by Cherie Marks
“Well, that’s unexpected.” Both the sound and the visitor.
Zaira moved toward the door and noticed a moving screen mounted beside it. She realized it was a camera view of the person on the other side of the door. She recognized him immediately and placed her hand on the sensor to allow the door to open.
“Ryder? Thought you were going to wait until I contacted you.”
“There wasn’t time. We have to move quickly. They’re about to transfer her off the planet. If they do that, we’ll never get her out.”
Rori slipped up beside Zaira. “Oh, my. Who’s this? And who is it you’re trying to get out? And where is she stuck?”
Ryder gave Zaira an irritated stare. “Could’ve warned me.”
Zaira rolled her eyes with an obvious smirk. She wanted him to know how stupid that really was. “You started talking the minute my door opened. Exactly when was I supposed to let you know I had company?”
“Whatever.”
Rori crossed her arms. “Is anyone going to answer my questions?”
“Nope.” Ryder looked at Zaira with eyes of steel. “We need to go now. Sorry, but she can’t come along.”
With a sniff and a lift of her chin, Rori explained, “That’s okay. I know when I’m not wanted.” She squeezed by Ryder at the door. “Will I see you later tonight, Zaira?”
Zaira locked gazes with Ryder. Nervous energy raced throughout her body. “I’d like that, sweetie. We still have a few things to talk about.”
“Sounds good.”
She walked away quickly as Ryder stepped inside. “Grab your reader and let’s go. I can’t let them take her off Lorn. It’s a matter of life and death.”
A sense of urgency pushed Ryder hard. He walked quickly, occasionally looking back to make sure Zaira was still with him. She was right on his heels, and he couldn’t help but be fascinated with her toughness. She’d never been a quitter. All the more reason to regret making the decision to leave her so long ago. Once this was all done and over with, he’d like to see them give it another go. That was if she could see beyond their past.
“What’s the plan, Ryder?”
He glanced behind him again. “You’re the retriever. Thought you’d have an idea.”
Her laugh was obviously sarcastic as she shook her head and said, “It usually takes me weeks to scope out a job. I don’t know anything about where your sister’s being kept.”
“You were just there yesterday.” He shifted his focus back toward the direction they were going. They were beginning to meet a few other new citizens of the Complex, exploring the city where they would be living for a while.
“Yeah, but the only exit I saw was the front door. I’m all about scoping out multiple escape routes in case things go down badly.”
“Since when?”
“Two years ago.”
Ryder looked back at her once more before lowering his chin in determination and pushing onward. The message was clear. He’d left her without warning, without closure. He was the reason she needed multiple exits. Clearly, things between them weren’t resolved yet and might never be.
It occurred to him that he should tell her that she carried the Kinjari, and that he’d have to extract it from her. It wouldn’t be pleasant, but she wouldn’t want to carry it within her forever. Yet, how could he tell her when it would only put her in more danger if she knew.
There were things she didn’t know about his life and about the choices he’d been forced to make. When he’d known her before, he’d had responsibilities from which he’d been running. Nothing lasts forever though, and it became impossible to hide any longer because the Daeva were closing in, and he knew they’d use whatever means necessary to hurt his sister and him. They’d stop at nothing to possess the Kinjari. He did the only thing he thought he could. He’d walked away to protect Zaira.
If he’d stayed, the Daeva would have used her to get to him, and if he’d said anything, he knew she’d have wanted to get involved. He wouldn’t risk either of those outcomes, so he’d left. Yet, now it felt like a punch to his gut. He wished things could’ve been different.
They took the transport into the Main City, discussing possible ways in and out of the intra station. By the end of the commute, they had a few possibilities in mind. But Ryder couldn’t get her words out of his brain.
“Zaira, I need to tell you something about...”
Her sad gaze met his. “It’s too late, Ryder. Unless it’s the fastest way off this planet, I don’t want to hear anything you have to say now.”
The worst part was that she hadn’t even seemed angry—just resigned. As she looked away, he knew he’d lost her. The fighter in him wanted to push for another chance, but it would be for selfish reasons that only made him an asshole. It was hard to accept, but his sister’s life had to be his priority right now anyway.
“Alright. Fastest way off the planet is to retrieve my sister.”
“I’ve got an idea, but you’re probably not going to like it.”
Whether he liked it or not, if it worked, he’d be willing to try anything. “Try me.”
“How are your acting skills?”
* * *
“This is ridiculous!”
Zaira covered her mouth to hide her smile. She couldn’t help but be amused at Ryder’s expense. She poured a bottle of alcohol on his shoes and sprinkled some on his clothes and exposed skin. “We’ll just have a little drunken fight. The intra will do their jobs and arrest us. Once we’re inside, look around for all available escape possibilities, including windows, doors, and ventilation systems.”
“And what happens when we get separated? How do we come back together?” If worse came to worse, could she leave him behind? Not unless she had the Shadow Crystal in hand. Until she either had the gem, or Ryder’s black market connection was getting them out of the Complex, she had to stick with him to look after herself. Maybe it was egocentric, but she couldn’t afford to be any other way when it came to protecting her heart. He’d broken it once. She wouldn’t give him the chance to do it again.
