Kade (sci-fi romance - The Ember Quest Book 2)

by Arcadia Shield

  Finishing his shower, he stepped out, dried quickly, and dressed. Uncertainty shifted inside him. Should he embroil Honor in something so dangerous? Or let her loose and give her a chance at something better before she lost the opportunity forever?

  But the chance to show her what they fought for appealed to him. Maybe that was all Honor needed, a solid nudge toward the truth to help her remember.

  It had happened with a few people in the base, they were doubting the memories the State had forced on them with hypnotic suggestion, and were eager to find a solution to their conflicting thoughts. When they were shown what had happened, it all made sense and they broke through the memories. But Honor would need solid proof. She was hard to convince when she believed she was right.

  With his hair still damp, Kade hurried to the control room. In the center of the room was a large round table surrounded by chairs and several computer monitors. He was clearly the first to arrive.

  Kade pulled up the maps schematics sent over by Hive Two and activated a secure comms link to the hive.

  Evan Alexander’s face filled the screen in front of Kade. He looked younger than his thirty-five years, with high cheekbones and a wide mouth that was usually smiling. His dark eyes crinkled at the corners as he saw Kade. “How’s things with you?”

  “Can’t complain.” Kade’s smile refused to fade as an image of Honor drifted through his thoughts.

  Evan’s eyebrows raised. “Tell me more.”

  Kade tilted his head to one side. For a second, he was tempted to tell Evan about Honor. But the door to the control room opened, and she walked through.

  “Earth to Kade,” said Evan. “You were about to tell me why you look so happy.”

  Honor’s eyes widened as she sat next to Kade. “Who’s this?”

  Kade shook himself. Damn, he needed to get a grip. “Evan Alexander, this is Honor Davenport. We used to work together. The State have taken offense about some research she produced. And now Honor’s a fugitive.”

  “Hottest fugitive I’ve ever seen.” Evan grinned. “Now I know why you’re so happy.”

  Kade shot him a glare. “Send through the rest of the map schematics.”

  Evan chuckled. “Data is coming through now.”

  A 3-D image of Alpha Twelve shimmered into view. The maps showed a large lake, surrounded by forest.

  “Aren’t you worried the State will pick up on your comms?” asked Honor.

  “We’re state-of-the art here,” said Evan.

  “You use Krypton Cipher?”

  Evan’s eyebrows raised. “We do. Well, a modified version Mr. Genius sitting there developed.”

  Kade ducked his head. “The State doesn’t have a clue where we are or when we communicate. This is safe.”

  “Have we got time to message Isla?” asked Honor.

  “Who’s Isla?” asked Evan.

  “Her sister,” snapped Kade. “And before you ask, she’s sick and not available.”

  Evan grinned. “Take your time. I’ll be right here when you want to talk maps and plans.”

  Kade muted Evan’s mic and opened a secure comms link. “What’s the address?”

  Honor scooted closer and tapped in the information. “Hope she’s awake. She sleeps a lot of the time because of the pain meds. She’s got a comms link by her bed, but don’t want a nurse picking it up.”

  A few seconds later, the screen image changed, and Isla Davenport’s face appeared. She had the same dark eyes and hair as her sister, but her skin was gray in color.

  “Isla, it’s Honor. You okay to talk?” Honor leaned toward the screen.

  Isla’s mouth opened. “Sis?”

  “I don’t have time to explain everything, but I won’t be able to visit for a little while.”

  Isla’s eyes widened. “I’ve seen the broadcast.” Her voice sounded hoarse.

  “I’m innocent.”

  Kade touched her arm, a gentle warning not to give anything away.

  “You safe?”

  “At the moment.” Honor glanced at Kade. “But don’t let anyone you don’t know visit. I don’t want you involved, not when you’re so ill.”

  “I’m doing better this last week. Trying a new drug combination, which is helping, a bit.” Isla tilted her head to one side. “What’s going on with you? Why shouldn’t I have visitors?”

  “I’ll tell you the next time I see you.”

  “When will that be?”

