Kade (sci-fi romance - The Ember Quest Book 2)

by Arcadia Shield

  “I’m all for equal partnerships.”

  Kade couldn’t help but smile through his pain. He loved independent women. And Honor fell right into that category.

  She slumped against the rock wall and looked at Kade.

  He took his time looking her over as the air filled his lungs and the pounding throb in his head weakened. He couldn’t see any serious injuries, but the right sleeve of her shirt was shredded and her knuckles bloody. Plus, she had a painful-looking gash on her right cheek and her eye was swelling.

  “Think you can stand?” asked Honor.

  Kade nodded and shifted onto his elbows, fighting through the pain and ignoring the black spots dancing in his vision.

  “Let me help.” Honor shuffled over and hooked her hands under his armpits, pulling him into a seated position.

  “Fuck!” Kade almost blacked out, as Honor’s hand hit his damaged ribs.

  “Sorry! Every inch of you is a mess. I don’t know what’s safe to touch.”

  “It’s fine.” Kade sucked in air, waiting for the tunnel to stop spinning. “Don’t suppose the second explosion cleared the way out of here?”

  “It made no difference in that direction,” said Honor. “But it might have given us a new way out.” She pointed behind Kade, and he shifted, to see a gaping black hole punched through the wall behind him.

  “That could go anywhere.” He looked around the floor and spotted the location scanner he’d dropped when the explosion hit. “Grab that and see if it’s still working.”

  Honor slid across the floor and lifted the scanner. “Looks good.” She held it up and pointed it toward the gap. After a minute of adjusting the scanner, she smiled. “And it’s our way out.”

  “Let’s go.” Kade’s gaze went around the rubble. “Have you seen the fragment box?”

  Honor shook her head. “It’s gone. But I found a few other things that came out of the explosion.” She pulled three bone fragments out of the pocket on her trousers. “These any good?”

  Kade’s eyes widened. “Dragon bones!”

  Honor held them up, her expression highly skeptical. “You sure? Maybe they’re dog bones?”

  He grinned at her. “There’s only one way to find out. We need to get them to the lab.”

  Honor placed them back in her pocket. “I’ll keep them safe.” She crouched in front of Kade and placed a hand on his cheek. “I thought I’d lost you.” She looked away and swallowed.

  “You can’t lose me now.” Kade placed his hand over Honor’s. “We’re both in too deep.”

  Honor looked back at him and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. “That sounds about right.”

  HONOR TRIED NOT TO wince as they inched their way along the newly blasted passageway, edging closer to freedom. The location scanner showed a route back to the original entrance, but it was a mile longer than their original path, and she was worried Kade wouldn’t make it. His skin was gray and his breathing labored with every step.

  Honor’s own skin felt sandblasted from where grit had pelted her. And her head throbbed from being struck by a flying rock. But she could walk, and was in better shape than Kade. She was determined to get him out.

  “Not much farther,” she said, for what seemed like the hundredth time.

  “Need a break,” Kade gasped out, and slumped against the wall, his head lowered.

  “Good idea. A five-minute break will help both of us.” She forced cheerfulness in her voice as she leaned against the wall and rested her throbbing head on Kade’s shoulder. “Where do you want to go?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Once this is all over. Where should we go on our first holiday?”

  Kade chuckled and then grimaced, his hand wrapping around his ribs. “Somewhere warm and sunny with sand.”

  “I didn’t take you for a beach kind of guy.”

  “I’m not.”

  “So why pick there?”

  “Isn’t that what you want?”

  “I’m more of a wild swimming sort of woman,” said Honor. “I’ve always wanted to travel to the former coalition of Canada and the Antarctic. Do some cross-country skiing.”

  “Snow and ice?”

  “And hundreds of miles of amazing trails to explore,” said Honor. “Wildlife everywhere. No one else around, just experiencing nature as it should be.”

  “Sounds amazing.”

  “You’d be welcome to join me,” said Honor. “All you need to do is get your butt out of this cave and get those ribs fixed.”

