A roar bellowed across the crowd. The people were happy with every word she said, drinking it in, believing everything, because she was not the kind of woman who would lie to them. Seraphina was a natural leader, inviting their support without begging for it. I couldn’t have been prouder as I watched her open out her arms and welcome their cheers.
“We will open up the universe and find our place within it!” she cried.
“For the many!” the crowd boomed.
“We will take our nation into new advancements, forging a name for ourselves, from the sweat of our own brows!”
“For the many!”
“I will introduce many of the genius minds who will make the new vision of Vysanthe a reality, but I would like to make an honorable mention now,” she said, raising her hands for silence. “Please, show your appreciation for our new Minister of Scientific Endeavor—a coldblood of bravery and ingenuity, who is a shining example of how difference and acceptance will unite us, and bring us into an integrated universe! Raise your voices, and welcome Kaido Idrax into our new future!”
The applause was deafening. The people roared his name. His brothers leapt to their feet and clapped him on the back, while his mother and father looked on with overwhelming pride. Tears sprang to my eyes, as a camera picked him out. He stood and gave a jaunty bow, and the applause grew louder. I could see he had no idea what to do with the praise, but he stood there and took it with a blank expression, as only Kaido could. Deep inside, I knew he was happy.
Surrounded by my friends, and feeling the strange prickle of absent ones, I looked up into Navan’s eyes. Nova nestled happily in my arms, and though she didn’t know it yet, I was safe in the knowledge that her future would not hold the threat of a burning universe. Orfaio’s puzzle pieces, however hard to swallow, had chased away that danger. Rask remained imprisoned in his icy palace, and the immortal rebels had been thwarted. The queens were out of action and would soon be on their way to the lunar compounds that Bashrik had designed for the twin moons. The coldblood planet was as close to peace as it had ever been, and though sadness lingered like an old friend, I felt truly content for the first time in a long while, filled with hope for a new Vysanthe.
Epilogue
The Texan sun beat down on the endless farmland, the ferocious heat rippling like liquid in the distance. I stuck my head out of the window of the pick-up truck, letting the wind whip my face as Navan drove. The dirt track kicked up dust behind us in a billowing cloud, but my focus was solely on what lay ahead.
Five minutes later, the Churnleys’ farmhouse came into view. Angie sat on the porch in her rocking chair, lifting her hand to her brow as we neared. We’d gone into town to get supplies for the barbecue we planned to have that night, in celebration of our three-year reunion. She’d bought the farm from Mr. and Mrs. Churnley after we’d returned from Vysanthe, and the Churnleys were only too happy to sell it to her. They’d had something of an epiphany after the alien invasion, deciding life was too short to spend it all in one farmhouse. Using the money from the sale, they’d set off on a worldwide voyage of discovery, leaving Texas far behind. Angie, meanwhile, had purchased the farm with some of the money she’d made designing gowns for awards ceremonies. Her unique, galactic, alien dresses were a hit—nobody ever needed to know they'd come straight off the rack in Vysanthe.
However, it had given her the opportunity and the reputation to actually design clothes of her own. The money had given her the freedom to develop a line that she truly cared about, and everything she made became an instant success, on both sides of the universe. The Vysantheans went wild for her activewear, while the humans clamored for her cocktail dresses, the evening gowns she’d actually designed, and her everyday casual wear. She had a universe of fabrics to play with, and her fanbase lapped up everything she had to offer.
We'd thought about coming home and going to college, the way we'd planned to so long ago, all three of us girls, but life and other galaxies had been too tempting to ignore. Instead, I was studying engineering from some of the greatest Vysanthean minds, and learning everything I could, on the job, when the Fed called us to assist them with Earth matters and for coldblood diplomacy meetings. Plus, Lauren had already made up her mind, deciding a long time ago that she wanted to travel the universe and read everything she came across. There was always time for college in the future, if we changed our minds.
