by Lili Zander
“Which is?” Ragnar asks, a smile curling his mouth.
“You’re not really that competent. Your team is. People like Mazer and Tomas. Without them, you’d be quite ordinary.”
I hold my breath, waiting for his reaction. He just chuckles. “That’s an interesting theory.”
We wind our way through the jungle. After a few minutes of walking, we reach a clearing. In the center, there is a firepit, with a fire already going. Cushions surround it. Lamps hang off tree branches, filling the clearing with their own soft light. A nearby sideboard is covered with food and drink.
Yeah, okay. He’s not ordinary at all. “You’re taking me for granted again,” I accuse, though there’s no real sting in my words.
He rolls his eyes. “I invited you to dinner; I like to be prepared. Would you prefer to wait while my staff runs around in circles and cooks food in the middle of the night?”
He might have a point. Not that I’m going to admit it. Ragnar’s arrogant enough as it is. “I’m sure they won’t run around in circles.”
His lips twitch. “Right, because they’re hyper-competent.” He gestures to the cushions. “Take a seat,” he invites. “The meat needs to be cooked over the fire. It’ll be a few minutes.”
He’s cooking for me? Drinking blood, cooking food, it all comes from the same, primitive urge. Vampire or human, the act of feeding another person is extremely intimate.
I sit down and watch Ragnar place skewers of meat and vegetables over the flames. “Do you want help?”
He shakes his head. “Sit. Relax. Make yourself comfortable. There are drinks on the table if you want one.”
I’m dangerously off-balance whenever I’m around Ragnar. Alcohol would only exacerbate the problem. I rummage around and find a bottle of fruit juice. “Doesn’t it seem ridiculous that we’re having a picnic in the middle of a war?”
He transfers his attention to me. “There’s always a war,” he says. “The Empire is always in danger. Someone’s always threatening me. These are the facts of my life.” His voice dips into a velvet murmur. “I’ve learned to savor these moments.”
Color once again floods my cheeks. I’m hyper aware of Ragnar’s every movement. I feel every probing look in my core. Every heated glance sends a shiver of desire through me.
You’re playing with fire.
He sets the platter down on the table in front of us and sits next to me. My thighs clench. A shiver makes its way down my spine. He’s so big. So powerful. What would he look like naked? The weight of his body pressing down on me, his knees nudging my thighs open, his thick cock sliding into my wet heat…
Stop picturing him naked, Raven.
I take a long drink of my juice. “Can I ask you something?”
“You just did.”
My lips twitch. “Can I ask you something else? At the meeting today, after I yelled at Dr. Karling, Astrid left the decision about what to do next to you. Why? She’s Empress. Why does she defer to you?”
“She doesn’t.” He pulls a piece of meat from the skewer and places it at my lips. “Here.”
My insides throb. He’s feeding me. The meat is succulent and juicy and perfectly flavored, and I don’t care. Not now, not when Ragnar is close enough that I can feel him breathe. His thumb caresses my lower lip, and the look in his eyes, hot and intent, melts every last bit of common sense. I know this is a bad idea, but I can’t seem to bring myself to care.
“She doesn’t defer to you?”
He shakes his head. “My people have been working on this,” he explains. “Tomas was placed on Boarus 4 to get Klaus Zimmer to crack. Dr. Karling and his team are trying to find a cure. Astrid reads the reports, of course, but I’m the one in the thick of things. It would be illogical for her to make a decision; she’s just not close enough to it.”
“Why aren’t her people working on this?”
“They’re busy with other things.”
I look up. “Like what? What could be more important than this?”
“The future,” he replies. “Patrik Kevis plotted with Gerra Clay to kill me. He was hoping to isolate Astrid, but he shouldn’t have bet against my sister. Family Kevis is in the process of being bankrupted as punishment.” He feeds me again. Part of me wants to tell him that I’m perfectly capable of eating by myself, but a much greater part of me wants this slow, sensuous, foreplay.