  “Soon. Promise me you won’t let anyone in to see you who isn’t on the visitor list. Inform the hospice staff you need complete rest and no distractions.”

  “You’re making me worried.” Isla gave a nervous laugh.

  “Just stay where you are and you’ll be fine. I’ll tell you everything over hot cocoa and cake, and we can laugh about it.”

  Isla chewed on her bottom lip. “They said you’re a criminal.”

  “Don’t believe anything you hear about me.” Honor’s hands gripped the chair arms. “You trust me, don’t you?”

  “Of course!” Isla looked away from the screen and coughed. “But come see me as soon as you can. Tell me what crazy thing you’ve been doing.”

  Kade looked up at the sound of footsteps. “We need to end this comms.”

  Honor gave him a quick nod, her attention on the screen. “Love you. See you real soon.”

  “Love you too.”

  Kade cut the comms link and watched as Honor sagged into her seat.

  “Think she’ll be okay?”

  “Yes. If she’s half as smart as you, she’ll be just fine.”

  “She is, when she’s not fighting her illness.”

  Kade had an idea about helping Isla, but the footsteps drew closer, and they were out of time. Heath and Annie walked into the room, followed by Jude and Arlo. Kade made the introductions, and Honor nodded greetings to everyone she hadn’t met before, and then focused on the map.

  “What’s special about this area?” asked Honor.

  “It’s what’s underground that’s of interest,” said Heath, as he settled in a seat. “Kade, care to explain?”

  Kade adjusted the image with his fingers, zooming in on a specific area. “The remains we’re looking for give out a unique resistivity reading when located. We’ve been running remote drones over this area because of the numerous caves.”

  “Natural dwelling places for dragons.” Annie looked at Honor and smiled.

  “And you found something in these caves?”

  “Positive readings,” said Kade. “Could have been previous dragon nest sites.”

  “What might be in these supposed nests?” asked Honor, her tone laced with skepticism.

  “Bones or egg fragments,” said Heath. “Anything that will give us DNA. Or any eggs with writing inside them.”

  “Writing?” Honor ran a hand through her hair. “The Dragon Leixh myth?”

  “You got it,” said Annie. “Say the right words and bring back the dragons.”

  Kade watched as Honor clamped her mouth shut, sat back in her seat, and twirled a strand of hair around her fingers.

  Time to move on a little. Kade tapped his finger on the table, noticing the flare of annoyance mixed with panic in Honor’s eyes. “You have to see Honor’s DNA program. She was testing it on fragments yesterday.”

  Heath looked at Honor and his lips quirked. “Sounds interesting.”

  “It’s brilliant,” said Kade. “Honor found a new sequence, and she’d only been working on a dozen fragments.”

  “Didn’t you tell me something about liking your women smart?” said Evan.

  “He needs someone who can keep up with him,” said Arlo, sitting forward in his seat, an impish grin on his face.

  Kade narrowed his gaze. He needed to shut Arlo down before he went into full-on teasing mode. “Focus on the site. These caves are worth checking out.”

  “One of our drones was destroyed the last time it made a pass,” said Heath. “The State could be interested in the site. We won�
�t have much time to investigate.”

  “We’re mission-ready,” said Arlo. “Whenever you give the word, we can go.”

  “The State are also looking for what they think are dragon remains?” asked Honor. “What do they want with them?”

  “They take them and destroy them,” said Annie. “Or they extract the DNA from them for their own use.”

  “For what purpose?”

  “Good question,” said Heath. “We’re still working that one out. Possibly to get to know their enemy better, in case we succeed.”

  “Which we will,” said Kade.

  “Make a real dragon?” Skepticism ran through Honor’s words.

  “We’re getting close,” said Heath. “And if this program of yours is as good as Kade reckons, it will speed things up. But only if you’re on board with helping.”

  Honor scraped her hair from her face. “I said to Kade I’d help. And I want to. But it seems ridiculous to be running around the forest, looking for proof of fairy tales. I need to be convinced that what you’re doing here is legitimate.”

  “Stick around here long enough and you will be,” said Jude, his tone quiet and measured.