  “It’s a deal,” said Kade. “We get out of this and I’ll take you away. Just me and you, and all the nature we can handle.”

  “I should warn you, I like to swim naked.”

  Kade spluttered out a laugh and then groaned. “So do I.”

  Honor smiled. “Let’s get out of here.” She wrapped an arm around Kade and they inched forward.

  The earpiece Honor had in crackled to life. “Kade. Honor. Are you receiving me?”

  “Heath!” Honor looked at Kade and nodded, relief flooding through her. “We’re both here.”

  “Thank fuck for that! Been trying to reach you for three hours. What happened?”

  “An explosion,” said Honor. “We’ve found another way out, but Kade’s injured.”

  “Activate the GPS on the location scanner,” said Heath. “We can hook onto your location and help you get out.”

  Honor pulled the scanner out, studied it for a few seconds and then activated the GPS. “It’s on.”

  “Give us a moment while we locate you.”

  Her grip tightened around Kade. “We’re getting out of here.”

  “Can’t wait.” Kade slumped to his knees and coughed. “Not sure how much farther I can walk.”

  “Hold on.” Worry gripped Honor like a vise. They were so close to getting out. “Heath, how you doing with finding us?”

  “We’ve got you,” said Heath. “You’re a long way from the exit, though.”

  “We need out of here. Don’t think Kade can keep walking.”

  “We can blast you out.” Arlo’s voice echoed on the comms. “I’ll blow a hole into the ground and we can pull you up.”

  “Too risky,” muttered Kade.

  “Do it,” said Honor.

  “If Arlo is off with his explosions, he could bring down the whole place on our heads.”

  “It’s the only way,” said Honor. “You can barely stand, and I’m struggling.”

  “Move back twenty yards,” said Arlo. “I’ll direct the blast away from you so the rocks don’t hit you.”

  “Give us a few minutes.” Honor looked into Kade’s glazed, bloodshot eyes. “We have to do this.”

  Kade struggled to keep his eyes open as he nodded. “I know.”

  She dragged Kade along the corridor, trying to ignore his pain-filled groans every time she touched him. It felt like it had taken hours, but they were finally far enough away.

  “We’re in position,” said Honor.

  “I’ll give you a countdown,” said Arlo. “Five seconds. Four. Three. Two. One.”

  Honor shielded Kade as a roar tore through the rock above them and a flash of fire spat into the passageway. She remained pressed against Kade until the air cleared before turning and looking along the passage. A bright flashlight beam shone through the dust.

  “Everyone okay down there?” said Heath.

  “We’re fine.” Honor spat out grit and coughed.

  “Sending the harness now,” said Heath.

  “You’re going first,” Honor said to Kade.

  “No. You first.”

  “You can barely stand. No arguments.”

  “The passageway isn’t stable.”

  “Then we can’t hang around.” Honor began the painful process of dragging Kade to the hole that had been blasted through the rock. She peered up into the flashlight shining down at her and grabbed the harness. It had a strap that sat around the waist and thighs. She hooked Kade into it, despite his prote
sts.

  “Stay awake until you get to the top, otherwise you’ll get more bruises.” She grabbed Kade’s face and kissed his lips, ignoring the taste of dirt and blood.

  Kade nodded, fighting against unconsciousness, as Honor yanked on the harness. “We’re ready to go down here.”

  The harness rope tightened, and Kade slid upwards into the darkness, Honor straining her arms until he’d slipped from her fingers.

  She patted the bones in her pocket as she waited for the harness to return. “I hope you were worth it.”

  Chapter 12

  “Take it easy with that strapping.” Kade hissed out air as Heath wound sticky strips of material to his throbbing bare side.

  “Need to keep these ribs from getting worse,” said Heath. “Don’t want them sticking into anything vital when we move you.”

  “Where’s Honor?” Kade’s pulse pounded through his veins, and he knew it wouldn’t slow until he could see she was safe.

  “On her way up.”

  “She found dragon bones.”

  Heath’s eyebrows rose as he worked on Kade’s injuries. “Have to take a look at those when we get back to base.”

  “You think she’ll believe what we’re doing now?”

