by Kali Argent
All traces of his former smile vanished, replaced by the cold, hard alertness of a trained soldier. “Stay here.”
Taking a more direct route to the door, he slid across the counter, landing with a dull thud on the other side, and crept toward the exit. Before he could reach for the knob this time, though, the back door flew open, banging into Vane and sending him crashing to the floor.
When a mountainous man charged into the room with a dagger at the ready, Charli didn’t stop to think. Grabbing the baking pan from the island counter, she lunged forward and swung with all of her strength. A loud clang echoed around the room, and her bones vibrated from the impact when the heavy pan found its mark.
The attacker yelled and stumbled, but he didn’t go down. So Charli hit him again.
“Charlotte, stop.”
A blind hysteria had overcome her, and Charli barely heard Vane yelling her name. She continued to wield her makeshift weapon, swinging it until her muscles ached and her fingers cramped. And she didn’t stop swinging until strong arms encircled her waist and lifted her off her feet.
“Stop, stop. It’s okay. You can stop.”
Vane’s voice finally penetrated her panicked mind, and Charli stopped fighting, stopped struggling, and sagged against his chest as she gulped in deep breaths. “Is he dead? I think I killed him.”
“Easy, calm down. You’re okay now.” In a strange turn of events, Vane began to laugh. “He’s not dead, but he probably wishes he was.”
The intruder sprawled on his stomach across the tiles, unmoving but clearly breathing. “That’s not Don.”
“No, prya, that’s not Don.” Vane rubbed his cheek against the top of her head and stroked her hair. “He’s a friend.”
“And this is how you greet friends?” The newcomer groaned as he pushed himself into a sitting position. “Damn, female, I think my brain’s bleeding.”
With another chuckle, Vane eased around Charli and sauntered over to assist the guy to his feet. “Do I have to remind you that you’re the one who came barging into a private residence? The lady had every right to defend herself against such savage behavior.”
The newcomer brushed his long, ebony braid back from his shoulder and turned to face Charli with a bow. “He’s right. My apologies.”
“Uh, hi.” Everything had happened so fast, and Charli was still trying to catch up, but she offered a little wave and a wobbly smile. “Sorry I broke your head.”
Vane winked at her and slapped his friend on the shoulder, eliciting a wince and a quiet groan from the guy. “Charlotte Rousseau, this is my partner and my best friend, Lieutenant Xavian Tira.”
Charli looked between the massive men in her kitchen while she willed her pulse to return to a less dangerous rhythm. Both men had to be over six and half feet tall, both dressed in identical uniforms of solid black with matching combat boots. Both had a set of daggers tucked into their belts and strange, glowing watches around their wrists. While Xavian appeared slightly taller with long, raven hair as opposed to Vane’s golden locks, they looked remarkably similar.
“Is he an alien from the future, too?” she asked, tucking her hands under her arms to hide their trembling.
“Yes,” Vane answered without a hint of sarcasm.
Xavian arched an eyebrow at Vane and cleared his throat before shifting his attention to Charli. “And how is that working out for you?”
“Well, I think you’re both crazy.” She winced when his eyes narrowed. While true, she hadn’t meant to say it aloud. “No disrespect. I mean, Vane said you’re a nice guy and all.”
“No he didn’t.”
Vane crossed his arms over his chest. “No, I didn’t.”
“Okay, fine, he didn’t. He did say he’s here to protect me, and I guess that means you are, too. That much I believe.” She felt like she’d already had this conversation, and they still seemed to be talking in circles. “Not that I don’t think there’s other life out in the universe, you understand, but this is too much.” Pausing, she took a deep breath and looked to Vane. “But we’ve already discussed this.”
Unblinking with his lips slightly parted, Xavian simply stared at her.
“She talks when she’s nervous.” Vane nudged his partner with his elbow. “You’ll get used to it.”
“Yeah.” Charli toyed with one of the rips in the thigh of her jeans and shrugged. “Sorry.”
Laughing quietly, Xavian stepped forward with his hand outstretched. “I think I can understand how you’re feeling, and there’s no need to apologize. Vane is an ass. You’ll get used to it.”
Oh, she liked him. “Spoken like a true friend.”
Her gaze slid sideways, and she watched Vane as she placed her hand against Xavian’s upturned palm. The flare of his nostrils and the hard set of his jaw surprised her, and she frowned when he turned his back on her.
“Vane?”
“It’s late. You should get some rest. Xavian and I can take turns keeping watch.”
“You’re kidding, right?” She still had so many questions, and he hadn’t even answered the other ones to her satisfaction yet. “How could I even think about sleeping right now?”
“Vane’s right.” Releasing her hand, Xavian moved to the back door and engaged the lock. Then he pulled the curtain aside to peer through the window. “Go rest. You’ll be safe.”
