The Last Bastion of the Living (The Last Bastion #1)(7)

The Bastion was the only world she had ever known and she hated it.

Her silky black hair fell down around her face as she fumbled with the packaging for her daily protein ration. There were only so many ways to disguise tofu. Today it had a chickenish shape. The frozen lump would be a boring dinner unless she could pick up some herbs and vegetables in the market. Rations were enough to keep someone alive, but it was the produce and herbs from private gardens maintained on rooftops and in small courtyards that added flavor and spice to meals. Breakfast was either going to be bland oatmeal mixed with protein powder or a protein bar. She frowned at either option, shuffling her meager stores around in the cabinet.

Dwayne emerged from the shower, dripping and shaking his head. “Ugh. Cold shower. Hot room.”

“These rolling blackouts are not doing anything for morale, especially mine. It’s freaking summer. It’s too hot to be without air conditioning.” She finally settled on the oatmeal and emptied the packet into a bowl of water.

Dwayne sighed, shoving his hand through his hair, slicking it back. The silver hair at his temples and sideburns had increased recently. The silver strands had started to appear soon after his promotion to Castellan. He was a war hero and his promotion had been a political one. As Castellan he was in charge of protecting The Bastion, but Commandant Pierce of the Constabulary made his job difficult. He was often kept out of the loop on some of the more urgent matters. He had a good twenty-five years on Maria, yet he was ruggedly handsome, and his smile made her knees weak.

“Yeah, well, there is a lot more going on than they’re letting us know.” He began to shrug on his dark blue uniform, looking grim. “The Bastion is falling apart. Everyone knows it, the government just won’t admit it. Well, actually, they can’t admit it.”

“The Scrags may never get into the walls and slaughter us all, but we’re all slowly dying in here. In the end they will win,” Maria decided grimly.

“I hope it never comes to that, and if I have any say about it, it won’t,” Dwayne vowed.

“I sometimes I wish I could crawl inside your head and know what the world was like before the Scrags destroyed the outside world. What it looked like…smelled like.” She sighed, sitting at the edge of the bed. Her panties stuck to her tan skin and her hair tickled her bare breasts.

“I wish you could, too.” He leaned down to kiss her cheek, smelling of soap. “I wish I could show you the world I knew when I was a kid. But it was far from perfect. The Scrags were already destroying parts of the world when I was born.”

“But you knew a life where you didn’t have to live in this damn broken down city,” Maria reminded him.

Dwayne chuckled lightly, a twinge of bitterness to its tone. “Yes, but that only meant I witnessed the great fall of humanity and our exodus here. Not pleasant.”

“True,” Maria exhaled. “I hate feeling this way! But that speech last night...”

The night before, Dwayne had arrived just in time for them to curl up in her bed and watch the live broadcast. It was the anniversary of the great battle that had ended in defeat and the death of hundreds of soldiers. Maria and Dwayne had almost lost their own lives, and Maria still missed Ryan. It had been rumored that the speech would announce new victories against the Inferi Scourge and advancements in food production to boost morale in the city. Instead, it had been another charismatic but empty speech, full of false promises of a bright future that was not reflected in the everyday lives of the inhabitants of The Bastion.

“You and I know differently because we see it. But to all the people who never see what lies outside of the walls of this city, it gave them hope,” Dwayne reminded her.

“But it’s not real,” Maria protested.

“No, but it’s what they need.” Dwayne lightly touched her cheek. “You give me hope. You’re what I need.”

Smiling slightly, she whispered, “You’re my everything.”

His lips caught hers and they shared a long, lingering kiss. Despite her tough exterior and reputation as a bad ass, she felt terribly vulnerable when she was with Dwayne. He owned her heart and soul completely.

“When will you be here tonight?” she asked as he resumed dressing.

“I have to swing by the divorce lawyer later today to sign more paperwork. Barbara has made a few more demands,” he said, averting his gaze.

“She still doesn’t know about me, does she?”

“And she won’t. Not for a while. But I know all about Bob, don’t I?”

She knew he loved her, but the bitterness in his voice made her wince.

“Not that I care. I haven’t really cared for years. It’s more of an ego thing, I guess. While I was risking my life in an attempt to defeat the Scrags, she was off...” He shrugged. “I guess a teacher is a better mate than a soldier.”

“Unless you’re a soldier.”

Buttoning his jacket, he nodded solemnly. Catching a glimpse of her expression, he took her face between his hands. “Never doubt for a moment that I love you. I don’t think I ever really loved anyone before you.”

Kissing his palm, she sighed. “And I love you. I know you love me. It’s the heat, the smell, you and me being a secret: everything getting to me. I just want to be somewhere with you, safe, sound, away from all of this. And I know it’s not going to happen.”