“But that would mean . . .” Aelyx hated to say it aloud.
“Eventually, Earth will lose the ability to sustain life at all.”
Aelyx could easily imagine the chain reaction that would end the planet. It took surprisingly little to destroy an ecosystem. Thickening plant life would block sunlight and deoxygenize the water, and once the chemical makeup changed, it was only a matter of time before the water became unfit for consumption. Rainfall wouldn’t generate enough to support all of Earth’s life-forms, and humans would die painfully, battling for whatever drops remained.
“But we can correct the problem,” Aelyx said. Ironically, a relative of the sh’alear he’d planted would neutralize the growth particles, halting their reproduction.
“Yes, and we will.” Stepha’s next words nearly stopped Aelyx’s heart. “If we approve the alliance.”
“If?” Aelyx asked, hoping he’d misunderstood the ambassador. “That sounds conditional.”
“Remember when I told you humans and L’eihrs will both benefit when our societies merge? I was referring to this.”
Aelyx’s whole body flashed hot and suddenly cold. Sacred Mother. The alliance—the one he and his peers had intentionally sabotaged—was the key to Earth’s survival?
“The Way would allow humans to perish?” It couldn’t be true. “Once they learn what’s happening, wars will erupt. Millions of innocents will die, long before the planet does.”
With all the emotion of a stone, Stepha answered, “If we cannot coexist peacefully, they aren’t worth saving.”
Lifting his fingers in an abrupt farewell greeting, Aelyx shut down his sphere and swallowed against the bile rising in his throat.
Oh, gods, what had he done? Bill, Eileen, little Ashley, and Cara—his Elire. He’d sentenced them to a horrific death.
With trembling fingers, he lifted the sphere to his lips and summoned Eron and Syrine, praying they’d answer the call and uproot their sh’alear seedlings at once. There had to be a way to undo the damage they’d caused. Any other outcome was unthinkable.
Cara’s screeching alarm clock ripped her into consciousness, but instead of slapping the snooze button, she bounced out of bed and reached for the ceiling, rising onto her toes to stretch. Sweeping aside her lace curtain, she gazed through the frosty window at the forest in the distance, where steady rain fell in sheets and a bluster of wind tossed slick, wet leaves through the air. She twirled in place and smiled. What a beautiful morning.
Holding two fingers against her lips, she sighed, remembering how incredible Aelyx’s mouth had felt against hers yesterday . . . and wondering when he’d kiss her again. They hadn’t exactly talked about it, but she was pretty sure they were a couple now.
After dressing in her warmest sweater and jeans, she practically skipped into the kitchen and sat beside Dad at the table. “Oh, chocolate chip pancakes!” She heaped three onto her plate and drizzled them with melted peanut butter.
“You’re in a good mood today.” Mom smiled over the top of her coffee mug.
“Yeah, guess I am.”
Dad glanced up from the newspaper and grinned to himself. “Think Satan wants to borrow my snowblower?” When nobody laughed, he added, “Get it? Hell’s frozen over.”
“The only thing worse than a bad joke,” Cara said, “is having it explained.”
With a grunt and a shrug, he went back to reading.
Cara licked a smudge of chocolate from the corner of her mouth. “Can I borrow the car today, Mom? We’ll get soaked if we walk—”
“Hmph,” Dad interrupted. “When I was a boy—”
“Yeah, yeah,” Cara interrupted back. “You walked to school naked in the snow or something. So can I?”
“I’m leading story time at the library.” Mom grabbed another pancake and rolled it up like a burrito. “How about I drop you off instead?”
Abruptly, Dad plunked his mug on the table and folded the newspaper in half. “Listen to this.” His cheeks darkened as he read aloud, “In response to Cara Sweeney’s proposed L’awareness Day and the nearly unanimous defeat of the Senate bill known as the L’eihr Expulsion Act, HALO leader Isaac Richards has called for an international protest, asking HALO members to assemble in Manhattan, Midtown, Bordeaux, and Lanzhou to demand the revocation of L’eihr visas and end the cultural exchange. ‘They’re poisoning our water and killing our crops,’ Richards said. ‘What’s next, our children?’”
“Great,” Cara said around the food in her mouth. “Just what we need—more crazycake protesters. Why’re they surprised the bill failed? The president would give her right boob for this alliance.”
“Pepper!” Mom snorted, gently smacking Cara’s arm.
“You know she would,” Cara argued. “Probably the left one, too. And an ovary.”
“Well,” Dad said, “it says here the senator from Arizona’s already writing another bill just like it.”
Mom pointed her rolled-up pancake at him. “Does it say how many people are coming or where they plan to march?”
“No.” Dad continued to scan the article. “I’ll bet we get a few thousand, probably more.” He paused for a moment and took Mom’s hand. “I wouldn’t worry. The military’s not gonna let anything happen to Aelyx. I’m sure they’ll send extra troops.”
Mom nodded in agreement and glanced at Cara. “Why don’t you see if Aelyx is finished with breakfast? We should go soon.”
“Breakfast? I thought he was getting dressed.”
“He wanted to eat in his room today.” Mom shimmied into her coat. “I think he overslept.”
Just as Cara stood, Aelyx strode in wearing his jacket. He kept his eyes locked on a copy of Advanced Biomaterials while slinging his book bag over one shoulder. When they loaded into the car, he took the front passenger seat instead of sitting in the back with her, then read his book silently for the duration of the ride. After a quick “thank you” to her mother, he jogged ahead of her into the school while Cara ran to catch up.
“You okay?” She tried to lean against him while they walked to homeroom, but he veered off to the side.
“I’m fine.”
“Then why won’t you look at me?” Grabbing his sleeve, she stopped him in the middle of the crowded hall. “Are you mad? You know, about yesterday?”
Aelyx heaved a sigh and finally turned to face her, but he wouldn’t meet her eyes. “I’m not angry.”
“So we’re all right?”
“Yes, Cah-ra. Why wouldn’t we be?”
Not Elire. Cara. All the air disappeared from her lungs. She knew a brush-off when she saw one. That sick, swelling feeling returned, the one she’d felt when Tori stabbed her in the back, but even though tears stung her eyelids, she forced them away. She would not cry over this. Not while he was watching.
Instead of embarrassing herself any further, she turned on her heel and gave him the space he obviously wanted.
Several hours later, after mindlessly scanning her Dartmouth application for the fifth time, Cara gave up and tried to get a head start on tomorrow’s math assignment. When she couldn’t focus on that, either, she opened her copy of Jane Eyre, hoping to escape thoughts of Aelyx. But no matter what she did, she couldn’t quit fixating on him.
With a sigh, Cara glanced around the classroom. Most of the students hunched dutifully over the same history exam she’d finished half an hour ago. The clock on the wall read 11:37, just three minutes later than the last time she’d checked. The day felt so long without Aelyx to distract her. Sliding her gaze to the side, she watched him pretend to read his biomaterials textbook. Although he appeared thoroughly absorbed, he hadn’t turned a page in ten minutes.