Earth Is Mine

Chapter 27

"Hello Aria," General Lyra walks into the room and stops in front of the bed I am lying on. I've never noticed how tall she was but right now she towers over me as I stare up at her from under my sheets. 

"My son insisted that I meet you but I must admit I am unsure how I can be of much help to a feverish human," She looks down at me and it doesn't only feel like she is looking down at me literally. 

Her stance is guarded with arms folded over each other and she looks impatient. 

"Be nice," Lucian warns his mother. "It's the least you could do. Our entire mission was a success because of her." 

Her lips form a tight line and she nods in agreement. "How could I be of help, Aria?"

I look up at her and then at Lucian who is still standing by the door, listening in. My entire body shivers under the sheets and mad thoughts preoccupy my mind. I need to speak to her but I need to do it alone. 

"Lucian, can you give us a minute?" I say in a small voice and his eyes narrow. I can almost read his thoughts. I'm keeping secrets between us all over again and I know I promised not to but this is different. 

What if I tell him the truth and he turns himself in like I did? 

I can't deal with the thought of losing him as well. He's the only loved one I have left. But am I being selfish by not telling him something that could end this war?

I need to clear my thoughts but I can't do it with him. 

He nods curtly my way and casts a warning glance at the general before shutting the door behind him. The air in the room grows cold as the silence between us lingers. 

General Lyra sighs impatiently and then she sits down on the bed across from me. "Forgive me child but I have never been that compassionate nor patient with sick people. I admire our medical staff greatly for that. I would never be able to do their jobs."

Well at least she's honest about how excited she is to be here. It now makes sense why Lucian chose to suffer through his nightmares alone instead of turning to his mother aside from the time he killed someone. She doesn't look like she takes any sort of disease or illness kindly.

"General Lyra, I don't want to waste your time," I sit up straight and lean against the headboard even though the effort leaches my energy away. "There's something I discovered on my recent visit Pluto. It's about Lazarus."

Her eyes sharpen at hearing his name and she suddenly looks more interested. "And what might that be?"

"I..I don't think he's searching the universe and destroying everything in his wake just because we are at war," I say slowly and my every word captures more and more of her attention. She leans forward and gestures for me to go on. "He's doing all of this because of Lucian." 

Her eyebrows raise ever so slightly before they settle into a tight frown. "Well we all know he hates Lucian. Their rivalry has been obvious from the beginning and they are on two sides of this war. That is hardly news, my dear." 

"He doesn't hate him. He's obsessed with him. He's only fighting because Lucian's fighting back. What if..." I trail off, wondering if I should say more. 

"What if what?" The general demands, her voice sharp and authoritative. 

"What if Lucian surrendered?" I close my eyes. I can't believe those words just left my mouth. 

"If Lucian surrendered then we would have lost and every fight, every mission, every death that leads us here would have been in vain," She justifies.