“
Neleh and David were both fairly sure. David planned for me to pretend to be in distress. He was confident that Dominick would come to my rescue.” My voice gave away my disgust.
“
You were not so sure?” His was amused. He almost chuckled.
“
No. I do not think he would have cared. It must have always been his nature to be cruel. I have no idea why he suppressed it for so long, but saving me is just giving him too much credit.” That silenced Nickolas for a long while.
I let myself fall back against his chest. I wondered what Dominick was doing now? And Neleh and David? Would Neleh know by now of David’s betrayal? Was David worried? He would most likely come for me.
“
Are you afraid of David?” It was almost completely dark by the time Nickolas asked another question.
“
No, but I think Neleh will be very angry with him.”
“
So you are afraid
for
him?”
“
Yeah. I wouldn’t like to see her angry.”
“
Was she cruel to you?”
I didn’t answer. I wasn’t sure what to say. Neleh only thought she was helping me. Instead I replied with a sigh and, “I think she will make him come for me.”
He momentarily tightened his grip on me. “He will come here?”
“
Yes, I believe he will.”
“
You will not go with him.” He was determined.
“
I…I will probably have to.” I was glad that Nickolas couldn’t see the quiver in my bottom lip.
“
And if I don’t let them take you?” he whispered hoarsely.
I wouldn’t let Nickolas see my tears. In truth, there was nothing he could do either. The weapons of 2152 were far superior. David would do what he had to and then use memory cleaner. There was nothing either of us could do. My fate was already decided, I would not be allowed to stay and live happily with Nickolas.
I really wasn’t sure if I wanted to. I still wanted to find Dominick and kill him. It was hard for me, knowing he was so close and yet there was not much I could do. “I thought you were going to take me to him.” I couldn’t hide the darkness in my voice when I thought of Dominick.
“
We will have to wait until morning to enter the colony.”
“
Dominick is in the colony?” my heart sped up.
“
Not yet.”
“
And why do we have to wait? If we are there already, we could surprise him. And then…”
“
Neleh doesn’t allow humans in the colony at night.”
“
Wh…”
“
She doesn’t let her warriors out either. Fewer accidents that way.”
“
I wonder if Henri…” Henri! I just suddenly realized who the dark haired vampire was. Did he recognize me in the future? I had to smile when I remembered Nickolas’s words from earlier about me not being able to kill Henri. Ha!
“
Why are you smiling? You see things differently now?”
“
Some things. Yes.”
“
Henri? You know him in your time.”
“
Yep.” I took a deep breath of cool night air. “So what will we do until morning?”
He gave me a funny look and shook his head. I wished that I could hear his thoughts. “We’ll sleep out here tonight and then go to the colony in the morning.” I made a face at him, which he misinterpreted. “Are you afraid to stay out here? I will keep you safe,” he promised.
“
It’s not that. I am just eager to be on our way. I want to find Dominick before David finds me.”
He didn’t say anything, just brought the horse to a stop and swung down to the ground. “Nevertheless, we will go no further tonight.” He reached his hand up to help me down.
“
You know Eva, I think I will always remember this night,” Nickolas said fondly, “no matter how long I live.”
“
Me too.”
I just thought it, but I was sure that he heard me.
There had been tarps and blankets along the wall to the colony and there were many similar camp sites along the wall. Nickolas had explained that most humans that were turned out chose to stay close, feeling safer. So he got a campsite set up for us, only a little farther away.
“
You won’t be afraid, will you?” he had teased.
“
Not with you by my side,” I had teased back, batting my eyelashes wildly at him.
Then Nickolas made a small fire and sprawled himself in front of it. I laid my head on his chest and tried to pretend that it was my real life. That this was just another night spent with my beloved. But then Nickolas spoke and shattered my beautiful delusion.
“
Have you ever had a beau?”
“
A what?”
“
A beaux. You know…a fiancé, a lover…anything? Someone special to you?’
“
A fiancé? Is that like a husband?”
“
Kind of.”
“
I have no husband.”
“
Someone special then?” I couldn’t understand why he seemed so uncomfortable.
“
David was special. He told me I was special to him.”
“
So he was your lover?”
“
I don’t think I
love
him.” I shrugged my shoulders.
“
But Eva,” he laughed a little, “when a man and a woman like each other…”
“
Oh.” Sudden understanding colored my face bright red. “No, of course not. I was not created to love. I am not sure that I even know how to love, at least I didn’t. Not until I met you that is.” I hated how I stuttered over my words.
“
You love me?” I couldn’t see his face but I knew he was smiling. I jabbed his ribs.
“
I admit,” I let my breath out; “I am somewhat fond of you.” We both laughed.
“
I am fond of you too.” I looked up at him with laughter in my eyes but his expression was oddly serious.
“
I have to be sure not to see Neleh tomorrow,” I told him to break the awkwardness.
“
She won’t recognize you.”
“
I know, but I am worried about changing things here. David tried to tell me, to warn me, but I didn’t understand before.”
“
It does seem…irresponsible.”
“
What does?”
“
Coming back into the past. It is almost impossible not to change the course of history. Imagine how many lives you may be changing.”
“
By being with you, right now?”
