Balance (The Neumarian Chronicles) (7 page)

“I
owe her a lot. She’s the reason I’m alive. But it’s more than that.” Ryder’s large fingers toyed with the edge of the sheet. He frowned and his gaze looked far off.

I sat by his side and took his hand in mine. “What is it?”

Ryder forced a grin. “It’s just that, well, Briggs’s son reminds me of Raeth’s and my childhood. The general dragged us from our home, then forced us to watch him murder our parents. Afterwards, we were collared and thrown into a Neumarian Enslavement Camp. We were alone for a long time before Uncle found us. I’ve never been more lonely or scared in my life. I didn’t think we’d survive. At times I didn’t want to, all I felt was loss and pain. Then Raeth got sick, and with my collar on I couldn’t heal, at least, not then. Later I learned to use my gifts in spite of the collar. I don’t think I would’ve made it if I hadn’t promised my parents I’d take care of Raeth. I couldn’t fail them or her.”

My throat tightened and I
tamped down the sobs fighting for freedom. Swallowing hard, I lifted his hand and held it to my cheek, wishing to crawl into bed and cuddle by his side. “That’s one of the reasons why I love you. Your honor and commitment. Even as a child, you were strong, took care of your sister, and kept the two of you alive. Now, you want to save a little boy from a similar fate.” I closed my eyes and inhaled his scent. The clean smell of trees and sun was and always would be Ryder Arteres. It made my body strum, my heart sing, and my soul long to join with his. “I’ll take you first thing in the morning.”

“Thank you,”
he said in a husky tone. “I love you, too. You’re always there when I need you. You’re brave, kind, and most of all—”

I waited but he didn’t say anything else so I let go of his hand and looked at him.

He slid his hand around my waist and squeezed me toward him. Then that wicked, cocky grin of his broke free and he winked. “—Your hot body.”

I smacked his shoulder
. “You’re terrible. None of that until your stitches are out. See if wanting me is enough to get you to heal faster.” I lifted the water carafe from his low, bedside table. Everything, from the bed to the tables to the bathroom, was at the correct level to prevent excessive stress on his wounds. “I’ll be back with fresh water and some food in a minute. And don’t you dare get out of bed without my help.”

“I’m not trying to get out. I’m trying to get you in,” Ryder
said, his voice sad and forlorn.

Yeah, like that was going to work,
I thought rolling my eyes as I left his room, and marched down the corridor to the mess hall.

“Hey, pretty face.” Dred joined me at the junction, wrapping his strong arm around my shoulder. His dark skin a stark contrast to my paleness.

“How’s it going?”

“Good, been in contact with me family back at Oasis. General Bellator
’s had me send ’em coded messages about what’s happened and warn ’em to be on alert. So, they be gearing up to protect home from the queen. They’ll put up a fight she won’t forget and it’ll cost her, too.”

I agreed. After he’d helped us escape Oasis and its leader
Malvek, Dred had fought for his and his family’s life. In the process, Malvek died and now Dred ruled Oasis. “If anyone can best Mandesa, it’ll be your scavengers.”

“They
tol’ me that after she blew the mining territory, a fire started outside Old Chicago. It spread to the Agriculture territory. Now, the queen ain’t got enough supplies. People’re stravin’ an’ she’s gotta do somethin’ fast. She’ll be comin’ here right soon.”

My mind reeled with images of
Mag, the feisty old woman who helped us escape the assassins back in Old Chicago. “Old Chicago? Do they know who started the fire?”

Dred stopped at the next junction. “
Yeah. They say it’s a crazy, silver-haired witch. Legend been spreadin’ across the country how she killed some of the queen’s assassins and to make sure, she burned ’em.”

“Mags
. I knew she was alive!” My heart soared to the point I thought it would leave my body and fly to the sky.

Dred’s brows drew together.
“You know the witch?”

