Autonomy: Book 2 in the Invasion Day series (16 page)

“I couldn’t decide what I fancied, so I just ordered one of everything,” Thrayke told her with a boyish grin. He looked cheerful and relaxed, and Kyra knew her smile must’ve shown him the same elation, because he immediately swooped up from his seat and took her mouth for a deep kiss. When the two of them were together like this, Kyra was truly happy. If she could do it all over again she hoped she’d do things differently, and yet couldn’t hate Kronus for having made her fall for him, but wished things hadn’t ended the way they had. There’d been no proper goodbye, only pain, and she knew those cracks in her heart and soul might never truly heal.

She forced herself out of her melancholy, and sat down to start her taste-testing session of the variety of foodstuffs Thrayke had ordered for them. Bites of each wonderful plateful were taken without a care for etiquette, and she grinned across at him as they devoured their huge breakfast. Thrayke was the same, and armed with nothing but forks, they tucked in without a care in the world.

Now that you’ve started rounding up the humans with the compatible DNA sequence, does that mean you’ll be leaving soon?
she signed when they’d finished, and was grateful for his honesty when he replied.

“Yes, and within a couple of weeks I’d imagine,” Thrayke answered, but looked away as he spoke the finite words. While she appreciated hearing the truth at long last, Kyra couldn’t help but feel her mood darken a little at the realization that before long, he too would be out of her life for good. He’d been a constant presence in her world ever since the day she’d gone to The Tower and been thrown into the life of a Gentry officer, and she now knew the measures he’d gone to so he could protect and care for her the entire time between then and now.

They both shook off their misery and chatted about better things, albeit forced, and soon they were laughing and reminiscing about their first few awkward weeks together in London when their connection had begun. Thrayke also told her some more stories about his home, upbringing, and his adventures as a soldier, and Kyra wordlessly responded without a care for her lost voice. He kept up with the lip-reading wonderfully, and before they knew it, they’d whiled away the entire morning.

You’ll get in trouble if you stay here too long,
she eventually told him, but Thrayke shrugged it off.

“I don’t care. I’ll tell them I was on a private mission to collect my personal effects. No one will care anyway now that we’re starting the drawdown.” He pulled her close and kissed her lips. “You’re more important than that damn Tower, or the people in it.”

***

Thrayke went back and forth from her hotel bed and The Tower over the following week, and Kyra got used to having him come and go in his odd commute between London and Los Angeles. She was thankful he had such a high-speed hovercraft for his use, and spent the remainder of her stay feeling happier than she had in far too long. In fact, she couldn’t remember ever feeling less burdened, even if she was being selfish by keeping him to herself during his final days on Earth.

She wasn’t sad to say goodbye though. It no longer mattered that he was leaving, because she’d already made some important decisions that’d helped take the weight from her shoulders and the ache from her heart as well. When the ships left Earth, Kyra planned to throw herself off the roof of the hotel. She didn’t feel she belonged with the humans any more than she belonged with the Thrakorian’s, and knew that someone without a place to call home was more dangerous than someone fighting for the wrong cause. Kyra knew she’d do something foolish if she tried to live a proper life after they’d gone. She’d do something stupid like owning up for her crimes against her race out of guilt, and she couldn’t bear to spend the rest of her life being hated or locked up because of her betrayal. She’d much rather die, and so had chosen that path. Kyra felt as though she truly deserved for her life to end, and that it was symbolic to do it when the Thrakorian’s she adored left her forever. It was a way in which she could serve the King she still irrationally yearned for right until the bitter end. She was a fool, but it was evident now that she was a stubborn fool who refused to learn her lessons and move on, and that the world would be better off without her.

“Do you remember what you learned in your training about Thrakorian men?” Thrayke asked her one evening with a coy smile. She searched her mind for the answer, but he revealed it anyway. “When they fall in love, it’s with one person, and it’s for life. They stay loyal to their one lover and put them above all others. That’s you, Kyra. You’re mine,” he told her, and he held her tightly to his chest as though she really were his most prized of human finds. “I fought it, believe me I did, but I eventually decided it was time to stop fighting my feelings. Even back in The Tower when we were chatting about everything and nothing, trying to be friends—I knew.” He sighed deeply, and buried his face in her hair, and Kyra squirmed as his breath tickled her neck.

