End of the Line
Page 22
She didn’t pull her hand away. She sighed again, deeper this time. “Kain, can I be straight with you?”
“Always,” he replied.
Sarah Jennifer met his eyes. “I want to be done with Earth. The sooner I’m off this planet and away from all the hurts I’ve taken here, the better.”
He closed his fingers around hers. “Sounds like you want to run.”
Now Sarah Jennifer did pull her hand away. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“I’m not judging,” Kain told her. “I’ve done my fair share of running away from what hurt me.”
“I’m not running away,” she retorted. “I’m running to my family. My pack, our future. I…” She trailed off.
“What?” Kain tilted his head.
“I spent a chunk of my life trying to outrun my pain,” she admitted. “I walked out on my birth family. I walked out on my husband. I walked across America for decades, never staying anywhere long enough to give anyone a chance. I took Ezekiel in as a kid and didn’t tell him anything about myself that would have helped him to make better decisions when it came his time to deal with the pain of loss.”
Kain listened without interrupting.
Sarah Jennifer clenched her hand into a fist. “I built the Defense Force and didn’t give the Weres any more than a home and a pack to call their own. I’ve been a leader and a diplomat and a friend, and I’m still alone. Always alone. The only people I let into my heart, the only people with the power to break it are my pack—”
“And Esme,” Kain finished.
She nodded, her eyes stinging. “And Esme. Damn it all, Esme! And she’s gone. So I want to leave, too. At least on Mars, I won’t see her every place I look.”
Kain was quiet for a moment. “I’m coming with you. Even if you don’t choose to take the connection we have any further, I’m going to be there for you. You are not alone, Sarah Jennifer Walton.”
She looked at him, stunned by the certainty in his words. “Kain, we don’t know each other. You don’t owe me anything, whatever our wolf sides say.”
Kain shrugged. “Never said I did. Whatever this is between us, it doesn’t matter. I’m not following you to the stars in the hope you’ll suddenly decide you want to be with me. It’s bigger than that, so much bigger. You say you haven’t given anything. Just in the short time I’ve been around you, I’ve seen that you’ve given everything. I haven’t met a single Were, mage, or human who doesn’t sing your praises. A home is all anyone wants. A pack is all any Were wants; I know that from experience. Your pack isn’t anything like the pack I grew up in. They’re more than good people, they’re bonded so damn tightly they might as well be blood, and they’ve made me feel like I’m one of them. Do you know what it’s like to come in from the cold after being an outcast for so long?”
Sarah Jennifer nodded, unable to voice her emotions.
He laughed, the sound devoid of humor. “Of course you do. I don’t want to feel separate anymore, Sarah. These last weeks, I’ve been telling myself that I’m torn, but the reality is I don’t want to hurt the ones I love by saying goodbye. I’m not making this decision lightly. Shit, Caitlin and Ma mean everything to me. Everything. But…I can’t pass up the chance to be with my own kind, even if that means moving to another goddamn planet.”
Sarah Jennifer felt something inside her break. She wished she had the capacity to love again. She wanted to let Kain in. His tough-guy, love ‘em and leave ‘em exterior hid a loyal heart. However, she doubted she could do anything but hurt him, and she would hate herself forever if she did that.
She settled for giving him the truth instead. “Kain… There’s something else I haven’t told anyone besides those closest to me. ”
“And you want to tell me?” He didn’t hide his curiosity.
She nodded. “You saw the damage one Kurtherian is capable of, and Laughter is not the top of the food chain.”
Kain frowned. “She seemed to be plenty powerful from where I was standing.”
Sarah Jennifer nodded. “Exactly. There’s one worse than her. Much worse. Gödel has mastery of the Etheric on a level only the Queen and her closest people can counter. If the day ever comes that Gödel finds her way here, the pack will be the first line of defense.”
Kain frowned. “The Matriarch wants you to protect Earth from space?”
Sarah Jennifer lifted a shoulder. “She didn’t disagree with my reasoning, which from her is as good as permission.”
Kain shook his head in disbelief. “It’s crazy to think you are on speaking terms with the freaking Matriarch.”
Sarah Jennifer smiled. “My family has been in her service for three generations.”
