Vengeance

by Amy Miles

  “Need for what?” I ask.

  Bastien sets the fruit on an empty plate beside me and wipes the blade against his pants. The juices make the dark material shine under the lights. “They really haven’t told you anything, have they?”

  I ignore the fruit and push aside my bowl. What’s the use? I’m not about to develop an appetite any time soon with the conversation that is coming. “What’s really going on out there?”

  Bastien sighs and sinks back into his chair, his arm slung over the seat back. “Drach and his crew weren’t the only ones with a compound. He was just the tip of a global army. They have begun migrating, heading deeper inland.”

  “Why?”

  He shrugs. “Could be the weather changes? The planet seems unstable. Earthquakes. Gas eruptions. You name it. All we know is that they are starting to mass together and they outnumber us at least 100 to 1. If they come against us we won’t stand a chance in a fair fight.”

  I suck in a breath and clasp tighter to my belly, wondering why I get the distinct feeling that Bastien would be more than willing to consider engaging in a less than fair battle. “And the Duturi?” I question, unable to say Hyde’s name attached with it. “What was their role?”

  Bastien flips his blade, catching it between his fingers before flipping it again. “The best we can figure was that they were going to barter you and your children for passage off this rock.”

  He pushes the plate toward me, staring at me with great intent. I sigh and lift the fruit and sink my teeth into it. The flesh is soft and sweet. Juices drip from the corners of my mouth but I take another bite, just to make him happy. His gaze shifts again and I wonder if he is content with my efforts as I set the fruit back down, wiping the juice from my mouth.

  “Donan…” I wince as his head whips around and I rush to correct my slip as his eyes narrow with anger. “Sorry. I meant to say that their leader told me that this planet is fueled by an energy source and that it’s not nearly ready to die out.”

  Bastien snickers and shakes his head. “Their leader was a fool. Look around you; this place is about to implode. Everyone knows it.”

  I cast a furtive glance at the men who huddle together at the rear of the room. They are dressed similarly to Hendrix, with smears of mud across their face. I’m not sure if this is done to avoid detection or if their trek through the swamp was really that messy.

  “How do we know we can trust them?” I whisper.

  Bastien leans in toward me. He reaches out his hand and places it against my cheek. “Would I ever knowingly put you in danger?”

  “No,” I smile, knowing that it is only a half-smile, forced for his benefit. I know that Bastien would give his life for me but I can’t shake the feeling that there is something undeniably off about Hendrix, but if Hyde was so easily able to manipulate me I will really have to be on my guard around Hendrix. “Of course not.”

  His fingers flinch against my cheek and for the briefest moment I think that he wants to pull me close for a kiss but the moment passes and he sits back. He pushes my bowl toward me and rises. “I have to check on the preparations. Once this place is stripped down we will be ready to leave.”

  “Leave for where?”

  He smiles. “Our new home.”

  What Bastien called a home is nothing more than a huge building on wheels. Wheels that, as I guessed from staring down through the grate in the floor of the tunnel in Drach’s treetop compound, are nearly double my height. The boxy vehicle that I am helped up into is one of nearly twenty in our convoy, though I have a feeling there may even be more than that. I can’t imagine how they are able to move through the swamps without detection.

  The one thing I am thankful for is that, judging by the thick outer layer of the exterior walls, it would take a great deal of force to blast through. The interior of the vehicle is starkly white and so bright after my time spent in the caves that I am forced to shield my eyes for several moments until I am able to adjust. Bastien moves into an inner hall and waits for me to make my way toward him. As I reach the end of the small path I turn and look to the left and then to the right. I don’t really know what I had been expecting but a row of closed doors was not it.

  “What is this place?” I ask, leaning forward on my walking stick. The weight of my stomach is crushing. I can feel my heart hammering loudly in my ears. Sweat clings to my forehead despite the cool air circulating through this hall.

  “These were some of the soldiers’ quarters. They have been cleaned out for our use now.”

  My gaze narrows as he turns to look at me. He laughs. “Why are you always so suspicious?” He quickly reaches out and grasps my shoulders. “There is nothing to fear here. No ulterior motive. No man sneaking in the shadows. Hendrix just felt that you would be far more comfortable in a space all on your own until you warm up to the men.”

  “Doesn’t this impose on those men though? Surely now they are forced to bunk together and that can’t make them very happy about that.”

  Bastien trails his hand down my arm and grasps my hand, bringing it up to his lips. I’m shocked when he presses a kiss to my fingers. Although I know we have a lengthy past I am still surprised that he is acting so forward. Maybe having been forced to search for me these past couple of months has changed him. I know all too well what it felt like when I began to doubt that he had survived the fires. The hole in my chest, the emptiness, that was hardest to face in the long hours of night.

  Yes, I believed he was dead, though I wished with all of my might that he was not. Now that he stands here before me I feel nothing more than pure and total exhaustion.

  Darn hormones, I mutter silently, wondering if I will ever be able to see my ankles again.

  Bastien’s lips linger against my fingers and I begin to melt at the look in his eyes. Warm. Loving. Hopeful. “This is a perfect example of why I love you so much, Illyria. You are always putting everyone else before you.”