“Leave that to me.” And she would do everything she could to get all three of them out. This is when Zaira’s retrieval kit came in handy. In it she had lock picks, smoke bombs, flash grenades, and other items that never failed to cause distraction and gave her an opportunity to get out fast.
They didn’t waste any more time figuring out the details. Once they were outside the intra station, they made a crazy scene until three officers came out and forced them into the station, just as they’d planned. Zaira’s gaze took in everything in view. Once they were past the front intake window, they were taken into a room of desks and multiple officers moving around the interior.
“These two need to be processed. Drunken disorder right in front of the station. Geniuses!”
“Put them in separate cells until we can get to them. High priority prisoner exchange is about to happen.”
As Zaira figured, they were separated and put into separate holding cells with thick windows in the cell doors, facing the room with the desks, but two things Zaira saw made her feel confident things would go the way they’d planned.
Ryder’s sister was sitting, cuffed to a bench right outside the holding cells. They hadn’t taken her out of the station yet. The other thing Zaira liked the sight of were multiple unbarred windows that looked like a good portable window breaker could turn them into nothing but broken shards.
She just had to wait for the right moment to make her move. Yet, as she waited, the time ticked by without anyone giving her the slightest notice. Of course, she could do a lot of damage if they’d just open her cell door. But not a single officer came to get her.
Panic filled her chest as a group of intra un-cuffed Ryder’s sister from the bench and began leading her toward a closed door. They were about to take her beyond their reach, and Zaira couldn’t allow that.
Without further thought, Zaira began screaming and pounding the glass, trying to draw their att
ention in her direction. But they didn’t seem to be paying her the least bit of concern. Then, she heard Ryder start up with the same craziness, and when others joined in, she realized they weren’t the only ones locked up.
The officers paused and looked back. They didn’t go out the door. Instead, they ran for the cells, leaving Ryder’s sister unguarded. She calmed just in time for their gazes to meet. In that moment, she understood what to do. Without looking back, she barged through the door and headed into the next room. Hopefully, she had the skills needed to get through any other officers waiting on the other side of the door.
Zaira turned her attention back to the officers about to make the worst mistake of their careers. She got her flash grenade ready, sliding on a pair of folding sunglasses she kept in her kit for just such an occasion.
She stepped back, and right before the door opened, tossed the grenade to the ground. Her timing was perfect, and she turned her head just as the door opened and the grenade blasted a bright light throughout the small space. A few officers cried out and backed away. Those that didn’t go down immediately got her foot to their heads as she shoved and kicked her way through the small crowd.
Her hands fired the next few weapons to the ground. Smoke filled the air as she dropped to the floor, crawling in the direction of Ryder’s yells. As soon as she reached the door, she knelt in front of the lock, pulling her lock picks out. Within thirty seconds or less, she had the door open, and they were making their way toward one of the windows. She worked quickly to pull her glass breaker free. With five strong hits, the glass shattered, she cleared the bottom shards with a flat, hard plastic device created for just that purpose. No more obstacles in their way, they climbed out the window and to the street below, running for the small alley running between two buildings across the main street.
Once they were there, Ryder pushed Zaira against the wall, faced her, and camouflaged himself to look like nothing out of the ordinary in the shadowed space. It wasn’t a foolproof plan, but until the officers were clear of the area, they would stay put and wait. They just had to hope Ryder’s sister knew how to take care of herself, and that they could meet up with her again soon.
Very, very soon. Zaira was trying to ignore the wild riot in her stomach that was a direct result of being so close to Ryder. She’d forgotten what it was like being against his big body. Her heart was racing, and it wasn’t entirely due to their hasty escape. Even as she heard the chaos of people moving in the areas nearby, the outside world began to fade away, and the universe consisted of him and her alone.
He smelled nice too—like a faint smell of alcohol mixed with natural, expensive spices that she’d retrieved long ago for a black market supplier. She’d loved that job because the aromas on the return trip were intoxicating. She couldn’t stop herself from laying her head on his broad chest, even as her arms rested against his stomach, creating some distance between them.
“Do you ever think about what could’ve been?” The minute she’d said it, she wished she could take it back. What was the point? It would only encourage him, and that would end in disaster for her…another broken heart…and she couldn’t go through that again.
“All the fucking time.”
She knew she shouldn’t, but she lifted her focus and met his hungry gaze. Everything she felt was there in his eyes. She saw the helpless sadness and regret, the uncontrollable desire, and everything she’d worked so hard to hide.
The energy between them sparked, and despite her resolve to fight it, as his head lowered to hers, she couldn’t. She’d wanted this too badly to deny herself now. Too many lonely nights had been bolstered by fantasies just like this moment.
The minute his lips touched hers, fire exploded inside her, raging through and culminating in her lower abdomen. His mouth moved over hers gently, nipping and sucking in all the right places. Her limbs weakened and the familiar thrills that rolled through her body when she was with Ryder began. She suppressed her natural moans, but she knew if she didn’t stop this soon, she’d give away their position with a mindless noise.
