Cage’s eyes were wild. They were constantly shifting, and in their time together Phoe had never been able to pinpoint their exact color. Their shape was neither wide nor narrow. They were exotic and almond-shaped, slightly downturned with the slope of his nose. Tonight they seemed to be made of fire. The pupils were so dilated that they looked almost black, and the gray-green irises were a ring of smoke reflecting the dying light. They were almost glowing.
As he crouched above her in a feline pose, Phoebe had the impression that he was stalking her as he crawled up her body. She reached out, cupping his jaw, and ran her thumb across that generous lower lip. His eyes never left hers as he settled his body between her legs. She could feel his cock, poised at her entrance, but he did not move save for the involuntary pulse that throbbed against the hood of her sex.
He waited, as if to ask if she were sure.
And she smiled.
When he entered her, it was slow and controlled. Phoe held her breath, bracing herself for the pain that would inevitably come with his invasion, but to her surprise it never happened. He was silent and slow, covering her mouth with his and breathing into her. She gasped, her body clenched, and every muscle pulled taut at the unfamiliar sensation.
Cage slowed, pulling back slightly. He whispered against the rim of her ear, “Relax. Trust me.”
She nodded, kissing the hollow behind his ear and tasting the salted sweetness of his skin. Those luscious curls tickled her cheeks as he nuzzled her neck. His body was still, letting her acclimate to his sweet invasion. Her body shifted and changed to accommodate his size, and there was a gentle thrum deep inside that radiated outward, compelling her to arch against him.
Cage began to move in slow, deliberate strokes, creating a delicious friction. Dipping his head down, he took her nipple into his mouth once more, suckling gently until Phoe cried out, pressing her body against his.
He raised his head, putting a finger to her lips then drawing his hand along her cheek. “Shh,” he whispered, a single stray lock falling over his eye.
His breath was labored, and she could tell that he was holding back. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she embraced his body tightly, running her fingers along the sinuous muscles across his shoulders and down his back. Reaching behind him, Cage grasped her knee, pulling her leg over his hip, and plunged into her deeper. Phoe bit down on her lip, trying to contain another moan of desire. It escaped as a whimper that Cage caught with another intense kiss.
Over and over he drove into her, until he was growling into her mouth and biting her lips. Phoe could taste her blood on his tongue, but she didn’t care. She was lost on a wave of pleasure like she’d never known.
When her climax came, she was almost unsure what was happening to her. Her body was locked, and she held on to him tightly, gripping his skin. Her nails scraped down his back as she felt herself turned inside out. Cage thrust into her once more, and the muscles deep within her grasped and clutched in a desperate attempt to keep him firmly encased.
He rose up, his eyes burning with amber fire and contained rage. The corner of his jaw was tense, and she could almost see the vein at the base of his throat bulge as the blood rushed faster and faster.
For a moment she thought he would tear her apart.
Instead, his hands shredded the bedclothes as his muffled roar echoed in her ears. Phoe tried to look into his eyes, but he looked away, collapsing on top of her and burying his face in the pillows behind her head.
“Cage,” she gasped.
“Don’t, Phoe. Don’t look at me,” he growled.
She wondered why, but thought it better not to press the issue.
He was so heavy, trapping her body beneath his own, but it felt wonderful. He lay there for several minutes, her fingers stroking his hair as she listened to him breathe. Finally, he rolled to the side, lying on his back. One arm tucked under his head as the other pawed at the bedside table for a cigarette.
Instantly, Phoe missed his warmth and curled herself into his side. When she laid her head against his chest, she could hear his heart throbbing beneath his breastbone. It was a comforting rhythm that made her eyes heavy.
For several minutes the only sounds were their heartbeats and Cage’s breathing as he exhaled smoke.
9
Cage was on his third cigarette before she gathered both the courage and the strength to speak again. A question had been burning in her brain but she was almost afraid of the answer.
“Why did you say that?”
