The Complete Madion War Trilogy

by S. Usher Evans

  "Talk to him later," Johar barked from the cockpit. "We've got to get the hell out of here. Strap in."

  I had my arms around Theo in two steps and pulled her back to the seats along the wall, buckling her in before doing the same to myself. I grasped her hand and gave her a quick kiss before I heard the secondary engines roar to life.

  "Hold on!" Johar called, and then she punched it.

  I'd never flown so fast in my entire life, and based on the green look of Theo's face, neither had she. A loud rumbling echoed through the metal, and the plane began to tremble and bounce with the air turbulence. This was the fastest ship we had, but was it fast enough to outrun the blast?

  "Kader?" I called, pulling Theo tighter to me.

  He didn't answer, but he was gripping the outside of Johar's headrest with white knuckles. His unease was enough to shake me to my core. I'd never known Kader to be worried about anything.

  I wrenched my eyes away to look at Theo. She stared back at me, eyes wide with fear, and a strange calm settled over me. Yet again, we'd beaten the odds and found our way back to one another. Holding her, feeling her tremble beneath my fingers, knowing I'd made it back to my girl against all odds, somehow dissipated any worry I had that we weren't going to make it.

  Despite the way Johar yelled and Kader cursed as the ship shook even more violently than it had before, I smiled.

  "W-what?" Her mouth moved, but I heard no sound.

  "I love you," I said, closing the gap between us and kissing her.

  She leaned into it, hungrily and desperately moving against my mouth. I threaded my fingers through her hair and pulled her closer, needing to taste every inch of her. Her voice rumbled low in her throat where my hand pressed against her neck, and I deepened the kiss even further.

  "Nice to know you two can still make out while we're about to die." Kader's droll voice popped the euphoric bubble.

  Theo wrenched her face away from me, and my awareness returned. Kader's already pale face was even paler, but the worry was gone.

  "I thought we were going to die," Theo said, but a red blush tinted her cheeks.

  "I didn't," I said, grinning at her. "That was an I-missed-you kiss."

  Theo's eyebrows shot upward and her mouth grew slack. "You knew we weren't about to be obliterated?"

  "Of course," I said with a shrug. "I mean, we didn't go through all that to get blown up, did we?"

  Kader stared at the space above my head as if he were considering bodily harm, but instead he turned and disappeared in his chair.

  "You never change, do you, princeling?" she asked, her eyes shimmering with love and amusement. Then they shifted and grew wet. "I can't believe that I just... You just... Oh my God."

  She collapsed across my lap, pressing her forehead into my thigh and gulping down air while she mumbled incoherently.

  "Theo?" I asked.

  She shook her head against my thigh. Chuckling, I removed the hairband from around her bun and let her black tresses fall around her, rubbing her scalp and waiting for her to finish processing her latest near-death experience. After a moment, she pushed herself upright and her face was wet.

  "I thought I was done for," she said, staring at some unseen point beyond my face.

  "Did you really think I was going to let that happen?" I asked, wiping her cheeks. "I promised you I wasn't going to let you die. And I make good on my promises."

  A ghost of a smile crept onto her lips. "You really do, don't you?" She leaned over and captured my lips with a sweet, gentle kiss. "That was for closing Mael." She kissed me again, this time even more gently. "That was for Martin. Amichai, I am so, so sorry..."

  I inhaled deeply. "I feel guilty. He shouldn't have died—"

  "And Bayard shouldn't have placed me on that bomb, either," she snapped. "Unfortunately, our respective leadership sucks."

  "Wait...Bayard put you on the bomb?" I didn't know why that surprised me so much. Maybe because I'd always thought the Raven president to be bad, but not as bad as my father.

  Kader made a noise to Johar and unhooked himself from his seat, coming back to join us. "What else can you tell us about this weapon?"

  "She doesn't have to say anything," I said, tightening my hold on her. "As far as the Raven government is concerned, she's dead. And as far as Kylae is concerned—"

  "Amichai," she whispered. "It's all right. I don't know much, but I know that this...it was built at Malaske. Bayard was hoping it would put a stop to the war once and for all."

