Page 104 of Swords of Soul and Shadow (Gate Chronicles #3)

He’d meant it when he’d told her that he’d find her no matter where they ended up. They belonged together. It sounded insane, resetting time, but Kase would do anything to be with her. She was the only thing in his life that made sense.

Either way, he’d at least convinced her to study his hover.

After the flight with the greenie the day prior, he wasn’t sure he could trust the machine.

Sure, he’d wanted Laurence to fly it, but he hadn’t expected his idea to work.

What if Kase had already given too much to it?

What if he one day begged for death because too much of his soul had been taken or siphoned off or whatever the tech had done to his uncle?

But he wouldn’t panic just yet.

If he could figure out how it worked, he could then convince Harlan to use that knowledge against the Cerls.

Maybe Kase could figure out a way to turn their other machines against them, to commandeer them for Jayde instead.

He had no idea how he would accomplish that, but he knew for certain negotiating a peace deal wasn’t going to work.

Correa wasn’t the sort of man to bargain.

Kase had nearly died at his hands. He wouldn’t sit there and make peace with the man trying to kill Hallie.

Even if that’s what she’s trying to do.

Thankfully, Sergeant didn’t run off to tattle on him when Kase led Hallie into the underground hangar. The guard followed but hung back a ways, one hand on his sword, the other on his flashpistol.

The man was so dutiful that Kase almost felt bad for dragging him along on this unscheduled outing—he wasn’t due for patrol for at least three more hours. But he didn’t feel bad enough to head back to his tent. Obviously. Kase wasn’t that nice.

He walked Hallie to the edge of the hangar and opened the doors. The morning air was crisp and ruffled his hair. The fresh breeze was a nice change from the stale stench of the Catacombs, which made the day much better already.

Kase returned to Hallie and laced his fingers with hers. It was the perfect day for a foray into the skies. She just didn’t know about that part yet.

“Are you sure it’s okay to be out here?” Hallie asked, the apprehension in her voice evident as Kase led her to the Cerl craft.

“I mean, I know you said I could study your machine, but…” She looked around the space as if waiting for someone to tell them off, but their only witnesses were the silent hovers—and Sergeant, who stood at attention near the hangar entrance.

“…I also don’t want to get thrown in the dungeons for breaking some sort of military protocol. ”

“Well, our outing today has been approved by Sergeant, who is my keeper,” Kase said as he strode to the hover and placed a hand on the side.

It hummed in response as Kase gave it a soft pat.

“Granted, he thinks we’re going to play nicely on the ground, and as long as we return within the hour, he won’t go and tell the Stradat Lord Kapitan. ”

“What do you mean, he thinks ?” Hallie practically squeaked.

Kase chuckled. “I promised to be a good boy. Just didn’t elaborate on what ‘good’ meant.”

He glanced back at the soldier, who hadn’t moved from his post.

“No, no, not that part, though that brings up other concerns.”

“Then what?”

Hallie pointed at the sky outside the underground hangar, exasperation in her voice. “That!”

“Not following?”

Hallie crossed her arms and frowned. “I did not sign up to fly today.”

Kase ran his hand over the wing tip closest to him, and the ship warmed under his touch. He started his pre-flight systems checks. “You can’t get all the research you need without seeing it in the air.”

“But I can stay on the ground.” Hallie backed up a little. “I can take notes just fine down here. Up against that tree out there. It looks like a nice one to lean against.” She gestured to a pine not far from the hangar entrance.

Kase opened one of the panels and checked the wires.

All good, though with everything he knew, he still wasn’t entirely sure what they did.

His uncle might’ve known. Good enough that they weren’t frayed or anything, he guessed.

The hover beeped at him softly as he closed the panel. “Nope, you’re coming up with me.”

“Absolutely not.”

Kase paused in his inspection of the wing and put his hands on her shoulders, turning her toward him. “I promise not to let anything happen to you.”

“Kase…” Her eyes were wide and full of fear. They sparkled like precious jewels in the early morning sun.

He blinked to focus himself. “Listen, I’ve learned a lot these last few months, and we can’t let our fears control us.”

“I wouldn’t say it’s controlling me, per se. I’d argue it’s a very natural expression of my self-preservation instincts.”

He gave her shoulders a squeeze. “Well, you refused to look out the window last time we flew over Kyvena, and you haven’t lived until you’ve seen it from thousands of feet above.”