“Say what?” His voice was still coarse and gravelly.
“You said not to look at you. Why would you say that?” She laid her hand on his chest. “I rather like looking at you.”
Cage shook his head, taking another deep drag from the cigarette poised between two of his long, delicate fingers. “I don’t want you to see me like that.”
“Like what?”
“I don’t want you to see me as a monster. Out of control.”
“I could never see you as a monster.”
He laughed bitterly and pressed the dying ember of the cigarette against the night table. “I am a monster, Phoe. Don’t ever forget it. If I were to ever lose control of this beast inside of me, I want you to be prepared.”
Now it was her turn to chuckle. “Don’t be so dramatic.”
He propped himself up on his elbow, staring down with a ferocious glare. “I mean what I say, Phoebe. You fight me. Hit, kick, bite, kill me if you have to. I would never forgive myself if I hurt you.” He pushed loose curls away from his brow. “I won’t carry that burden again.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I didn’t used to always be this, whatever I am. Exceptional, sure, but hardly extraordinary. Not something you’d call natural.” He twirled a fingertip in a strand of her hair, toying with it.
“I don’t understand.”
His mouth twitched as if there were a memory lurking behind his eyes that was both sad and beautiful. “You’ve seen me. You know what I can do. Someday there will be others like me. Scores of them, all bred for the same purpose. To destroy everything in their paths. I am everything and nothing. Not quite human, not quite monster. I am the stuff of nightmares, Phoe. I didn’t want you to see me…”
He sat up, turning away from her to move to the side of the bed. His muscles worked beneath pale skin. She reached out, wanting to trace the pads of her fingers over the labyrinth of scars. Each one had a story, she was sure, and none of them had happy endings.
“I didn’t want you to see me as a monster. Let me keep this last shred of humanity.” He went silent again save for the soft gasp as he inhaled deeply on his cigarette, pulling the smoke into his lungs.
“Who is she?”
“Who?” he asked, not bothering to turn and face her.
“When you were sleeping. Back in Mercer, in that cabin. I went downstairs for a glass of water and you were sleeping on the couch. I could hear you mumbling something about Corinne. Who is Corinne?”
“Was. Who was Corinne.” He stumbled over the words. “She was my wife.”
“What happened to her?” Phoe asked, again unsure if she wanted to know the answer.
“Me. I happened to her. I didn’t mean for it to happen. Those in my former position are not supposed to fall in love. Sentiment complicates matters. Heart ruling your head and all that rubbish. But the moment I saw her, I knew that I had no choice. She was funny and smart and so beautiful. So full of life.” Cage turned, winked, and brushed a fingertip along Phoe’s cheek. “A bit like you, actually. I’d seen her over and over before I finally got up the courage to say hello. Imagine that, a person who routinely put his life in danger for the sake of king and country afraid of a girl in a coffee shop.”
He chuckled to himself and reached for another cigarette. Phoe moved closer, sitting up and winding her arm around his waist and resting her head against his shoulder.
“She was the love of my life. That is until our child was born.” Wit
h a click of the flint and a whiff of butane, a tiny flame illuminated Cage’s face, highlighting the carved cheekbones and high brow with shadow.
“Everything was so perfect. So perfect that I thought I could get out. That I could take Corinne and my child and go. Escape from a life of violence and secrets.” He inhaled deeply. “But that’s the punch line. You can never get out. Once they have you, you belong to them.”
He said no more, and Phoe was afraid to press.
They sat in silence, her watching him smoke until the inevitability of sleep was too much.
* * *
Twilight had fallen, turning the world outside to pink and gold fire. It would be time to move soon. Phoe was asleep. Her dark hair fanned over his chest, and he played with it idly, waiting for the sun to set. Her breath was even, and she slept deeply.
