The Complete Madion War Trilogy

by S. Usher Evans

  Rhys swallowed, and I knew he was thinking of the consequences of authorizing military action without express permission from the king.

  "Rhys—" I began.

  "Do it," he said suddenly. "I'll take the heat. Just go...get that thing out of the sky. I'd rather risk my father's ire than have the blood of our people on my hands. But please, be careful." He looked at me. "Go with them, Galian."

  "Y-you're letting me go?"

  "Yes, because I want to stay and see what else I can glean from her, and I don't think I can stand you prowling around here."

  Kader chuckled beside me. "Come on, lover boy. Let's go see what kind of mess your girl's gotten into this time."

  Theo

  They'd stopped talking, but I didn't care. Someone had heard me. When they came back on the line, I would scream and plead until they understood me, but for now, I took solace in the silence.

  I cried softly, allowing myself the sorts of morose and selfish thoughts a person has before they die. I'd considered my mortality before, but it had always been in the context of chancing it. If I'd survive, it was because I was meant for something greater. There seemed to be no way I'd survive this, and as much as I tried to accept it, I couldn't stop the sad tears from falling down my face.

  The most surprising was my worry for Galian. He'd recently lost Martin, and I wasn't sure how losing me would affect him. I wanted to tell him not to mourn me, to move on and marry that Collins girl. Perhaps it would be a blessing to cleave me from his life.

  Blessing or not, my soul ached at the thought of never seeing him again. I should've been grateful for the few precious moments we'd spent together, but I wanted more. I grew angry at the pure unfairness of life. I'd given up so much in my twenty years; I deserved more than I'd gotten with Galian.

  My silent tears turned into heaving sobs that shook my whole body, I almost didn't hear the voice on the radio calling my name.

  "Theo?" The dispatch voice echoed through the speakers. "Theo, are you still there?"

  I leaned forward and pressed the comm button. "Yes. I'm here. Please tell me—"

  "We will destroy the weapon."

  Relief and anguish mixed in my stomach as I slid down to the ground. My hand was still cuffed to the seat, and it was starting to hurt.

  "Theo?"

  "Yes?"

  "It's going to be all right."

  I stared at the radio, quite sure I'd heard incorrectly. "What?"

  "I said, it's going to be all right. I can tell you're crying."

  I sniffed and brushed the tears out of my eyes. "You would too if you knew you were going to die."

  "This can't be the first time you've faced your own death."

  "It never gets easier," I said, thinking about all the close calls and near misses. "I've never waited for death, though."

  "Why don't you allow me to keep you company while you wait then?"

  I laughed. "And why would you be interested in that?"

  "Same reason you told the enemy you were coming."

  "Fair point." I pulled the receiver toward me and leaned against the seat. "Well, what do you want to talk about?"

  "Why don't you tell me more about this love you're willing to die for?"

  I snorted. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

  "I've believed you so far."

  This was true; or he could've been lying. There could've been no plane. But his voice was kind, and I wanted to believe he wouldn't lie to me.

  "Theo?"

  "The man I love is..." I sighed, letting myself think about him. "He's...himself."

  "Not a very apt description."

  "You'll have to forgive me. I've never been able to talk to anyone about him before," I said, realizing how true that was.

  "Because he's Kylaen and you're Raven?"

  "Part of it," I said, clenching my fists then releasing them. If I was going to die, might as well come clean with the whole truth. "I am in love with your prince."

  "Rhys?"

  "No, the other one," I said with a small laugh. "I am in love with Galian Helmuth." It felt good to say it out loud to someone.

  "You and every other girl. Galian gets all the chicks."

  "Well, I am a special chick, I guess." I closed my eyes and took myself back to that first day I met him. "You know how he was marooned on an island for two months?"

  "Yeah?"

  "He wasn't alone."

  "You were there, too?"

  "Do you really think someone like the princeling could've survived for two months on his own? Idiot couldn't even make a fire. Didn't know how to make drinking water. Couldn't skin a rabbit..." I blew air out of my mouth. "Totally helpless."