Nova sat on the bottom step of the porch, playing with some toys that the others had spoiled her with. She was a little over three, with the funniest personality. She walked or hovered clumsily on her scarlet wings, and talked and gave out sass wherever possible, but more than anything she loved to laugh and joke. Our home was always full of laughter, a sound that would never get old, coming from her. She was still drinking the sweetblood, but we no longer had to worry about getting more of it, thanks to the replicator machine we’d managed to pilfer from the rebels’ abandoned stronghold. Although, the older she got, the more interested she was becoming in other foods. Soon enough, I hoped, the sweetblood would become nothing more than a supplement.
For my own addiction, I hadn’t touched a drop in three years. Ever since Ronad died, the desire for it had faded.
“Phone’s ringing,” Navan said, nodding at the cellphone stuffed in the drinks holder.
I plucked it up and saw Jean’s name on the screen. “Hello?”
“Hello, sweetheart. Sorry to bother you—I know you’re spending the week with your friends—but I just wanted to make sure you were still coming to see us next week?”
“Yep, we’ll be at your house on Tuesday morning.”
“Are you sure you don’t want your father to pick you up from JFK? He wouldn’t mind,” Jean replied.
“Honestly, it’s easier if we just meet you at the house.”
“If you’re sure. We’re both very excited to see you all! I hope Nova remembers her old grandma and grandpa!”
I chuckled. “Less of the old. You two are spring chickens! And yes, she knows exactly who you are. She’s very excited to see you, too—can’t stop chattering about you both.”
“Well, you have a lovely time in Texas, and give us a call when you get to the airport, so we know you’ve gotten through security and whatnot. They’ve introduced those new scanners, and they’re super sensitive—beep for anyone, even non-aliens. I just wanted to make sure Navan and Nova had their documents in order. Otherwise, they won’t let you fly, you know?”
“We’ve got it figured out, Mom.”
“Well, okay… then we’ll see you next week.”
“Bye!”
“Bye, sweetheart.”
Navan grinned. “She still thinks we’re flying commercial?”
I nodded. “She’d have a heart attack if she saw us roll up in a Fed ship. I told her we’d just meet her at the house. I’m sure it’ll be fine. Even if we get spotted, the news barely bats an eyelid these days.”
Humanity’s ability to get used to anything continued to surprise me. They’d encountered aliens and taken it in stride. Earthen leaders had already put plans in motion to send more expeditions across the universe, using the technology gathered from the fallen spacecraft in Siberia. For the first time in what seemed like forever, the nations of Earth were working together on a universal project involving citizens of every country. Somehow, the threat of something far greater had brought them together, forcing them to unify instead of dividing and conquering.
Our own president, the one who had entered into underhanded deals with Ezra, had been impeached shortly after the interspecies war for Earth had come to an end. Apparently, some files had been leaked, showing his dealings with the very aliens who had attacked, and so he had been forced to step down in order to avoid further conflict with other countries. He had been charged at the UN court of justice and made to serve a long prison sentence for his crimes against his country and his planet.
Unfortunately, nuclear weapons had become more popular, as a so-called “defensive
strategy,” but tensions between countries had lessened slightly after the old president had been dealt with and replaced with a more competent candidate. And besides, the Fed had their eye on things. If Earth edged to the brink of any kind of nuclear war, they’d promised to step in.
The strange thing was, although we’d saved humanity, it was now much more dangerous for us to live in this world. It was why we’d chosen to live elsewhere, where Nova and Navan wouldn’t be under constant scrutiny. Humans might have taken technological and alien advancements in stride, but they were no better at accepting differences.
“Did you get the barbecue things?” Angie asked, calling for Bashrik. He burst out of the screen door with a Stetson on his head, grinning like a maniac. Angie rolled her eyes. “Where did you get that?”
“Found it in the Churnleys’ old stuff.”
“Well, take it off.”
He shook his head. “No, ma’am. I’m a cowboy now.”
“Well, cowboy, how about you get our fixings from the truck and take them inside before they swelter and give us food poisoning?”
He tipped his hat. “Aye, ma’am.”
