Balance (The Neumarian Chronicles) (19 page)

Chapter Twenty-
two

Bendar’s
hand trembled and I smiled at his tear-streaked face.

Father’s mind brushed mine.
Bendar never imagined you’d forgive him. Your asking him to stand by you makes him feel that in some small way, he’s redeemed himself for your mother’s death
.

I glanced at my father.
He redeemed himself by loving and protecting me. I survived Mandesa because of him and the memories you gave me. I love you both
. I bent and kissed Bendar’s forehead. “Thank you for today and my life.”

He swiped his gloved knuckles
across his nose and straightened. “I give Semara Bellator into Ryder Arteres’ loving care and in marriage.” He must have practiced saying it, because he managed it smoothly. He glanced up at me, his chest puffed in pride, and smiled.

I
returned his grin then handed Raeth the wildflower bouquet, and with Ryder, turned to face my father, standing before us.

He cleared his throat.
“It is in these dark times through love, and the union that grows from it, that hope springs and, shining its bright light, reminds us what is important. Yes, this ceremony is below ground and without the usual pageantry of a Neumarian ceremony, but our ritual of family and friends witnessing this rite remains strong. As general of the European Neumarian Rebellion, it is my pleasure to join you, Semara Bellator and Ryder Arteres, for the rest of your days and beyond.” He turned to Ryder. “Declare before family, friends, and your Neumarian ancestors why this union should be granted.”

Ryder
lifted my hands and kissed my fingers. “When we met, I judged you as a spoiled princess, having no value except to grace the crowds with your beauty. In less than three minutes, you proved me wrong. Together, side-by-side, we have experienced battle, hardship, the loss of friends, and, even for a while, the loss of my gift. Yet, you never lost faith in me and always stood ready to help. Your inner beauty transcends that of your physical beauty. Your warmth and gentle soul calm the most frightened among us.”

He paused and once again, pressed his lips to
my fingers. “I’ve dreamed of a bond like that of my parents. In you, I have found the one person who could make that possible. While these are not peaceful times, the love we share will guide me safely through the darkness ahead. Today, I make a promise to you that for the remainder of my days, I will do everything possible to ensure your happiness.”

Beside me,
Raeth sniffed.

With a soft, proud, smile, Father looked at me.
“Semara, it is now your turn.”

I
nodded and looked into Ryder’s eyes. “When we met, I doubted there were two people who could be more opposite than us. You challenged me at every turn with your brazen behavior, opinions of me, and belief that a spiderat had more value. Yet, for all your actions and words to the contrary, when needed, you shared your gift without hesitation and saved my life repeatedly. You educated me, taught me to survive, and showed me the truth. I was Neumarian, and we weren’t evil. We fought Mandesa for our future. One where we can live and love in freedom.”

I lifted his hands and kissed his fingers as he had mine.
“You are a handsome man. Yet, it pales in comparison with your inner strength, generous heart, and steadfast character. All of which were shown in how you fulfilled the impossible task you were charged with as a young boy—to keep your stubborn sister not just alive, but out of trouble and safe.” Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Raeth wink. “Today, I’m blessed to become your wife, with the knowledge you will do the same for me and our children. You complete me, ground me, and give me the courage to continue loving.”

Ryder cleared his throat and swiped his eyes with the back of his hand. My father did the same.
So much for strong men.
I thought Raeth and I were the ones who were supposed to cry.

“Do any have reason why these two should not be blessed by the ancestors of our people to unite as one for all their remaining days?”
Father asked, his eyes scanning those present.

My breath caught in my throat, willing no one to speak.

At the silence, Father retrieved the silver cup from the table behind him and ran his finger around the rim. “This marriage cup was Lanena’s and mine. It is with great joy that it will be yours as well. It symbolizes eternal love, the unending circle of life when two souls merge. The liquid inside represents life’s tears.” He held it out before him and waited for Ryder and me to grasp it in unison with our right hands. “In taking this cup,” he continued, “and drinking from it, you seal your vow of love and commitment to our ancestors, that you each put the other above transitory personal wants and willingly meld your hearts and souls to one another for the rest of time.”

With our gazes locked, Ryder raised the cup to my mouth, and
I took a sip of the dry wine. Then I pressed it to his lips and he sipped.

My father took the cup and placed it
back on the table. “You may now place the ring upon her hand.”