  "So how did you end up on the island?"

  "We'd been in a battle together, and I knew it was him." It had been such a strong gut feeling. "So I took off after him. I shot him down, but unfortunately, my engine redlined and I went down, too."

  "Sounds like you got what you deserved."

  I barked a loud laugh, almost dissolving into giggles. "That's what he said!"

  "The prince is a smart man, then. So what happened after that?"

  I smiled and told him about how I was injured, and how Galian's selflessness and medical expertise had saved my life. I told him about those first few days of tense moments and blow-up fights. It seemed so strange to me that I'd ever hated him, but my feelings for him then were anything but loving.

  "So what changed?"

  "I don't know," I said, realizing I'd never considered it. "Maybe when we found that lab. I was relieved that we finally had shelter, and his first thought was...me. He was worried about my injuries and wanted to make sure they weren't infected." That night we'd slept across from each other in bunks, and I'd had the first flashes of wanting to be more than survival buddies with him.

  "What lab?"

  My mood darkened. "We had the misfortune of crashing on an island that used to serve as the Kylaens' barethium testing site." I closed my eyes. "Thank God Mael is closed now."

  "Closing Mael caused a lot of problems," the voice sounded a little annoyed, but then added, "but I'm glad the prince was strong enough to do it. Not many men would be."

  I was silent for a while, thinking about Galian and how much I was going to miss him. I didn't know what was beyond death, but I knew that if Galian wasn't there with me, I'd be lonely.

  "There's one thing I can't figure out. After you'd gotten your bearings on that first day, why didn't you kill him?"

  I smiled to myself. "I couldn't. It's one thing to shoot someone down when they're shooting at you, but to kill in cold blood?" I shook my head, then laughed. "Definitely wanted to, though."

  "You wanted to kill him?"

  "Have you ever heard him make a joke?" There was barking laughter on the other side. "I take it you know him." I didn't know how I knew, but there was an affectionate tone to all the questions.

  "Very well. And yes, he has the worst sense of humor. And timing."

  "And he's reckless," I said, the voice agreeing with me fervently. "I can't tell you how many times he gave me a heart attack on the island. First, he's nearly blown up in the lab while he's fetching blankets, then he's dangling off a rock because he wanted to go fishing. Then he's showing up in Jervan, unannounced, climbing balconies, sneaking into my room..." I trailed off and closed my eyes. "Watching me give the speech..."

  "Wait, he watched you give your speech?"

  "Yeah," I said quietly. "I don't know how he got in, but he did. He did because I told him I needed him." I clenched my jaw. "And because I specifically told him not to."

  "He doesn't listen very well when it concerns you, I've noticed."

  A tear fell down my cheek. "Did he talk about me?"

  "Constantly."

  "Please tell him to get over me," I said, the words tumbling out before I could stop them. "I don't want him to mourn me, or...just..." I looked at the shimmering blue ocean in front of me. "Maybe just don't tell him I died. Pe
rhaps he'll just forget about me after a few months."

  "I wish I could say he would do that, but we both know he won't. He never stopped thinking about you, no matter what anyone told him."

  I let out a sob, mourning the future we would never get a chance to have. "He was the only good thing that ever happened to me. So optimistic. He always thought we'd just find a way to be together."

  "Maybe you will."

  I smiled. "Thank you."

  "For what?"

  "Filling my last moments in this world with kindness."

  "I'm honored to have spent them with you." A pause. "But somehow I don't think these are your last moments."

  Galian

  My heart was in my throat as we took off faster than I'd thought possible in a plane. Johar was at the helm, expertly managing the controls with an ease I'd never mastered in my brief stint as a pilot. Kader sat in the co-pilot's seat, saying nothing and barely moving. He'd ordered me to sit in one of the four jump-seats that lined the cargo-bay.

  Johar's whistle drew my attention and I unhooked my restraints to stand behind them. The airship in the distance was massive, appearing more like an innocuous cargo plane than a weapon of mass destruction.

