by G. K. DeRosa
His head snapped back. “Yours?”
Her hand lifted. “No time.” She pierced the taranoi with those blazing green eyes. “Can’t you tell the others about the disease? They’ll have to listen to reason. If they continue this attack, they’ll end up starving to death in the end.”
He chewed his bottom lip, his gaze continuing to flicker in Gavin’s direction. Or rather his neck. “I don’t know. Anger—and hunger—has made most of them irrational. There’s not much reason left.”
I began pacing the width of the road, one eye on Solaris and the other on Dexter. I had to get her out of here. Danger was closing in on all sides. The Collective would capture her and kill her looking for a cure. The taranoi would drain her in mere seconds. Who knew what was happening in Draconis. The nobles were probably scared out of their minds from the rest of the taranoi still terrorizing the kingdom.
What a wonderful king I am.
But I was a king.
“Tell them their king is here, and his royal guards aren’t far behind.”
Dexter grimaced. “They’ve already attacked the castle in Draconis. What makes you think they’ll stop for you and the guards now?”
“Tell them they’ve joined forces with the human soldiers to protect Imera,” Gavin offered. “That has to scare them enough.”
The taranoi’s gaze landed on the shiny gun in Gavin’s grasp. “Yeah, that might work.”
“Good,” I snapped and grabbed Solaris’s hand. “We’re leaving now.”
She looked as if she wanted to argue, but she must have seen the pleading in my face. I couldn’t take losing her. Not now.
“I’ll be in contact with you guys soon.” Gavin stowed the gun in his back pocket.
A flutter of panic resonated through Solaris. “You have to come with us.”
He shook his head, a grim expression melting over his battered face. “I have to make sure my parents are okay.” He swallowed hard. “I can’t leave them.”
Solaris remained silent, trying and failing to come up with an argument. She knew what it was like to lose a parent, two actually. She understood Gavin’s need.
After losing Garridan, so did I. He wasn’t a parent, but he’d always taken care of me.
She nodded even as her eyes watered. “You better not get yourself killed.”
A ghost of a smile tugged Gavin’s lips. “Nah. I’m tougher than that.”
“Good.” She nudged his shoulder. “Because if you do, I’ll find some way to bring you back and make you my pet zombie. You’ll do all my evil bidding.”
He suddenly crushed her in a hug. I could have stopped him, but in all honesty, this could be the last time she saw him. The chances of his survival were slim.
My eyes lifted to Dexter’s as he watched the exchange. “If you do as I say and make it through this—if the world survives this—I’ll make sure you’re rewarded.”
He nodded. “I won’t let you down.”
Solaris returned to my side and slid her hand in mine. “Where are we going?”
I picked her up without warning and sprinted down the street. She couldn’t smell it, but more blood was spilling through Imera. Soon, taranoi were going to flood this part of the city, and her life was too precious to risk. “The Shadow Lands.”
Chapter 25
Solaris
“Solaris, watch out!”
I whipped my head around as the yellowing wing of an old crop duster flashed across the canopy. My heart rate spiked, and I jerked the control wheel to the right. The screech of metal against metal grated against my ears, making my teeth chatter. The jet lurched to the side, and I gripped onto the yoke to keep from bouncing right out of my seat.
“Are you okay?” Kaige reached across the divider and squeezed my hand.
“Yeah, I’m fine. Just a little shaken.”
A series of sharp beeps filled the cabin and flashing red lights lit up the control panel. The left engine sputtered then came to a stop.
“Crap! We’ve been hit.” I struggled to right the yoke as the winds tried to jerk it out of my hands.
Kaige’s wild eyes met mine as I frantically pulled levers and jabbed buttons on the dash. He glanced out the windshield, his keen vampire vision focusing in on something I couldn’t see. “Can you land with one engine?”
I arched a brow.
He smirked. “Of course you can.” He pointed out the window to a stretch of cement I could barely make out. “You can land there. We need to get out of the sky with all these taranoi flying around anyway. They must have gotten into the hangar out on the aevitas fields. They’re so desperate they’re trying to fly into Imera and most don’t even know how to drive.”