“He’s just excited because Stone is on his way,” she whispered, once Bashrik was out of earshot.
Angie and Bashrik spent half their time on Earth, and half their time on Vysanthe, or traveling around the universe. They’d adopted a few dogs in the past three years, and Bashrik was especially fond of them. I caught him throwing their German Shepherd a sausage on the way into the house, lifting his finger to his lips in a conspiratorial gesture. The dog tilted its head in agreement, before chowing down on the sausage. There were two others, running around on the porch, entertaining Nova. One was a mixed-breed, some unknown blend, and the other was a plump French bulldog whom Nova adored.
“How would you feel about making another one?” Navan asked, slipping his arms around my waist as we watched our daughter.
I smiled. “Can we take things slow this time?”
“Of course,” he whispered, nuzzling my ear.
After putting the food away and settling on the porch with ice-cold lemonade in hand, and chilled vials of blood for the boys, we got to talking about the state of Earth and its adventures across the universe. It was still weird for us to acknowledge that there were humans properly exploring space, even though we’d been doing it for four years now.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if they ended up causing an interplanetary war by shooting first and asking questions later,” Angie muttered.
“They’d see one Draconian and run screaming!” I said, laughing. Navan and I visited Zai every year, to see how Ginji was getting on, and to make a sort of pilgrimage after the loss of Cambien. They had raised a statue of opaleine in his honor, which sat in the crater where the frozen coldbloods had once stood.
“Humans are a pirate’s dream—so easy to fleece.” Navan pulled a face. “All a pirate has to do is say, ‘Oh, this is an ancient Sonoran artifact that’s proven to bring long life,’ and they’ll snap it up for an extortionate amount of credits. They probably don’t even have credits—they’ll try buying stuff with gold or something and end up insulting a bunch of traders.”
Bashrik sighed and leaned back in his chair. “They’ll figure it out.”
We’d just settled into an amicable silence, soaking in the evening rays, when the sound of a ship approaching prompted us to sit up. A small vessel set down on the grass behind the farmhouse, and Lauren and Stone hurried hand-in-hand down the gangway. They looked so happy as they rushed to greet us.
“Grand to see ye, lads and lasses!” Stone said, enveloping us all in a bear hug. His eye had healed, thanks to the magic of Szayan’s medical skills, and he was no worse off for having been injured. Still, he kept his bandana over it, so as not to startle any locals.
“And you, Stone,” I replied, moving in to hug my beloved Lauren. “Well, you two look more besotted than ever!”
“What can I say, he has this effect on me.” She giggled, flashing a diamond ring on her engagement finger.
I gaped at her. “You’ve got to be kidding me! Angie! Lauren has a rock the size of your head on her finger!”
Angie came running, holding the diamond up to the light. “Holy crap!”
“Tis real, if that’s what yer frettin’ over. Nicked it meself from a diamond jeweler,” Stone teased, as Bashrik and Navan congratulated him.
“He didn’t steal it, he bought it—I watched him,” Lauren assured us.
Angie shot Bashrik a knowing look. “You see this, Bash? This is why I get grumpy every time you bring me a gift. Stone gets it. He knows that after three years, a ring is what a woman wants. Well, maybe not every woman, but it’s what I want.”
“Hey, I get it. I’m just biding my time.”
“For what?”
He shrugged, blushing. “A romantic moment.”
“Trust me to get the one who wants to plan everything to perfection,” she murmured, flashing Bashrik a grin.
“Anyway, we’re not planning to get married for a while,” Lauren said bashfully.
“Aye, which reminds me—we did see me old rival in love, didn’t we, Ren?” Stone chimed in.
She nodded. “Yeah, we bumped into Xiphio at one of the waystations in the Tarantella quadrant. He’s become quite the bigshot bounty hunter, feared across the universe.”
“Knew he’d amount to somethin’, that’un.”
I grinned. “No way.”
“Yeah, apparently he’s pretty good at it, when certain ambakas aren’t trying to ruin his reputation,” Lauren teased.
