“I’m fine.” Honor looked over it Danni and she nodded at her. “I’ve made a discovery about the necklace you gave me.”
Kade took a step back, not registering her words, still in shock by her rapid recovery. “How are you even walking?”
Honor grinned at him. “Sophia is magic.”
Danni gestured to an empty seat. “Join us. What information do you have? Kade mentioned the Councilwoman died clutching a piece of jewelry.”
Honor sat and Kade joined her, not able to take his gaze off her.
“I’ve been looking at it and there’s a message in the stone.”
“What’s the message?” Heath leaned closer and peered at the necklace in Honor’s hand.
“It’s a code,” said Honor. “I ran it through one of my code-breaking programs. It showed me a location.”
“Where?” asked Danni. “And what’s there?”
“I’ve already had a look.” Honor looked at everyone in the room. “It’s a building surrounded by trees. Lots of activity there, with vehicles going in and out.”
“What’s the location?” asked Kade.
“It’s an hour east of here,” said Honor.
“Why’s it of interest to us?” asked Danni. “We have other priorities. Like the traveling circus and what they’re doing with the hybrids.”
“I think this is connected,” said Honor. “I’ve been watching the movements of the trucks, and they’re big enough to transport people. What if this circus is a front for hybrid smuggling?”
Kade shook his head. She was already one step ahead of them.
“There’s security there,” said Honor. “But it could be a hospital.”
“You must have been looking into this the second I left the medical room,” said Kade. “How have you recovered so quickly?”
Honor grinned. “Dragon blood.”
Danni took a step toward Honor. “The hybrid blood healed you that quickly?”
Honor laughed. “I was surprised, myself. But the effects were instant.”
Although Kade was relieved to see Honor recovered, the way she bounced in her seat concerned him. She had too much energy for someone who’d been so badly injured. “You still need to take it easy. We have no clue what the aftereffects of using hybrid dragon blood will be.”
Honor waved away his concerns. “I feel amazing. Honestly, you should all try it.”
“Maybe when it’s been appropriately tested.” Danni tapped her finger on the table. “But this facility sounds of interest. And if it is linked to the circus, it could be a central point of contact. Possibly even a place they take all hybrids to assess their abilities.”
“We should go there,” said Honor.
Danni raised her hand. “Heath, contact the Hives and have them investigate. Run ground scans and see what data you can collect.”
“A team on the ground would be better,” said Honor. “We can leave now and see what they’re up to.”
“Are you in charge?” Danni’s dark gaze hardened.
“Um, no.” Honor gulped and shrank back in her seat. “I just, well, wanted to be helpful.”
“We wait for the information. No team goes in until we know what we’re dealing with. There are too few of us to risk anything foolish.”
Kade heard the sharpness in Danni’s tone and knew how precarious Honor’s position was. You didn’t push Danni. Honor would be on kitchen duty for a month if she kept prodding her. “How about we look at this necklace some more?”
Honor sighed and then turned, her gaze traveling over him and her forehead wrinkling. “You look exhausted.”
Kade shrugged. “Can’t remember the last time I slept.”
“Well, if we can’t check out this place then you need to rest.” Honor stood and grabbed his hand.
Lincoln snorted a laugh.
“We’re in the middle of a debrief,” said Kade. “I can’t leave.”
Honor looked at Danni. “Kade is not fit for duty. He needs proper rest. Do I have your permission to take him to his quarters?”
Lincoln’s shoulders shook, and he looked down at his fingernails. Heath grinned at Annie, and Jude inspected a patch of peeling paint on the wall.
Danni gave a sharp nod, an amused glint in her eye. “Very well. Can’t have one of my operatives below par. See he does get proper rest though.”
Kade opened his mouth to protest, but Danni shook her head at him. “That’s my order. I want you mission-ready if we’re investigating this new site. And you have injuries from your last mission. Do as Honor says and get some sleep. You won’t miss anything important, and we’ll fill you in on all the details later.”
