Page 52 of Rising

“Hardly wanna face a bear or cougar surrounded by the woods either,” he challenged, voice strong and I knew he was pulling rank.

“Your death wish, not mine.” It’d be tough to talk my way out of, but I didn’t have plans to stick around Salem Territory if things went south anyway. “We pull back out to hit Spooner Summit Trailhead then. There’s a small community of about a hundred fifty right outside Glenbrook and they’re less than pleasant to encounter.”

His gaze found mine, clearly wanting me to elaborate. “Gated community, pretty well off before the mess. Feel like they got shit to defend.”

“Don’t we all.” A loaded statement.

His men had finished surveying the space and were now closing in around the table, awaiting the game plan. I watched him instruct his men, confidently relaying the information I’d just fed to him. Occasionally stopping, the silence heavy as if he were awaiting any corrections.

The full moon shone on the steps as I ate my food outside, volunteering to keep watch at our only exit, but really just wanting my own space. Not giving a rat’s ass about their resistance to accept me into their little brotherhood. Shit, I didn’t evenwantit. But there was something to be said about feeling like an outsider. Always feeling watched and out of place. Every word I say overanalyzed, my actions under a microscope. I needed a moment to breathe.

A breeze whisked through the night air, welcomed by my blistered skin. I chuckled to myself. Maybe the cowboy had been right. These weren’t problems I’d had to deal with before. The Expanse air was cool at best, but never hot. While the UV rays had been able to pierce our skin from the hole in the ozone layer, my skin had grown accustomed to feeling more chapped than burned.

Even my life before this hadn’t prepared me for these conditions. I’d spent most of my time in Chicago. My father always dragging us back to Mykonos for the summers. Dealing with whatever shady business deal he’d weaseled his way into under the table. Doing the Valentzas family’s bidding. My later years consisted of mornings shuttered indoors with the curtains and blinds drawn. Asking the house staff to make me something greasy and disgusting just to spend the nights throwing it up over a toilet in some random club in the corners of the city.

I pulled out my journal for the first time in months, savoring the privacy and moment to spend with my brother, and I realized I wanted a moment with Tiago too.

August 28, 2029

Tiago,

Been awhile. Feels like I’ve been lost for so long. These days anger and bitterness control just about every thought. This world took so much from me, took you from me, my closest friend, my only friend. My only remaining family.

There was a time where I wandered aimlessly, trying to find solace in the chaos that had somehow consumed my life, even after somehow surviving the fall of everything we once knew. A few weeks in, I knew where I was headed. Knew to go to the one place that made sense. The place that took everything from us. Where I could pay homage to you, make you proud.

I spent a lot of time trying to imagine what you’d do, retracing our steps through the memories we shared. But I get it now. Why you brought me here. Always one step ahead, adapting. Resilient. In the midst of the very place that took you from me, the place that brought me so much pain and sorrow, I finally get it.

So I’ll make this one last promise to you, my friend, my brother. I swear to you to answer this final request. No matter what it takes. Our bond is unbreakable, forged through the battlefields and tribulations. And even though you’re gone, you live on forever through us.

Π?ει καιρ?ς που χαθ?καμε. Αυτ?ς τις μ?ρες ο θυμ?ς και η π?κρα ελ?γχουν σχεδ?ν την κ?θε μου σκ?ψη. Αυτ?ς ο κ?σμος μου π?ρε τ?σο πολλ?, σε π?ρε απ? μ?να, τον πιο στεν? μου φ?λο, τον μοναδικ? μου φ?λο, το τελευτα?ο μ?λος της οικογ?νει?ς μου.

Υπ?ρχε μια στιγμ? που περιπλανι?μουν ?σκοπα, προσπαθ?ντας να βρω παρηγορι? στο χ?ος που με κ?ποιο τρ?πο ε?χε καταβροχθ?σει τη ζω? μου, ακ?μα κι αφο? κατ? κ?ποιο τρ?πο επιβ?ωσα απ? την δι?λυση ?λων ?σων γνωρ?ζαμε κ?ποτε. Μετ? απ? μερικ?ς εβδομ?δες, ?ξερα πο? π?γαινα. ?ξερα να π?ω στο ?να μ?ρος που ε?χε ν?ημα. Το μ?ρος που μας π?ρε τα π?ντα. ?που θα μπορο?σα να σου αποτ?σω φ?ρο τιμ?ς, να σε κ?νω περ?φανο.

