Ashby Virtual Hotel District, The Ephemor Federation

Rory gasped in a breath so deep that it felt as if it shredded her lungs and opened her eyes to Jace doing the same right in front of her. The dazed and utterly lost feeling she felt was reflected back at her in his own eyes.

"Where are we?" Jace looked down at his body and touched his chest. "Why am I not injured?"

One moment, Rory had been covering Jace and then as instantly as waking up in the morning, she was standing here, in this large lobby with a glass chandelier hanging above her head and artwork hanging on the walls. There was no heat like normal transportation.

"Some things happened while you were unconscious," Rory said. "I think that Vehru may be responding to what I did."

"Some things? What things, Aeryn?"

"Welcome." Rory twisted at the voice and saw a woman in a black uniform standing beside them with her hands cupped in front of her. "I apologize for the concern you must be feeling. I know how difficult these transitions can be for our new guests."

"What the fucking fuck." Jace turned in a circle with his fists tightening and the muscles in his arms bulging like he actually had someone to fight.

"Vehru did something to us. She said she needed to use us." Rory faced the uniformed woman and noticed her name tag. That was when she realized that the lobby they stood in looked very much like that of a hotel, complete with a check-in counter across the room. "Where are we?"

"Welcome to the Ashby Hotel." Pride flooded her smile. "We look forward to taking care of you during our stay."

"Exactly how fucking long will that be?" Jace growled.

"Sir, please. This is a public space. Children could come through at any moment. We could move somewhere private if you would like."

Desperation and rage widened Jace's nostrils and raised his voice. "I'm not playing any of Vehru's mind games. Tell us what is going on, now."

"I don't think she's human, Jace." Rory was confident that this woman was a hostess of the hotel and that it was likely the only role she'd ever played in her existence. The stranger continued to smile despite that Jace looked seconds away from trying to rip her head off her shoulders, and that with his hand mods glowing and muscles tensed, he appeared very capable of doing so. "Can you please explain who you are and what the Ashby Hotel is?"

"Most certainly, ma'am. My name is Deliliah and I will be your host during your stay. The Ashby Hotel was established during the age of–"

"No." Rory groaned. "I don't need the history. I need the basics."

"Of course. You're staying in the five-star premiere virtual hotel for Commanders and their esteemed guests."

"The fuck," Jace yelled.

"Sir," the hostess chided. "That's the fourth time."

Rory lowered to a crouch, feeling unsteady as she tried to comprehend what had happened and understand what she was hearing. Virtual? So, this wasn't real? Vehru had said she needed them. Had the commander stolen their bodies and sent their minds here?

"All the hotels are five-stars and they're all premiere." A man walked forward with his hands in his pockets as he shrugged. "Not all the hostesses are Deliliah though. Hi, Del."

"Hello, JyNell. It's a pleasure to see you today."

"Every day is also a pleasure," he said wryly. "You're Earth's Witness aren't you?" His eyes landed on Rory.

Jace faced the man now, his stare clearly calculating as he sized up their guest. Rory rose and touched Jace's arm to encourage him to calm down. This man had no body modifications that she could see and he didn't look biomechanical to her. It was hard to tell the difference between a flesh-and-blood human and a synthetic one, but Rory could see it right away now in that slight sheen their bodies had under the light. This looked like a normal man. He didn't even appear imposing. While he could have been a threat, Rory didn't see anything that made her panic.

Of course, Rory had no idea how virtual hotels worked. She and Jace looked exactly the same as on Earth and his hand mods had powered up. But maybe synthetic humans looked more natural here. Maybe this man could kill them by just thinking about it. Or maybe no one could hurt each other here.

They had no information and panic would not serve them. So, Rory forced herself to stay calm.

"It's deceptive to act so casual when you clearly know who we are and must know we're not here voluntarily." Jace now watched him with the eyes of a general, his voice commanding and his gaze dangerous. "You're clearly not an ally or you would extend help. Who are you?"

