Page 65 of Grounded (Convergence #1)

Liria walked away from Thax and went upstairs to their bedroom to pack. He followed her.

“What are you doing?” Thax sat in a chair within their dressing room (yes, a whole room for their clothes), looking very smug for someone who had just nearly died (again) and was currently under a similar threat.

He watched as Liria grabbed the largest satchel she had, Thax's travel bag, and her purse.

She set them all on top of the table in the center of the room.

The first thing that went into Liria's purse was the rectangular leather pouch of extra money Thax's father had given her for emergencies.

Liria hadn't counted the thick stack of dari, but by heft alone she could tell that it would be enough to last them years if they lived frugally.

Dari were produced by MAC—the Medean-Aethari Coalition—with closely guarded converged devices, and although they were thin and pliable, with the look of squares of paper, they were indestructible.

Her currents—the one given to her by Thax's father and her personal device—were already in her purse.

But if they had to go into hiding, it might be smarter not to leave a record of funds transfers.

There were people who could trace such things.

“Liri?” Thax called to her.

Liria glanced at him. “I'm packing emergency bags for us.”

“Destra, we'll be fine.” He got up and went to her. Rubbing her back, he said, “No one can hurt us now.”

She made a scoffing sound and went to the satchel with her arms full of her favorite clothes. Liria needed a sturdy wardrobe she'd be comfortable in. She packed the clothes and went for Thax's next.

“Why can't you believe in me?” Thax demanded.

Liria stopped and looked at him. “What happened to the man who said the price of change is blood?

You said your people would never accept your talent as given by the Source of Magic—that they would see it as evil.

And now, you want to tell them that you are blessed by both Sources!

They won't care that you can fly, Thax.”

“I know they will be hesitant at first. I haven't lost sight of what my people are like.

I've merely gained a new perspective on convergence and the Sources that fuel it. Nearly dying has shown me that both Sources are with me. They saved me because I have a purpose. I have faith now that they will continue to protect us.”

“I'm glad you can see that both sources are neutral.

Neither is good nor bad. But nor are they gods, Thax.

They are vortexes of energy. Do I think they can show a certain type of sentience?

Yes. I even believe they can choose people to favor.

But they cannot be counted on for protection.

They are not all-seeing, all-knowing beings with minds to guide their power.

That's our purpose—to mold and guide the energy with our intellect.”

“I disagree. I . . . I can't explain it, Liri, but I know they are more than mindless energy banks.

Maybe they can't be relied upon to protect us directly, but they can be counted on to supply me with what I need to protect us. When I say they saved me today, I mean that they gave me the power and guidance to save myself. I believe they did the same for you when you went after me underground.”

“Fine. Go sit down and bask in your faith. But don't stop me from preparing for the worst. Maybe this is how they're protecting us.”

“Destra, we're going to be all right.” Thax bent his head to kiss her.

Liria let herself get swept up in the warm softness of his lips and the coercing magic of his tongue.

With a groan, her arms went around Thax's waist. She wanted to shed her clothes and forget for a while.

But the sharp warning in her mind could not be ignored.

Even her glorious lover couldn't dull that spear of truth.

Liria eased back. “Let me do this. It will make me feel better. At worst, it's a waste of my time. But what if it's not?”

“All right.” He kissed her forehead like a father indulging his little girl and then left the dressing room.

She watched him go to the left toward the attached bathroom. A grimace turned down her lips. Why was she the only one in a panic? The danger was so obvious to her. Liria kept seeing Braxis's face. His wide eyes. The way he backed up. He ran away!

Liria had seen that look before. Often in fact.

The new recruits looked just like Braxis after they'd seen their first Nethren attack.

That kind of fear doesn't leave you. It gets dull after a while, but your mind absorbs it.

It remembers because to forget could mean death.

That's what Liria had seen in Braxis's face—a death warning.

Survival instinct would kick in, and Braxis would act. It was just a question of when.

“Son of a bitch!” Liria collected the devices they'd need for a trip—her personal vidco, her hygenisis, and even a sparker.

You never know where you may end up when you have to flee an angry mob.

Maybe they'd go to the mountains and have to light a fire.

The sparker would come in handy. And even people on the run needed clean teeth.

That thought focused her mind, and Liria began to plan as she packed.

Having an emergency bag was important, but knowing where to go was even more integral.

