“Of course. After that, I’d give you a kidney.”
When Syrine opened her mouth to speak, her breath hitched and one tear spilled down her russet cheek. It brought Cara down a few notches. If she’d known Syrine would soak up all her unhappiness like an emotional sponge, she wouldn’t have agreed to it.
“You think Aelyx doesn’t love you enough to stay on Earth, but that’s not the case. There’s something you don’t know. During the tour, there were several attempts on his life. I’ve lost count of how many.”
Cara’s mouth dropped open. “Why didn’t he tell me?”
“Perhaps for the same reason you hid your troubles from him for so long. He didn’t want to worry you. Aelyx loves his home, but he loves you more. I have no doubt he would stay here if it were possible.”
Cara remembered their argument, when she’d accused him of quitting too easily. Now she felt like an ass.
“I can feel your concerns about the colony,” Syrine said. “And some of them are legitimate. But you made your choice out of fear of the unknown. Now that your mind is uncluttered, you should see the issues more clearly.”
“But the lack of freedom hasn’t changed,” Cara pointed out.
“Not yet. You feel defeated by the development panel,” Syrine said. “But the fight isn’t over, and you’re not alone.”
Cara supposed she had a point. As the only human on the planet, Cara had felt isolated among the Elders. But more of her kind would come—even her brother. Maybe Alona would allow more human representatives on the panel to balance the power.
“I also sense,” Syrine continued, “that you feel out of place among your human peers.”
There was no point denying it.
“You’ve changed,” Syrine said. “And your needs have changed with you. I have no doubt that you could stay on Earth and make a satisfying life for yourself. But you crave more than this world has to offer. Why settle for satisfying when you can have spectacular?”
The words turned over in Cara’s mind, eventually resonating within her so strongly she felt their wisdom clear down to the soles of her boots. She drew a slow breath of enlightenment, and when she exhaled, she knew where she belonged.
It wasn’t on Earth.
She was no longer Cara Sweeney, Midtown High valedictorian, two-time debate champion. She also wasn’t fully Elire, resident of the first Aegis, l’ihan to Aelyx of the first Aegis, Chief Human Consultant. Instead, she fell somewhere between the two, and the colony was a fertile middle ground where she could discover her newly evolved self.
“You’re right,” Cara said.
Syrine’s brows lifted in hope. “So you’ll come home with us tomorrow?”
Home. To the majestic, muted forests where the air smelled of citrus and the faded indigo ocean stretched to meet a horizon of pure slate. To Elle and Larish and Vero. Maybe L’eihr didn’t feel exactly like home yet, but she had faith that someday it would. “Yes, I want to go back.”
“Excellent,” Syrine said, wiping her eyes. “I can’t wait to tell Aelyx.”
Neither could Cara. Her legs practically twitched to run to him. “He’s in the building across the street.”
“I’ll come with you.” Syrine exhaled a shaky breath. “I need to see David. I mean…” She lifted a shoulder in a casual shrug that wouldn’t fool anyone. “To ask what we should have for dinner. It’s no big deal.”
Sure, it’s not. “Come on. Let’s drag my brother out of the pantry.”
David’s steps grew sluggish as they reached the fifth-floor landing, and Aelyx noticed the boy’s hand occasionally slip from the rail. “We can stop here,” Aelyx said. There was no reason to continue to the top floor, no matter how “amazeballs” the view, according to David. With the sleet thickening and gray clouds obscuring the sun, there was nothing to see anyhow. “I just needed some space. Now I have it.”
David paused to catch his breath. A pained look crossed his face, and no matter how many times Aelyx tried to catch his eye, he kept his gaze averted. Why was he so intent on scaling this freezing-cold stairwell when he clearly needed a rest?
“Let’s keep going,” David said. “It’s not much farther.”
Aelyx sensed something wasn’t right. He took his friend’s elbow and helped support him as they resumed their climb. “The drugs have stopped working, haven’t they?”
“No, they work great,” David claimed, even as he strained to lift his boot. “But I ran out a couple weeks ago. Jaxen only gave me enough to last until his next visit. He’s supposed to bring more this afternoon when he shuttles down.”
Aelyx supposed that was good news, but it bothered him that Jaxen had withheld the treatment until today. Powerful as he was, he could have easily sent a new supply of injectables on any of the transports from L’eihr to Earth. Unease twisted Aelyx’s stomach. He didn’t trust Jaxen. What if he’d lied or neglected to bring the medication?
“Well,” Aelyx said, trying to keep his tone light, “worst case scenario: we’ll put you in cryogenic storage until we get to the colony and find more drugs, then thaw you out.”
He’d expected a sniff of dry laughter, but as they reached the top floor, David clasped Aelyx’s shoulder, keeping his eyes fixed on the gritty concrete floor. “I want to thank you. If it weren’t for you, Syrine never would’ve looked at me, let alone invited me to the colony.”
“I didn’t do as much as you think. She’s crazy about you.”
With his head hung low, David tugged open the heavy door leading out of the stairwell. “I’m going to take real good care of her. I promise.”
Aelyx lowered a brow as he preceded his friend into the expansive space that would someday become a penthouse. Paint-splattered plastic tarps covered the floor, crinkling beneath his boots as he made his way toward the center of the room, but he was too distracted by David’s comment to notice anything more. The boy had spoken with such finality.
The steel door clicked shut with an echo, and Aelyx turned to face David, who leaned back against the door with his pistol drawn and trembling in his grasp. Before Aelyx could process what his eyes were trying to tell him, the rustle of plastic sounded from the opposite end of the room, and he caught a glimpse of an eerily familiar soldier before the man’s fist slammed against Aelyx’s cheek.
The force of the blow knocked him to the floor. Stars exploded behind his eyes, followed by a jolt of pain and ringing in his ears. He barely had time to blink before the soldier kicked him in the stomach, expelling all the air from his lungs with a whoosh.
“Enough!” David shouted.
At his command, the assault stopped. It was then that Aelyx understood his “friend” hadn’t brought him here to admire the view. Anthony Grimes—the man who’d failed twice to kill him—had been expecting his arrival.
“He’s supposed to look roughed up,” Grimes said. “So his corpse matches that kid from Lanzhou.”
“I said no more.”
Aelyx sat up slowly, ignoring the ache in his gut, and swiveled his head toward David, who finally had the decency to look him in the eyes.
“I’m sorry,” David said. His voice cracked and his gaze shone with unshed tears. “I’m so sorry.”