“Astrid has a list of overlords that she wants to replace,” he continues. “Some of those men and women won’t go quietly. They’ll need to be assassinated. Then there’s the clean-up in the Uncharted Reaches. When the virus became a priority, her team took over that operation. And of course, somebody has to manage the parties, the galas, the coronation balls, all that nonsense.”
Oh. For the first time, it hits me what an exceedingly complex task it is to run the Empire.
He flashes me a grin. “Thankfully, as you pointed out, both Astrid and I have competent teams.”
“Ah. So I did strike a nerve.” I put my hand on his bicep. So much hot, hard, muscle. I mentally shake myself to get rid of the haze of lust and give him a kind smile. “Don’t beat yourself up. I’m sure you’re good at something.”
He laughs out loud and pulls me onto his lap. “This mouth,” he murmurs, tracing my lower lip with his finger. “Is going to get you in trouble.”
His lips are inches from mine. I close the gap. “Is it?” I breathe, fluttering my eyelashes at him, flirting shamelessly.
“Mmm.”
Kiss me, Ragnar. I can feel his cock underneath me, and from the feel of it, it is hard and thick and massive. My insides are molten lust. I have no self-control, not anymore. “Is it swordplay? Is that what you’re good at?”
His eyes fill with wicked heat. “What kind of swords are we talking about?” he drawls, and my cheeks flame. “If you’re talking fencing, then no, I’m not that good. Saber’s far better than me.”
“I wish I had a way to capture this moment.” I lean into him, my mouth at his ear. “This magical moment when the great-and-powerful Prince Ragnar admitted that he wasn’t good at something.”
He kisses me, soft and fleeting, leaving me hungry for more. “Are we listing my failings?” he asks, laughter threading through his voice. “Because I’m quite aware of them. Nero’s a better pilot than me. Zeke’s a far better hacker; I can barely find my way around a tablet.”
My lips are still tingling from that kiss. “Shocking,” I whisper. “What are you good at then?”
He drags his gaze over me, and my insides clench. “Take off your clothes, little bird, and I’ll show you.”
I did walk into that one.
He chuckles softly at my sudden silence and feeds me another piece of meat.
Okay. This is ridiculous. I can’t keep wavering about this. If I want to sleep with him, I should, and if I don’t, I should slide off his lap and leave. I’m a grown woman. I should try acting like one.
Take off your clothes, and I’ll show you.
I make my decision. “Right here?” I grab the hem of my shirt and draw it over my head. “Okay.”
Desire blazes in his eyes. He growls, deep in his throat, as my naked breasts come into view. “Fuck, you’re beautiful,” he groans.
“You’re allowed to touch.”
He tears his gaze off my nipples. His expression shutters. “I’m not going to lie,” he says. “I want you very much.”
Goosebumps rise on my skin. Something’s wrong. It’s as if a switch has been thrown, and Ragnar’s walls are back in place. “There’s a ‘but’ in that sentence, isn’t there?”
“There is. This can just be about sex. Nothing more.”
Ice drenches me. My lust evaporates. I grope for my top and put it back on. “What the hell were you doing, then?” I ask him, keeping my voice steady with effort. “Did I misread the situation? Do you typically kill members of the Ruling Council for women you want to fuck? Do you cook for them and feed them from your fingers?”
“Yo
u’re angry.” His voice is flat.
I’m furious, actually. And worse, I feel like an utter fool. Why did I think the Prince of the Shayde Empire would be interested in me? Of course, I was just a sexual conquest. Of course, it couldn’t be more. “Yes.”
“I’ve never promised you anything.”
I hold onto my temper. “You’re right. You haven’t.” I get to my feet, suddenly exhausted. I’m not opposed to casual sex, but I can’t sleep with Ragnar. The sex will undoubtedly be very good, because Ragnar is terrifyingly competent in everything he does, and I have no reason to believe that he is not terrifyingly competent in bed too.
But I know myself. I find Ragnar infuriating, enigmatic, and fascinating, and one night isn't going to be enough.
