Paradisus (Awakened Book 6)

by Harley Austin

  “But your kind were simmering in the pot.”

  “I didn’t know what would happen, Rowan. I wasn’t a geneticist back then. I didn’t know much of anything actually. Just a young woman with a maternal instinct and lot of time on her hands.”

  “And then the Ra show up.”

  She nodded. “A little over two-hundred thousand years ago. I’d grown up quite a bit by then. I knew how to live within the social structure of the Ra, so that’s what I did.”

  “Picked up a few toys along the way as well,” Rowan added.

  Brenda smiled.

  “You’re the mother of new race,” he marveled.

  “I didn’t genetically engineer anything, Rowan. I just did what came naturally. In many ways the Masters simply did the same thing. They saw what was within that part of the primitive Humans I bore. All they did was mate with those tribes. It wasn’t exactly rocket science. But they knew what doing so would eventually produce.”

  “A psionic Ra.”

  She nodded. “Yin genetica and that of the Ra are incompatible. But these Humans, their patterns were simple, incomplete. They accepted both of our DNA. Humanity became the glue that allowed the Masters to combine the complex genetica of the Yin and the Ra.”

  “That’s what you’re really trying to save, with the ark. Human genetics. That’s why you took all those Humans. You’re trying to save Humanity.”

  “I am, Rowan. The newbloods are important, but they’re not really my goal.”

  Rowan suddenly had an epiphany. “I get it. It’s these Reborn. You need the newbloods to keep Paradisus from getting’ blown out of the sky.”

  “The masters trapped me here when they setup their defenses for Aden. I didn’t know until recently that the Reborn were the key. Luna’s not just a moon, Rowan; remember that.”

  He nodded. The concern in Brenda’s voice was a side of her he’d never seen before. It was moving to see how much she really cared for people—his people.

  “I thought the Seven were the biggest problem we faced. Obviously now, that’s not true. I sensed the Ra Imperium had arrived a few hundred years ago. I knew what they were up to. That’s when I befriended what remained of the Sentinels. I could refit one of their epic warships with habitation and leave with at least some of the children. But the others are still at risk.”

  “You want me to take out Prince Dane?”

  “No. Dane’s not our problem. His father, Darius, is. I want you to remove the Supreme Emperor from the throne—if you can.”

  “Bloody.” Rowan blinked at her. “You don’t want much do you?”

  “The survival of Paradisus, Aden, the Earth, everything is at stake, Rowan. At some point, Dane is going to figure out a way to get past the cloud. He’s caught between a rock and hard place within his own desires to become emperor one day. He needs help.”

  “You want to put Dane on the throne?”

  “That’s Dane’s problem, not mine. I want his father off the throne. I’d do it myself, but it’s too risky. I have others to look out for.”

  “I agree.”

  “You have a rare goddess at your side now, Rowan. There isn’t much that Paige won’t be able to handle.” Brenda smiled. “Including you.”

  “Oh—bother.” Rowan shook his head while looking into his glass. He’d awakened Paige because she had nerve and good instincts. Sure, she was cute and curvy, but he hadn’t exactly been looking for a new roommate. They weren’t totally genetically attracted, not like others he’d seen, thank God; but that didn’t seem to be stopping their Human biology whenever the two of them were together. He was trying really hard not to think of her in those terms. He changed the subject.

  “So what are you planning on paying me for this not-so-little hit job of yours?” Rowan looked up from his glass, a new grin crossing his face.

  “You need payment?” she raised an eyebrow.

  “Always. That little week at the castle was fun.”

  “It was.” She agreed with a smile.

  “Maybe you could show me some of your other old haunts around Rome, or maybe Jerusalem? Payment in advance, as usual.” He winked.

  “I’d love to, Rowan. And I know just the place.”

  68

  I wish I was going with you,” Gage lamented.

  “Yea, sorry about that mate. It’s just me and the Spunk.”

  “Spunk, huh?” Gage chuckled; he knew what Rowan meant, but his generation had assigned a very different definition to the term. He didn’t bring it up. “I didn’t know you two were actually dating.”