  "That's not showing up on any of our radars," Kader said, glancing at the screen in front of him.

  "Those Herinese sons of bitches," Johar replied with a snarl. "I hope we turn around and bomb them."

  "Do you think we'll be able to get her out of there?" I asked.

  He looked up at me and actually smiled. "Piece of cake."

  "Are you just saying that, or do you mean that?" I asked. "Have you ever done something like this before?"

  "Boarded a plane with a bomb on it and rescued a Raven? Can't say I have."

  "I'm so glad you can joke at a time like this," I snapped as Kader stood and brushed past me.

  "Joking's a good sign," Johar replied.

  I followed Kader back to the small cargo bay and watched as he donned a black suit made of thick material.

  "Go sit up front and take my seat," he said.

  "No," I said, holding onto a nearby handle when the ship trembled under turbulence. "I want to go with you."

  "Son, I'm going to be dangling a thousand feet over the Madion Sea. I don't think you want to do that."

  "I do."

  Kader sighed and put a black helmet under his arm. "You have two options: I can save her, or I can save you. Which is it gonna be?"

  "Don't worry, lover boy. She won't care who plucks her off that ship, just as long as she ain't on it when it goes down," Johar said from the front seat. She held up a pistol, and Kader crossed the cargo bay to take it from her. She gripped his hand and said, "Just in case this is another Kapila."

  I had no idea what that was, but Kader grimaced and pointed the barrel of the gun at his shoulder. "Still hurts when it rains."

  He turned, but I stood in his way, a serious look on my face. "You aren't going to shoot her."

  "Son, go sit down before I make you sit down."

  "Promise me you aren't going to hurt her."

  Kader grabbed me by the shoulders, lifted me off my feet, and put me behind him with ease. Too stunned that he could actually lift me so easily, I didn't follow him to the back of the ship.

  "You're gonna want to put on your seatbelt," Johar said, turning two keys and pressing a button.

  My ears popped, and a rush of wind took the air from my lungs. The door in the cargo bay slid open and I felt the tug of air pressure toward it. I climbed over the seat and fastened my seatbelt as instructed, but immediately turned to watch Kader.

  He was hanging onto one of the overhead grips, a large gun in his other hand. He lifted the gun onto his shoulder and aimed it, adjusting the sight and his stance.

  "Hang on," Johar replied, gripping the joystick of the plane tighter. "Give me the signal, Eli."

  "On my mark," he called back.

  "I thought we were going to get her!" I cried, glancing between the two of them.

  "Will you calm down already?" Johar barked. "Kader?"

  "A little closer, Sayuri."

  Johar guided the plane closer, then I heard Kader say, "Now!" before a loud crack echoed through the plane.

  Terrified, I waited for the Raven plane to explode, to go down, but it remained in the air. Only now it was connected to ours by a thick, black cable. I heaved a sigh of relief, but Kader and Johar were still tense.

  "What's next?" I asked Kader, who was attaching himself to the cable via a harness around his waist.

  "Now, we hope I don't have to use this gun," he replied wryly. "Keep 'er steady, Sayuri."

  "Be careful," she called.

  Kader met my gaze and shrugged, lifting himself up onto the harness. "Like I said, piece of cake."

  Then he was gone.

  TWENTY

  Theo

  Bang!

  I screamed and gripped the edge of my seat, awaiting the agony of being burned alive. When no pain came, I opened my eye and took deep, gulping breaths.

  "Sounds like they got there."

  "They who?" I asked, still shaking.

  I flinched when another loud crashing sound echoed through the cabin, and the air pressure changed rapidly. The door opened, and a black-clad man in a helmet stepped onto the airship.

  "W-who are you?" I said, gripping at the dashboard. But I refused to appear weak in my final moments, so I straightened my shoulders. "If you're here to kill me, please make it quick."

  "Oh, your boyfriend would be pretty pissed at me if I did that," said the man as he pulled off his helmet. Bald head, tall, with a tense expression. Galian's guard, Kader.

