by Gun Brooke
“Sounds like fun. A get-together. Just my thing,” Adina said and closed her eyes. “Computer. Set wakeup signal at level two in four hours.”
“Affirmative.”
Briar nodded approvingly. “Good idea. For some strange reason, I’m exhausted.”
“Oh, really…I wonder why…” Adina maneuvered until she was furled up on the side that ached the least and with her arms around Briar. Curling against her like a content noiomi-feline, Briar actually gave a faint purr.
They had barely escaped the last trial by fire the Creator, or fate, had seen fit to send them. Several times during these 180 days, they had had to overcome physical challenges, dangerous incidents, and emotional turmoil. Adina credited Briar and Caya, along with Korrian and Meija, for caring enough about her to help peel away all her protective layers and reveal Adina’s authentic self. She had been fully prepared to remain dedicated to her work and make that her sole objective. Little had she known, when Pathfinder launched from the space dock and commenced on the miraculous rescue of Oconodians and Gemosians alike, that so much would happen.
Adina held Briar closer but was careful not to wake her. For her, Briar’s love was the biggest miracle of all.
Epilogue
President Gassinthea Mila Tylio strode into the trauma center in cube eleven. Dressed in stark-black trousers and a thigh-long turquoise jacket, she wore her white-streaked blond hair in a long ponytail. Behind her, presidential guards, other security officers, her two assistants, and the two ministers she depended on the most hurried along.
Outside the room where a specialized team cared for Hadler, Thea stopped and raised her hand, palm forward, not even looking at her entourage. “Wait here until I call for any of you.” She stepped into the hospital room, stopping at the side of the bed of the man she had been married to for more than twenty years.
“Hadler?”
“Gassinthea,” the man in the bed said huskily. He was pale, and his skin actually still held a faint green tint from the compound of chemicals and white garnet in his system. He had yet to regain full function of his extremities, something the physicians had warned her could take up to six months. “Where were you when I woke up?” he asked, his arm flailing as he tried to reach for her. She didn’t move closer.
“I had state business to attend to,” she said coolly. “Your medical team assures me you’re going to survive and, given time, regain your health.”
“I need you more than ever.” He panted, trying to sit up. Immediately a nurse stopped him and cautioned him to remain still. The less he moved in this initial stage, the less the residual chemicals would travel through his body.
“Rest,” Thea said and knew her word sounded callous and more like a command. “I’m sure your friends—or what do you usually call them, your associates—I would expect some, if not all of them, will pay you visits and put cool hands on your forehead.”
“Gassinthea!” Hadler said. “What are you—are you crazy? You don’t want to mention—”
“We’re beyond petty secrets, abusive behavior, and keeping up appearances, Hadler. I should have done this a long time ago, but my presidency meant too much to me, so I bided my time for far too long. Now when we’re on our way to P-105 and I need to focus everything on my job to keep this ship and its passengers safe, I don’t have time for you or your demented power games anymore.” She stepped closer and leaned over his bed, looking him in the eyes. “I’m divorcing you. Thirty days from now, our union is nullified. Once you’re released from this hospital unit, you’ll be given quarters in another cube. I’ll have your private possessions put in storage until that time.”
She stood straight again and turned to leave. “My assistants will be in with documents that need your fingerprints. I suggest you don’t cause any trouble or try to delay this. I know more of you and your escapades than you think—as well as the business arrangements you conduct at your club.” She tilted her head, allowing her fury to show. “Not to mention all the evidence of abuse I’ve collected over the years. Once I leave this room, I fully expect never to see you again.”
“But, Gassinthea—”
“Good-bye, Hadler. May the Creator aid you in your recovery.”
“It’s that little bitch, isn’t it? That Red Angel whore of a changer? She poisoned your mind with that clairvoyant shit she spouts? How the hell can you put such a criminal before your own—”
Thea moved so fast, she frightened him; she could see that as she wheeled and bent over him, slamming her hands down onto the bed railing, her nose almost touching his. She put her hands on his shoulders, pressing him into the bed, digging her fingertips into his skin. “She saved your life,” Thea hissed. “Briar risked her own life to save your pathetic ass and nearly lost the woman she loves in the process. You don’t even get to say her name. If I hear any rumors of you speaking of Briar or her sister to anyone, I will use one of the many reasons I have to throw you in the brig for the duration of our journey. Is. That. Understood?”
Hadler gasped for air and was actually starting to look asphyxiated. She didn’t care but waited for his response. Around her, the staff waited to assist Hadler but did nothing to stop her.
“All right. Fuck it. I said all right!” Hadler broke into a fit of coughing when she let him go. The nurses moved in immediately, but Thea quickly left the room. She waved her fingers dismissively to her male assistant. “He’s ready to sign the documents. Once it’s done, issue a press release.”