  “Ah, we’re not—dating.”

  “If you say so.”

  Rowan changed the subject. “You need to patch things up with your rellies here.”

  “Yea. Kira’s still holding a grudge.”

  “You’ll outlive it.”

  “Yea. How long will that take?” Gage scoffed.

  Rowan cinched up the end of a large banged-up duffle bag. “When they put her in the ground.”

  “Lovely.” Gage rolled his eyes.

  “Listen, Gage. You’re all rellies and mates here. You’ve got Savannah and Josh to look after as well. You’re gods on a planet full of mundanes. People are going to be looking up to you. Give them a reason to hope.”

  “You want me to start a church? The Dominion sort of beat all of us to the punch on that one.”

  Rowan chuckled. “So join the Dominion. Rion seems like a fine enough chap.”

  “What about the Seven?”

  “Yea, well, Rigel’s tail’s between his legs at the moment now that their little council is down by four.” Rowan gave Gage one of his wry grins. Gage hadn’t known that two more of the ancient gods had been taken out of commission. The Kir stasis chambers deep within the holds of their base made for fine incarceration of the old gods.

  “Amy’s on ice as well, I hear,” Rowan finished his packing. “The Seven still have a few newblood kids in their employ, but I expect they’ll be keepin’ a low profile for a while. I may be out for a few years. Don’t come lookin’ for me because you won’t find me.”

  Gage nodded.

  Rowan extended his hand. Gage took it with both of his. “We’ll all be here when you get back.”

  “Damn straight you will be. Take care of Brenda as well, if she needs you. She’s very important to me. To all of us. More than you know.”

  “I’ll do that, Rowan.”

  “Alright, mate. I don’t do goodbyes. See you around.”

  Gage watched him as he stepped away with a nod and his duffle over his shoulder and disappeared into nothing. He secretly prayed that it would not be the last time he’d ever see the old trapper.

  69

  T anner!” Kira jumped up from her table at the newly remodeled coffee shop and moved quickly to him. She wrapped her arms around him as both embraced warmly. It had been many, many months since she’d seen him and he’d filled out quite a bit. The tight muscle shirt really showed off his very cut frame now.

  “Gage finally let you out of boot camp?” she snarked.

  “I could have left at any time.”

  “Where were you staying—he wouldn’t tell me anything.”

  “I was actually staying with a bunch of people. The Dark Clan and then with Joshuah for the past couple of months. I even met my cousin, Kent. He’s pretty cool. He’s not at all like Gage. Not quite so—” Tanner paused not really wanting to say anything insulting. He liked Gage, but the guy could be a little too type-A.

  “—asinine?” Kira offered.

  “Kira, honestly,” both of them sat down at her table, “You need to cut Gage some slack.”

  “He still hasn’t apologized.”

  “Trac said he was going to stuff you two in a room together until you either made up or killed each other.”

  “I don’t hate him. It’s just, he’s such an—oh—my.”

  Tanner watched her face rise in surprise. Then again he felt the two of them enter the shop as well. Tanner turn
ed in his chair looking over his shoulder at the two muscular, black denim and black muscle t-shirt-clad guys who’d just walked in—one dark haired and the other bleach highlighted blond. Both with piercing purple eyes.

  * * * * *

  “Honestly, Brenda, if you had just come to us and asked for the vessel, we would have at least tried to get you one. You didn’t need the whole charade.” Dark drove along the inside of the outer perimeter of the habitation dome. The small two-seater convertible hovered over the meadows and through the forests at about forty with a warm wind blowing through their hair and the rings of Saturn just outside not far off.

  “I couldn’t risk any of the old Sentinels saying no, Dark. It was too important.”

  He nodded. “I like what you’re doing here. I would have been totally behind this. I would have made it happen, believe me.” Dark looked off in the distance. A small city of humans rose tall out of the forest next to the mountains some twenty miles away.

  “That’s what I like about you, Dark. Thank you for understanding.”

  “So your secret is out now, at least with the top brass at the Dominion.”

  “The Kir know as well.”

