Shattered Skies - Night Waves

by Heather Linn

  Jace had my hand and he was leading me in the direction of the door to the basement. Even though it wasn’t the same palace, I wasn’t stable enough to go back down to the scene of my crime and be reminded of what I’d done to Jewel. I had to think of a way to stall Jace until I thought of a better escape route. Then it hit me like a train.

  “Jace wait!” I spoke barely above a whisper but it was enough. I stopped moving and he stumbled and stopped.

  He instantly crouched low in the shadows. “What is the matter? Did you hear someone?” He was good at this getting away thing.

  “Walker’s notebook might be in Akia’s office. I need go get it! There is so much information in it. Years and years of Walker’s plans. We are this close,” I said and I touched my finger to my thumb except for the tiniest space to show him how close. “It will just take a second to go in and grab it and get back out. It’s extremely valuable Jace.” For an instant he hesitated and I thought he was going to tell me no.

  “Ok baby girl, but let’s make it quick and get out of here fast.” I smiled at him thankfully and I felt my smile spread to my eyes. I was excited about the thought of being able to bring Walker’s notes back to him.

  Jace let me lead him to Akia’s office. I still wasn’t happy with how empty the hallways were, it seemed all wrong, it was the worst security system ever. But I guess when you are a Dominus Lord you bank on the fact that one guard per entrance is enough to keep the bad guys out and once someone like me made it through the front door; you gave them the run of the Kingdom. I sighed but kept moving. I could teach Akia so many things.

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Akia’s office was just like I had remembered. It was huge and inviting and so many books. I would never get over all the books; they covered shelf after shelf, worlds of knowledge, from ceiling to floor. It was breath taking. I had never thought about it before, but I wondered if Akia could have possibly read any of these rodent written volumes? If he had, would that be enough to change the way I thought about him? Would it make him less of a monster to me? All of these questions were ones that really didn’t matter anymore. All that mattered was getting Walker’s notebook and figuring out what to do about Akia’s incredibly hot and seriously murderous father, before he figured out what to do with me.

  “I thought all of the books were destroyed.” I had forgotten that Jace was in there with me. The astonishment in his voice reminded me again just how wondrous a room filled with books truly was.

  “Isn’t this the most beautiful thing that you’ve ever seen?” I wanted so bad to bring the others here. Walker would have had a field day, Darien too.

  “Hmm, I think it is the second most beautiful thing I have ever seen.” I didn’t need to turn around to know that he was looking me over.

  “You know I might get used to romantic talk from you and I think that would ruin this wonderfully kinky sex life we have going.”

  Flirting with him was so fun and easy. I had to stay focused at the task at hand though. I could see Jace out of the corner of my eye. He was eagerly snatching a few books and hugging them tightly against his chest like they were a precious gift. I had to smile at the fact that he was as excited about the books as I was.

  Then I saw Walker’s notebook, lying there, in the corner of Akia’s desk where I had seen it last. It was covered up by a few papers but it was still important enough to have a permanent place among his things. Was it possible that he was still studying it? There had to be more pressing things to concern Akia than Walker’s secrets. Then again, if that was the case, why was I risking getting caught just to grab it before I got away? I guess everything doesn’t have to make sense all the time. As soon as I got the notebook off the desk I heard the footsteps approaching. For whatever reason, Jace didn’t hear the clamor that meant some Dominus was striding swiftly toward the door. Without thinking, I grabbed Walker’s notes and Jace and dashed into the closet moving as quickly and as quietly as I could. I shut the door just a split second before the office door opened and Akia walked into the room. I should have been worried that I knew it was him by the faint smell of him swirling in the air, stirred up by his motion. I so badly wanted to ask Jace if he was aware of Akia’s smell too, but I was too afraid that his answer would be no.

  Chapter Forty

  Leave it to Akia to have a closet bigger than my apartment in his office. At least there was a nice comfortable dressing couch for us to sit on to wait him out. As I sat there I suddenly wondered if he could smell me in the room too? Shit! I listened intently when I heard him start talking. I wasn’t sure if he knew I was there or not.

  “What am I going to do with you Cat. Why didn’t you just tell me what you were? We could have figured it out together. I am such an idiot. I knew you were different. A part of me knew what you were but I just didn’t want to believe it. Damn it! I let you and your rodent friends play me for a fool.” Then there was a loud bang, my guess was that something flung from his hand had bounced off the wall across from his desk. I jumped but not enough to give my position away.

  “Your Majesty, may I see you in the dining hall?” The random voice that boomed over the loud speaker in the office made me jump again.

  “Please tell me that this is something that can wait until later. I am really not in the mood for more surprises right now.” Akia sounded shocked by the sound of the voice over the speaker as if he couldn’t quite believe someone had invaded his private thoughts.

  “Sorry Your Majesty, I need your signature right away. The documents are important.”

  “On my way,” he said curtly and I heard him click the microphone off and then he was perfectly still. Had he heard us breathing?