Several times Cage thought of waking her but decided that she needed the rest. Sadie had agreed to let them take her husband’s old truck into Tulsa. From there, he figured it would be safe enough to hop on a plane headed for Canaveral.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a flicker of light coming from the pocket of the tatty jeans he’d been wearing. Disentangling himself from Phoe’s embrace, he padded quietly across the room and pulled his mobile out of the pocket. Several missed calls from Oliver. Cage pulled on the jeans, letting them rest on the corners of his hips as he crept into the hall. He kept one eye on the door as he dialed Oliver’s number.
“Cage,” Oliver answered on the first ring.
“You rang?”
“Where the hell are you?”
“I hope you won’t think I’m rude when I tell you none of your damn business.” Cage looked over his shoulder to be sure that Phoe wasn’t awake and watching. “What have you got?”
“No. I’m not telling you until you tell me where you are.”
“Believe me, Ollie. It’s much better if you don’t know. If you don’t know, then you can’t be forced to tell. We’re safe, that’s all you need to know.”
There was silence on the other end of the line, and for a moment Cage thought his friend had hung up. Or perhaps that someone else was listening in. “Fine. But you are far from safe, my friend.”
“Safe is relative.”
“Every badass on Mars and Earth is looking for you. And when you hear what I have to tell you, you’ll know why. Who the hell is that woman you’ve got with you?”
“What do you mean?”
“Look, I’m scared to talk to you about this over the phone. They could be listening.”
“Who? Oliver, what the hell are you talking about?”
“Look, Cage, that artifact is extremely dangerous. I need to see you and look for myself. They’re willing to kill either of you for it.” Oliver’s voice lowered, barely above a whisper. “Don’t trust anyone. They know you’re coming. We need to meet.”
“I don’t have any time to waste. I shouldn’t have agreed to any of this, but since I did, I have to see it through.” Cage paused, rethinking his options. An ever-shrinking list. There was every possibility that he was being set up. Oliver Manning was his best friend, but if his phone was tapped, he could be unknowingly leading them into a trap. Or be forced to lure him. Either way, at this point they didn’t have much choice.
“We’ll be in Tulsa by morning. If you can, meet us there.”
“Where?”
“I’ll find you.”
* * *
“Very good, Dr. Manning,” Machine said, setting the eSlate down on the table and letting it go to work with the trace. “I never knew you were such a good actor.”
Oliver threw down his mobile, staring down at it as if it were a dangerous insect that needed to be squashed immediately. He was ashamed at his own weakness, but what choice did he have? Machine had promised him asylum from the Interplanetary Union. After he and Cage’s adventures in chemistry, the Prime Minister had called for his arrest. They’d frozen all of his accounts, and he was forced to flee. Machine offered him funding and a place to work far away from the prying eyes of the IU. His sister, Eve, never missed an opportunity to remind him that she had saved his life and career by begging Machine for mercy on his behalf.
“I hope, for your sake, that he goes in the opposite direction from Tulsa.”
“You have so little faith in me, Doctor. I would think after all I’ve done for you, keeping you out of prison, furthering your career, that you would be a bit more grateful.”
“I’m not one of your lapdogs, Machine. I’m not doing any of this for you. I regret the day my sister ever became involved with you and your madness. The only reason I’m here at all is to keep her safe. If I get half the chance to take her away from here and undo the damage I’ve done, I’ll take it even if I have to walk over you to do it. Never forget that.”
10
Cage broke the connection and pocketed his mobile. It was nearly nightfall, and he could smell the decaying, sour odor of Sadie burning the remains of her “protectors.” That should keep away any other creatures that might lurk around the perimeter of the house at night.
He’d lied to Phoe when he’d said that Meridian was a ghost town because of a natural disaster. Wherever there was a fault line, one of those creases in the tectonic plates, The Others could get through. Meridian was on one of those faults. And once the floodgate was open, there was no closing it up again.
Cage knew the truth that Phoe was trying to deny. One day soon, the entirety of Earth would be just another Meridian. Vampires, zombies, wraiths, werewolves—they would come in waves. Hell, vampire covens had already taken hold in most major cities. They were organized and well-hidden at every level of the infrastructure.
