I realize he’s talking about the other K-word and I let out my breath slowly, trying to hide the fact that I was holding it. “I don’t know for sure, but I’m pretty sure it was because we were going to come here, try to convince the moon dwellers to join the cause. Your father didn’t want that, and since he was working for him, he acted to stop us.”
“Oh,” is all Tristan says, but I know there are deep thoughts behind the one-syllable word.
“Why do you ask?”
His shoulders slump forward and his expression darkens. “I think he’s trying to get to me—trying to get me to give up.”
“He’s a fool for trying,” I say.
Tristan shrugs. “I guess, but if anything ever happened to you, I don’t know…”
“Promise me you’ll keep fighting no matter what,” I say.
Tristan looks into my eyes. I recognize the look because it’s the same one he gave me just before we parted ways in subchapter 26. The same look I probably gave him right before I rushed into his arms only a few minutes ago. My lips part slightly.
He leans in and kisses me, sending electricity through my lips and shivers down my spine. This time he doesn’t pull my head in, he simply holds both of my hands, runs his fingertips along my skin, like he did when we fell asleep together on a night that now seems so long ago. Now that I know how good kissing can be, I wonder why I never tried it earlier. Because I didn’t know Tristan, I think.
A thought pops into my mind that almost makes me laugh. I guess it’s officiaclass="underline" we’re girlfriend/boyfriend. My mouth breaks into a smile while he’s still kissing me, and he slides back to look at me. “I’m sorry, did I do something wrong?” His face is pale and worried, like he really thinks he’s the problem.
“No…it’s just—you’re doing everything right.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Tristan
I’m crazy-over-the-moon-ecstatic right now. I’m hoping all the emotion of the last hour will help me give the speech of my life in just a few minutes. I mean, everything is going perfectly. After we kissed for the second time, we scooted back and sprawled out on the bed, my back against the wall and her head on my chest. We could see Adele’s mom, but she pretty much ignored us, focusing her attention on her other daughter, whom she hasn’t seen in months. And Roc seemed more than happy to be left alone with Tawni.
I told Adele about how Roc is my half-brother, and about what my father did. She asked if I was okay. I told her I am now. It was nice, just chatting with her and getting to know her. It almost seemed normal, like we were on a date, and not at some peace summit. But now Ben is back, which means the date’s over.
“It’s time,” he says when he walks in. “Anna, can you take them to the platform?”
She nods and motions to us to follow her out the door. “Where will you be?” she asks.
“I’ll be right behind you. There’s just one more VP I want to speak to. Elsey can come with me.”
Elsey beams with pride. She’ll always be daddy’s little girl.
Adele and I hold hands and follow her mom out the door. I flash Roc a grin when I see him take Tawni’s hand and pull her along behind us. He gives me a sheepish grin in return, but behind it I can see how happy he is too. It feels weird that we’re all so happy. Somehow it seems impossible. It’s like the crumbling crest of a stone wave during a cave-in, and I’m just riding it down, hoping not to fall off.
My hands are sweaty with fear and expectation, but Adele doesn’t seem to mind. She’s filthy from her trip through the Star Realm, and yet I’ve never seen her more beautiful. She told me about how she almost fell while climbing the wall near the lava flow. I’m hoping it will be her last run of bad luck.
She also told me all about the treachery of this Brody guy, as well as the stranglehold my father has on the other star dweller generals. It only makes me hate him more.
Anna shows us the way out from the tunnel and down the inner Dome stairs, to the platform in the center. The bustle of activity has calmed significantly. The Resistance members are spread around the seating area, creating a thin barrier of protection. The VPs are seated in one quadrant, but in front of their protectors, in the first few rows. I’m glad they’re not spread out because it means I won’t have to turn in a circle to make eye contact with them.
Everyone stops talking when we enter. There’s a pocket of folding chairs on the platform, at the end furthest from where the VPs are seated. We follow Anna to them and sit down, Anna, Adele, and I in the front, with Roc and Tawni behind us.
There’s a guy with brown, curly hair to our right, next to Adele’s mom. He’s literally her right-hand man, I chuckle to myself. Adele gives me a funny look, but I wave off her question and stand up, move toward the guy. “Trevor, right?” I say, extending my hand.
“That’s what my mother named me when the doctor slapped my pale butt,” he says. He grips my hand tightly. “Are you for real?” he asks.
The question stumps me, but I answer any way. “I’m not a specter, if that’s what you mean.”
He laughs and releases my hand. “I just mean, are you really going to help us?”
Now it’s my turn to laugh. “Yeah, I guess so. Is it that hard to believe?”
“Kind of,” Trevor says. “I might have given Adele a hard time because of you. I didn’t really trust you or her when we first met. Did she tell you about that?”
“No, but she told me you saved her life. And for that I must thank you.” My hand is out again, and Trevor takes it.
“You’re welcome. I’m glad I did.”
When I turn and sit down next to Adele, she’s smiling, having watched the entire thing with interest. “He gave you a hard time?” I whisper.
“I hated him,” she says with a shrug. “But now I don’t.”
I don’t have time to respond because Vice President Morgan is standing in the center, preparing to address the audience. “I know you have all been forced to thrust aside your plethora of other responsibilities to make time for this peace summit, but I can assure you, it is well worth your time. We have a grave responsibility to the people of the Moon and Star Realms, which, as you all know, are sometimes referred to as the Lower Realms.
“I know many of you are angry at what the Star Realm has done to your subchapter, wreaking havoc on your infrastructure and even causing the death of many of your citizens, and for that they should be sorry. However, there is a reason for all of that. I know many of you don’t want to listen, want to say ‘There’s no excuse for their behavior!’ but there is!” Morgan’s voice has risen, echoing throughout the entire Dome. She’s a mesmerizing figure even though we can only see the back of head. She’s going to be a hard act to follow.
“But it’s not me that should tell you. It’s Tristan, the son of the President, the one person who should be against the rebellion. Please give him a warm welcome.”
Morgan swivels and sits down next to Trevor, leaving the round platform looking large and empty. I should be nervous, but I’m not. Adele gives my hand a final squeeze before I stand, and I take strength from it. If for no one else in the entire world, I’ll do this for her, right now.
The applause is heavy from the upper rows, where the Resistance soldiers are seated, but more scattered from the VPs. It neither encourages nor bothers me though.
Then I’m in the center of the platform, although I can’t remember my feet carrying me there. I scan the audience, making eye contact with as many people as possible before I begin. I’ve planned it out in my head: All do the right thing and unite the people and rebellion, ra ra ra! but that’s not what comes out when I begin speaking.