She wanted to look at him, to see the emotion in his eyes, but he held her still, as though he didn’t want her to see as he poured his heart out to her. “I knew it when you were lying in Kronus’ bed night after night, regardless of nothing having happened between you two. I forced myself to respect your choice to stay with him, and his order for me to stay away. I know now I should’ve told you how I felt, instead of just acting like some kind of cold ice-man, but when it comes to him, I have no argument. He chose to keep you as his own, regardless of offering you nothing in return, and I couldn’t object. But now? I want to scream it from the rooftops and tell the world you’re mine, because I love you, Kyra Millan. I always have and I always will.”

She didn’t know whether to laugh, cry, hit him, or kiss him, but one thing was for sure, Kyra knew she felt the same way. Her affection had gone in two directions her entire life. Even back when she’d been with Silas, she’d still had her crush on the King that she’d held dear since Invasion Day. Like the others, Silas hadn’t even known he was competing with another for her affection, and neither had Thrayke when they’d begun seeing one another the first time around.

The decision never to tell them her full Invasion Day story had been Kyra’s choice, but it’d only served to keep Kronus on the pedestal she’d created for him. She knew now how they’d never stood a chance. Her adoration had meant all her other partners had lived in Kronus’ shadow, but not any longer. The past few months had been tough as hell, but she’d gotten through them and could see the truth at last. Kronus said one thing, while meaning another, and then doing another thing entirely. He was never going to give her anything more than he already had, while she’d devoted her life to him. But no more.

Knowing that Thrayke felt that way about her was a comfort she felt selfish for needing, but instead of hiding, Kyra embraced it. She might’ve shied away from self-indulgence in the past, but that was when she was a foster-kid from the slums who didn’t want to own up to the fact that she was suddenly thrown into the life of an upper-class human. She’d hidden away from her wealth and status because she’d felt guilty for enjoying it when so many of her fellow orphans were still poor and uncared for.

However, she refused to play the martyr any longer. Kyra endeavored to spend her last days enjoying the life she’d earned, and she decided to let go of her emotional baggage once and for all. One man had earned her love and loyalty, and he would have them both until she took her last breath.

I love you too, Thrayke. I always will,
Kyra mouthed when he released her, and she then kissed him with all the passion and adoration she could muster, just so he’d know she truly meant it.

Chapter Fourteen

Thrayke docked his craft at The Tower and then headed straight for his private quarters. In his mail, he found a memo regarding the evacuation of his kind from Earth, and saw right away that his Division were due to commence their retreat the following evening. He didn’t bother to read the rest though, and smiled to himself as he tossed the slip of paper back down onto the desk. None of that mattered, not any more.

After carefully sifting through his few belongings to neatly sort them, he packed a bag with only the essentials he knew he’d need for his next, and final mission. His collection of relics would go aboard the mother ship the following day, and although he would miss them, he knew there were more important matters to be addressed first. Thrayke had made up his mind. He’d decided before even going back to see Kyra that he wasn’t leaving without her, and now that she’d confessed her love for him, he was absolutely sure of what he wanted to do next.

Instead of dragging her away with him, he’d decided it was time they both escaped Kronus and his reign for good. Jealously had made him act rashly in the past, but this didn’t feel the same. Thrayke had a cool head at long last, and knew he’d made the right choice. He was going to stay behind on Earth with Kyra. It didn’t matter that she was rebounding, or that her depression had forced her into his arms. She was coming back to him, bit by bit, and that was all that mattered. Saving her hadn’t ever been for personal reasons, but Thrayke knew he would gladly reap any benefits she afforded him in return for all his hard work. It’d been worth the heartache, and she was certainly worth giving up everything for.

He let his mind wonder about how they might live after his kind had deserted her planet. They would have to hide away, perhaps even join colonies of other rogue Thraks—wherever they might be—and wasn’t that just so ironic? The powerful and resolute Besieger, capturer of rebels and rogues, would go to join the ranks of those he’d spent the past two decades fighting against. They’d become his new family, if they let him in of course, and he’d gladly choose a life spent proving himself to them over being alone and missing Kyra for six or seven hundred more years back home.

Despite his bags being packed, Thrayke knew he couldn’t head out again quite so soon after returning. He grabbed his paperwork in a bid to try and keep his mind occupied until he could slip away unseen, and he started taking anything that might help them. He decided he’d start by doing whatever it took to find Kyra a safe new home, a place where she could feel welcome, and a world in which she might even want to start a family someday. It was the perfect plan, and the chaos of the Thrakorian evacuation would provide the perfect cover for his disappearance. All Thrayke had to do now was bide his time, and then without a word he would slip away into the night to go and start his new life with Kyra by his side.