  “And Rion?”

  “Of course. Rion has known about me for a while now.”

  Dark nodded. He was pretty sure there were a lot of things Rion knew that he was keeping secret from the rest of them.

  “Are you really immortal? One of these Yin?”

  “Hmmm,” she nodded.

  “I bet you miss them. The rest of your people.”

  “I do.”

  “Do you think any of them survived? Like you have?”

  “Probably. At least I hope so.”

  “So do I.” He smiled at her. “Your story is amazing.”

  “You’re amused by it. Why?”

  “Your own race couldn’t get you pregnant, but somehow, the Humans could. I just find that—amusing.”

  “I was naturally attracted to them, Dark. Honestly, I couldn’t help myself.”

  “Really?”

  “Maybe it was Nature that led me here. A galaxy away.”

  “I take it you don’t believe in God?”

  “Probably not in the same way any of you do. There isn’t a lot of difference between God and Nature, Dark. The label isn’t important to me.”

  “I’m not sure God exists. I’ve never been big on the prophecies either. Half the time they’re wrong.”

  “That’s my fault.”

  “Your fault? How could you affect the future?”

  “I was the unknown that the Masters never accounted for. Each time I would rescue someone from the Seven, it pushed the prophecies out of alignment. Their predictive algorithms began to fail. I was probably giving Henry kittens.”

  “Who’s Henry?”

  “Never mind. Just an old friend.”

  * * * * *

  “You must be Kira?” Ty smiled at her. Both he and his friend moved with the grace of the ancient Ra.

  She blinked at the both of them. Her pulse was suddenly jumping. Both young men were gorgeous—and very attractive.

  Tanner waved his hand in front of her face.

  “Huh? Oh, Kira. Yes, I’m—sorry. I’m Kira. You’re, both newbloods. Wow.”

  “I’m Ethan, Kira.” He reached out his hand to shake hers.

  “And I’m Ty.”

  Kira shook both of their hands.

  “Oh, well, you should meet my boyfriend here as well, Tanner.”

  Tanner greeted both of them warmly.

  “We saw your picture on one of your billboards. Is your coffee really ‘heavenly’?” Ty grinned handsomely.

  Kira rolled her eyes. “My boss’ idea. She’s trying to copy what Seattle Denim is doing.”

  “Right, we were just in Seattle this morning, having breakfast with Lisa and her agent. We heard about you and thought we’d drop in.”

  Kira looked over the well-fitted identical black jeans the both of them were wearing. She took a breath. “You two look nice in Seattle Denim.”

  “You had breakfast with Lisa Kyle?” Tanner asked.

  Both nodded.

  “Hey, well, invite me next time.”

  Kira frowned sarcastically. “Boys.”

  “Kira, Kent’s my cousin. She’s family.”

  “Really? Small world. Mind if we join you?”

  “Sure.” Kira invited, pulling out a chair for the hunky Ty to sit beside her.

  “Tanner,” Ethan began pulling up a chair next to his, “your girlfriend is beautiful. Nice catch,” he complimented. He was having a hard time taking his eyes off of her. Her attraction was ridiculous.

  Ty took the chair Kira offered him, still smiling at her. The goddess was exceptionally cute. He planted himself right next her, touching his well-muscled arm to hers at the small table. She could immediately feel his empathy touching hers in a very flirtatious kind of way.

  “How long have you two been dating?” Ethan asked Kira. He grinned handsomely while bumping shoulders with Tanner. “I’m about to hit on your girlfriend, Tanner.”

  “Ha.” Tanner smirked. “At your own risk. She may look all innocent and beautiful—”

  “Tanner!” Kira scolded, half smiling and half frowning.

  “—but she’s an enchantress. Trust me.” Tanner smirked with a raised eyebrow.

  “Enchantress, huh?” Ethan smiled a facetious grin, not taking his eyes off of her.

  “I am not!” she defended.

