Before the argument could continue, a strange rumbling came from outside. Lena lifted her head. She knew that sound. It was the rumble of a large erial. That could only mean one of three things. Either her sister had found her, Vor had found her, or Rallorival had backup arriving. The last option got scratched off the list when all the Aethari jumped up from the table, pulled their pulsers, and stared out the kitchen window.
“Who the fuck is that?” Cira snarled.
“Well, they're not friends of ours.” Rallorival went to the window and pushed up the pane to aim his pulser through the opening. “Fuck! It's that fucking Nethren! How did he get here? He's supposed to be underground!”
Lena's heart soared. She got up and eased behind Rallorival to look outside. Sure enough, Vor was exiting the erial with several other Nethren. He was there! Vor had come for her!
“They've got pulsers, Vor!” Lena shouted out the window. “Look out!”
Rallorival backhanded Lena, and she went stumbling into the table, knocking over the glasses so that water gushed onto the floor. As she straightened, she wiped the blood from her lips and smirked. Vor and his friends were in the forest, using the trees as cover as they circled the house. Lena watched through another window and waited, something shimmering inside her, guiding her.
The Aethari fired at the trees. Branches broke, and smoking leaves fell to the ground, but the Nethren had vanished. The Aethari kept firing, some of them moving to other windows in search of the Nethren. Lena continued to wait. She stood in the center of the kitchen, hands at her sides, and opened herselfto whatever force guided her. Her senses sharpened. Just a little longer. A little longer. Wait.
Now!
Lena screamed at the top of her lungs. She screamed not in fear or frustration but with power. Magic and Technology rushed through her and poured out of her mouth, vibrating through the air to send the Aethari to the ground, whimpering as they covered their ears. There would be no respite this time. Lena sucked in a breath quickly, and another scream poured forth, the tone lower, delivering pain. She kept screaming until blood poured from their ears and trickled out of their eyes.
Then a shiver ran through Lena. Vor was close. Snapping her mouth shut, she ran to the window. She couldn't see him. But then a thud came at the kitchen door.
“Vor!” She shouted.
“I'm here, Lena! Back away from the door!” Vor shouted back.
Grinning, hands trembling with joy, Lena backed away. The door splintered, and there, standing in the frame of broken wood, was her Nethren lover. He glanced at the groaning Aethari, lifted his eyebrows, and then opened his arms.
Lena rushed forward.
Something grabbed her ankle. Lena stumbled. Vor dashed forward, Nethren soldiers shouting as they poured in behind him. A boom came. The hand fell away, and Vor caught Lena with his metal arm. His other arm was outstretched, holding a dart pointed at Rallorival. Lena started to turn her head.
“Don't look, love,” Vor whispered and holstered his weapon. He cupped her cheek and kept her facing him as he backed out of the house. “He's gone. You're safe now.”
The other Nethren aimed their darts at the surviving Aethari, but the Aethari didn't move. They only watched with bloody eyes as Vor helped Lena out of the house, guiding her through the broken door. Then the rest of the Nethren backed out of the kitchen, leaving the Aethari alive. That should have surprised Lena, but it didn't. It was only more proof of who the real monsters were.
Vor's men kept their darts aimed at the demolished door as he hurried Lena to the waiting erial. In seconds, she was inside, seated in the front passenger seat. He helped her get her seatbelt on while his men hurried in and got in their seats. There was no time for a loving reunion, but Vor kissed Lena's cheek and gave her one last joyful smile before he moved into his seat, strapped in, and turned on the erial.
Then they were soaring through the sky, the Nethren cheering in victory, and Lena didn't care where they went, as long as Vor was with her.
Chapter Fifty
Vor
Vor had done it! No, Tech had done it. Vor had followed its guidance and reaped the benefits. Lena was sitting beside him, and they flying back to Ranuvul. The only thing that dampened his joy was the spot of blood at the corner of her lips. That bastard had hurt her! It made Vor want to turn around and kill him again. But Rallorival was dead, and Lena was safe. That was enough.
Behind them, his soldiers celebrated their accomplishments, laughing about how they'd stolen an erial from under Paradefense's nose, bested a group of Aethari warriors, and retrieved Lena. Yes, they were all happy to have her back. Not for him, but for themselves. Lena would change everything, and they knew it as well as he did.
Vor reached over and took her hand, holding the wheel with his left hand . “Are you all right?”
“I'm fantastic.” Lena leaned over and kissed his cheek, sending thrills down his spine. “I thought I had lost you forever, and then Rallorival took me. I was . . .” She looked away. “Despondent. But then I found your note and the tracker.” She looked back at him. “I knew then it would be all right. You'd find a way back to me.”
“Nothing could have stopped me.” He glanced at her lips. “You have some blood on you. What did he do to you, Lena?”
She wiped at her mouth and then stared at the blood on her finger. “This was from a slap. I was arguing with Rallorival. I called him a lunatic.”
Vor snorted. “You called me the same.”
“I believe I called you insane. And in his case, it was true.”
Something brightened in Vor's chest. “I love you, Lena.”
