Erynn smiled at their tales. The stories would live as a monumental event in the history of her worlds forever. She was here, present among these great people, listening to them relive the actual accounts. She glanced down at the bloody uniform she still wore, and her smile faded. Faylen awaited his final voyage to Arranon. She would honor his last request. She would see to his burial on Arranon, under a tree with red and gold leaves—a small appeal and the least she could do. No more tears, not right now anyway. They would return in quiet times when the purple light was soft and the wind was still. Her heart would mend. The empty spaces would fill with new memories, but she would never forget, nor did she want to.
A low rumble sounded high in the sky off to her right. She pushed away from the door, shading her eyes with her hand to search for the approaching fighters. Eight specks dotted the horizon, moving fast and dropping rapidly. The Interceptors settled like a lover’s gentle kiss on the scramble pad. The canopies hummed open. Crews ran stairs to each fighter. Cale, Tiar, Sean, Tam, and four other pilots, all of them smiling, climbed from the cockpits.
“Erynn!” Sean shouted. His green eyes shimmered. He jumped from the stairs and engulfed her in a hug.
Tam pushed forward, always graceful, throwing her arms around both of them. Tears ran down her glowing, brown cheeks, and she laughed between sobs.
Cale rushed forward, his silver-gray hair reflecting the last of the evening’s sunlight. He pulled her into his arms. “You did it, Erynn. You did it.”
“Faylen did it, Cale. Without him…” She hugged Cale, glancing over his shoulder to Tiar.
Tiar stood back by the fighters, smiling, a single tear tracking down his face.
Pilots and crews from the hangar swarmed out, and soon they were all talking at once, congratulating and hugging each other.
Brayton walked from the hangar. “General Athru, I see you finally returned my Interceptors, and my pilots.” He smiled and took Cale’s hand, pulling him into a one-armed hug that Cale returned.
Erynn stiffened, her heart hammering. A presence closed in behind her. In an instant, all the air seemed to disappear, blown away on warm currents to somewhere else. The certainty of him, of his presence, slammed into her. She opened her mouth. A breath shuddered in as she turned her head.
He trotted around the far corner of the building, long dark hair flowing behind him. Her heart melted, along with all the sorrow, loss, and pain of the last days. She spun and ran.
Jaer opened his arms and they collided. He swept her up against him, his hold firm. “Kipa,” he whispered into her ear. “My Kipa.”
He brought the air back with him, and she inhaled his spicy scent. He was warm, and strong, and soft, and alive. Her body melded into his. She wanted to burrow in close and never leave, ever.
Jaer set her feet back on the ground and brushed curls from her eyes. His hand slid to her chin and lifted. He kissed her with a gentle strength. Blue tendrils swirled around their embrace, faster and faster.
Jaer laughed lightly against her lips. “Does this mean you are happy?”
“It means I love you.” She smiled at him, losing herself in his deep-brown eyes. She grabbed his shirt and pulled his face toward her, kissing him.
He picked her up again, both of them laughing between kisses.
Sean yelled from the cluster of Interceptors, “Hey, break it up, you two. There’s celebrating to begin.”
Tam wiped at her eyes and punched Sean’s arm. Everyone cheered and laughed.
Cale walked up. “Erynn, after all that’s happened, is there anything you need, anything you’d like?”
Erynn held tight to Jaer and gazed up at the clear blue sky. “Well, I still haven’t flown an Interceptor.”
Chapter 52
DHORAN AWOKE. THE POWERFUL EVIL of his soul, his spirit, was all that remained of his former physical being. Zander Tourani had caused this. A trick. They both died as a result. The trade-off seemed a fair exchange at the time. Now he would take what he wanted and needed. Arranon would be his.
How long has my essence slept, imprisoned by time?
The activity of an alien presence on his world prodded his consciousness and stirred his attentiveness. Dhoran pulled in his thoughts to assess his surroundings. He had no sense of the dark, warm, cavernous lair, but he knew that was where his spirit-self rested. The recognition that came to him was of his loyal followers. They stood sentry, watching and waiting for his return.
He reached out from his underworld to touch the sunlit, weather-beaten surface. The wild creatures of the upper realm froze. They shuddered, aware of the arousal of his dark evil deep inside Arranon. Their fear came to him, strong and familiar. The sensation pleased him. The ground shook as the shockwave of his ghostly laughter reverberated to the surface. Zander wouldn’t win, not this time.
How ironic life could be.
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