CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
There had been hope.
All Paul Henry had to do was turn back.
That’s all.
Eska had been moved to another bed chamber, this one across the hall from the one she and Paul Henry had basically destroyed. That was probably a good thing. She couldn’t take the reminder. Her heart had been replaced with a yawning chasm of pain. Her belly was twisted in knots. Her chest felt like it was clamped between two blocks, making every breath a chore.
She’d screamed until she was hoarse. Pleaded until the rest of her voice ran out. Akron had been immobile. His face carved in stone. His attention riveted on the plane that got smaller and smaller on the monitors. He’d opened a satellite tracking view. Watched it some more. His stoic bearing told the tale.
Paul Henry was not turning back.
Sunrise was moments away.
She could barely see through tears as dawn lit up the monitors. Akron had vanished. Nigel cried out. Eska couldn’t take it. She’d turned and fled. Somehow reached this chamber. Stood in the center of it now, and shook. Nothing was warm anymore, but what did warmth matter anyway?
She didn’t know why she questioned anything. She’d been reanimated for such a short time. Found bliss. Ecstasy. Wonder. And everything else that mattered...only to lose it. She wondered if her body would shut back down now, and send her back to undeath. And, if so, how long she’d have to suffer first.
Or...maybe, it would be better to join Paul Henry in real death. All she had to do was step outside. Her tears slowly abated. The room grew indistinct. Time might have passed. She had no idea how much of it. And she didn’t care.
‘Eska?’
The name came as clearly as if Akron stood in the chamber with her. Eska lifted her head. She was alone still. Akron hadn’t even used a cell phone.
‘Can you hear me?’
“Um. Y-yes,” she stammered aloud.
‘Come back to the command center.’
“Is he—?”
Her throat closed off. She couldn’t ask it.
‘Just come back. Now.’
The words were commanding, yet gentle. It could mean anything. Or nothing. Eska raced through the halls again, flew the steps, disturbed some of the hanging quartz crystals as she rushed past them. She slammed through the metal doors. Ran into the center of the room. Spun around. The metallic doors smacked back into position, sending a reverberation through the room. The monitors had been lifted out of the way. The space felt like an empty stage. And it was completely empty of occupants.
“Akron?” she whispered.
A solitary light came on, illuminating one end of the room. And then Paul Henry stepped into it. He stood with his head bowed, light glinting on golden strands of his hair. He was dressed exactly as she’d last seen him: Shirtless. Wearing black leather pants. Holding the sword he’d been given, tip down. He took a deep breath that lifted his chest, and put definition through his torso. And then he looked up.
Eska squealed. Flew at him.
“Whoa! Stop!”
He put a hand up. She came to a halt just shy of barreling into him.
“Before you jump on the merchandise, I have something to say.”
“You’re giving me more ground rules? Now?” she asked, incredulously.
He shook his head. “Uh. Not quite.”
He moved the sword into one hand. Shoved the other into a front pocket. Fished about...brought out a small box. Eska’s heart stopped. She clasped her hands before her breasts. Her eyes flew wide. She nearly squealed again.
“I’m...a bit new to this...um...emotion thing,” he started.
“Yes,” she answered rapidly.
“I hope...you’ll bear with me.”
“Yes,” she repeated, even quicker this time. She was dancing with almost uncontainable excitement.
“Oh. Eska. You are so beautiful,” he told her next.
His hand tightened on the sword handle as if for balance, and he went down onto one knee.
Eska’s entire being was instantly infused with light. Joy. Unbelievable wonder. She probably glowed. The combination was heady. She didn’t realize she’d lifted from the floor until he spoke again. She looked down. He had his neck craned to look at her. He gestured with a hand.
“You want to come back down here? Please?”
“Oh. Yes,” Eska replied.
She floated back to the floor to stand before him. It wasn’t easy. Every cell was primed to react. Riot. Rocket off somewhere. She barely managed to keep still.
“I know we haven’t known each other long...”
