Aalexis agreed.
Xaver stored the bags away, then offered her a seat next to the window. As Aalexis walked past him, a whiff of a soapy, outdoorsy scent entered her nose. Inhaling deeply, she took her seat. The odor was pleasant, eliciting strange feelings in her midsection. It took her a moment to realize the scent came from Xaver. Her heart accelerated.
“Would you care for a drink?” Xaver asked.
Confused, Aalexis didn’t respond and gazed out the window, trying to weed through the strange feelings. The sensation in her stomach was as unsettling as the dark clouds churning in the horizon.
“Aalexis?” Xaver asked, his voice deep. His voice didn’t sound normal, robotic; it sounded concerned.
Strange.
Aalexis hesitated for a moment before she swallowed and turned toward him.
He stared at her; his eyebrows arched over his expressive eyes.
“Yes,” she uttered, even she could hear the slight high pitch in her voice. Uncertainty?
Xaver’s eyebrows drew together, which was very odd. She looked away from him, then back. His face now held its usual unexpressive placidity.
Aalexis didn’t understand what was going on, but she didn’t like it at all. Anger flared smothering the sensation in her stomach. “I said I want a drink.”
Xaver studied her for a moment longer before he grabbed water from the refrigerator and handed it to her. Refusing to look at him, Aalexis snatched the bottle from his hand. She didn’t know what was going on; she’d detected her brother’s scent before, but not in an intoxicating way. Not where it made her stomach feel strange. And the confusion? She didn’t feel confusion. She was always sure of herself. She was bred to be sure, no hesitation.
Thoughtful, Aalexis unscrewed the cap and took a sip as Xaver settled down next to her. She scooted as close to the window as she could and watched the propellers spin.
“Things will be fine,” Xaver said, breaking into her musing.
Aalexis whipped her head around, but Xaver wasn’t looking at her. His eyes were closed, and his head leaned against the back of the seat.
The plane started to taxi down the runway, faster and faster, until the nose lifted, followed by the rest of the body. The ground grew smaller, and in the distance, she could see the ruins of a small city that soon shrank in the distance. As far as her eyes could see, the land lay flat below her, no mountains, nothing of interest. She leaned her head against the window and stared at the wispy clouds as the plane lifted into the atmosphere.
Slightly disturbed, definitely angry, Aalexis fell asleep.
11
Early-morning sun peeked into the room and crept over the lavender sheets and floral-print comforter that lay twisted up at the foot of the bed. Ellyssa lay with Rein behind her, spooned together, his warmth penetrating the thin cotton of her borrowed T-shirt. She could feel the even rise and fall of his chest; his soft breath brushed the back of her neck.
Slowly, so as not to disturb Rein, Ellyssa touched her lips. They were swollen from his kisses and nips. Never in her life had she experienced anything like what the two of them that shared last night. Joy thrummed in her body, the afterglow muddling her mind. All memories of the last couple of days were fuzzy. All she could think about was the feel of Rein’s body on hers, and the way his touch left her heart singing and her body craving.
How could her father believe emotions weakened people? The bond she shared with Rein felt strong and durable…unbreakable. The love Ellyssa held for him gave her reason. The bleakness she had felt last night seemed like a bad memory best left buried the past. They had a future to concentrate on. Their little band might be depleted, but if the missing were still alive, it was up to them to bring them back together and rebuild.
It was what Jordan’s family, and the other survivors who had made it through the devastation of the War, had done. It’s what Jordan would want them to do now.
Rein stirred behind her. A kiss landed on her earlobe.
“How do you feel this morning?” The question held undertones of worry.
Rolling over, Ellyssa looked at him, his chestnut hair mussed from sleep. His jade eyes held the same concern as his voice.
Ellyssa smiled; she couldn’t help it. He looked like the fox who got caught in the henhouse. “I feel…” She chased after the right words “… complete.”
Rein’s lips curled up, lighting his face. “I wish I could express the love I feel for you.”
She laughed. “I thought it is I who has trouble expressing.”
He traced her lips with his finger. “Not when it comes to you. I love you, Ellyssa. I always will.”
