Objective Consequence (Book Two of the Subjective Justice series)

Chapter Twenty: Meli Makes bad Choices

Akio reached out, expecting to find Indra's hand to take into her own. The remnants of her dream faded to ash in the death of reality. Indra was gone, likely dead.

"No matter what happens, we're in this together. It's what Haim wanted, it's what I want," Indra had stated, her voice solid, despite the tears running down her face at the Gebul's funeral. "Promise me, Akio." She took her hands in hers. "That you'll be patient, that unless it's a mutual decision, neither of us will part."

"I promise."

The pillow in Akio's new cybernetic exploded when she clenched her hand into a fist. Not in anger, in the despair of the Se'li she loved, the Se'li who had once adored her, gone. Forever. Was it her fault? Had she driven Indra away? All this time, Akio had tried her best to understand the opposite side of things but Indra had so much hatred inside that warped her perspective.

Gently, Akio grabbed one of the feathers from the pillow, fiddling with it between her fingers as she sat up. After finding out that He'mi and Indra were the same, how could she blame her? Being a sex slave for years was a cruel fate with a guaranteed aftermath. No wonder Indra couldn't often stand touch. Stars. Maybe it was better this way. Maybe in death—Akio choked on a sob—Maybe in death, Indra, He'mi, could find peace for the unhealed wounds she'd suffered.

Akio cast aside the sheets and walked across the room, her leg stiff as it continued working to connect to the rest of her body. Stars sparkled outside the large window that took up the whole wall. The horrors of yesterdays temporarily silenced in the serenity of space. The stars she'd prayed to shone in a magnificence nothing could compare to. If only the universe cared about her and the insignificant beings within it.

"Never once have you done more than shine on me in judgement. You've shown me faults, you brought me someone I loved dearly and stole her away, why?" Akio placed her hand on the glass, closing her eyes as another stream of tears fell down her cheeks. Her oi'ek hung limply at her neck, experiencing too much emotion to take on a hue. "Why not just have let me die when I had the chance?"

"I loved her!" Her fist hit the glass too hard, causing a crack to form. "I fucken loved—" Akio crumbled to the floor. "I loved, you Indra." Curling into a ball, she laid her head on her knees, sobs shaking her shoulders. "Why did you leave me? Why—"

The door to the left whooshed open as Meli's watery form appeared in the doorway. "Did you rest we—" They stopped, their expression falling.

Akio wiped away the tears with the back of her hand but they wouldn't stop falling. "I—I lost someone I cared about."

"As have I," Meli stated somberly, he sat down on the chair near the door. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really but—" Akio sniffed. "Could I have a hug?"

"That's more of Iyar's thing—" Meli paused. "Sure. Yes. Hug. Arms around body embrace." He opened his watery arms, allowing Akio to throw herself around him.

Meli awkwardly patted her back. "There will be many more losses, you're going to need to mourn later, Akio. Mourning now will not grant you the clarity we need to win."

"I know it's just—it's different now. I've never lost someone I cared this deeply about, I've never cared like this for anyone and now I can't imagine a future without her," Akio whispered, burying her face in Meli's watery shoulder. "I loved her, I loved her—" Akio sniffed. "So much."

"Was she your wife?" Meli asked, his tone taking on a gentlier trill.

"No but, I wanted her to be, I had hoped that someday we would come to that decision together." Akio pulled away, adjusting her shoulders. "It never would have happened. We'd drifted too far apart to mend things. It was my fault for not understanding her, for not knowing enough about her past to help."