The Caelian Cycle Boxed Set

by Donnielle Tyner

  He was my friend. My partner.

  I loved him.

  Chapter 24

  I paced in my room waiting for Kian. It had been a ridiculously slow day knowing that I would experience a little bit of freedom that night, but I went ahead and followed my usual routine. Breakfast with Lacy, morning training, lunch with Luca and Kian, and the afternoon spent with Rebecca and Madison.

  Although I kept myself busy, the only lull was the two hours I would have spent with Mrs. LaMotte. I might have gotten a little more touchy-feely and a little less ‘I want to gouge your eyes out’ toward her, but I wasn’t ready to spend hours with her alone with my dangerous Talent activated.

  Those two hours were the worst. My mind jumped between missing John, the mediation, and replaying those three little words my subconscious had thrown at me last night. Missing John would be something I would hold on to for the rest of my life and the mediation, well, I didn’t even know what would happen. All I knew was that I’d rather die than go to the Koenig family. My eyes danced around the room before looking at the clock for the millionth time. Kian would arrive at any moment. I pushed the unpleasant thoughts out of my mind and forced myself to focus on Kian. The ramifications of coming to terms with how I felt were not as shocking as I had expected.

  I love him.

  When those words had flittered through my thoughts, my mind, soul, and body had realigned and everything felt right. I had been disconnected before. To say that he completed me would be inaccurate because in the last few months I had truly found myself. He didn’t complete me, no; he complemented me. Like hot peppers in Tex-Mex. You could have one without the other, but together they exploded with taste.

  Now that I knew how I felt, everything within me screamed to tell Kian. He had to feel the same way. The signs were there, but the crippling fear of rejection tugged at my throat.

  Kian’s familiar knock resounded in my tiny room, effectively stopping my neurotic pacing.

  “You can come on in, you know. You do have a key.”

  “Yeah, but it’s still common courtesy. It’s not my room.” Kian walked in with all the confidence in the world. It’s not like he had a soul shattering revelation last night. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head before tipping my chin up, forcing me to look him in the eye.

  “How are you?” His eyebrows pinched together in concern.

  “I’m okay. I kept myself mostly busy.”

  Kian narrowed his eyes as if he didn’t believe me. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes,” I squeaked. Embarrassed, I coughed and snuggled into his chest. “I missed you.”

  “Smooth change of subject,” Kian chuckled, his breath blowing stray strands of hair. “I’m not letting that one go, but A for effort. I missed you too.”

  He gave me a brief squeeze before letting me go. “Okay, I have everything worked out. We will meet my friend in 30 minutes at the forward command elevator. He’s going to take us up for his shift change and we need to be back in three hours to go down with him on his first break.”

  “Okay, what about McCredie?”

  “I told him we are going out tonight. He wasn’t exactly thrilled about it, but he understands that you need space, especially with the mediation coming up.”

  “Ugh. I haven’t thought about that in almost two hours. Thanks a lot.”

  Kian’s entire body stiffened for a moment before realizing that I wasn’t serious. Well, maybe I was a little since the last two hours had been spent obsessing over him, but he didn’t need to know that. His lips cocked into a half grin. “Tonight, I’ll give you something else to think about.”

  My eyes widened in shock before I schooled them to what I hoped was a sultry stare. “What are you waiting for?”

  “Nothing. Let’s go.” He grabbed my hand and just like the night before, dragged me along behind him as he rushed to the service elevators.

  “In a hurry?” I laughed.

  “Yes.” His voice was gruff, but he didn’t expound anymore.

  We met with his friend, who was happy to help us leave the Underground unnoticed and off the official record. I rode the service elevator with a mixture of happiness and sadness brewing inside. Happy because I was going out with Kian on our first date. Sad because I couldn’t help but think how it would have been easier to leave unnoticed by the other Underground members if John were here.