  Honor continued to stare at the map and a quizzical look filled her face. “Intergen was running synthetics work in this area. They wouldn’t disclose what it was about, kept saying it had something to do with ancient DNA. I’m sure this is the same place.”

  Kade slapped a hand on the table. “It must be the reason they’re focused on this site. The DNA they’re interested in is dragon DNA.”

  “Highly unlikely.” Honor looked around the room. “It could have been anything. For example, they’ve made use of a wild fungus to cure a flu strain.”

  “Intergen works for the State,” said Heath. “That’s their focus. They want to wipe out any trace of dragons to make sure everyone follows their rules.”

  “Like me?” asked Honor, sharply.

  “I don’t blame you for what you believe in,” said Heath, his expression remaining neutral, despite the bite in Honor’s words.

  “I was just like you,” said Jude, from across the table. “And I had to go three rounds on The Jolt before I remembered.”

  “Not now,” growled Kade.

  “I want to know about that.”

  “It’s nothing you need to worry about.” Kade pulled up more maps and spun them in the air.

  “No. It sounds important. What’s The Jolt?” Honor looked at Annie. “You mentioned it when we met.”

  “You can discuss this another time.” Heath cleared his throat and flashed Kade a warning look. “We need to get to this site as soon as possible, before the State takes everything of value.”

  “You stay here,” said Kade to Honor, as he shrunk the schematics, sensing she was glaring at him and not wanting another argument. He had a feeling he’d lose.

  “I want to watch what you’re doing.”

  “Stay with Jude and monitor the comms,” said Kade. “You’ll see everything we do from there.”

  “An extra pair of eyes is always handy,” said Jude, giving Honor a friendly smile. “And I have candy.”

  “You have candy?” Arlo jumped from his seat. “Hand it over.”

  “Ladies only.” Jude laughed. “I need the sugar fix to keep me awake on night duties.”

  “Thanks, Jude, but I don’t want candy. And I don’t want to sit and watch things happening from a distance,” said Honor. “I need to see what’s going on out there, and why everyone seems so damn infatuated with these caves.”

  “You’ve already seen some fragments,” said Kade, not liking the fiery look in Honor’s eyes. “You’ve even run your own analysis on them.”

  “They’re reptilian, mostly. It doesn’t tell me anything,” said Honor.

  Kade shook his head. “It won’t be safe.”

  “I can look after myself.”

  “It’s not a bad idea,” said Annie. “It might help Honor remember what happened.”

  “It’s a terrible idea,” said Kade. “She’s not coming with us.”

  Honor huffed out air and glared at Kade. “Are you in charge of this mission?”

  Arlo choked out a laugh.

  “That’s not important,” snapped Kade. He flashed a glance at Heath.

  “What’s the status on the ground?” Heath asked Evan, an amused glint in his eyes.

  “No signs of habitation,” said Evan. “The place is deserted. It’s not a high-risk zone.”

  Heath nodded. “If we keep a low profile, we can take Honor with us.”

  Kade glared at him. “Evan, run another scan of the area. Double-check you haven’t missed anything.”

  Evan shook his head. “There’s nothing there. Other than the fragment signatures, you’ll be alone with just the trees and birds for company.”

  “I don’t like it.” Dread curled around Kade’s spine as he looked at Honor. “Stay here.”

  “Let me decide what I do.” Honor rested her hand on his arm for a second. “I’m coming with you.”

  Kade let out a sigh, knowing he’d lost. This woman would fight him until her last breath. He checked the schematics again.

  “It’s agreed, then,” said Heath. “Get mission-ready. We leave in three hours, at dusk.”

  HONOR WAS QUIET AS Kade led her into the weapons’ room. He slammed open a door and yanked out pulse laser protection vests and two helmets.

  She took the equipment he passed her, setting each piece on the bench. “What’s wrong?”

  “You don’t have to prove anything to me,” said Kade, his back to her.

  “Why do you think I’m doing this to prove something to you?”

