Page 94 of Silent Lucidity

The wide hallway was as silent and deserted. He walked at a steady pace, his aches more insistent with every step, and took her back along the path by which he’d come.

A few meters beyond the blast-damaged portion of the hallway, Abella jerked awake. Her eyes, glassy with confusion, flashed open. Her muscles tensed as she screamed and struggled against Tenthil’s hold.

Tenthil stopped walking and lowered his head again. He clutched her close to him. “Shh. I have you, Abella.”

She stilled and finally met his gaze. Her chest heaved with ragged breaths. “Tenthil?”

He rested his cheek against her forehead. “I have you,” was all he could manage to say before his throat constricted.

She burst into tears and threw her arms around his neck, clinging to him as her body shook with her sobs. “He wasinsidemy head. I couldn’t stop him, couldn’t keep him out. He tookeverything. I thought he’d take you, too.”

“He’s gone. One with his precious Void.” Tenthil brushed his lips over her hair. “He could never take me from you. Nothing can.”

She sniffled and pulled back. Her watery, red eyes found his again. Lowering one of her arms, she cupped his face, brushing her thumb over his cheek. Without another word, she kissed him. It was a desperate kiss, nearly broken by another sob, but she didn’t stop; she only held him tighter.

Tenthil’s aches and pains fell a way while their lips were together. He’d have endured tenfold more suffering for that single kiss, would’ve fought the world for it. When she finally drew away from him to take in a shuddering breath, he licked her taste from his lips. Despite everything, he wanted her, then and there.

But they weren’t safe. Though the Master was dead, they were still in his house.

“Little farther to go,” he said as he resumed walking, turning onto the staircase that led down to the main floor. “We can rest soon.”

Her grip on him tightened briefly. “I can walk.”

He frowned; he didn’t want to let her go, didn’t want to have even the slightest distance between them, but he knew she’d be better protected if she were walking—at least then he could use his weapons freely and shield her with his body as necessary.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs, he gently set Abella on her feet, keeping one arm around her back. She put an arm around his waist and leaned against him for a few moments, swaying slightly. They moved on once she’d found her balance.

Tenthil drew his blaster and walked with Abella tucked against his side, angling himself so he was ahead of her. Neither of them spoke as they passed the scene of his battle with the borian, groalthuun, and daevahs. They encountered no living beings in those halls—not until they emerged into the courtyard.

Eight acolytes stood in front of the closed double doors that led into the vestibule and the garage beyond, armed with blasters, energy blades, and shock staves. Tension crackled through the air; though the acolytes kept their faces serious, their expressions hard, several of them fidgeted and repeatedly flicked their gazes toward their comrades as though uncertain of themselves.

Tenthil guided Abella behind him as he swept his gaze over his foes.

“Tenthil,” Abella whispered fearfully.

He felt the gentle pressure of her hands against his back armor and found strength—found comfort—in her touch. He walked toward the Well of Secrets slowly, keeping his eyes on the acolytes, who made no move to attack despite their number advantage. Abella kept close on his heels as he mounted the broad steps to the edge of the well.

“I reclaim our names,” he called. “Tenthil and Abella. The Void no longer holds claim to us.”

Several of the acolytes exchanged startled glances.

Tenthil released a slow breath. He’d have, at best, a second to act if things went wrong. It wasn’t enough—not against so many. “Our contracts are closed. Do any of you object?”

The acolytes’ eyes were fixed on him, and the weight of their gazes was heavier than the silence that settled over the courtyard.

One of the acolytes—the same female sedhi Tenthil had seen in the garage on the night he met Abella—took a single step forward. She bowed her head and crouched, deactivating her energy blade as she laid it on the ground. Without looking at Tenthil again, she rose, turned, and walked toward one of the side doors around the courtyard’s edge.

One by one, the other acolytes followed her lead, laying down their weapons and departing, none making eye contact with Tenthil as they did so. Within a minute, Tenthil and Abella were alone.

Abella returned to his side and released a shaky breath as she put her arm around him. He settled his arm over her shoulders, and they stepped down from the well together. The false sky overhead didn’t seem quite so dark while they crossed the courtyard.

When they reached the double doors, he shoved one open and crossed into the vestibule with Abella, pausing only long enough to turn and kick the door closed again. The echo of it slamming shut held a satisfying note of finality.

The Order of the Void was no longer his concern.

Eighteen

They returned to the safehouse in the Bowels after Tenthil abandoned the vehicle they’d taken from the temple’s garage andprocuredanother hovercar. Neither of them had spoken as they traveled; Tenthil had kept a hand on her thigh, thumb brushing absently over her pants, and she’d held her hand atop his. That simple contact had been enough to ground her, to chase away her sense of impossible, overwhelming vulnerability, to tell her Tenthil was real, alive, and with her.

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