Page 76 of Lies That Blemish
“Anything,” Kohen agreed.
The commander and Admiral Blade shared a look, and then the commander peered at Kohen. “Would you join Amersea again? One nation?”
“Yes. I believe that we are stronger together. We must join against Luska. I would be happy to unite our countries together again, but it won’t be like it was last time. Imbria won’t be fed scraps from the Fleet. We will build more bases in Imbria to beef up forces there. We will take Amersean tax money and rebuild all that you have bombed and broken and taken from us. Imbrians will be able to freely move to Amersea if they please, and vice versa. We will be seen as one, with Aisling and I ruling over it all together.”
The men bristled a little at that, but I thought it sounded beautiful and more than fair.
“That seems fair.” Admiral Caruso offered. “And if Luska has a bomb they plan to drop on Riverine, we should evacuate temporarily.”
The commander was skeptical of Kohen: “If I draft up everything you just said in writing, you would sign it today?”
Kohen nodded. “But I would ask that we wait to enact any measures until Aisling can go over the agreement as well to make sure she is happy with it.”
I inwardly swooned at how protective and caring he was being for my sister, even though she wasn’t here.
“Aisling may never come back again,” Admiral Blade said.
“She’s coming back,” Kohen growled. “I just haven’t figured out how yet.”
The room was silent for a moment, everyone lost in their thoughts.
“I will sign the agreement in Aisling’s place, with a clause that if—when—she returns and doesn’t like anything we have agreed upon, she can modify it,” I said. “Let’s get this bureaucracy overwith and start the evacuation. I’d hate for innocent civilians to die while we are signing papers.” That got everyone moving.
People got up from the table and began moving to the edges of the room, taking out papers and huddling in the corners, whispering.
Kohen pulled me aside and gave me a small smile. “You did well. Aisling would be proud.”
I gave a nervous laugh. “Thanks. I felt like I was going to be sick talking to Admiral Blade like that.”
Kohen chuckled, but then his smile faltered.
I frowned, lowering my voice. “Have you seen Aisling come home? You know… with your gift?” I knew from his letter and what his brothers said in the Wilds that he could see the future. I was desperately hoping he’d seen Aisling come home.
He sighed, looking tortured. “Not yet. But… there are many paths that branch out in all different directions. I just need to find one that brings her home to me alive.”
My gut clenched at the wordalive. Had he seen her brought home dead? I didn’t have the courage to ask.
“You see many outcomes?” I hadn’t thought that was possible, but now it made sense. We all made decisions every day, and each one might lead to a different world.
Kohen nodded. “But none of them show your sister…” He trailed off, and it felt like my heart stopped.
“What about sneaking in there? Just you, go through the Wilds like we did?—”
“I get killed. She stays Maxim’s prisoner. They have too many soldiers constantly watching for that. In the sky and on the ground.”
Dammit. No.
My mind raced. I wasn’t as good at strategy as Aisling, but I had played the same strategy games with Elaine. I just needed to think of something that?—
I perked up. “What if I created a distraction?”
Kohen seemed to consider it. “It would have to be a huge distraction, Valor, and I can’t condone you doing anything. Aisling would never forgive me if anything happened to you.”
“I’m not a child!” I snapped. “Not anymore. And it wouldn’t just be me. It would be the Fleet, which I’m in charge of until Aisling gets home.”
Kohen chewed the inside of his lip. “I don’t know. I haven’t seen that outcome.”
I rolled my eyes. “Maybe you have to trust, Kohen. You can’t wait for a vision to move in life. My sister could be dead by then. Just hear me out.”
