by G. K. DeRosa
My cheeks flushed from the feel of his heated skin on mine. I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. “I wasn’t going to let you die after you saved my life. I’d just gotten you back.”
His eyes locked onto mine, and my heart jackhammered against my ribs. He leaned in, and my breath caught. The scent of cedar and pine cocooned me as his arm came around my waist. He pulled me against his bare chest, and every cell in my body sang.
“Solaris,” he whispered as he inched closer. “Gods, I missed you.”
I lost it at the sound of my name crossing his lips. I closed the distance between us, brushing my lips against his. They were soft and warm and exactly how I’d remembered them. I wrapped my arms around his neck, digging my fingers into his silky damp hair.
A growl vibrated in the back of his throat as he deepened the kiss. His hands snuck under my shirt and glided across my back, setting my skin on fire. Our tongues intertwined, engaged in an intricate dance.
The emotions running through the bond sped like a freight train on a deadly collision course with fate. Everything was intensified a hundred fold. It was our blood; letting Kaige drink from me had shattered the final barrier between us.
Every cell in my body longed to be near him, to be a part of him. He pulled me closer as if he too were experiencing the same exhilarating feelings. My heart beat in time with his, the rhythmic pounding accelerating with every touch.
This was wrong. So wrong. But I couldn’t seem to care. Or stop.
Kaige’s lips glided across his mine, hungry and relentless. My head tipped back as he supported the back of my neck, pulling me into him. My hands explored his finely muscled back, my fingers tingling with electricity against his warm skin.
A loud crack against the front windshield wrenched our attention from the intense moment, finally breaking us apart.
I gasped, my lungs sucking in some much needed air. “What was that?”
Kaige released me and peered through the canopy over the nose of the plane and grimaced. “Just a bird.” He exhaled a long breath and raked his hands through his hair.
I hugged my arms around myself, a chill running across my over-heated skin as reality set in.
What had we done?
I couldn’t meet Kaige’s eyes after that fiery make-out session. I knew it was stupid and childish, but I couldn’t help it.
He took a step toward me, and I wrapped my arms more tightly around myself.
“Are you okay?”
I nodded, chewing on my lower lip. “What are we doing, Kaige?”
He grunted. “Nothing good.” He moved closer, and my traitorous body responded by leaning into him.
“What if we trigger the prophecy?”
He pulled me into an embrace, and I buried my nose into his chest. His musky scent enveloped me, cloaking me in a momentary sense of security. “We won’t. It can’t be us.” He leaned his chin on my head. “The gods wouldn’t be that cruel.”
Chapter 15
Kaige
My skin tingled. Everywhere. I was alive for the first time, and I was floating on air. Solaris had done that. Her blood. She pulled me out of this dark hole I never knew I was in.
Were nocturnes supposed to feel this way? Was it just the human blood that had me soaring?
No. It was her blood, and it was the bond.
Warmth spread over my back as she entered the cabin. Her hair was damp from the shower. My eyes trailed over the jeans a noblewoman had left on the plane, the dark denim hugging her every curve. The purple sweater was a touch on the small side.
The edges of my lips twitched. There was a bigger one, but…
“What?” she asked when I hadn’t stopped staring.
“Nothing.” I cleared my throat and turned back to the window. My lips still burned from the heated kisses we’d shared not long ago. My entire body ached to feel her in my arms again.
“Are you getting up or what?” Solaris leaned over me, her honey and jasmine scent swirling through the air.
I licked my lips as if I could taste it. “I’m going to fly.”
She scoffed. “Are we really going to play this game, Kaige?” Her damp hair brushed my arm. “You may be a prince, but I’m a pilot.” She jerked her thumb over her shoulder. “Chop, chop. Let’s go, buddy.”
I bit back a smile. “Like you said, I’m a prince, and you can’t boss me around.” My fingers curled around the yoke, taunting her. “I’m flying, little human.”
