The Parabiont Invasion Book 3
Page 21
It was over.
Graves stared at the monitor.
There was nothing left inside the Cube.
The stack was gone.
“We can go now, Jose. Our job here is done.”
Graves heard the soldiers settle in the back seat then the armored vehicle punched forward, the old power plant receding quickly in the distance.
They had not saved much but he was grateful for what they did manage to recover.
The Coalescence was still intact… stored inside one of Eklan’s devices.
And even though the Amilaki had no idea how to reestablish contact with it, Graves was confident he would eventually find a way.
It was important. Because having knowledge, having intelligence, was always the best option when you went to war.
And Graves knew that even if they had prevailed against Tebayi, it was but a trial of what was in store for them.
The Snyl were out there.
And they only had one directive.
Obliterate.
33 Epilogue
Beatrice McKenzie watched Emma Purnell tug Foxy into play, the two cavorting without a care under the deep azure of the cloudless sky. The ten-year-old waved back at her, the dark blue eyes sparkling with delight. She was just as Beatrice remembered: the smattering of freckles, the strawberry blonde hair, the unbreakable spirit. The young girl who had been reunited with her mom in the airport terminal was beautifully carefree.
It was good to be in company of an unburdened soul.
“She just loves animals.”
“Yeah, I can see that,” laughed Beatrice as she made her way over to where Emma’s mom, Monica, waited, an easy smile on her delicate face.
The camping chairs had been set in a loose circle around a fire pit full of dry wood, a dozen feet or so away from Blue Lake’s rugged shore. A small armada of tents, four in all, held their ground against the Westerly wind, the flaps rolled tight around the zippered openings.
“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Monica asked, turning to Beatrice.
“The best.”
It was true enough.
The July sun draped the landscape in a beautiful glow, the golden hues making the waters shimmer and dance as the ancient sentinel known as Mount Verstovia stood nearby, its white peak crowning over the postcard-like scenery.
The day was indeed beautiful. She was glad Noah had brushed aside her refusals. He had seen through her grumbles and steered clear of her funk, knowing it was time for her to leave darkness behind.
And the caring teen had been right. She had been dwelling in the dark for too long.
For way too long.
But Time could be a funny thing. It could slip between your fingers like fine sand or harden into a crust.
It had taken her a lot of time to accept. To accept the wrenching pain. The sorrow. The paralyzing grief.
Paige. Asalak. Kalxin. Names carved in her heart with a scalpel of anguish, until the end of time. The names of good friends. Of former enemies. Of unlikely allies. Of tragic victims. They were gone now, taken from her. Ripped from her timeline. They had all, one way or the other, given her hope. Hope when she needed it most; when oblivion whirled about her, just a heartbeat away.
Of Paige, she would retain the grit and the courage. Of Asalak, the compassion, the diplomacy and the humanity. Of Kalxin, the strength to go beyond one’s own failures.
The hole they left behind would be difficult to plug, maybe even impossible.
But she would do all she could to keep on fighting. She owed it to them, to their sacrifice.
“Trish! Come and join us!”
The voice calling from the shore was both Human and Amilaki. She gazed out at the man holding up the fishing rod as if it was the most precious object on earth. There was a very familiar gleam in Eklan’s beautiful brown eyes. A light that called up to mind a special kiss they’d shared. A kiss that had fused two entities into one.
She shot a glance at Monica. “I think I better give them a hand or we might not eat tonight!”
“Please do, Beatrice. A nice rainbow trout would be splendid!”
Beatrice nodded with a wide grin then jogged over to where Eklan and Noah stood.
“So, boys,” she said, “where are the fish?”
Eklan turned to her, clearly baffled. “In the lake, of course.”
Noah gave him a pat on the back. “Thanks for pointing that out to us, pal.”
The keen stare brightened. “Just pulling your leg, Noah.”
Beatrice grabbed the rod from Eklan’s hand. “Okay, fish. Hold on to your britches!”
And as the laughter echoed up toward the perfectly blue sky, to where the first stars twinkled into sight, Beatrice added a silent vow to her repartee.
And Snyl, if you are listening…
That goes for you too.
<<<<>>>>
Afterword
Beatrice and Foxy will return in THRESHOLD
THE PARABIONT INVASION BOOK FOUR
Find all the details here:
http://bit.ly/the_parabiont_invasion
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