  “How in the universe did I fail to anticipate him? Another mistake could be fatal. Get your head on straight Akia, before you get everyone killed!” Was he talking to himself or was there someone else in the room? Before I had time to try to figure it out he was out of his chair and through the door with a slam that could have shattered walls.

  “Cat, how close is the dining hall to where we are right now? Is there any way we have time to get by him?” Jace was still whispering, though I was sure Akia was out of earshot.

  I weighed it up for a minute. If we moved fast enough, we might make it. The risk was high and maybe more dangerous than just staying put and waiting him out. If we stayed put maybe Akia wouldn’t even come back to the room. If we walked out now, there was too great a chance we would run into him in the hallways and then all bets would be off.

  “I think we should just stay here for now,” I said. I leaned back and snuggled against Jace’s firm chest until I found a spot comfortable enough to stay in for as long as I needed.

  “I hate to admit it Baby Girl, but I was kind of hoping that you’d say that.” With one swift move Jace’s arm was around me and I automatically snuggled closer against him like it was something that I had been doing forever.

  This was the closest and most relaxed that I had been with him since the last night in the cell. As soon as I let that memory cross my mind, I felt my cheeks flush. Jace smelled so good, his scent overpowered what was left of the faint smell that Akia had left behind. I would be lying if I said there was somewhere else that I would rather be.

  “I am going to get you out of here Cat. You saved me and it is my turn to repay the favor.” The hope in his eyes told me that he was confident that he could get us out. I wanted to believe him so badly that I managed to convince myself that he was a hundred percent right.

  “We are going to get out of here,” I whispered back to him. “I am not a princess that needs a knight on a white horse to come to her rescue. Though I must admit handsome, you would make a sexy knight.”

  “Believe me Cat, I wasn't implying that you needed a man to save you, you are enough of a warrior to go it alone. You are not some helpless damsel in distress locked away in a dark tower; you are the kick ass chick that is out there causing someone else pain. Any man that wants to keep you is going
to have to realize that you are unlike any woman they have ever dealt with before. They are going to have to learn to take the back seat and see what you have planned next. Every day an adventure, right Cat?”

  For the first time in a long time, I smiled a genuine smile, one that I had no fear of showing. I didn’t know if it was the danger we were in, the kind words that he offered, or the memory of the way his eyes looked the night that I let him take me completely, but I was smiling again. I leaned into him a little harder. I was secretly hoping that he would take the hint and make the first move, not like we had anything else to do for a while, right? He read my mind because as soon as the thought of kissing him began to stir in my mind, he took my chin in his hand and pulled me to him and I let him. It was a kiss devoid of danger. It was a kiss that didn’t sooth, and yet still made my skin tingle as the idea of having sex with him grew in my mind.

  I felt like a teenager with a crush and I loved it. There was something so exciting about sneaking into a closet and kissing a normal boy. To me it was like a first kiss, and it brought a feeling that I had always been missing. The normalcy of it made me feel human. It made me feel like I belonged. My hands were on his face and his hands were stroking mine. I wasn't blocking anything from him. I wasn't guarding my thoughts like I always had to with Akia. I wasn't pretending that he was the only man in the world for me; I had no need to make sure that I gave no hint there was anyone else on my mind, the way I had to when I kissed Darien. I was simply floating and feeling and it was getting lost in feeling that took all my fears away.

  His fingertips traced down my neck, then down the warm bare skin of my arms. He lifted my top until his thumbs went to my nipples. He teased them and made every nerve in my body flare. Every time his thumbs ran over my nipples, I moaned. We were lost in each other’s arms when Akia came back to the room.

  He didn’t know we were there; he was too distracted by something else. Slowly and shyly Jace broke our kiss. Slowly he put my top back on and then we sat close and waited. There was nothing to do but will Akia out of the room. I could hear him shuffling through his papers, searching for something. I wondered if he was looking for Walker’s notebook. If he realized it was missing we would be as good as caught. Damn it! Why hadn’t I just left it there until we were on the way out? How had I been so careless? Then suddenly a menacing voice pierced the air, cutting and harsh, and everything in my world changed shape.

  Chapter Forty-One

  “Turn around slowly. I have a gun full of Vampire blood aimed at your head. I don't care how fast you think you are, I promise that you aren’t faster than a bullet.”

  I jumped. That voice! My heart skipped a beat. I was ready to shout when Jace reached out and covered my mouth with his hands and pulled me into his lap, making sure that I didn’t blow our cover. He had been just as turned on as I was; his rock hard body was pressed against mine and I knew he was telling me to stay on my best behavior.

  But how could I? I knew that voice. It was Darien! How had he got here? What the hell was he thinking? I wasn’t about to watch him get himself killed without doing something. But Jace knew me better than I thought because as soon as I considered getting up and springing from the closet, his grip tightened around both my mouth and my waist. I wasn’t sure why he was so strong, but the fact that he was, was starting to frustrate me.

  “I have been waiting for you, believe it or not.” Akia's voice was steady and held neither fear nor surprise. “I know you love her so it was just a matter of time before you came, but here is the problem. I love her too and I will do whatever it takes to stop you from taking her from me. So I suggest you put the gun down before someone gets hurt.” I could see through a crack in the door. Man and Monster stood facing each other. It was clear that neither intended to bend.