  “Might take more than a few bones to do that, but it’s a start.”

  “Kade!” Honor’s panicked-sounding voice shot through the darkness.

  “Over here.” Annie hurried to her and helped Honor out of the harness.

  “How’s he doing?”

  “I’m fine,” said Kade.

  Heath laughed quietly. “Stretching the truth, there.”

  “Don’t want to worry her.”

  “Too late for that.”

  Honor hurried to his side and knelt next to him. He felt her trembling fingers brush the sweat-soaked hair from his forehead. “How are you doing?”

  “Already much better.”

  “Liar,” muttered Heath.

  “Don’t forget you’re going to take me on holiday when this is over,” said Honor.

  “As if I could forget that.” His hand tightened around hers. Blood glistened on her face and one eye was puffy and red.

  Honor let out a shaky sigh as her gaze tracked down Kade’s battered body. “Just because you’ve got a few cuts and bruises doesn’t mean I’m letting you off. We will do so much naked swimming together.”

  Heath choked on a laugh as he finished bandaging Kade’s ribs.

  “Sounds like paradise,” said Kade, not caring who heard him.

  “You should be good to move.” Heath sat back on his heels and packed the medical kit. “Lincoln, Arlo, bring the stretcher. We’ll get Kade in the Cobra.”

  “No need. I can walk.”

  “Stay where you are,” said Honor. “Let them help.”

  Kade opened his mouth to protest, but the fire in Honor’s eyes and the nausea in his stomach made him decide otherwise. “Yes, ma’am.” His head slumped to the ground and his eyes rolled. He fought to stay conscious, but every time he took a breath, it felt like a knife was slicing into his side.

  “Hurry with that stretcher,” said Heath.

  Lincoln and Arlo sprinted from the Cobra and lifted Kade onto the stretcher.

  “Take it easy,” growled Kade, curses flying from his mouth.

  “Wait till we hit a pothole on our way back,” said Arlo, “then you’ll know pain.”

  “You’re such a comfort.” Kade gritted his teeth, as they carried him to the Cobra and slid the stretcher onto the floor, securing it to the magnetic base to stop him sliding around.

  Honor jumped into the Cobra and sat close to Kade’s head, grabbing hold of his hands as she did so. “Hold on, we’ll be back to your base soon.”

  The truck’s hydrogen engine purred into life, and everyone settled into position for the journey home. Annie and Heath were back up front, and Arlo and Lincoln sat opposite Honor.

  Kade bit back his curses as they bumped along the path to the main road. He needed a distraction, or he would black out. “Show me the bones you found.”

  Honor blinked a few times as if she’d forgotten she had them. She pulled a bone out of the pocket of her trousers and held it in front of him. “Was this worth almost getting killed for?”

  Lincoln leaned closer and let out a low whistle. “Looks like a complete bone.”

  “It’s pristine,” said Kade, struggling to focus on the bone. “Should get some great DNA.”

  “You’ll need to recover fast, so you can get to work on this,” said Honor.

  “That’s the plan.” He bit his tongue as the truck slammed to a stop.

  “What’s the problem?” called Lincoln, slamming a fist against the back of the Cobra. “We’ve got an injured person back here, in case you’d forgotten.”

  The hatch slid open and Annie’s concerned-looking face appeared. “We’ve got company.”

  “Militia?” Lincoln’s hand went to the gun on his hip.

  “Think so,” said Annie. “Hold on tight back there, we’re going to try to lose them in the trees.”

  “They’ll arrest us just for being out here?” asked Honor.

  “They won’t bother with an arrest,” said Arlo, as he hunted through a bag on the bench next to him. “When they know it’s us, they’ll shoot on sight and stick our heads on poles as a warning to others.”

  Honor’s face paled. “They can’t take us.”

  Arlo lifted a small, plain, metal box out of his bag, and grinned at her. “I’ve got a few gifts for the militia I’ve been wanting to give them. Looks like they’re getting an early birthday present.”

  “Go easy with those,” said Kade, eyeing the box with suspicion. “Drop one in here and that’s the end of us.”