You didn't want to run without a place to run to.

So where could they go? Liria couldn't take Thax to her family home.

That would only put them in danger. And no matter what he said about his destiny and his ability to fly, they couldn't go to Icara.

That would only land them in another battle.

In her mind, Liria saw Thax floating upward again, black smoke clinging to him as if he'd been birthed by shadows.

Shivers ran over her skin. It was the kind of imagery that turned men into zealots.

Thaxvarien Rennux could easily become the leader he believed he was destined to be.

But he'd be seen as more than that. More even than a speaker. He had the potential to become a king.

Years ago, when Liria was a girl, her parents had taken her and her sister to a museum.

In that historical repository, there had been many relics of the past that showcased the way Para had changed through history.

One of those changes had been from monarchies to governments.

And one of the treasures from the time of monarchs was a massive painting of King Justras with several of his knights and courtiers.

The King stood on a dais, arms outstretched and expression confident.

The faces of the men and women staring up at him conveyed something Liria couldn't define as a child.

But now she knew it to be fervor. Zeal. Obsession.

Thax had looked a lot like King Justras as he rose from the smoke.

No one on Para could do what Thaxvarien had done.

Medeans had been trying to converge a flying pack to strap on a person's back, but no one had been successful with it.

And yet, there Thax was—floating impossibly on his own.

No converged machine. Just him. It was the greatest miracle she'd ever beheld.

Yes, beheld. It was too grand to simply have been witnessed.

Liria had beheld Thax's blessing from the Sources.

And if she felt in awe of him, she could only imagine what others would feel.

It would bring people to their knees. It would inspire devotion on the level of the kings of old.

But only when viewed as a blessing. People like Braxis, who had beheld the same event as Liria, could have a completely different perspective.

The price of change is blood. So, where could Liria take Thax to cauterize the wound?

They'd be safest in another Aethari-free location, but those were few.

Aethari cities circled the sky near most Medean cities.

Near but not directly above. Even though the sky cities were formed of connected “islands” so that sunshine and starlight could stream past, they still cast massive shadows.

So, not only did they float outside of Medean city limits, but they also constantly moved to prevent killing off the plant life.

A stationary sky city could drastically alter the ecosystem below it.

But they wouldn't leave the sky space they'd been assigned to.

Just circled the Medean cities. All day and all night.

Slowly circling. So slowly that you couldn't tell by watching them.

Liria used to joke that the sky cities could be used to tell time.

Why hang around Medean cities at all? As much as the Aethari believed they were better than surfacers, they couldn't converge.

That meant they had to trade for all of those handy convergences that made life easier.

And Aethari wanted a lot of ease in their lives.

Some of them even wanted Medeans. For sex alone, of course.

For an Aethari affair lasting more than a single night, you had to sign up for military service.

Liria grimaced and pushed that thought away.

It wasn't helpful. She had to concentrate.

Actually, that random thought about campfires could be a solid idea.

There were a lot of places up in the mountains that hadn't been settled.

Medeans preferred to leave some land to nature.

It gave them places to go where they could experience some seclusion and peace.

Even if they came across other people, they'd probably keep their distance.

That's what you did in the mountains. Which made it the perfect refuge.

Liria even had a particular mountain in mind.

Calmer with a plan in place, Liria finished packing and then set their bags by the bedroom door.

The front door could be compromised in a raid.

Plus, murderers, if they could help it, generally attacked at night.

So, yeah, by the bedroom door was the best place for the bags.

If they had to, Thax could fly them out from the balcony.

Liria stared down at those bags and wondered if Thax had ever spent a night sleeping on the ground.

“Oh! Bedding. We'll need pactbeds.”

She went back into the dressing room for the compact travel beds she had bought when they first arrived in Thennis.

Liria had hoped to sleep down at their cove with Thax one night.

Now, she was glad for that hope even though it would probably never come to pass.

Liria pulled the two compressed beds down from a shelf and stuck them in Thax's bag.

They were only about six inches long and an inch wide, but they'd expand into full mattresses with pillows and blankets when released.

“Food,” Liria whispered.

They should be able to find food in the mountains.

If not, they could purchase supplies before they made an encampment.

Still, it would be wise to pack some nonperishable items so they could eat on the run.

Also, Liria had to warn the staff. So, she headed toward the kitchen next.

So much to do when making an escape plan.