That night is one of the best of my life.
Well, it doesn't last the whole night; only about an hour. But being in Blayke's arms, his hands on me and his kisses all over my lips and neck and chest... nothing compares to that.
Eventually, though, we're forced to separate. Blayke finishes changing, and I put on decent pants and Blayke's sweatshirt. He'd had all my old clothes cleaned and brought back up to me, even though I told him I'd just washed them in Knapsack and it really wasn't necessary. Before we walk out the door, Blayke grabs the stack of papers I'd manage to salvage through my entire journey from Net's apartment in the Structure.
"You were smart to save these," he tells me, holding them in one hand and taking my hand with the other. "There's a lot of blueprints in here, things that could give us an advantage over the Armies." That's what the people out here call the Dominion, Society, and Structure. I used to think the Society and Structure were one in the same, but the more I think about it, the more I realize that the Society's normal influences seemed to be absent. The Structure and all of its personnel were more of an accumulation of all the underground societies, not just the Time Turner Society itself. Which, to me, makes them even more dangerous than the Dominion. What if the Structure suddenly decided to allow Extras to develop their powers? We in the Eastern Lands don't have enough Extras to stand up to that.
"So, where are we going exactly?" I ask Blayke as we turn down another hallway, to the elevator.
"Top floor," he says. "To a meeting. Along with our leader, we have a group called The Eight. They're sort of like... Advisors. From all different walks of life, too. We help Verino make the decisions, more or less. And we all help out different parts of the city. You'll see," he smiles. "Net and Eros will be there," he adds.
"Will I know any of the others?"
"Well, me," he pauses thoughtfully. "Corelina. I don't think anyone else,"
"Corelina? She was still in the Structure when I left," I frown. Blayke smiles. He smiles a lot, even more than he did before he left.
"She has a Turner that sneaks her out for our meetings. But you'll get to know everyone quite well while you're here. They're all excited about meeting you,"
"When you sent everyone to look for me, to give notes to me - did you really... I mean, was it-"
"Did I mean it when I told them all they would be looking for the most beautiful girl in the world? Yes, I did. Another one of the Eight is Jace, the Necromancer who gave me the tattoo. He's excited about finishing the Mark, so he'll definitely want to speak with you." the elevator stops and opens right into the meeting room. I wish I hadn't asked him that question right before we stepped into a room full mostly of strangers; my face probably resembles a tomato right about now.
Before I even have time to focus on any one face in the crowd around the round table, I'm locked in a crushing embrace, smooshed against someone's broad chest.
"Net!" I gasp. "Can't. Breathe," he loosens his hug from grizzly-bear-level to a more reasonable panda-bear-level, and I wrap my arms around him, too.
"Will you stop moping, now?" he teases. I give him a playful shove and he takes a few steps back, smiling down at me. He's shorter than Blayke (only six feet) but still a mile taller than I am.
"Evaline," Blayke says softly, not wanting to interrupt my reunion with someone who's as much my own brother as his.
"This is Jace-" he motions to the palest boy I think I've ever seen. He has a smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks and his hair is a shaggy mess of orange.
"It's nice to finally meet you," Jace stands up and reaches to shake my hand. "I assume you've seen the tat. When're you coming in for yours?" I smile; this guy has this all-around trustworthy vibe to him. I decide I like him.
"As soon as you're ready for me," I say.
"I like this chick," he says to Blayke, who smiles. The next person I'm introduced to is a gorgeous woman with dark skin and braided hair that goes past her waist.
"This is Nemasy," he says. "She's our Seer." I gape.
"A Seer? But, I thought-" I stop myself there, because a week ago I had thought that the East Lands had been destroyed, and obviously I was quite wrong about that.
