Page 128 of Between Earth and Eternity
What if they didn’t make it? What if this was all for nothing?
I refuse to believe it. The universe would have made it known in some way. I would have been able to feel it somehow, like I felt it speaking to me before. It did it for Vallen and me. I felt it in that hallway when he kissed me the first time. Unless it was all some cruel trick.
The universe is anything but kind. Maybe the ugly truth is that Earth doesn’t matter and we don’t either.
I inhale a shaky breath. I can’t let the darkness of my thoughts pull me into the black hole of despair. Instead, I do the one thing that has always brought me comfort. I replay a song that gives my heart hope.
I think I might have fallen in love with Vallen Mannox.
I think he might love me too.
It happened somewhere between those moments when I loathed him and when I could suddenly recall his scent from memory or identify him simply by the way he moved. Slowly,and then seemingly all at once, like an exploding star, my soul knew him.
Maybe falling in love is like a song after all; not just any song, but your favorite. There’s zero hesitation or guesswork. The second it hits your eardrums, you just know. No questions.
He is my favorite song.
Always will be.
I jump as the door slides open and Alister Mannox steps into the room, escorted by two badges. I have no idea what time it is, but he wears an impeccable suit, tailored perfectly to fit his wide shoulders.
“You’ve caused quite the debacle, Miss Andrews.” His voice is smooth and concise. “And quite significant damage to my ship.”
He paces in front of me like a predator tracking its next meal. My body locks up in defense and fear, knowing there is no way out of this, that once he pounces, there will be absolutely nothing I can do to stop it.
“I’m sure you couldn’t even fathom the cost of repairing the state you’ve left it in.”
Money. It all comes down to money. He doesn’t care if people are injured. He only cares about what he lost and what it will cost in dollar signs.
“Does it really matter?” I ask, my voice stronger than I feel. He pauses in front of me before I go on. “As long as it can make it to Eden, that’s all you need.” He cocks an eyebrow, intrigued. “It was only built for one mission, after all.”
He inhales through his nose, a quiet storm building. “So it seems my son has betrayed me. I had a suspicion.” A little too late.
“If you want to call it that, I guess,” I say, mimicking his arrogance.
He sniffs a laugh. “Vallen has proven to be a disappointment to me time and time again. Has since he was a little boy.”
I shake my head, disgusted. “Youare a disappointment, a disgrace. Vallen is ten times the man you will ever be.”
His lip curls as he lifts his chin. “My son is nothing but weak. A boy who had everything handed to him, every opportunity to rise to heights that most could only dream of, and instead of being grateful, he defies me, his father, stabs me in the back and attempts to run our name into the dirt.”
I shake my head. “Your name means nothing.”
He chuckles darkly, adjusting the lapels of his jacket. “Where is my son, by the way?”
Internally, I sigh with relief. They made it out. It worked. I say nothing as he circles the chair. I squirm under his gaze, still unable to move an inch thanks to the shackles.
“I don’t know.” The only honest thing he’ll get out of me. I know a little about a lot of things from the one Nova meeting I was part of, but he doesn’t know that. He can assume all he wants, but he won’t get what he seeks.
He continues to circle me, and it’s unnerving how gracefully he moves. “How many people has he won over to this ridiculous endeavor?”
He isn’t asking the right questions. What he should be asking is how long this has been going on. He truly has no idea the extent of Nova, has no idea it exists. Not a clue that it extends to every corner of his empire.
“He cannot beat me,” he states, like he needs to say it aloud to be true.
I can see the smallest hint of panic in his eyes as I continue to watch him wordlessly.
He halts in front of me. “Speak,” he says coldly.