He decided to pre-empt his search for any rogues, and combed his leads for any useful information regarding their whereabouts. Kyra would be able to help him crack some of their codes, and he stashed the files, ready to take them for her to look at when she was ready.

By morning, he had everything ready to go in his pack. He decided not to tell a soul he was leaving, not even Kronus. Thrayke knew his leader and friend would try and stop him, perhaps even by force, and the last thing he wanted was to have to fight his way out of his old friend’s strong grasp.

When all was ready to go, and his countdown had begun, Thrayke sat at his desk with his hands beneath his chin. He took a good look around his office, and surveyed the past two decades’ work. He’d served his sovereign well for centuries, and would miss him, as both his trusty companion and as his King. Kronus was a great man, but he’d let himself become blinded by his royal status, and he’d let everything his heart had truly wanted slip away. His head had ruled him instead, and Thrayke knew that a huge part of that was the figurative sound of his father’s voice in the back of his head that scolded Kronus for even daring to go against his orders. As much as he respected and revered King Thrakor, he had always been an impossible man to please, and the youngest of his heirs had let his disappointment affect him far too much over the years.

Kronus had pushed Kyra away, and they’d all seen how badly it’d affected him, but he’d not once gone back on his word. Thrayke knew he might never be the same again, and was genuinely sorry that he wasn’t going to be around to help his old friend get through the tough times ahead.

Thrayke thought of Kyra again, and how he’d made sure he was always the one there to catch her when she fell. He’d watched over her day and night, and had only stepped in when he couldn’t take watching her self-destruct any longer. For a mute, her body language spoke volumes to him, and he could see for himself how she was spiraling. A dark cloud had hung above her head at all times, and even from afar he could see that it was wearing her down. Kyra had stopped caring about anything, even herself, and he knew it was time he took charge. He’d do everything he could to stop her depression becoming dangerous, and a flutter in his chest reminded him of his admission the day before. She truly was his one and only, and he didn’t regret those words of love he’d spoken for a second. Thrayke knew without a doubt that not only that he would die for Kyra, but that he would also die if he ever lost her.

“Women,” he muttered to himself, and laughed gruffly. “Enigmas the lot of them, but my goodness it’s worth it.” Thrayke sighed and scanned the memo that’d been left for him again, and he checked his watch. According to the itinerary that was meticulously planned out before him, the last of the viable human specimens should be being loaded into their transporters. They’d reach the once dormant stasis-chambers aboard their main ship situated just above the Earth’s atmosphere within the hour. The humans who’d tested positive for pre-cancerous cell mutation during the census were already sedated after being lured to the various treatment facilities, and they would remain on ice until they reached Thrakor. There, they would be housed in vestibules specifically designed to preserve their life expectancies, and their bodies would be tested comprehensibly so that Greegis and his team could complete the ‘extraction phase’ of the experiment.

Thrayke wondered how their mother ship was holding up after all the years spent in storage, but he also knew an entire team had been charged with caring for the gigantic vessel throughout their earthly stopover. Each of their Thrakorian crafts had been stored on the country once called Ireland to the west of their hub in England for the past twenty years, and should’ve been cleared for takeoff by now—provided they were full to capacity of the relevant teams. According to the memo, all Thrakorian’s and mixed-breeds were allegedly packed up by now, and should be ready to go once the final signal came. They would then travel to the mother ship in smaller hovercrafts and dock once outside the Earth’s atmosphere, where they would then begin the long journey back to Thrakor.

As he read on, he noticed a sentence at the end, and reread it with a frown.

‘Lastly, Project Preserver will be withdrawn, and Earth will resume its previous countdown.’

He’d never heard of ‘Project Preserver’ before, and wondered why. Thrayke knew there wasn’t much time to spare, but that he also needed to know everything about this illustrious undertaking if he were to be sure about staying behind. He looked it up on his computer, but there was nothing about the project or why it’d even been put in place. Frustration was creeping into his usually so stoic demeanor, and Thrayke knew it was because there wasn’t long left for him to gather his final piece of intel. Because of the lack of time, he did the only thing he could think of before having to ask for clarification on it from above, and he hacked his way into the very computer system he’d helped design. He hazarded guesses at what his kind might’ve put into place to ‘preserve’ the planet, considering ongoing issues with the lack of fossil fuels or sustainable food sources, but what he found made him curse loudly at his computer.

