Homecoming

Sasha sat up slowly and looked at him. She traced her hand along the side of his face and then began running it through his hair. “You don’t have to thank me, Wells. I want to keep you all safe too, you know.”

“I know.” He took her hand and kissed it. “So…” he said, looking around. “This seems like a nice place to sleep.”

“Are you tired?”

“Exhausted,” he said, wrapping his hand behind her, and pulling her in for another kiss. “You?”

“Maybe not quite that tired.”

She kissed him again, and the rest of the world slipped away. There were no new Colonists. No Earthborns. No Rhodes. Just Sasha. Just their breath. Just their lips.

The camp suddenly felt light-years away, as distant as Earth used to look from the Colony. “You make me feel legitimately crazy. You know that, right?” Wells whispered, running his hand down her back.

“Why? Because I’m seducing you in a tree?”

“Because no matter what else is going on, being with you makes me perfectly happy. It’s crazy, switching gears that fast.” Wells ran his hand along her cheek. “You’re like a drug.”

Sasha smiled. “I think you need to work on your compliments, space boy.”

“I’ve never been the best with words. I’m much better at showing what I mean.”

“Is that so?” Sasha breathed as Wells brought his other hand to her stomach. “I guess I’ll have to take your word for it.” Wells let his fingers drop a little lower, and she shuddered. “Okay, now you’re the one making me feel crazy.”

“Good,” Wells whispered into her ear, thinking that things on Earth weren’t quite as dire as he’d feared. As long as he had Sasha, it would always feel like home.

CHAPTER 15: Glass

Glass looked around her, feeling genuine awe for the first time since setting foot on the ground. Sunlight filtered through the trees, showering the ground with golden dots of light, like thousands of little gemstones. This was how Earth was supposed to look—peaceful, beautiful, and full of wonder.

Luke took Glass’s hand to steady her as they made their way down a steep slope. There was a narrow stream at the bottom, the water perfectly clear except for the red and yellow leaves dancing in the current. When they reached the bottom, Glass hesitated, turning from side to side as she scanned the bank for the best place to cross. But as she took a hesitant step toward the edge, Luke picked her up with his good arm and crossed the stream with an easy bound, despite the fact that they were both carrying heavy packs.

When they reached the other side, Luke lowered her carefully to the ground, then took her hand again as they continued. At first, they’d kept up nearly constant conversation as they exclaimed and pointed out different trees, and signs of various animal life. But after a while, they’d fallen silent, too overwhelmed by the beauty around them to fumble with the inadequate words they had to express it. Glass almost liked it better that way. She loved watching Luke’s face light up each time his eyes settled on a new wonder.

It had taken a couple of hours for Glass’s heart rate to come down after they’d slipped away from the camp. The quiet had scared her initially. Every snap of a twig or rustling of leaves boomed in her ears and made her jump. She knew it was just a matter of time before Rhodes realized they were gone and sent a search party to hunt them down.

But after a few hours, her stress faded away, and she began to savor the silence, the freedom of being completely alone with Luke. Glass couldn’t believe they’d ever considered staying at camp. The air was fragrant with damp leaves and musky tree bark. It was a riot of sensory input that Glass had never experienced before. She couldn’t have imagined how much brighter and more saturated the colors were on Earth, how much sweeter the air, or how the rich smells would compete for her attention.

They’d walked long into the night and slept for a few hours before setting off again, eager to put as much distance between them and Rhodes as possible before the Vice Chancellor sent a search party after them. Every half hour or so, Luke would stop, fish a compass out of his pocket, and set it on the ground, checking to make sure they were still heading due north. Sasha had told him that the splinter Earthborns, the violent ones, had claimed a vast area to the south of the Colonists’ camp as their territory. It was no guarantee, of course, but heading north at least wouldn’t lead them directly into harm’s way.

The trees grew close together, creating a canopy of leaves so thick it almost blocked the sky. But the amber light spilling through the branches and the rapidly cooling air made it clear that the day was nearly over.

“I think we made it,” Glass said wearily. The fear and adrenaline that had kept her going yesterday had drained away, and exhaustion had set in. “They’re not sending anyone after us, are they?”

“It doesn’t seem like it,” Luke said with a sigh. He reached over and slid Glass’s pack off her shoulder. “Let’s rest for a little bit.”