“Yeah, positive.” Sloan fought back the anger that rose in her chest. “Theo, can we have a day to think on your offer? It seems we’re all not on the same page with this.”
“Of course.” Theo almost seemed relieved to maneuver out of the awkward situation. “We can meet again tomorrow. I understand this is a delicate situation that should be handled with care.”
Sloan
“It’s not that big of a deal.” Aareth rolled bloodshot eyes at Sloan. “It’s simple. Azra is the best chance we have at taking down New Hope. They’re outmanned and outgunned. Maybe if they can create some vampires and werewolves of their own, they’ll have a chance.”
“‘Werewolves’?” Sloan folded her arms over her chest. “That’s cute. When did you start calling yourself that?”
“It’s a term Edison came up with the other day. We had to start calling it something. Kimberly’s just been referring to me as ‘the horrid beast creature.’”
Sloan took a long breath. Talking Aareth out of anything once he had his mind set on something was never easy.
The two stood in the small apartment designated to Sloan and Kimberly once they had entered Azra. It was a one bedroom with barely any furniture, but it would be temporary for Sloan. Right now, Kimberly was out with Edison, working on a special project they weren’t willing to share with the others just yet.
“We don’t know these people in Azra,” Sloan began, trying to reason with Aareth. “Sure, they say all they want to do is defend themselves from the queen, but who really knows if that’s the truth? Just as easily they can start their own experiments and try to rule the Outland themselves.”
“When are you going to start trusting people?” Aareth shook his head. “Theo’s willing to help.”
“Oh, that’s rich, coming from someone like you.” Sloan placed closed hands by her side. “When I met you, you didn’t trust anyone.”
“Yeah, and I was right. I didn’t trust the queen, and look where we’re at now.”
Sloan was beginning to have flashbacks to a very similar conversation that had taken place between the two in Term. Their argument had quickly turned to blows thanks to their own new rage factors that came with being creatures of the paranormal.
“Listen.” Sloan slowed her talking to give herself a chance to calm down. “I don’t want to argue with you. I’m just concerned what will happen if—”
“She’s leaving me.”
Sloan stopped mid-sentence, realizing exactly what Aareth meant. In a second, she understood why his eyes were bloodshot again. His demeanor, the hunched shoulders, the sadness—it was all there.
“My undead wife—no, the woman who used to be my wife, the one who doesn’t even want to be called by her real name. This Ashley says she needs time to think.” Aareth had said each word as if it caused him physical pain to push past his lips. “I thought losing her was the worst thing that could ever happen to me. I never thought I’d have to experience this pain all over again.”
“I’m so sorry, Aareth.” If it was in Sloan’s nature to give Aareth a hug to comfort him, she would. But Sloan wasn’t that motherly type. “I can talk to her, if you want. I can try to get her to stay, to give it a chance.”
“No.” Aareth’s gaze fell to the floor. “Maybe it’s better this way. She was resurrected without a heart and no memory of her past. It’s not her fault. At first, I thought we could fall in love all over again, but it’s clear she needs time to figure out who and what she is. Isn’t there a saying? Something like: if you love someone, you’ll let them go?”
Sloan could see the tears pool in her friend’s eyes despite his downward gaze. Without thinking, she went to him and placed a firm hand on his left shoulder. “I can’t say I know exactly what you’re going through, but I’m here for you. We’re all here for you.”
“I know. Maybe Bren—Ashley leaving is part of why I’m so eager to join Azra.” Aareth didn’t return her gaze; he kept his head down. “I’m afraid if I’m left to my own devices, I’ll find my way back to the bottom of the bottle. I know it’s not a solution, but it helped to dull the pain.”
Sloan removed her hand. Outside came the distant sounds of children playing in the complex. Their shouts and running feet reminded Sloan once more of the responsibility she bore to these people. They had abandoned their home in Term in a large part due to the events of her own arrival.
“All right.” Sloan cleared her throat, not believing what she was about to say. “We’ll give Azra access to our DNA, but I want Edison there every step of the way to make sure all they’re doing is trying to figure out what makes us tick. And I want to talk to the volunteers in Azra who are willing to take on this burden.”