“Yes
, but she isn’t a witch, but is definitely worthy of being a legend.” I squeezed his forearm. “Don’t be a stranger.” I said over my shoulder as he headed in the opposite direction.

“You neither, pretty face.”

As I neared the mess hall, I halted halfway there at my father yelling at someone.

“Do you really believe he’d betray us again?” Fallon shouted back. “
Yes, he isn’t one of us, but he was tricked the first time. She lied to him, told him you were dangerous to Leanna and Semara.”

I
froze and prayed they didn’t sense my presence. I had to discover who had betrayed not only my parents and me to Mandesa, but our people.

“
And what about Semara? If you imprison him, she’ll never forgive you. Do you really want to lose your daughter when you’ve just found each other?”

That answered that question.

“I care about only one thing, that she lives. I won’t make the same mistakes as before. I refuse to lose my child, again,” Father snapped.

“You need to think long and hard about this.
Because if you’re wrong, you’ll punish an innocent man, ruin any chance you have with Semara, and start a war among the council members. He has many supporters. He’s saved lives,” Fallon said, pleading with Father.

I couldn’t stand
silent a moment longer. I shoved open the door. They both faced me, horror etched in their expressions and eyes.

“Semara, what do you need?”
Father croaked.

“I need to know who you
’re planning to imprison, the person you believe to be the traitor. Who is he?”

Silence answered me.
Teeth clenched, I stepped further into the room and quietly pushed the door shut behind me. “I have a right to know who might be a traitor to our cause. Who betrayed my mother and caused the Kantians to win the war. Who is this horrific monster, Father?” My fingers spasmed around Ryder’s pitcher and I clutched it to my chest. “I want, no need, to confront this man. It’s my right.”

I ignored the anguished look Father and Fallon sent me.
Nothing, not their hesitation or fear of hurting me would stand in my way. My heart screamed, demanding retribution for all the pain and damage this person had caused. “Tell me.”

Father glanced at
Fallon, then at me with the saddest expression I’d ever seen. “Bendar.”

Chapter Ten

I sunk into the chair next to Ryder’s bed, another night of sleeplessness weighing me down. My mind reeled from discovering Bendar was the traitor. He’d betrayed the rebellion and, in so doing, had caused my mother’s death. It didn’t seem possible. Bendar had watched over and cared for me from birth.

Since arriving at the Arc I’d been restless, but in six days Bendar would be here with news from
the council. It would be my opportunity to discover the truth about his part in the rebellion’s greatest betrayal.

Rebellion, hah!
His actions, whether by malice, stupidity, or naiveté had destroyed my family and led to years of torture at Mandesa’s hands. Part of me couldn’t comprehend my friend committing such a horrific crime.

Ryder
eased off the bed and stood, the coils creaking in relief as he exhaled heavily. Neither would miss the other after the prolonged bed rest. “Whatcha thinking about?”

I
licked my lips, which seemed eternally dry since learning the information that broke my heart. “Bendar.”

He inhaled, his
broad chest now moving in a smooth, even rhythm. “I gotta admit, I’m still having trouble with what you told me. I mean, the little man I know helped save Raeth. He kept Mandesa’s guards from killing us when we escaped, and worked to reunite your father and you.”

I sighed.
“Not to mention being a father figure, caring for me when Mandesa’s punishment was harsh.” Sneaking me food when Mandesa starved me, offering me a bit of warmth in a world of cold metal.

He took two steps, closing the gap between us and pulled me into his arms.

“I don’t want to hurt you.” I pressed my palms to his chest.

“I’m fine.
” He stepped back and lifted his shirt. “My gift doesn’t work like it used to…yet, but I managed to heal the few scabs on my abdomen.”

I stared
at his rippled muscles, then knelt and kissed the scars as my hands stroked the small of his back. “Perfect.”

