This time, his smile is blinding. He wraps me in his arms, and a feeling of such relief envelops me, making my knees shake.
“Sarissa?”
I pull slightly away from Korzyn and brace myself as Clara and Makayla walk toward me.
“I’m happy for you,” Clara says, and I blink. “You deserve this. I’m sorry for what I said about being a true leader.” She flicks a glance at Makayla, who winks at me. Obviously, Mak has had a stern talk with her.
“It’s okay. You guys don’t need a leader, you know. Look at everyone here—they all use their unique skills and work together. If you guys can do that, you’ll thrive.”
Clara’s face lightens in relief. “We’ll all look after each other, and we’ll get in touch if we can.”
I reach out and hug her. “Thank you.”
She nods, smiles at Korzyn, and walks back to the ship, her head high, her steps sure. She doesn’t look back.
Makayla throws her arms around me. “I’m gonna miss you guys.”
“Ditto. Be careful, okay?”
She sends me a slow grin, and I laugh. Mak is hell on wheels.
Harper is next. “Not gonna lie, I wish you were coming with us.” She cracks her knuckles and sends the other women a suspicious glance. “But you made the right choice. Good luck.”
I grin. “You’ll do great. Just be honest.”
“That’s not my best thing, but I’ll try.”
She turns and follows the other women onto the ship. A humming noise sounds, and the ramp begins to rise. Korzyn glances at me, and I smile at him. “I haven’t changed my mind.”
At the very back of the ship, a head pokes up, a small, delicate hand waving at me through one of the round windows.
Lace. She got my message and managed to sneak onto the ship after all. I grin at her, careful not to wave back in case I draw unwanted attention to her. That girl is going to start some shit.
The Grivath don’t know what they’re in for.
Zoey lets out a strangled gasp, and I glance at her as Korzyn wraps his arms around me from behind.
“Lisa has a flower tucked behind her ear.”
“Uh-huh.”
Zoey begins trembling, her face pale. “It’s toxic. She must have got it from my poison kradi.”
I stare at her. “How toxic?”
“Toxic enough that breathing in the pollen can cause erratic behavior, unconsciousness, and…death.”
With that flower in a confined space, who knows how many women will be affected?
My stomach clenches at the thought.
Zoey curses and begins sprinting toward the ship, screaming at them to stop.
The other women have already moved back, likely to take their seats. I can’t see Kate, but the silver ramp has already been pulled up, white lights appearing beneath the ship. She obviously can’t see Zoey, since she’s likely focused entirely on getting the ship into the air.
The ground around us shakes as the ship prepares for takeoff. We watch as the ship rises until it’s no more than a dot in the sky.
It’s too late.
Zoey looks agonized as she walks back toward us.
“They’re smart, Zo,” I say. “They’ll figure it out.”
“I hope so,” she mumbles. Tagiz wraps his arm around her, and she buries her face in his chest.
We’re all silent, as if unsure what to do now. The clearing feels empty with so many of us suddenly gone.
Nevada grins at me from across the clearing. “Glad you stayed.”
I grin back. Every step I took was with the overall goal of getting on that ship, and now that it’s gone without me, I feel…
Free.
“You chose me,” Korzyn says, and his voice is full of wonder. “You’re mine now.”
“You’re mine too.”
He’s silent for a long moment. “I’ve never been anyone’s before.”
“Neither have I. We’ll figure this out together.”
He pulls me close once more, and I snuggle into his arms.
Looks like I just found my home.
Epilogue
Six months later
Sarissa
“How are you feeling?”
Ellie beams at me, her son tucked against her shoulder as she gently pats his back. “Happy, exhausted, sad, scared, content, and in love,” she says. “You?”
I smile. “The same.”
Nevada watches closely as Danica crawls toward a large rock before using it to heft herself onto her feet. She shakes her little baby butt, dancing to a tune only she can hear, and then glances at us, waiting for us to clap for her.
We applaud, and she rewards us with a grin and baby babble.
We’re sitting on an overturned tree in the clearing where the spaceship once sat. Ellie has been keeping track of the days, and today is officially six months since the other women left.
Ivy’s leaning against Vrex, her expression thoughtful as she gazes into the distance, while Zoey sits beside her, stripping leaves from a branch. Since the kids are here, she’s likely working on some kind of medicine.
It’s quieter without the other women. There are fewer people to cook for, fewer arguments, and less laughter. All we can do is hope they get to their destination.
The wondering is the hardest part. There’s no way to know where they are or if they’re even still alive. We’re all hoping they’ll find a way to get in contact with us, but there are no guarantees.
Of course, some of the women stayed. And they’ve had culture shock to deal with, along with the knowledge that the choice they made is one they can’t take back.
A few of them have talked about leaving to explore this planet. They want to see what else Agron has to offer.
Alexis laughs softly at something Dexar says to her, elbowing him in the ribs. He grins and rubs his chest with a mock wounded look.
They moved back to their camp a few days after the other women left, but they visit often.
Alexis says she has the ship’s call signal—whatever that means. But Vivian has put the word out to traders that she’s looking for an old comm screen. If we can get our hands on one, there’s a chance we can get in touch with the ship.
I catch sight of Vivian
