by Amy DuBoff
Ryan holed up in his bedroom after dinner, trying to lose himself in some assigned reading while lounging on his bed. His eyes were scanning the words on the screen of his tablet, but he wasn’t absorbing the content.
There was so much that could go wrong while Raena was out with the Aesir—from another capture, to failing their test, or even her realizing that she didn’t want to stay among Tarans. Though Ryan trusted in their relationship, he wasn’t positive that their connection would win out if she was faced with alternatives. After all, they weren’t officially bonded and she had been somewhat unsure about doing so. That might simply be a product of her age—she was almost four years younger than him, after all—but when combined with his own self-doubt regarding his social position, he easily went to a dark mental place of feeling unworthy of her affection. Those thoughts had come much less frequently in recent months, but they still surfaced in stressful times like his present situation.
After half an hour of trying, and failing, to concentrate while his thoughts continued to turn toward negative outcomes, Ryan gave up and began playing a puzzle game involving the arrangement of 3D blocks using the holographic interface on his tablet. He had just completed the eighth level when a soft voice filled his mind.
“I’m back. Grab Jason and meet me in our usual study room.”
Ryan’s heart leaped as he reveled in Raena’s mental presence. They were always able to find each other through the din of other minds throughout Headquarters, even without a formal bond. “I’ll be right there,” he replied as he rose from his bed.
Thank the stars she’s all right! He dashed into the living room to find Jason before another thought surfaced. Why does she want to talk to both of us now? Does she have something bad to say and wants Jason there as backup?
Anxious to get some answers, Ryan continued through the common room and into the other bedroom.
Jason was laying on his own bed, as were two of his roommates. He glanced up when Ryan appeared in the doorway. “What’s up?”
“I was hoping we could go over some of the homework questions before class tomorrow,” Ryan said to him aloud, then added, “Raena’s back.”
“Already?” Jason rose from the bed. “Sure.”
The other Primus Elite Trainees hardly paid them notice as they departed the shared quarters and headed for the meeting room.
“That was fast,” Jason commented. “I didn’t think they’d be back until tomorrow at the earliest.”
“Same. I hope everything’s alright,” Ryan said.
Jason cast him a sidelong glance. “You worry too much.”
“Maybe you don’t worry enough.”
His friend shrugged. “I try not to get worked up over things I can’t control.”
They arrived at their destination in short order and found Raena waiting for them. She smiled when they entered the room and closed the door.
“How are you?” Ryan asked, wishing Jason wasn’t there so he could give her a proper greeting.
“Good. Tired,” she replied.
“So, what happened?” questioned Jason.
“Things, uh…” Raena faded out, seeming to search for the words. “I don’t think things are going to be quite how we planned.”
Ryan’s heart dropped for an instant, but when he searched her face, there was still the same love in her eyes as the last time they’d spoken about their future together. “What do you mean?”
“We now have a ticking clock,” she explained. “We know what the Priesthood is after.”
Raena proceeded to give an abbreviated account of her time with the Aesir, from her brush with the darkness outside of Tararia and the Aesir’s incredible facility within another rift. Ryan and Jason were completely captivated while they listened to the account. Only when Raena reached the point of her return to Headquarters did they relax enough to react.
“Well shit,” Jason said after a few seconds to process the story. “I didn’t think an interstellar battle was on the table.”
“Hopefully it won’t come to a firefight,” Raena said. “There are so many civilians… we need to stop this before it comes to that.”
“Where do we go from here?” Ryan asked.
Raena looked to Ryan and then her brother. “Well, there are two things—getting everything squared away on Tararia, and getting the TSS ready for another fight. We’re kind of in a ‘divide and conquer’ situation at the moment.”
Jason shook his head as though he’d picked up on something in her words that was lost on Ryan. “I’ll go talk to Dad.” Without another word, he departed.
“What’d I miss?” Ryan questioned when they were alone.
“We need to go to Tararia,” Raena stated bluntly. “It was fun to think about training here with the TSS, but we’re needed elsewhere.”
The statement caught Ryan off-guard. “Like, now?”
“End of the term.”
“That’s…” He didn’t know what to say. The TSS had been a safe transition place for him to come to terms with his lineage and learn how to be the person he’d need to become for the trials ahead. To go to Tararia now and cut that time short would mean diving into a new life he was not yet ready to lead.
“As much as I’d like to grow my abilities, that will need to take a back seat to learning about politics and all that,” Raena continued. “My grandparents are in the best position to teach us what we really need to know.”
“Yeah, I guess they are.”
“I want to continue training, though. We have a plan to have an Agent come tutor us in telekinesis while we’re on Tararia—we won’t officially be leaving the TSS, just… going on an extended internship.”
Ryan nodded. “You know I’ll follow you anywhere.”
Raena gazed into his eyes. “I do.” She stepped forward and took his hands. “Now, when I told you about my time with the Aesir, I didn’t say everything…”
* * *
It didn’t take much for Jason to pick up on the meaning of Raena’s statement: if they were going to divide, Jason would stay with the TSS and Raena would go to Tararia.