“Let’s go.” Honor dragged him from his seat, her steps rapid as she rushed him out of the room and along the corridor.
Kade stumbled along behind her, surprised by how easily Danni had let him off. He must look worse than he felt.
They stopped by his quarters and he unlocked the door. Honor dragged him through the doorway and pointed to his bed. “Lie down. Now.”
Kade liked the authoritative tone of Honor’s voice, especially since she was telling him to get on the bed. “You sure you don’t want something to drink first?”
Honor shook her head. “You need to rest. No funny business while I’m here.”
“Don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.” Kade smiled as he sank onto the bed and kicked off his boots.
Honor did the same, and then shooed him to the other side of the bed as he lay down. She reclined next to him, propping her head on her arm so she could see him. “Now, about this base I found.”
HONOR WAS SO CLOSE to Kade she could smell his scent and a faint tinge of blood.
“Forget the base. I still can’t believe how good you look,” said Kade.
“You should try the dragon blood,” said Honor. “It will get rid of your tiredness and heal those cuts. I feel like I’ve been asleep for a month. I don’t think I’ve ever felt this energized.”
“Be careful with it,” said Kade. “This is new to us. Sophia needs to test it properly. She shouldn’t have trialled it on you.”
“I insisted,” said Honor. “And I’ve had it before, so knew what I was getting.”
“Wish you’d be more careful.”
“I will, if you will.”
A sigh slid from his lips, and Honor smiled. Even as exhausted as he looked, he still did crazy things to her insides. “This base I was looking at, it’s a cross between a hospital, a factory, and an energy plant.”
“Sounds like something that needs checking out.” Kade’s hand drifted down her arm, and Honor shivered.
“I think Danni’s right,” said Honor. “Could be a central base the State uses to determine hybrid abilities. Then they ship them off to wherever they’re most useful.”
“Could be.” Kade’s fingers skimmed over Honor’s flesh, and she resisted the urge to moan. His touch felt amazing.
“And we still need to find Anastasia.” She was only inches from Kade’s mouth and the desire to taste him was overwhelming.
“Anastasia is a traitor,” said Kade. “We’re only getting her back so she doesn’t reveal anything she knows about us.”
“She betrayed us because she didn’t have any other option,” said Honor. “You need to get better at working with the hybrids. They’ve suffered under the rule of the State.”
“We only discovered them a few months ago,” said Kade. “We’re still figuring them out.”
A rush of heat ran through Honor as Kade continued to stroke her arm, and her thoughts jumbled. “I should go. You do need to rest.”
“I’m already feeling much better.” Kade leaned forward and kissed her.
“I should leave,” she said, between increasingly long kisses. “Danni won’t be happy, if I make your injuries worse.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me that a little bed rest won’t cure.” Kade wrapped his arms around Honor’s waist and pulled her on top of him, their lips
barely breaking contact as she moved.
Kade’s tongue slid into her mouth and she met his kiss fiercely, drinking in his taste and enjoying the feel of his stubble against her chin. She pushed his hair off his forehead and placed gentle kisses on the bruises on his cheek. “I don’t want to break you.”
“I’d like to see you try.”
Honor smiled down at him. “I do enjoy a challenge.”
Kade growled in response. His hand slid inside Honor’s trousers and he cupped her backside, grinding his hardness into her as he did so.
Honor let out the moan she’d been holding back as their lips met again. She pulled back and pulled in a breath at the lust in Kade’s eyes. “I thought I’d lost you. When the attack came on the truck, I couldn’t see you anymore. I thought you were gone.”
“I’ll never leave you.” Kade gently kissed her lips. “I’m not sure what this is between us, but I want to figure it out. I love having you here. You make everything... better.”
“And I love being here.” Honor slid her arms around Kade, as his other hand slipped inside her pants, and he stroked her.
Kade’s comms device crackled to life. “Kade, you still with Honor?” It was Heath.