  He would have cracked a joke, given me a suggestive eyebrow wiggle, and said something along the lines of not doing something he wouldn’t do. The portion of my heart that held all my love for John hurt like a physical wound. I reached up to rub my chest as I breathed through the pain.

  It was unnerving how easy it was becoming for me to deal with grief.

  “Here we go. Take number 27,” the night guard announced as he pointed to the numbered key rack hanging next to the door, his gaze focused on me with understanding behind his brown eyes. “You got 3 hours.”

  “That’s plenty of time,” Kian answered as he grabbed the key and opened the door to the garage.

  I turned to the guard and gave him a small smile, “Thanks.”

  “Not a problem. You guys deserve a break from everything. Be careful.”

  There was something behind his expression that called to me. His lips curled into a meek smile and I instantly felt a sort of kinship with the burly man. I paused as an intense desire to sit with him and chat rolled over me. Kian placed a hand on my lower back, reminding me of our time restraint. When I get back, I’ll have a chat with the guard.

  We marched in compatible silence to the vehicle. Kian, the good southern gentleman that he was, opened my door and I slid onto the seat. The excitement of our first date began to override the ever-present sorrow in my mind.

  “Where are we going?” I asked as we pulled out of the parking garage.

  “The State Park,” Kian replied with a smile.

  I furrowed my brow. The State Park wasn’t what I was expecting at all. “Are you going to tell me what we’ll be doing in the middle of the night at the State Park?”

  “No,” He replied with a smug look. “You’re going to like it. Don’t worry.”

  “I’m not worried. I just don’t like not knowing what’s going on.”

  “Trust me.” Kian turned to look at me, his eyes searching for something before he smiled and turned back to the road.

  “I do.” My voice was strong with certainty.

  The ride to the State Park was a short drive from the Underground. It was located right outside of the sprawling north Texas metropolis, just far enough for the light pollution to be minimal. The tall trees and beautiful vistas gave visitors the impression of being hours away from civilization instead of a few minutes.

  Kian pulled onto a well-worn dirt path off the main road, almost hidden by the thick press of trees on both sides. Both of us bounced in our seats with each pot-hole hit as the headlights danced through the trees. A smart retort was on the tip of my tongue as we broke through the thicket into a small clearing, but when Kian parked the car next to the lake I forced my lips together and swallowed my unspoken remark.

  I jumped out of the car instead of waiting on him and his chivalry. Stars dotted the clear night sky and the full moon was exceedingly bright tonight. Both reflected off the blackened still waters of the lake like a mirror. The view was cleansing to my soul. A tear escaped as I marveled at the celestial view. It was magical.

  A pair of strong arms snaked around my waist before I felt Kian’s warm body press against mine. He rested his chin on my shoulder and in this moment there was only the two of us, existing in harmony with the universe. With no death. No fears. Just the void above us and the Earth below, with the two of us secured in their warm embrace.

  Kian was the first to break the silence. “Happy?”

  I twisted in his arms, turning around to where I could see his face. He looked more supernatural than man with the glow of the moon bouncing off his goldenrod hair. “More than I have bee
n in a long time.” I paused and brushed some of his unruly curls out of his eyes. “Thank you.”

  “I remembered you saying how much you missed the stars.”

  A smile graced my lips. “You really are amazing.”

  “So are you.” His palm cupped my cheek, letting it linger for a moment before he caressed his way to the back of my neck, stirring an aching need in my core. His thumb grazing the sensitive spot behind my ear sent a pulse of pleasure throughout my body. He leaned in and instead of going for my tingling lips, he tilted my head and brushed his against my jaw. The gentle sweep of his full lips stole my breath and I melted against him.

  At my reaction, Kian kissed down my neck. I grabbed his shoulders and dug in. The sensations from his gentle ministrations were turning my legs to gelatin and I didn’t know if I could stand without holding on to him. I was sure I had moaned out loud by this point, my breaths were shallow and throaty. Kian kissed and suckled his way back up my neck, stopping next to my ear.