As she walked toward the entrance where the presidential jumper waited to take her back to cube one, Thea felt as if she had actually lost weight. Having this man finally out of her life, after years of humiliation and looking the other way, made her feel intoxicated. This part of her life was over, and she would never have to dread or plan around his abusive nature again. This side of him of course only manifested itself when they were alone. As much as she’d tried to avoid their confrontations, sometimes it had been unavoidable, and that was when Hadler had taken the chance to even the score, as he put it. The more her success and power had grown, the more she’d had to pay for it when he felt slighted in any way.
Thea shook her head, refusing to let dark memories of pain and shame ruin this moment. Right now, she found it remarkably easy to breathe, and she walked on such light feet, she briefly wondered if the inertial dampeners were malfunctioning again. It didn’t matter that the burden of ultimate responsibility would keep giving her sleepless nights. Being accountable for two million souls was daunting, but she’d long accepted this as her role, her fate. She could handle it as she’d handled everything else, by working hard and forging ahead. Actually, she’d have an advantage, as she had the unorthodox help of an oracle and a medium. They would help in her quest to save their people.
As the jumper hurtled through the tunnels toward cube one, Thea leaned back and smiled. She planned to indulge herself for a few moments while in transit and simply enjoy the fact that she was free.
About the Author
Gun Brooke resides in the countryside in Sweden with her very patient family. A retired neonatal intensive care nurse, she now writes full-time, only rarely taking a break to create websites for herself or others and to do computer graphics. Gun writes both romances and sci-fi.
Follow Gun Brooke on the web at gbrooke-fiction.com, or on social media:
Facebook: www.facebook.com/gunbach
Twitter:@redheadgrrl1960
Tumblr: gunbrooke.tumblr.com
LiveJournal: redheadgrrl1960.livejournal.com
Books Available From Bold Strokes Books
Illicit Artifacts by Stevie Mikayne. Her foster mother’s death cracked open a secret world Jil never wanted to see...and now she has to pick up the stolen pieces. (978-1-62639-472-8)
Pathfinder by Gun Brooke. Heading for their new homeworld, Exodus’s chief engineer Adina Vantressa and nurse Briar Lindemay carry game-changing secrets that may well cause them to lose everything when disaster strikes. (978-1-6
2639-444-5)
Prescription for Love by Radclyffe. Dr. Flannery Rivers finds herself attracted to the new ER chief, city girl Abigail Remy, and the incendiary mix of city and country, fire and ice, tradition and change is combustible. (978-1-62639-570-1)
Ready or Not by Melissa Brayden. Uptight Mallory Spencer finds relinquishing control to bartender Hope Sanders too tall an order in fast-paced New York City. (978-1-62639-443-8)
Summer Passion by MJ Williamz. Women loving women is forbidden in 1946 Hollywood, yet Jean and Maggie strive to keep their love alive and away from prying eyes. (978-1-62639-540-4)
The Princess and the Prix by Nell Stark. “Ugly duckling” Princess Alix of Monaco was resigned to loneliness until she met racecar driver Thalia d’Angelis. (978-1-62639-474-2)
Winter’s Harbor by Aurora Rey. Lia Brooks isn’t looking for love in Provincetown, but when she discovers chocolate croissants and pastry chef Alex McKinnon, her winter retreat quickly starts heating up. (978-1-62639-498-8)
The Time Before Now by Missouri Vaun. Vivian flees a disastrous affair, embarking on an epic, transformative journey to escape her past, until destiny introduces her to Ida, who helps her rediscover trust, love, and hope. (978-1-62639-446-9)
Twisted Whispers by Sheri Lewis Wohl. Betrayal, lies, and secrets—whispers of a friend lost to darkness. Can a reluctant psychic set things right or will an evil soul destroy those she loves? (978-1-62639-439-1)
The Courage to Try by C.A. Popovich. Finding love is worth getting past the fear of trying. (978-1-62639-528-2)
Break Point by Yolanda Wallace. In a world readying for war, can love find a way? (978-1-62639-568-8)
Countdown by Julie Cannon. Can two strong-willed, powerful women overcome their differences to save the lives of seven others and begin a life they never imagined together? (978-1-62639-471-1)
Keep Hold by Michelle Grubb. Claire knew some things should be left alone and some rules should never be broken, but the most forbidden, well, they are the most tempting. (978-1-62639-502-2)
Deadly Medicine by Jaime Maddox. Dr. Ward Thrasher’s life is in turmoil. Her partner Jess left her, and her job puts her in the path of a murderous physician who has Jess in his sights. (978-1-62639-424-7)