"I am the last of them," Nemasy says. "But only for now." she winks and shakes my hand, and then sits back down. Next Blayke introduces me to Tilly, a middle-aged woman with seven children and probably the happiest soul I've ever seen. After her there's Ilias, a tan, gangly kid with short blonde hair and large black-framed glasses. I already know the rest of The Eight - Net, Eros, and Corelina - but there are still two people sitting at the table whom I don't know. My eyes travel to the woman sitting beside Eros, and I try to figure out why she looks so familiar to me.
"Evaline," Eros stands, bringing the woman up with him. The very pregnant woman. His eyes gleam with unshed tears as he introduces me to his Esmeralda.
"It's fantastic to meet you," I tell her, almost not believing she's here.
"You, too." she laughs pleasantly. "Eros has told me so much about you and Blayke, I almost feel like I've met you already."
Finally, Blayke turns me to the man at the head of the table. He has a friendly face, with short-cropped salt-and-pepper hair and a crisp all-black suit.
"I am Verino," he introduces himself in an accent very similar to Eros'. "I know by now you are Evaline. Blayke talks of nothing else, you know." I blush, and the man - Verino - smiles in an easy way that, like Jace's attitude, make me much less nervous in this room of - assumably - the most powerful people in the Eastern Lands.
"Come, sit, and let's call this meeting to order." upon Verino's command, everyone takes their seats at the round, white table. Blayke sits directly across from Verino and to the right of me. On my left is Esmeralda, followed by Eros, Net and Ilias. On Blayke's right is Jace, then Corelina, Nemasy and, finally, Tilly.
"What are those?" Ilias nods to the stack of papers Blayke had set on the table.
"Evaline managed to find the Structure's headquarters. She printed these out and thought they may be useful enough to bring all this way - and I think she was right. Some of the blueprints in here... They're unreal. But I doubt the Structure has enough talent or resources on their side to have built these already," Blayke says, pulling one of the papers from the middle and passing it over to Ilias.
"I'm sure they're just rough plans, or maybe Dominion. But if we could make them-"
"We can. At least, I can." Ilias says.
"Ilias is, for lack of better terminology, our head tech geek." Blayke says, quietly enough so only I can hear. "I know you haven't messed with the touchpads since that one time with Net and Kilo, but you're good at it. You may want to talk to him," I nod, then lean even closer to him to ask my question.
"Did you bring Esmeralda back? Is that the other method you used to pay Eros?" Blayke's smile is slight, one of those mischievous grins that I normally expect from Nethanyel.
"Well, he brought you back to me. I figured his love would be of more worth to him than any amount of money. But I did pay him too, actually. He probably just doesn't know it, yet." He shrugs.
"You are so-"
Just then, someone clears their throat, and our attention is drawn back to the meeting.
"Sorry to interrupt," the Seer, Nemasy, smiles in our direction. "I just had a few questions for you, Evaline."
"Play nice, Nemasy." Verino says.
"Don't I always?" Nemasy's eyes refuse to budge from mine. Everyone else at the table seems stiff, uncomfortable. I don't.
"You're a mover, aren't you?" she asks me. I nod.
"Yes, but I haven't developed my powers much. I can move little things, like-" suddenly, it feels like I'm being pushed. Only I'm not moving at all, and no one's touching me. I feel it again, the same sensation of being pushed.
"Ev?" Blayke reaches for my hand, his eyes meeting Nethanyel's.
"She doesn't even know yet," Nemasy cocks her head to the side, her eyes still on mine. I feel the push again, only this time, I push back. A look of shock crosses Nemasy's face, quickly replaced by one of satisfaction.
"That's it!" she stands up so quick, Jace nearly jumps out of his skin. "Blayke, why haven't you told her yet? She can do so much more than she realizes! Do you have any idea what she just did to me? A mover, for crying out loud! It's already started," Nemasy sits back down. Frowning, I turn to Blayke.
"What the hell is she talking about?"
"This is all for another time," Verino says sharply. Nemasy looks down at the table, almost like she's ashamed.
"You can all discuss these things on your own time. Right now, we need to focus. Jace, how is your sector doing?"
