An Eagle's Revenge (Across the Infinite Void Book 2)

by Ashley Grapes

  “Uhh…yes,” she answered reluctantly. “We’re not supposed to be talking about this until everyone has done it, Brody,” she warned, feeling uncomfortable that they were in the hall breaching confidentiality.

  “Yeah, well, so far you’re the only one. Seems a little weird to me. Did your simulation controller give you any hints?”

  She was insulted that Brody had just accused her and Juv of cheating, especially after his ‘connection’ admission. “No,” she retorted flatly. “Perhaps the committee wanted to see if we could think outside the box under pressure. You’re not going to get all the details in real-life, you know.”

  “But it’s not fair!” he shouted like a child and then squinted his eyes at her. “You’re valedictorian now, aren’t you?”

  Talon didn’t think it was possible to get any more uncomfortable. “I think I might be,” she winced, preparing for the backlash. Their program was set-up on a point system, and she and Brody had fluctuated between first and second in their cohort over the past year. He had always been competitive to a fault, and it had driven their one-time friendship into the ground as the years went on.

  “I should be!”

  She could see the storm raging on inside of him through the windows of his eyes. Talon knew she shouldn’t prod his already deflated ego, but found herself doing just that. “I guess the best operative won.” She saw a vein begin thundering in his temple.

  “I am going to talk to the committee about this,” Brody threatened, marching down the hall.

  Good luck with that. Talon ran to the elevator and when the doors dinged open she all but hopped inside to stand in front of the people already on the ride down.

  “Have to pee?” a voice spoke amongst the small group. Although no one addressed her directly, she realized she was shimmying back and forth unnaturally in excitement.

  Talon turned to see Wilga Fron squeezing her broad shoulders between two bodies to stand beside her. Ironically, Wilga was third in their class of thirty-one, but her rank did not taint their friendship like it had with Brody. Wilga’s talent was pure and she was highly motivated, not to be best in class like Brody, but to be the best of her species. Hamzas were stereotyped as not making the greatest operatives. ‘They’re stockier than a bull, clumsier than a calf, and hairier than an ox,’ she remembered one of her classmates saying her first year. Although Talon dismissed the first two comparisons as cruel, she had to admit the third one held merit.

  “No, I don’t have to pee.” Talon noticed a few eyes scolding their choice of conversation.

  “Post-simulation restless leg syndrome,” she snorted deep and shook her head knowingly. “The simulations do that to me too…all that laying down for so long, strapped in like…like…what are those monsters of humans that are wrapped in white paper?

  “Mummies?”

  “Yeah, mummies. I have to do some squats every time I’m done in there just to relieve the tension,” she nodded firmly and gave her thigh a healthy slap. “So that means you must have just taken your final. How was it?”

  “It went well.” It was the only thing Talon could really say without giving anything away. “I’m just excited to be graduating,” and to be getting married, she smiled. “When are you taking your final?”

  “Tomorrow. I think I’m dead last. I’m on my way to ImageK now. I’ve gotta get waxed. Twice this year I got major points deducted for leaving evidence,” Wilga self-confessed, pulling a tuft of dark, coarse hair on her upper arm.

  Talon attempted a sympathetic smile. In the five years she’d lived on Ohmani, she still wasn’t used to seeing such hirsute women. “That’s happened to me too,” Talon replied honestly. “It is the reason I always wear my hat on missions.” She was actually quite fond of that beanie. She wore it in every simulation and actually felt a little disappointed that it only existed in virtual reality.

  “I couldn’t imagine…you Sydces and your crazy long hair.” She grabbed a lock and began studying it. Hamzas weren’t known for respecting personal boundaries. “Seems like it would weigh your tiny little head down.” Wilga redirected her gaze to her phone.

  “Good luck, Wilga. You will do great,” Talon encouraged, stepping out of the elevator.

  “Thanks, Talon. And thanks for beating out Brody. I just won fifty ohms.”

  Great. The see-sawing in points between Talon and Brody had generated a lot of hype among the other trainees. These bets were only going to fuel Brody’s fire.