“
Not just me. The potential is too great even for me to comprehend. Your David started to understand that, but a little too late.”
“
For David it was always only about the science. He wanted to build Orbex and see her launch. I don’t think he really thought about the consequences. And when he did…” The betrayal.
“
He tried to fix things by taking you out of the equation.”
“
Yes, but he still wanted to see if Orbex worked.”
“
And it did.”
“
But he underestimated me.”
“
Would he have killed you?”
“
No.” My answer was immediate.
“
But he would have asked Sols and Max to kill you?”
“
No, he wouldn’t have told them to kill me,” I heard again their words from the decam pod that things could easily go wrong. “That doesn’t mean they would have obeyed his orders.”
“
So you…trust David?”
“
Not at all. He betrayed us. After all I went through.” My eyes drifted to the past for a moment. “Imagine if it would have all been for nothing.”
“
Where do you live?”
My eyes shifted to his face. “Lexon.” I was confused, why did he want to know that? Lexon didn’t even exist yet.
“
Where is Lexon?”
“
It’s about thirty miles from Moscow.”
“
Hmm.”
“
Nickolas?” I yawned big.
“
What?” he asked, amused.
“
Don’t come looking for me, you know, in the future.” My voice was groggy and my eyes half shut on their own. I was so tired.
“
Sleep Eva. When the sun rises, we will be on our way.”
***
Nickolas was in fact up before the sun was. When I finally opened my eyes he was sitting across from me, deep in thought. An immense sadness caught me off guard. I had to catch my breath before I could ask him what he was doing.
“
I’m listening for Neleh.”
“
Do you hear her?” My stomach growled loudly.
“
You’re hungry.”
“
No.” I lied with a chuckle.
He was up and gone before I could register. I stretched out fully and pushed myself up to a sitting position. I was straightening my hair when he returned with bread and cheese. I grimaced. “Is this not to your liking?”
“
I was just wondering who you stole it from.” I took the food he offered and shoved some in my mouth. They ate a lot of bread and cheese in Nickolas’s time.
He grinned. “It was given to me.”
He sat down beside me but he was obviously changed from the night before. “You ok? What is Neleh up to?”
“
There is a new arrival in the colony. He is creating quite a stir.”
The bread became suddenly dry and difficult to swallow.
Chapter Twenty
-Three
Nickolas spotted him first. He must have been looking for someone who didn’t quite fit in. “Do you know him?” he asked, nudging my arm.
“
Who?” I craned my neck to see who he was looking at. Maybe we had found Dominick.
“
That man there with the brown shirt. He keeps hiding his face.”
“
Where?” I followed his gaze and then I saw him. David stood just across the yard and he was staring directly at me. I gasped and ducked behind Nickolas.
“
I take that as a yes.”
“
Did he see me?” I hissed.
“
He’s coming this way.” I groaned and felt Nickolas tense up. “Who is he?” he sounded wary.
“
David,” I whispered loudly.
“
David,” he repeated, almost to himself.
“
Let’s make a run for it,” I pleaded.
“
No. He already eyes you anyway.”
“
Eva.” David’s voice sounded close and oddly refreshing, as if I’d been underwater for too long and now I’d finally resurfaced. I worked hard to control my excitement to see him.
“
David,” I acknowledged him. I stepped out from behind Nickolas, my face fully composed and masked hard.
“
I am surprised to see you here.” His words sounded forced out and his eyes kept darting back to Nickolas.
Nickolas stood very still with his arms folded across his chest.
“
Alive you mean?” I didn’t do so well with false pleasantries.
“
They weren’t going to kill you,” he replied hotly.
“
How could you change your mind? They said you considered yourself a friend of Dominick Letrell,” I almost spit the name out.
“
Shh,” David was very jumpy. His eyes darted again to Nickolas. “What have you done, Eva?” he asked with narrowed eyes.
“
This is your doing David!” No way was I letting him put the blame on me. “What were you planning to do with me? How were you going to dispose of me?” My anger made my words lash out.
“
They weren’t going to kill you,” he repeated his previous declaration.
“
They tried to give me memory cleaner,” I accused.
“
And if you would have just taken it…”
“
What makes you think I would “just take” anything?”
He chuckled, making his eyes light up with a familiarity I couldn’t help but respond to. “So what were you planning for me?” I asked quietly. I stared deeply into the liquid brown reminder of home.
His indecision was dominant. He looked again at Nickolas and frowned. Nickolas had stood so still and quiet during our exchange that I had momentarily forgotten that he was there. “Eva,” David began.
“
It’s ok.” I avoided his eyes. “He already knows…everything.” I ducked my head guiltily. I felt Nickolas’s hand on my back, offering me his silent support. I looked up at him and smiled briefly.
David’s eyes were accusing, but he didn’t comment. He leaned closer so that he could talk in a near whisper. “The cleaner was very powerful. If you had taken it all,” he raised his eyebrows pointedly, “you would have forgotten everything. Me, Neleh, your mission, all your training,” he swallowed visibly, “and Dominick Letrell.” I took two steps back. My anger at hearing his name was always immediate. It had been ground into me since I was a small child. A lifetime of borrowed hatred. “You would have forgotten your feelings for him.”