“I didn’t realize you were paying attention to me,” Hallie said with suspicion in her gaze. A stray piece of auburn hair whisked across her face in the gentle breeze.

Kase hesitated a moment, leaning in closer. “Well, you’re kind of difficult to ignore.”

And then, with a flick to her nose, he let her go and returned to his pre-flight checks. Hallie made a disgruntled noise. “Why in the blazes did you do that?”

Kase laughed and half turned to find her holding her nose. “What?”

She let her hand fall. Annoyance painted her features. “Do you regularly go around flicking people’s noses? Because in the world I live in, such behavior is considered odd, if not outright rude.”

“Your nose is rather cute, and I don’t necessarily think that about everyone’s.

” Shocks, it felt so good just to be with her, tease her…

and maybe later, kiss her. Combined with the fresh air and the promise of soaring through the skies, he could almost forget the rest of the world existed.

He’d needed this. Badly. Tomorrow they could worry about the world ending.

Hallie rolled her eyes, though a light pink appeared on her cheeks. “Just don’t do that again.”

Kase opened another panel on the opposite side. “Yes, my lady.”

Hallie walked toward the front of the ship, inspecting it. “Are you certain this is all right? Especially after what your father said? About your uncle?”

Kase closed the panel with a snap, and the machine beeped at him good-naturedly again. He ducked under the wing. “What the Stradat Lord Kapitan doesn’t know won’t hurt him, and besides, it’s good to get out under the open sky.”

“Still didn’t answer my question.” Hallie stepped up beside the ship’s nose and rubbed her fingers against the blue-tinged metal. The ship hummed in response. She jumped. “Wait—did it—did I—?”

“I think it likes you,” Kase whispered as he bent and kissed the soft spot beneath her ear. She shivered as Kase asked, “Got your sketchbook?”

The blush from earlier deepened on her cheeks, and she grinned, turning slightly in his arms. “By some miracle, I made it to the other side of the world and back with it this time.” She patted her satchel. “For once, I’m actually excited to sketch.”

“For once?” Kase straightened, but he kept one hand at her waist. “Those pencil strokes still haunt my nightmares.”

Hallie smiled sadly. “Haven’t really felt like it since the Eudora . Tried on our way to Stoneset, but it wasn’t the same.” She paused. “I did a little the other night during the bonfire, but I was quite rusty.”

“Oh, I didn’t realize…”

Well, that was one way to kill the mood.

Kase pulled her to his chest and wrapped his arms around her.

She held him just as tightly. He rested his head on hers and breathed in her scent.

The breeze tousled his curls. If only they could stay there forever.

That thought came back to him, the one he’d had in Achilles before Hallie destroyed it—that of course he would find what he’d been looking for all this time right when he could no longer keep it. He squeezed her a little tighter.

If they figured some way out of this, he’d stay beside her until the end of his days. They’d discuss scholars, literature, and the benefits of obscure poetry. Maybe they’d even write about this adventure of theirs. She could teach him how to draw so they could illustrate it.

Kase would give anything to see that future. To make sure Hallie lived to see it.

After a moment more, Kase cleared the emotion from his throat. When had he become so soft? He pulled back and looked at her. “Then we should probably get into the air soon, though you can’t include me in any sketches. I didn’t do my hair this morning.”

“Only if you swear not to do any mad loops or something else equally terrifying.” She raised an eyebrow. “Been there, done that.”

Kase laughed as he led her to the wing and knelt slightly, clasping his hands and creating a step-up for her to use.

She slid her hand onto his shoulder, and even through the thick leather, heat spread at her touch.

He wasn’t sure if it was her power or simply the way she looked as she climbed up the wing and into the cockpit.

He rather appreciated the way her trousers fit over her hips, as well as the maiden sash accentuating her curves.

She threw her satchel into the co-pilot’s seat and turned.

When she noticed his glassy gaze, she rolled her eyes.

“If you don’t stop gawking, I’ll draw you like those Wanted posters in every sketch.”

“Well, it’s your fault, really.” Kase pulled himself up onto the wing; Hallie stared at him, utterly deadpan, as he climbed into the cockpit and slid into his seat, smirking. “I’m only human.”

He winked at her, then buckled himself in and performed the final pre-flight procedures, checking the power gauge and the oxygen levels. Muttering under her breath, Hallie took the seat beside him.