by Tigris Eden
Gabe stopped and Xee tripped, tumbling into him. Or would have had she known that in front of her was a straight drop hurtling her into a dark abyss. She was falling, plummeting into nothing. She tried to grab air but couldn’t scream because the breath she was trying to release was at the bottom of her feet. Her stomach threatened to empty her breakfast and her ears felt full of cotton. Strong arms wrapped around her waist as another gust of wind enfolded her into Gabe’s arms. It knocked what little air she had left out of chest, causing her to cough. Everywhere he touched, her skin tingled. She hissed and gritted her teeth in aggravation as she held on tight. How close had she’d come to falling to her death? All because she couldn’t see in the dark. There had to be lights. The heat of his breath fanned her cheek, her hands unwillingly locked around his neck in a tight grip as she held on to him and waited to reach the bottom.
”I’m sorry Blossom. It didn’t occur to me you couldn’t see. I’m usually the only one down here.”
“Duh! I’m human aside from my Para-housed. I don’t have any special powers. I can’t see shit!”
She felt his body shake and knew he was trying to hold in his laughter. He was so warm and hard in all the right places that she had to adjust her own hands, because they were no longer around his neck, but pressed against the wall of his well-muscled chest. He whispered something in a language she didn’t understand, and then there was light.
Xee’s eyes adjusted to the room. She realized very quickly that although she was holding onto Gabe, there was nothing holding on to him. There was no floor and from what she could tell, no ceiling. She clutched him tighter; this time instead of his neck, she was clawing his shoulders.
“What the hell Angel Boy?” She practically screamed. He didn’t respond, but pulled her tighter so that her body was flush against his. Blood roared in her ears and fire filled her veins with something she’d never expected. Need. For a man. She was having all kinds of feeling for the opposite sex, and that just never happened. Sure, she was attracted to them, but she never acted on her desires. Women were easier to manage, whereas men wanted to control every aspect of any sort of arrangement they entered into. “Who said we were entering into an arrangement?”
She ignored Micah.
“I assumed you could see in the dark,’ he whispered along the shell of her ear. Her eyes closed on their own accord as his arms tightened around her waist. He flew them to the safety of the stairs. The stairs that had a very sharp curve that if one were to walk in the dark, they’d fall right off its ledge. She took in her surroundings; the stairs were embedded into the wall of the mountain that continued its descent disappearing into nothing.
“Where are we?”
“Inside the H.I.V.E. It’s a catacomb of interlocking systems that connect to different places. It houses command central, but before that it was mostly used as a travel system energized by part of the Earth’s core. The magnetic field allows for travel.”
Xee looked around.
“I don’t see any magma around here and it’s not hot either.” It was moist, maybe a bit humid but for the most part, it wasn’t suffocating. His smile was desire inducing, and to block out the need that was building, she bit her lip hard until she was sure she tasted blood.
“That’s because what you refer to as magma is part of the core. Like any living organisms there are defenses, some natural other’s not so natural. The Earth’s defense is its magma. There is no threat with us here, therefore no magma. I don’t have time to give you a lesson, but the Earth’s true core is a little more complicated and a lot more dangerous.” He hesitated a heartbeat before he made one last comment. “And stop biting your lip, it distracts me.”
He should be one to talk.
They made their way down the stairs and with the light now guiding their way, she marveled at all she saw. Blue florescent light swirled in waves, as they got closer to the bottom. It was like an ocean of blue fire, only it wasn’t hot.
“Next time when you come down, and you’re alone. Repeat these words. Forae duc tor blare.”
“Um, you’re gonna need to write that down Angel Boy.”
He stared at her for a moment, eyeing her again from head to toe before raising his arrogant brow in question and kept moving forward. Much later, they reached the bottom going through another door. The blue light below was abundant with life. She could see that now that she was closer. Things she’d never seen before, some beautiful, other’s downright nightmarish.
“In here.”
Gabe pulled open a metal door and lights illuminated a row of computers, complete with multi-monitors and keyboards.
“Now this, I can dig.”
For the next couple of hours they worked side by side. It wasn’t really training but a collaboration as they scoured search engine after search engine for anything they could find on the Sahidic. There was even an Immortal Search Database. ISD as Gabe kept referring to it and it was filled with everything any geek person could ever want. She was in heaven. It wasn’t until she pushed off her chair that she realized she hadn’t heard a peep out of Micah.
“Micah?” Nothing.
“Dude, seriously, stop fucking around.” Still nothing. She was about to panic when she felt something stir in the back of her mind.
“Micah?”
“Yeah, princess sugar britches keep your thong on. I’m just chilin. Now get back to work.” Xee couldn’t help but smile.
“What are you so happy about?” Gabe asked next to her.
“Just talking to my bro Micah.”
“You mean the Para-housed.”
“I mean Micah.”
“I’ve never heard of a Para-housed referring to themselves as an actual person.”
“Maybe because you’ve never taken the time to inquire.”
Xee watched his face, his brows scrunching, something she realized he did all the time when he was thinking.