Aareth just nodded. It was clear he was done with the conversation. His thoughts were once more on his wife.
In the silence, the thirst came for Sloan again. It was more than her throat being dry, or her empty stomach rolling in protest; it was a mental game. Consciously and subconsciously, she was under attack from her own body. It was telling her she needed blood again, that the thirst was inevitable and she should just give in and get it over with.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Pounding on the door shook Sloan from thoughts of her thirst.
Aareth’s eyes flashed yellow. He held up a hand for Sloan to wait while he positioned himself on the opposite side of the door. With one quick motion, Aareth grabbed the handle and tore the door not just open, but off its hinges.
“Wow, take it easy, Hercules.” Kade’s eyebrows shot up as he took in Aareth’s hulking form holding the entire door by its handle. “I’m not the enemy.”
“What’s wrong?” Sloan asked.
Kade grinned a toothy smile. “Trouble.”
Chapter Three
Sloan
“How far is she?” Sloan grabbed the spyglass, training it on the unicorn and rider tearing across the land. Her gaze went from the manic rider to those following behind her. There were at least a dozen riders bearing New Hope’s colors. They rode on black horses, closing the gap behind their prey. “She’s not going to make it.”
Sloan looked to the others gathered on the battlements. The same female gargoyle wearing the Azra uniform that Sloan had seen in Theo’s office was shouting orders to her men.
“Open the gate! Let the rider in, but do not, under any circumstances, engage the New Hope riders following her!”
“What are you talking about?” Sloan caught the gargoyle’s eye. “You know she’s not going to make it. We have to help her. We need to go out and meet her halfway.”
“I’m not ordering my men to engage New Hope.” The gargoyle looked Sloan up and down. “Not yet, at least. Tensions with the queen are already at a breaking point. But if it does come to war, we’ll need all the time we can get to prepare.”
She wasn’t saying it, but Sloan understood what the gargoyle implied. Sloan gritted her teeth, hating the idea of standing there and doing nothing. The sun was still high in the sky, forcing the Azra gargoyle to shield her skin with a long white-and-gold robe with a deep-set hood.
“What’s your name?” Sloan asked the gargoyle, peering into the deep-set hood she wore.
“What?”
“It’s a simple question. What is your name?”
“I’m Major Cherub.” Cherub straightened her shoulders, trying to determine Sloan’s intentions. “Why?”
“Major.” For the second time that day, Sloan wished she had access to her mage sword. “I’m going out there to help your rider. Don’t try to stop me. If it makes you feel better, you can tell Theo, or whoever questions you after this, that you tried.”
Cherub’s face broke into a small, toothy grin. “I can stop Azra guards from attacking the New Hope soldiers, but I guess you’re not officially part of Azra yet, are you?”
“That’s right.” Sloan broke into a grin of her own, finding herself even liking the Azra major. “Keep the gates open. I’ll be back.”
Sloan didn’t
wait for more words to be exchanged before she turned to go.
“This will probably help.” Cherub reached into the folds of her cloak and brought out Sloan’s mage sword. “I was keeping it safe for you until you decided to join us, but I think you’ve already made up your mind.”
Sloan’s eyes grew as she accepted her weapon of choice from the Azra guard. Holding the pommel of her sword felt like a handshake from an old friend. She twisted the weapon in her hand, remembering its weight and feel.
“Hey, are we doing this, or what?” Aareth shouted up toward the battlements from below. “Your boyfriend is trying to convince me we have time for a snack before we go.”
Sloan jogged down the steps, feeling a rush of heat at her face. Was Kade her boyfriend? Did it just happen like that, or did they have to have a conversation about the exact titles of their relationship?
“Oh, we’re not boyfriend and girlfriend.” Kade stuffed a handful of dried jerky into his mouth. “I mean, not that I’m opposed to the idea. I’d love … I mean, I’d like it if that were to happen, but—”
“You should just stop there, Mr. Smooth Talker.” Sloan rolled her eyes at the shifter she had grown to care for. “We have someone who needs our help.”