  I blush and gently pull my hand back. I curl my fingers tightly around my walking stick to still their quivering. “Where am I to sleep?” I ask, unsure of which door I should move toward. My knees have already begun to ache. My lower back feels as if it could snap under the pressure. These babies sure aren’t getting any lighter!

  “My room is just down here.” He motions for me to follow him and I do my best to keep up. Bastien presses his hand to a small panel on the side of the door and it hisses open, much like the air locks on the D’Hatil ship. He steps aside to allow me to enter and I’m surprised to find myself in a rather spacious room. To my right is a small sitting area with two cushioned bench-like seats and a small table between them. I eye them warily, knowing that if I were to attempt to get down there I wouldn’t be getting up again anytime soon.

  There is a spacious bed off to my left, recessed between what I assume to be an adjoining bathroom and a large rectangular window that I hadn’t noticed from the outside. The exterior had been nothing but a solid sheet of weathered metal. Only the cut out for the door could be seen and even that you really have to look hard for. Bastien notices my gaze. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?”

  He steps toward the window and runs his fingers along its surface. It shimmers and distorts around his touch, almost like ripples on a lake. “Completely impenetrable and hidden from outside, yet you can see everything that we pass.”

  I hobble forward and he moves to the side to allow me to reach for the glass. I’m not all that surprised to realize that it is cold to the touch, only a shade warmer than ice. When I draw my fingers back I realize they feel slick. A shiny residue clings to my fingertips. I wipe it on my new dress. The old one was replaced to remove any hint of Hyde’s blood and the unsavory events that transpired the day Bastien saved me. I turn to sink down onto the bed. I practically fall back, my legs going up in the air.

  Bastien laughs as he rushes to steady me, pushing on my shoulder until I’m seated properly. “I don’t remember you ever being this uncoordinated before.”

&nb
sp; “That’s ’cause I’ve never been close to giving birth to a whale before,” I grumble.

  As I look about the room, determined not to look at him until the flush of embarrassment has faded from my cheeks, I notice the room has a particularly masculine feel about it. The walls are dark. The cushions are rigid and boast stark blacks and grey tones. Even the pictures hanging on the wall speak of great battles, though none of them seem familiar to me. I’m not even sure they are from our planet.

  “There is only one bed.”

  Bastien turns and grins at me. He raises his eyebrow suggestively and I can’t help but laugh. “I’ll take the couch,” he says.

  Living in the same quarters with him while we were trapped in Drach’s compound was a choice that was taken out of my hands. I know that if it were not for him I would have suffered from things far worse than hypothermia in that small room, but with all of these rooms surrounding us now it feels wrong. “I’m not sure that is such a good idea,” I hedge, trying to figure out how to convey my feeling without hurting him. That is the last thing that I want and yet the idea of him sleeping near me again is unsettling, especially this far along in my pregnancy.

  “Hey,” he says, reaching out for me as he closes the distance between us. He sinks to his knees and offers me that wry smile that I have always loved, or at least I think I did. I can’t imagine I would have changed my mind about that. “You know I would never do anything to upset you. I just can’t stand to let you out of my sight again. Not when I’ve only just found you.”

  “Of course.” I try to smile but I can feel myself trembling in his hands. His grip tightens and I look up. “It’s just...I’m a bit cranky right now, with all of this going on.” I wave my hand over my swollen belly. “I know what’s coming can’t be easy for you.”

  Although his smile remains firmly in place I see a definite shift in his gaze. It hardens, retreating at the same time. “I understand,” he says, patting my hand. “But I must insist. I don’t trust your life with anyone. Especially not now.”

  “Why not now?” I question.

  Bastien smirks and then shakes his head. “Always searching for conspiracies. Too bad you didn’t do that with Hyde.”

  I bristle but he doesn’t seem to notice as he continues. “I meant because the babies are due so soon. What if you go into labor and need my help?”

  I bite on my lower lip, knowing that he is right. With Vanata gone my worst fears may be realized. Bastien may be the one to bring Eamon’s children into this world after all. I blow out a deep breath and laugh. “I’m sorry.” I brush my hair back from my face, realizing that the sweat along my brow has not diminished despite the cooler air. It must be the effects of all of that walking, I muse. “Of course you can stay. Only if you promise not to snore.”

  Bastien grins. “I never snore.”

  TWENTY-EIGHT

  The convoy remains in a near constant state of motion for the next couple of days, pausing only to dump the refuse tanks and move on. I sit before the window, staring at the dismal landscape, wondering if there was ever a time when something beautiful grew on this planet.

  As far as I can see, there is nothing but endless swamps spanning out around us. The giant wheels of our vehicles trudge through the muck, occasionally getting stuck and forcing us to slow down until they can be dug out. Just this morning I thought I caught a glimpse of Handal, one of Donan’s men who easily towers over everyone at nearly twelve feet tall. His shoulders are broad yet hunched. Tufts of orangish hair sprout from behind his ears but the top of his head remains hairless.