That explained the out of control crop duster that just whizzed by us. “Okay, lead the way.”
“Bear twenty degrees northeast.”
I adjusted the settings, and we sailed the remaining few thousand meters on the solo engine.
The second the wheels touched down, I sat back and released a sharp breath.
“Well done.” Kaige leaned over and unbuckled my seat belt, his fingers grazing my stomach and igniting a small fire across my flesh.
“Was there ever a doubt?” I did my best to keep my voice unaffected, but his lingering fingers were making my insides do flip-flops. With everything going on, we hadn’t had a moment to ourselves, and the blood bond craved his touch.
He took my hand and helped me up, then turned his gaze out the windshield. Murky light filtered into the small cabin. Outside, the skeletal remains of the Shadow Lands loomed before us. This was it—our new home until the alchemists found a cure. If they found one. What if we were doomed to live out the rest of our lives in this barren wasteland?
Kaige squeezed my hand and pulled me toward him, my anxiety filtering through our link and betraying me. “Hey, everything’s going to be okay. This is only temporary—until the alchemists find a cure.” He cupped my cheeks in his strong hands. “Somehow we’re going to figure this out. This isn’t the end for us.”
I nodded, snagging my lip between my teeth to keep it from trembling. He was right. We had to find a way to fix this. I wouldn’t be responsible for the downfall of all mankind—humans and vampires.
Kaige’s lips gently brushed mine, and a slight moan escaped my lips. A growl reverberated in his throat, and he pressed me closer. He deepened the kiss, his tongue darting into my mouth. There was something about the dark, and the heightened tension that had every nerve ending on overdrive.
The rumble of an airplane overhead broke us apart too soon. Kaige released me, and a chill replaced the warmth of his arms.
“We need to engage the invisibility screen and find some shelter before nightfall.”
I nodded, wishing we could just hide out in the jet. Unfortunately, this wasn’t one of the oversized royal planes with the luxurious full-sized cabin. Kaige grabbed two backpacks filled with supplies he’d gathered from the family’s summer home in Draconis then took my hand. He peered out into the dingy light of day, scanning the area before leading me out.
I took a step onto the crumbling concrete and eyed our temporary new home. We had landed on a highway overpass, giving us a bird’s-eye view of the decaying city. “Where to?”
He pointed at a cluster of high rises on the other side of the highway. “Let’s try those.” He turned back and flipped a button on the black remote, and the jet disappeared.
I couldn’t help the sinking feeling in my chest as I watched the plane vanish. Our old lives were gone, loved ones lost; now all we could do was try to move forward.
Kaige’s firm grip on my hand pulled me ahead as the dilapidated buildings towered ominously in the distance.
“Do you think there’s anyone else out here?” I asked as we descended into the city. Kaige’s unease radiated through the bond. I had a feeling the figures he’d seen last time we were here were the cause.
“I don’t know. If there wasn’t before, it’s likely there will be now. Between t
he humans fleeing Imera and the taranoi on the hunt for blood, I doubt we’re the only ones seeking refuge in the Shadow Lands.”
I gulped. I’d had enough run-ins with starving taranoi to last me a lifetime. The remainder of the walk to the center of town passed in an uneasy silence. My thoughts were running a mile a minute, and judging by the range of emotions zipping through the blood bond, Kaige’s mind was equally preoccupied.
We hadn’t really had a chance to talk about Garridan. His loss weighed Kaige down like an anvil. His guilt coupled with mine was enough to drown us both.
“How about this one?” Kaige’s words drew me from my dark musings.
I followed his gaze up to the high rise standing in front of us. Compared to the others in the vicinity, it didn’t look quite as damaged. Metal shutters covered the majority of the building, which I assumed was a glass facade. “Looks okay to me.”
Kaige walked up to the shuttered doors and yanked them free of their hinges. The sharp sound of metal snapping seeped across the silent city and made me wince. Glass doors were revealed, and unlike the neighboring buildings, they were surprisingly still intact.
