Chapter 26

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Ruben presses the needle into my raw flesh, and I hiss below my breath as he pulls the thread through. My eyes settle on his face, examining the scruffy facial hair and the way his brows furrow deeper than they used to. His gaze flicks up, meeting mine.

"So how did this happen?" he asks, blotting fresh seeping blood with the gauze.

Blowing out my cheeks, I dive into the story, from the moment Ruben and the others left the Red Movement, to the hallucination experiment, to getting the prisoners out, fighting the Red soldiers and jumping on the train. As he winds a bandage over the sewn wound, I also tell him about Terra and how the bullet meant for me found her instead.

Ruben pulls a chair up to the bench in what I understand is his physician office. "You say that Edward will retaliate. Do you have any idea what that could involve?"

"I don't know, Ruben. See, my first objective was to take the prisoners to safety. Now, we have to bring him down before he can capture more."

He nods, leaning forward and planting a soft kiss on my forehead. "I think you are incredibly brave, Elle."

I smile sadly and reach out, gently brushing the back of his hair. "How has your head been?"

He bites his lip. "Not the best. I get headaches on and off every day. My mood still changes."

"So, you're still an asshole?"

He snorts. "Yeah, unfortunately, the wall didn't seem to knock that out of me. Sorry."

I laugh and he helps me to my feet. Together, we make our way out of his office, through the hallways of the palace, and into his room. I pad across the floor, averting my attention to the sky waning from yellow to indigo to blue. In the looming distance, a malicious storm brews, flashing its angry teeth and howling its abuse. I turn around and Ruben stands by the door, staring at me.

"Did you really jump onto the back of a moving train?" he asks, taking a step closer, pupils so large there's only a ring of green.

"Yeah, I almost didn't make it." I fiddle with the bottom of my shirt.

He shakes his head, a smirk tugging at his lips. "You're stupid," he says, taking another step.

I open my mouth to protest but he barrels on, continuing forward. "You're impulsive. You're hot-headed. You're fucking infuriating. And you're the person I love most in this life."

He cups my face and presses his lips into mine, kissing me deeply, desperately. I kiss him back, breathing in his sweet scent. We fall back into the wall and our lips and tongues become wild. His mouth moves from my lips to my jaw, to my neck, sucking at the skin and setting my stomach on fire. My hands tug at his shirt, pulling it over his head. Ruben gently guides me to the bed, lowering me onto it and climbing on top of me, lips never leaving my skin. That's when the image of Terra's body crosses my mind and I flinch. He pulls away, tilting his head, brows furrowing.

"What's wrong?"

"It's okay," I say. "I'm okay." Shaking the gruesome image away, I grab Ruben's face and bring his lips back to mine.

Tomorrow, we will bury Terra. But for tonight, I bury myself in Ruben's beautiful soul and body.

---

The soft tune of a flute dance in the air as my friends and the freed prisoners gather around the cemetery. A grave has been dug into the earth. Luna gently touches my wrist and smiles as I glance at her. A noticeable sheen of sweat coats her forehead. The horse and cart carrying Terra arrive and with the weight of grief pushing me into the ground, Luna and I grab either side of the casket. With the help of two other prisoners, we walk Terra down the path and to her grave. We place the casket beside the grave and step back into our place, Luna coughing into her sleeve. Ruben gently holds my hand. The flute continues its melody as we sing hymns and recite prayers. Then finally it is my turn to speak. Ruben squeezes my hand in reassurance before I step forward, facing the small collection of friends and the escapees.

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