Epilogue
Lila
We’re a week into our journey from Celestia to Westalin, and our little family is settling into life on board the circus ship.
Cas and the kids are swimming in the Aquilian pool, Saxon is in the rec room working with John on his rehab, and Xavier, William, Eric, and Broderick are going over everything they can on the planet Husadavia.
They set up a small war room off the flight deck with maps and information on the planet all gathered by halla harvesters.
Halla harvesters are made up of a group of different races who have perfected surviving on such an inhospitable planet.
They are in constant contact with one of the leaders of the group who has been an immense amount of help.
Today, Brannock was invited to join the group.
I wanted to join it too, but my grandpas insisted that I learn how to work with the lightning cats so that the show is performable once the circus starts touring again.
Xavier promised to fill me in on everything they talk about.
Link is doing research on the carevasta bears to learn what we need to know about them, and maybe some hint as to why we would need one with us.
I stand in the main ring on the circus pod, holding a glowing whip in my hand as Silac operates the console that changes the landscape from normal circus ring to lightning cat frozen tundra.
I flick the whip around, trying to get a handle on the thing, and when I draw my arm up to lash it, the ends come around and slap me on the ass.
A jolt of pain crashes through my body, and I drop to my knees with a sob.
Oh fuck, that hurt. I just spanked my own ass with a laser whip. I wonder if I tore my pants.
I feel around with my other hand as tears well in my eyes from the pain. This is not as easy as Eric and William made it look. Maxsim and Echo rumble with displeasure and stalk back and forth around me.
“Hey, I’m okay, I’m just checking to see if I’m flashing my ass to anyone,” I tell them, standing up. “Can you see?”
I wait as they both bound behind me, and then I feel a wet stroke of a cat’s tongue across my ass, and I know that I have ripped a hole in my pants.
“You have got to be the worst whip handler I’ve ever seen,” a dry voice says from the stands.
I hold a hand up to my face to shield my eyes from the glare as I try to see who said that. Well, I actually know who it is, since there is no missing that sarcastic drawl, but where is he?
When my eyes adjust, I find him sitting in the front row, that familiar glare of disdain focused on me.
I feel a dip in my stomach at the sight of him.
I’m sad—sad that he refuses to acknowledge what I am to him, and sad that he refuses to take a chance on us—but also a little relieved at the same time.
The dragon clearly has issues, and I have so much on my plate at the moment that I don’t have time for all of his shit, and I deserve better.
We both do. We deserve to be happy, and I deserve someone who is a hundred percent in, and that is never going to be Tirrian.
“Yeah, well, we can’t be good at everything.
I mean, they would do exactly what I told them to because they love me, but we need to put on a show, hence the whip.
” I hold up the blasted thing in my hand.
“I was hoping I would run into you,” I tell him, walking over to where he is.
I think I surprise him, because he quickly scrambles to his feet like he doesn’t want to get too close to me.
I see his nostrils flare, and his beast flicks into his eyes before retreating or getting pushed down again.
“Why? So you could convince me why you would be the perfect mate?” Ouch, his hit hurts, but I just shake my head.
“No, Tirrian, despite what you might think, I don’t want to force you into anything. I have enough people to love me, I really don’t want to tie myself to someone who hates me, but I do have something for you.”
I fish around in my pocket, looking for the thing I want to give him. When I told Xavier what I was going to do, he looked at me like I was stupid, but Link just smiled and nodded.
“Here.” I find what I’m looking for and hold it out.
I think I surprised him again, because before he can stop himself, he’s reaching for the object.
When I drop it in his hand, it’s his turn to look gobsmacked for a change.
“I thought you might like it for your hoard. You said you didn’t have one, and that was the only loose one I saw on the entire trip, so I’m assuming you didn’t manage to get one. ”
“You’re giving me your gem?” he asks quietly, the shiny, opalescent gem shimmering in the stage lights.
“Yeah. I mean, I have this to remind me of it.” I point to my hair, which is tied back in a bun to keep it out of my face to stop me from burning it with the whip, which I managed to do yesterday. Lesson learned.
“But why?” He still can’t take his eyes away from the pretty shiny thing in his hand, and I smother a smirk.
“Because I think you’re sad. I’m not sure why, but I hope that maybe that will make you feel a little happier inside.”
He tears his eyes away from the gem and stares at me like he’s trying to figure out a puzzle. Before he can say anything, though, an alarm starts to blare loudly, and red lights begin flashing.
“What’s happening?” I ask as Silac leaves the control booth and hurries out to us, but he and Tirrian are new to the ship too and have no clue. I look at both cats, and Echo is cowering slightly, his paws over his ears as Maxsim shifts forms.
“We are under attack. Quick, we need to go to the flight deck. We don’t have a full crew, and they will need help manning the guns.”
We start running for the elevator to take us back to the main ship. I have to slow my speed for the others to keep up, and Silac notices. “Go, Lila, we will be right behind you,” he calls, and I use my Vilaxian speed to get to the elevator.
I take it to the main ship and then use another to get to the flight deck. When I arrive, I’m barely breathing heavily. Everyone else is here. Cas, in half form, is dripping wet and has all three babies in their kraken form wrapped around his body.
“What is going on?” I ask, and I feel a lump of panic develop in my throat as I see what is outside the viewing window.
It’s a big black ship shaped like a manta ray, and it takes up most of the view.
I can see that it is flanked by two more very similar vessels. “Who is that? And what do they want?”
“That is an Aquilian attack bird. As for what they want, they haven’t said yet,” Xavier replies, his whole body glowing with anger.
“What? That can’t be right.” William shakes his head. “We haven’t done anything to cause the Aquilians to attack us. None of us have been anywhere near Aquilia.”
“But Lila did see Nikos on Skarr, so maybe it’s about that,” Link suggests and worries his lip with his teeth. My cyborg husband looks like he knows something. Actually, when I look at all my mates, they all look like they know something, but before I can ask anything, we are being hailed.
“Lila Adams.” The loud, robotic voice comes across the speaker of the flight deck. “You are hereby charged with crimes against the Aquilian royal family. Surrender now, or we will be forced to board and take you by any means necessary.”
“Oh fuck.”