“I read the William Hawkins Histories,” Kain told her. “I know all about the FDG.”
Sarah Jennifer tilted her head. “You like to read?”
“You picturing us spending cozy nights by the fireplace?” Kain shot back with a grin.
Sarah Jennifer opened her mouth and closed it again.
“Do they even have fireplaces on Mars?” Kain asked.
Sarah Jennifer nodded, appreciating the move away from painful subjects. “All the comforts of home without the asshats.” She returned his grin. “What?”
Kain pointed at her, feigning shock. “You cursed.”
Sarah Jennifer picked up her glass and sipped her drink. “It’s not a curse if it’s an apt description.”
“‘Asshat’ is too mild a word for that fucker Adrien,” Ezekiel’s voice came from their left.
Sarah Jennifer turned her head and saw Piet was with Ezekiel. “Hey! I heard you were here. How’s it hanging, mountain man?”
“Little to the left and just below my knee, thanks for askin’,” Piet replied.
Kain lifted his glass to the rearick. “I knew I liked you. Join us.”
“Don’t mind if I do. I need a drink first.” Piet wandered off, and Ezekiel slumped into the seat next to Sarah Jennifer.
“That bad, huh?” she asked.
Ezekiel nodded.
Piet returned with a full glass in one hand and a frosty pitcher in the other. Mary-Anne, Caitlin, and Jaxon were with him, Mary-Anne laden with a platter stacked high with various meats.
“Someone loves me,” Mary-Anne stated. “They had chicken wings made with a good rub.”
Piet snorted, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. “A rub? Sounds like someone likes their food prep a bit too much.”
“Ew!” Mary-Anne slapped him playfully. “That’s not what a rub is!”
“Yeah,” Caitlin agreed, sitting down next to Ezekiel. “Get your mind out of the gutter, Piet.”
The rearick tilted his head. “Then what’s a rub?”
“A spice blend for marinating,” Caitlin explained. “Not whatever you were thinking.”
Mary-Anne put the platter down in the center of the table. “Talk about taking brining to the next level.”
“I don’t think the chicken would appreciate being handled that way,” Piet quipped.
Mary-Anne grinned when everyone groaned. “What? Blame the rearick, not me. That enough for everyone? I don’t think we’re welcome back at the grill for a while.”
Caitlin fussed with Jaxon’s ears. “Someone was making a nuisance of himself.”
The dog whined, giving them all big puppy eyes.
“Aww, I’m not mad, Jax,” Caitlin told him, snagging a sausage from the platter and tossing it for the German Shepherd to catch. She side-eyed Ezekiel. “’Sup, Zeke?”
“Lost love,” Kain answered when Ezekiel just shrugged.
“You could always tell her,” Mary-Anne suggested.
Ezekiel shook his head. “I’m not staying in Arcadia. It wouldn’t be fair. I have to…I don’t know, get over it and let her be happy.”
“Here’s your chance to put that into practice,” Sarah Jennifer told him, indicating the grand staircase with a nod.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Linda looked stunn
ing in a forest-green gown, with her hair swept up in a chignon. Adrien had also changed into evening wear, his slicked-back hair complimented by neat black and silver robes in the current fashion.
Ezekiel hated to admit it, but they made a good-looking couple.
He suppressed the pang of jealousy that spiked his heart when he saw how happy Linda looked.
She smiled at Adrien, and they descended the stairs arm in arm to rapturous applause. The druids at the base lifted their arms, and their eyes glowed as roses bloomed along the balustrades.
Adrien paused to pick one and offered it to Linda. “Nature’s finest pales in comparison with your beauty,” he announced loud enough to be heard by everyone watching.
“I think I’m going to puke,” Caitlin murmured.
Linda took the rose and went up on tiptoe to give Adrien a chaste kiss. “You say the loveliest things.” She turned to face the room. “Tonight is not only the celebration of mine and Adrien’s love. It is also a chance for us all to take stock of what we have achieved in such a short time.”
She held out the rose. “The Matriarch’s blessings upon us all as we step into the future.”
“Indeed,” Adrien cut in. “Arcadia promises to be the center of a new and great civilization founded on magic. We will prosper and grow.”