He sucked in a quick breath
. Snagging my hands in his, he pulled me upright. “Normally, I’d sweep you into my arms and not let you out of bed for a week, but considering it’s my first day out of this room, we’ll have to get creative.” He cupped my face and covered my lips with his. The long awaited hum of my body connecting with his awakened.

He slid his arms around me, keeping me upright as I melted against him when his
tongue teased the seam of my mouth. I opened and joined him in a dance of sensual pleasure. Then his hand caught the back of my head, tipped it, giving him greater access of my lips, neck, and pulse points. Desire rocketed through me.

Panting, I ran my fingertips
through his hair and toyed with the ends at the nape of his neck. Groaning, he pinned me to the wall, devouring my lips with the force of his hunger as I returned his actions in kind.

“Ah!” He broke free, his chest heaving, his hands clutching my hair.

“I’m so sorry. Are you okay?”

He nodded and
pressed a chaste kiss to my swollen lips. “Yeah, guess I’m still healing inside.”

After he
’d caught his breath, he shot me that I-know-how-to-work-the-ladies smile. As usual, his dimples weakened my legs along with everything else.

I threaded my fingers with his and tugged.
“I’ll go with you to pick up Laos and take him to see his mother. Once we visit with Briggs, I need to head to command. They’re reinforcing the Arc’s structure and installing blast doors.”

Ryder
pressed his lips to the palm of my hand before leading me from the room. “Mighty big job. They sure Mandesa’s gonna attack us?”

“We don’t know
, but there’ve been several attempts to rescue the emperor already. And then there’re the raids on the small villages outside the city.” At his questioning gaze, I quickly brought him up to date on Dred’s news and why we suspected Mandesa had escalated her timetable for attacking us.

“I didn’t
think anyone lived outside of Upper Europe.”

“I didn’t either
. Seems we were wrong. Apparently, the northern clans have kept out of Mandesa and ENR’s business. They’re sorta like the scavengers from Oasis, without the same chilling reputation. There aren’t skulls on spikes around their settlement.”

Ryder huffed. “Never ceases to
amaze me how people can survive even in the harshest conditions. We did in the Mining Territory, and they have in the wilderness for all these years. Unlike us, Mandesa wasn’t aware of them, though.”

We turned down the main hall and waited for the lift. “At least the council wants to fight to keep their home this time.
”

The lift opened and several workers exited
, only leaving a little girl with her teacher. We rode in silence until they disembarked. Once alone, Ryder squeezed my hand. “Glad they’ve set up an orphanage for the kids. This way, they’re taken care of and loved. I heard you had something to do with that.”

“I just helped organize
it. It felt nice to focus on something other than war and strategy, but now that you’re better, it’s time to start planning how to fight so we can live instead of just survive.” I looked up at Ryder. “Prepare yourself, there’re a lot of children down here who are scared, traumatized by the war. For some, it’s physical. Others won’t talk and many cry continuously. All of them jump at the slightest noise—a dropped dish or book, or a raised voice. That’s why we’ve reinforced their area. When I explained the problems to Father, he joined me and made it a top priority. Amazing the difference his support made. They completed the work this morning.”

“
Given it’s on the middle floor, with the infirmaries underneath it, you’re protecting both the children and the wounded.”

“It’s more than that.” The lift door slid open and we entered the large room full of orphan
s. “The entire area is reinforced. We’ve used the
Freedom’s
flood doors design to build the Arc’s blast doors. Remember how each compartment could be made watertight? Well, if the Arc has a fire, or is attacked, each section can be sealed and protected, at least long enough to evacuate. Also, the sections for the orphans and infirmaries have their own air supply that’s separate from the Arc.”

“Smart.”

“Ryder!” Laos screamed. He raced toward us then jumped into Ryder’s waiting arms. The boy glowed around Ryder, and during his recovery, they’d become close. Even I thought the kid was cute. Not that I was ready to take care of one of my own. Thankfully, Briggs would be released from the infirmary the next day.

