by Cherie Marks
“It’s about damn time. Are you going to help me?”
His voice was deep and gravelly as he asked, “Why are you claiming you aren’t supposed to be here? Residence in the Complex is voluntary. People chose to be here…mostly for the money…but it was their choice.”
“Not mine,” Zaira insisted as she stood. “I woke up here, but I didn’t sign up for this. I want out…now.”
“What do you mean, you woke up here? Everyone had to come through the damn, long registration lines. There’s no way you could be here before today. How did you even get here?”
Zaira nibbled her bottom lip. “I…I don’t know, honestly. I can’t remember a small chunk of the last couple of days. I’m a little freaked out because it’s all a blank.” She cupped her hands over her face, trying not to give in to her emotions.
“Maybe we can check our lists. It’s unlikely but possible there was some mistake. What’s your name and personal identifications?”
She explained who she was, and after punching her information into his electronic reader, he glanced up at her and back to the screen a few times before clearing his throat and saying, “According to our records, you’re supposed to be here, Ms. Kohl. This is your signature on a contract right here, and the payment to your account already went through. What kind of game are you trying to play?”
Zaira deflated immediately. Impossible! How would her name be in their system? She would never have come here willingly. So, why would she have signed anything? Something didn’t feel right.
“Can I see the signature?”
He handed the reader to her reluctantly. She stared in horror-struck awe at the scrawling signature, clearly her name, and obviously her handwriting.
“Well? What are you trying to pull?”
“I…really…I have no idea how this happened. I don’t have a single memory of arriving here, and I can assure you real estate in the Complex was the furthest from my wish list.” She began to rub her temples as her headache returned with a vengeance.
The large intra propped his three-fingered hands on his hips and said, “Look, you’re a resident here for the next two and half years, so you better get used to it.” He looked down at his reader. “You start your job in the Uni Books and More soon like everyone else. You better get settled in and meet a few neighbors. I don’t want any more trouble from you. Do you hear?”
Zaira glanced up, her ears ringing as the shock of her situation set in. Everything became clear, and though she nodded, the wheels in her mind were still turning, trying to come up with a solution to this newest development in the crazy-storm her life had become.
“Alright. Problem solved. Get her out of here and back in her apartment.” He turned to go back through the door from which he’d just come but swiveled back to say, “And Zaira Kohl, don’t ever leave your damn electronic reader again. Take it with you wherever you go. Now, get out of here.”
The intra who had brought her here in the first place lifted her from the chair and began marching her toward the door. Just as they reached the exit, another intra came through with a handcuffed Meta who, if the murderous look in her eyes meant anything, was ready to rip out the heart of the next person she got her hands on. Her skin was tan, with a reddish tint to it, and she held herself regally, like she’d been a ruler in her life before the Complex. Her facial features were perfectly symmetrical with sharp cheekbones and full lips, but her brows arched high and her nose had the slightest bump in it. Rather than take away from her beauty, the tiny imperfections seemed to enhance her unique attractiveness, and every male intra turned to stare at her, regardless of their species. Zaira experienced the slightest twinge of jealously at how she’d commanded the male attention so easily.
Zaira sucked in a breath as her gaze collided with the stranger’s. The direct stare was intense. Her eyes were such a vivid amber color, as to appear almost yellow. They reminded Zaira of another pair of golden eyes she had a hard time forgetting. The woman gave the slightest tip of her lips, and Zaira returned the unexpected smile. As they passed each other, their shoulders brushed, and the minute they touched, Zaira felt something like lightning fire through her brain. The woman’s hands were linked together, but she raised them to her mouth and kissed them, blowing the kiss at Zaira. As she breathed in, it felt as if she’d pulled something into her lungs. This Meta was powerful and somehow they had a connection. She had a feeling that if she hadn’t had the protective device on her ear, the secrets of her mind would no longer be her own.
Yet, even as Zaira stepped back outside, she felt locked into the gaze of the strange female Meta, even as the door closed and cut the visual contact. Something about the woman was familiar and strange all at the same time. She didn’t know who she was or why she seemed significant, but something told Zaira she hadn’t seen the last of her.
Ryder Vinchen watched the Human female exit the station with the intra. By the way she stared after Wondra, the exchange had been made successfully. She had the crystal…even if she didn’t realize it. Now it was Ryder’s job to extract the Kintari from the woman. Of course, the fact she didn’t know she carried it would make the work all that much easier. He just needed to find a way to get close to her. Not something he usually had trouble with when it came to women. And, not that he took advantage of it…anymore…but women usually found him irresistible.
As the Human intra pointed her in the right direction and turned to walk back inside, leaving her to find her own way to her living quarters, Ryder growled low at the disrespect. He didn’t know her. Didn’t know what kind of person she was, but even he wouldn’t have just left her to find her own way in a strange, new place. Anyone could take advantage of a woman walking alone when most of the population were getting settled in their apartments.
It’s what he was counting on.