Ellyssa’s heart fluttered, like a thousand butterflies launching into the air at once. Leaning over, Rein kissed her, softly. His full lips grazed hers, light as a feather. Her body responded, heart pushing molten heat through her body. Unable to control her innate response, Ellyssa slipped her arms around Rein and pressed her body into his. He pulled away, grinning slyly, knowingly. Warmth rose in her cheeks, but she didn’t care. She did not want him to stop.
Ellyssa rested her hand on Rein’s cheek. Morning stubble tickled beneath her fingers. “And I love you.”
The grin Rein held started to grow, and he met her waiting mouth with more urgency. His tongue darted between her lips, and soon afterwards, Ellyssa found herself on the same precipice. This time, though, she flung herself over.
12
A soft knock at the door stirred Ellyssa from the light sleep she had slipped into, disrupting the dreams of Rein’s soft touches.
“Are you awake?” said Sarah. “Breakfast is ready, and I cleaned your clothes.” There was a brief hesitation. “Uh, I’ll leave them on the table by the door.”
“Thank you,” said Rein.
Listening to the fading shuffle of the older woman’s footsteps, Ellyssa rolled over and rested her head on Rein’s chest. Her fingers lightly traced the contours of his chest. Right now, things seemed so peaceful, as if the troubles of the world no longer existed. She didn’t want it to end. Why couldn’t her life be like the insides of the little family homes she’d seen on her way to the railroad station when this had all started?
After a moment, Rein broke into her thoughts. “As much as I hate to, I guess we should get up.”
“I know,” Ellyssa sighed, moving off of him.
The bedroom door creaked as Rein retrieved the clothes and brought them back to her. They smelled like forest rain. Ellyssa slipped on the black T-shirt and camo pants and went to a dresser to use the brush she found resting by a mirror. She pulled the bristles through her clean hair, freeing the tangles. Ever since the ordeal in the Missouri woods a lifetime ago, the simple act of brushing her hair was something Ellyssa truly enjoyed.
Hair smoothed into a tight ponytail, she faced Rein. He was sitting on the foot of the bed, watching her.
“You’re beautiful.”
A light warmth reached her cheeks, and Ellyssa grinned. “Thank you.”
Standing, Rein raked his fingers through his own hair and rearranged the chaotic strands into a new pattern. His hair was longer now, and the strands hung more limp than sticking straight up, but Ellyssa loved the feel of them wrapped around her fingers. Her body warmed at the thought.
Smiling, Rein held his hand out to her, and she went to him. He nuzzled her hair and inhaled. “You smell wonderful.”
The warmth reached her face. Ellyssa wasn’t sure how to respond. Was she to tell him how great he smelled, outdoorsy and manly? “Thank you,” was what she finally settled on.
With his fingers laced in hers, they went to meet the day.
The scent of eggs and bacon greeted Ellyssa and Rein as they passed through the living room she’d admired the first time she’d been in there with Woody. With the chaos of last night, she’d forgotten how homey it’d felt. Like rest of the house, the room welcomed her, even with the cracks in the plaster from Dyllon’s head.
“Um,” said Rein, looking at the
wall, “I guess I need to fix that.” Sighing, he pulled her toward the French doors.
The sunny kitchen buzzed with activity. Her grey hair pulled into a tight bun, Sarah wore a plaid blue dress and was performing baking magic at the oven. She pulled out a hot pan of biscuits.
Still wearing overalls, Tim was hunched over a map, pulling on his beard thoughtfully. He looked up when they entered and beckoned to Rein. Woody was wearing the same black shirt and camo pants as Ellyssa and Rein, his ash-blond hair combed away from his face. He turned with a stack of plates in his hand and smiled when he noticed Ellyssa. Then, slowly, the grin fell as his eyes flicked to their hands.
Completely confused, Ellyssa stared back at him until he looked away and set the plates on the table. He placed one in front of every chair, not making eye contact with her.
Ellyssa’s frown deepened as she watched Woody. She couldn’t figure him out. Once in awhile, he acted like her pillar of strength; other times, he would give her weird looks and act like he was now—standoffish.