I don’t know if it’s because I’m human that he doesn’t want more. Or if it’s because his first girlfriend was killed earlier today. I don’t know, and it doesn’t really matter.
For a brief second there, I got greedy. I thought I could have it all.
I can’t, and it’s okay. I already have three vampires that I’m crazy about. Saber and Zeke and Nero love me, and things are good.
We’re in Central Tower. Saber’s apartment is just a few levels down. For security reasons, all three guys are staying there until the threat of the virus is handled. “I’m going to leave. Thank you for dinner.”
Perfect silence greets my statement.
He doesn’t do anything to stop me. I walk away. I’m almost at the chutes when he speaks. “There is still the matter of our deal.”
I freeze in my tracks. I don’t turn around. “I thought you said you didn't sleep with reluctant women.”
“But you wouldn’t be reluctant, would you?” he throws back.
Pain slices through my heart, but I won’t give him the satisfaction of knowing he’s hurt me. “Should I get on my knees and suck your cock, Prince Ragnar? Or would you prefer to compel me?”
My words are designed to provoke. They work. I hear the sound of glass shattering. “Not tonight,” he snarls. “Go home, Raven.”
12
Raven
Well, that was a disaster.
I feel incredibly dispirited as I head down the chutes. Some of it—most of it—is because of Ragnar, but it's also been one hell of a day. We landed on Starra, we found a dead woman in Ragnar’s bedroom, we went to a dance club and discovered Levitan's plan, and then, I snapped and told the Empress of the Shayde Empire that she didn't really care about humans, and shockingly, she didn’t order my execution on the spot.
My life is moving so damn fast. A little over a month ago, the biggest concern I had was finding enough money to pay the blood tax. My problems were much simpler. Avoid the enforcers, stay out of trouble, keep my head down. That was it.
Then Ottar Thistle bit me, and ever since then, things have been non-stop.
It just all feels so unreal. I’m bonded to three vampires. Tomorrow morning, Empress Astrid is going to send over her personal tailor to fit me for a dress. Tomorrow evening, I will be attending a ball thrown by Family Nedwa, a powerful Shayde family that has put one of their members on the Ruling Council for generations. I will mix and mingle with the elite of Starra, and, because of my relationship with Saber, I will be one of them.
Although, if Astrid hears about the disastrous dinner with Ragnar, she might change her mind about the whole thing.
A sudden bout of homesickness overtakes me. I need to talk to someone familiar, yet removed from this madness.
Joanna Placzek.
Back on Boarus 4, Joanna had been the closest thing I had to a friend. I haven't talked to her in weeks, not since the day I entered the Night of the Shayde. A sudden desire to chat with her fills me, and before I can think too hard about it, I call her on my comm.
Joanna's face fills the screen, her expression surprised. “Raven? How are you? Where are you?”
That's right. Joanna wouldn't know any of the events of the last few weeks. “I’m on Starra.”
Envy flashes across her face. “You are? That's amazing. I'm so happy for you.” Her eyes widen. “Hang on, are you with the three vampires? Colonel Hafsson, Captain Ulrich, and Captain Calorio?”
“Yeah,” I murmur. “I guess we’re together. I’m a part of their bô.”
Her mouth falls open. “But Family Hafsson is one of the oldest vampire families,” she says faintly.
“I know.” Spirit, I know. I have to attend a ball tomorrow night because of how powerful Saber’s family is, and even the thought of it makes me nauseous. “I’m not sure how it happened either.” I lean forward, eager for news from home. “How are things on Boarus 4? What’s been going on?”
Joanna's shoulders slump. “The truth? Things are a bit of a disaster.”
“What? Why?” Lula Kenner was supposed to make things better, damn it.
“Why do you think?” Joanna asks bitterly. “Because of Overlord Zimmer, of course. It turns out that his finances were a lot worse than anyone knew. He’s brought Boarus 4 to the brink of ruin. Half the mines are not producing. All the machinery, the diggers, the excavators, the tunneling robots, all of that has been sold. It's a gigantic pile of steaming shit. Lula is doing the best she can, but it's going to take a few years to straighten out the mess.”
