“Of course, it is. When you love something, you make yourself vulnerable. Your father is not a warrior, and yet he's here for you. He would fight and die to see you safe. If he could have, he would have climbed the wall and fought me. Even knowing he would have failed and likely died, he would have done it. For love of you. That is a weakness, Lena. It is a lack of reason. And yet, I want it. My chest aches with how badly I want it.”
“You want it because it's powerful.” Lena lifted her chin. “My father is not a warrior. You're right about that. But love has made him one. Love gave him the courage to come here and stand with trained soldiers. Yes, if he could have surmounted the wall, he would have. But he didn't try because he knew it was impossible. That is not a lack of reason. He's waiting, biding his time for an opportunity to save me. And when he finds one, he will take it, and I don't care who goes against him—my father will win. He will win because of his love for me. It motivates him and gives him strength. What do you fight for, Commander Vor?”
Vor blinked at her. “My people. I want them to see the sun again.”
“Why?”
“Because . . . because it's something I want, and I know they want it too. Because being up here is living fully.”
“Yes, butwhyare you fighting for them?”
“I am their commander. I'm responsible for them.”
“Thatis a weakness. You fight out of responsibility, and it will not give you half the drive and power that love would. Now, think about your mother.”
Vor scowled at her. “Why?”
“Just think about her. Remember her smile. She didn't show you love because she's trapped underground, incapable of it. If she had been up here, she would have loved you as fiercely as my mother loves me. Now, thinking about all that, what do you want for your mother? Do you want her to know what love is?”
“Yes,” he whispered in revelation. “I want that for her.”
“Why?”
“I . . .” Tears formed a film over his eyes, and then one fell. Vor flinched and lifted a hand to his cheek to wipe it away. He stared at his wet fingers in awe. “I care about her.”
“Now think about the difference between fighting with responsibility motivating you and fighting on behalf of your mother.”
Vor's breath came out in a harsh exhalation. His hand went to his chest, and his eyes blinked rapidly, sending more tears down his cheeks. “Great Tech! Is this love, Lena?”
“A type of it. Does it make you feel weak?”
“I don't know.”
“Think about battle. How hard would you fight to bring her to the surface?”
Vor swallowed roughly. “Harder than I would for all my people.”
Lena nodded. “Now you understand.”
“Lena,” he whispered.
Suddenly, her voice sharpened. “Do you enjoy keeping me here?”
“No, I don't.”
“Then why do you?”
“For them. So my people can feel what I feel now.”
“Is that why you took me?”
“Not originally. But it's why I keep you.”
Lena nodded. “And my love for my family is why I must escape you.”
“What?” Vor roared and launched to his feet. “I've given you the freedom of the fortress. Are you saying that I shouldn't? Should I keep you locked in here at all times, Lena?”
Lena sighed and leaned back in her chair. Leave it to her to desire a man who didn't know what love was. Maybe Vor falling in love with her was too much to hope for. He had made her hope for it because it was what he wanted. But he didn't understand what he wanted. And he was far from feeling romantic love. He had to be. If he loved her, he'd release her. ButLena wouldn't tell him that. He'd see it as a ploy. And that was just another sign of how much Vor had to learn about love.