Standing to Ryder’s right,
Penton placed one ring in Ryder’s palm. Grinning, he slipped it on my left ring finger. “I know this is more of a human tradition, but it’s one my parents believed in, a sign of their love for all to see. I hope you will wear it in honor of our vows.”

“I
will wear it happily.” I retrieved the lattice bronze ring from Raeth and slid it over his knuckle.

“I, Harrison Bellator, General of the Neumarian army,
proclaim Ryder and Semara Arteres’ united in marriage, heart, and soul.” Then, giving Ryder a look of mock-seriousness, he said, “You may take your bride and leave us until tomorrow.”

Laughing,
Ryder wrapped his arms around me and covered my lips with his. Surprised at the public display of affection, I gasped. My skin heated and the last of the cold inside me melted. Releasing me, he turned us to the doorway, Laos and Annie leading the way out of his quarters to the mess hall. Within minutes, everyone surrounded us, kissing and hugging us, offering their congratulations along with more than a few bawdy suggestions.

After cutting the cake, that read Happy Birthday, and eating a slice, the tables were pushed against the wall. Several men with handmade instruments, yet oddly similar to the ones utilized in Fallon’s saloon back in the Mining Territory, played a deep, soulful tune. Ryder swept me out onto the floor, every step and twirl in perfect time with the music. When a new tune started, he handed me to my father then I danced with Bendar and finally Penton.

As Ridgecroft and McCormick wove through the throng toward me, Ryder scooped me into his arms and I sighed in relief. “See you all tomorrow,” he called out as we headed for the door. Then laughing, he trotted to our quarters. “I’ve finally got you to myself, Semara Arteres.”

Giggling, I smacked his shoulder. “Put me down, you crazy man.”

“Not a chance. I’m carrying you over the threshold as humans do, and then I’m not releasing you till morning.” He pressed his palm to the ID scanner and the door opened, then he kicked it shut.

His brown eyes smoldered with want
as he set me down. When the lock on the door clicked into place, my heartbeat quickened, my breathing shallow with the promise of his touch and kisses.

Removing
his gun belt, he never broke his stare. “We don’t need these, not tonight. We’re husband and wife, not soldiers,” he rasped, his voice deep with need. His nimble fingers slid the strap from the buckle of my gun belt, grazing my inner thigh. I inhaled deeply, steadying myself. “Wife.” He unbuckled the other strap then removed my holster, all the time his touch igniting an inferno inside me.

I unbuttoned the top of his shirt, revealing soft dark hair lightly sprinkled across his chest. I followed the line with my lips t
o his Neumarian Mark, the tattoo of his ancestors. I’d always been mesmerized by the affects my touch provoked around the dark ink.

Silver slid from where my lips brushed the center of the dagger hilts, swirling out the points and around his mark. I traced it with the tip of my tongue, a coolness against my warmth and hunger.
He clutched my hips as his head fell back.

Encouraged, I slipped my fingers to his next button, sliding each one free until his shirt fell open, revealing his corded, firm muscles.

Pressing my palm to his chest, I continued to follow the icy silver, trailing kisses over the hard, ribbed planes from his belly to his back. It circled back around and I knelt before him, kissing the patch of hair below his belly button where the silver disappeared.

He cau
ght my wrists and guided me up to face him. “Not so fast. I plan on enjoying you all night.” His hands cupped my cheeks then his lips captured mine. I stood on my toes, leaning my head back for more access.

Panting, he broke free, pressing his forehead to mine. “I’ve missed you so much. Your scent
, it’s like coming home. A real home beyond this place.” He suckled my ear lobe and massaged the nape of my neck. My skin erupted in goose bumps, chasing the chill that zipped through my body, and I thought I’d rip the clothes from his body. But tonight might be all we had and we both wanted it to last forever.

He slid his hand under my shirt and stroked my back
, from waist to shoulders. “You are the most beautiful person to ever exist. There’s none like you.”

A low moan crossed my lips. He tugged my shirt over my head and stood back,
his gaze traveling from my head to my boots then back to my eyes. “Perfection.”

I trembled
, his eyes full of passion and promise. The love I’d longed to feel for so long stood before me with a hungry expression.

“Is this real? Am I dreaming?” I asked.

He clutched my hand and placed my palm to his chest. “Do I feel real?”

Thump
.

Thump
.

Thump
.

With his free hand, h
e brushed the hair from my eyes. “That’s my heart. It beats for you, and only you.”

I brought his hand to my chest. “And mine for you.”