Then, the kiss deepened, and she forgot to worry. Ryder pressed against her, making her feel possessed by him in a way she craved. His tongue slipped in her mouth and met hers, twisting around wildly, making her hunger for so much more. One of his fangs touched her tongue and a shiver went down her spine. He was beautiful and dangerous all at once.
He stilled, suddenly, and pulled his head back slightly, until their mouths were only inches apart. Her brain felt fuzzy but quickly cleared as she heard a noise in the side street where they hid. The intra were here.
Ryder stilled, not daring to move a muscle. Vampiric demons could stay completely still for long periods of time. It was a hunting technique from their predatory past, and right now, it was the only thing keeping them out of sight.
“Find anything?” a voice asked, sounding like it was a good distance away.
A closer intra said, “Nah! I’d say they had a transport waiting. They’re long gone by now.”
He stayed and looked around a few more minutes before moving on. Zaira sagged against Ryder in relief.
She dared to whisper, “When do you think we can slip away?”
“They’re widening their perimeter now, but I know a place they won’t think to look immediately.”
“Don’t say it.”
“Underground.”
“Ugh! You vampiric demons and your underground dwellings make for some dark, creepy places to hang out in.”
He raised his head to carefully check the area. With a quick change, he materialized and grabbed her hand. He led her to a round, metal disc on the ground at the end of the side street. With little effort, he pulled the metal disc free and motioned for her to climb down.
A heavy sigh couldn’t be helped as she did what he asked and began making her way down a ladder that led into a dark recess into which she couldn’t even see a foot deep. Wasn’t this just bright and starry? Or the exact opposite.
He followed behind her down the ladder, pausing to put the disc back into place.
She couldn’t see a thing, but she knew he had perfect night vision, so she trusted he would tell her if anything dangerous were about to pounce. She had a light in her kit, but right now, she didn’t dare let go of the ladder rungs to go digging around for it.
“Just keep going down as carefully as you can. Looks like it’s about twenty feet or so to the bottom.”
Creepy as it was, she continued downward until her feet touched a solid surface.
“Where are we, Ryder?”
“Utility tunnel. Everything the city needs runs underground in these tunnels. Of course, there’s a lot that goes on down here already of which the city officials aren’t aware. And now we’ll add one more activity to that growing list—fugitive run.”
Ryder raced through the tunnel, Zaira beside him. He knew what he had to do, but after their very hot kiss, he was having a hard time even contemplating hurting her. But he had to get the Kinjari, and he needed her far away from him and from the danger the Daeva represented.
The closer they got to where he knew his sister was waiting for them, his resolve began to waver. His body was still aching to pick up where they’d left off. He still wanted her, and she clearly still had feelings for him. Could he ruin any remaining chance he had with her?
He slowed to a stop, and she turned, confused. “Is something wrong?”
“Zaira…I…can we stop for a minute?”
“Are you injured? Did the intra hurt you?”
“No. There’s something I need to tell you.”
“Look. If it’s about you leaving before…” He put up his hand to stop her.
He dropped his head back on his head before facing her once more. “There’s more to this situation than I’ve told you. So much I need to tell you.”
She stepped closer to him, concern in her beautiful eyes. Concern for him. He didn’t deserve her. “I’m listening.”
�
�My sister and I are on a mission to save ourselves.”
“Okay. A little dramatic, but I kind of figured that part out on my own. I mean, what did we just do?”
This was going to be harder than he’d thought. “This is different.” He drew in a deep breath. “Long before you and I were alive, my people warred with the Daeva on Creda. It was a long, drawn out conflict with no end in sight. Then, it was prophesied that twins born under a dark moon would finally overcome the Daeva with the help of a sacred crystal.”
She sucked in a breath, but when he paused to let her speak, she shook her head and motioned that he should continue.
“When Wondra and I were born, the nation of vampiric demons rejoiced. We would save them all, but one thing was still missing. When we came of age, thirty in our society, in a strange coincidence, a long, forgotten cavern was uncovered and a black gem was found inside. In tradition, it was named—the Kinjari. My sister and I were entrusted with its powers, but the Daeva soon found out about the prophesy and came for us. Somehow, I escaped with the Kinjari, but they took my sister captive and left the planet with her in possession, hoping the separation would put a stop to their fate.
“I left to go after them, but I could never catch up to them. After years of no leads, I grew weary. When I met you, I stopped looking for her. To be honest with you, I enjoyed living in a different world. One where I didn’t have to constantly be vigilant and feel the pressure of living up to a prophesy in which I had no say.”
“But then you left without even saying goodbye.”
“I didn’t want to go. Duty called. The day we were in the marketplace on Wreston, I saw a single Daeva. You and I weren’t beside each other at the time, but the Daeva watched me too closely. He recognized me, and I panicked.”
“You rushed me out of there. I’ve played that day over and over in my mind, trying to figure out what I did wrong. For the longest time, I wondered how I must have pushed you away because you left right after that.”
He stared at her feet, unable to meet her gaze in that moment. “If they’d found me, they would’ve hurt you. They hide in shadows, and they’re impossible to beat at their own game. The Kinjari brings them into the light, eliminating their power, but it doesn’t work without my sister and me together. And they won’t rest until they have the crystal and us to control dorever.”
