“I imagine their genetic link to the Aribol is somehow related to our recent probe invasion,” Alona said. “Perhaps the hybrids found a way to initiate contact. We will have the remaining eight collected and begin an investigation into whether or not they colluded with Jaxen.”
“What about the Aribol?” Cara asked. “Jaxen made it sound like we’re already at war.”
“Nonsense. His preemptive attack would have guaranteed one, but for the time being, the Aribol are not a threat.”
“And the alliance? It’s still on?”
“I’m stunned you have to ask.” Alona peered down her nose like a disapproving maiden aunt. “You are not a born L’eihr, Miss Sweeney. You owe no allegiance to The Way aside from an easily broken oath. And yet you risked your life to gather evidence to present to me. In doing so, you’ve proven yourself brave and unfailingly loyal.”
Cara felt heat creeping into her cheeks. “Thank you, but—”
“And you doubt that I would reciprocate?”
“I’m sorry. I just didn’t want to leave anything to chance. The stakes are too high.”
Alona seemed to turn that over in her mind. “Yes, they are.” She swept a hand, indicating her fellow Elders. “And as you see, we are now two members short of a governing body. If you’re willing to serve, I would like to offer one of those seats to you.”
Cara cocked her head as her ears warred with her brain, because what she’d heard did not compute. “You can’t mean that.”
Alona arched a brow. “Can’t I? What quality do you lack?”
“Experience, for starters.”
“Ah, well.” Alona smiled at her peers. “With the wisdom we’ve gathered over the years, we easily compensate. I feel it prudent to include a representative from the colony among us. Don’t you agree?”
Of course Cara did. A position of influence within the government would change not only her life but the lives of every human who settled on L’eihr. The responsibility would be great, but so would the rewards. “Yes, I agree, but—”
“Do you accept?”
Cara gulped a breath. Ludicrous as the offer seemed, she would be even crazier to turn it down. “I do.”
“Then yours will be among the signatures on the alliance pact.” Alona paused as if remembering something. “But first I imagine you need to see to your l’ihan.”
“Yes, thank you.” Cara pushed to standing and backed away. “Jaxen’s guards are trying to—”
She was interrupted by Satan throwing open the door. From behind him, murmurs and shouts drifted inside the room, and a creeping chill raised goose bumps along the back of Cara’s neck. She darted into the hallway in time to spot Aelyx round the corner with a lone capital guard on his heels. The overhead light glinted off the man’s iphal as he lifted it, slowing his steps to take aim.
Cara gasped so hard it stung her lungs. “Get down!”
Aelyx’s eyes met hers and flickered with recognition just before they rolled back in his head. He crashed to the floor, his body bouncing twice before it rested on the shorn carpet.
Time froze while Cara’s own heart seized inside her chest.
Aelyx was dead.
As if outside her body, Cara heard herself screaming. She shoved aside anyone in her path and ran to him. It was like a dream; she was so desperate to reach him, but invisible hands weighed her down. When she finally skidded to her knees by his side, she rolled him onto his back and checked for a pulse.
Nothing. He was gone.
“No!” She repeated it again and again in denial. It couldn’t end like this. She refused to let him go. Straddling his lifeless body, she began a set of clumsy chest compressions. Aelyx’s head lolled to the side at an awkward angle, shaking with each frenzied pump of her fists. He wouldn’t come back to her.
It wasn’t working.
Her vision blurred as sobs burned her throat. She heard herself pleading for him not to leave, while Satan wrestled the capital guard to the floor. Then a new voice broke through the haze.
“Keep doing that!” Troy shouted, pointing at her. “I’ll be right back!” He turned on his heel and sprinted down the hallway, yelling, “Make a hole!” to those in his way.
Cara leaned down and parted Aelyx’s lips to force breath into his lungs. Grunting aloud, she resumed pumping his chest. Some deep, dark place inside warned that it was over, but she couldn’t make herself stop.
The stomping of heavy boots drew Cara’s gaze upward. Troy had returned, clutching a small yellow case beneath his arm. He dropped to his knees and placed the device on the floor, then pressed the on button and untangled a set of electrodes and wires.
“Oh my God,” Cara whispered.
It was an external defibrillator. All major centers—even shopping malls—stocked them near the fire extinguishers, but she’d forgotten all about them. With new hope, her hands flew into action, lifting Aelyx’s shirt so Troy could affix the adhesive patches over his ribs and collarbone.
An automated female voice from the machine’s speaker advised, “Stand clear. Do not touch the patient.” They obeyed, and after a brief pause, she intoned, “Shock advised. Charging. Stand clear.”
Troy pressed the red shock button, and they watched Aelyx’s rib cage lift and fall. When the machine ordered another round of CPR, Cara delivered thirty quick compressions followed by two breaths. The female’s voice talked her through several more rounds as it counted down two minutes. Each second was torture. Cara felt Aelyx slipping further from her reach.
“Stop CPR,” the voice ordered. “Analyzing heart rhythm. Do not touch the patient.” Another pause. “Shock advised. Charging. Stand clear.”
“Please,” Cara begged Aelyx, God in heaven, the Blessed Virgin, the Sacred Mother, and whoever else might be listening as she punched the flashing red shock button and drew back.
Please work. Please!
His rib cage lurched, and again, the woman’s voice advised a round of CPR. But as Cara placed her fist over his heart, she felt a stirring of motion, a nearly undetectable hum of life beneath her trembling fingers. Moving to his throat, she closed her eyes and felt a pulse growing strong and steady. Aelyx moaned and shifted in discomfort, and Cara released a sob of pure joy while tears plunked onto his chest. He blinked up at her and rubbed a hand over his ribs, clearly sore, but very much alive.
Cara turned to her brother and threw her arms around his neck. “You’re a genius!”
The machine droned, “No shock advised. You may touch the patient,” so Cara took the woman’s suggestion and dusted kisses over Aelyx’s forehead and cheeks.
Grinning, Troy peeled an electrode from Aelyx’s chest. “I can’t take credit for the idea. I saw Aisly using one on Jaxen about ten minutes ago.”
Cara froze. “Did it work?”
“Yeah.” Troy’s beatified expression showed how well Aisly had brain-bleached him. He had no idea that Jaxen’s revival was bad news. “But before I could call an ambulance, they took off for the elevator. Seemed like they were in a hurry.”
Aelyx and Cara shared a worried glance. On a normal day, disappearing in Manhattan was effortless, but this afternoon, with thousands of bodies, umbrellas, and tents lining the streets, finding the pair would be like a living edition of Where’s Waldo?
“Did you reach Alona?” Aelyx croaked.
Cara nodded. “They’re all safe.”
He didn’t speak again, at least not verbally. But she felt his gratitude mingled with love and the words inside her head, Then it’s okay. We did it.
The rest of the afternoon was calm by comparison—odd when Cara considered the magnitude of signing her name beside the president of the United States and all of Earth’s major leaders. As hard as she’d fought for this alliance, Cara expected to feel a thrill of accomplishment when the ceremony ended, but honestly, she was glad to put it behind her. She’d had enough excitement, and now she wanted to go home.
Skipping the celebratory gala and the glitzy after-parties, she and Aelyx snuck to the penthouse to rest, where they spent a quiet evening cuddled up in bed. While crowds cheered and fireworks erupted above the Manhattan skyline, Cara rested her hand over Aelyx’s heart, letting its steady beat lull her into the first peaceful sleep she’d enjoyed in weeks.