Kaige wrenched the entrance doors open, and stale air spiraled around us. The musty stench of mildew and mothballs made my nose twitch.
“Let’s take a look inside.” Kaige led the way through the lobby, which remained remarkably untouched.
We walked beneath an elegant golden chandelier hanging over the foyer, and I imagined the warm space aglow in its flickering lights. A massive gilded mirror, suspended above a large mahogany reception desk, caught my eye. I cringed at my appearance. Strands of blonde hair hung limply on my shoulders, all matted with dirt and what I was fairly certain was blood. Dark shadows lined my eyes and smudges of grime covered my face. “I hope this place has showers.”
Kaige smirked. “Not likely, but I know a river not far from here.”
A chill ran across my bare arms as images of falling into brown murky waters flooded my mind. I would’ve drowned if Kaige hadn’t saved me during our first trek through the Shadow Lands. It seemed like a lifetime ago.
“Let’s go check out the apartments.” I headed toward a dark corridor, but Kaige pulled me back.
“I’ll go first.” He reached into his backpack and pulled out a small lantern. Lighting it, he led the way through the shadowed passage.
We passed an elevator then finally came upon the door to the stairwell. I hurried up the stairs, trying to keep up with Kaige’s longer stride, my heart thumping in my chest.
At least a dozen doors lined the second floor corridor. Kaige held up the lantern and peered down each side. “Lady’s choice,” he said with a grin.
My feet were killing me from the trudge along the highway, not to mention being strapped to a chair in the lab for hours and not getting a wink of sleep. I pointed at the first door I saw. “This one looks good.”
Kaige jiggled the door handle and when it didn’t budge, he took a few steps back.
“Wait!”
He halted mid-stride and stared at me. “What?”
“Don’t knock the door completely off its hinges. We need to sleep in there.”
He rolled his eyes dramatically. “Of course not.” He rammed his shoulder into the door, and the lock mechanism snapped but the door remained intact.
“Happy?” He shot me a wry grin.
“Yes.”
Before I knew what was happening, Kaige bent down and swept me into his arms. “What are you doing?” I laughed.
His smoky blue eyes met mine and silver swirled across his irises. “It’s not exactly as I’d imagined, but for now it’ll have to do.” A devious grin split his lips, and he leapt over the threshold.
His meaning finally hit me, and crimson burned my cheeks. “Kaige…”
“I know it’s not the right time, but I want you to know how I feel—” He cut himself off and spun around, his gaze intent on the hallway.
“What?”
“Downstairs,” he hissed, the muscles in his jaw clenching. “Something just broke through the glass doors.” He lowered me onto a chair. “Damn it. I should’ve put the shutters back up.”
“Do you think it’s taranoi?”
“I don’t know, but whoever it is, is dead.” His fangs lengthened, and a chill skittered up my spine. He bent down in front of me, his eyes fixed on mine. “Stay here, Solaris—no matter what you feel through the bond. I’ll be right back.”
I opened my mouth to object, but the tight line of Kaige’s lips forced me to bite my tongue. “Fine.”
He squeezed my hands and zipped out of the room, slamming the door so hard the whole apartment shook.
As soon as he left, I picked up the lantern and scanned my surroundings. I had to do something to keep myself distracted. The apartment, much like the entrance lobby, was completely untouched. Shutters covered the floor-to-ceiling windows, barring any glimpse of light, but also protecting it from the ravaging elements of time.
The quaint sitting room was bordered by a fully equipped kitchen, both of which reminded me of the human living quarters hidden in the depths of Castle De La Divin. Beyond the kitchen was a narrow corridor leading to two bedrooms and a bathroom.
I walked into the larger bedroom and sat on the sprawling bed, the springs of the old mattress squeaking under my weight. I focused in on the bond but found nothing unusual. Kaige’s steady presence filled it, calming my nerves.