Her hands popped on her hips. “Kaige, I’m going to give you five seconds to get out of my seat before I make you.” Her green eyes blazed down at me, setting my skin on fire.
A deep chuckle resonated in the back of my throat. “You’re adorable when you’re angry.”
“I’m going to be real adorable tossing you on your royal butt.”
My palms lifted in surrender. “Okay. You win. No need to threaten.” I poked her bicep. “These arms could do some real damage to me.”
She gave an exasperated sigh, but it was only half-hearted. I stood and let her pass in front of me, my hands brushing her hips. For a few seconds, my nose buried in her hair. Her heart thumped.
I couldn’t stop touching her. It was all I wanted to do.
As she sat, two bright red wounds flashed on her wrist. My fangs pulsed as the memory of sinking them into her flesh seared across my vision. Her blood had tasted like savory wine meant only for me.
It was mine.
I clenched my jaw to keep my fangs from slipping out. Solaris felt my mood shift, her eyes flickering toward me. My fingers wrapped around her wrist.
Her pulse spiked. “Kaige, what—”
“It’s okay, little human.” For a few fleeting moments when I was drinking from her, fear spilled through the bond. I’d almost gone too far, taken too much. I’d been close enough to death that it was hard to control myself.
Before that, Solaris had been drowning in bliss. We both had.
My lips pressed against her tender wounds, my eyes locked on hers. A deep flush spread across her cheeks, and her breath quickened. It would be so easy to sink my fangs in again and taste her.
But I wouldn’t.
I pulled my mouth away and slid my thumb across one of my fangs, a drop of blood pooling at the tip. I rubbed it over Solaris’s bite marks and watched as they slowly healed, leaving her skin flawless again.
Her sigh softly echoed between us. “You didn’t have to do that, Kaige.”
“Of course I did.” She was mine to heal no matter the injury. She was mine.
I kept those words to myself, but a drop of those possessive feelings invaded the bond. I ignored her questioning look and pressed another kiss to her wrist. And one to her forearm.
Her shiver brought a smile to my lips.
The bond had changed since drinking her blood. It had grown stronger. Deeper. The thought of being separated from her sent painful stabs through my chest. And the thought of someone hurting her was enough to destroy my control.
By the time I released her arm, every inch of her soft skin was a delicate shade of pink.
“Are you done?” she breathed, trying and failing to seem unaffected.
My lips twitched. “Yes. For now.” I finally backed away and sat in the co-pilot’s seat.
She cleared her throat, and her next words dumped ice water over me. “I have to go back to Imera. I have to save those people.”
My head snapped around, all the warm and fuzzy feelings gone. “Are you insane?”
Her eyes narrowed. “I can’t let those people suffer. What I saw was horrible. You don’t understand.”
“I saw it too, Solaris,” I snapped. “I was with you when you were walking around that hellish lab.” My nostrils flared. “I was also there when the soldiers drugged you and then Turstan threatened you.” Rage spilled through my veins, and if I weren’t in front of her, I would have punched a hole in something.
Her lips thinned, and she began flipping the controls. “Just because it’s danger
ous doesn’t mean I can’t do it.”
My jaw dropped. “Dangerous?” That was an understatement. “You now know The Collective’s dirty secret. If they find you, they will kill you, and it won’t be quick after all the trouble we’ve caused.”
Her fingers tightened on the yoke as the roar of the engine joined the low rumble vibrating through my chest. “My life isn’t any more important than those people trapped in that horrific place.”
“Yes, it is!” My loud voice bounced around in the cabin. “It’s a hundred, no a thousand times more important to me.”
Solaris’s green eyes widened as she felt not anger but panic. It rushed through every cell in my body. Her cheeks paled, and she swallowed hard. “Kaige, I—”
“I didn’t come all this way just to toss you back into the lion’s den.” My voice was strained as I tried to keep from yelling again. “I won’t lose you.” The thing I’d fought so hard to get rid of only days ago was the only thing I wanted.