“Freaking hell!” Kade sighed and shook his head. “Just when things were getting interesting.”
Honor let out a shaky breath and laughed. “Don’t worry. Neither of us is going anywhere.”
“Is that a promise?” Kade grinned at her.
She returned his smile. “It is.”
He swung his feet off the bed and grabbed his comm. “Go ahead. And, yes, Honor’s also here.”
“We’ve found an unconscious guard and one of the bikes has gone,” said Heath. “And Bellatrix is missing.”
Honor jumped to her feet, the lustful thoughts abandoning her.
“She’s after her sister.” Kade cursed under his breath.
“We need to get her back,” said Honor. “The State will kill Bellatrix if they catch her.”
“Honor, she trusts you,” said Heath. “I want the two of you out there tracking her. Lincoln is waiting for you in the bay. Take the copter and find her.”
“We’re on it.” Kade looked at Honor. “You up to going out again?”
“Of course,” said Honor. She’d only known Bellatrix for a short time, but she already liked her. And as foolish as it was, she understood why she’d snuck out. “We need to get to Bellatrix before she does something stupid.”
Chapter 21
Kade gripped the handle on the modified copter as the ceiling above them slid back to reveal sky. Lincoln was piloting as they shot out the bunker. Honor sat next to Kade, her arm gripping his.
The copter was stealthy, hydrogen powered, and covered in camouflage tech, with a twin set of pulse laser guns mounted on the front. But traveling by air was a risk. The State monitored the airways, constantly watching for any sign of dragons returning, and were quick to blow any unknown aircraft out of the sky without asking questions, first.
Colton had tracked Bellatrix’s movements after she’d left the bunker, using the bike’s on-board tracking device. Just as expected, she was heading back to the Pleasure Dome.
“She’s been gone forty minutes,” said Lincoln. “But we’ll catch up soon enough.”
Honor peered into the blackness outside the copter. “How does Bellatrix know her sister is still in the dome?”
“Maybe there’s more to the place than we realized,” said Kade. “A reason they didn’t abandon it once we took the hybrids away.”
“We didn’t have time to look in all the rooms,” said Honor. “You don’t think we left people behind?”
“The place was clear,” said Lincoln, over his shoulder. “But we didn’t investigate the whole community. Viller Town could have more secrets to uncover.”
“I know it’s not a smart move, but she’s looking out for her sister,” said Honor. “I’d do the same. I’d do anything for Isla.”
“I know.” Kade squeezed her hand. “But they’re both taking stupid risks by being out here.”
“I’m taking us down,” said Lincoln. “I’ll get as close to the dome as possible. We’ll go on foot from there.”
Kade watched as the ground came into view, and Lincoln landed the copter quietly, just a gentle whirr of blades as it powered down. The three of them jumped out and Lincoln scanned the area for any signs of life.
“What have you got?” asked Kade.
“The recent fire in the dome is messing up the signal,” said Lincoln. “But there’s movement nearby. Looks like a storage block next to the dome.”
“Let’s check it out.” Kade led the way, with Honor behind him, and Lincoln taking the rear. He stopped by a maintenance garage and slid the door open. The air inside was still and several vehicles were parked, facing the door.
“The heat signatures are farther along on the right,” whispered Lincoln. “Five individuals.”
Kade gestured for them to follow as he headed to the next building. A sliver of light shone from beneath a closed door as he inched his way closer. He pressed his ear against the door and detected voices on the other side. “Lincoln, go around back and check for guards.”
Lincoln nodded and slipped away.
Kade turned to Honor. “Stay back once we go in. We don’t know what we’ll find.”
Honor nodded, her knuckles tight around her gun. “I’m no fighter. I won’t get in the way.”
“You can hold your own.” Kade gave her a quick smile. “I just don’t want you getting hurt, again.”
“I’ve got the solution to that,” said Honor.
“Doubt dragon blood will cure a bullet in the brain.”
