Lena just frowned at him. They hit the ground hard, everyone flopping about as much as their seatbelts allowed. A boom came. Lena banged back into her seat, her body limp. She looked around. Liria and Thaxvarien were both unconscious. Thaxvarien was wrapped around his destra and bleeding in several places. Lena frowned at them. She could have had that kind of love, but her chance was stolen.
Her father groaned. “Lena?”
“I'm fine,” she said in a monotone. “Are you all right, Dad?”
“Yes. Oh, your sister! Liria?” He unbuckled himself and shifted to push Thaxvarien off Liria. “Liria?”
“Dad?” Liria's voice came, just a breath of sound.
Then the door beside Lena creaked open. She blinked against the sudden light. A shadow stood before her. Winged. Hands reached in and unbuckled Lena's straps before taking her waist and hauling her out of the erial.
Lena squinted up at her savior, and Rallorival's face came into focus. She jerked back. In her mind, a memory exploded. No, not a memory—a dream. The blond man who had raged at her to love him was Rallorival. It all came back to her—a flight away from her loved ones, Lena screaming at him, a gag in her mouth, and then her lying naked on a bed beneath him, Rallorival between her thighs. She had known the dream was a warning, but she'd thought it had been about Vor. How wrong she was.
Rallorival pulled Lena into his arms. “It's all right, Lena. I've got you now. It will be all right.”
“Lena!” her father shouted. “Let go of my daughter, you traitor!” He stumbled out of the crashed erial.
It was too late. Rallorival had Lena wrapped in his arms as he left the ground. Higher and higher they went, the ground falling away to give her a view of the destroyed erial, one side charred. Terror blasted away her apathy as she looked at Rallorival. He must have shot down their erial. The fucking bastard! Her dream was unfolding. Lena fought Rallorival, but he restrained her with one arm.
“Calm yourself. No one's hurt. They'll be fine.” Rallorival evened out their flight, joining a group of five Aethari who settled into formation around him.
“Put me down,” Lena demanded.
“Shh.” He nuzzled her neck. “You'll understand soon. You're my destra, Lena. Source has brought us together.”
“I'm not your anything!” Lena pushed against Rallorival's hold even though they were hundreds of feet above the ground. “You destroyed my future! The man Iove is underground because of you!”
“He's a monster, Lena. You're not meant to be with a monster.”
Her strength gave out, and her fear fled with it. Lena slumped in Rallorival's arms. He was nearly as big as Thaxvarien. There was no way for her to fight him. And what did it matter anyway? Lena had already seen what Rallorival was going to do to her. She was prepared for it, and she'd survive it because of Vor. She had known love in his arms. Nothing could touch her now. Let Rallorival take what he could. She would give him nothing.
Chapter Forty-Four
Lena
Lena walked into the lavish bathroom and shut the door. Rallorival was just outside, waiting for her to freshen up before dinner—his exact words. She grimaced at her reflection in the massive mirror hanging above the sink. The man was insane. With a snort, Lena realized she had thought the same thing about Vor once. But he was the sanest man she knew.
“This time, I'm right,” Lena muttered as she sat on the edge of the bathtub to take off her boots. She was tired and filthy, in the same clothes Vor had given her the day before. She was going to take a long bath and make that asshole wait.
One boot came off without a fuss, but the other proved more difficult. Something was digging against the side of her foot. Lena frowned as she got the boot off and then dug inside the boot for what had impeded her. She pulled out a small packet.
“What in the world is this?” Lena's heart sped up as she unfolded the packet to discover that it was a note from Vor.
Something slid out from the unfolded paper and clattered onto the tile floor. Lena bent to pick it up. It was a metal disc, butwhen she scrutinized it, she saw a bisecting line. She laid it on the tub rim beside her and read the note.
My Lena,
If you're reading this, we've been separated. I understand if you've left me. I won't try to sway you with words of love. You know how I feel about you. You changed me, and I will always adore you for that, even if you choose to leave me. I wish you the best life possible, full of laughter, music, and love. But if something beyond our control has taken you from me, I promise that we will not be parted for long. The enclosed disc is a tracking device. Twist it, and it will summon me. I will come for you. No matter how long we've been apart, if you want me or should you need my help, I will come for you.
Forever yours,
Vor
Lena's breath shivered out of her, and the despondency that had been weighing her down vanished. She inhaled deeply, her shoulders straightening, her mind clearing, and her chin lifting. Vor, always preparing for any circumstance, had provided a way for them to reunite. Her brilliant Nethren commander would come for her if she called. All she had to do was activate the tracker.
Lena picked up the disc and peered at it. She had to twist it to activate it; probably to align internal wires and complete a circuit. She shook her head. The things Nethren could do without convergence were astounding. If she twisted it, would the wires align and send out a signal? Oh, who the fuck cared how it worked as long as he came for her?!
Then Lena paused. If she summoned Vor, he might come alone. And a team of Aethari would welcome him with pulsers. He'd never defeat them by himself.
