Page 34 of Conquering the Skies

He propped himself up on his elbows. “Every time we think we’ve got everything figured out, something unexpected happens. No one can know what the future will bring, so I’m not going to make a lot of promises right now.” One corner of his mouth turned up in a smile. “Except one.”

She raised an eyebrow.

“I love you—both of you—and nothing will ever change that.” He scratched the back of his head. “It may not be a lot, but it’s the best I can do for right now, and I don’t want there to be any question about it.”

“It’s plenty.” She caressed his cheek. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

He interrupted her attempt at an apology with a kiss then delivered a similar one to Ash’s lips. “It’s fine. Better to say something than have it linger at the back of your mind.” A devilish spark glinted in his eyes. “Especially since, by my calculations, I’m still all yours for a few more hours.”

Ash stretched his arms up over his head. “After what just happened, I might need a couple minutes to recover.”

Contentment flowed throughout her. “Sleep is overrated,” she said, poking his chest. “And you’re right, Marcus. Let’s be sure to enjoy every second of this magical night.”

Epilogue

The small shuttle touched down on the landing pad with a jolt. Geneva waited until she heard the aircraft’s engines shut down, and then unfastened her seat belt. Leaning forward, she slid her duffel bag out from where she’d wedged it beneath her seat and slung it over her shoulder as she stood. Beside her, Ash did the same, and she led the way toward the exit.

Dingy clouds obscured the sun when she stepped down the ramp onto the surface of the planet Luranga. Whereas Pasurea was defined by its bright golden light and copper sands and Dorann was filled with vivid hues of blue and green, everything greeting her on Luranga appeared to be a muddled shade of grayish brown. Across the field, a low, flat building stood at the edge of a row of wispy trees. After thanking the pilot and saying her good-byes, she set out for her next destination.

Few people milled about inside. A middle-aged man sat in a row of plastic chairs, scrolling through a tablet propped up on his knee. Geneva assumed he was the person she sought and approached him. “Hi there,” she said. “Are you Brody by any chance?”

He clicked off the switch at the top of the tablet. “Glad to see you didn’t have any trouble finding me.”

“It was a lucky guess.” She extended her hand toward him when he stood. “Geneva Greyson Ashford. It’s so nice to finally meet you in person.”

He accepted the handshake. “Likewise.”

She tilted her head to the side. “And this is my husband, who I’ve spoken about in our correspondence.”

Ash repeated the salutatory gesture. “You can call me Ash.”

Brody smirked. “Ash Ashford? Kind of a funny name, if you ask me.”

“I’m used to it by now,” he said, chuckling.

He slipped the tablet into his satchel and pointed to another door. “I’m parked out front. I know we don’t have much of a spaceport here, but is there anything else you need before we head out?”

Geneva shook her head. “Not that I can think of.”

“All right. Let’s get going, then, and we can chat more on the way.”

Brody led them to a bulky black truck sitting amidst several other vehicles. Geneva didn’t know whether it had flight capabilities like her hovercar back on Pasurea and decided not to ask. “Here, let me stick this in the back,” he said, reaching for her bag.

She passed it to him and then took Ash’s similar luggage to do the same. Once their belongings were secured, Brody opened the passenger door for them. Grabbing the handle high up on the elevated frame, she climbed inside, and Ash hopped up onto the seat next to her. Their new acquaintance joined them from the opposite side and, after a loud rumble from the engine, navigated the truck onto a paved roadway.

Overhead, some of the clouds parted, allowing a few wan sunbeams to peek through the haze. Geneva fished her sunglasses out of her jacket pocket and put them on. “So, how long have you lived on Luranga?”

“Born and raised here, though I’ve had occasion to travel to a few more planets and systems.” Brody drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “I take it you looked over the materials I sent you?”

“I did,” she said, nodding. “Plus, some additional research of my own.”

Ash leaned forward in his seat. “Geneva’s always been very good about doing her homework.”

“Nice.” He snickered, but his smile soon faded. “I’m glad you’re here, but to be completely honest with you, I’m still not surewhyyou’re here.”

“Well…” She inhaled. “You agreed the people of your world could use some help. I wanted to see if there was anything we could do.”

“That’s the thing, though.” Ahead of them, the road veered to the left, and he yanked the wheel. “It’s not like we’ve suffered any great tragedy, like an earthquake or a meteor. We’re getting by as best we can.” A muscle in his cheek twitched and the volume of his voice dropped. “Barely.”

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