Once again, he captured my lips and we lost ourselves in one another’s arms, without care or thought, only wishing to please the other. With our union, the last few remaining walls around my heart shattered. Our souls touched, and I knew this night would be unlike any before. I fervently wished tomorrow would never arrive.

But it did.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Sirens
blared a clarion call-to-arms.

Cursing,
Ryder bolted from our wedding bed. “Let’s hope it’s a drill.”

“After yesterday’s attack?” I l
eapt from bed and jerked on my uniform as Ryder gathered our weapons, conditioning made our movements automatic. Amazing the difference two years made. “One day a princess, the next a soldier bent on taking down Mandesa and her minions,” I muttered as I hooked weapons to my belt and jammed the knives into their sheaths in my boots.

Ryder glanced at me. “What
?”

“Nothing.”

Bam! Bam! Bam!
With each hit, the Arc shook.
Definitely not a drill.

“Battle stations. We’re under attack. All non-essential personal evacuate,” Father ordered over the intercom.

I’m sorry. I thought we had at least forty-eight hours
,
Father muttered. Ryder’s grim smile told me father spoke in both our minds.

We were lucky we had last nigh
t,
I said.
What’s the situation
?

Aerial bombardment. A
ssassins spotted in the forest.

Meaning, they’ll be here shortly
. A chill raced through me at the memory of my last encounter with Assassins. Our narrow escape from Old Chicago, thinking Mags had died so we could survive. Nothing we had pierced their armor—not fire, bombs, or being buried beneath a collapsed building. We survived the beach attack because my gift had flared to life, took control, and melted the assassin’s armor, stripping them of their life support.

Father brushed our minds.
UE’s promised us safe refuge.

What’s M
andesa’s excuse for the attack?

She
’s claiming the rebellion refused peace talks.

Then publically a
gree
, Ryder said.

We did,
last night. She’s declared Neumarians and their supporters are stalling so they can attack Acadia with chemical weapons, killing every man, woman, and child
.

I punched the wall and screamed, “Damn McCormick to hell!” Once again,
Mandesa had written the script, set the stage, and moved everyone around to suit her purpose. The last thing in the world she wanted was the Triune in Acadia. To that end, she had tried to kill us before the week was up and we responded in the affirmative.

Then it hit me.
This isn’t about McCormick’s weapons. That’s just the justification for launching a preemptive strike. It’s because through our agents, the people and council started pushing for my inclusion. We can’t let her get away with this
.

I agree.

Ryder arched an eyebrow at Father’s confirmation.
What action do you suggest, General?

Finish evacuation of
all noncombatants. Then take down her planes.

Did Annie and Laos get out with the rest of the orphans on the shuttle last night?
We might die, but they had to live. The children, farmers, and teachers were our legacy. To save them, they would be well hidden and protected with parent soldiers at their side.

No. Seems
Annie missed her flight last night. We’re readying them now.

What
? She was supposed to be with Briggs and Laos
.

She was,
but then snuck back to the orphanage and hid under her bed. Said she wouldn’t go without you.

Relief
and anger fought their own battle in me. Somehow, over the last few days we’d bonded. While I couldn’t love her more if I’d given birth to her, I didn’t need this headache now. Father and the Arc required all my attention. Not one little girl.
She’d better be on that last shuttle and get to safety, or I’ll tan her hide
.

Strapping on the last weapon, Ryder unlocked and opened our
door. Grabbing my hand, we raced for operations. When I gradually slowed, he glanced over his shoulder at me.

I stopped and scanned the halls.
“Something isn’t right.”

The Arc shook once more. Walls cracked. We stumbled and fell to our knees.

Of course! I reached out to Father.
Mandesa wants control of the Arc. Killing us is an added bonus
.

Too bad. Disappointment’s a bitch. It’ll be nothing but rubble as the last ship departs
, he shot back.

Ryder grabbed my arm. “Why blow the Arc?”

“If she takes it, she’ll own the world.”

A look of determination lit his face. Tight-lipped, he touched
our minds.
What about the data stores
?

I really had to bring him up to speed, I thought as Father said,
Removed the same day Mandesa sued for peace, along with most of the Arc’s supplies and all of Penton’s weapons, including his gas. And before you ask, they aren’t in UE. Get here ASAP
.

Ryder cupped my face. “You okay?” With my nod, he asked,
If not UE, where?

With trusted tribes in what was once the Highlands of Scotland
.

His eyes widened and as he mouthed
why
, he grasped my hand and we took off for operations.