“One time, Ren! And it were fer the good o’ the Tiburonians.”
“I know.” She smiled, leaning in to kiss him. He pulled her close with his strong arms, dipping her into a hold, like something out of an old movie. When he let her go, Angie was staring at the two of them with her mouth open, her eyes twinkling in adoration.
Not one to be outdone, Bashrik moved over to Angie and put his arms around her waist, dipping her into the same kind of hold. She shrieked as he dropped her, his hands losing their grip. A moment later, lying on the ground, she began to giggle raucously, clutching her stomach. Evidently hoping he was off the hook, Bashrik reached out a hand and helped her up, Angie looping her arms about his neck and planting a kiss on his lips.
“Let the showman do the fancy stuff. I’m happy just to have your kisses,” she said, laughing.
“Aye, leave the romancin’ to the professionals,” Stone joked.
“Speaking of the professionals, how are the cuffs faring?” I asked.
“Still safe an’ sound on Glossa. Quit yer frettin’, lass. I check in on ‘em every time we pass, don't I, Ren?”
“He does, even if it's out of the way.”
“Thank you for doing that,” I said, feeling relieved.
“Ach, is me pleasure. Don't want no almighty bein’ swoopin’ ‘bout the place, wreckin’ all the good what's goin’ on.”
No… we really didn't.
“Funny thing is, I been wonderin’ if ought woulda happened had I just left ‘em in the museum. Maybe, that were the safest place for ‘em.” He tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Ah well, ye live an’ ye learn. They're safe now, so that's all what matters, eh?”
“Right,” I replied, my heartrate calming.
Shortly afterward, we drifted toward the table that Angie had set up outside. I placed Nova in her booster seat, where she dropped bits of food for the dogs and sipped on her vial of sweetblood. As we ate and drank, talk turned to Vysanthe, and those we’d lost in gaining it back from the queens and the rebels. Not only that, but those we’d lost trying to save Earth, too.
“Seraphina has just been reelected as president, Kaido has made some breakthrough with curing a debilitating brain sickness, similar to dementia I believe, and the senate is changing the old queens’ sentence from lifetime solitary confinement to something more universally satisfying. Not sure what yet, but I’ve heard a rumor that they migh
t be handing them over to the Fed, where they’ll be put in front of a universal tribunal. Sounds about right to me—no way they can wiggle free of that!” Lauren said, raising a glass. “So, let’s say cheers to that and to the new Vysanthe. Long may it reign.”
“To the new Vysanthe, to bringing the queens to justice, and to Kaido and Seraphina!” we chorused.
“And let’s have a moment to honor the dead,” Navan suggested.
Stone nodded. “Aye, we can say a word now and tell our stories of ‘em later, to remind ourselves of ‘em when they were livin’.”
“I like that,” I said, smiling.
“To Mort,” Angie began.
“To Ronad,” Navan followed.
“To Cambien, Galo, and Commander Mahlo,” I said, closing my eyes to remember every single one of them.
“Aye, and to all the other agents, Pyros, coldbloods, and humans what died in these wars,” Stone added, raising his glass. “May ye stay in our memories until we come to meet ye in the heavens.”
I felt a shiver run up my spine and knew that, somehow, Ronad was there.
“And how's the baby doing?” I wondered, breaking the silence that followed.
Stone looked at Lauren in a panic. “What bairn? I ain't planned no bairns right yet. Not that I'd not be wantin’ to have yer bairns, Ren. I would, it's just a shock.”
Lauren smiled. “She means Seraphina’s baby. Relax.”
“Ye had me there!” He wiped a hand across his brow, chuckling.
“Ro is doing good, from what I hear. Everybody still adores him. Did you know you can get shirts with his face on them and everything?”
“They're still making those?” I laughed, thinking of the cute little boy Seraphina had given birth to, not long after her inauguration. She'd named him Ro. A simple name, in memory of the man who'd made her child's future—and every child's future—possible.