Also By Dannika Dark:
THE MAGERI SERIES
Sterling
Twist
Impulse
Gravity
NOVELLAS
Closer
GRAVITY
A Mageri Series Novel
Book 4
DANNIKA DARK
All Rights Reserved
Copyright © 2013 Dannika Dark
No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, or stored in a database retrieval system, without the prior written permission of the author. You must not circulate this book in any format. Thank you for respecting the rights of the author.
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.
Cover design by Dannika Dark. All stock purchased.
http://dannikadark.blogspot.com/
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Acknowledgments:
This book is for every reader who has taken the long journey with me down an uncertain path. I have created this world, and you have brought it to life. Each turn of the page is a heartbeat, keeping the story alive.
Sacrifice only means something when you’re willing to give up everything for a greater purpose.
—Twist, by Dannika Dark
Chapter 1
“I can’t believe I’m letting you do this,” I said as Logan’s hands cradled the back of my head and pushed it down.
“Hush, Little Raven. I’m an experienced male who knows what he’s doing. Stay still and you won’t get hurt.”
“How long is it?”
He chuckled darkly. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you that size doesn’t matter?”
My chin pressed tightly against my chest as I listened to the snip snip sounds from the scissors behind me. Sadly, I’d been neglecting my hair over the course of the past year since my transformation as a Mage. Christian, my guard, had accused me of growing a new breed of cat on my head. He said if I didn’t do something about it, he was going to put it down. Justus would have footed the bill for a hairdresser, but frivolous things had remained low on my priority list.
After I’d made a remark about it, Logan had taken my hand and led me into the bathroom. He offered to cut it, and I thought he was kidding until he lifted a pair of scissors from the drawer.
The last lock of hair fell on top of my foot. I stared in dread at the pile of black hair on the floor. The towel snapped away and Logan gave it a hard shake.
I lifted my eyes like one of those sad puppies at the pound, and Logan held a fist in front of his mouth, suppressing a smile.
Logan wasn’t built like most men. His tall, V-shaped physique and sinewy muscle tone proved it. Not large muscles, just defined. Although it did seem like since I’d met him he’d filled in a little more. Broad shoulders, a confident gaze, and a unique face—masculine and predatory all at once. Especially with his deep-set eyes framed by a prominent brow. Yet when he smiled, it was nothing less than spectacular and I melted like butter in the hot sun.
His golden eyes lavished me with affection. The same savage eyes that could make the toughest man tremble in terror. Logan’s fierce expression contrasted with his polite mannerisms. Those characteristics are what had made me fear him when we first met. A Chitah ran on instinct, and I could never underestimate for a moment how dangerous he was.
“Someday I’d like to see you with short hair,” he said, tugging at the ends that fell just below my shoulders.
I turned to look in the mirror, unable to erase my smile as I shook my glossy black hair. Logan had given me an angled cut with layers that suited my oval-shaped face.
“I think not,” I murmured, brushing the tiny hairs from my arms. “Short hair isn’t for me.”
He watched my reflection in the mirror from behind, leaning in close to pull in my scent. I shuddered and spun around, pushing myself up on the sink. “How did you learn to cut hair like that?”
Logan stepped forward and set the scissors down. “In a family of males who are not mated and don’t visit the barber?” He chuckled softly. “It’s a role I took on for lack of options.”
“Why not one of your brothers?”
“After Levi shaved our heads many years ago, we decided not to rotate the responsibility.”
I softly stroked his jaw and wondered if Logan had done this for his mate long ago. He leaned into my touch as he often did when I initiated physical affection.
“You should quit your day job and cut hair. Sure beats a killer for hire.”
Logan eased between my legs, sensually running his hands up and down my thighs. He smelled like a thunderstorm when he nuzzled my cheek, and I loved the smooth feel of his freshly shaven jaw. My hand caressed the nape of his neck, exploring all the soft spots. When I stroked his Adam’s apple with my thumb, it stimulated an immediate reaction.
He began to purr.
Damn, I loved it when that man purred. It was intense and deep, like distant thunder or a well-tuned motor. That primal, seductive sound gave me goose bumps and made me want to curl up against him.
I reached around and stroked his long blond hair, tied at the nape of his neck.
“Speaking of haircuts,” I said, giving it a tug. “This is getting a little long, isn’t it?”
“Oh no,” he said defensively and stepped back. When Logan folded his arms, he meant business. “That stays.”
Logan’s beautiful golden hair rivaled the length of my own. If it were a little bit longer, he’d be able to wear it in a braid.
“Care to explain? Who are you? Samson?”
Logan shrugged lightly and his arms fell to his sides. Chitahs were notorious for their piercing gaze, but I no longer felt afraid when I looked into his eyes. All I felt was a desire for him to say sweet words and make me blush. And he could still do that—turn butterflies into pterodactyls within my stomach. Within the black rims of his eyes that encircled the bright amber hue, I saw a man with a secret.
“Not a good enough answer, Logan. You promised we wouldn’t keep anything from each other.”