  "What, by wiping out the royal family and half the city of Norose?" I blanched.

  "That's one way to end it," Kader said. "Were there any other ships?"

  She shook her head. "None that I saw. I'm afraid my trip there was nothing more than a test to see where my loyalties lay. I know their facility is underground—"

  "Ah, that's why we could never see it," Kader said with a nod. "And of your loyalties?"

  "Cannon found me on our island," she replied. "Bayard said it was either be tried and hanged in the public square or get on the plane." She lifted her shoulder in a half-shrug. "I figured my odds were better in the plane."

  "Did you know about the plane before?"

  "I found out about a week ago," she replied, looking at her hands, still clasped in mine. "I knew I had to stop him, so I asked Lanis to..." Her eyes widened, and she looked away. "Oh God, I hope they didn't do anything to Lanis."

  "Is there anything else of value you can tell us about Malaske?" Kader asked.

  "The Herinese were in on it, as were the Jervanians, but I don't think the Jervanians were as sold on the plan," she said. "Herin, though—they provided the plane-hiding technology. I think...perhaps the plane was a prototype or proof of concept. I don't know if...now that it's been destroyed—"

  "And we know about it," Kader finished for her. "We can set our intelligence group to discuss these new developments with Herin and Jervan."

  "Oh God, you aren't...you aren't going to bomb them, are you?" Theo asked, her brown eyes wide as saucers.

  "Grieg will probably order a strike on Malaske," Kader said and she nodded in solemn acceptance. "But as for Jervan and Herin, we have other ways of keeping them in line."

  "And us keeping them in line is what moved them to work with the Ravens to bomb the shit out of us," I snapped.

  "Which is why this information is going to your mother, not your father," Kader said. "We'll be landing in Kylae in about an hour."

  She went stick straight. "Kylae?"

  "Yeah," I said, rubbing her back to calm her. "It'll be fine. Nothing to worry about."

  "Wait," Theo said, unhooking her restraints. She stood in front of Kader as if he were a superior officer. Shoulders squared, she extended her hand. "Thank you, Kader. For saving my life. Tw...three times now."

  I smiled. Theo hated being in someone's debt.

  "As far as I see it, Major, by telling us about that bird, you've saved my life, my wife's, and all of my dear friends back in Norose," Kader said, crossing his hands over his chest. "So I'll call us niec, if that suits your Raven miall."

  Her mouth twisted into a smile. "How does a Kylaen sergeant know about Raven traditions?"

  "What's that?" I asked.

  "Miall is a very old Raven tradition amongst our warriors. A life debt," she said, glancing to me. "I didn't tell you about this?"

  "You were very upset that I'd saved your life, as I recall."

  "Ravens like to be niec, or square," Kader said. "And as far as I'm concerned, Theo, we're niec."

  "See?" I said, pulling Theo back down to sit next to me. "I told you that you and Kader would get along."

  Theo

  All I wanted was to have a stiff drink and curl up with my amichai and sleep for the next ten thousand years. I settled for resting in the crook of his neck. Galian, of course, was more than willing to hold me and explain his plans for us once we left Kylae for our new life in Jervan.

  "I'll find us an apartment. Penthouse with a te
rrace overlooking the lake," Galian said, tracing the lines of my palm. "I found a few...just in case."

  "Were you thinking I'd be calling you to come rescue me sometime soon, then?" I asked, tilting my head up to look at him. "You know we're woefully out of balance now."

  "Not neck, are we?"

  "N...niec?" I stifled a giggle. His accent hadn't gotten any better.

  "But I thought we were a little closer," Galian said, thinking to himself. "There was the crash, then the wolf. Then you saved my life when I fell off the cliff. You scared off the pack of wolves the second time."

  "You saved me from Mael." A smile grew on my face. "Amichai, I'm so proud of you. It took a lot of courage to stand up to your father like that."

  "Luckily I have a good role model," he replied, bringing my fingers to his mouth and kissing them. "You make me want to be better, you know."

  I swallowed, guilt replacing giddiness. Galian had done his part, and there I was, about to run away.

  "What?" he asked.