  "You!" I collapsed to my knees in relief, pressing my hand to my face and taking sweet gulps of air. I'd nearly come to my death too many times in the past year, and I would never tire of the relief when it never came to pass.

  He whistled loudly, placing a hand on the bomb. "You weren't kidding, Theo. This thing's a monster."

  I was still reeling from his appearance, so I didn't respond until he knelt in front of me.

  "Are you all right?" he asked.

  I nodded blankly, and a devilish smile crossed his face.

  "You want to get off this bucket of bolts?"

  "Yes, please," I said with a smile.

  He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small pin. In two clicks, my wrists were free of the handcuffs and I absentmindedly rubbed them. Then, before I could stop myself, I launched myself at him, wrapping my arms around his solid frame.

  "Thank you. Thank you so much," I whispered into the folds of his jumpsuit.

  He placed a comforting hand on the back of my head. "Thank you for warning us. Now, we have to put this in the ocean quick."

  I nodded and looked at the dashboard. "It's Herinese and it's on autopilot. I can't—"

  "How's this for autopilot?" he said, lifting a pistol from his pants. I tensed for a moment, but he kept the barrel pointed away from me. "I can aim it at the processor and guidance systems, but we're going to have to get off quick. You okay with that?"

  I nodded and followed Kader to the open door. A long black cable connected the airship with another Kylaen plane.

  "C'mon," Kader said, opening his arms.

  I stepped closer to him and he wrapped a harness around my waist and between my legs, then slid his helmet over my head and asked, "You ready?"

  I glanced behind me at the sea beneath us and nodded.

  He picked me up as if I weighed nothing and held me up to the black cable, where he instructed me on how to attach myself. I dangled over the ocean, trying not to look down as he did the same for himself. When we were both secure, he pointed the gun at the inside of the plane.

  "Wait!" I cried. "I want to do the honors."

  "You sure?"

  I nodded. "It's my country. I want to take care of it."

  He handed me the pistol and I raised it the same way he had. My finger slid around the trigger and I said a prayer for t
he two of us as I squeezed it.

  As soon as the gun went off, Kader unhooked the cable from the plane, and we began to fall toward the ocean. I screamed and my body smacked into Kader's, and somewhere amongst my fear, I registered his arms securing around me.

  Our bodies jerked up from the force of reaching the end of the cable, and we hung suspended over the water.

  "You okay, Theo?" Kader asked, sounding much too unconcerned for the danger we found ourselves in.

  "No!" I shook my head, but glanced at the Raven plane, still flying in the distance. I began to worry my shot hadn't been true, but the plane began to tilt to the right, then the nose dove downward.

  "K-Kader!" I said, looking back at him. "If the warhead detonates when it hits the water—"

  "Ahead of you, Theo," Kader said. "They should be pulling us up any—"

  Our bodies were yanked upward, and I left part of my stomach at the lower altitude. I squeezed my eyes shut, preferring my heights in the safety of a plane under my control. Kader's throaty laughter against my back eased my nerves somewhat, and I heard him say something about how I was a battle-hardened pilot. If I could've opened my mouth without fear I'd vomit all over myself, I would've shot back.

  The roar of the Kylaen plane was actually comforting, and before I knew it, we were climbing into the small plane. I collapsed onto the floor, yanking the helmet off and thanking God that I was on something solid.

  Galian

  I watched Theo stare at the ceiling of the plane for a minute before saying anything to her. Her face was pale, her lips chapped, but she was alive. The outside door suctioned shut and all I could hear was her gasping breaths and whispered thanks.

  "Hey," I said with a grin.

  She sat upright, staring at me as if I were the last person she'd expected to see. Then she turned to Kader, who was barking orders to fly away as fast as possible.

  "What in God's name were you thinking, bringing the princeling here?" she bellowed. "This... We are seconds from being blown up and—"

  "Talk to him," Kader said, deflecting her rage with a flick of his wrist. "He was insistent."