"I'm a guest of the Ashby Hotel."

"One of our most esteemed guests," Delilah said with a clap.

"Thanks, Del. I've been here a while. Guess that earns some points for me in her system." JyNell looked between Jace and Rory, not altering his demeanor despite what Jace had said. "You want a tour while we talk?"

Rory walked closer to JyNell. Jace caught her arm, but she pulled his hand away and moved near enough to this other man that she wouldn't be able to feel like a distant stranger. They stood as close now as friends would. Though Jace saw a threat, Rory saw an ordinary man. Sure, he might have been an ass, but there was nothing sinister in his eyes. "I am the Witness. We've been through a lot. Please, be honest with us."

Her suspicions had been right. JyNell's eyes softened as he looked at her. "Did you get notice that you'd be staying here?"

"No. Vehru said she needed to use us and then suddenly we were standing in the lobby."

JyNell sighed and looked over her shoulder at Jace. "Can you be cool? I'll help you two out, but you're going to have to bring the intensity down. I'm not out in the real world. I've gotten used to a low-stress lifestyle."

Rory winced and glanced back to see the disbelief on Jace's face. If JyNell wanted to ensure that Jace would never have an ounce of respect for him, he'd just done so now by showing such a selfish sort of weakness. "We could talk alone."

"No." Jace shifted to her side in an instant and pulled her against him with his arm around her shoulders. "I'm staying with her."

"Fine, I don't care. Just chill a little." JyNell's eyes flickered down Jace. "You're some hotshot combat soldier aren't you? You guys are always so exhausting."

Rory thought she had her answer about whether it was possible to hurt people here, because this man didn't have a shred of concern about Jace.

"Come on," JyNell said. "Del doesn't need to hear all this. Leave her in her happy place."

They followed him down the hall to a cafe with low tables and oversized plush pillows on one end and booths on the other. JyNell fell back on one of the pillows and sighed. Rory and Jace remained standing.

"Vehru told me a lot about you. I think you both got to her." He stared out the window. "She feels worse than normal."

"Are you going to tell us who you are or not?" Jace's body felt incredibly tense. Rory jabbed his side. They needed JyNell's cooperation.

"I'm from Vehru's home planet. When she took her Commander gig, they let her choose two people to move with her and receive mechanical bodies."

Two? Rory thought that Vehru only had her mother.

"It was hard on her mom and brother to leave their home behind. Neither could accept what Vehru was doing. When you become Commander, you get so much space at this hotel so that you can meet virtually rather than have to travel all the time. If you want to use that space for long-term guests, you get to. When Vehru saw what a hard time her brother was having, she decided to bring some guests here for him."

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Rory tilted her head. "You came here for her brother?"

"Most people came temporarily. I got pretty unlucky during the war. My cervical spine was crushed and I had a hard time adjusting. My stays here became longer until finally, I never left. Vehru gave me permanent membership. There's more of us lurking around from her world. But the rest are from conquered planets."

Jace's voice was still tense when he spoke, but not as threatening as before. "Vehru has brought people from the planet she conquered here?"

"Yeah. I'll introduce you to the crew. Vehru has twenty-one guests here. Well, twenty-three with you. Say, any idea if you're permanent or temporary? It's weird for her to bring a Witness while the invasion is ongoing."

Rory's throat tightened at the idea of this being forever. They had to get back to Earth to fight. She'd just gotten Levi back. Overwhelming sorrow rose within her and she turned away, needing a moment alone.

Jace let her go, but she could feel him watching her.

JyNell's voice was softer when he spoke now, like maybe he felt bad for not being more considerate. "I'm guessing either permanent or you don't know."

"She didn't explain, but she said it wouldn't be forever. I just can't trust her." Rory would have to find a way out of here on her own instead of relying on Vehru.

"You made it sound like other Witnesses are here," Jace said.

"Yeah. All of them are here. Usually, they come when they're close to death, though. This is really strange."