  With Ty’s skin touching hers, Kira could feel Ty’s emotions subtly touching hers in a kind of playful flirt. Her attraction to him with his skin touching hers was ridiculous. Without realizing, both had just sort of let their feelings flow together. It felt so natural; it just kind of happened. Kira could sense the strength and complexity of the hunky guy. He felt to be about her age. His feelings were deeply warm; tantalizing. And his scent. God, he smelled nice. She could feel Ty’s emotion flowing over her—emotions that all at once gave her a flirting twinge of desire inside her panties.

  But suddenly both Tanner’s and Ethan’s danger senses launched. Ty quickly scrambled back away from Kira’s chair, half tripping over his own. A light blue hue of color seemed to shimmer all around Kira as she flinched away from Ty, quickly standing herself.

  Ty’s eyes were all at once ablaze with psionic fire as his fists suddenly lit with some kind of plasmatic glow.

  Tanner’s eyes were wide as he looked at Ty and then back at Kira. Her fingers were moving as if weaving something, a kind of written image that glowed in front of her hands as if white hot.

  The two of them seemed to move slowly, tactically eyeing the other, neither one suddenly happy about seeing the other for some reason.

  Both Ethan and Tanner quickly jumped between the two of them.

  “Get out of the way, Ethan,” Ty ordered.

  “Kira, what are you doing? These are friends.” Tanner glared at her. They were causing a really ugly scene with the other people in the shop.

  “He’s not your friend, Tanner,” she corrected.

  Tanner looked back at Ethan who was shrugging at him.

  “Ty, what are you doing? Stop this!”

  “You tell her. She started it.”

  “Started what?” Ethan asked, shooting a glance at Tanner and Kira.

  “I did not!” Kira complained. “You attacked me!”

  “What?! I did not!” Ty insisted.

  “Whoa, both of you, bring it down,” Ethan stood between them motioning with his hands.

  “Kira,” Tanner began, “the only danger in this room right now is coming from you, not Ty.”

  Kira scowled, then nodded. Her runes slowly faded into nothing as did the pale blue shield that had suddenly surrounded her. The plasma glow around Ty’s hands winked out with the odor of hot ionized air.

  “What is up with you two?” Ethan’s eyes met both Kira’s and Ty’s. Ethan pulled Ty a little reluctantly toward Kira. Tanner stood beside Kira wondering
why she was about ready to blast Ty out of existence.

  “I didn’t attack you,” Ty glared at Kira.

  “You touched me. With a tendril!”

  “So? I was playing!”

  Kira blinked. “I—” Her whole demeanor suddenly did an about face. “Oh, gods, Ty—I, I’m so sorry. I didn’t realize you—”

  Ty’s own demeanor was calming quickly as well, moving from his defensive posture to the astonished look that now swept across his face. “You’re—” Ty’s glance bounced to Tanner and then back to Kira. “—Kir?”

  She nodded.

  “I’m, I’m sorry. I—didn’t—know you were—I was just trying to be—”

  “Is everything alright here?”

  Bette stepped into the middle of the conversation. “Because if you people are going to start blasting each other you can do it outside. I just had this place remodeled and I’m not going to do it again.” She glared at the four of them.

  “We’re fine, Bette,” Tanner assured her. “Just a little misunderstanding.”

  “Kira, everything okay?” Bette asked her directly.

  “Yes,” Kira frowned, now feeling a bit embarrassed. She felt no danger coming from Ty at all. “Misunderstanding.”

  “Okay everyone,” Bette addressed her customers. “Show’s over. No more tipple shots for the gods!” She smiled. People began laughing and some clapped thinking it was a kind of show for the patrons.

  The four returned to their table with Tanner now sitting next to Kira and the guys on the other side of the small table.

  “I’m sorry, Kira,” Ty apologized. “I was really just trying to tease you—I had no idea you were—”

  “No need to apologize, Ty. We can’t be too careful these days. Touching me that way instantly sends up my defenses. Not your fault.” She apologized.

  “I—I thought the Kir were extinct.” He blinked at her with surprise.

  “Yea, well, I thought the Masters were extinct as well, except for Rion.” She retorted, a new slim smile moving across her face now.

  Ty smiled back at her. Kira was still beautiful.