He traced his long finger across my bare knee and looked down thoughtfully. “It’s part of the courting.”
My head jerked back. “Huh? You never told me this.”
He blinked slowly and lifted his eyes to mine. Logan’s demeanor altered, and he spoke with honor and a hint of bashfulness—something I rarely saw in him.
“When courting a kindred spirit, Silver, the male does not cut his hair. To cut his hair is to cut his chances. Once the female accepts him as her mate, only then should it be trimmed.”
“Is that symbolic, or do you believe it’s true?”
“Do you think I want to find out?” His brows angled over his serious eyes.
“If this goes on for years, you’re going to look like…” I tapped my finger against my chin, trying to remember that fairytale.
“Rapunzel?”
“Yeah, that’s it. Or maybe the Winkle guy.” I bit my bottom lip as Logan put his hands on the counter on either side of me and bumped his nose against mine playfully. I ran my fingers through his hair while he whispered something unintelligible against my neck.
“If you ever get locked up, Logan, just throw down your tresses and I’ll save you.”
He twirled a lock of my dark hair between his fingers, bringing the soft tendril to his nose as he drew in a deep breath.
“Do I still smell like lemon cake?” I asked. My fingers wandered along the tight muscles on his arms, sliding underneath the sleeves of his light grey T-shirt.
He suddenly crouched low and ran his nose along the length of my body—close and inviting. God, I
loved it when he did that.
Smelled me.
What a strange thing to love about a man. The gesture felt erotic and the tiny hairs on my arms would stand up. With each inhale, his soft purr rumbled and I pulled his face close to mine, planting a soft kiss on his warm cheek. He caged me with arms that had once climbed a thirty-foot tree with blinding speed to rescue me—his agile body leaping from branch to branch as he held me tightly to him.
“Put your mouth on mine, Little Raven. I’m ready for a taste of lemon cake,” he said in a deep and tumbling voice.
“Maybe I’m not so sweet,” I whispered, wetting my lower lip with a sweep of my tongue.
Logan’s eyes followed every movement, and he licked his lips in response. “I want your mouth… on my mouth. Do it, or I’ll have to find something else to kiss.”
His gaze wandered down the length of my body to where his hands were stroking my hips. A five-alarm fire heated up my cheeks and he burst out laughing, leaning in to give me a smoldering kiss. I nibbled his lip defiantly and he moaned as if he were sampling something delicious.
“Do you have more information on the labs?” he asked, switching gears.
The secret labs conducting experiments, attempting to create a mutant Breed. My Creator, Samil, had been involved. After his death, we searched his home and uncovered a list of names of children born from Breed experiments, including mine. Simon had done a little research and found that some of those children were still alive, but had been adopted out to humans when the scientists discovered nothing unique about them.
Samil, on the other hand, saw potential.
We were uncertain how many people were involved and what advances in science had occurred in the years since my conception. What if there had been a genetic leap with those human children as they aged?
“Simon’s tracking down Grady, the man who seduced my mother into this whole thing,” I said with irritation. “He might know if the experiments are still going on. Then again, he might not.”
“You still refer to her as your mother.”
I sighed and wiped a few stray hairs off the sink. “I know; it’s a habit. Maybe she was afraid of Grady finding her someday, but she could have loved me. She could have tried.”
He brushed his knuckles along my cheek and lifted the anguished scent from my emotions. “Sometimes love comes from those we least expect.”
I played with the ends of his T-shirt, thinking how right he was.
“HALO is working on a special case by request of the Mageri, so Justus hasn’t had the time to pursue this any further. I’m meeting with Novis later tonight. Maybe he has some good news.” I rested my head against his chest.
“As much as I’d love to ravage my beautiful Little Raven, I must go. Leo is waiting for me at the Red Door and I suspect it’s more than just a social visit.” He kissed the top of my head.
I looked up and smiled. “Come here, Rapunzel, and give me a kiss that counts.”
“All my kisses count,” he said in heavy words, watching my lips.
Very slowly, I locked my legs around his thighs and a low vibration emanated from deep within his chest. Logan’s tongue glided across my lips as he curved his hand around the nape of my neck, massaging ever so slightly.
He kissed me slow and hard. I caramelized in his arms, sweetening to his taste as he consumed me.
It counted.
***
“Well, this is an interesting change of scenery,” I remarked, admiring the fifties décor within the diner where Novis chose to have our meeting.
A silver border trimmed the edge of our cherry-red table. Two juicy burgers rested on our plates, buns smothered in sesame seeds and exploding with pickles. Instead of fries, we opted for homemade onion rings. Novis insisted on old-fashioned milkshakes with real ice cream served in tall glasses, guaranteed to make my throat freeze. I removed the cherry and placed it on a napkin. Novis reached over and dropped it into his glass, pushing it down to the bottom with his red straw. The building looked like an oversized trailer from the outside, and the cook wore a large, greasy smock and a huge smile on his face. He was stout and round and looked like he enjoyed a good cigar. Rumor had it he made the best burgers in town.
“You changed your hair,” Novis said politely. “It’s quite lovely.”