“A few years?” Dismay washes me. “Does this mean she’s not lowering the blood tax?”
“Haven’t you heard a word of what I said?” Joanna snaps. “Of course, she can’t lower the blood tax. We’re broke. We’re probably going to have to raise it.”
“You’re joking.” The blood tax on Boarus 4 is already double that of the capital, and there’s going to be yet another increase?
Her short display of temper evaporates, leaving her looking tired and drained. “I just wish people would understand what we’re dealing with,” she sighs. “There’s been protests on the streets.” Her lips tighten. “Nobody would have dared to protest when Overlord Zimmer was in charge.”
Can she even hear herself talk? “Of course people are protesting. For decades, they've paid their taxes, and the only people that have gotten wealthy are the vampires in charge. Humans don't have enough to eat, they barely eke out a living in the mines, and now you’re talking about raising the blood tax yet again? What do you expect, a parade?”
“We’re doing the best we can,” Joanna retorts. “It'll just be for a year or two. It’s a small sacrifice.”
“That is complete bullshit.” I’m so angry I want to smash the comm into the glass walls of the tunnel. “Lula’s still talking only about taxing the humans, isn’t she? Has it ever struck her to ask her fellow vampires to give up some of their personal wealth to save the colony? No, I doubt it. It’s always us. Always the humans. The powerless are always being exploited by the powerful.” I give Joanna a disgusted look. “You've worked in the mines. You, of all people, should understand the concerns of ordinary people. You talk about sacrifice, but when have the vampires on Boarus 4 ever been asked to sacrifice anything?”
It's one outburst after another for me today.
Joanna's face goes slack with shock. “Lula has done so much,” she says stiffly. “She put her own life in danger to liberate the re-education camps.”
“Because her partner was imprisoned there,” I say flatly. “If Lula Kenner really did give a damn about ordinary people, she would have written to Starra and asked the Empress for help. But I'm guessing she doesn't want to do that, because she can’t have Astrid thinking that she is not capable of managing the colony.”
I shake my head, absolutely sick to my stomach at what I’ve just heard. “I've got to go.”
How long will it be before Lula Kenner is snatching people off the streets, the way Klaus Zimmer did?
Things change, yet in the end, things stay the same. Everyone just cares about power. Levitan, Klaus Zimmer, and now, Lula Kenner.
That's not true, the voice inside me whispers. Saber, Nero, and Zeke were willing to give up everything for you.
Even now, if you ask them to walk away from it all, they would. They just want you to be happy.
Ragnar is not interested in power either. He doesn't want to be Emperor. He uses all his skill and his intelligence to protect Astrid. He cares about ordinary people. He killed Gerra Clay because she was abducting innocent children off the streets and draining them dry.
I don't want to think about Ragnar. That particular wound is too fresh. Banishing him from my thoughts, I make my way home.
13
Saber
I don’t envy Nero or Zeke their assignments. Finding the missing women is going to be impossibly hard. There are billions of people on Starra. The Deeps are dangerous. Going door to door is an act of desperation.
Compared to that, my task of evacuating the colonists in Fateh is significantly easier.
Astrid had come up to me at the end of the meeting. “The deaths in Ghani haunt me, Saber,” she’s said. “I close my eyes, and I see the bodies, and I can’t wipe them from my mind. Get everyone out of Fateh alive, please. Let there be no more death.”
She’s so young, but she’s already seen so much ugliness. “I’ll do everything in my power,” I’d promised.
“Thank you.” A smile had curled her lips. “I like Raven. You’ve chosen well.”
I have indeed.
I head to the control room that Mazer has set up, my thoughts on Raven. After the meeting, she had gone to Ivar Karling’s lab to donate more blood. Ragnar had offered to go with them, and I’d let him.
I rarely lose my temper, but I’d come close today when Ivar Karling suggested going public with news of the virus and distributing the testers to every vampire on Starra.
Hot, incandescent rage had boiled through me.