by G. K. DeRosa
My nostrils flared. “I won’t let those monsters touch you.”
Her head whipped around, her gaze heavy on me as I turned onto a street. “You saw the humans they had caged, didn’t you?”
My fangs tore through my gums, but it wasn’t the thought of their blood affecting me. It was the possibility of Solaris being hurt. “And I saw them take you,” I growled. “They were going to stick you in that lab and do the same to you.” I had another flash after landing the plane. When I came back to my body, I almost attacked the person I was trying to compel a car from.
Her face paled. “What they’ve done to those people is horrible. I can’t let them just—”
“Solaris,” I hissed, cutting her off. I knew where this was headed. She wanted to save those people. She had almost become one of them, and still she wanted to rush back in there to rescue them.
She’d die.
And I wasn’t about to let that happen.
“I didn’t cross into human territory to save you just so that you could die.”
“But Kaige—”
“You broke your promise.” If my fingers gripped the steering wheel any tighter, it would shatter. “You told me you wouldn’t go looking and that’s exactly what you did.” I shouldn’t have been surprised. Solaris wasn’t the type to walk away from something like this.
Now she had no choice. I wasn’t giving her one.
A pang traveled through the bond. Her warm hand lay on my arm. “I’m sorry, Kaige.” Her soft voice was a contrast to the storm raging inside me. “If roles had been reversed, I...”
I released the gearshift and rested my hand on hers. The first skin-on-skin contact sent electric shivers through every cell in my body. Her emotions spiraled through the bond as clearly as if she were wearing them on her sleeve.
If roles were reversed, she would have been as panicked as I was.
The last time we’d seen each other we’d kissed. My lips still burned with the memory of it. After I’d landed in a deserted parking lot and snuck around looking for a car, I could barely breathe. Her life was slipping through my fingers like sand. If I had been too late…
I shut those thoughts off. I wasn’t too late. Solaris was with me. She was going to be safe. I’d make sure of it.
“We just need to get to the plane.” I rubbed her hand one last time before returning mine to the gearshift. “It has an invisibility screen.” My gaze flickered in Solaris’s direction. “I’ll let you fly if you behave.”
Her green eyes blazed through the darkness. “It’s too much plane for you to handle, isn’t it?” A grin curled her lips. “That’s okay. It’s understandable you feel inadequate compared to me in that department. My flying skills are awesome.”
I shook my head and turned back to the road before I crashed again. Sirens suddenly blared through the pristine city. Cars with flashing lights poured on the street, chasing us.
My pulse spiked at the force of The Collective. I couldn’t imagine the fallout that would happen if a nocturne were caught in Imera.
“Oh no.” Solaris’s face was pressed against the window. “This is the main Collective quadrant in the city, near the Capitol. Turstan’s office is located right in the center. Get us out of here, Kaige.” Her voice was riddled with panic.
I shook my head. “I can’t. The plane is this way.”
“Get us off this street! Tire spikes are embedded in the road. They’re going to activate them.”
I really hated Imera.
I swerved just as a line of jagged metal shot up from tiny slits in the concrete. Had I not been a nocturne with stellar reflexes, they would have impaled the tires. I dodged another set, throwing Solaris against my side.
“It’s not too much further,” I hissed.
“Good because—” Her words were cut off as a loud pop exploded through the air, and the car veered.
The tires had been struck.
I cursed and yanked the wheel to correct our direction. The grinding sound of metal on concrete tore through the air, and orange sparks crackled in the rearview mirror. Rubber tore free from two of the tires.
“Hang on!” I yelled, pressing my foot harder on the pedal despite the lack of wheels.
We both winced from the screeching bouncing off the gray buildings. Another strip of spikes slashed the remaining two tires, and we careened into a solid brick wall. My arms wrapped around Solaris as we slammed into it, protecting her from the jarring impact.
For several seconds, our ragged breathing and thundering hearts drowned out the sirens.
“Are you okay?” My hands ran over Solaris, checking for injuries.
