurs to me that I have no mother friends – no other women I can relate to when it comes to things concerning Alex. Fiona and I have a lot in common. We are both remarkable soldiers – leaders with great responsibilities – but we are also mothers, a fact that is easy for those who look to us for guidance to forget. “It’s nice to have another mother around – someone who gets it.”

  “That’s what makes us good leaders,” she replies, with no trace of arrogance, just a self-assured certainty. “We have someone to fight for.”

  “Reed told me about your daughter.”

  “Emily,” she nods, a proud smile lifting the corners of her mouth.

  “Where is she now?” I probe, wondering if she will open up to me.

  “I assume she’s safe at home with her father.” She smiles at my look of incredulity. “My husband,” she clarifies.