  "Is it really that simple? Just leave all this behind?"

  "I think it's pretty clear that neither side wants peace," Kader said, standing in front of us. "It might be wiser to just disappear. At least then, I won't have to watch this sickening display."

  I frowned, unsure what about me had made him sick, but Galian huffed loudly and glared at him. "Please, I've seen you with your wife. You've no room to talk, you big softy."

  "Oh, Rosie!" the pilot I now knew as Johar replied with a coo. "You shoulda seen this idiot the first night he laid eyes on her. I'd never seen him trip over his own two feet before."

  I laughed as Kader grumbled, but the back of his neck was as red as my face.

  "I came back here to tell you two idiots to strap in. We're nearing the airfield," Kader said. "Try not to get slobber all over my plane, please."

  Galian tossed Kader a dirty look and wrapped his arms around me as if to prove a point. Personally, I didn't mind it, and I curled in tighter under his chin as the plane bumped to land. I wished that being back on solid ground made me feel better, but it only restarted my nerves. My heartbeat was in my throat when the plane rolled to a stop and the engines quit. Kader brushed by us to open the door and release the ladder down to the ground.

  "I promise nothing's going to happen to you," Galian said, unhooking my restraint and then his own. "I've made provisions this time."

  "Oh?" I said, letting him pull me to stand.

  "Is that her?"

  My attention snapped to the back of the plane where the crown prince of Kylae stood, smiling at me with his hands in his pockets. I barely recognized him in plain clothes.

  "Rhys, this is Theo," Galian said, putting an arm around me. "Theo, this is my brother Rhys."

  "I..." I couldn't find my tongue, unsure what to say.

  "I have to say, it's wonderful to finally get to talk face-to-face with you," he said.

  And in that instant, I recognized his voice and my nerves turned to mortification.

  "Oh my God," I whispered to myself, turning to press my face into Galian's shoulder. "He was the radio dispatcher."

  "Theo?" Galian asked. "Rhys, what—"

  "Theo and I just had a little chat while you guys were off on your heroic rescue," Rhys replied.

  I peeled my face off Galian's shirt and glared at him. "A little chat?"

  Rhys' smile widened as Galian's face grew angry. "Rhys, what did you do?"

  "What?" He waved his hands in the air and came closer. "It's not every day you get to question your little brother's girlfriend when she thinks she's about to die."

  "Rhys!"

  "I just wanted to...hear her side of things," Rhys said, holding up his hands in defense.

  "And you let me prattle on like I was going to die!" I barked at him. "You could've warned me someone was coming!"

  "I wasn't sure you were alone!" Rhys said, holding his hands up, but I didn't quite buy it.

  "That was a real shit thing to do, Rhys," Galian growled, holding me closer.

  "Oh, stop being such a baby. I got your girlfriend back, didn't I?" Rhys said, holding out his arms. "Now come here before we have to rescue you from some other death-trap."

  I didn't move; I'd spoken so plainly about Galian to him that I suddenly felt shy.

  "Go on," Galian whispered, nudging me forward. I could tell I was being watched, and I kept my hands firmly at my side, lest they think I had any intention of harming—

  Rhys pulled me into a hug, and I stiffened, terribly afraid that something bad was going to happen.

  "Relax," he said with a toothy grin that strongly reminded me of Galian. It softened my nerves to see something so familiar. "We just went through all that trouble to save you. We aren't going to send you back to Mael. Not that it exists anymore."

  I barked a laugh, and in spite of my fear, a smile broke out on my face.

  "It's nice to meet you..." His title hung on my tongue. As a proud Raven soldier, I couldn't call him 'your highness' or any of the other titles bestowed upon him as prince.

  "You can call me Rhys." He winked, again reminding me of his younger brother. "After all, Gally's been whining about you for the past few months, so you're practically family now."

  "Gally?" I immediately turned around and chuckled at the way my amichai's face turned a bright shade of red. Though I wasn't sure if it was because of the pet name or because of the insinuation that we were family now. "I think I prefer princeling."

  "I think I prefer neither."

  "And speaking of family," Rhys said, releasing me back into Galian's arms, "we might have a slight problem."