  “If not, then why are you coming with us?” He turned to her, and Honor took a step back at the naked intensity in Kade’s eyes.

  “Because something is wrong. I don’t know what it is, and I don’t know what’s going on. And I have no idea why I’ve been framed by Intergen and how the State are involved. But if it’s got anything to do with what you and your brothers are working on, then I want to be a part of it. I don’t believe all the dragon stuff, but I believe in you enough to help. See if I can figure this mess out and get my life back.”

  Kade’s nostrils flared. “Even if that means you become a fugitive and have to spend your life hiding in the darkness, like me?”

  “Even that.”

  “I thought you were smart.” Kade turned away from her again, but she yanked him around by the shoulder.

  “I am. And I see straight through what you’re doing. But you can’t protect me from this.”

  Kade stared at her in silence for a long moment, before stroking a finger down her cheek. “I don’t want you to get hurt. It’s not worth the risk.”

  Honor’s heart clenched as she saw the worry in his eyes. He cared for her. He had to. Otherwise, why would he behave like this? “I’ve knocked you on your ass already. And you’ve seen me with a gun. Anyone causes me trouble and I’ll handle it. And with you by my side, no one will hurt me.”

  “You’d better believe it,” growled Kade. He pulled Honor into a brief embrace, but when he tried to turn away, she held on tight, her fingers wrapping around his biceps.

  “This is weird. And scary as hell, but we’re in this together.”

  The tension in Kade’s arms disappeared, and he wrapped them around her and rested his chin on her head. “We are. But no heroics out there. This is a mission to collect finds, nothing else. The first hint of danger and we’re out of there.”

  “You’re the boss,” said Honor, feeling the safest she’d ever felt, tucked into Kade’s arms, his chest hard against hers and the faint scent of his soap drifting up her nose.

  “If only that were true.”

  Honor looked up into Kade’s face and her gaze drifted to his mouth. She stood on her tiptoes, her passion growing as her desire for him took over.

  The door to the weapons room slid open and Annie walked in, stopping dead when she saw them toget
her. “Oops, sorry. Bad timing?”

  Kade dropped his hold on Honor. “Help Honor with her gear.” He grabbed his own helmet and vest and left the room.

  “Sorry about that,” said Annie, grinning as the door shut behind her.

  Honor shook her head, tearing her gaze from the door and focusing her thoughts away from what might have happened if they hadn’t been interrupted. “It’s fine. He’s worried about me going on this mission.”

  “You should have seen how Heath reacted when I insisted on going with him to find my dad.” Annie grabbed her fatigues and pulled them on. “These Ember brothers are protective of people they love.”

  Honor’s eyebrows shot up. “Love? We’re not even dating. In fact, I’m not sure what Kade thinks of me.”

  “Seeing the way he was holding you just now, I imagine he thinks a lot of you.” Annie buckled her vest on before snapping a weapons belt around her waist and adjusting it. She turned to Honor. “Your turn.”

  Honor moved so Annie could help her with her gear. “Do you think he’s open to dating someone who doesn’t believe in all of this dragon nonsense?”

  “I used to think he never got hot for anything unless it had a mainframe.” Annie pulled Honor’s vest tight around her chest. “But you’re good for him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him smile so much.”

  “He always was intense,” said Honor. “When we worked together, I rarely heard him laugh.” She realized she’d like to hear Kade laugh and for her to be the reason he was laughing. He had a beautiful smile when he used it. The kind of smile that did strange things to her insides.

  “He needs someone like you.”

  “What do you mean, like me?”

  “I mean it in a good way. You’ve turned his head from the computer screen,” said Annie. “And you’re not afraid to stand up to him and challenge him on the work he’s doing. He’s got a unique mind, and few people can keep up with what he does. His brothers don’t help, teasing him when he talks in that mystical computing language.”

  Honor gave her a rueful smile. “I know all about that.”

  Annie handed her a helmet before placing one on her own head. “Now I think about it, I’ve never seen Kade date anyone. It must be lonely. And he’s a good-looking guy, so he gets women’s attention, but they don’t interest him.”