Most of Kaela’s memories of Portland were fond. She still remembered visiting the small shops on 23rd Avenue and buying her first paper book. There were trees along the avenue, she remembered fondly. Not as large as the trees in this forest, but real, live trees. It was only outside of the metropolis area that Portland became dangerous, as most suburbs were. Anyone with money stayed as close to downtown as possible, and as high off the ground as they could afford.
But she couldn’t enjoy the woods, not yet. She was losing blood and in shock, and she knew that if she stopped for too long she would never be able to get up again. She couldn’t stop until she was reunited with Raven and the two of them were somewhere safe. She didn’t know where; it seemed they would be hunted wherever they went. But she trusted that someday, she and Raven would be able to live in peace. Kaela walked through the woods as the sun set and she listened to the sounds of wild animals and insects buzzing and chittering in the humid air. She felt peaceful, content. The faint buzz of a plane engine signaled the airfield that Raven had told her about and she emerged from the trees in front of an antique wooden cottage.
There, next to the wooden house. It was Raven. Kaela couldn’t contain her smile and marveled that she had doubted his ability to escape. Of course he had gotten away, and of course he had come back for her. She stepped into the light of the house and Raven greeted her with a hug. He was favoring his right leg but seemed otherwise fine. She held him tightly for a long moment, not sure whether she was enjoying being in his arms or enjoying the end to her agonizing trek, before looking at the other people with Raven.
A man who must be Raven’s friend grabbed her by the waist before she collapsed. She clung to him and saw Medane. Good, she thought wearily. She was glad that Medane had been willing to help rescue Raven. And—Kaela felt the pain return abruptly to her aching body as she recognized Nalia, holding Raven’s hand.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Medane lost the police planes halfway to Quebec and suspected that Atheus had called them off. He wasn’t sure if Atheus knew that he, Medane, were here, but he certainly knew that Raven was headed to the one place he would be safe. Lethe would not have been forgiving if Atheus had tried to shoot him down while traveling to the Canadian Embassy, the one place where neither Atheus nor Medane had any authority.
Raven was fine; Nalia had helped bandage his leg. She had holed up in the back of the plane with Raven, and Scott was successfully keeping Kaela conscious by asking her about possible attacks from Atheus. They weren’t in any serious danger anymore from Atheus, but Kaela was dangerously anemic and desperately needed medical care. Medane knew Scott was keeping her awake because he was afraid once she fell asleep, she would never wake up again.
Keeping Nalia out of the way was also convenient for Medane, who had not yet figured out how to explain to Lethe that she was the rogue díamont. He was hoping Lethe either wouldn’t find out, or perhaps that Lethe would be willing to speak to her and get to know her before killing her. Crippling her, at least, Medane thought. Lethe was incapable of killing a human, but Medane was certain that whatever Lethe would do to prevent her from becoming a díamont would inevitably lead to her death.
He still remembered Soren’s death vividly. Soren lay on a table in díamont form, tied down and unconscious. He had never been allowed to regain consciousness since the blast destroying London. Medane and Atheus stood nearby, knowing that they would be killed after Soren. Lethe had held out his hand and laid it on Soren’s chest, and Soren had screamed in pure agony. Contact with Lethe’s skin was instant death to the díamonts. Smoke and heat poured from the table and Soren’s body seemed to melt into a pile of ashes before their eyes, the scream lingering long past the face and mouth had decayed into dust. Medane had been terrified, but Atheus had stepped forward and held out his hand to Lethe.
“If the world is safer without me,” Atheus had said, “Then I don’t want to live.”
Medane still marveled at Atheus’ bravery. They had fully expected to die that day, but Atheus’ decision to volunteer for death had swayed the hearts of the humans watching, and had swayed Lethe. Before Lethe took Atheus’ hand to begin the destruction, Lethe had stopped. An almost human look of pain flashed across his face, the only expression Medane had ever seen from him. Lethe had looked at both of them—Atheus, proud and prepared to die in order to protect the world, and Medane, terrified but equally prepared—and Lethe had spared them.
They would eventually meet Soren’s fate, but Lethe had given them valuable time and Medane had used it to cultivate his friendships and learn what it meant to be human. He had thought Atheus was doing the same, but now Medane wondered if Atheus’ decision to volunteer for death wasn’t a coldly calculated move. It was the only thing Atheus could have done to survive, after all. But it was so sincere at the time. Medane had never questioned Atheus’ motives before and he wished he didn’t have to now. They were brothers and there was no reason they should be fighting. Medane wished he could reach out to Atheus the way he had as a child and find the friend he knew was hidden somewhere. But Atheus had grown cold, and it was harder and harder to find his friend within the diamond shell.
Medane received a message from Lethe welcoming him when they were still miles away. Lethe knew he was in the West, but did Atheus, Medane wondered. Lethe was always able to tell where the other díamonts where, some part of his programming, so Atheus didn’t necessarily know that the Eastern World was vulnerable right now. Medane sent a message back requesting medical assistance when they landed. Lethe confirmed but made no comment and Medane wondered how to introduce Nalia to him.
Díamonts weren’t human and couldn’t be human, except possibly for Nalia. Lethe had said she was primarily human. If she had managed to balance her human and díamont instincts safely, then there was a chance Lethe would let her live. Medane was afraid that he was bringing Nalia to her doom by bringing her to the embassy, but he had little choice if Raven and Kaela were to survive.
They landed without incident outside of Quebec and were met by Lethe in person. Kaela and Scott got off the plane first and Kaela was rushed to a stretcher. Medane flipped through the safety checks to turn the engine off, trying to delay the inevitable. Nalia helped Raven off and a doctor immediately took Raven to one side to examine the bullet wound. Medane stepped off the plane just as Nalia reached out to shake Lethe’s hand.
“Stop!” Medane cried, leaping forward.
It was too late. A static charge knocked all of them backwards and Nalia went white. Lethe let go of her instantly and backed away. The girl collapsed and Medane rushed to her side. She was breathing; she hadn’t dissolved the way Soren had. Medane shut his eyes and held her close. He never would have been able to forgive himself if he had allowed Raven’s love to die. She was alive, and Medane let the doctor take his place.
Medane couldn’t meet Lethe’s gaze as he stood and walked away from the girl. Lethe was watching him impassively, probably trying to decide whether or not to kill both Medane and the girl. Medane approached Lethe until they were nearly touching, closer than they had ever been before in their lives.
“I can explain,” Medane said. “You have to trust me. My life is yours, but you must let me explain.”