  Talon rushed towards the entrance, her shoes squeaking every so often as she weaved through the crowds. She turned the corner and saw Levi waiting in the lobby. She couldn’t help but start running.

  “There you are!” Levi opened his arms for her to fly into. She didn’t know how long they embraced each other, but when she finally slid back down his torso, he held out the two rings in his palm. “Which one first?”

  “That one!” she pointed to the diamond one, which he slid onto her left ring finger. “Oh Levi, it looks even better in person…and in the light,” she laughed, studying its intricacies. “What is this stone in the middle?” It was a brilliant fuchsia.

  “That’s an inja from Dedrake. It is traditionally incorporated into binding jewelry, although they wear them on the middle finger. Do you like it?”

  “I love it! You’re amazing!”

  “Phew, that’s a relief. I never thought ring shopping would be so stressful,” he disclosed, sliding her class ring onto her other finger.

  “We’re getting married. We’re getting married!” she exclaimed.

  “Finally,” he laughed. “I’ve been waiting for this day for a very long time.”

  “I still can’t believe you were in my final exam simulation! How did you get permission?”

  “Well, it was twenty percent your popularity and eighty percent Mantys,” he chuckled, pulling her outside.

  “I’m sure it wasn’t so much my popularity as it was your fame,” she countered, noticing a reporter flashing a picture of them from outside the Department of Law and Order building.

  He held her hand and they waved down a taxi. “If you could pick anywhere on Ohmani to have an engagement party, where would it be?” he asked her.

  “Hmm…well, you know I’m not much for big deals. Our apartment?” She giggled, knowing that was probably the least festive place on Ohmani minus the Underground.

  Levi flashed a grin. “I know you very well. That’s where everyone is waiting.” He told the driver their address and took Talon’s hand.

  Levi was everything to her. Since moving to the asteroid he had grown into a man, and she wasn’t just referring to the physical specimen he had become. Levi had quickly found his way and his purpose. Taking advantage of the optional thirteenth year at Ohmani Academy Central High, he had concentrated on learning Katawil, the common midaki language, in addition to taking the extra Careers in the Cosmos class.

  After graduation Levi was in high demand for surfing lessons, which he did at the Waterdrome and through Extension. Subsequent success and endorsements had also earned him a great deal of money, which he used to buy a penthouse condo in an affluent gated community less than a year after high school graduation.

  Talon continued to live with Bale and Teddy during the first few years in the program, but with little Pila growing up, it had become crowded. A year ago Talon began looking for an apartment of her own, but on a student budget, she could only afford a small underground studio. Levi had gone with her several times to look at potential places, but between the lack of windows and plethora of cockroaches, he insisted they move in together.

  Talon and Levi had settled into a comfortable routine, which meant a lack of one altogether. Talon’s time was overbooked due to the rigorousness of her training program. When she wasn’t in the DOLO, she was preparing for simulations and studying for tests. All of her hard work had paid off, as evidenced by the fat valedictorian ring on her finger.

  Levi, himself, remained extremely busy and now traveli
ng had become a huge part of his job. In a few days, he would begin his “Extend to Success” tour in the United States. It was a scholarship program for underprivileged high-school students who could benefit from using Extensions for jobs, internships, or even sports. Though the two of them were inherently busy, it suited them, and their relationship had not suffered in the slightest.

  The taxi pulled up to the gate and Levi reached outside the backseat window to place his palm in the reader. “Hello, Levi Avondale,” the automated greeter spoke, “Welcome home.” The gate opened and the taxi drove them around a large bend in the road.

  “We’re in that one,” he pointed to one of the many buildings on the grounds.

  As they made their way upwards to the top floor, Talon’s mind began swimming with thoughts of the future. It had been a big day, both professionally and personally. Over the past four years, she had been so focused on becoming the best operative possible that she hadn’t given much thought to what would happen after graduation. What was the next step? Now that she had set-up her career in the intelligence field, she had a better chance of finding Kravis. But where to start?