  “I love you, Sadie,” he whispered, his voice gruff with restrained passion.

  Shock flooded my system and I pulled back to look at him. He returned my gaze with earnest eyes filled with love and adoration. My mouth filled with cotton and I lost all ability to speak.

  “You don’t have to say anything and I know we agreed to take it slow, but I want you to know how I feel. The world is going to shit and at John’s memorial service all I could think about is how close I came to losing you without telling you how I felt. You have invaded my heart and taken up residence. Your presence numbs the pain from my past and encourages me to be a better man. My mom…” His voice broke and my heart bled for him. I opened my mouth to offer what little platitudes I could; it’s not every day your estranged mother is kidnapped. He raised his hand, a silent request to not speak as he struggled with his warring emotions.

  “Don’t.” He paused, gathering himself before continuing. “With you next to me I don’t give a damn that my family disowned me. You, your crazy friends, the Underground, y’all are my family now.”

  Kian leaned in, but instead of his lips finding mine, they found the palm of my hand. He let out a strangled groan.

  “It’s my turn now.” I moved my palm from his lips and ran my fingers through his soft hair. “I only realized how I felt last night, but I’m pretty sure I’ve been feeling that way for a while. It just took a while for my brain to catch up with my heart. You are an unwavering pillar of strength and an ever-present peace in my life. You support me, even when you disagree. I haven’t always liked you, but now I know with all of my soul that I love you too.”

  I barely got the final word out of my mouth before Kian’s mouth pressed against mine, stealing my breath. We poured ourselves into this kiss, letting the other feel the depth of emotion that words could not express. Kian pulled back a fraction, our shallow breaths mingling.

  “There’s another surprise,” Kian said between breaths.

  “Oh yeah?”

  Kian let go and bent down. Sitting on the ground beside his leg was a picnic basket. He peeled back the top of the basket before pulling out a blanket and with a resounding pop, he unfurled it in the air. I watched as gravity pulled the blanket down in a willowy dance.

  “Have a seat.”

  Amused, I sat in the middle of the blanket facing the lake. Kian relaxed next to me, handing me a soda and a sandwich wrapped in paper.

  “Thanks.” I smiled as I unwrapped my sandwich. We ate in silence, enjoying the stillness of the evening. My mind began to wander to the mediation. I would be meeting my grandfather for the first time. The thought of seeing him in person filled me with a dread that sat in my stomach like a swallowed lump of lead.

  I felt an elbow in my ribs. “Hey now. None of that. It’s just us tonight.”

  I nodded and returned Kian’s smile.

  “Look! This is the best part.” Kian pointed to the sky with a cough. I half turned to check on him when I caught sight of a single streak of light. My eyes widened as veins of light pulsed across the sky. There was disorder in the night sky. No pattern. No reason. Just random bright flashes dancing in rhythm to the chaos of space.

  “This is beautiful,” my voice was filled with awe. “Did you know about the meteor shower before you planned this outing?”

  My question was met with silence. I turned, expecting to see Kian walking to the vehicle for another surprise, but what I found was him sprawled out on the blanket, unconscious. I scrambled to my knees and bent down to his face. Hot breath blew against my cheek. He’s alive. I scanned his features, trying to find a viable reason for this unusual narcoleptic episode.

  The hairs on my neck raised as adrenaline pumped through my body. My astute gaze found a tiny pinprick of blood standing proud on the beating protrusion of his jugular. Someone is here. I schooled my body to relax so as not to alarm whoever had injected god knows what into Kian’s neck.

  I was out in the middle of nowhere. Alone. What am I going to do? I had no indication of who I was dealing with or even where they were. If they wanted to attack us, why knock Kian out and then hide from me.

