She turned her sad eyes to the ground, and Shadow groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. "Two hours, Mera,” he eventually bit out. “I will give you two hours on the vessel and then we head to the library, no more arguments.”
Her head jerked up, and somehow she refrained from bouncing on the spot. "That would be wonderful," she said sedately.
With a shake of his head, Shadow leaned down to kiss the hell out of her. As I turned away from them, a hand brushed across mine. Reece's energy slid into me, and I had to clench my thighs to ease the fire his touch sent spiraling through my needy body. Our gazes met, and there were promises in those endless depths. Promises I really needed him to keep.
But first… Reece's sands swept up the prisoners, encasing and lifting them so he could move the lot at once. For the first time since being captured, they started to fight, and knowing it would strain his energy, I placed a hand on his shoulder and shared my power.
"I don't need your—"
I cut him off. "I know you don't need my help, but you’re still getting it. You have to be at your strongest going into this mission. So shut the hell up, take the help, and let's get it done."
We might be fucking, but I would not hesitate to smack him upside the head when he needed a wake-up call. He wanted to argue, I could tell by the flare of heat in his eyes as he narrowed them.
`When he leaned down, I expected one of his usual harsh retorts. "You're lucky that we're not alone, Angel," he said instead. "Because you would learn to do as you're fucking told."
I laughed in his face. Who the hell did this moron think he was? "Listen up, Desertlandian,” I said, not bothering to keep my voice low. "You will never tell me what to do, and I will never blindly obey. Take my damned help and stop being a juvenile. You're too old for that shit."
I heard a harsh intake of air from nearby—Len I was fairly sure—and I also felt Shadow press in closer, no doubt anticipating a fight that he would have to break up. Despite our declaration of a truce, they all knew how hard it was for longstanding grudges to truly end.
Reece's breathing grew heavier as he used his sands to move me away. “I’m not fighting with you, Lale. You need to save your strength.” Despite his annoyance, the push of his energy was gentle, and I decided not to bother again because this was wasting time.
Turning my back on him, I made my way to Mera, grateful she’d be around for a few more hours. She slid her arm through mine. "Are you two actually getting worse in this attempt at a truce?" she asked in a whisper, as we watched Reece’s sands sweep the prisoners out the door.
"We’re doing our best,” I said, memories of our sex high above the Ostealon filling my mind. Reece’s best had near killed me. “Truth is, being here and heading toward the Delfora for battle has memories rising and tempers flaring. Reece’s controlling nature also appears to have really amped up in the years since we stopped being friends. He’s forgotten that he’s not my superior, even in the Desert Lands.”
Mera squeezed my arm. "Yes, exactly. You're Angel of the motherfreaking Honor Meadows. You’re a legend. And you’re not going to be defined by the past any longer."
She always had my back, and I must have done something right to have a being like Mera in my life. "Thanks, friend," I replied softly.
At this point everyone was following Reece and Shadow out of the tent, so we did as well. Outside was still very dark, the new-moon quite a few hours away. The group of prisoners were visible off in the distance, Reece’s sands holding them above the tents.
"So, how long do you think until our bond moves past what it is now?" Mera asked randomly after we had left the red tents and were halfway through the gold. “Like, at times I can hear you in my mind, but then it’s gone and our bond is barely a blip in my chest.”
Through our joined arms I felt her energy and that of the unborn child, muted but steady. "Increases in power or stress can amp up the connection,” I told her, explaining how we’d heard each other’s thoughts before. “But it’s like a wave; after the peak, there’s an inevitable fall. As the years go on, though, the waves will calm and we won’t have so many ups and downs. Eventually, our bond will be strong and unbreakable. No matter where we are, you will be able to feel and talk to me.”
She made a pleased sound. "Good to know. Is that when we’ll become twin souls?"
Ever since I’d mentioned the term, she’d been curious about it. “It’s the strongest bond in the Honor Meadows,” I explained. “The birth of transcendent twins is as rare as any birth in the Solaris System, and it results in a bond with shared powers, a mental connection, and a plethora of other strengths. It’s also a bond we can almost replicate when we connect in the way you and I have. In the next few decades, we will find our twin compatibility."
Decades no doubt sounded like a lot to a youngling like her, but she’d come to find that it was barely a blip in time.
Mera let out a happy sigh. “After years of being alone, it’s still astonishing to me that I’m now bonded to you, Shadow, and Midnight. Beings I can literally feel in my chest and even talk to in my mind. The concept should freak me out, but for some reason, it doesn’t. I feel… safe and protected."
"You are safe and protected," I said, the words more forceful than was probably needed in casual conversation. "All of us would give our lives for you."
"I have to live for my child," she said, pulling me to a stop amid the brown tents of Shale, "but know that I would give my life for you as well. This bond doesn't just go one way. Promise me again"—she swallowed roughly—"promise that you will do everything in your power to come back to me. You and Shadow and all of our family. Bring them home to me, Angel."
"I will do everything in my power," I said, sealing my words with energy. There was a thrum in our bond, and both of us pressed a hand to our chest.
"It feels stronger," Mera whispered.
"It does," I confirmed as tendrils of her lifeforce ebbed into mine. "I think I'll be able to sense you in the library and know if there’s anything wrong. Or if the baby is coming."
She narrowed her eyes. "Girl, do not even mention this child coming into the world while you’re all stuck in the Desert Lands fighting the freaking gods. Nope, they will do just as their momma tells them and stay inside until we're all back together as a family."
She stomped her foot to reiterate her point, but we both knew that there was nothing she could truly do to stop this impending birth. The race to the power moon wasn’t the only race we were in.
At this point, a few Shale Desertlandians exited their tents, wondering at the noise. Ignoring their stares, I dragged Mera along again, hurrying until we caught up to Galleli, who brought up the back of the pack.