  “I don't think that you are in any position to make demands, do you?” Darien demanded in a low voice that thrilled me. I could tell by the look on his face that he was ready to fight for me; that he was willing to pull the trigger and take Akia out hoping I’d would fall into his arms and thank him for finally ridding me of the danger the King brought with him.

  “I know you won't kill me. The same way that I know that as much as I would love to snap your rodent neck I won't, because I would lose her and so would you if pull your toy’s trigger. We are stuck with each other rodent, if we hope to be part of her life.” Was Akia really saying that? He was willing to be level headed over me?

  Maybe Darien was not in harm’s way, but one glimpse at his stone cold face made me rethink it. Maybe I was wrong about which one I should have been most worried about. Darien would pull the trigger, I was sure of that now. I had to get free of Jace, but he anticipated my next move, held tighter, and whispered in my ear.

  “Cat, believe me, if you jump out of this closet right now someone is going to get killed. These two are looking for any excuse to kill each other. Please just trust me and sit still. Their lives depend on it.” He spoke through clenched teeth directly into my ear, his breath was so close that it burned me. He was right and I hated him for it. I was sitting there with him, safe in his arms, yet helpless to change the fate of two men I loved.

  “I am not weak like you monster. I have lived my life with one purpose in mind; killing your kind. I am going to kill you and after I’ll make her understand. Cat is a smart woman. I know her a hell of a lot better than you do and I know she will come around if I kill you. She knows that the two of us will never be happy as long as you are in the picture. I won’t need to convince her of that.” Wow! I hoped it was just testosterone talking because if I wasn't, Darien didn't know me well at all.

  I knew that Darien would never understand my feelings for Akia, but I hung on to the hope that I could at least make him live with how I felt without constant anger and upset.

  “Really? Does she really agree with your point of view? Or are you wrong? Because dear little rodent, let me tell you what I know. I know that I could have killed you a hundred times already, and if I catch you when you least expect it, there won’t be a damn thing that you can do! Do you really think that you would be alive if not for her? If you do, you’re wrong and stupid. I would love nothing more than to take your life and make her see that I am the one for her. I can protect her like you will never be able to. But I am so connected to her that I know if I kill you, I kill any chance I have of keeping her in my life.” It was an old fashion standoff. They both stood there glaring at each other. They were stuck and no further talking would help. They knew they were in a lose lose situation and they knew death was lurking. Then Darien broke the tension.

  “Well freak, what exactly do you propose we do? Because right now I’m thinking it’s worth pulling this trigger and taking my chances. I think she will come around to seeing it my way; that you are nothing but a slimy pretty boy, a cancer that destroyed her family and ruined her life. Cancer kills slowly and painfully freak. It doesn't save you and it never makes you happy.” Darien was close to pulling the trigger. I knew what he was thinking, I could feel it. One clean shot straight through the arrogant bastard’s head and then he could go find his Cat and take her home where she belonged. The only place that she had ever and would ever belong was with him.

  “You know, you are even more dramatic and foolish than she is,” Akia said, turning bored with the conversation. I caught a glimpse of his mood just then. He knew that Darien had no idea of the extent of his power. He could almost taste the pleasure it would give him to slowly tear Darien’s throat out. I could see him getting ready to spring but then he mastered the murderous thoughts within, and went coldly and relentlessly on with his speech. “I have spent a lot of time searching for an equitable way out for the three of us, and the only way I can think of is letting me change you. She won’t live without you and she won’t give me up. If I change you and we are found out, it will mean death for all three of us. It is a risky path to take, but you sacrificing your humanness for her is the only way I can see to resolve this dil
emma.” Was he out of his mind? There was no way that I was ever going to let Darien become a monster! He was human like me and that is how it would always be.

  “Look beast, I can promise you two things. One, I would rather die by fire than be one of you scumbags, and two, if you are even suggesting that I share her with you, I will kill you right here on this spot. Do you understand me?” Share me? Could that be something that was even possible?

  And then it hit me. I realized that that was exactly what I wanted. I’d been keeping it secret even from myself, but the truth was I’d been hoping against hope that I could figure out a way to keep both of them. I wanted both of them so badly that I would do anything to make them share me and accept that I could never be happy with just one of them.

  “You tell me then Darien. You tell me what we do? You don’t feel for her as much as I do because I would do anything to make her safe and happy, even if that meant letting her keep you. You on the other hand, you are not even willing to think about anything besides your own selfish needs. You would make her miserable because of your twisted manly pride, as stupid and human as ever.” Was Akia right? Was it possible that Darien just wanted me because he was selfish and didn't want some other man touching his toy? I really hoped not because if that was the case, and I was just a possession to Darien, my feelings were destined to turn.

  “I don't know about you Kitty Cat but this is making me sick,” Jace whispered in my ear. “They are talking about you like you need them to survive and I have had enough. You are stronger than both of them put together, that’s pretty clear,” he said and before I could stop him Jace let our presence be known.