by Cherie Marks
Without pause, he stepped inside, dragging her with him, and the door slid shut behind them. She sighed in relief as she looked around and recognized the interior as the place she’d woken up in hours ago. She looked to her left and picked up the electronic reader on the table beside the door, hugging it to her chest. She would never let it out of her sight again.
“So, what kind of progress have you made?”
Zaira glanced up and met the strong gaze of this new stranger. “Huh?”
“I’m assuming that’s where you’ve been. Have you made any progress finding the Shadow Crystal?”
Finally! Zaira had a clue as to what she was supposed to be doing. “Yes! Looking for the Shadow Crystal. Unfortunately, I haven’t gotten any leads, but no doubt I’ll retrieve it. It’s what I do, and it’s what I’m best at.”
He nodded and stepped closer. Zaira cringed inwardly.
“The sooner you find it, the sooner we can leave. That is what you want, right?”
“I certainly don’t want to stay here with all the...” She just stopped herself from saying Meta…and Ryder. Yet, she was pretty sure he might take offense, seeing he clearly wasn’t human.
“All the what?”
She thinned her lips into a line as her mind rolled through all the possible answers she could think of instead of the truth. She usually just told the truth, consequences be damned, but she wasn’t entirely sure who she was dealing with at this point.
With an exaggerated swallow, she said, “All the white. Everywhere you look, everything is white.”
He stared at her as if she smelled like something rotten for a few extra seconds before his face relaxed and he nodded. “True. There is white all over. But we’re concerned with black—the black gem known as the Shadow Crystal. Stay focused on that. See what you can learn tonight and meet me at the Uni Star Café in the Main City in a couple days at midday.”
“Yeah. Sure. Let’s do that.” Zaira hugged the electronic reader tighter to her. “Um…about what I can learn…just wondering…for shits and giggles, of course…if you were me, where would you go tonight to try to get some information?”
“Stop playing around, Ms. Kohl. If I knew where to look for it, I’d be there right now. The Daeva hired you to retrieve the stone for us. Are you up for the job, or should I just find it myself and leave you in the Complex?”
“No, no. Trust me. I’ve got this. It’s what I do best.”
“So you’ve said before.” The stranger with the hypodermic smile glided to the door and it slid open the minute he stood ready to exit. Before he left though, he turned back around, his eyes ablaze with excitement…or fury, for all she knew…and said, “Stick with the plan. Find Ryder Vinchen, one of the prominent vampiric demons in this realm. He is here in the Complex, and he will know exactly where the Shadow Crystal currently is. Get that information from him, get the stone if you can, and find me at the café tomorrow.”
He stepped backwards into the hallway, and the door slid shut, cutting off her view of the strange Meta. But she now had an idea of what she was doing here and what she needed to do to complete this job. She just needed to find where Ryder lived. And, more importantly, she needed to figure out how to get close to him without falling for him again.
Ryder waited in his apartment far below in the residential area. The Human was high above him, and though she was so close, he needed to wait until she slept. It would be easier to cart her to get the Kinjari extracted if she were unconscious. Yet, as he slipped onto her apartment floor, he watched her sneak out of her door and onto the elevator, clearly heading out into the general areas of the living space.
Where was she going? And why? Taking the stairs this time, he exited the stairwell in time to see her going out the door. He followed her as closely as he dared, not wanting a repeat of their earlier encounter. Yet, as she stepped into the darkness of the artificial night, she stopped and chewed at her fingernails, looking around at the mostly deserted evening. A few nocturnal creatures milled about, but for the most part, everyone was safely tucked in their apartments. The question was, why wasn’t she?
For a moment, he thought she was going to approach a group of Metas standing together. Then, she turned around and walked a few feet in the opposite direction before stopping once again and swiveling back toward the cluster of creatures. She seemed completely at a loss for where to go and what to do. He had the strangest desire to wipe away all her worry suddenly. Maybe he wasn’t as hardened as he’d thought.
This was his chance. She was struggling for some reason, and she might actually be willing to give him a chance to help her. He recognized the anxiousness in her body language. After all, he’d known so much struggle in his own life and knew exactly the damage it did to the psyche.
He circled around to the apartment entrance and materialized, shaking off his camouflage. As if he were exiting, he took confident strides in her direction. She turned and watched him approach, her eyes widening then narrowing as she recognized him. Why’d he have to break her heart?
Doing the best acting job he could, he stopped short, giving his own wide-eyed, open-mouth reaction, as if he were surprised to see her. He didn’t want her to run away again immediately.
The moment her hands hit her hips, he knew she wasn’t going to flee, and with the fighting skills she’d displayed earlier, he didn’t think she needed to. Where had she learned that?
He put his hands up in surrender, hoping to put her at ease, and hopefully not end up on his ass again.
“Whoa, tiger, no harm meant.” He lowered his hands slowly, ready to chase after her if he needed to.
She straightened. “As if you could hurt me. Don’t flatter yourself, Ryder.”