All the Witnesses? That would include Petrin's grandmother. "Vehru has all her Witnesses here. You can't be serious." She turned back to JyNell and sat down on the pillow across from him, anchoring her elbows on the table. "Why?"

"Vehru feels bad for you guys. She lets the Witness and one or two guests come. There is a family of four here. Guess she felt for the kids."

Jace and Rory looked at one another. "They're all dead, though."

"Their bodies, yeah. You don't need a body here. None of us have anything to go back to. Well, except the new girl."

"New girl?"

"New to me. She'd tell you it's been a while. It's exciting to see fresh faces. Just sorry it isn't so exciting for you."

Jace narrowed his eyes. "How well do you know Vehru?"

He grinned and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I know her really well in some ways and not so well in others."

Rory wasn't sure she wanted to know what that meant, but it was enough for Jace to look pissed again. She didn't want anything to do with someone who was friends with Vehru, but she knew Jace would be even more bitter about it.

"What is Vehru doing with all these Witnesses?" Rory asked.

"She's just letting you guys live a peaceful life. You all suffer the most so others on your planet don't have to. Whatever, you know her speech, I'm sure. This is atonement or something. It's hard to know exactly what she's thinking."

Suspicion rose in Rory as she looked into his dark hazel eyes. "You're not as stupid as you let on. What do you really know?"

He chuckled and leaned back on his hands. "I seem stupid?"

Jace snorted and muttered something.

"There's no time for this. I have two planets to take care of and a son who has spent ten years desperate to have a mother." Rory slammed her fist down on the table. "My squad and my husband are back on Earth–"

JyNell sat forward again, grinning. "Woah, wait. That's not your husband?" He pointed at Jace. "Holy shit. Back up a minute. We don't get that kind of excitement around here."

"You think this is a joke?" Jace snapped forward, grabbed JyNell by the shirt, and ripped him up toward the wall. Or he had been doing that. JyNell disappeared from his grasp and then showed up across the room.

"Hey, I told you to chill." JyNell brushed off his shirt. "If you keep breaking the rules, Delilah will put you in time out. You'll be stuck in your room. There's no point in trying to hurt me. It doesn't work. Hell, I even tried in my bad phase." He laughed like it was a joke. "You can't blame a guy for being curious."

Rory rubbed her temples. "We have to find a way back home."

"There's no way unless Vehru sends you to a body. Trust me, plenty have tried. Still are trying. We've had people working on it for hundreds of years. You two are stuck until Vehru says otherwise."

Jace wheeled around, grabbed a table, and threw it against the wall like it was weightless. But it disappeared as soon as it hit without even breaking apart and materialized back in its rightful spot. The fury that flooded Jace made it look like the veins popping from his arms and neck would explode.

Rory let him rage. He needed it. Just like she needed to sit here for a moment and feel completely and utterly overwhelmed.

Nearly a minute of quiet had passed when JyNell spoke again. His voice was quiet this time, the closest to serious it had sounded. "Coming here is enough of a shock. You've had a few minutes. I think you're ready."

Rory sat up, her eyes feeling swollen. "What?"

JyNell smiled genuinely. "I'll be around again later. I know you have questions and even if you don't care for me, I'm willing to answer what I can."

It felt like someone had spun Rory around in one of those centrifuges that astronauts used for training and then dropped her out at sea to swim around while she was dizzy and confused. JyNell tapped his temple. "They're ready." One last smile and he rounded the corner, leaving.

"What the fuck?"

"Jace." Rory snapped her eyes to him. "That lady is counting every time you cuss. This is a public space."

"You have to be kidding me."

"I'm not. What if she traps you somewhere? Get it together."

Jace heaved a sigh and reached his hand out to her as he walked closer to help her up. "I'm sorry."

"Me too."

"What are we going to do?"