Mandesa didn’t bother with them,
I answered. She figured if the Romans couldn’t conqueror them, why bother. She said they didn’t have anything she wanted. But I think it’s really because after the war, she couldn’t find them. They’d disappeared. It’s amazing what those Highlands hide
.

A
few minutes later, we entered operations. A wall screen displayed video data from everything within ten miles of the Arc. Our fighter interceptors were gaining an upper hand on Mandesa’s bombers and their escorts. But what worried me were the fifty or sixty assassins moving through the forest.

For the first time, I celebrated yesterday’s cave-in of the Arc
main entrance. It had bought us some time—an hour at the most. Those creatures would bore through anything to reach their target. And something told me I knew exactly who the assassins were after, and three of them were standing in this room.

As the
assassins cleared the woods, they charged across the open field. Our fighters made strafing runs, using armor-piercing, .50 cal explosive rounds. From experience, we’d learned nothing else worked. One fighter made a direct hit, leaving nothing but debris behind.

“Dang
, that pilot’s good,” I muttered.

“Y
up. She’s our best,” Walker said.

“Who is she?” Ryder asked.

“Your sister, Raeth.”

A smile curved the corner of my mouth. As usual, Raeth didn’t waste a bu
llet. Each one hit its target. But as good as she was, there were still too many of them.

Father touched his halo pad. “Artillery.” A second later, he snapped, “Target approaching enemy. Use no more than five of the phosphorus
bombs.”

I understood why
he’d limited the number used. Penton had only managed to make fifteen, but they’d been designed for this purpose. Upon exploding, the phosphorus would burn through anything it touched—including the impervious, metal-covered assassins.

Hope sprang. We might win this battle. The Arc and the rebellion had the weapons we didn’t in
Old Chicago. I watched as phosphorus shrapnel tore into the assassins, burning through their armor and killing them by the dozens.

I shuttered as
memories surfaced from two years ago. Our attacker fell upon the onslaught of my gift. His armor shredded, exposing his altered appearance. No longer human, but a misshapen, repulsive creature. Yet as he died, his humanity surfaced.

Once again,
the magnitude of Mandesa’s insane evil stunned me. Changing an opponent or Neumarian slave into one of her feared and hated creatures, and only in death could they find release.

I turned from the scene and scanned
a video of the sky for approaching planes. I pointed to the screen in the corner. “Oh, my God. Look!” Three bombers simultaneously opened their bay doors to empty their payload.

Dozens
of assassins.

“Artillery.
” Father ordered, not wasting a second. Target—parachuting assassins. Aim remaining phosphorus shells, set for aerial detonation. Upon completion, evacuate.”

I touched his arm. “Don’t worry, we’ll take them out.”

He shook his head. “They’re her first wave. She can’t afford for us to escape.” He pressed an orange dot on his halo pad. Three short beeps boomed throughout the Arc. “Evacuate, evacuate, evacuate. Self-destruct in twenty.”

Walker pushed back from his console. “Sir—”

“I’ve given you an order, Sergeant. Follow it.”

“I’ll stay, sir
,” Walker said. You’ll need me.”

Sighing, Father nodded then touched the red circle
on his pad.

“Awaiting command
,” said a mechanical voice.

“
Sigma. Delta. Five. Eight, Two. Zebra.”

“Do you want self-destruction to commence?”

“Yes. Complete destruction. Every level. No counter-command authorized.”

“Request
requires final command sequence.”

“Beta, Omega, Delta. Harrison,
” my father said.

“Twenty minutes and counting.”

Father turned and faced Ryder and me. “Why are you two still here?”

“
Confirming Ryder and I are to transport the remaining children and join you at the RP.”

He nodded.
“Should’ve done this yesterday. The last remaining orphanage shuttle’s waiting in the landing bay.”

“Where—”

“SB-06 and battle cruisers are safely hidden. Don’t worry, there’re enough shuttles for everyone who’s still here. Go!”

“Understood.” Over the
last year and half, while Ryder had retreated from me, I’d buried myself in assisting Father with designing evacuation strategies. No one, not even the pilots knew our rendezvous point coordinates. When Father broadcasted his order, it triggered a lockdown of our ships. Once loaded and ready for take-off, the ships would automatically navigate to the destination point, unless they took damage. When safe the ships reasserted control. However, I could override the command if needed, and I feared it would be.

As Ryder and I charged into the orphanage, Father touched ou
r minds.
I’ll maintain a telepathic connection with both of you. If there’s a problem, shout and I’ll send help
.