Gates of Rapture(57)

Alison turned to Leto and extended her hand to him. When he took it, she grew very still as she searched his face. “It’s wonderful to see you like this, Leto, so relaxed. And like Thorne, you’ve lost that pinched look about the eyes that both of you carried all those years.”

He glanced at Grace. “My breh has come home.”

Alison glanced from one to the other, still holding Leto’s hand, perhaps reading him as an empath might. “Oh, I see what it is. I almost missed it, but you’ve completed the breh-hedden, haven’t you?”

“Yes,” Leto said. “We both felt it was necessary.”

She nodded, releasing his hand. “This is the time to go with your instincts.”

Leto dipped his chin, and his expression grew serious. “Alison, I know that we’ve never spoken of it, but I can’t tell you how sorry I was that Greaves forced you to do battle with me in the Tolleson Two arena. My duties serving Greaves had always been a nightmare, but I think from that moment, when I saw you standing opposite me, so inexperienced, so frightened yet brave, I knew I had to end my tour of duty under his command. I’m just so sorry it had to happen at all.”

Alison’s eyes welled with tears. “It was a beginning for both of us, Leto. But I have to say that despite the horror of that battle, given all the wonderful things that followed, I wouldn’t change a thing. Knowing and loving Kerrick, having a baby with him, being close to all the warriors and their brehs as I am, even having a place in this world that makes sense to me because of my powers, no, I don’t regret any of it. Not even battling you in that arena.”

Grace watched Leto smile. She even felt some of the tension ease from his body. And as hard as it was for her to speak the words into his mind, Grace sent them anyway: You should hug her, Leto. I think just this one time it would be very acceptable and good for you both.

Leto glanced at her, brows raised. Are you sure?

Grace nodded.

Leto turned back to Alison and opened his arms. She stepped into them and held him tight. Grace ignored the fiery rise of her breh jealousy. Instead, she focused on the healing that she could feel happening between them. Leto had been through so much, and given his deepest character, the trial of battling Alison like that would have cut him to the quick.

Of course, it was no surprise that the landing platform came alive and Kerrick’s voice boomed over them all. “What the fuck is going on here?” He stomped down the ramp, his green eyes flashing with anger.

Grace instinctively drew close to Leto.

As for Alison, she pulled away from Leto wiping her eyes and laughing. “I suppose it was too much to hope for.” She went straight to her breh, however, cutting off his hostile approach. She surrounded him with her arms and kissed him deeply.

Grace turned toward them and watched Alison shoving her fingers into Kerrick’s hair, dislodging his cadroen, kissing him again. Undoubtedly, she was speaking a long string of words into his mind.

At last, Kerrick released her. He had calmed down quite a bit. He took her arm, after which Alison brought him back to Leto.

Leto just shook his head. “We were talking about the arena battle. I was apologizing.”

Kerrick nodded, his eyes haunted. “It was a hard day.”

“I’m so sorry, Kerrick,” Leto said.

“I wanted your death, but Alison wouldn’t have it. She was much wiser than all of us that day.”

Grace slipped her arm around Leto’s. She could feel that he stood on some terrible precipice as he stared at Kerrick. “It ruined something in me to betray the warriors, to betray Second Earth.” He began to shake as though his century of being viewed as a traitor, in that moment, had just caught up with him.

Grace glanced at Alison. Alison stared back and shrugged as though even she didn’t know what to do.

But it was Kerrick who suddenly stepped into Leto. He grabbed him, hugged him, and held on. Maybe it was a warrior thing, something only another warrior could truly understand. “You’re back with us now,” Kerrick said. “That’s all that matters, brother.” He all but pounded on Leto’s back.

Leto settled down and pulled away. He nodded several times, then offered a smile. “Thank you for that.”

Kerrick nodded in like manner and cleared his throat. He swept his arm around Alison, who leaned up and kissed his cheek. “Okay. Well, that’s settled. Good. Good. Uh, but just in case you didn’t know, it isn’t wise to go around hugging other warriors’ brehs.”

Leto laughed. “Oh, I know.” He slid his arm around Grace. “And I wouldn’t have, but Grace gave me permission.”