  As far as she knew, there hadn’t been one act of violence claimed by the Sinupecs, her father’s terrorist group, since the attacks during the political summit over five years ago. Indeed, the Sinupecs had been eerily quiet since The Great Rescue treaty renegotiations, which did the opposite of make her feel at ease. As of now she had no leads, but she needed to smoke out the snake in the grass before he could bite her first.

  “You seem quiet.”

  Talon immediately felt guilty she had been thinking about Kravis rather than on their engagement. “I was just reliving today’s perfection,” she lied, squeezing his hand.

  “Are you sure you’re up for this engagement slash graduation party? We could reschedule it for tomorrow if you would rather rest. You’ve barely gotten any sleep lately.” Worry was evident in his tone.

  Talon hadn’t been completely forthright about the extent of her nightmares, but she doubted they had gone unnoticed by him. “There’s nothing I would rather be doing,” she assured, “Fiancé.”

  “Congratulations!”

  “The future Mr. and Mrs. Avondale!”

  “I love you two!”

  She didn’t know who was yelling what, but saw the faces of all her friends and family when they opened the door to their apartment. Bale, Teddy, Axella, and Fletch swarmed in with open arms. Talon was suddenly glad for the intimate party.

  “Aunt Talon!” Bale and Teddy’s daughter, Pila Terry II, swung her arms around her legs. Although Pila was technically Talon’s cousin, their age difference made Talon more an aunt by nature. Somehow the little girl was a spitting image of her parents, with thick black hair swinging down to her waist in luxurious waves. “Did you win?” Pila asked.

  “Yes,” Talon answered, looking up at her Bale and Teddy. “I did win…in fact, you are looking at the first place winner,” she beamed, flashing her class ring.

  “Congrats, Tal!” Teddy was next to embrace her. “Carrying on the family legacy, I see.”

  “Not quite,” she winked, knowing her career was still in its infancy.

  “How surprised were you to see Levi there?”

  “So surprised! I can’t believe he was able to pull that off! Where is Mantys so I can thank him?”

  As if on cue, Bockie came into view. Although the shortest adult in the room, attention gravitated towards her like a movie star. “Mantys?” she scoffed. “Who do you think bullied your bosses into letting my granboy into your secret spy training?”

  Talon laughed. Mantys and Bockie were quite the power couple. After the treaty revisions, Bockie gave up her job as hospitality manager to the original hire, Axella, and moved to Dedrake with Mantys. Unfortunately, communication was extremely limited between the two planetary systems and Bockie didn’t last a year without talking to her family on a regular basis. Her resolution was to space-bird, and that’s what she had been doing for years now.

  “Thank you Bockie. You have some lipstick on your—” Talon motioned to the sides of her own mouth as a reference.

  “Oh,” Bockie wiped nonchalantly, “I don’t call him Ro-Mantys for nothin’!”

  Like on cue, Mantys walked around the corner. Talon could tell he had tried to wipe the lipstick off before making his appearance, but the cosmetic had put up a fight. His lips were still an unnatural rosy hue and he had forgotten to check his teeth. Bockie managed to smudge his front incisor giving him an even more comical appearance. It was hard to believe that Talon was looking at one the most influential men in the galaxy.

  “Talon, congratulations on your momentous achievement and finishing the program,” he winked. “Levi has been planning this for a very long time.”

  Talon smiled widely. “It was unique, surprising, thoughtful, and romantic. I’m a lucky girl.”

  “You are both lucky,” Axella interjected, “I am just so happy for you two! I hope you’re hungry.”

  Talon was indeed starving, and it would be a rarity to have a home cooked meal. Between Levi’s surfing career and her training, the couple rarely had dinner together let alone cook something worth consuming. Over the years she had become a professional snacker, stealing bites of food whenever she could throughout the day. In times of emergency, the Chinese restaurant down the street knew her by name and her order by heart.

  Kierra came from the kitchen. She had grown out her white blonde hair past her shoulder blades and forgone the colorful streaks that once ran through it like rainbow highlights. “Sorry, Tal, I couldn’t leave the risotto. Congratulations! I would hug you, but I’m covered in flour.”

