Apocalypse Cult (Gray Spear Society) (37 page)

He leaned down to give Marina a gentle kiss. Only three days had passed since the battle aboard the
Aegis
, and she was still in great pain. Attending this ceremony, even in a wheelchair, had taken a lot of fortitude. He had asked her to stay in bed, but she had absolutely refused. Now he was glad she could witness this unique event in his life.

"It's party time!" she said.

"Not for you," he said. "I'm taking you back to bed."

"Oh, that's not fair. I earned this celebration as much as anybody."

"After you heal, we'll have a special celebration, just the two of us."

The ceremony was taking place in the part of headquarters where they normally practiced martial arts. It was the largest space available in the underground maze of small rooms and narrow corridors.

He pushed her wheelchair to the section where the bedrooms were located. Aaron was occupying one of the two guest suites, and Marina had the other for the duration of her recuperation. He enjoyed this arrangement because it allowed him to spend as much time with her as he liked.

They planned to find an apartment and live together as soon as she was healthy. The Society did not allow
legionnaires
to marry, but they could pretend. Ethel was still uncomfortable with this concept even though it followed the letter of the law. She would rather that they "pretend while living in separate apartments."

Like Aaron's room, Marina's was sparsely furnished. There was a full-sized bed, a dresser, and a wardrobe, all made of plain wood. She also had some medical necessities, such as an accessible toilet.

He gently took off her robes and helped her into bed. The tension in her muscles eased as she laid down.

"That food smelled great," she said. "I'm sure Yvonne prepared quite a feast."

He covered her with a blanket and turned on the television. "I'll bring you a plate."

"Don't skimp. I'm hungry."

"I wouldn't think of it." He smiled.

He gave her a kiss and left the room.

The dining room was just down the hallway. He walked in, and his eyes widened when he saw all the food laid out buffet-style. Yvonne had indeed been busy. There were roasted meats, vegetables, pasta, salads, and several desserts. Judging by the sheer quantity, he expected leftovers for days, even with the entire team gobbling them up. The savory aroma made his stomach grumble with hunger.

He grabbed two plates, one for himself and one for Marina. He began to heap food on them.

Ethel came over. "How is your leg feeling?" she asked.

"Better, ma'am," he said. "I can almost walk without a limp."

"Good, because your training begins tomorrow. We need to whip you into top physical condition. We never know when our next mission will be, and while Marina is healing, only you and I are available for duty."

"I'm still blown away by what you did on the
Scimitar.
Do you think I'll ever learn to fight like you?"

"No." She shook her head. "You'll become a good fighter. Skilled, strong, and resourceful. But I don't believe you'll ever be considered one of the elites in that regard."

"What about my corrosive saliva?"

"An interesting gift, but not spectacular. I've seen much better."

"Oh." He frowned.

She touched his cheek and looked into his eyes. "Don't worry. You'll still be an extremely dangerous man one day."

"How, ma'am?"

"I saw the mess you left on the
Aegis
. It was enough to make Nancy throw up. Very impressive for a raw recruit working by himself. It showed me a glimpse of the kind of
legionnaire
you'll be with proper training."

He raised his eyebrows. "What kind?"

"Your real strength is here." She touched his forehead. "You have a special kind of genius. Your enemies won't fear your fists, but your mind will terrify them. They will dance to your drum beat, and they will dance to their death."

"You really think so?"

Her pupils were pits of infinite darkness. "I have it on very good Authority."

THE END

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