"Well enough. We've finally got the greenhouse up and running, so we'll be able to produce a lot more for our medicines. I've got patrols out; re-sealing the perimeter every thirty minutes."
"No other illnesses have flared up since the flu endemic?"
"No, sir, but we still have those patients coming in for routine follow-ups, just to be sure." Jace gives one of those polite conversation-ending smiles, and Verino moves on.
"The Structure has been struggling greatly," Corelina begins her report. "Too much. We need Sabine to go back, to convince herself to send more Extras. If it keeps declining like this... The Dominion will be back in rule again before the spring." The group begins to murmur, worried things about Sabine.
"Sabine?" I ask. Everyone turns to me, some looking like I have no place speaking here at all. "That's Ai, isn't it?" I look to Blayke, then to Net.
"I saw her in the hangar, the day you left on your mission with-" I stop. I still haven't gotten my answers about Dad yet, or Mom. I haven't gotten my answers about anything, actually, but Blayke promised he'd tell me, so I don't worry.
"When Sabine regained control of the Time Turner Society, she was asked to change her name. To leave her old life behind and take on an entirely new identity - the identity of the Society." Verino says, his voice somehow managing to be both short and kind simultaneously.
"And we can't send her back. Not now - we'd risk majorly affecting her future self's ability to keep sane. Would you function properly if you heard voices whispering in your head all the time?"
"Sir, we won't be able to strike at all if the Structure falls faster than we can replace it." Corelina insists.
"Then we'll just have to work faster, won't we? Destroying our only link to the past will destroy our future faster than either of the Armies will. Now, Nemasy?"
"My parties have reached the Northern Wood; they've recovered very few survivors along the way that are willing to come back with them, and they don't expect to have much luck inside the forest, either. They've set up camp, awaiting my orders. Shall I tell them to continue?"
"Should we risk that many soldiers? Chances are, if they tried to escape into the forest, we're too late for them anyways." Jace says. Everyone else looks down at the table, like he just voiced the thing they were all thinking but no one else wanted to say.
"It could be detrimental," Verino agrees, nodding. "But it could also save lives. Lives that could push us just that much closer to victory. I say, we vote. All in favor..." the leader trails off, waiting for hands to be raised. Blayke, Ilias, Net and Tilly raise their hands.
"All opposed." Verino continues, and everyone left besides Esmeralda, Nemasy and I raises their hands.
"Ladies, you are allowed to vote here." Verino raises his brow. "All opinions are valued. Esmeralda, how do you vote?" Esmeralda's eyes grow wide, like she's shocked to even be noticed in this room. I can't blame her.
"The men in these parties... they have families? Wives, children?" she asks. Nemasy hesitates for a moment, and then nods.
"Yes, many of them do."
"Then I vote to bring them home as soon as possible."
"And you, Evaline?"
"I..." I chew on my lower lip, reaching instinctively for the basketball charm dangling from my neck.
"I know the men have families," I begin. "But, if there are people in the forest or beyond it, I'm sure they have families, too. What if there's children out there?" I pause for a moment, wishing all eyes weren't on me just then.
"I vote yes. Send them on,"
"I vote with Esmeralda," Verino says. "Nemasy, it's up to you now."
"If Nemasy votes to bring them home and ties, it will automatically fall to her. If she votes to send them in, then it's majority rules." Blayke explains quietly. Nemasy closes her eyes, her lips moving in silent thought.
"What if there are children?" she whispers at last, her dark eyes fluttering open. "I vote to send my men in."
"Matters resolved, then. On to you, Tilly."
"Our food rations have increased very well since the rains have come," Tilly says, her voice so happy it almost makes me wonder if she's on some type of medication. "And, with all the new women from the south, five babies have already found homes. For their sakes I hope the men bring back more," she means to make a joke, and most people laugh, but I know what it's like to lose parents. I never exactly thought of myself as an orphan, because I still had a family - mainly Net - to turn to when that tragedy happened. The kids she's talking about, the ones she looks after, don't have anyone else. And it's not a joke; it's just sad.
