Lucy twirled her yellow sundress as she finished telling mostly the truth of their time at Little Rock CoN. Matt, in jeans and a green shirt, sat lazily on a stool attached to the furthest cafeteria table. His entire body was relaxed while his eyes refracted like dark glass. She stared longer than she meant to, and a slow smile spread across his enticing lips. They had nothing to worry about because they had each other.

“So, yea. That’s it. We killed twenty heads of CoN. Then came straight here after meeting up with Chris and Karter.” She waved to the couple sitting up front.

The Icarus looked cute in overalls, and her rainbow mohawk spiked in full. Chris thought so, too. He stared at her a lot out of the corner of his eye when he thought she wasn’t looking. But she was always looking. It was especially adorable given their long day full of politics and ceremonies.

John typed everything up on a gift from Tumu. He recorded the events like one of those lamias. “The books you salvaged those were…” he scanned the screen, “Justice Lee’s?”

If Lucy could kill him again, she would. She wanted to rip apart every man like him. He destroyed the lives of so many girls just like her. As she recalled him, Lucy’s skin burned everywhere he touched—

She put on a smile. “That’s right. And possibly our principal, Mrs. Mendax. She was a Justice there, too.”

Kyle called from behind, “She had great weed, though…”

Andrew swatted him and nodded for her to finish.

“There’s a lot to learn from the texts and the artifacts.”

Caedes sat on the tabletop with his boots on a stool. All black, all the time. The gravel in his voice always sounded pleasant to her. It matched his abrasive kind of handsome. “Are the compounds still active? Even after Volcano Day?”

Lucy nodded earnestly, “Oh, yes. Their way of life will sustain them well into the post-apocalyptic era.”

Matt supported her theory, “They were already talking about a possible resurrection of Nox before Rayne’s capture. They’ll milk that now that he’s gone.”

John talked around the pencil in his teeth. “Yea. That does match a lot of historical rulers like the Pharaohs. Many sects of the religion either take it literally, look for an heir, or find a reincarnation.” He peered around the room then, taking the pencil from his mouth. “Anyone know if Nox had any kids? Surviving family?”

Lucy looked to Matt. They learned after they arrived to Iona-29 that what they witnessed happen to Rayne televised only to the compounds. As far as they knew, their new King didn’t share it with anyone. So, what if their new leader was—

“Late. Sorry,” Lynn announced with Pablo at her side. “We didn’t miss anything, did we?” They took seats beside Caedes and John, smiling at the room. A smile of pure bliss. It was infectious.

Caedes finally answered, “Unless CoN knows something we don’t, Nox never had children. So we can rule that out and expect a resurrection myth to circulate.”

Matt gave a faint shake of his head. Lucy took the signal. Don’t mention Rayne. Okay. She continued, “I imagine there will be more questions once we analyze the material. Until then, do you need to screen us?”

Andrew shook his head. Kyle waved them off. “Nope. You two did an outstanding job, and frankly, I don’t wanna see whatever you’ve done to celebrate the beginning of the new world. You feel me?”

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

No blood rushed to her cheeks, but she tried for a shy smile anyway as she went over to sit with Lynn.

The room waited and engaged in smaller conversations. Lucy tapped Lynn on the shoulder. “Hey, sorry to bother you, but is your last name Renee?”

Lynn frowned. “Yea. Why?”

Hugging the leather-bound journal to her chest, Lucy tried her best to put this gently. “I had to read for the role they gave me. Justice Lee loaned me this my first night. I kept it because there’s a picture in here of the authors. A Justice and a Promoter.” She handed it over. “I think you should look at it.”

Pablo scooted closer as Lynn opened the journal. She tried covering the gasp, but everyone heard the sob. The people in the room looked over as she confirmed Lucy’s assumptions. “They disappeared almost twenty years ago. There’s an account where Mendax claimed Xelan killed them. But, Lynn. I don’t know how to say this. This text is encoded. And the code says that Xelan helped get them out.”

Dead. Silence. The room held a collective breath.

Lucy understood. When she first deciphered it, the air sucked out of the room like a vacuum. How could that Icarus—that pure, wonderful Icarus—have done so much good for them with so few of them knowing all along? But she figured it out. “Xelan helped everyone. All the time. Anyone who needed it. Able to ask or otherwise. And he localized in Little Rock, right? So, it’s not so strange that after all this time, he just became a part of our lives.”

Eyes went to the floor. Some lowered their heads. The silence turned mournful and appreciative. Everyone understood.

Lucy broke the quiet, “If you want, I can help you go through the archive we brought. Maybe there’s more information. I—”

Lynn wrapped her arms around Lucy. “Thank you. You don’t know what this means to me.”

John tapped his pencil on the table for their attention. “I want to say, I’m establishing a traveling school—”

A few hoots and cheers interrupted him. Everyone shared gratitude for a positive break in the tension.

He smiled graciously as he continued, “So I’ll add them to the curriculum for raising such a brave fighter.”

Pablo smiled. “Thanks, man.”

“I’d really like that,” Lynn hiccuped on a sob. She wiped away the tears on her cheeks. “I’m glad I didn’t put mascara on.”

Pablo squeezed Lynn into his side. Lucy took the hint and went to Matt. He watched her walk to him. Always evaluating. Always calculating. Holding out his arms, she accepted and sat in his lap. Both their legs under the table, her back to his chest, and his arms wrapped around her, casually.

Caedes suggested to John, “Before you start your school, you should travel to Enki with me and Tameka. You might find some resources there to help you. I also hear Dyson’s Spheres are pretty amazing to behold.”

Matt set his chin on Lucy’s shoulder. He whispered close to her ear, “I love listening to speak. How much you captivate the entire room.” His hands slid lower, distracting her from the surrounding conversation.

John beamed back at Caedes. “Yea? I’d like that.”

“Me, too,” Tameka added as she entered the room with Sagan.

Matt squeezed the tops of Lucy’s thighs, shrinking the length of her sundress. Her heart pounded as the room filled with more people. Breathing heavily, she spread her legs for him. He rumbled deep in his chest against her back. She liked it.

The girls carried a cake in from the kitchen. People spread out to help with the room.

Sagan added, “They’re on their way now.”

Matt’s fingers explored Lucy, teased her. Left her breathless. He whispered, “You’re so good at the facade, Lucy. You’ll surpass me soon. I revere you.”

Pablo called out, “Hey, where’s Bones?”

Andrew answered, “He went on a spiritual journey to part with his brother. He said he’ll call if he needs anything.”

The brown-eyed man’s face fell. “Oh, I wish I’d known. I would have planned a send-off.”

Kyle added, “He’ll be back in a few days. Shh… she’s coming!”

Yes. Lucy was.

King Jack and King Rayne walked into the room with an entourage of people as Lucy bit down on her lip to keep from crying out. The group roared in honor of the little brother’s coronation while Lucy ground against Matt’s lap. He purred his instructions on her neck, and she followed implicitly. She wanted this.

Tumu, Dolor, and Tempest found something in common with Karter and Chris. Lucas found his way to Andrew. Jack and Rayne found the dessert table.

Matt found a brand new way inside Lucy. He groaned softly against her ear, but neither drew attention to themselves. She wanted so much to see how far he would go. How far he would take her. They would go together. Always together. He gripped her hips until his nails drew blood. She bit her tongue until it bled. When they finished, he kissed her under the ear and got a plate of food. He fucked her raw and messy in a room full of people. Left her sitting at the table, leaking and filthy.

And Lucy liked it.