He didn’t like the idea of being apart from his sister—they’d been almost inseparable for their entire lives—but she’d been drifting away from him for some time. With Ryan now in her life, she had other priorities, and nothing was going to change that from this point forward. Jason needed to focus on finding his own place in the challenges to come.
As soon as he left the meeting room, he sent a message to his father asking to meet. Given the late hour, Wil was in his quarters rather than his office, but Jason figured that talking to both his parents—in their capacity of High Commander and Lead Agent—at the same time was the most expeditious route.
He headed up one floor to their quarters and pressed the buzzer by the door.
His mom answered several seconds later. “Hey. Is everything all right?” she greeted.
“Yeah, Raena just filled me in on the trip,” Jason replied.
Saera nodded. “Right. I just heard an account myself. Come in.” She stepped aside to allow Jason through the door.
Wil came out from the bedroom. “Hi. I thought you might be by after you heard what happened.”
Jason nodded. “Yeah… Honestly, I’m not sure why you took Raena and not me, too.”
His father released a slow breath. “That was a calculated move.” He stepped toward the couch and chairs arranged at the center of the living room and gestured for Jason to have a seat. Saera sat down next to Wil.
“You see,” his father continued, “we’re only allowed to look into the nexus once—whether that’s just custom or by some unknown necessity. What we see is not a certain outcome, but rather a truth in our own lives at the time it’s witnessed. What we do with that information will determine if the truth comes to pass.”
“Okay…” Jason wished he’d jump to the point.
“Right now, Raena’s truth is what we needed to see. Given her relationship with Ryan, we
know her path leads to Tararia—or the political side of our ventures. What I’ve learned, though, is that we aren’t yet in a place where the TSS can be a peaceful academic-focused institution. We still need to be warriors.”
Jason glanced between his parents. “All right. So what does that have to do with me being tested by the Aesir?”
“By delaying your view into the nexus, you’ll get to witness a truth of the coming battles far closer to the time of action, giving a much more accurate impression of what we’ll face,” Wil explained.
“That… makes sense, in a weird way,” Jason admitted.
“I haven’t actually tried to deviate from the paths ahead,” Wil went on, “but the more insight we can have going in, the better off we’ll be.”
“To that end,” Saera added, “we need to change the way we think about training in the TSS. We need to be prepared for a fight.”
“Weaponized telekinesis?” Jason guessed.
Wil nodded solemnly. “Something I thought we’d left behind.”
“I’ll learn,” Jason agreed. “And so should the rest of the Elites—maybe others, too.”
“It’s not that simple,” his mother cut in. “We’ve already made public statements that the TSS is disarming. If the Priesthood suspects we’re rebuilding our forces and capabilities, it might prompt them to take action sooner than we’re prepared to address.”
“Then we’ll do it in secret,” Jason replied. He met his parents’ eyes in turn. “I wasn’t crazy about getting involved with your plans when it just involved politicking in Tararia, but I also didn’t like the idea of sitting back and doing nothing while Raena gets to save the day.”
Saera smirked. “Are you really going to make this about sibling rivalry?”
Jason grinned. “Whatever motivation works, right?”
“I won’t argue,” his father said with a chuckle. “But if we do this, it’s serious business.”
“I know.” Jason nodded. “Just tell me where to start.”
* * *
Raena’s heart pounded in her ears as she stood with Ryan in the small meeting room. The things she’d seen in her vision were so vivid she could still feel them, and she wasn’t sure how to put the experience into words.
“I…” She squeezed Ryan’s hands and looked into his eyes. “I know I’ve been taking things slow—cautiously, even—with us, and you’ve been so patient with me. I guess with everything going on, I didn’t want to jump into anything for the wrong reasons.”
He nodded. “I know what you mean. How could we know how to be a couple when we were still trying to find our own identity?”
“Yeah, exactly.” She took a slow breath. “Honestly, I’m still figuring that out. But I do know what I saw.”
“And what was that?” The longing was there in his voice, hope that her words would affirm the feelings that ran deeper than what they’d dared express to one another.
“I know we’re meant to be together,” she told him, finally allowing herself to relax. “I can’t explain how, but when I looked at my path, it led to you—to us on Tararia. And we’d won. We were standing on a hillside of the Priesthood’s isle with these red flowers at our feet under the heat of the sun, and we were happy. We were in love and only good things were ahead of us.”
Tears formed in her eyes as she spoke, reliving the elation she’d experienced that morning as the vision had unfolded before her.
“Raena…” Ryan wrapped her in his arms and held her close.
In his embrace, the rest of the world faded away. It was the only place she wanted to be.
“No more hesitation,” she murmured into his chest, then pulled away just enough to look up at him. “I want to be with you.”
“I do, too, but,” Ryan looked around the room, “not like this.”
“There’s somewhere we can go,” Raena said as she took his hand and led him from the room to the central elevator.