She lifted a single finger, in the middle of her hand, toward the intra station and shouted a few choice words in the same direction. Definitely not a flower prone to shrink at the first sign of danger, he couldn’t help but be impressed with her nerve. She actually seemed familiar to him honestly. Something about her brought a sense that he’d been here before. Of course, he’d remember such a fiery ball of passion, he was sure. The intra were cracking down on even the smallest things, and she risked getting a swarm of officers back out here to throw her into one of the Clim intra holding cells and strategically, lose the key. Yet, her body language said she was used to fending for herself and looking danger in the face regularly.
Without a look back, she finally strode off toward the buzz of the crowd, and he followed at a distance. As a vampiric demon, he had the ability to camouflage to his surroundings, and he did that now, blending in with the silver of the city around them and moving silently along the sidewalk. He watched her, feeling the thrill of the chase. It had been a long time since he’d trailed a mark, but it had never been someone as feisty as this particular Human female.
As she moved along, he scrutinized her without her awareness. She wore a black tank, revealing muscular, shapely arms, and a utilitarian pair of green pants that only served to emphasize the curves of her athletic body. Her hair was a multi-hued brown with attractive red highlights. The color drew him closer, and his nostrils flared as he began to question his own sanity.
It couldn’t be!
He studied her closely now. Sure fate couldn’t be this cruel…or fortuitous…depending on how she received him.
Stars, she looked good! His fingers itched to determine if her hair was still as silky as it looked. When she turned to the side to peer into a shop window, he got a good glimpse at her profile. Definitely Zaira. Though Human, from the side, she was one of the most attractive females he’d ever seen. Her feminine features were delicate, unlike the strong faces of the vampiric demon females he was used to. Yet, strength pulsed through her body, and he wanted to kiss her bow-shaped mouth again and again. She carried herself with confidence, and he wondered what she was doing in the Complex. This seeme
d like the last place Zaira would ever choose to be.
She walked a little farther away from the station, peering around her at the mostly deserted area. Her actions seemed more curious than irritated now. As she made her way back toward the housing area, she stopped and perused the various shops and businesses along the way. Now that she wasn’t being observed—as far as she knew—she seemed softer, almost child-like, more like the Zaira he’d spent a year with a while ago.
He kind of felt wrong following along behind her when she was so vulnerable. She’d hate it if she knew. If she only knew how close to him she was. What was he going to do now? It was his duty to get the Kintari, whatever it took. His people’s continued existence counted on it, but he couldn’t hurt Zaira no matter what. Well, he couldn’t hurt her…again.
She paused in front of yet another store window, and he stopped a few feet away. He liked she was taking her own sweet time. It was giving him plenty of opportunity to stare at her unusual beauty without making things uncomfortable and awkward.
“I’ll give you fair warning right now, Ryder, I don’t like being followed, and whatever you’re planning, it won’t work out the way you want it to.”
It took him a minute to realize she’d spoken his name. But when she straightened up and leaned against the wall of the building, crossed her arms, and looked right at him, he knew he hadn’t been as careful as he’d wanted to be. With the deception finished, Ryder dropped his camouflage and appeared to her. He crossed his arms, mentally kicking himself for getting distracted by her attractiveness. She wasn’t curious about her surroundings. She’d been detecting his presence.
“Seems I’m a bit rusty. Used to be able to sneak up on any being, even a creature that was all ears.”
“Yeah, rusty. You could call it that. Keep in mind, I know you. You have certain…distinctive…markers.”
“Like what?”
“The way you smell. It’s like no other I’ve known.”
“Hope that’s a good thing.”
Her mouth twisted in irritation. “So, what’s it to be? You walking away on your own or you limping away with my help?”
He chuckled at her bravado. No wilting flower, this one. She never was. Yet, if he showed his full strength, even she’d lose that ego real quick. “Just want to have a conversation.”
Now it was her turn to laugh. “Do you always sneak up on people you want to have a conversation with, Ryder? Or am I just special to you?” The smile fell from her face almost immediately as her words sunk in.
“Not always. You are special, wildling. So far, completely unpredictable.”
She gave a crooked smile that made his chest clench. “Oh, Meta, pretty sure you’re the one with the surprises. And as far as what I got, you ain’t seen nothing yet.”
Without warning, she took off at full speed toward the transit station. It took him by surprise and for a full ten seconds he watched her retreating figure before jumping into action and running after her.
His long strides ate up the distance between them, but as he closed in, she stopped and turned to face him, stance wide and arms in a loose fighting position. He slowed and approached her at a steady walk. Her gaze traveled up his tall form.
“Stars, I forgot how big you are!”
“All the more reason for you to come with me quietly.”
“And why exactly would I do that?”
Now, he stopped a few feet from her and bared his fangs. “Because you’re smart and you know what’s good for you, Zaira. Don’t you want to catch up? Two years is a long time apart.”
“Thanks for reminding me why I don’t want to spend any more time with you ever again.” Without any warning, she ran straight at him and practically up him, using his body to do a back flip. As her feet passed his face, she caught him square in the chin, forcing his head to whip backward as she landed. She didn’t pause though. Swiftly, she dropped to the ground and swept both legs out to knock his out from under him. It worked, and he hit the ground hard. Not wasting any time, she scrambled up and took off once more.