“I’m fine.” Her fingers curled into my shirt, tiny tremors rippling through her body. “We have to get out of here.”
Her door was trapped against the building. I yanked mine open and pulled her out just as footsteps echoed along the asphalt.
Damn these humans.
One loud crack lit the air followed by several more.
I jerked Solaris behind the door, covering her as a spray of bullets surrounded us. Gun smoke and fire permeated the street. Solaris’s heart crashed against mine, frantic and wild.
They’d stop at nothing to keep their dirty little secret hidden, and that meant capturing or killing Solaris.
They’d have to pry her from my cold, dead fingers.
“How are we going to get out of this?” she yelled over the deafening ping of bullets hitting the car.
There was only one way. We had to make a run for it.
I snatched Solaris up before she had a chance to protest. The only thing standing between her and these bullets was me. She wouldn’t like that.
A gasp tore from her mouth as I dragged her in front of me. I couldn’t run full speed until we reached the cover of the next building. We couldn’t risk letting the humans know a nocturne was in Imera.
A hundred feet never seemed so long.
Pain ripped through my right shoulder as a bullet pierced my skin. My teeth gritted against the howl crawling up my throat.
Solaris. I had to focus on her safety.
Another metal projectile sliced through the air. My world slowed as it headed straight for her.
No!
I yanked her to my chest and spun my body, catching the bullet on my left side. Searing heat exploded through my torso, and I stumbled.
Solaris looked back, her green eyes wild. “Kaige!”
I shook my head and forced her forward. “Go.” The building was only a few more feet.
Another bullet managed to hit my leg, but it was nothing compared to the one burning into my side. The only thing keeping me upright was the little human running in front of me. If I fell, she’d have no cover from those deadly pieces of metal.
Finally we were out of their sight, the rain of bullets bouncing off the ashen brick wall. I picked Solaris up, ignoring the agony rippling through my body. I ran at full speed, Imera’s cityscape whipping by.
I’d never been shot before. I didn’t particularly like it. Not one bit.
Relief exited my lungs as the not-so-empty parking lot came into view. The plane was still in stealth mode, but I’d memorized the location despite every street in Imera looking identical.
I gently put Solaris down and dug the control out of my pocket, shutting off the invisibility screen so we could board the plane.
“Kaige, are you okay?” She started to turn around, but I shoved her toward the door.
“I’m fine,” I hissed. “We don’t have time.” The sirens were growing louder again.
As soon as we entered the cabin, I hit the button to bring the screen back up, concealing us. I motioned a trembling hand to the captain’s chair. “Go ahead. Get us out of here.”
Solaris nodded and jumped into the seat, her fingers flying over the controls. A ghost of a smile split my lips as I slumped into the seat beside her. Of course she didn’t need any instructions. Flying was second nature to her.
The half-smile fad
ed as pain ricocheted through my body. My skin was sticky with sweat. And blood. It pooled across my shoulders, leaked from the hole in my side, and dribbled from the one in my leg.
Luckily Solaris wasn’t a nocturne. She’d be able to smell it and know I’d been severely injured.
“Hold on. This might be tricky.” Her fingers were tight on the yoke.
Not too tricky for her.
I must have blacked out because we were already soaring above the buildings in Imera. The Collective military was scrambling below, looking for Solaris who seemed to have disappeared into thin air.
My vision suddenly blurred as I watched her, one Solaris becoming two.
Two of her? That might not be so bad…
Darkness seeped around me, and I felt my consciousness began to detach from the world.
Sleep. I just needed sleep.
Hands frantically shook me, a desperate voice swirling in my ears.
“Kaige. Kaige! Wake up. Please.”
My lids fluttered open, my little human staring down at me with so much fear clouding her expression it hurt. Panic sped through the bond, dumping cold water on me.
I blinked and sat up, looking around for the source of danger. “What’s wrong?”
“What’s wrong?” she screeched. “You’re bleeding to death!”