He drew her into his arms and held her world together. Her heart longed for the people she'd been separated from, but having Jace made her feel like she could keep standing. Rory was tired of feeling the satisfaction of having someone she loved while missing others and fearing she'd never see them again.

"Vehru is such a bitch," Rory whispered.

"I thought we couldn't curse in case children come into the public space and Deliliah throws us in prison or something."

Rory wasn't sure how she managed it, but she actually chuckled as she nestled her head against Jace's chest. There had been so much separation between since they'd returned to one another, but they had no room in their lives right now for any of those considerations. She breathed in deeply, finding a moment of peace at being with him.

"We'll figure this out," he said.

It comforted her even though they were empty words. "Vehru said something about this not being forever. I don't know if she meant it or not. There may be hope."

"We can't put any hope in her. We have to figure this out for ourselves."

Jace looked to Rory with lost eyes. The last thing he likely remembered was passing out in the field after Morfrain had nearly killed him.

"So what exactly happened while I was passed out?" Jace asked

"I told Morfrain we would do it. I said we needed the biomechanical bodies."

Her husband pulled back with a look like she'd transformed into a stranger right before him. "So I got my ass kicked for nothing."

"No! I would have told you to refuse. It's just…" Rory could hardly bring herself to think of it. "Seeing what Morfrain did to you after all that's happened for the last twenty years, all this hopelessness and striving against the inevitable, it made me decide that we have to do this."

"You just moved the problem to another day."

"So we'll be alive to solve it."

"I know you aren't going to conquer any worlds, Aeryn, or stand by and watch me do it. Certainly not Levi when he's grown. What do you think will happen?"

"At least, we'll have fought with everything we can. With biomechanical bodies, we can tear Morfrain and Vehru up before we go down."

Jace watched her a moment longer and then nodded. "Okay."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I would do anything to kick their asses."

"Morfrain thinks that you'll cave and help him."

The lack of confidence in Jace's eyes scared her.

"You never would, Jace."

"I don't believe I would. If Morfrain had you and Levi, though. Yeah, it scares me what I might do. I don't know if I trust myself with a biomechanical body."

"You already put up the fight. You'll do it again if it comes to that."

Jace settled his head on top of hers. She held him close again and despite the chaotic storm raging within her, it still felt wonderful to rest against him. Her hands slid over his thick shoulders, stirring warmth in her stomach. "I missed you so bad, Jace."

He held her head against his chest and ran his fingers through her hair. "I missed you too. I won't let Vehru steal anyone else from you. We'll get you home."

Wherever home was. "Don't let her steal you either," she whispered wearily. Her nails dug into him. "I need you too."

"Okay, Aerie." Jace's warm lips pressed against her temple. "It'll be okay."

Noise caught her attention. She turned in Jace's arms at the sound of footsteps down the hall. A woman rounded the corner and Rory's knees weakened from the shock so badly that she nearly collapsed. Her body refused to work, even her lungs. Breathless and limp, Rory gaped at eyes that had been stripped of their warmth for so long but now, once again, were filled with familiarity.

"Trin?"

Their friend smiled with tears trickling onto her cheeks and spoke in a cracking voice. "I didn't think I'd ever see you again."

Rory let out a cry and then found the strength to force her legs forward. Together, Jace and Rory both broke for Trin at the same time and pulled her close, their arms tangled together as they held onto her.

"You're alive," Jace said. Relief and guilt both strained his voice. For so long, he'd blamed himself, because he'd kept her glitches a secret.

All this time, Rory had truly believed her friend had been gone forever, when Vehru had actually trapped her here at this virtual hotel. Vehru had led them together again in the most twisted way possible.

The three of them clung to one another, her squad finally almost whole again.

Rory wouldn't let go of anyone ever again. She would make it back to Earth, to Theo and Levi, and she'd use the synthetic form to set things right.

This second chance with all the people she loved could not be squandered.

"We're going to bring you home," Rory whispered to Trin. "I'm so sorry it took us so long to find you."