This time he let her go. Now that she possessed the Kinjari, he would always sense the general area where she was. He would find her again—he grinned at the thought—and, next time, he’d be ready for her tricks.
She was fast, and he was…impressed. Most of the Humans he’d known were weak, mindless drones that spent their days at some menial job that slowly sucked away their souls. Not Zaira Kohl. Never his Zaira.
He would find her, and he would learn why she was here. He bared his fangs in a grin.
Excitement thrummed through him at the thought. And he’d have fun doing it.
Zaira turned in her seat in the zipper and watched Ryder grow smaller and smaller in the distance as she moved away from the main part of the city and back toward the living area. Her heart was still hammering from the interaction, and she wasn’t sure it was all because of the danger he’d represented.
Once she’d realized it was Ryder, not some random maniac ready to pounce on her, she’d felt confident in her ability to drop him on his ass, and now she had to admit she’d enjoyed every minute of it.
She shook herself mentally and turned around to face forward. She had to get it together. This kind of thinking was not at all how she was going to get herself out of here. Stars knew she wasn’t getting help from the intra.
With a groan, she dropped her head back on her shoulders. Even she would’ve had a hard time believing her story if it hadn’t actually happened to her. So, how was she ever going to get the help she needed to leave this planet and get back to her version of normal? Maybe it wasn’t the way most people chose to live their lives—in constant danger—but Zaira refused to allow herself to live vulnerably ever again. She was in charge of her fate, and that’s how she liked it.
That was another reason to get out of the Complex as quickly as she could. There had to be a black market where she could purchase a ticket on the next outgoing launch. Of course, that brought up a whole other problem. How would she find someone to help her and how would she pay them?
Supposedly, she’d received money for agreeing to live here, but how did she access that money? In that moment, she recalled how strongly the intra emphasized her need to carry the electronic reader with her everywhere she went. It or something just as simple was probably a means for accessing her account. She needed to get back to her apartment and see exactly how that worked. Now to find a shady character who would be willing to help a Human out…literally…out of here.
Zaira sat quietly for the remaining time between the main city and the forested area where she’d been assigned to live. Once the transport came to a stop and she exited, she rushed back toward the building she recalled stumbling from earlier today. Less people milled about the streets than before, and she had no problem getting inside. Of course, when she stepped into the interior, she realized she hadn’t bothered to pay attention to the location of her apartment. Considering the fact she’d planned to leave this place forever, she hadn’t thought she’d need to remember that information.
One thing she did recall was which floor she’d been on. She clicked the button for the fourth floor and felt it rise. Once she stepped into the circular hallway, she glanced back and forth, hoping that something would look familiar. It didn’t. She walked around a couple times but wasn’t any closer to figuring out where she lived exactly. Short of knocking on every door until she’d eliminated all the ones that were already occupied, she didn’t have any idea how she was going to find her apartment.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a figure emerge from the shadows. Every muscle in her body tensed, wondering what about her seemed to attract predators today. Before her, materialized another man, this one about her height with shock-white hair and beady, black eyes. He gave off a dangerous vibe, like he was up to nothing that qualified as good. This time, though, she didn’t get anxious. Even with the lethal way he moved, she could take this guy in her sleep.
&nbs
p; As he got closer, he motioned for her to lean in to him, like someone familiar to her might do when he needed to talk low about something secretive. What secrets could she have with a stranger?
“I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Where have you been? You were supposed to meet me at your apartment hours ago.”
“Was I?” Why would she meet with this guy? Did she know him? His face didn’t look familiar at all.
He grinned at her, and she got a jolt of memory at the sight of his needle-like teeth. She’d seen those teeth somewhere before…and recently. Yet, nothing else about him matched any past experiences. What was he? Some kind of Meta obviously. More importantly though, who was he? Specifically, who was he to her?
“Of course. Stick to the plan, Miss Kohl. It’s the only way we’re getting out of here quickly.”
She stilled and her heartbeat picked up, along with her breathing. He was her way out of the Complex? But they had a plan, which she had no recollection of whatsoever.
Thinking quickly, she said, “I was thinking we could go over the plan one more time, just to make sure we’re on the same page with everything.”
A thick haze covered his eyes for a moment, and Zaira got the feeling he was holding back his anger. His brow wrinkled slightly as he answered, “We don’t have time to go over everything again. Ms. Kohl, are you stalling for some reason? Is there something you don’t like about this job?”
A job? She’d agreed to retrieve something from the Complex? Why would she do that? Had she lost her ever-loving mind? There were no legal escape clauses. She’d be stuck here for two and a half years. Selky had taught her much better than that. Always plan your exit before you even begin.
He grabbed her arm and pulled her toward one of the doors on the outer edges of the round hallway. They didn’t have numbers, letters, or names, so how he knew which one to approach, she really didn’t know, but he raised her hand to the lighted, rectangular plate mounted to the wall beside the door. He pressed her palm against it, and with a loud whoosh of air, the door to an apartment opened.