"They are doing well, then? The children," Verino asks. Tilly nods.
"Very. They're all so excited for Christmas!" She smiles hugely. "I just hope we can think of something special enough for them,"
"We'll all pitch in," Jace suggests. "I could draw them pictures, maybe do face painting. We'll make a winter carnival out of it," everyone begins to talk excitedly about it, adding their own ideas.
"You remember," I say, my voice angled toward Blayke. "That one Christmas in grade school? They held a carnival right in the playground, and they gave us all some fake coins to spend, we could play games to win more... it was nice," Blayke grimaces.
"That was the year I tried to hang upside-down from the monkey bars." I cup my hand over my mouth, trying to hide my laughter.
"Oh my gosh, yes! I forgot about that,"
"I fell, of course; broke my ankle and dislocated my shoulder. All trying to impress you," he says, tilting my chin up. My smile grows to match his.
"Wait, that's actually a really great idea." Tilly says. "We give the kids some pieces to use as money, let them buy some little things for them and their friends. It will be perfect; the children can play around and it will leave the building open so Francis can handle adoptions. It's genius!"
"How would we all contribute?" Eros asks, and I realize that it's the first time he's spoken the entire time.
"I can sketch out little Christmas cards for sale, and open the face-painting booth, like I said." Jace offers.
"I could bring my beads, let the kids make jewelry for presents." Nemasy suggests.
"At the carnival they had at school," I pipe in. "They had a magic booth. One of our teachers would hide three little presents under cups - we were supposed to think there was only one, but after seeing eight people win in a row we caught on. She would mix around the cups, and whichever one we picked, we got the toy underneath it."
"You could put jewelry in the cups, and we could make little gadgets and things for it." Ilias suggests, though his voice is much less excited than the others.
The meeting continues on this track for a long time, everyone jabbering about all the different things we could do at this little carnival to make these children just a little happier for Christmas. Eventually Verino forces a subject change, and the group discusses conditions in the tech labs, which Ilias runs. They've been tampering with touchpad and weaponry equipment, trying to alter it to suit them instead of the Dominion. Net runs the airships - Verino calls them that, but I assume they're the same as hovercrafts, or maybe closer to the plane we flew out to the Eastern Lands. Apparently, one of Net's men discovered another small settlement farther east. He implores the help of Nemasy, who runs the army itself, to send out men to make contact. Eros is in charge of the more domestic areas of the city, and he reports that all is steady - not the best, but well enough. They have enough food, enough space, enough water... the only thing that's missing is the morale to go with it.
He doesn't say that outright, but people just know. The people here are happy, or at least they seem to be, but it still can't be easy. Most of them have lost families, friends, their homes; starting fresh in a new, free city doesn't take all of that away.
Finally, at around midnight, Blayke and I say goodbye to Net, Eros and Esmeralda, and he leads me back to his room.
"What do you think?" he asks, once his door is locked and we're officially alone. I step up into his dining room and shed his sweatshirt, folding it over one of the chairs.
"I like them," I say honestly. "I like it here. After the war is done, will we still be able to stay here?" I bend over in front of the open refrigerator, reaching for a bottle of water. Blayke is already in the bedroom when I get there, dressed in nothing but his boxers.
"Hopefully," he says, pulling up a screen on his touchpad. I set the bottle on my nightstand, pulling off my jeans to reveal my pajama shorts underneath. Blayke turns off the lights from his touchpad, then sets his security system and turns on his bed frame lights, making them glow a warm, but not overpowering, blue.
"That is awesome," I murmur, looking at the round lights built into the metal of his bed frame.
"It is," he agrees, slipping into the bed beside me. I move closer to him beneath the blankets, so glad to have him close again.
"You still have a story to tell me."