Didn’t he know his friendship meant as much to her as Rein’s love? Ever since the day Jordan had passed away, Woody had been there for her, understanding her when she hadn’t even understood herself.
And if not for his help, Ellyssa’s mission to save Rein would not have ended in success. She could never thank him enough. Maybe that was the problem; Woody didn’t understand how grateful she was and how much he meant to her. She made a mental note to tell him the next time they were alone.
As Ellyssa took a seat next to Rein to listen in on the discussion he was having with Tim, Trista bounced in, exuberant as ever, as if all that’d transpired hadn’t happened. Her braided blonde hair flipped with each step. She wore a purple knit sweater and blue jeans that hugged her shape and long legs.
Ellyssa looked at her drab black shirt. Never in her life had she been permitted to wear regular clothes. At The Center, they had worn white. When she had escaped, she had worn worker attire. And even now, she still wore a uniform of a black T and camos.
“Good morning,” Trista said as she took a seat next to Woody.
“Where’d you get the clothes?” Ellyssa asked.
“Dyllon brought them to me.” Her nose curled, looking cute, when she mentioned his name.
“I need to speak to you about him,” said Rein.
Like a switch was flipped, in an instant all the cheerfulness melted right off Trista’s face as her eyes cut over to Rein. “There is nothing to discuss. I’ve made myself perfectly clear.”
Rein ignored her. “Woody and I discussed the…relationship you two seem to have developed.”
“Which is none of your business.”
Woody held his hand up at Rein. “Look,” he said, diplomatically, “I know he has done a lot for you…for us. And we are grateful that he saved your life, but you have to admit, he has been trained differently than all the other defectors that we’d brought in. We’ve never had anyone with his background before. What if he changes his mind when push comes to shove?”
“Plus, with what happened, how do you expect me to trust him?” Rein asked, his tone calm, trying for Woody’s approach.
It didn’t work. Fury pinched Trista’s face, and she sat there for a moment, speechless, eyes turning to ice.
Ellyssa had never seen Trista so angry, and that included last night. The same grey cloud of tension rolled into the kitchen again.
“The same way you trusted her,” Trista snapped, an accusatory finger pointing at Ellyssa.
Like Trista had slapped her, Ellyssa recoiled. That was the second time Trista had alluded to her. Ellyssa sat shocked for a moment. Apparently, trust was something Trista wanted but yet still questioned. Without a second thought, Ellyssa shifted her wall to block the unwelcome buzzing and opened the door to Trista’s thoughts, and then understood.
Trista blamed Ellyssa. Blamed her for their discovery, for her family being murdered, blamed her for everything. The lump of guilt stirred and reared its ugly head.
The blonde met Ellyssa’s eyes. Comprehension flicked across Trista’s face, followed by horror. She knew.
“Look, I—I’m sorry.”
“No need,” Ellyssa muttered.
Rein’s gaze slid between her and Trista. “What?”
Ellyssa shook her head. “It doesn’t matter.”
Even with everyone around her, all eyes cast toward her, Ellyssa felt alone. Nothing more than a replay of when Jason had attacked her. Then, just like now, Ellyssa was the outsider. After all, Ellyssa was from the breed meant to destroy them. Why should any of them trust her? Ellyssa’s sins exceeded Dyllon’s.
Not only that, but Trista’s sentiments matched her own. Regardless of what Rein or Woody said, it was Ellyssa who had brought death to the old coal mine the moment Rein had decided to save her life.
Hurt swelled in Ellyssa, and tears pricked her eyes. She couldn’t take any more. The onslaught of emotions, the slithering guilt she couldn’t shake, the love she felt for Rein, the sorrow, the confusion. Too much. She blanked, shoving away the swirling sensations, her soldiering instincts sliding into place. Comfortable skin.
“What is it?” Rein asked, his eyebrow dipping down in concern.
Ellyssa started to stand. “Nothing. If you will excuse me, please.” She could hear the familiar monotonous tone in her voice, but she didn’t care.
“No.” Trista shot up and rushed around the table. “I don’t really feel that way.”
Ellyssa knew that was a lie. “You do not have to explain yourself.”
“What did you do, Trista? What were you thinking?” asked Woody, apparently understanding that unspoken words had been exchanged.
