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“Based on our trials, we should be able to have a working vaccine that will prevent infection in a few weeks. As you’ve already guessed, having a vaccine that kills everything else without affecting us once we’re immune will be harder. Orders are to proceed at all costs. Although it hasn’t been said, I think the other team also understands the implied message in those orders—that those safely tucked away at sanctuary won’t care if we’re all wiped out in the process.”
“Why would they?” I said. “With all the supplies I saw shipping to the evac because of Molev’s efforts, they’ve probably prepared for that scenario. Since Plan A is no longer an option, we’ll need to focus on Plan B.”
I left the back area with her close on my heels. “Keep your research focused on a cure only. Eitri, please stay with the researchers until backup comes.”
I took the stairs two at a time and asked a random fey outside to point me to Cassie and Kerr’s house.
They were home, but each one had a kid in their arms.
“Uh, I need your help,” I said, staring at the toddler Kerr held.
“Lilly’s help?” Kerr asked.
“No. Actually, yours and Cassie’s. But I didn’t realize you had kids.”
Cassie chuckled. “Having kids with all these built-in sitters waiting for a turn isn’t a problem. What do you need?”
“I need you both to keep an eye on the researchers. They’ve been ordered to work on a way to kill everything that came out of that crater.”
Cassie’s humor vanished.
“You’re more likely to understand what they’re doing than anyone else,” I added to explain why I was there.
“We already know what the cure is. Why let them continue researching?” she asked.
“She’s reporting her findings to the second team, and they are updating her on theirs. If she stops updating, we stop learning how far the other team is in achieving their goals.”
“All right,” Cassie said.
She went to the door and yelled out a few names. Fey jogged toward the house.
“Eitri’s keeping an eye on them. I need to check in with Molev and Drav.”
She waved me away while she handed off her kids to the fey who’d appeared. Kerr was running with her seconds later. The fey now holding the toddler nodded at me and closed the door. Just like that, the kids were passed off. And by the looks of things, they were pretty excited about it too. The little girl was already asking for new braids.
My gaze scanned the fey idly wandering around the neighborhood as I jogged toward Drav’s house. How could anyone think that these people were multiplying to create an army? Anyone with eyes could see why they wanted women, and it wasn’t just so they could make babies. These men were lonely. Maybe even beyond lonely. I couldn’t imagine spending lifetimes without someone else to love.
It hit me, then, how much I hadn’t understood Molev’s viewpoint. While I’d avoided serious relationships due to the hot mess my parents had called a relationship, I’d always had the love of my brother, sister-in-law, and their kids. They’d filled the need for having a family of my own.
But what if I didn’t have them? I tried to imagine what it would have been like to spend thousands of years without anyone to love.
While I knew Molev had his brothers and the love he felt for them was certainly real, it wasn’t the same kind of love a person could share with their partner or child. And that’s all these fey really craved. A deeper connection with the people around them…a connection they saw in families and spouses—the very thing my messed-up childhood had programmed me to avoid.
My thoughts turned to each reluctant step I’d conceded to Molev in our relationship. Did he really resent the fact I didn’t want kids or did he resent that I was inherently unwilling to give anything?
Shaking my head at the turn my thoughts had taken, I approached Drav’s house and reestablished my priorities. First, I needed to let them know what the research team was up to. Then we needed to decide the next steps. Once I knew if we were all going to live or die, I’d address my issues with relationships.
Drav answered on the first knock and stepped back to let me in.
My gaze swept the room, noting Mya on the couch with a blanket over her lap before I saw Molev. He stood near Mya. Frustrated defeat radiated off of him as he stared at me.
I’d done that. Me, a small human who possessed zero strength in comparison–I had come close to doing what so many humans on the west coast had wanted to do. But I’d never intended to break his spirit. I’d only wanted to be me and have the freedom to make my own choices.
Priorities vanished as I entered, my gaze locked with his.
“Drav and I will give you a few minutes to talk,” Mya said, standing.
Molev nodded to her without looking away from me as they left the room.
