| Chapter 24

Just because Holmes was gone didn't mean the ship had stopped. The engine still cried. The walls strained under pressure. We would crash before we knew it. And a ship this size would do damage to the city.

And to us if we didn't get off it.

"We need to go." I pulled a crying Vera up from the hole and she clung to me. Her face pressed into my shoulder as she shook her head. I could do nothing but console her. But as the floor shook beneath us, I knew there wasn't time.

"Vera." I cupped her face and made her look at me. "We need to get to those ships, okay? We need to get off this one."

"But Brylon," Vera hiccupped, eyes red and face puffy, "Brylon... he...."

"He did a good thing," I told her, brushing tears off her face. "He saved you."

"But he... my father... he..."

"I'm sure your father is safe. You told someone to get him." I grabbed her hands and linked our fingers, keeping us both steady as the ship rocked again.

"I need to see him," Vera cried, squeezing her eyes shut. "I need to—"

"Be the strong woman you were seconds ago." I squeezed her fingers. "Brylon saw your strength and fed off it. Now, you need it. We need to go."

The ship shook so hard the both of us stumbled back. Vera collided into my chest; body pressed against mine. Her eyes shot up and held my gaze as our lips were just inches apart. Her electricity came off her in waves and I used it as the force I needed to move.

Pushing off the heel of my foot, and through the pain in my legs, I turned back towards the halls, just as the engine sparked and cracked. Fire erupted near the belts that couldn't move. The wrench stuck inside of it flew off and crashed against the walls with the pressure.

It's going to explode. It's going to blow and we're still here.

Vera didn't let me go. As we ran, we rocked. Our bodies crashed into the walls as the ship took a nosedive. I felt my stomach flop up into my throat. For a second, I thought I was going to die. I wouldn't make it.

But Vera took control. Her fingers wrapped tight around mine as we hurried as best we could down the opposite hall. The light was still there, exposed to anyone willing to see. Even with the sound of the falling ship, I could hear voices. Shouts. Someone was at the end of the tunnel motioning for us to hurry.

"Vera!" A Pylon man waved his hands over his head. "Vera, hurry!"

Even with the ship's slope, we pushed on. We gripped the walls. Stuck our nails into the cracks. I screamed as my leg struggled to keep up with me, but the adrenaline rush pushed most of the pain away.

And once we reached the opening to the ship's side hangar, six hands pushed in to grab us and help us out. Our feet landed on a roof's surface; mine barely made it.

As I crumbled into a Pylon's arms, the ship Vera called home continued down onto the city streets...

...until it crashed.

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The streets were filled with flames for what felt like hours. The city fire hydrants exploded with the force of its landing, filling the streets with water. It was as if the city knew to douse the flames and try to keep the peace.

The ship destroyed the entire area of what was the World Fair. The fair's stands fell into the lake, wading away with the waves. Buildings along the lakefront were destroyed, too. I was worried people had gotten hurt in them, but if I looked blocks away, I saw so many, hundreds, thousands, all crowded in the street. I couldn't help but think that David got to everyone in time and made them evacuate.

He was an asshole, but he had a way with words.

Something I could never do.

It was why I remained on the rooftop with Vera and the other Pylons. The ships that had broken through our atmosphere remained, but they lifted higher to relieve the fear of the people. I was mesmerized as I looked up at them, watching their engines move effortlessly.

"Hey." Vera sat down beside me, just like she'd done in the train station. When I looked at her, she had a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Tears were still in her eyes. But she'd calmed enough to come back to me, because there was a moment when we were first saved where she wouldn't even look at me. Or talk to me.

Now, she smiled and opened her arms, widening the blanket, and invited me in.

I declined. "I'm covered in sweat, Vera," I said to her, my voice scratchy from all the screaming I'd done. "Not to mention blood, dirt..."

"You think I'm not?" Vera lifted her brows. "The lakefront is a cold bitch and I know you need this. So, come on."

Vera waved her arm again until I gave in. I shifted closer towards her, leaned into the blanket, and let her put it around me. I gripped the tiny corner of it at my side as I looked into her eyes. "Are you okay?" I asked her.

"Just dirty," she said, laughing quietly. "Nothing a little soap and water can't fix."

Chuckling, I shook my head. "That's good." No it isn't good. She's deflecting. "But how are you really?" I made sure to emphasize what I really wanted to ask.

Vera looked down at the streets below. Fire trucks had arrived. Their long hoses tried to reach the ship's crashed wreckage, blowing water over the flames. I watched them, too. I wondered if it was enough. It had to be.

"Define 'how are you,' hm?" Vera bumped me with her shoulder to get me to look at her. "It could go a lot of ways."

"I'm only looking for one," I answered her as honestly as possible. And tried to smile. "The one that matters."

Vera didn't return the smile. She looked down at the street. "Sorry we can't give you the Sapphire that's onboard," she said quietly. "The one's we found were potent, high with Rosepon. It was..."

The effects Sapphire had on humans, even in a good dose, had negative reactions. Just like what happened on the ship. Holmes took too much. Holmes lost his mind. Granted, it was obvious he'd lost it long ago, but on that ship, he was far from gone. I saw it in his eyes—there was nothing there.

"It's okay." I pressed my hand over my knee. My leg swelled, turning purple, black, and blue. My finger slid over the open wounds caused by the wrench. Hissing, I shrugged and said, "I think you helped me the most. Your kiss, your light," I looked at her face, "helped me more than Sapphire ever could."

Vera's head snapped in my direction.

I smiled again. "I mean it. And look, we're here. We made it."

She nodded slowly, biting her lip. Specks of light returned to her eyes.

"And I need to know," it was my turn to bump her with my shoulder, "are you okay?"