He chuckled at her swagger. He’d always been impressed with her confidence and right now, thankful she hadn’t hit first and asked questions later like before. “Look, I wasn’t trying to be creepy earlier. I shouldn’t have hidden myself, but I wanted to know for sure if it was you. And I just didn’t want to…bother you. I’d planned to walk on by without notice, but something…that is…I got stupid.” He decided to stick close to the truth. He did get stupid, but in his defense, it was Zaira, the one woman he hadn’t wanted to leave.
“Stupid? That’s what you’re going with?” She crossed her arms and cocked her hip.
The fact she was still here seemed like a good sign, even if she hadn’t softened her attitude yet. “You seem a little lost, Zaira. Can we put our differences aside? Maybe I can help you with something?”
She gave him a long look, but she dropped her arms with a sigh and said, “No offense, but I’ve spent most of my life avoiding Metas, and in one fell swoop, you proved me right.”
Confusion tangled inside him. For some reason he couldn’t quite pinpoint, he didn’t want her to hate him. He’d made a horrible mistake, but after two years, he hadn’t expected this level of hostility. He didn’t want her to be that kind of person. He couldn’t contain the contempt in his voice as he said, “And now you’re surrounded by them.”
Her body stiffened and her mouth dropped open before she recovered enough to say, “Hey! It’s not like that, okay. I don’t think I want to talk about this with you anymore.”
Dammit! He was losing her. “Okay. Benefit of the doubt…for both of us.” He decided to take a different tack and hoped she’d prove willing. “Look, I was just going to get a drink. Maybe I could help you with whatever’s got you so torn up.”
“Are you going to bare your fangs at me again?”
He couldn’t help the grin that slid onto his lips as he surprised himself with a little teasing humor. “Only if you ask nicely.”
She loosened up finally and laughed lightly before gesturing with an open palm toward the space in front of them. “Lead the way. You get one drink and one more chance.”
“Fair enough. I only need one.” He started toward a small crowd standing outside a place with muted music coming from inside that blared just a little every
time the door swung open. He figured it was as good as any place to get a drink.
He didn’t have to turn around to know she followed. He could feel her energy, and he hated to admit it, but he found it intoxicating. If he wasn’t careful, he’d forget the real reason he was hanging out with Zaira again in the first place, but there had always been something irresistible about her. It had messed with his head a bit, and it still was. He needed to find a way to get the Kinjari from her, and he needed to do it soon. Without it, his sister and he would never regain their full powers, which would leave them stunted for the remainder of their pitiful lives and leave them and their people vulnerable to their enemies. The war would never end.
They made their way inside and sat at a booth in the back. She’d walked directly to it, like she’d been here before. He knew she hadn’t because it was the first day for all the residents of the Complex. Yet, he knew she spent quite a bit of time in places just like this, meeting clients.
He looked around at the interior. It looked newer than most bars he frequented, yet it still had a dark atmosphere, one that spoke of tangled legs and late night whispers. The walls were an electric blue with black beams periodically breaking up the bright color. The beams continued up and crossed the ceiling to the other side where it met the opposite wall. Small, can lights spilled a blue light onto the multiple, tall tables and scattered booths. Low, background music played from speakers set up around the room. He wondered how they’d meet all the needs of their diverse population.
For that matter, he wondered if the people working were also residents of the Complex. If so, why had they begun work so much earlier than the other residents? The mystery was solved when the server approached their table. It was clear she was a robot, probably programmed for service specifically, and more than likely brought in to get the residents interacting on the first night. Odds were, an actual resident of the Complex would replace the robot when the jobs actually began.
A quick order got drinks in front of them and gave them something to do other than stare at each other and at the other nocturnal animals.
“Kind of late for Humans, isn’t it? Thought your species were diurnal, Zaira?”
“Most are probably. I don’t know. I tend not to sleep much anymore—maybe four or five hours a night.”
“Sounds healthy enough.” Her mouth twisted, and he knew he needed to slow down on the sarcasm. “What have you been doing with your time the past couple years?”
She shrugged, and her face relaxed again. “Mostly working…alone. The only time I’ve worked with others is when I’ve met clients for the first time. A colleague I trust is usually nearby—Jace Walker.” He clenched his fists at the name of another man on her lips, yet he forfeited that privilege when he’d left two years ago.
“It’s a way to…protect…” She trailed off and stared over his shoulder to some spot behind him. Her eyebrows dipped together like she was confused, but when he turned to see what was behind him, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
He shifted back around. “Something wrong?”
Her lips formed a thin line, and she met his gaze again for a few seconds before shaking her head as if to clear it. “It’s nothing. Just, something I’ve been trying to remember.”
She gulped her drink and motioned for another one, so he did the same, liking the way the alcohol burned as it went down his esophagus.
Once the fiery sensation subsided, he cleared his throat and asked, “Is that why you were looking so lost this evening?”
Head cocked to the side, she stared at him hard before rolling her eyes and explaining, “Not exactly. As usual, I’m working. Only this time I need more information. That’s where you come in. I need your expertise on something I need to know.”
“I’ll tell you what I can, but I need to know the question first.”
“I’m looking an object.”
“I might be able to help you with that. What are you looking for?”
“The Shadow Crystal.”