My gaze flitted across the room, imagining what the previous inhabitants must have been like. I still couldn’t imagine a world where humans and nocturnes lived side by side.
Footsteps echoed down the hall, and my breath caught in my throat.
“It’s me.” Kaige’s voice seeped through the entrance door, and I raced toward it.
I swung it open and leapt into his arms. “What happened?”
He shook his head. “Nothing. Whoever was there was gone by the time I arrived. Shattered glass trailed into the foyer, but their scent didn’t go any further into the building. They must have heard me coming and fled.”
I released a slow breath. “You think it was taranoi?”
The crease between his dark brows deepened. “I’m not sure. I wouldn’t think taranoi would be searching for humans in abandoned buildings. It would be more likely they’d be trying to reach Imera and human blood as quickly as possible.”
A hint of apprehension crept through the bond. I ignored it and focused on the feel of Kaige’s arms around me. We’d deal with whatever was out there just like we had with everything else that came our way.
Chapter 26
Kaige
My lids fluttered open, and I knew instantly that Solaris wasn’t beside me. My hand reached out for her, finding nothing but a cool, lumpy mattress. Unease seeped through my bloodstream, and I sat up, my eyes skimming the large, unfamiliar surroundings.
She was probably just looking around. She wasn’t the type to stay put. Ever.
I rolled out of bed and jammed my shoes on. Even as I tried to calm my own fears, terrifying images of her being torn apart by taranoi flashed through my mind followed by her being tortured at the hands of the Collective.
That wasn’t happening. She was safe. She was fine. I would have felt something.
A wall of panic suddenly slammed into me, stealing my breath.
Oh gods. Solaris.
The room began spinning before slowly melting away. I left my body and sank into hers.
The wind whipped blonde strands of hair around my face, obscuring the horrifying sight before me—before Solaris. Her feet dangled in the air, the skeletal cityscape miles beneath her. Her breath came in quick, short pants, icy fear closing off her lungs.
I crashed back into my body, stumbling across the room. A cold sweat already slickened my skin. Had she fallen and ended up outside the damn building? She was about to plummet to her death. I didn’t even know what was holding her back.
I bolted into the hall toward the stairs, my heart
thrashing wildly. If I were human, I’d be in the throes of cardiac arrest. When I reached the highest level, her presence bled through the bond, and I followed it to an apartment door. Cold air seeped through the cracks and blasted my face as I burst through.
My feet skidded to a stop on the crumbling debris scattered over the floor. Ice ran through my veins at the sight framed by a massive hole in the side of the building.
“Hello, Kaige.” A sneer pulled at Hazon’s unusually gaunt face, the wind violently whipping his hair around. His black royal guard uniform was ripped and reeked of blood. “I bet you didn’t expect to see me so soon.” His fingers were clutching Solaris’s wrist as he dangled her body precariously out of the hole.
“Let her go,” I hissed, my body trembling with the effort it took not to launch myself at him. If I did, he’d drop her. The intent was clear in those gunmetal silver eyes.
“Okay, sure.” His index finger unfurled from her wrist, and she began to slip.
“No!” I stepped forward, his threat a cold blade to my neck.
Hazon reacted quickly and yanked Solaris back in, pinning her to his body. “Not so fast, Kaige.”
Her chest was heaving, her eyes a startling shade of green against her wind burnt face. “Kaige—”
Hazon’s hand curled around her neck, cutting her words off. “I can break this little human before you have a chance to take two steps.”
What was he doing here? Had Xander told him about Solaris? Sadly, I wouldn’t be surprised. My twin didn’t know how to keep his mouth shut.
“Get off me, you psycho freak.” Solaris struggled uselessly in the royal guard’s grasp.
“You hurt her, and I will tear you to pieces.” My voice was nothing more than an angry growl, a beastly sound that vibrated the rickety floor beneath us.
Movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention. Six royal guards marched into the room, their uniforms the same ragged condition as Hazon’s. Each one of them gave me a hard, unrelenting stare. I may have been king of Draconis, but they weren’t there to protect me.