I glanced down and saw what had Solaris so distraught. A puddle of blood was pooling beneath my feet from the three bullet wounds.
That didn’t look good.
“You were shot. Why didn’t you say something?” Her fingers traveled over my torso, coming away with a thick layer of crimson.
“I’m all right,” I mumbled, my body growing weaker by the second.
She wiped her trembling hand off on her pants. “No, you’re not. I can feel it.” Her breath hitched. “I can feel you slipping away through the bond.”
“I just need to rest.” As long as she was safe…
My lids lowered.
“No!” Solaris shook me again. “Don’t close your eyes on me. You need blood.” Her head feverishly whipped around. “I know there has to be some synth on this plane.”
Not anymore.
“I drank it before rescuing you.”
Her despair sank through my own chest, making my throat clog. She bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling as her fingers stroked my jaw. “You’re not going to save me just to die on me.”
“I won’t die.” That wasn’t exactly the truth. It was possible for a nocturne to bleed to death and if the growing puddle beneath me didn’t stop soon, I wouldn’t last without blood.
“Of course you won’t die.” Fire ignited in those green orbs, searing every corner of my soul. The determination suddenly flowing through the bond hit me full force.
Oh gods. She was about to do something stupid.
Solaris leaned in, her honey and jasmine scent swirling over me. “If there’s no synth, you’ll have to drink my blood.”
Chapter 14
Solaris
I yanked Malcolm’s ID badge from my back pocket and dragged the rough edge across the inside of my wrist. A tiny slit opened along the soft skin. I winced. It burned like a nasty paper cut.
Kaige’s eyes widened as he rasped out a breath. Two silver saucers stared at me in disbelief. “W-what are you doing?”
Leaning over the console, I held my wrist up to his mouth. “Drink, now.”
He pushed my arm away and violently shook his head back and forth. “I can’t.” Beads of sweat lined his forehead, dark locks plastered to his skin.
“Screw the prophecy, Kaige. I’m not letting you die.”
His eyes met mine, terror flashing across his dilated pupils. “It’s not that.” He groaned. “If I have a taste, I’m not sure I’ll be able to stop. What if I can’t control myself?”
He lowered his gaze and held his hand over the wound on his side. Blood poured out, the crimson pool underneath him growing by the second.
I leapt out of my seat and crouched next to him. Taking his chin, I forced him to look at me. “Yes you will. I trust you, Kaige. I know you wouldn’t hurt me.”
I offered him my arm once again and his nostrils flared, the silver in his eyes practically glowing. His gaze locked onto my wrist, the sliver of blood barely a trickle now. His fangs lengthened and clamped down on my arm.
Two sharp pinpricks pierced my flesh, sending a burst of heat through my veins. I clenched my teeth to keep from screaming. Fire ignited in my chest, a swirl of emotions ripping my breath away.
It took me a second to realize the feelings weren’t my own.
The pain in my arm vanished and my head swam, a heady euphoric sensation replacing the initial pain. It reminded me of the time I’d been given laughing gas at the dentist. An inappropriate giggle burst from my lips as Kaige consumed my blood, his shoulders heaving.
What was wrong with me?
Kaige’s arms shot around my waist and pulled me into his lap. His hold on my wrist tightened as he pressed me closer. My head tilted back, my spine arching into him as electricity tingled through every nerve. It was like my body had been missing its other half and was rejoicing in its reunion. My breath became ragged; the flurry of emotions running through the blood bond swept me into a lusty haze.
It was nothing like when Xander had bitten me. That had been torture. This was… ecstasy.
My head spun, the cabin going topsy-turvy. The pounding of my heart began to slow. A moment of cold realization slapped me in the face.
I was losing too much blood. “Kaige. Kaige! Stop!”
A growl reverberated in his throat.
I tried to jerk free of his arms, but his embrace only tightened as the slurping got louder and more frantic.
“Kaige! You’re hurting me.”
His eyelids snapped open, wider than I’d ever seen them. He unlocked his jaw and practically threw me off his lap. I hit the control panel, and the fog fully cleared.