“Who is she?” Aareth asked.
“I heard the guards talking earlier.” Kade finished his mouthful of meat. “She’s one of their spies, carrying word from New Hope.”
The massive front gate of Azra was being lifted upward by a series of pulleys, with guards working a giant wheel enclosed in the gatehouse.
“We have the chance to help our new allies and to take out a few New Hope Soldiers in the process.” Sloan shrugged, flipping the switch on her mage sword. The blade hummed with power as it glowed a dull red. “That’s all I need to know. Let’s go crack a few skulls. It’ll be good to stretch our legs a little.”
No more words were passed between the trio of warriors. They all understood what needed to be done. Sloan started first, her feet taking on a slight jog before a full run. Aareth was on her left, his large form already changing into the lupine beast he was still learning to control. On her right, Kade gave her a wink before transitioning to all fours. Two thick fangs sprouted from the top of his mouth. A golden fur covered his body as he shifted into a giant sabertooth tiger.
Through red eyes, Sloan focused on the scenario unfolding in front of them. The New Hope riders weren’t vampire soldiers. If they had been, there would be no reason for them to ride on horseback. This would be quick.
Sloan turned her run into a sprint. The white unicorn carrying the fleeing spy was foaming at the mouth. It had been a long, hard chase. The beast was beginning to tire. Sloan targeted the closest New Hope rider bearing down on his prey. He was only a few feet back when Sloan was ready to make her move.
With a single fluid leap, she vaulted over the unicorn and its handler. Sloan spun in the air, coming down feet first into the rider’s chest, striking the New Hope rider with a bone-shattering force. The three went down in a tangle of horse hooves, black cloak, and mage sword.
There was no way the soldier would be in any condition to pursue the fight. Sloan untangled herself from the kicking horse and the soldier’s limp body.
BAM! BAM!
Shots rang in the air as the other soldiers opened fire on Sloan, Aareth, and Kade. Her two companions were already at work, each taking a rider from his seat and tackling him to the ground. Bullets bounced off Aareth’s skin. Sloan felt searing pain, and the force like someone had punched her rippled through her torso. The bullet had found a place in her abdomen, but Sloan winced past the discomfort. In seconds, her healing factor would push the bullet out and close her wound. There was no point in thinking about it further.
Her thoughts now went to Kade. Among the three, he was the only one not equipped with a steel hide or healing factor capable of protecting him from the bullets.
It seemed the shifter was well aware of this. He danced back and forth as the round of bullets passed through the air.
The distraction had worked. Three of the twelve riders pursuing the spy were already on the ground. The other nine were dealing with Sloan, Aareth, and Kade. Only one of the New Hope riders seemed willing to pursue the spy further.
Kade roared, winking to Sloan with a large orange eye as he took off after the single New Hope rider who still chased the spy. Sloan turned back to the remaining eight riders she and Aareth were dealing with. It wasn’t a fight at all.
Sloan almost felt bad as she landed strikes from her mage sword and blows from her fist, so strong they incapacitated soldiers with a single blow.
In seconds, the remaining eight soldiers were torn from their mounts and battered into unconsciousness. Sloan finished off her last opponent with a blow to his left temple.
Aareth was on the other side of the battlefield, his chest heaving with the rage of battle. His body, half man and half wolf, would be terrifying to any opponent. “Kimberly was right. You are kind of a scary wolf creature.”
Aareth grinned at her through a few dozen teeth.
BANG!
One last single shot rang out into the air. Sloan and Aareth turned at once to see Kade stumble, then fall.
Sloan’s heart jumped into her throat. Panic lent speed to her legs as she tore back to where Kade’s limp body lay.
“No, no!” In a matter of seconds, Sloan covered the distance to where Kade lay. There was no thought given to the last New Hope guard who frantically began reloading his pistol as Sloan approached. Sloan skidded to a halt on her knees beside Kade’s limp form. “You’re not dead. You can’t be dead.”