Her eyes averted to the dash. “What about my father? What if they hurt him because of me?” She shook her head as a tear spilled down her cheek. “My mother already…” Her words cut off, and pain sliced into my chest. “I couldn’t live with myself if they hurt him because of me.”
I scrubbed my face with my hands. This was the first time Solaris mentioned her mother. I knew she wasn’t alive and it was clear something terrible had happened. Losing one parent was hard enough. Solaris would be broken if her father was killed. His death would haunt her for the rest of her days.
“Let’s get through one problem at a time. You can’t go back to Imera right now. The Collective is probably on high alert. It’s too dangerous.” I dragged my fingers through my hair, wishing she wasn’t so damn stubborn.
“How will Draconis be any safer?” she asked. “It’s a death sentence for both of us if we’re caught. And the last time I was there, Xander nearly—”
“I’ll make sure you’re safe,” I growled. The image of my brother tearing into her neck made my body shake. “I will protect you at all costs.” Even with my life. “I just need to get through the trials. Once they’re finished and I win, we’ll figure out the rest.”
Solaris’s gaze was heavy on me for a long time as she silently debated her options. Didn’t she realize she had no options? I wasn’t letting her go.
A long sigh drifted from her mouth. “Fine. We’ll go to Draconis.”
My shoulders relaxed. I hadn’t been above compelling her into compliance. My blood had been out of her system for a few days.
“I’m not looking forward to being cooped up in that cabin again.”
My brow puckered. “You won’t be staying that far from me. Not again. It’s too dangerous.”
She glanced over. “Where will I stay?”
“In the castle.”
Her hand slipped off the yoke. “Excuse me? I must have heard you wrong because it sounded like you said the castle—the castle full of nocturnes.”
I shrugged. “I have a plan.” Well, I’d figure one out. I couldn’t stomach leaving her alone anywhere else.
She shook her head. “That doesn’t sound dangerous at all.”
Chapter 16
Kaige
My heart slammed against my ribcage, matching the erratic rhythm of Solaris’s pulse. Our breaths mingled as we crouched in the deep shadows of a lower level corridor in Castle De La Divin. We’d slipped through one of the rarely used servant entrances that led to a part of the castle mostly used for storage. I swallowed hard. There had to be a place I could hide my little human.
Her hand felt so tiny in mine, so vulnerable. Was I making a mistake bringing her here? Was this putting her life in more danger than leaving her in the woods?
Solaris pinched her shirt between her fingers, sniffing it. “Are you sure this will keep my scent masked?”
“Yes.” For now anyway. Before we left the plane, I’d practically showered her in Abscondam. “Come on.” I led her further down the hall, keeping to the shadows. If we ran into a servant, I could pretend I was having a secret tryst with another nocturne. No one would think twice about it. Xander did it all the time.
Two sets of footsteps echoed in the next corridor. I put my finger to my lips, and Solaris nodded. My head peeked around the corner, my body tense.
A fury of curses exploded through my mind. One person I expected, but the other had no business being down here. I never thought she’d step foot anywhere that wasn’t polished enough to show her reflection.
Tessamia scurried after Garridan, finally managing to catch up with him. He could move fast when he wanted to, and the annoyed expression on his face made it clear he wanted nothing to do with the young noblewoman.
“You haven’t heard from Kaige at all?” Her voice was whinier than usual. “I’m so worried about him.”
My lip curled. Why was Tessamia looking for me? Had Xander put her up to this?
“I’m sure he’s fine, Ms. Vasile.” Garridan flashed her a tight smile. “He’s been under a lot of stress lately and needed a break.” He was lying through his teeth. He knew my sudden disappearance had everything to do with the human I was bound to.
Before I could stop Solaris, she peeked around me, her gaze settling on the female nocturne. Her eyes narrowed. “Who is she?”
“No one,” I whispered.
