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Chapter 14
Eden sank back againstthe bars, her nails busted, her fingers sore, and the lock on the cage still solidly in place after she’d tugged at it for several minutes.
There was no way to get comfortable in here, and every part of her hurt from fighting with the Pecket. But it wasn’t just the physical pain that was screwing with her. The longer they stayed here, the greater the risks that the Pecket would come back and finish what they’d started.
She squeezed her eyes shut, willing away unwelcome tears. They wouldn’t get any waterworks from her. It had been a long time since she’d cried. She’d learned to shut off that show of weakness years ago when her mom told her that no one respected you for crying. They only saw you as pathetic and easy to exploit if you blubbed when you hit a rough patch.
Eden looked over at Blaze. He was glaring at the cage, as if he was trying to will it open with the power of his stare. “How did you get on board?”
He lifted his chin, and his glare softened. “I took one of the sanctuary ships. I locked onto an airlock and came through it. I had to blast the door open. That triggered an alarm.”
Eden shook her head. Typical Apexian. He thought he was invincible. “How did they not shoot you out of the sky while you were chasing them?”
His smile turned a trifle smug. “You know me. I can always fly my way out of trouble.”
She swallowed and looked down. Would they ever get to do that again? Have the freedom to go on another mission and rescue an animal. Was this their last adventure?
Everyone who joined the Apocalypse knew the risks, but it had never felt this final before or this deadly. The stupid tears threatened again.
“Hey, we’ll find a way out of this,” Blaze said.
“Unless you can rip those bars apart, we’re stuck.” Eden dropped her head and sighed, hating the defeat that laced through her words. She’d spent her whole life fighting, trying to gain acceptance and love from others. It all felt like a big waste of time.
“Eden, this isn’t over.”
She shook her head. “What if we do get out of these cages?”
“We go make some Pecket pay.”
“After that?”
“We rescue the animals.”
“I mean, when we get back to the Apocalypse. Do we go back to the way it was?”
“Of course. What else would we do?”
“You’re leaving to marry a stranger. It won’t be the same without you.” Yep, those threatening tears were making her talk crap. She had no claim over Blaze. She shouldn’t be telling him what to do.
He was silent for a long moment. “You’ll get a replacement if I go.”
“I don’t want a stand-in version of you. I don’t want you to leave me.” She opened her eyes and stared straight at him. The second she looked into his purple gaze, her heart started racing.
Life always felt like a struggle. She’d always had to be on her guard, not knowing who she could trust. But that had shifted when she’d met Blaze. She’d fought it tooth and nail, but he’d always been there for her. The idea he was finally giving up on her cut through her like a jagged blade.
Eden was bone weary of not trusting people. She didn’t love the bad guys, but they were the ones she always chose. She’d gotten used to handling their roughness and the low expectations they came with. The prospect of anything else was terrifying, and that was exactly what Blaze was offering her.
“I don’t want to leave you,” he said softly.
“But you will. For some whacked out political alliance that’ll leave you saddled to someone you don’t love.”
“It’ll be a shrewd alliance that’ll secure the safety and prosperity of my family for generations. We all do it. We all know what’s expected of us from a young age.”
“What about the rest of your family? Can’t one of your brothers or sisters take on the responsibility? They can enter the alliance and live the life your parents expect of you.”
“The eldest son always goes first.”
“You have other siblings, though. Your parents could make an exception.”
