“Hey,” Cara said. The brush of her fingertips prickled Aelyx’s skin into goose bumps, but it was a good tickle. He loved her touch. “What are you thinking?”
Aelyx buried his nose in her scarlet hair. Sacred Mother, she smelled delicious, of citrus and cloves, temptation and warmth. He couldn’t believe she’d agreed to come home with him.
“Just how lucky I am,” he said.
“No doubt.” She placed a kiss over his heart. “If Troy hadn’t been there, I never would have used a defibrillator on you. I was so hysterical that my brain kind of shut down.”
“There’s that,” Aelyx agreed, “but I was thinking more about you.”
“Me?”
He nodded against his pillow. “That you’re willing to leave behind everything familiar and come with me to the colony. Sometimes I still can’t believe it.”
Her fingertips halted their lazy skate across his chest, her mood seeming to shift.
When she didn’t respond, he asked, “Having second thoughts already?”
“It’s not that…” she said. “I’m nervous, I guess. We’re on our way to the colony, but we haven’t nailed down a charter. Everything was up in the air when I left. Now that I’m the human representative, I feel all this pressure. People are depending on me, and to be honest, I really don’t know what I’m doing.”
Ah, yes, Cara’s appointment to The Way. Aelyx hated to admit it, but he wasn’t sure how he felt about that. On the one hand, he was proud of her, and she deserved a reward for her sacrifice. But her new position meant he had to obey her every command. That kind of power imbalance could lead to trouble.
“Try not to worry,” he said, grateful they weren’t using Silent Speech. “Alona won’t give you more responsibility than you can handle. You have to trust her wisdom.” Aelyx supposed he should heed his own advice.
“You’re probably right,” she conceded. “But then there’s the failed takeover. I’ll bet Jaxen had more backing than just the other eight hybrids. What if they’re out there somewhere, regrouping? I’d feel better if we knew where Jaxen is.”
And what he’s up to, Aelyx thought, still irritated that the trail had gone cold. If he ever had another chance to kill the fasher, he’d make sure Jaxen stayed dead.
“And the Aribol,” Cara added, shivering a moment in his arms. “We don’t know if they’re a threat or—”
“Elire, stop.” He pressed a finger to her lips. “You’re forgetting about the alliance. Neither of us is alone now. With human numbers and L’eihr advancement, we’re stronger than any enemy I know. Whatever problems lie ahead, we’ll face them together.”
She considered that for a while, then intertwined their fingers and repeated, “Together.”
“Yes.” Squeezing their linked hands, he reminded her, “And remember, we prevented a coup and saved both our worlds yesterday. We might be superheroes.”
Cara smiled against his chest. “It sounds impressive when you say it like that.”
“It does, doesn’t it? I think we’re entitled to a break.”
“Agreed,” she said with a nod.
“No more worries, then,” he declared. “In a week, we’ll be in our new home—no roommates, no bunk beds, no classes. Just you and me and miles and miles of beach.”
He sensed a thrill of energy pass through her. “I can almost smell the salt in the air,” she said.
So could he. Their new life was so close that when he shut his eyes, the gentle rush of sea foam seemed to bubble over his feet. It couldn’t come quickly enough. The future was uncertain, but Aelyx knew one thing—it wouldn’t be dull with Cara by his side.
Acknowledgments
Many thanks to my editor, Laura Schreiber, for once again leading me through the revision process and taking this book to the next level. I value your guidance more than you know. Additional thanks to my agent, Nicole Resciniti, for the countless brainstorming sessions that contributed to this finished product. If the L’eihrs truly existed, they would clone you in an instant!
Much love to my critique partners, authors Lorie Langdon and Carey Corp, for their support, and even more for their friendship. Additional hugs to the Lucky 13s, the Class of 2k14, and the NBC Writers for providing a shoulder to lean on…and cry on when necessary. I’m so glad that we found each other.
As always, I’m grateful to my family and friends, who never fail to amaze me with the depth of their support for my writing. I love you!
And finally, I’d like to extend my gratitude to the readers, librarians, bloggers, YouTubers, and reviewers who have made this series so successful by simply talking about it. Believe it or not, getting a book published isn’t the hardest part. The real challenge is making that book stand out among a sea of other novels in the marketplace. Nothing is more powerful than word-of-mouth advertising, and your recommendations have made an enormous impact. Thank you!
Melissa Landers is a former teacher who left the classroom to pursue other worlds. A proud sci-fi
geek, she isn’t afraid to wear her Princess Leia costume in public—just ask her husband
and three kids. She lives outside Cincinnati in the small town of Loveland, “sweetheart
of Ohio.” For more information, or just to say hello, visit melissa-landers.com.