Kaige’s eyes were wild, drops of blood dribbling down his chin. “I’m so sorry,” he mumbled as he wiped the crimson remnants off his face.
I exhaled slowly, my hands trembling. I shoved them behind my back so he wouldn’t see. “It’s okay. I’m okay.”
I wasn’t though.
I needed to land this plane ASAP. I stepped over the pool of blood under Kaige’s seat and took my place in the captain’s chair. I glanced over at my prince. The blood from the gaping wound at his side had slowed to a trickle, and the other two bullet wounds already appeared to be healing. His eyelids drooped as he lay back in his seat.
“Just rest.” My hand inched forward to touch his arm, but I pulled it back at the last second. I’d never admit it, but he’d scared me. For a second, I wasn’t sure he’d stop.
“Okay,” he muttered, his lids already closing.
I switched off the autopilot and checked the radar. The skies were clear. We’d flown right by the Imera border patrol without a glitch. I began the descent into the Shadow Lands, my heartbeat still spiking and fingers trembling.
My own eyelids grew heavy. The rush of adrenaline dissipated and exhaustion set in. I needed to find a safe spot to land and one that would be easy to take off from. I had to get Kaige home soon. With the amount of blood he’d lost, I was worried I wouldn’t be enough to keep him satiated.
I spotted a long stretch of highway and set the coordinates, making sure we were still in stealth mode. I couldn’t risk border patrol finding the massive jet, even though it would be unlike them to come out this far.
A slow, steady rumble drew my attention to my co-pilot. Kaige’s lips were parted and eyes closed. His chest rose and fell slowly, his breathing back to normal. I reached over and swept the hair off his forehead, tucking it behind his ears. My fingers lingered over his cheek and trailed along his jawline.
I didn’t think I’d ever see my prince of darkness again. And here he was. He’d come all the way to Imera to save me. My chest tightened. He’d nearly died rescuing me.
; What were we doing?
I shook my head, chasing away the dark thoughts.
The skeletal remains of the Shadow Lands blanketed the front windshield, the steel beams glinting in the moonlight. They were even creepier at night. I engaged the landing gear and pulled back on the throttle. The jet cruised down the final hundred yards and glided to the ground.
Now this is what I’m talking about! This bad boy was even smoother than Turstan’s Cessna.
I cut the engine once we rolled to a stop and scanned the area through the canopy. No one would be able to see us with the invisibility shield, but unease still percolated in my chest. I couldn’t help but think about the dark figures Kaige had seen last time we’d been here.
I inhaled a long breath and pressed the recline button on my seat and on Kaige’s. I glanced across the way at my sleeping prince. He looked so peaceful. Even bloodied up and shot, he was gorgeous.
My clothing was in no better condition. I tugged on my shirt, Kaige’s blood splattering the dingy gray material. For a second I contemplated searching the plane for extra clothes, but my tired body refused.
I curled my legs up, wrapping my arms around my knees. My eyelids drooped and within seconds I was out.
A feather-light touch brushed my cheek. My lids fluttered open, the murky light sweeping into the cabin. My eyes focused on the smoky navy irises hovering over me.
“Kaige?”
He snatched his hand back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”
My eyes raked over his bare chest and heat unfurled in my middle. I ran my hand through my disheveled hair and sat up. A soft blanket covered my lower half. I twisted it in my hands as Kaige’s intense gaze trailed over me. “How are you feeling?” My voice came out rough and breathy.
“Much better.”
I glanced up at his torso, convincing myself it was purely for medical reasons. The deep wound at his side was completely healed, as were the ones on his shoulder and leg. I reached up to touch the flawless skin, my jaw slack. “It’s incredible…”
He pulled me up beside him. “Your blood is incredible,” he rasped out. A big smile stretched across his face. “I’ve never felt so alive. My veins are ringing with its power. It’s truly amazing.” He tilted my chin up. “You saved my life. It was an incredibly stupid decision, but brave nonetheless.”