“Yes,” she inserted rapidly as he paused.
He sucked in his cheeks as if stopping a smile. Looked down at the box. Back up at her.
“And my circumstances have gone through...a rather drastic change.”
“Yes,” she answered, just as quickly, but a little more breathlessly.
“I’m pretty much a pauper,” he continued.
“I don’t care. The answer is yes!”
“Eska. I have to ask you first.”
“Then talk faster!”
He looked down at the box again. Opened it. Light flashed on the ring inside. He turned the box around. Lifted it toward her. Eska gasped. Her heart thumped with mighty beats. Her ears were filled with all manner of music. And that was before he glanced up at her, a questioning look in his neon blue eyes. A lock of his tawny hair had fallen forward, as if to frame him.
The swell of emotion nearly knocked her off her feet. She swayed. Blinked rapidly. Radiated happiness. And somehow remained standing.
“Eska?”
“Yes?” she replied. And held her breath.
“I love you.”
Eska had never swooned before. She didn’t feel him catch her, but he must have, for when she next opened her eyes, they were on the sofa, and he had her on his lap, held tightly in his arms. Their hearts touching. Beating in unison.
“Oh, Paul Henry!”
Tears ran unheeded down her cheeks as she threaded her fingers through his hair. Pulled it back. Ran her tongue along her lower lip. Prepared to kiss him.
“Wait. Wait. There’s more,” he said.
“But I already said yes!” Eska replied. “Yes. And yes. And another yes. And yes!”
“You want to try this on, then?”
He grinned and lifted his hand toward her, proffering the ring. It was on the tip of his little finger. The gem atop it was even more unbelievably huge than it looked earlier. Eska pulled the ring free with a trembling hand.
“You’re really cute. You know that?”
“You are calling me cute?” she asked.
“Yep. And you were incredibly difficult to find, I might add.”
“Me? Do you know how hard you were to reel in?”
“Reel in?”
“Yes. And land. You were a very tough catch, Paul Henry. Very.”
“You know...I might have to let you win this round.”
Eska had the ring on her third finger. Left hand. It fit perfectly. She held it out. Gestured with it. Light hit the facets, sending sparkles through the room.
Paul Henry snagged her hand, brought it to his lips, and touched a kiss to her ring finger. “Looks like it fits,” he remarked.
“Come on. I think we should find another bed to destroy,” Eska replied.
“Don’t you mean bedroom?”
“That, too.”
She pulled from his lap, held his hand tight, and waited until he stood up. She looked up into his now-violet eyes, felt a whoosh of something massive blossoming throughout her entire body. Her knees trembled. Her body quivered. Her heart sang. She knew exactly what was meant by swoon-worthy.
Exactly.
~ ~ ~
“Well, Grandpa. Was that not worth every moment of trauma? And aren’t you grateful the lad allowed us to be a part of it, albeit peripherally?”
Akron killed the live feed from the command center. Sat back. Folded his arms. And waited. Nigel started sputtering.
“Are you nuts? I think I’d rather die a thousand deaths than be that close to disaster again! Ever!”
“Was that not the sweetest proposal you’ve ever seen?”
“It’s the only one I’ve ever seen...other than my own, of course.”
“Well. In that event, trust me. It doesn’t get much sweeter. Ah. True love. It really does conquer all, you know.”
“Can I ask you something, Sir?”
“Of course.”
“You wouldn’t really have let him fry, would you?”
Akron leaned forward in his chair. Leather creaked beneath him. He paused for a moment with his finger on the connection switch.
“You wouldn’t have. I know you.” Nigel replied to his own query.
“Nigel—”
“You play this big bad arch-villain type, but inside you’re a big softie. Don’t bother denying it.”
“You think so?” Akron asked.
“You wouldn’t have been able to do it.” There was a long pause before Nigel added in an unsure tone, “would you?”
“That, dear Nigel...is something we shall never know.”
And Akron disconnected their link.