Thrayke covered his mouth in shock when he read on, and stared dumfounded at the documents on the screen before him.
Why wasn’t I told? Why is this the first time I’ve learned this truth?
he thought. A million other questions flew through his mind, but so too did an abundance of new fears. He wasn’t sure whether he’d make it back to Kyra in time, or if he could get out of The Tower unseen earlier than he’d planned, but Thrayke knew he had to at least attempt it. He’d die trying if he had to, but the promise that he might just get back to her before it was too late made him move his old bones quicker than ever before.

***

“This is a public service announcement. A notification for a worldwide blackout has been issued for this evening, and all human civilians are hereby warned that they must stay in their homes for the duration for their safety. Essential relocation of electrical systems is being carried out, and please rest assured that the disruptions should not last long. Thank you,” a softly spoken Thrakorian spokeswoman spoke directly into the television camera with a fake smile, and when the simple recording then started to replay again and again, Kyra turned off the television and peered out the window at the horizon. Dusk was just falling across the city, and Thrayke still hadn’t returned. She wondered where he might be, or if he was even able to come and say goodbye in all of the chaos after all. She desperately wanted to see him again before his race disappeared, but wasn’t sure there’d be time.

Kyra guessed the supposed blackout had to be a cover story so that their ships could power up and take off across the world unseen—it had to be. And it could mean only one thing. The Thrakorian’s were finally leaving her planet behind, and instead of being sad, fresh anger spiked in her gut. Regardless of her still lost voice, she wanted to scream and shout profanities from the rooftop at their ships as they departed, and soon found herself climbing the stairs up to the roof on autopilot.

Out in the cool twilight air, she peered up into the heavens and took in the ancient beauty of the stars. It was unusually quiet, and a tiny breeze rustled her shirt, but otherwise the Earth seemed remarkably still. She wondered if perhaps it’d stopped turning at all, or if it wasn’t just her who instinctually knew that the end was near. Kyra then watched as the sun finally set behind the skyscrapers in the distance, and then saw as lights began turning off all over the so usually bright and bustling metropolis. It was only minutes until utter blackness had descended. She then heard what sounded like the hum of a thousand bees coming from all around the city, and Kyra smiled to herself. She’d proven herself right once again. In the darkness, there was nothing she could see with the naked eye, but her ears knew the sound well, and she watched the night’s sky as it blurred here and there from what was clearly an influx of hovercrafts slowly heading up into the atmosphere to join their people. It was time. They were leaving, and there wasn’t anything she could do about it.

A large star seemed to be moving slowly across the sky far above her, and she watched it for a while. There was something otherworldly about the beacon, and it somehow seemed as if it was waving down at her like a thief that’d ran away with her prized belongings in plain sight. Kyra knew it couldn’t be a shooting star as it was moving too slowly, so she guessed it had to be the Thrakorian mother ship.

Go! Run back to your home with the answers I gave you because your minions were too stupid to analyze every detail. You’re a coward, Kronus. A bloody coward, and I’m ashamed of ever loving you…
she cried silently into the darkness.

Her lungs burned as if she were actually screaming out the words, but still no sound came from her useless throat, and she cursed him for having stolen her voice along with her pride. Kyra felt ashamed of the person she’d become because of King Kronus and his army of cowards, and she hated how her sacrifices had all been underappreciated in the end.

Lives had been lost—so many innocent people murdered for their cause, and all for nothing. The humans’ loyalty had meant nothing, and now they were simply being tossed back into the scrapheap because they’d served their purpose. The Thrakorian’s didn’t care whether the humans survived in their absence, and she tried to convince herself that she didn’t care about their race in return.
You took everything from me, you asshole, and gave me nothing. I hate you! Good riddance to you all. I hope you never come back,
she mouthed, and gripped her stomach as it panged with despair. She was well aware she was spouting lies, and decided it was almost time to wash her shame away one final time.

Kyra stepped up onto the edge of the roof and looked down the hundreds of feet to the ground below. Tears streamed down her face and her heart broke all over again, but she refused to die a weak and feeble shell of the strong woman she’d once been. Memories of her lying wrapped in Kronus’ embrace overwhelmed her, and she rubbed her chin absentmindedly.

Despite her angry thoughts, she already missed the man she’d once hoped to find a way to love. He’d kept her safe, and taken care of her in a way that’d made her fall for him, and it’d confused the hell out of her. Kronus had held her close and spoken of his adoration for her, and yet never been willing to put her above anyone else in his own race. She felt like such a fool to have ever believed his attentiveness might possibly be genuine, and wished she could find a way to forget him completely. Kyra wrapped her arms around herself and cried some more. Kronus was nothing more than a spoilt and arrogant little prince, and she tried one last time to convince herself that she hated him.