I touched it and smiled generously. “You noticed.”
“If there’s one thing I’ve learned in my extended lifetime, Silver, it’s that you should always notice a woman’s hair and compliment her when it changes.”
“Now I’m not so sure if you really like my hair or if you’re just trying to be polite,” I said, eyeing him skeptically.
Novis laughed and his shoulders lifted in rhythm. He took a hungry bite out of his cheeseburger and a pickle fell on the plate.
With a mouthful of food, he said, “The office gets stuffy. I like to get out and brush shoulders with civilization once in a while.” An onion slipped out and he frowned, deciding how to assemble his burger again. “Things change but stay the same. This hamburger doesn’t taste like the one I had in 1950, and it sure doesn’t taste like the one that I had in 1922.”
“Better, or worse?” I asked.
He shrugged. “Different.”
“We should do this more often.”
The vanilla milkshake was killer and I savored several long sips. I started to dip my onion ring in ketchup, but dunked it into the shake instead. After a bite, I decided it wasn’t good, so I stuck with the ketchup. Sometimes odd combinations worked together, so I always kept an open mind. Novis watched observantly and dipped one in his chocolate shake. Then he tried it with mine to compare.
“I should have gotten vanilla,” he remarked.
“I guess no one ever told you about double-dipping.” I glanced out the window at the street. “Look at the snow coming down,” I said in awe. “I’ve never seen this much snow before. Justus said last winter was a mild one for Cognito. I can’t believe it’s come so early! Everything looks so… clean. And bright! Look how the lamps illuminate the street.” I tapped my finger on the glass.
Novis stared, but not out the window.
“What?”
He gave a sideways smile. “Sometimes I forget. It’s nice to be reminded of the simple things. I’ve seen a million snowfalls, and when you’re as old as I am, the newness wears off. Seeing life through a Learner’s eyes is as close as I’ll come to recapturing that feeling of youth, but few are as enthusiastic as you. Now I know why humans choose to have children.”
Which was an odd statement. Novis revealed he once had a family. Did men in those times only have children to pass on their names and assets? Perhaps children were a necessity for labor. Some subjects are too personal to broach over cheap burgers.
Novis shook out of his blue jacket. His face was fresh and young with piercing blue eyes framed by dark, angled brows. He had a strong nose like a Greek sculpture, and his face wore chiseled characteristics that had been filtered out of the generations over time. I once asked him how old he was and he said he couldn’t remember. Maybe after a thousand years he stopped counting.
“We found Grady,” he announced, combing his fingers through his spiked black hair.
My onion ring went down the wrong pipe and I began coughing. Novis stepped out of his seat and slapped me on the back. Based on his technique, I had doubts he’d ever taken a CPR class. As if I could die from an onion ring. Nevertheless, I gasped for oxygen and washed it down with a few long sips of my milkshake.
“What? You found who?”
Novis slid back in his red vinyl seat. “Grady was the only name we were given, so we checked the Mageri records and found three candidates.”
“Who’s we?”
“Simon and yours truly, as I am the record keeper. One has been deceased for two hundred years, and the second is of African descent. That left us with the third, and he fits the profile of the man who handed your mother over to the lab that created you.”
Well,
that was one way to put it.
Created.
Not conceived the way normal people were. Yep, that’s me: mutant extraordinaire. “Where does he live? Was he taken into custody? Did he admit anything? Where did you find him?”
“Whoa, that’s a lot of questions, Silver,” he said, holding up his right hand. “Allow me to savor my meal before you begin the Spanish Inquisition.” He slowly chomped on a pickle and wiped his fingers on a paper napkin. “Grady resides on the East Coast. We haven’t questioned him yet.”
“He could have gone anywhere in the world, but he’s here in America?”
Novis sniffed out a short laugh. “In the days of the early settlers, we stuck together because it was a dangerous time with humans. Over the centuries, society became more… civilized. We began spreading out and establishing territories. A Mage who no longer desires to maintain property will sell it directly to the Mageri, who pays more than the market price, to say the least. Life is long, so it’s better to secure a number of homes. Eventually, everyone migrates back here. It’s attractive,” he said, waving a hand as if stating the obvious. “Despite our differences, we naturally congregate where our numbers are higher. The cities along the coastline have maintained steady numbers, but many who refuse to follow the laws of their elders have tried to create settlements in less Breed-populated cities. Territorial disputes still occur, especially among Shifters who have just been able to acquire land in the past century or so.”
“Okay, thanks for the history lesson. What about Grady?” I sat on my hands, ignoring the food on the table.
“The point I was making is that while we have the world to travel, you can’t keep a flame from a moth. Christian will assist in questioning the Mage. He’s the only Vampire I trust and will be compensated for his services. Before you put the thought in your head, Silver, you won’t be going. We don’t know if Grady is still involved with the experiments, so I don’t want him to know who you are. I’ve asked you here tonight because it’s in your best interest to know about our plans, as they will directly affect you.”
Gravity (Mageri Series: Book 4) Page 1