He gave her a quizzical look when she selected Level 5 as their destination. “Militia?”
“My mom figured that would be the least conspicuous.”
“Wait, you asked your mom for a place where we could…?”
Raena shrugged. “Not for anything in particular. She spent years hiding a relationship with my dad and understands the need for private couple-time.”
Ryan was clearly not convinced by her statement, but he let it slide while the elevator descended to their destination floor.
There were too many competing thoughts swirling through Raena’s mind for her to have a clear vision of how the following events would play out. The only certainty was that she wanted to spend time with Ryan without the prying eyes of her roommates and to be in a place other than a conference room with only a table and chairs.
When the elevator doors opened, they dropped their hands to their sides and strode across the lobby toward the designated residential wing like they were on an official assignment. The Militia officers paid them no more than a glance as they passed by.
Raena stopped outside the door to the quarters her mother had reserved for them and waited for the hallway to clear before she palmed open the door.
She could sense Ryan’s nerves as they entered the room, also well aware of her own anxious excitement.
The Militia quarters were similar to the Agent housing on the upper levels, with a well-appointed common room consisting of a couch, chairs, and coffee table, and a sliding door to a separate bedroom.
Raena silently took in the space as she closed the door to the hallway. Relax. No one is expecting anything.
She didn’t believe her own lie. She knew exactly what she was expecting, and what Ryan likely was, as well. The process of getting to that eventuality, though, remained a total mystery to her.
They stared at one another, standing an arm’s length apart. There had never been any doubt about their attraction to one another, but there had always been a reason to keep those feelings in check. Now, standing in a room alone together without those boundaries, Raena wasn’t sure what to do.
“So…” they both began at the same time.
Ryan stopped and looked down.
Raena sighed. “I didn’t mean for this to be so damn awkward.”
“No,” Ryan said, meeting her gaze. “It shouldn’t be awkward.” He took a step forward and placed his hands on her hips.
His touch grounded her, reminding her of the times they’d shared in their months together that had led them toward this moment.
“I love you,” she told him. It was the only truth that mattered.
He smiled. “I love you, too.”
As their lips met, all uncertainties disappeared. Their paths would be forever entwined, but neither of them would have it any other way.
CHAPTER 8
The final two months of the term passed quickly for Raena. Her new bond with Ryan solidified the connection that had been between them since they first met, offering a much needed sense of stability to help offset the upcoming transition.
Her parents, brother, and Michael knew that she and Ryan would be leaving for Tararia at the end of the term, but the other Primus Elites had no idea. However, with their departure now imminent, she could no longer keep them in the dark.
After much deliberation, Raena decided it would be better to tell her roommates before making a broader announcement to the whole group. She waited until her four friends had retired to their room for the night and then scooched down to sit cross-legged at the foot of her bed.
“So, I have an announcement.”
Tiff glanced up from her tablet. “Relationship drama or something else?”
“Option B,” Raena replied. “Well, mostly.”
Adaline set down her own tablet. “All right, spill.”
Raena waited until she had Nora’s and Susan’s attention, as well. “I won’t be continuing in the TSS beyond this first year.”
Nora’s eyes widened. “Wait, you’re leaving us?”
“I wish it wasn
’t one or the other, but I have to go to Tararia. I’ll miss all of you,” Raena told them.
Tiff stared at her. “That’s it? You’re just foking leaving with no warning?”
Raena’s face flushed. “People treat you differently when they know you won’t be around soon. I didn’t want anything to change.”
“Blindsiding us isn’t any better,” Susan said.
“I’m sorry,” Raena responded, but she had no regrets. “You should also know that Ryan is coming with me.”
They all stared at her with surprise.
“Now that I did not expect,” Tiff said after several seconds of silence.
“I’m telling you that as my friends,” Raena said. “It’s not exactly public yet, but we’re officially together.”
“Like, bonded?” Adaline questioned.
Raena nodded. “But for now it’s better if the rest of Tararia still thinks I’m… unattached.”
“Well shite.” Tiff crossed her arms. “I really didn’t expect your relationship to last.”
“Why not?”
Her friend shrugged off the question. “Just figured you’d end up with someone High Dynasty, I guess.”
“Not everything is about that,” Raena said. Even though this is. Except, what’s between us has always been much more.
“When do you leave?” Susan asked.
“The term officially ends tomorrow, so the morning after,” Raena revealed.
“Bomax, that really isn’t any warning,” Tiff said. “I thought we’d at least get a week or two.”
Raena tried to sink into her bed. “This seemed best.”
Nora sighed. “Nothing we can do about it now.”
“Too true,” Adaline agreed. “But you do realize this means we’re going to demand to spend our midterm break next year on Tararia with you, right?”
Raena smiled. “I think that can be arranged.”
They chatted for a while longer, reminiscing about their time together over the last year. Living and training together had made them into an extended family with relationships that would not be easily eroded by time or distance. Raena would miss their companionship, but as long as she had Ryan she would never feel alone.