“Hey
, little man. You want to go see your mother?” Ryder set him back on the floor. Getting an enthusiastic
yes
in response, he grasped Laos’ little hand in his and led him to the elevator. As I stared after him, I wondered how he retained his tenderness, understanding, and ability to love when one aspect of his gift could suck the life out of someone. Then again, maybe it was just another aspect of the healing part of his gift. After all, he only used the negative side to protect those around him, and used the energy taken to heal everyone who was injured.

Laos
beamed up at him. “You stay with me?”

“Yes
, and Miss Semara’s going to take us to your mom before going to work.” Ryder gently chucked him under the chin. “Don’t worry. I won’t leave. I’m still getting better just like your mom.” He glanced back at me with a wicked grin as we boarded the lift. At his wink, I bit back a giggle, knowing he was remembering our passion just a few minutes earlier.

“I hit the button?” Laos jumped up and down.

“You excited your mom’s coming home tomorrow?” I asked.

“
Uh huh. But you’ll still visit, right?” he asked, his lower lip protruding in a perfect pout.

“Of course
we will,” Ryder assured him. “And once a week, I’ll take you to the range so you can practice using the weapon I showed you.”

“Ryder? Isn’t he a little young for that?” I gave him my best look of warning, narrowing my eyes at them both.

Laos stared up at me with the type of seriousness that belonged on an adult. But then, war had a way of making even the youngest innocents age before their years. “Mamma says we gotta keep the bad men out.”

Out of the mouths of babes.

Ryder was on the mend and it was past time for me to get back to the war. If we didn’t win, we’d never walk in the sun again. And hiding in buildings underground—no matter how nice—wasn’t living. “If your mother says it’s okay then of course, Ryder will take you. If you’d like, I could join you sometime, too.”

“Sure.” He bit his bottom lip. “But
only sometimes. ‘Cause we boys gotta save you girls. Right?”

Ryder smiled
down at him then looked up at me, his gaze pleading.

I mussed Laos’ hair.
“When you’re right, little man, you’re right.” The lift stopped and we cut through the crowd of people in the hallway. “If it’s okay with you, Laos, I’d like to say
hi
to your mom before going to work.”

Several
people raced passed us and my gaze narrowed as it followed the rush of personnel down the main corridor toward the command center.

“You can go
, you know. We’ll be fine,” Ryder murmured.

“No, whatever it is they must have it under control or
Father would’ve summoned me.

Laos stared up at me, his eyes filled with excitement and curiosity.
“Can he really talk in minds without using his lips?”

“Yes.”

“Wow.”

As we approached the infirmary, my father’s voice sounded in my mind.
Semara, we’ve got a problem.

What
’s wrong?

There’s a bomber in the building. We
found a charge near the front gate. We’re abandoning the facility while doing another sweep. Where are you?

Near the infirmary.

Good. If you see anything, report it. Stay with the wounded. Assist with evacuating them if needed
.

I froze in my tracks.

“What’s wrong?” Ryder asked, looking at me from the infirmary’s doorway.

F
ootsteps thundered behind us, followed by shouting. “Stop him!”

A man raced by
, knocking several people to the floor as he charged into the infirmary.

“Seize him
!” a guard yelled again.

I
stared through the open doorway and caught sight of Briggs staring back at us, her bright smile fading.

The man stopped a few meters inside the room and
turned to face us. He wore a vest made of explosives, his thumb resting on the trigger’s red button. “Death to the parasites,” the man sneered. People fled into the already crowded corridor, crushing each other as they all tried to squeeze through the doorway at the end of the hall.

“No!” Laos
cried as Ryder dragged the little boy back down the corridor. “Save, Mamma. Please!” Laos fought to free himself, but Ryder simply picked him up and carried him to safety.

I
itched to draw my gun and take him down. But I’d only have one chance.

I could feel Briggs watching me. She’d eased from her bed, slowly making her way toward us while doctors and nurses rushed to evacuate the other patients.