Catching on, Rein pulled himself to his feet and wrapped a protective arm around Ellyssa.
His touch felt strange to her, foreign, and she felt herself go rigid. Part of her wanted to shrug his arm off, but deep inside the part she shoved down fought to break free. Despite her sloughing of the turmoil raging inside her, the one thing she didn’t want to lose was the way Rein had elicited awareness in her, like he’d woken her from a deep sleep. Ellyssa struggled between keeping her guard up and letting the hurt consume her. She definitely knew she didn’t want a repeat of last night, when she’d broken down.
“How could you?” Rein asked, directing his question toward Trista.
Ignoring them both, Trista reached down and wrapped her fingers around Ellyssa’s. Ellyssa yanked her hand away.
For a moment, Trista stared at her empty hand before she spoke. “No, I do need to explain. I don’t blame you. I swear I don’t. It was just the heat of the moment. I just…” She sighed. “I just don’t understand. You were born and raised at The Center. You were bred to be superior to all of us, a soldier to destroy us, and they’re giving me a hard time about Dyllon. Despite what he did in the past, he’s been helping us.”
Trista’s blue eyes begged for understanding. “Just like you are now. Read my mind now. You’ll see. I don’t blame you.”
“No. I should not have pried to begin with.”
“Please.”
Ellyssa didn’t know if it was the desperation in Trista’s voice, or how strange Rein’s touch had felt, which she didn’t like, but her resolve slipped. The soldiering half of her would always be part of her, but not as armor whenever she felt overwhelmed. This new self was her true self. It had lain in wait to break free for years, responding to Jeremy when he’d been dragged in by the Gestapo back at The Center. Jordan had thought Jeremy reached out to Ellyssa because he could see through the thick barrier and into her soul. She’d believed Jordan to be right. There was more to her.
Ellyssa could understand why Trista felt the way she did. It wasn’t fair. Dyllon had saved her life, and Trista felt a strong bond with him, not much different than the bond Ellyssa shared with Rein.
Of course, the strike Dyllon had against him was his involvement with the Kripo, Detective Angela Petersen, which had led to Rein’s capture and ulti
mately his torture. The captain would definitely have to prove himself to Rein and Woody.
The devastation on Trista’s face spoke volumes. She truly was sorry for what she’d thought, and Ellyssa had had no right to poke in her head. Dismissing her instinct to shut down, Ellyssa shed the pain, controlled the whirlwind of emotions.
“I’m not going to read your mind. I believe you.”
Relief bled through the desperation as air rushed from Trista’s lungs. She looked hopefully at Ellyssa.
“You read his mind, too. Tell them that he isn’t going to betray us.”
This time, Ellyssa reached down and took Trista’s hand. “From what I read last night, he isn’t. No betrayal, and no regret for the choices he made. He is completely devoted to you.” A smug look climbed across Trista’s face. She started to turn around to gloat at Rein and Woody, but Ellyssa stopped her. “But Woody is right,” she continued. “He might not be planning anything now, but that doesn’t mean he can’t in the future.”
Rein crossed his arms. “My sentiments exactly.”
“Shut up, Rein,” Trista said, whipping around, red glowing on her cheeks. “You’re the one who started all of this.”
“I have a better idea,” Sarah said, dropping the pan of biscuits on the table. “All of you shut up.” The corners of Sarah’s mouth dipped in disapproval, deepening her wrinkles. Everyone, including her husband, stared at her, stunned into silence. “All of you should be ashamed of yourselves. How can you expect to work together when all you do is bicker? You can’t act like this. Don’t you young fools know the easiest way to be defeated is from within? Not just from within a group, but within yourselves.
“You hadn’t seen each other for close to three weeks or so; Woody and Ellyssa brought Rein back, Trista’s alive, and this is what you do. This is a time to celebrate, not fight. And that is exactly what we are going to do.
“There will be no more of this squabbling. Rein and Woody, you will give Dyllon a chance to prove himself. I know with what had happened it’ll be hard, and you haven’t been with him for as long as we have, but I believe he is a good man.” She grabbed a plate of bacon and a bowl of eggs and placed them on the table.
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