Honor shrugged. “You could be right. I’ll stay back and give covering fire, if you need it.”
“We’ll make a soldier of you, yet.”
Lincoln returned, his expression grim. “They’re inside. Anastasia, Bellatrix, and three guys. The ladies are tied up and Anastasia’s taken a beating.”
“Can we get in through the back?” asked Kade.
“That’s the best route,” said Lincoln. “Couldn’t detect any perimeter patrols, so it’s just the people inside we need to worry about.”
Kade led the way again as they edged around the building and stopped outside a wooden door with a padlock on it.
He held up three fingers and did a countdown as Lincoln nodded and aimed his gun at the padlock. The lock blasted off and Kade rushed inside, gun raised.
“Get down!” he yelled at Anastasia and Bellatrix before opening fire on the three men.
Bellatrix threw herself at Anastasia and they fell to the floor.
The men scattered, ducking out of the way as Lincoln joined the fight.
Kade glanced back and saw Honor by the door, her weapon raised as she scanned the room. A sliver of worry shot through him as he saw the eagerness on her face. He did not want her getting involved in a firefight. He took out one guard and wounded a second in the shoulder before the guard dived behind a pile of packing crates.
“Don’t kill them all,” he yelled to Lincoln. “We need to find out what they’re doing.”
“You’re no fun,” said Lincoln. “I always shoot to kill.”
Kade flashed his brother a smile before striding into the room and killing the injured guard. There was only one man left. “Throw your weapons out where we can see them.”
After a second, a pulse laser gun slid across the floor toward him.
Kade picked up the weapon. “Now, come out slowly.”
As the remaining man emerged, he recognized Seamus, the circus owner, as he hobbled from behind a metal tool cabinet, blood dripping out of the wound on his arm, and his hair frazzled. “Thought you were dead?”
“I’m hard to kill.” Seamus scowled at him. “Didn’t you get what you wanted the last time you tried to destroy this place?”
“You have something we want,” said Kade. “Anastasia and her sister don’t want to be here
.”
“Tazzie knows the deal,” said Seamus. “What you want with a double-crossing freak like her, anyway? You won’t be able to trust her.”
“You can trust me,” hissed out Anastasia, standing slowly, Bellatrix helping her up.
“We know we can,” said Honor, as she stopped beside Kade. “We came to help.”
Bellatrix scowled. “We were doing okay.”
“Looks like it.” Kade’s gaze shot around the room. “What was your next move, play dead and hope they left you alone?”
“We’d have thought of something.” Anastasia spat blood onto the ground. “But thanks for coming.”
Kade nodded. “Why are you still here?” he asked Seamus.
Seamus smirked and his piggy eyes narrowed. “You thought you were so smart trying to get rid of this place. You have no idea what you’re getting yourself into.”
“So tell us.” Kade narrowed his eyes and raised his gun. The mystery around who the State really were and what they wanted plagued his nightmares. Maybe Seamus could change that.
Seamus shrugged and then winced. “We’ve been using these freaks for months. Making credits off them and letting the weirdos who find dragons attractive get their kicks.”
“So you’re nothing more than a pimp in a brothel,” said Lincoln.
“There are elements of that,” said Seamus. “But it’s so much more. Sure, you get the weirdos who want to run their fingers over dragon scales and risk getting their eyebrows burnt off when things get hot and heavy. But the hybrids are valuable.”
“What do you do with them?” asked Kade.
“Whatever they like,” muttered Anastasia.
“Keep your mouth shut,” growled Seamus. “You belong to me.”
“She can say what she likes,” said Lincoln, as he raised his weapon higher. “Anastasia is a free woman.”
Anastasia cast a thankful look at Lincoln.
“Going to cost me a lot of credit to put this mess right,” said Seamus. “You so-called heroes come in and steal my girls. You’re gonna pay for this.”
Kade (sci-fi romance - The Ember Quest Book 2) Page 19