And those weren’t even the worst.
There were dragons, burning and destroying everything in their path. Shaitans, what humans would call demons, who could take possession of human hosts. Creatures who were the stuff of nightmares lurked everywhere.
Sadie had been a fool to stay, but there was no telling her to leave. She would only protest that she wasn’t going to be sent away from her home. And what difference did it make? Soon there would be nowhere else to hide except the colonies. People like Sadie wouldn’t have that option, of course. She was too old and too poor for the journey.
Cage sat on the edge of the bed and stared down at Phoebe as she slept. She looked so peaceful and calm for the first time since they’d met. He hated that he would have to disrupt her rest.
Laying a hand on her temple, he closed his eyes and quieted his mind, drowning everything out with a strange vacuum of silence in his head. She was dreaming. A warm day with bright blue sky. She was at home, staring into the distance and watching the birds. Cage saw himself lying beside her on the grass, the sun warming his body.
It was heartbreaking to know that this dream of comfort and stillness was an unreachable illusion. He wanted to let her sleep, to keep this dream as long as possible, but it wasn’t to be. Taking his fingertips away, he leaned over and pressed a kiss to the spot.
“Phoe, love, you have to wake up.”
“Hmmm?” she murmured.
“It’s almost nighttime. We have to move.” He kissed her again, this time lighting on her lips and nibbling gently until she opened her eyes.
“Can’t we stay here just one more night?” she pleaded. “I’m so tired.”
“Not if you want to get to New London on time. We have to go now.” He smiled and kissed her forehead. “I think Sadie has some clothes you can wear.”
Phoe rose slowly from the bed, stretched, and, for the moment seemed to forget she was completely naked. Looking over her shoulder, she noticed his gaze. With a mischievous wink, she made a big show of strutting across the room and throwing the closet door open. “Oooh, sexy,” she said, pulling a flannel shirt from the hanger. “Tom Joad chic.”
“You could make a potato sack sexy, love.”
She giggled. “Flattery won’t get you anywhere, you know.”
He stood up and grab
bed her around the waist, pulling her close. He pressed his pelvis suggestively against hers. “Except straight into your knickers.”
“Oooh,” she purred, stretching up to kiss him hungrily.
His arms wound around her and he began walking her backward toward the bed. “Well, maybe we don’t have to go right this minute,” he said, trying to catch his breath.
Her knees hit the mattress and she sat down on the edge with a bounce. Immediately her hands played at the button of his ill-fitting jeans. Her fingertips were warm against his cool flesh. Her breath feathered lightly over his belly. He was so lost in the pleasurable sensation that he almost didn’t detect the movement out the window until it was too late.
“What in hell,” he murmured, pulling away. He rushed over to the window, his eyes scanning the sky.
“What is it?” Phoe asked.
“I’m not sure yet, but we need to go. Now.”
Phoe scrambled to her feet and began throwing things around, looking for pants to put on. “What’s the matter?” she asked.
“We have to get out of here,” he replied, turning to her.
She tried to go to the window to see what was happening, but he put an arm around her shoulders and shoved her away.
“Here.” He threw open the closet and tossed a pair of jeans at her. “Put these on.”
“Is it more agents?” she asked, her voice cracking with fear.
“Most likely not. Just hurry.” He heard the hard edge creeping into his voice.
“Cage.” The old woman burst through the bedroom door in her nightgown, carrying the largest shotgun in captivity. “Those things, they’re back.”
“I see it,” he said, pulling a shirt over his head and pushing his feet into shoes. “I only see one. Dragons usually hunt in packs.” He gave Sadie a once-over, and an amused smirk crept on his face. “What exactly are you going to do with that gun? Their scales are like steel and the only way to kill one is to get the heart.”
“I have to be prepared.” Her words were suddenly drowned out by a scream that shook the walls and rattled the glass in the windowpanes.
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