  When I asked Bastien about it he just shrugged off my question, telling me that the Assassins have collected many creatures along their journeys. I suppose he could be right. I have only glimpsed the ogre-like man from a distance, and it was near nighttime. His size was too great to fit within the cave so he lived among the rocks above, using curled vines as his pillow. When Hyde told me about him, at first I felt sorry for him, but Hyde had explained it was in his nature to be a loner. Watching several of these giants shove against the vehicle three spaces ahead of us, I wonder if Hyde was right.

  “Not much to see out there,” Bastien remarks. I glance back at him to see him perched atop one of the cushioned seats, his legs stretched out onto the table top. There is mud on the bottom of his boots, only partially dry, though I don’t remember when he left the room.

  “No,” I agree and turn back to the window. I rest my chin in the palm of my hand. “I keep thinking one of these days we will drive right off the end of this world but it never happens.”

  I hear the rustle of paper and know that Bastien has set his book aside. He rises and walks toward me, his boots clomping against the floor. I can tell that he does not fear this place; otherwise he would walk with a much softer tread to conceal his movements.

  Sinking down onto the window seat beside me, he places a hand on the small of my back. His fingers slowly begin to knead the muscles there and my eyes fall closed, enjoying the sweet relief. The past three days of travel have been hard. The constant jostling about has kept me on edge about the fact that I could go into labor at any moment.

  “I’m scared,” I admit, speaking into the window. I can’t bear to look at him, not when I’m near to tears.

  “Scared of what?” I place my hand on my stomach and Bastien sighs. He leans forward and rests his forehead against my shoulder. “We have everything we need here to deliver your babies safely, Illyria. You have nothing to worry about.”

  I lean my forehead against the window, refreshed by its frigid surface. I feel like a furnace has been cranked up high within me, the handle broken so there is no way to shut it down.

  “Eamon should be here,” I whisper, closing my eyes so that I don’t have to see the pain in Bastien’s face when he hears my words. At first he doesn’t react, doesn’t move. Hardly seems to breathe. Then he explodes.

  “I’m the one who is here. Me. Not him.” He lurches up to his feet and begins to pace. Horrified at his outburst I turn to look at him, seeing him plunge his hands deep into his hair. His cheeks are blotted red. His neck is awash with heat. When he turns to look at me I see a crazed man staring back at me. I shrink back as he rushes toward me, dropping down before me. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I just…” he hangs his head, resting it against my knee, so close that he is nearly pressing against my stomach. “I thought I lost you,” he says, his voice strangled with a heart sickened groan. “The thought of losing you forever was just too much to bear.”

  He lifts his head and pushes the hair back from his eyes. “I’ve been given a second chance with you and I’m not going to give it up. You are worth fighting for.”

  I suck in a breath, holding it till long after I begin to feel a bit lightheaded. It bursts from my lips as I lean back away from him. “Don’t say that.”

  “Why not? It’s true.” He scoots so near that I can’t press any closer to the wall. There is a desperation in him that terrifies me. He isn’t thinking clearly. What if the past couple of months has changed him beyond all hope of recovery?

  I place a firm hand on his chest and push him back. “I am still a married woman, Bastien. Do not forget that.”

  A scowl settles deeply into his handsome features. “He isn’t even here. He will never find us. I’m all you have left.”

  “No,” I shake my head, pushing him back so that he nearly topples over. I place my hand upon my belly, feeling the pain of his words strike me like a fatal blow. “You are not.”

  A gentle knock at my door startles me from my rest. I push against the soft cushion of the bed and realize the room is dark and empty. Bastien is gone. Not only that...we have stopped moving.

  “Hello?” I call when the knock comes again. It seems far too quiet to be a man and Bastien would have no need to knock before entering.

  “May I come in?” a meek voice calls through the door.

  I gather the sheets about me. “Who are you?”

&
nbsp; “I am to assist with the baby. Hendrix says that I am to check you now.”

  “Oh,” I breathe out a sigh of relief. There has been no sign of Vanata since the day of the attack. I do not know if she is alive or dead, though I have a feeling it is the latter. Her medical care gave me reason to hope that I could bring my children safely into the world. With her gone that fear has rooted deeply in my chest. “Please, come in.”

  The door slides open and shut, sealing in the woman, though I can hardly call her a woman. She is stunning, almost to the point of stealing my breath away. Her skin is a deep blue, milky and perfect. Her eyes remind me of a field of wild spring flowers back on Earth, filled with life. Her hair is black as night, as are the wings that rise from behind her.

  I hold my breath as she draws near to the side of the bed. I realize as her feet whisper across the carpeted floor that she does not wear shoes. As I release my breath and take in air I discover a new taste on the air, like fresh honey bread just out of a hearth fire.

  “My name is Lurime,” she says as she sinks down onto the edge of my bed.

  “You are a Faeus?”

  Her eyes widen in surprise. “You know of my people?”

  “I knew a man...a friend,” I amend, “who once loved one of your people.”

  She lowers her hair and I watch a cascade of shimmering black hair fall over her shoulder. “I am sorry for him. We do not love easily.”

  I nod, knowing that Hyde did not either. “My friend would have been pleased to have met you. He did not know there were more of your people on this planet.”

  “There are very few of us left. Wars. Plagues. Men from the stars. We were scattered or killed. I am among the few that remain now.”