  “You know me, steady as a rock when it comes to my bombs.” Arlo stepped over Kade and positioned himself by the back door.

  Kade felt Honor’s hands tighten around his and he squeezed back as hard as he could. “He knows what he’s doing, despite acting like an idiot most of the time.”

  “I love you too, bro.” Arlo unhooked the Cobra door.

  The truck changed direction, and they drove deeper into the trees, the road becoming bumpier, making Kade’s injuries scream and the desire to black out increasingly enticing.

  A flash of red light lit the trees, and Kade flinched. It was a drone searchlight, homing in on their location before the attack began.

  “Heads down!” shouted Arlo as he launched a bomb.

  A few seconds later, a flash of white light filled the forest and Arlo let out a whoop. “Got one. But there is one more vehicle following.”

  “Can we really escape the militia?” Honor whispered in Kade’s ear, her hair tickling his cheek as she leaned closer.

  “We’ve done it before.”

  Heath rolled the Cobra deeper into the trees, creeping the vehicle along as the foliage thickened and the track vanished.

  “Why aren’t you putting distance between us?” asked Honor.

  “We’re camouflaged,” said Heath. “If I keep us out of the way, the militia won’t spot us.”

  “They know we’re here,” said Kade. “Otherwise they wouldn’t have tried to bury us in the caves.” He felt the truck stop and the engine switch off. The only sounds were the rustle of leaves overhead and the short, panicked breaths coming from Honor. He dug his nails into his palms, furious with himself for getting injured. He was useless to his brothers—and to Honor—in this condition.

  She reached over to check Kade’s head wound, just as an explosion rocked the Cobra on its axles.

  “Shit!” Arlo slid back on the bench and rubbed his eyes. “Damn flash bomb almost blinded me.”

  “If we take a direct hit, the camouflage will fail,” said Heath, the tense atmosphere inside the vehicle thickening, as they waited to see what the militia would do next.

  Another blast ten feet from the Cobra had them all ducking.

  Lincoln looked up from the scanner he’d been studying
. “There’s a small town three miles east of here. If we can get there, we can find somewhere to lie low, and maybe get some treatment for Kade.”

  “Can’t wait here any longer,” said Heath. “Arlo, use some of your unique distractions to throw them off while we get to the town.”

  “It will be my pleasure.” Arlo grabbed his bag and hopped off the back of the Cobra.

  Heath switched on the engine and crept slowly forward, moving in the direction of the town.

  Kade growled, as the truck bounced over uneven ground.

  “I’m okay with holding hands,” said Honor, “but it would be nice if you didn’t break my fingers.”

  “Sorry,” grunted Kade, loosening his hold.

  “You can make it up to me with dinner when we get back,” said Honor.

  “Dinner and a holiday?”

  “I never said I wasn’t demanding.”

  Kade forced a smile. “Food in the bunker is decent, but nothing fancy. Don’t expect gourmet.”

  “We’ll have to make do,” said Honor. “Don’t think either of us will be welcome in any of the restaurants back home.”

  “We can go in disguise.”

  Honor smiled down at him and brushed a finger across his cheek. The soft, sweet look on her face made his pain fade, and he lost himself in her wide eyes and full mouth. She was his salve, wiping away any hurt, and showing him brightness and promise.

  Arlo hopped back onto the Cobra, his bag empty. “Six bombs around our perimeter.” He flinched as an explosion hit a tree nearby. “Whatever direction they come at us, they won’t like what they find.”

  “Guide me through them,” said Heath. “Don’t want to drive into one of your bombs.”

  Arlo settled by the open hatch and guided Heath around his bombs as the Cobra picked up speed.

  Two more blasts landed close to the vehicle, and each time Heath changed direction, keeping one step ahead of their attackers. They sped out from the tree cover and the assault from the militia grew more accurate.

  “They know we’re here,” said Lincoln.

  “Camouflage is still holding,” said Heath. “But they’ll see our heat signature if they know where to look.”

  “Where are we heading?” asked Kade, looking for a distraction from his burning ribs.