  TWENTY-ONE

  Galian

  "I love that you're a fiercely loyal Raven woman," I said to her. "But I am begging you, please don't piss off my father."

  "I'm not planning on it," she replied shakily.

  That little weasel of a radar operator had gone to his supervisor about the anomaly. It had taken a few hours, but my father had become aware of everything—starting with the sizable tidal wave that had washed away six months' of work in his shithole port city of Duran.

  "Yes. For my sake, please don't piss him off," Rhys said from the seat parallel to ours.

  "He wouldn't...kill you, would he?" Theo asked.

  Rhys shook his head, but then grimaced. "But it won't be pleasant. Collins is pissed."

  "Collins? Olivia Collins?" Theo asked.

  Despite himself, Rhys smiled. "Oh, you know about her?"

  "She knows that she was a favor to...Oh." Realization dawned on me. "Mother asked me to go out with Olivia to get dirt on her father, didn't she?"

  "Why?" Theo asked.

  "There's a whole, big political chess match going on between my parents," I explained. "One that, after tonight, we won't have to worry about. We'll just have dinner, be pleasant, then get on our plane to Jervan."

  "Father's not—"

  "I smuggled myself into Jervan before, I can do it again," I replied with an overly cheery smile on my face. "Besides, what could he possibly want from us? He hates me, and he's at war with Theo's people. I don't know why he's even asked for dinner."

  "Maybe he wants to meet your girlfriend?" Rhys offered.

  "Right, the same one he sent to Mael," I growled, placing a protective arm over her shoulder. She leaned into me and closed her eyes. I could tell she was exhausted, and I was as well, so I just wanted to get this over with as soon as possible. "Maybe we'll just sleep in my room tonight then go to Jervan."

  "Sleep sounds good," she mumbled.

  "You know what? Go to Jervan," Rhys said, throwing up his hands. "Because if I have to watch you two get handsy all day long..."

  "It gets old, doesn't it?" Kader barked from the front seat.

  "Is this what it's like to have a family?" Theo whispered against my skin.

  "Yeah," I replied, tucking her in tighter. "Do you like it?"

  "As long as you're the target, it's perfect," she said with a grin.

/>   "So here's the plan," Rhys said, as Kader pulled the car around to the back of the castle gardens. "I don't want anyone to know about Theo until we've got a story, so we're going to go in through Mom's private entrance. Her guard won't talk, and we're having dinner in her private dining room. Even so, let's not...say anything to anyone."

  Theo nodded and I squeezed her hand. "It'll be fine."

  My mother must've been in agreement with (or concocted) our plan, because we saw no one between the two guards stationed at her entrance and her private dining quarters. Rhys and I walked briskly, but I noticed Theo's wide-eyed absorption of the castle. Had things been different, I might've enjoyed showing her all of my favorite places. But for now, I just wanted to leave.

  When the door closed on my mother's dining space, I finally let out a relieved sigh. Rhys immediately left through another door to look for Mom, leaving me and Theo alone.

  She wandered around the lavishly decorated room, trimmed with red and silver, before turning to smile at me over her shoulder. "This is where your mother eats dinner? This place could feed my country for a year."

  "It's a bit of a misnomer," I said, lounging on one of the chaises in the corner. "We used to have family dinners in here when we were younger—without His Highness."

  "And with?"

  "He'd drag us into the grand dining space to entertain some minister or diplomat," I said, patting the cushion next to me. "But here, we could be three rowdy boys and give our mother hell by throwing peas at each other."

  She sat down and crawled into my arms. "You mean they were throwing peas at you?"

  "Usually." I glanced at the ceiling, feeling her breath against my skin. "You're gonna meet my mom, Theo."

  "Yeah?" She lifted her head. "I thought—"

  "No, I mean, you're gonna meet her. You're actually here." I shook my head. "I didn't think this would ever happen."

  "To be honest? Me neither." She cocked her head to the side. "Today's been a bit of a whirlwind. I don't know how much more I can take."

  A soft knock at the door interrupted our conversation, and my mother swept into the room, grinning brightly.