New Beginnings by KC Richardson. Can the connection and attraction between Jordan Roberts and Kirsten Murphy be enough for Jordan to trust Kirsten with her heart? (978-1-62639-450-6)
Officer Down by Erin Dutton. Can two women who’ve made careers out of being there for others in crisis find the strength to need each other? (978-1-62639-423-0)
Reasonable Doubt by Carsen Taite. Just when Sarah and Ellery think they’ve left dangerous careers behind, a new case sets them—and their hearts—on a collision course. (978-1-62639-442-1)
Tarnished Gold by Ann Aptaker. Cantor Gold must outsmart the Law, outrun New York’s dockside gangsters, outplay a shady art dealer, his lover, and a beautiful curator, and stay out of a killer’s gun sights. (978-1-62639-426-1)
White Horse in Winter by Franci McMahon. Love between two women collides with the inner poison of a closeted horse trainer in the green hills of Vermont. (978-1-62639-429-2)
Autumn Spring by Shelley Thrasher. Can Bree and Linda, two women in the autumn of their lives, put their hearts first and find the love they’ve never dared seize? (978-1-62639-365-3)
The Renegade by Amy Dunne. Post-apocalyptic survivors Alex and Evelyn secretly find love while held captive by a deranged cult, but when their relationship is discovered, they must fight for their freedom—or die trying. (978-1-62639-427-8)
Thrall by Barbara Ann Wright. Four women in a warrior society must work together to lift an insidious curse while caught between their own desires, the will of their peoples, and an ancient evil. (978-1-62639-437-7)
The Chameleon’s Tale by Andrea Bramhall. Two old friends must work through a web of lies and deceit to find themselves again, but in the search they discover far more than they ever went looking for. (978-1-62639-363-9)
Side Effects by VK Powell. Detective Jordan Bishop and Dr. Neela Sahjani must decide if it’s easier to trust someone with your heart or your life as they face threatening protestors, corrupt politicians, and their increasing attraction. (978-1-62639-364-6)
Warm November by Kathleen Knowles. What do you do if the one woman you want is the only one you can’t have? (978-1-62639-366-0)
In Every Cloud by Tina Michele. When Bree finally leaves her shattered life behind, is she strong enough to salvage the remaining pieces of her heart and find the place where it truly fits? (978-1-62639-413-1)
Rise of the Gorgon by Tanai Walker. When independent Internet journalist Elle Pharell goes to Kuwait to investigate a veteran’s mysterious suicide, she hires Cassandra Hunt, an interpreter with a covert agenda. (978-1-62639-367-7)
Crossed by Meredith Doench. Agent Luce Hansen returns home to catch a killer and risks everything to revisit the unsolved murder of her first girlfriend and confront the demons of her youth. (978-1-62639-361-5)
Making a Comeback by Julie Blair. Music and love take center stage when jazz pianist Liz Randall tries to make a comeback with the help of her reclusive, blind neighbor, Jac Winters. (978-1-62639-357-8)
Soul Unique by Gun Brooke. Self-proclaimed cynic Greer Landon falls for Hayden Rowe’s paintings and the young woman shortly after, but will Hayden, who lives with Asperger syndrome, trust her and reciprocate her feelings? (978-1-62639-358-5)
The Price of Honor by Radclyffe. Honor and duty are not always black and white—and when self-styled patriots take up arms against the government, the price of honor may be a life. (978-1-62639-359-2)
Mounting Evidence by Karis Walsh. Lieutenant Abigail Hargrove and her mounted police unit need to solve a murder and protect wetland biologist Kira Lovell during the Washington State Fair. (978-1-62639-343-1)
Threads of the Heart by Jeannie Levig. Maggie and Addison Rae-McInnis share a love and a life, but are the threads that bind them together strong enough to withstand Addison’s restlessness and the seductive Victoria Fontaine? (978-1-62639-410-0)
Sheltered Love by MJ Williamz. Boone Fairway and Grey Dawson—two women touched by abuse—overcome their pasts to find happiness in each other. (978-1-62639-362-2)
Death’s Doorway by Crin Claxton. Helping the dead can be deadly: Tony may be listening to the dead, but she needs to learn to listen to the living. (978-1-62639-354-7)
Searching for Celia by Elizabeth Ridley. As American spy novelist Dayle Salvesen investigates the mysterious disappearance of her ex-lover, Celia, in London, she begins questioning how well she knew Celia—and how well she knows herself. (978-1-62639-356-1).
Hardwired by C.P. Rowlands. Award-winning teacher Clary Stone and Leefe Ellis, manager of the homeless shelter for small children, stand together in a part of Clary’s hometown that she never knew existed. (978-1-62639-351-6)
The Muse by Meghan O’Brien. Erotica author Kate McMannis struggles with writer’s block until a gorgeous muse entices her into a world of fantasy sex and inadvertent romance. (978-1-62639-223-6)