Ezekiel had heard enough. He nudged Piet. “Show Sarah Jennifer what you brought with you.”
Piet grinned as he retrieved an inert amphorald from his pocket. “Pretty, huh? This baby can be used to power whatever your engineers can hook it up to.”
Sarah Jennifer took the amphorald and examined it with interest. She felt it resonate with the ambient energy produced by the enhanced around the table. “It’s an Etheric battery. Where did you get this, Piet?”
Piet told her about the stockpile and the abundant seams running beneath the mountains where the rearick lived and worked. “Whatever you did to turn back the Madness, it changed the amphoralds. I was hopin’ to cut a fair deal with the chancellor, although it looks like I’m gonna be dealin’ with her husband-to-be.”
Sarah Jennifer glanced at Adrien as she handed the amphorald back. “Don’t worry about Adrien. I’ll make sure he’s out of the way while you’re negotiating with Linda.”
Piet raised an eyebrow in curiosity. “Oh, yeah? How’re you gonna manage that?”
Sarah Jennifer winked at him. “Wait and see, my old friend. All will be revealed soon enough.”
“Soon enough” came sooner than Sarah Jennifer expected. The happy couple came over to their table as they were finishing their meal.
Sarah Jennifer almost forgave Adrien for being, well, Adrien, when she saw the joy Linda was feeling. She smiled and asked them to join her. “I want to raise a glass to your future.”
Linda took the chair next to Sarah Jennifer and showed her the ring Adrien had given her. “It belonged to his grandmother. Isn’t it just beautiful?”
Adrien slid into the chair vacated by Caitlin, who excused herself with a mutter about Jaxon needing to go outside. Mary-Anne went with her, throwing a glare at Adrien that only Ezekiel saw.
Ezekiel grinned at the vampire, appreciating her solidarity. He turned back to the table as Adrien switched the conversation from the wedding plans to the subject they’d been expecting.
“I’m sure I already told you about the scouts I sent out to spread the word about the magic school,” he lied smoothly.
Sarah Jennifer met his easy smile with a cool gray stare. “I don’t think you did. It must have slipped your mind.”
Adrien chuckled. “Ah, well, I have been rather busy. One of my scouts returned today with news of a magical community living in the mountains the locals call the Heights.”
“You mean, Selah’s people?” Piet asked.
“You know them?” Sarah Jennifer grinned. “What am I talking about? Of course you know them. How far do they live from Craigston?”
Piet laughed. “It’s a fair walk. They don’t do too well bein’ around people all the time, but they come into town to drink.”
Linda frowned at Adrien. “Why didn’t I hear anything about this?”
Adrien patted her hand. “I didn’t want to distract you from your happiness today of all days, my love. However, seeing as our esteemed visitor,” he turned his smile on Piet, “has given us the potential of a reprieve from our power conundrum, I thought it would be appropriate to bring it up.”
Sarah Jennifer laced her fingers on the table. “I’m happy to take a group to the Heights and facilitate building a relationship. If these people are friendly, it makes sense to form an alliance. I think we should get the negotiation with the rearick out of the way first, though.”
“I’ve always wanted to visit your home, Piet!” Linda clapped with delight. “We’ll make arrangements first thing tomorrow.”
A flash of concern flashed across Adrien’s face. “Linda, darling, we can’t leave the city at this critical time. We need to be here to arrange work on the power fix.”
Sarah Jennifer smiled. For all Adrien’s personality quirks, he was dedicated to the people and to Linda. “I have engineers here. They don’t need to be supervised. In fact, giving them room to come up with a workable system using the amphoralds will be better. You don’t want to get caught up in one of their debates, I promise you.”
“I’m sure my ministers can keep everything else under control while we are away,” the chancellor declared. “Besides, I want to make sure every magic-user knows they are welcome here in Arcadia.”
“Then it’s settled. I’ll requisition a Pod first thing in the morning.” Sarah Jennifer raised her glass. “Now, I believe we were celebrating?”
There were plenty of sore heads the next morning. Sarah Jennifer couldn’t hide her smile as those whose nanocytes didn’t give them the gift of avoiding a hangover met her at the Defense Force camp outside the city walls.
