Reclamation (The Ravening 3)

I didn't know who had asked the question but it was Rosemary that answered. "They'll leave. If The Ancients are dead, they'll leave. They won't know what else to do and they'll be worried that their ships will be the next to go down. By this time tomorrow we'll know."

"The Ancients are dead," I said in a choked voice. "They didn't fail, I know they didn't."

Rosemary's deep brown eyes met mine and she gave a brisk nod. "You're right."

I turned away from her and resumed removing the dirt from my brother's grave. "Do you need a break?" Lloyd asked as he knelt before me.

I shook my head. "No."

My arms and shoulders were becoming increasingly sore but I was scared of what would happen if I stopped. The idea of having nothing to do, or focus on, was overwhelming and petrifying. No matter how sore I was, I wasn't going to stop. It was another hour before the hole was ready and Lloyd helped to pull me from it. I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my arm and took a step away from the grave.

Molly and Abby had collected sticks and twigs that they had twisted into the form of a cross. Cloth and ribbons, scavenged from homes, had been twisted delicately into the cross. I was well aware of the fact that the ribbons were Aiden's favorite colors, royal blue and deep green.

Tears spilled down my cheeks as Bret hammered the cross into the ground and Lloyd and Darnell brought Aiden's body forth. Arlene followed behind with a small rock that had Aiden's name, birth date, and date of death scrawled on it in an elegant style that I never could have managed. Arlene placed the rock against the cross and nodded to me as she took a step back.

I took hold of Abby's hand while Aiden was lowered carefully into the ground. Darnell's head bowed as he recited a quick prayer and stepped aside. It wasn't enough, it could never be enough, he deserved so much more than this, I thought as I fought to keep myself together. But even as I thought it I picked up my shovel and began to toss dirt onto the body of my brother. It was more difficult this time as the tears clogging my nose and throat made it almost impossible to breathe.

After the last shovel full of dirt was tossed on the grave I gathered in a group with the others. The compound had been destroyed, but even though our only beds for this night would be the ground, I knew none of us would sleep. Tomorrow, Rosemary had said. Tomorrow we would know if it had all been for nothing, tomorrow we would know if we would have to continue to fight the monsters that had ruined all of our lives.

Though I'd thought that I'd never be able to sleep, exhaustion must have claimed me as my head snapped up sometime later in the night. I didn't know what had awoken me but I rose to my feet as a new sound drifted to me. Footsteps crunched within the woods seconds before Jessica and Craig emerged from the forest. Their hair stuck to their skulls, dirt streaked their faces, and scratches and blood marred their flesh. They looked like they had been run over by a bus, a few times, but they were alive and they were here.

Leo let out a strangled shout and shoved himself to his feet when he spotted Jessica. Cries of joy erupted from both of them as they embraced each other. Jodie leapt to her feet and raced to meet Craig. My heart soared, I frantically searched the woods behind them, but nothing else moved within the shadows.

"The others?" Rosemary asked when their joy over being reunited calmed a little.

I thought my heart was going to explode as I waited to hear what had happened to the others. Leo wiped the tears of joy from Jessica's face before she turned to face us. "Dead."

It felt like the ground had just been yanked out from under my feet. My heart plummeted; I took an unsteady step back as a wail of sorrow erupted from Steve's mate, Leighann. Betty's mate, Art, collapsed; his shoulders shook with the force of his sobs. Unable to support my weight anymore my knees buckled and I slumped to the ground. I pressed my fist against my mouth in order to suppress the scream of sorrow that threatened to erupt from me.

"We were separated from Cade just before the ship exploded. He may have made it into one of the escape pods, but he was the one that lit the last of the bombs. We were already away from the ship when they went off and the explosion..." Jessica's voice trailed off, her eyes met mine as she shook her head sadly. "I don't know what became of him."

All I wanted was for her to stop speaking and I was grateful when she finally did. Abby crawled up to my side and took hold of my hand. "There's still a chance he made it Bethany," she whispered.

"Yes," I forced myself to say. "Yes, there is."

***

My eyes felt like sandpaper as I tilted my head back to study the sky. They were gritty from tears and lack of sleep, but even so joy filled me as I watched the massive spaceship fading further into the distance. They were leaving, they were actually leaving.

Despite the heavy grief and oppression that had encompassed the survivors through the endless night, a loud cheer erupted from the gathered crowd. I couldn't help but shout along with them as fists pumped in the air and people hugged and embraced jubilantly.

Bret was laughing as he lifted me off of my feet and spun me in a circle. I hugged him back before he dropped me to the ground and happily embraced Jenna. There was no time to steady myself before Lloyd grabbed hold of my arm. I studied the soldier while I waited to see what his reaction would be to me. His youthful face split into a broad grin as he bent down and scooped me up.

"I had my doubts about him and you, but I'm glad you both proved them wrong," he declared as he held me close. "Don't lie to me again though."

I took solace in the strength of his arms and the forgiveness that he finally gave. "I won't," I promised.

"We'll always be here for you."

"I know," I whispered. "I'll always be here for you too."

He hugged me again before dropping me down. Darnell scooped me up and pounded my back so forcefully that I could hear the hollow echo of it rolling from my mouth. "I'm sure glad we found that ragtag group of yours!" he shouted in my ear.

I chuckled as I hugged his thick neck. "Me too!"

The large soldier finally placed me back on my feet. I didn't have much time to stay on them though as Bishop embraced me next. "Thank you," I whispered before he could speak. "Thank you for sticking by me, for trying to help me, for being Aiden's friend. Thank you for everything Bishop."

He chuckled as he kissed my cheek. "Thank you for keeping me occupied all this time, even if it was on a wild goose chase. I think I would have driven myself crazy otherwise."