“Maybe Blossom.” He shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the screen picking up where he had left off. She didn’t comment on the use of her name, but went back to her work on the screen as well. She’d found a particularly interesting page about the All Seeing Eye and how the keeper of the sixth hour may or may not have two pieces of the Sahidic. The information was outdated as the last entry had been over six hundred years ago. The ISD had been around for a long ass time, she thought as she continued to read the article.
“Gabe, Xee. Lunch is being served. You two coming up or staying down there?”
It was the other pregnant female Jesminda and her child Faith.
“Yeah Gabriel, come eat with me.”
Xee saw the smile on his face at the sound of the little girl’s voice.
“Sure Faith. You know I’d never miss one of our lunch dates. Jes we’ll be right up.”
Again, she watched as his tall, bulky body rose gracefully from where he sat. All that man, all that power and he commanded it so well. He stretched his neck, bent forward, and stretched his massive wings.
“Those things must get in the way.” Xee blurted as she stood and stretched as well.
“What things?”
“Your wings.”
He turned facing her fully, a strange look on his face.
“You can see them?”
“Yes, they’re massive.”
“Normally no one can see them unless I want them to.”
He nodded his head once before standing taller, allowing his wings to span completely out behind him. He rolled his shoulders and it caused a sweet smelling breeze to roll through the room, the smell potent and addicting. If she had to put a name to it she couldn’t, but the smell was familiar, beckoning.
Fish out of water. She reminded herself and took a step back.
“Well a perk about them is they’re fully functional.” He held out his hand and she stepped back again until she hit the edge of her desk.
“I’ll walk.�
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“Suit yourself. See you in a half an hour. I left the lights on so you should have no problem getting back up. Nothing will bother you.”
With that, he was out of the door leaving her with the computers.
Chapter 6
“How are things going with Xee,” Jes asked while she twirled pasta around the twines of her fork.
Gabe didn’t answer right away. He was still trying to burn the image of what she was wearing from his brains. Apparently, she was more attractive than he had anticipated. Well, that wasn’t true, but fuck, he didn’t have time for this shit. There was a job that needed to get done. He didn’t need any distractions. The shorts she was wearing were short, but not too short. And the tats that adorned her skin were begging to be traced by his hands and tongue. He wanted to taste every inch of her exposed flesh. Even her pierced belly button that dangled a turtle with a diamond for a shell tempted him. Her very tan, very exotic skin tone only served to drive him further into lust. She was everything he didn’t want in a woman. She was brash and hard around the edges. It didn’t matter that when he held her in his arms she’d melted against him in all the right places. There was something about her that tied him up in knots, sparked his curiosity making him want to forego business for pleasure. The incident in the H.I.V.E was not entirely his fault. A large reason he hadn’t remembered she couldn’t see in the dark was because he was still trying to sort through the tormenting outfit she wore. Her pink silky hair that was up in a bun gradually loosened as they worked now cascaded down past her shoulders and rested in the middle of her back. Her hair was long. He just hadn’t realized it the other day, because he was being so damn critical of her appearance. He was becoming a slave to his desires and that was something he wasn’t used to.
“She’s smart, she’ll fit in just fine here once she’s all settled.” He finally answered.
Jes eyed him longer than necessary before taking another bite of her pasta.
“What?”
Draven’s mate shrugged her shoulders.
“I didn’t say anything.”
There was laughter coming from the hall and he knew Faith and her friend Reese were on their way.
“Gabe! Gabe!”
Faith bounded towards him with a smile, wearing her signature pink tutu and princess shirt.
“Hey there, beautiful girl.”
Faith took the chair next to him with Reese on his other side.
“Hi Gabe.”
“Hey Reece.”
The little girl sighed and put her hands under her chin, staring at him with starry eyes. She was a cute kid and he knew both her and Faith enjoyed hanging out with him. He didn’t mind, being around the girls reminded him of all that was right in the world.
“Gabe, mom says you’re leaving soon, why?” Faith asked curiosity evident in her green gaze.
“It’s time for me to go home.”
“This is your home,” she made it sound so obvious, like he was the one missing the big picture. Maybe he was, but it couldn’t be helped. There were days he wanted to stay on Earth and then there were days logic won out and he knew he belonged back in the Black Veil. He may have wanted to stay, but he needed to go. His brothers were good at their jobs, but having him back would balance out the scales. Gabe pulled on Faith’s ponytail while trying to explain.
“This was only my temporary home. Kind of like when you visited your nana. It wasn’t for forever, just for a little while.”
Faith’s bottom lip quivered and her eyes misted over with unshed tears.
“Well what about the bad man? You’re not supposed to go Gabe.”
His heart broke for Faith. She was right, there was a bad man, and there was nothing he could do in that aspect. What he could do was help locate the Sahidic before his time was up.
“Don’t worry baby, we’ll have the bad man sorted before I leave.”
He couldn’t really promise her that, but he would do his best to try.
His little beauty rubbed her eyes and sniffed.
“Well, okay then.” She hopped from her chair to run over to Jes and began talking to her mother’s belly. Jes giggled and hugged Faith and watched the girl and her friend take off towards the elevators. Clearing his throat, he worked on finishing his food.