“She seems awfully worried about you to be no one.” Her tone dripped with sarcasm.
My lips twitched. “Are you jealous?”
Solaris shot me an incredulous expression. “No. Not at all. I just didn’t know you had such a pretty friend.”
My brow arched as I pictured that human guy touching my little human. “And I didn’t know you were such good friends with Gavin.”
Her head snapped back. “Gavin is just a friend.”
I scoffed. “Please. I saw him with you. He had that look.”
“What look?”
I pulled her away from the corner and safely back to my side. “The look that says he’s madly in love with you.”
“He does not love me.” She sputtered as her cheeks heated. “That’s ridiculous.”
“Right.” I eased around the corner again as Tessamia began following Garridan in this direction.
A curse slipped between my gritted teeth.
“But you’re his servant,” she said, shuffling after him on her tall heels. “You have to know where he is. It’s your job.”
His lips thinned. If she weren’t a noble, he would have brushed her off already. He took a deep breath, but before he spoke, his gaze landed on me.
Oh hell.
He halted so quickly that Tessamia bumped into him.
“Hey, watch out,” she huffed, straightening her blonde curls.
I quickly shook my head and dashed back around the corner, my pulse throbbing beneath my clammy skin.
“What—”
I pressed my finger to Solaris’s mouth. “My servant Garridan saw me.” When her eyes widened, I continued. “It’ll be okay. I trust him.” My hand rested on her chest, trying to calm her racing heart.
“If I hear from Kaige, I promise to have him call you immediately, Ms. Vasile. Other than that, I have nothing to tell you.”
A long sigh drifted from her. “Fine. But make sure you tell him I’ve been worried about him.”
“Yes, Ms. Vasile.”
Tessamia’s loud steps faded as she left.
“She’s gone.” I eased around the corner, finding Garridan a few feet away.
“Kaige, where have you been?” Deep lines creased his forehead. “I’ve been worried sick and your mother…” he trailed off, his gaze lingering over me. “Why are you hiding? Come into the hall.”
Solaris’s hand tightened in mine, and her anxiety choked the bond.
“I need you to remain calm, Garridan.” All the moisture had left my mouth. Talking about my human to him was one thing. It was an entirely different game having her meet him.
He crossed his arms ag
ainst his chest as his body stiffened. “I don’t like the sound of this.”
I swallowed hard and stepped completely around the corner, pulling Solaris with me.
Garridan’s eyes tripled in size. “K-Kaige, tell me that is not…” He couldn’t even say the word “human.”
“This is Solaris.” I tucked her against my side, tiny tremors running through her body. “I need your help.”
A beat passed before Garridan nodded. “Come on. Hurry.” We dashed into a room, and he locked the door behind us.
I could see through the thick darkness blanketing the small chamber. A few pieces of discarded furniture cluttered the floor, a stack of rolled rugs leaned against one wall, and a shelf of old gas lanterns collected dust.
The hiss of a match sounded as Garridan lit one of those lanterns, placing it on a chipped table. Solaris’s hand was tight in mine as her gaze roamed the cramped space. Her breath was shallow.
“It’s okay,” I whispered, running my thumb across her cheek. Her fear was understandable. Every nocturne she’d met besides me tried to hurt her. “Garridan knows about you—us. You’re safe. I promise.”
Garridan silently watched us, tiny tremors rippling through his body. “Are you insane, Kaige!” His voice was surprisingly strong for someone so old. “You not only brought her back to Draconis, but you brought her into the castle.”
“I didn’t have a choice,” I snapped. “The Collective was trying to kill her. She’s not safe there.”
He tossed his hands up. “And you think she’s safe here?”
“Yes. I’ll protect her.” Silver pooled through my irises, glowing through the darkness. The threat was clear. Anyone who hurt her would receive the same, tenfold, in return.
Garridan took several deep, calming breaths. His eyes lingered over Solaris, something unreadable crossing his face. Finally he sighed. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”