together. To understand the finality of things and to see where it all leads. We’ve had enough of this life. If we succeed, if we release the Unending and she takes our immortality away, I know many of us will be happy to simply jump into some ships and explore as much of the universe as we can before we die. You see, we’ve been on Visio for five million years. We know Rimia and Nalore, too. Every inch of them. My heart sings when I think about what else I might see before I close my eyes for good.”
Mine sang at the thought of getting the Seniors on our side. I hadn’t yet grown tired of the concept of immortality, but Mira and her people certainly had. I could use this against the Darklings, who took more pleasure in tormenting the Seniors than in killing them. Their sadism would end up biting them in the ass.
“Then come with us,” I said. “There’s enough room on our shuttle for at least a few hundred of your people. We’ve got a second shuttle we can use to retrieve the rest of them.”
Kemi scoffed. “The Darklings won’t let us go.”
“But they can’t see us. They can’t hear us. Our shuttle has an invisible shield. Remember, it’s how we got here in the first place,” I replied.
Mira’s face lit up, and hope glistened in her eyes for the first time. Defiance straightened her back as she stood tall, pushing her chair to the side. Kemi came closer, slipping an arm around her waist and smiling. “What do you say, Mira? Shall we get the hell out of here?”
“We’ll talk to the others, but I doubt we’ll get many refusals. Most of us want freedom.” She looked at me. “Give us tonight, Esme. Give us tonight so we can discuss this with our people. You can stay here in this house. There’s enough blood to keep you sated. You can run yourselves a bath and light up the fireplace. Make yourselves at home, and I shall see you tomorrow in the plaza, by the fountain where we met.”
I would’ve loved nothing more than to hug her. “Okay. Thank you for your hospitality.”
“The bedroom upstairs has fresh linens,” Mira added, her gaze bouncing between Kalon and me. “Let us hope we meet again tomorrow with good news.”
“Do you think the Seniors will say no?” I asked, doubt poking me in the ribs.
Mira shook her head. “I don’t think so. But we’ll take whoever will come with us, whether it’s ten or a hundred or five hundred Seniors. Kemi and I are definitely in. You can count on us.”
Kalon and I watched the couple leave through the house while we stayed back on the open terrace. The ocean breeze brushed through my hair, tickling my cheeks and making me smile. Once I heard the front door close, I let out a deep breath, leaning back into my chair. This was a little slice of paradise, and I planned to enjoy as much of it as I could before we left.
Silence hovered around us, and with it came a sense of… satisfaction.
“I think we can chalk this one up as a win,” Kalon said.
Only then did I realize the impact of the Seniors’ presence. Mira and Kemi had been enough to make me feel small, almost insignificant. In their absence, I sensed myself returning to my full strength. It wasn’t their fault—it was my perception playing tricks on me. The Seniors were larger-than-life creatures. They’d been around for so damn long. They had amassed enough knowledge and exhaustion to last them an eternity—and they were tired.
Kalon got up and took my hand in his, beckoning me to join him on the edge of the terrace. A wrought-iron fence stood between us and the steep slope below, which was covered in green foliage and waxy blossoms as big as my head. Their fragrance relaxed me, and I leaned into him as we stared into the night.
“This is definitely a win,” I finally replied, my head resting on his shoulder. “Even if only Mira and Kemi decide to come back with us, it’ll be two more allies instead of none.”
“The rest will follow.” Kalon sighed. “Everything they said to us mirrors the collective emotions of their peers. They’re all itching to get out of here. I know I certainly would be after being stuck on this island for so long.”
“I still can’t believe they’re so… open. I think I