Linda was first to arrive, accompanied by six stewards hauling three large chests of gold between them. Ezekiel was next, followed by Caitlin and Jaxon. Then Kain and Mary-Anne came out of the forest, the former looking like he’d had a hard night.
Sarah Jennifer waved them all into the Pod, promising coffee as soon as they were aboard. “I went over to the camp at sunup to pick up a vat of the good stuff, along with breakfast.”
“There is not enough coffee in the world,” Linda grumbled as she took her seat. “I spent all night coaxing that gold from the river.”
“By yourself?” Sarah Jennifer asked.
Linda nodded. “My drunken self thought it was a good idea. This morning I feel like I dug it out using my head as the shovel.”
Ezekiel was in a slightly better state, although not by much. “Remind me not to indulge in the druids’ offerings so easily in future. Why are we doing this so early in the morning?” he mumbled as he made a beeline for the catering vat Sarah Jennifer had prepared.
“We haven’t had the chance to check out the wider area for a few weeks,” Sarah Jennifer told him. “Everyone will have time to pull themselves together before we get to Craigston.”
Piet strode aboard with a chipper grin. “I don’t know what you’re all complaining about. It’s good to have a light drink of an evening. That was a shindig an’ a half, lass. I’ve gotta congratulate you on your hosting skills.”
“You call that light?” Caitlin scoffed, her hand on Jaxon’s back. “I saw you put away twice as much as the rest of us last night.”
Piet threw her a wink. “We brew our drink a touch stronger in the Heights. Gotta cater to the people’s needs, ya know. One thing’s for sure; Arcadians know how to party.”
Kain groaned as he slumped in his seat. “Coffee. Give me coffee.”
Sarah Jennifer raised an eyebrow. “You’ve had a Pod-doc treatment. Your nanocytes should have taken care of the alcohol.”
“It wasn’t the alcohol,” Kain admitted. “It was Alexander’s mushroom wine.”
Mary-Anne’s laughter made everyone with a
headache wince. “You should have been there. His half-shifted ass was tearing around the forest tripping balls until dawn.”
Kain shot a glare her way. “Thanks, Ma. I’m sure everyone needed to know about that.”
“I get the picture,” Sarah Jennifer told the vampire with a smile. “Good of you to take it out of the city, Kain. Where’s Adrien?”
Linda shrugged, covering her eyes to block out the light.
“I’m here, I’m here!” Adrien appeared at the Pod door, looking the worse for wear.
Sarah Jennifer shook her head in amusement at the sorry lot of them. “A fine party of diplomats you all make.” She pulled the cover off the heated tray next to the vat of coffee. “Bacon in biscuits. Eat. Caffeinate. Pull yourselves together. Ezekiel, now would be a good time to practice your healing skills, starting with yourself. See if you can resemble something human before we get to the Heights.”
“Why are you not feeling rough?” Ezekiel asked.
Sarah Jennifer grinned. “Can’t wake up with a hangover if you didn’t go to sleep.”
“I think I hate you,” Caitlin muttered over the rim of her coffee cup.
Sarah Jennifer just laughed as she headed for the Pod’s controls. Unlike everyone else, she’d stuck to mead and moderated her consumption, knowing she’d end up in a maudlin state if she overindulged.
With a little help from Ezekiel, everyone was feeling more themselves by the time Sarah Jennifer was done with her aerial sweep of the neighboring valleys.
Ezekiel joined her up front as she brought the Pod in over the range of peaks the locals called the Heights.
“How are the walking wounded back there?” Sarah Jennifer inquired with a wry smile.
Ezekiel chuckled. “Just like you wanted, mostly human.” His eyes widened in appreciation when the clouds parted, revealing pink-gold early morning light filtering between the snow-tipped peaks. “It’s so beautiful up here.”
“It really is,” Sarah Jennifer agreed.
“What does Mars look like?” Ezekiel asked.
Sarah Jennifer didn’t answer for a moment. “It’s a different kind of beautiful. Last I was there, it was just starting to get green around the equator and on the plain where we’re building the city.” She smiled. “The buildings are pink.”