Π?ρασα πολ? καιρ? προσπαθ?ντας να φανταστ? τι θα ?κανες, επαναλαμβ?νοντας τα β?ματ? μας μ?σα απ? τις αναμν?σεις που μοιραστ?καμε. Αλλ? το καταλαβα?νω τ?ρα. Γιατ? με ?φερες εδ?. Π?ντα ?να β?μα μπροστ?, προσαρμοζ?μενη. Επ?μονη. Μ?σα στο ?διο το μ?ρος που σε π?ρε απ? κοντ? μου, στο μ?ρος που μου ?φερε τ?σο π?νο και θλ?ψη, επιτ?λους το καταλαβα?νω.

Θα σου δ?σω λοιπ?ν αυτ? την τελευτα?α υπ?σχεση, φ?λε μου, αδερφ? μου. Σου ορκ?ζομαι ?τι θα απαντ?σω σε αυτ? το τελευτα?ο α?τημα. Δεν ?χει σημασ?α τι χρει?ζεται. Ο δεσμ?ς μας ε?ναι μαχ?ν και τις θλ?ψεις. Και παρ?λο που λε?πεις σωματικ?, ζεις για π?ντα διαμ?σου εμ?ς.?θραυστος, σφυρηλατημ?νος μ?σα απ? τα πεδ?α των

Evander,

I hate everything now. The world is back to being dark, gritty, and cold. That hope you saw? The possibility of love, and hope that there was still good in the world? You and Tiago were that for me and now you’re gone. But I’ll be damned if I let you both down.

So this is me writing you assholes, letting you know I’m taking a stand, making this right. A vow to do right by you both. To carry your spirits and keep them alive, so when I look up at the sky, and take my last breath, I can smile knowing we died together, in spirit and then in life.

Μισ? τα π?ντα τ?ρα. Ο κ?σμος ?χει ξαναγ?νει σκοτειν?ς, αμμ?δης και ψυχρ?ς. Αυτ? την ελπ?δα που ε?δατε; Η πιθαν?τητα της αγ?πης και η ελπ?δα ?τι υπ?ρχε ακ?μα καλ? στον κ?σμο; Εσ? και ο Τι?γκο ?σουν αυτ? για μ?να και τ?ρα ?φυγες. Αλλ? θα ε?μαι καταραμ?νος αν σας απογοητε?σω και τους δ?ο.

Λοιπ?ν, σας γρ?φω μαλ?κες, σας ενημερ?νω ?τι πα?ρνω θ?ση, διορθ?νοντας αυτ?. ?νας ?ρκος να κ?νουμε σωστ? και οι δ?ο. Για να κουβαλ?ω τα πνε?ματ? σας και να τα κρατ?ω ζωνταν?, οπ?τε ?ταν κοιτ?ζω ψηλ? στον ουραν? και π?ρω την τελευτα?α μου πνο?, μπορ? να χαμογελ?σω γνωρ?ζοντας ?τι πεθ?ναμε μαζ?, στο πνε?μα και μετ? στη ζω?.

* * *

Seth relievedme from watch halfway through the night, opting to take the brunt of the shift in order for the rest of us to be well rested for the hike tomorrow. His magic went further than having predator-like limbs and speed. Beyond the larger pointed ears with enhanced hearing, he was better equipped to survive overall. Which meant he could go without sleep and still have a bit of an advantage over the rest of us.

If we made good time, we’d hit Spooner Summit Trailhead by four p.m. Leaving the rest of the night to figure out where to shelter up and check the rest of our route. The morning started out fine.

It was a clear day, and the weather was tolerable. About eighty degrees a few hours after sunrise, not toofar outside the weather in the area before the bombs. The lush trees helped provide relief from the sun, making it easier to keep a sustainable pace.

The woods were quiet. I’d taken the liberty of clearing a few stragglers in our path. My hands were itching to kill something,dosomething to shed the emotions that still weighed on me from last night. The EK 44 still felt nice and comfortable in my hands. It wasn’t as graceful as the one my father had gifted me as a child, what I had grown up using, wasn’t nearly as beautiful a weapon, but it got the job done. It got the thrill out.

A mile from the trail entrance, Seth and one of his men stopped to relieve themselves, another to re-wrap his ankle he’d twisted a few days back. There’d been no healers to spare on this trip, though Reina had made every effort to join once she’d found out her brother was going.

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