"I'm alive." That was the easiest answer I'd heard from her all day. In fact, since I met her. She always bounced around what she could've said, should've said. Her honesty was pure and very much needed. "And that's what's important."

"It is." I nodded, agreeing.

"I don't think I'll ever forget this. I never thought my life would change like this." She showed me a glimmer of her pain and I wanted to make it better. I wanted to hold her, console her, kiss it away. But when she turned to look at her, her smile didn't share the same emotions that rushed through me.

She nodded towards the Pylons behind us. "They're already making plans to see the officials and help repair the city. Their general placed my father on a separate ship, one with the right medical care."

My eyebrows shot up. "So, he'll be okay?"

"Yeah." Vera nodded. "He'll have some scars, but nothing a little Sapphire can't fix."

"Right, right." That was a relief. I knew he was alive back in that room, but I wasn't sure for how much longer. He slipped in and out of consciousness so much, I honestly thought he'd die. To know the Pylons got to him in time and Vera would still have a father, that was important to me.

A father is important.

"But, after this, after Brylon, I don't know." Vera bit her lip and closed her eyes.

I thought I'd get a chance to see their light once more. I wanted to. So, I cupped my hand against her cheek to get her to look at me. "He'll forever be in your heart."

"I know." She smiled, agreeing. "And I'll take him with me as we go back home."

Parts of me stopped functioning, stopped thinking, breathing, seeing, everything. I don't know why what she said hit me so hard. But it did. Inside, I crumbled.

"That makes sense," I said, forcing a smile. "All of this is traumatic."

"It is." Vera pressed her hand against mine, keeping it against her cheek. I wanted to relish in her warmth, but the warmth was cold, distant. I knew it wasn't her fault. It was probably mine. Mental reflex.

Push away any negative thoughts so I can't feel.

"It'll probably be traumatic for you, too," she said. "For everyone. I think the idea of Pylons probably will just leave sour tastes in everyone's mouths."

"Do you think so?" I whispered. "I mean, you all have been here for thousands of years."

Vera shrugged. "And you guys have been here even longer. I'm sure you won't miss us at all."

No...

Vera turned to look back at the street, breaking our gaze.

I wanted to pull her back in, to make her look at me. I had questions but I wouldn't ask because I was scared. Nervous.

Was it bad that I wanted to tell her I would miss her? I didn't care about what the other humans felt about the Pylons. I hadn't had an opinion on the aliens prior to the world fair, but now I did. I had one. And Vera was the inspiration.

"Excuse me, Gustavo?" A voice pulled my eyes away from her. I turned back to see a Pylon peering at me with curious eyes. He smiled when our gazes met. "There is a young man here who is asking for you."

"GUS!"

David?

The Pylon cringed. "Well, he's sort of demanding your presence. We're trying to be polite, but he won't leave, so—"

"Gus! GUS! Are you here, man? Are you alive or something? SAY SOMETHING!"

Behind the Pylons I saw David. He pushed through the crowd of aliens making his presence known. Like me, he was covered in dirt and blood, and I wondered what happened to him.

When he saw me, he laughed so loud, the Pylon who addressed me shook his head. "Do you know him?" the Pylon asked me.

"I do," I said, struggling to stand. I couldn't help but laugh. "He's my cousin."

"Ah, yes." The Pylon clenched his jaw. "Family."

Yeah. Family.

I watched as David hurried through the crowd in my direction. Once he reached me, he grabbed me in a tight hug, ignoring my wounds. I almost cried in his arms, and it wasn't from joy. It was painful. I couldn't even hold him back.

Beside me, Vera stood and laughed, shaking her head. "Ease up on him, can't you see he's hurt?"

"Shit." David laughed, putting me at arm's length. "I'm hurting, too! Got beat by some cops to try and get them to listen." He rolled his arm around, massaging his shoulder. "Wasn't easy for me."

"Oh." That made sense as to why he was covered in blood. It wasn't a lot. But it was definitely 'I got in a fight' worthy. And for David, that was a normal occurrence.

"Yeah, yeah, what about y'all?" David looked at the two of us before looking down at the burning ship. "Let's exclude that. We all know about the ship."

My eyes immediately shot towards Vera. I was worried about what she'd say. Would she open up to David about what happened? She couldn't even tell me what went on in her heart.

She gave him the same honest answer she'd given me before she tried to tell me how she really felt. "I'm alive," she said, forcing a smile. "We made it out alive."

"That's what's up," David laughed. He looked at me. "And you? You look like someone got you good."

"They did," I said, nodding. "Holmes shot me, then beat me with a wrench."

"Are you fuckin' serious? No." David held me as he looked at my wounds. "That fuckin' monster man, that's fucked up! Where is he? I'll fuck him up myself. I'll make him pay for what he did to my little primo. I'll—"

"He died." I wasn't sure why it was so hard to say. "He fell from the ship."

"Oh shit." David's eyes opened wide.

"Yeah." Vera wrapped her blanket around herself tightly before she moved away from us. "It's good to see you're alive David."

"It's hard to kill me, baby."

"I'll be over here, need to check in on the status of my father." Vera pursed her lips before she glanced back at the Pylons behind her. "I'll make sure someone can get you guys home safe, okay?"

"Okay." I knew why she was leaving. She was avoiding the conversation. I couldn't blame her.

"Ay, is she cool? She looks upset."

I bit my lip before I glanced down at the city. The fires from the ship had almost calmed. The lights from the red flames were almost like fireworks. It was almost a beautiful ending to the world fair. Tragic, yet beautiful.

"Yeah, she is." Turning to David, I nodded before hobbling past him. "Holmes wasn't the only one who died tonight."