  Talon laughed. “Thank you for cooking all of this food! It smells amazing.”

  Kierra Wharran was now Kierra Jenikee. Her high school friends had been married a year ago back in Fort Bragg, but Talon wasn’t able to go because of the timing. Marco moved to Ohmani so that Kierra could finish her own impressive undertakings. The bubbly blonde had graduated a year early from her Bachelor’s program in Astrobiology and was now a twenty-three year old master’s student at the Interstellar Sciences Institute. Talon and Kierra both shared intense passion for their careers, and now that Kierra was no longer obsessed with her fiancé, Talon very much liked this strong, intelligent, and beautiful woman.

  Now Kierra and Marco were pausing their culinary undertaking for a sweet kiss in the kitchen, unaware that Talon was watching them. One of Marco’s hands was pressing on his wife’s lower back, while another softly cupped her chin, begging it towards his mouth. Kierra laughed against her husband’s lips for no apparent reason. Talon felt a twang of envy in her chest. Levi didn’t steal kisses from her in the kitchen, but perhaps that was because they barely used it.

  She and Levi were still waiting to take their physical relationship to the next level because of The Sacred Union. Every now and then they would be swept into the throes of passion and, oh, how he made her feel sinfully good. She hoped it was enough for him too…

  Perhaps with the promise of forever reciprocated by their engagement, they should finally seal their love. A wondrous thought shot into her like cupid’s arrow. What if she surprised him tonight? Her heart fluttered at the idea and she quickly looked at Levi to make sure he couldn’t read her mind. He stood laughing with Fletch, looking as sexy as ever. She would, she promised herself. In a few hours she would be linked to Levi, for better or for worse.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Levi looked around the table and reminded himself of how truly blessed he was. First, he looked at his fiancé sitting in the center. His heart hadn’t stopped racing for two weeks knowing their engagement was on the horizon. He had expected his pulse to slow now that it was over, but it hadn’t yet. Was tachycardia a side-effect of going in and out of virtual realities? This beautiful woman was his and that made him the luckiest man in the cosmos. It took a while for him to feel, but he was
now confident he had become a man worthy of her. Ohmani had given him that launching pad to maturity, and for this place, he was grateful as well.

  He and Fletch had remained fast friends over the past five years, and now the Indian-born alien would be his best man. Fletch had graduated from Ohmani Academy High and went on to receive a double major in Journalism and Political Science. Three months ago, he started his first job as a political reporter for MediaEx, a company specializing in interstellar journalism. His first coverage as a new hire would ironically be on Levi himself. Fletch’s CEO rather liked the idea of his new reporter being best friends with Ohmani’s surfing dreamboat. At the end of the week, they would hop a ship to the ground and start their three week “Extend to Success” tour.

  “So, have you two set a date yet?” Kierra asked.

  “We haven’t had much time to talk dates,” Talon laughed, “but can you do me the honor of being my maid of honor?”

  Kierra beamed. “Of course!”

  “Can I be the one who throws the flowers?” Pila dropped her fork loudly on the plate, foregoing the idea of eating with her mind now full of pretty petals and dresses.

  “Of course! You are going to be the perfect flower girl,” Talon praised.

  “You’re going to have to fight me for the job,” Bockie jested.

  “Contest!” Pila yelled and hopped down from the table to stand next to her adopted great-grandmother.

  “If there’s a contest for flower girl, I’m in,” Marco announced, hopping up just as enthusiastically.

  With that the three competitors walked the length of the apartment, turned, and began their trek back to the table. Bockie was walking in her true abrupt and heavy-footed gate, launching her imaginary flower petals into the air like they were grenades. Levi decided, for safety’s sake, there would be no rice at his wedding. Marco, on the other hand, was foregoing his flower throwing duties all together and stopping to twirl and pose. Pila took the contest seriously, walking at a steady pace and placing the imaginary petals on the ground like they were as delicate as baby chicks. The apartment broke out into thunderous guffaws at the scene, and Levi had to grab his cramping stomach.