Kade had stopped the last New Hope solider only yards from the gates of Azra. He had managed to unhorse the rider, but in doing so, he had left himself open to the gunshot.
The scream of the New Hope solider behind her as Aareth tore his body in two was an afterthought. All Sloan could focus on now was the crimson red wave that pooled over Kade’s short golden fur. The shot had gone in one side of his chest and out the other. Kade was still breathing, but his breaths were shallow. Blood began pooling from his mouth as well as from his chest.
“Can you hear me?” Sloan propped Kade’s massive feline head into her arms.
There was no response.
“Help!” Sloan screamed to no one and everyone at once. “Help, I need a doctor!”
Chapter Four
Sloan
“He’s a strong shifter.” The doctor exited Sloan’s apartment, wiping bloody hands on a clean, white towel. “The wound will lay him up for a few weeks, but he’ll be fine.”
Sloan let go of a sigh she didn’t know she was holding. She wasn’t the only one. There was a noticeable sense of relief from the gathered crowd of friends. Edison and Elwood gave one another high-fives; Kimberly gave Sloan a gentle squeeze on her shoulder. Even Aareth and Ashley managed smiles.
“Can I go in and see him?” Edison looked at the doctor with eager eyes. “I’ve gotten so close with Kade lately. I feel like if he could see anyone, he’d want it to be me.”
The doctor looked from Edison to Sloan. His expression was worth a thousand words.
“Oh, he’s serious.” Aareth looked over from the doctor to Edison. “I think Sloan should be the one to go in and see how he’s feeling.”
“Yes, well, I guess that would make the most sense.” Edison and Elwood both heaved heavy sighs at the same time. “Give him our best, then.”
“I will.” Sloan hid a grimace as her gathering thirst grabbed at her gut once more.
“Are you all right?” Ashley asked as Sloan reached for the door handle. “You don’t look well.”
“I’m fine.” Sloan faked a smile to her friends before opening the door. “I won’t be long. I’m sure he’s tired.”
Sloan entered the room and closed the door behind her before anyone else could question her further. She crossed through the small apartment that Kade and Edison shared with Elwood, which was an exact duplicate of her o
wn—a small living space to her right and an equally small kitchen area to her left, a door in front of her that led to the one room and attached bathroom.
Sloan entered into the sparsely decorated chamber. Her eyes landed on the bed where Kade lay grinning at her.
“Don’t look so glum, gorgeous.” Kade gave her one of his signature winks. “Doc says I’ll be up and causing trouble soon.”
“You could’ve been killed.” Sloan sat gently on the bed next to Kade. She reached out a hand to brush back his short, golden brown hair. “The doctor didn’t say it, but I’ve seen plenty of wounds to know an inch toward your heart and you would have been dead.”
“Could have, would have, should have.” Kade reached up to embrace Sloan’s hand in his own and brought it down to his lips. He kissed her hand gently. “But I’m alive, we saved the spy who, by the way, better have earth-shattering intel for the bullet I took for her. I swear to you, if she’s coming back with information on the best places to eat in New Hope or the queen’s latest fashion trends…”
Kade allowed his voice to trail off.
“You’re impossible.” Sloan rolled her eyes. “You nearly died, and here you are, cracking jokes.”
“We all have a day set for our deaths.” Kade still held her hand. He brought it to the opposite side of his chest, away from the white gauze bandage. “Fate has made sure of that. Today isn’t my day, and no matter how much I worry about it, nothing will change.”
“I should have guessed you’d believe in fate.”
“Believe and embrace. After all, fate is what brought you to me.”
“You’re not going to try to get me to join a cult now or anything, are you?”
Kade cracked a grin and actually laughed, though his normal cheerful chuckle was cut short by a grimace of pain.
“Oh, I’m sorry.” Sloan winced. “I should know better than to make you laugh.”
“It’s fine,” Kade said, regaining composure. “It only hurts when I breathe.”
The Complete Vampire Project Series: (Books 1 - 5) Page 53