He stilled completely, feeling a sinking sickness slide to his stomach. For a moment, he stared at her, sure she was messing with him. She couldn’t be serious. Was she testing him for some reason? It seemed impossible that she’d just asked to find the very thing she carried inside her. He honestly didn’t know how to answer her.
“Well? Do you know what it looks like?” She watched him closely, and he realized she thought he had it. Had the Daeva gotten to her first? Did she already know she carried the Kinjari? Then, why was she still with him instead of off Lorn, leaving the Complex and all his hopes long behind?
“Uh…as a matter of fact…”
But he didn’t get the chance to finish as a Human male stopped at their table and stared at the Human female.
He braced his hands flat on the table and leaned into Zaira’s face. She held her ground, but Ryder was getting anxious.
“Son of a…You! Where the hell is my ship, bitch?”
Ryder didn’t hesitate. He stood and shoved the guy back, feeling his anger building. In the heat of the moment though, he didn’t even try to suppress the natural changes in his body when he was provoked. He felt his body expanding, and his fangs elongating. The horns, normally hidden by his hair, straightened, and he knew that anyone who happened to be close enough to notice would’ve see their color transform from a dusky light brown to deep, dark black. These were all signs he was amping up to take on an adversary.
“Back off, Meta. This doesn’t concern you. It’s between the retriever and me.”
That was right. She was a retriever. His retriever. This was meaningful, and his brain was already turning over the possibilities. He’d have to deal with this jerk first, but a plan was beginning to form.
“If it concerns the lady, it concerns me.” He swung hard and fast. Before the guy even had a chance to react, Ryder’s fist connected and the Human dropped to the floor, completely unconscious. The conversation stopped for a few moments as the bar’s patrons turned and looked at the scene they’d made. It didn’t take long for everyone to get over the drama though and go back to their own conversations.
Ryder thought it best if they left before the intra showed up. “Let’s get out of here.”
She didn’t argue with him, sliding out from the booth and walking toward the exit with him. As they made their way to the door, Ryder paid using the chip in his palm, and they walked out into the night once more.
“Well, that was a quick drink if I ever had one.” She sidled up next to him. “Thank you, by the way. For the drink, but for future reference, I don’t let others fight my battles for me. I could’ve handled that guy.”
He stopped in the middle of the street, and she turned back to face him, her hands on her hips.
“Sure about that?”
“Knocked you flat, didn’t I?”
“To be honest, I underestimated you. I won’t do it again.”
A smile lit her face, transforming her tough exterior to an almost angelic look, and his chest tightened. He was mesmerized
“That’s the best thing anyone’s ever said to me.”
He looked away to get his mind right again. “Really? You need to meet more people.”
“Maybe. Seems like everyone I meet just wants something from me. Do you want something from me, Ryder?”
Their gazes collided as he looked at her again. He couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. In this instance, she didn’t even know it, but she was right. He wanted the Kinjari from her. For the first time in a long time, he actually felt the slightest hint of guilt for what he had to do.
Of course, he couldn’t get the Kinjari from her until one thing was completed.
“Think you’re just meeting the wrong people?”
“Possible, considering I’m a magnet for crazies. I mean, I dated you, didn’t I?”
“Well, at the risk of breaking the mold of the category, I have to ask you something.”
She shrugged. “Go ahead. It was inevitable.”
“Are you still the best retriever?”
She eyed him up and down. “Yes. What about it?”
“Like, the best?”
Her laugh came off a little offended. “Do stars burn? Not to brag, but I’m about the best you could hire in the whole universe.”
“Good. How do you feel about taking on a new job?”
“Kind of in the middle of one right now, but what do you need retrieved?”
“My sister.”
Few times in Zaira’s life had felt as momentous as this. As she peered into Ryder’s golden eyes, she recalled seeing a similar set just yesterday. His sister had been the woman who’d brushed her shoulder as they’d passed each other in the intra station. At the time, Zaira had noticed the natural beauty of the woman, had most definitely been distracted by it, but now she made the connection.
“That was her in the station yesterday.”
He nodded slowly, and gave her a narrowed-eyed look, as if she might puzzle more out than she already had. What more was there that he wasn’t telling her?
“She was arrested because she’d not officially on the list. They plan to deport her day after next, but that would be disastrous for both her and me.”
“This really seems like a problem that can’t be solved with a retrieval. Even if I manage to pull her from the intra station, what then? They’ll just come after her again. She won’t be able to hide here forever.”
He licked his lips, and Zaira’s gaze strayed to his full mouth. Not for the first time, she noticed all over again how attractive he really was. He’d actually grown more attractive in the bar, and she knew that meant trouble if she stayed with him. Normally, she’d kick any guy’s ass who denied her the chance to throw a fist into an asshole’s face, but Ryder’s slight transformation hadn’t gone unnoticed. Like before, it had excited Zaira so much more. She’d missed running her hands over his darkened horns, driving him crazy. She hadn’t thought about them in a while and had been fascinated by them once they’d straightened. He’d grown physically too, which had captivated her and excited her all at the same time. One thing was perfectly clear. She’d missed his big body in the throes of passion.