Daily, the same dilemma raged within her, dredging up guilt and fear from the muddy rivers in her mind. Confess the full truth or never confess. Do it after the successful completion of the task or before. Take one or two or three more doses of power or risk being stopped now.
Didn’t she have a right to that power? Halo fought to ascend—and so did she. Not to become General. No. To become the kind of harpy who didn’t need an Astra to protect her. The kind of warrior who defended those weaker than herself.
Was she selfish? Greedy? Was she a coward? Diabolical genius? Both? To ascend, you had to grow. That, she knew. To grow, you had to stretch. To stretch, you had to hurt. But...
She didn’t want to be a source of pain for Halo. Only a fountain of pleasure.
Whatever the answer to her dilemma, she knew one thing for certain: she should not make the big confession today. Distract him right before a battle, risking his loss? That, he for sure would never forgive. But then, he might not ever forgive her, anyway.
Why wouldn’t he talk to her?
She knew the second Vivi tiptoed from their shared bathroom, sneaking closer to the bed. The lioness and the hydra snarled inside Ophelia’s head, ready to mount a defense.
Oh yes. The two creatures had begun making themselves known, a part of her now. The batteries Erebus had mentioned. Though caged, her companions liked to rattle the bars.
It was a consequence she hadn’t foreseen, and the reason she had new strength. Nothing she couldn’t handle, however.
“Get your lazy butt out of bed. Operation Lady—Oh. You’ve already opened up the ole mind shops. Well. That’s not horribly disappointing or anything.”
“I don’t need to go to the gym,” she said. “I’m already racer ready. Oh, and I’ve already attended the meeting with Taliyah.” Plenty of times. Too many. “She was planning on banishing me to Ation, only to change her mind when I agreed to help Halo successfully complete his mission.”
“I...you...what? A mission? With an Astra? Why am I just now hearing about this? You know I prefer live action updates.”
“You’ve heard it several—wait. I should have started my speech with the time loop.”
“Time loop?”
“The same day is repeating over and over again.” Yawning, she strolled into the bathroom, Vivi hot on her heels. “Also, I’m considering changing my moniker to Lady O-mazing.” It wasn’t exactly perfect, but she’d been unable to think up anything better. Lady Eternal? The She-beasts?
“What? Maybe start your speech with something that makes a wee bit more sense because my brain is about to explode.”
Too late. The world’s most confusing thought was already posed at the end of her tongue. “If time is circular rather than linear, the past sixteen days haven’t happened. Technically speaking. Which means nothing has repeated, and I’ve done nothing wrong. I haven’t even met Halo.”
Vivi gaped as Ophelia brushed her hair and teeth. “Forget the time loop. My perma-single friend did not just go dreamy eyed over an Astra Planeta.”
“Your perma-single friend might have gone dreamy eyed,” she said, dressing. Ophelia had a raging infatuation with the douchebag. His heat...his intensity...those rare moments he teased her. His kisses and touches. His commands. Their cuddle sessions. His everything.
I can’t lose him.
As if her thoughts summoned him, he arrived in her bunkroom, right on schedule. She couldn’t see him yet, but she felt him, a familiar charge arching through the air. Her heart raced, as it always raced whenever he neared.
“Come to me, Elia,” he intoned, and warm shivers cascaded over her spine.
Vivi’s eyes bugged. “The Astra fetches you?”
“Often.” Ophelia fluffed her hair and exited the bathroom, ready for this morning’s confrontation with her Astra. Lately, he had looked her over, frowned, and flashed her to the library for more hours of reading.
Today he stood with his arms crossed over his chest—the power pose she’d named Big Trouble. The pieces of the trinite collar dangled from his hand. He wore the usual black T-shirt and leathers, but he looked better than ever. More aggressive, sharper edged and highly motivated.
Flutters erupted in her belly, and she forgot the rest of the world. Sexy Astra. The stripes in his irises spun as she approached and lifted her hair.
“I like you this way,” he said with a soft voice. Dangerously soft. He clamped the cold stone around her neck, the chill barely registering as his hot fingers brushed her skin.
“In my flannel pajamas?”
A corner of his mouth twitched. “Acquiescent.”
Whoa. What was this? Her heart raced faster. Irresistible Halo was back! The only version of him to tease her. But...
Why now, the day she sensed Erebus’s intention to act? “Perhaps I’m lulling you into a false sense of calm,” she said and humphed. If he thought she would melt the moment he showed her an ounce of affection, he was right. Wrong! Definitely, unequivocally wrong.