  Kian’s communicator pressed against my knee. It must have fallen from his pocket. With a quick subtle scan of the surroundings, I began to move my hands down his body as if I were examining him for more injuries. As I passed over his chest, I noticed his breaths were becoming shallow and strained. My stomach flipped. Fear tried to overwhelm my mind, but I forced it down. I had to send a message to the Underground.

  They will get here in time. They had to.

  Just as my fingers brushed against the communicator as a soft rustle of leaves sounded to my right. My heart raced as I struggled to covertly type a message to all recipients in his contact list. Right as my finger brushed the send button a hand tangled in my hair and pulled. With my center of gravity shifted, I fell hard on to my backside with a bounce. Pain shot up my spine and I screamed but it was cut short with a rough blow to the throat.

  My Talent flared to life and I directed it toward the man holding me. Nothing. There was no Talent to take. I sucked in a shocked breath through a painful esophagus.

  A norm.

  I twisted at the expense of losing a few strands of hair, but it was to no avail. Whoever it was had a firm grip on my tresses and was not letting go. Another strong arm clamped around my torso, pinning my arms to my side. We were awkwardly lying in the grass, his body pressed against mine intimately. Desperate to break free, I swung my feet in wild arcs, but even with all of my training, they never made purchase.

  Soft grunts were all that could escape from my sore throat. The slap of feet hitting the ground grew louder as another body approached. It was too early for the Underground to show up. Whoever was arriving wasn’t here to help me. Panic took over at that moment. All logical thought and planning melted away as pure unadulterated fear overwhelmed my system. I began to buck my entire body and forced a strangled squeak.

  “Shut her up,” the man holding me down grunted as he struggled to keep a firm grip on my flailing body.

  A mountainous form bent over and came into view. Massive hands pulled back the hood to his jacket exposing a bald head reflecting the moonlight’s glare above piercing normal green eyes. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t place him. I searched with my secondary. Nothing. Another norm.

  “There’s no use in struggling, Sadie. We got you now.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a mason jar filled with a clear liquid and an old mechanic’s cloth. I renewed my struggle in earnest as his words sank in. He poured a generous portion of the contents in the jar onto the rag and bent down further. The sickly-sweet smell reached my nose before he pressed the cloth against my face. I held my breath.

  “You’re going to have to breathe sooner or later, killer. This is just a precaution so we can restrain and properly sedate you without you injuring yourself or us. We need you.” His voice, although soft, was filled with disgust.

  My lungs burned and I knew I
couldn’t hold out any longer. With a deep inhale, my lungs filled with the overwhelmingly sweet smell. I stopped struggling as my limbs went numb, feeling only the throb of blood pumping through my extremities. With my next inhale, the world went silent. Lying still in the arms of my captor, I stared at the heavens above still streaking with randomized beams of light. My vision narrowed as I released another breath, until a single star was all I could see.

  Then darkness.

  Chapter 25

  HR.75138 – The Caelian Registration Act

  A bill to amend the Talent Suppression Act of 1953.

  Article 3 Subparagraph 2a

  “All Caelians who are found unregistered will be immediately contained and registered. If they resist, sentencing shall be decided by their local authorities and/or a group of their peers. Punishments include, but are not limited to (I) fines, amount established per State, but no greater than $10,000 (II) incarceration, length based on history of accused. Minimum 2 years. Maximum life (III) Death.”

  Article 3 Subparagraph 2b

  “Families who have a history of producing children with the dominant Caelian gene: (I) more than one child per nuclear family (II) more than three children per generation. Must be registered and the non-Caelian members of the family cannot hold any government job.”

  Chapter 26

  I awoke with a start. Eyes widened with residual fear were shut instantly against the blinding fluorescent lights focused on me. Pain shot up both arms as the jerking movement from my sudden arousal pulled at the metal cuffs that pinned both hands behind my back in an uncomfortable, twisting position. Both legs were shackled to the cold metal chair I was seated on.

  Taking a few deep breaths, I slowed my erratically beating heart to a steady thump-thump and recounted what had happened to me.