“Back to our conversation.”
He raised his eyes staring at Jes.
“What conversation?”
“I’ve seen how hot Xee is, she’s so cute in an alternative chic way. I like her style.”
“Well I doubt she’ll care. She seems to have a thing for Belinda.”
Jesminda’s eyes widened.
“Really?”
“Yeah, she doesn’t do men, but woman are on the menu.”
“Wow, I wonder how that would even work, you know.”
Gabe stared unblinking at Jes. Was she serious?
“Same as any couple.”
Jes playfully smiled and winked. “You know what I mean Gabe. I know how we work, I’m a woman.”
“No complaints there.”
The other members were showing up as they ate, taking various spots around the table.
“Yo!” Royce said turning his chair and straddling it.
He nodded in the other man’s direction as Ronin and Bells sat next, followed by Dietrich, Adam, Draven, and Hawke.
“Where’s the new kid?”
“Making her way up the stairs from the H.I.V.E.”
There were several chuckles and Adam whistled, while both females glared.
“What,” he shrugged. “I did offer to bring her up. She declined.”
“What about the elevator?” Belinda asked.
“Magma’s flowing today. It was blue when we were down there. If I had her take the elevator, she could have ended up stuck.”
“Idiot.” Royce commented.
“Poor girl.” Bells said as she opened her soda and grabbed a napkin.
“Any luck with your search?” Draven asked. Taking Jes’ fork, he ate some of her pasta.
“Baby, I wasn’t done eating that.” Jes giggled.
He winked before nuzzling her neck and whispered in her ear, “Petal, eat your pasta.” Draven sat her fork down and pulled her in for a quick kiss on the forehead. “My cub needs all his food. I merely tasted to make sure my baby gets the best.”
Jes’ mate turned his attention back to Gabe.
“Nothing concrete yet.”
“I’ve put some feelers out to my contacts. Cyrian is also talking to some of his. If it’s out there, we’ll find it.”
“Dravaggio is sending me back to Japan on a lead. My mother’s still there, I’ll speak with her as well. But I’ll only be gone a day or two.” Hawke commented.
Everyone was doing his or her part in trying to locate the Sahidic. If he was able to at least track down its last physical location, then it would all fall to Kapua.
“Dude, she’s making her way over here and she looks pissed.”
Gabe turned his head and sure enough, Xee looked pissed. If her eyes could kill, he’d be stone cold right now. Tray in hand she walked over to the table. Belinda made room for her to sit opposite her and the twins. Two chairs over from him, next to Jes.
“How are you doing?” Adam asked, eyeing her with blatant interest. All the unmated males were, except for Dietrich. No one expected the answer that came out of her mouth.
“Getting my dick sucked, how are you doing?” She deadpanned.
Adam spit his drink out, the twins both choked on their food and Draven’s face stayed stoic. Both women laughed. Hawke was smiling and Dietrich crossed his arms over his chest, a small smile playing at the corners of his lips before he too laughed, if you could even call it that.
“You’re worse than D,” Adam responded after grabbing a napkin and wiping his shirt.
“Well, movie star how do you think I’m doing? I just trekked up from the bowels of hell, almost fell,” she loo
ked directly at Gabe as she spoke. “Twice. I’m not doing so hot right now, but since you asked, I figured I’d tell you anyway while at the same time showing the beautiful Belinda my sexual prowess and appeal. Clearly it worked. She’s smiling.”
“This shirt is ruined.” Adam complained.
“Send me the bill pretty boy.”
Adam glared.
Xee turned her attention towards Bells and winked, who in turn smiled coyly.
“Seriously, I’m sure you’re a sweet girl, but my baby is strictly dickly.” Royce’s tone was barely playful. He was really letting her get the best of him.
“Invite me over to dinner.” She said with confidence.
Ronin smirked, but Royce became even more agitated.
“Why the hell would we do that?” Royce growled pushing his chair back.
The little troublemaker took a bite of her food, wiped her mouth, and grinned.
He was getting hard. Why he couldn’t even begin to fathom. His first thought was that maybe it was because the conversation was entertaining, but it wasn’t. It was all her.
“If I come to dinner, I always leave with the girl. I take them back to my place, and turn their frowns upside down. Strictly dickly you say. We’ll see about that.”
Royce’s eyes widened slightly. Gabe couldn’t believe she would even say those words and provoke the beast. The twin with the fire in his eyes had a dark side, a very dark side and it didn’t discriminate against females. She was mouthy and extremely disrespectful.
“Royce, calm down. It’s not Xee talking.” Ronin said easing back in his chair. “It’s mostly the parasite. I’ll give him credit for the attempt, but that’s all he’ll get.”
Gabe looked over at his pink-haired blossom and could see it now. In her hazel eyes there was a shadow lurking just beneath. She could have stopped him if she’d wanted to but she hadn’t. So it was just as much her as it was her Para-housed.
“I like her.” Dietrich popped into the conversation, shocking the shit out of everyone. He liked no one and made no secret of it. Gabe didn’t like that she was on his radar, it bothered him. A lot. Having heard enough of the back and forth he quickly stood leaving the table.