Biting her lower lip, Charli looked over at the cinnamon rolls still cooling on the rack. “I’ll just put these away and save them for breakfast.” Maybe if she lingered long enough she could wheedle a few more details from them. “Give me just a minute, and I’ll go find you some pillows and blankets. Are you sure you’re going to be okay down here? It’s not that comfortable, and I’m not—”
“Charlotte,” Vane interrupted her ramble, “pillows and blankets will be fine. Thank you.”
“I’ll put the pastries away.” Xavian took her by the shoulders, turning her way from the counter and ushering her toward the staircase in the back corner of the kitchen. “Vane, help the lady.”
Jerking to a stop, Charli swung around to stare at Vane. “Oh, that’s really not necessary. I don’t mind. It’ll only take me a minute.”
“He needs to do a sweep of your apartment.” Xavian smiled and gave her another little push toward the stairs. “Besides, manual labor is good for him.”
“But, he already did,” Charli argued.
“Then he’ll do it again.” Xavian nudged her again.
With a silent nod, Vane marched across the room and squeezed past her to take the stairs two at a time to the upper landing. “Relax. I’ll make it quick,” he said when she caught up to him.
“I trust you.” She just didn’t trust herself.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Thank you. Come again soon.”
The customer cast a lustful glance at Xavian and flipped her tawny curls as she lifted the pink paper bag of sweets by the handle. “Oh, I’ll be back.”
Vane rolled his eyes, but Xavian smiled at the human female from their table near the storefront windows. “I hope your day is pleasant.”
Giggling, the girl sashayed out of the shop, swinging her hips in an obvious quest for attention.
“Aliens or not,” Charlotte said, leaning across the counter on her elbows, “I’m totally keeping the two of you. You’re excellent for business.”
The night had been uneventful, except for the second round of storms that blew through the city in the early hours of the morning. After Vane had finished searching Charlotte’s apartment, he’d wished her a good night and had disappeared back to the kitchen.
Wanting to avoid the awkward questions he’d sensed coming from his partner, he had accepted Xavian’s offer to take the first watch. Sleep had been an elusive beast, though. Every time he’d closed his eyes, visions of Charlotte had plagued his tired mind.
So, when the sun had begun to make its way over the horizon, he’d insisted on being the one to track the Morphling while Xavian stayed behind to watch
over the girl. After hours of canvasing every street, back alley, and alcove in the French Quarter, he’d had to admit defeat. If the Morph still lurked nearby, he’d hidden himself well.
Since his return to the store, he’d done nothing more than sit with Xavian, drink coffee, and watch the Earthlings going about their activities. For thousands of years, Vane had guarded the city of Taldor, the surrounding villages, and the mountain compound of Pandora. Inactivity didn’t suit the soldier in him.
“So, how was your day?” Gliding over to their table, Charlotte pulled a chair up next to Vane and plopped down into it. “Did you find the droid you were looking for?”
“He’s a Morphling, not an android, and no, I didn’t find him.” It still pissed him off, and he really didn’t want to discuss his failures.
Charlotte smirked at him as she selected a bite-sized piece of chocolate from the tray on the table. “It’s just an expression.” Leaning back in her seat, she crossed her legs and popped the morsel into her mouth. “So, what’s a Morphling?”
She spoke with a pleasant lilt that contained only minimal sarcasm, but her continued refusal to accept the truth frustrated him. On the opposite side of that, Vane understood her reluctance. He’d provided her with little evidence, and truthfully, he doubted he’d have reacted much differently in her position.
“You’d think of them as something like a demon,” Xavian explained. “Coal-black eyes, horns, able to travel between worlds, dimensions, and time with ease. They can even manipulate your thoughts if you aren’t careful.”
Vane had never understood Xavian’s obsession with human culture and folklore, but he’d also never appreciated it more. “They can change shape,” he added, more to draw Charlotte’s attention than anything. “They can copy the appearance of any living creature.”
Her big, blue eyes clouded, and her eyebrows knitted together. Without saying anything, she turn her gaze back to Xavian, forcing Vane to bite the inside of his cheek to hold in his growl.
“Wait. They can, what? Like compel people?”
“Yes, why?”
Charlotte worried her bottom lip between her teeth and stared vacantly at the tabletop. “I think he did that to me. It was like this static in my brain, and then his voice was replacing my own thoughts.”
Vane was going to slaughter that Morphling when he found him. Beyond the simmering rage, he couldn’t help but be a little impressed with Charlotte. “Most people don’t know when it’s happening to them, and they never remember it afterwards.” He offered her a genuine smile when she focused on him. “I told you, you’re special.”
Her nose scrunched, as it always did when she smiled. She had a small, nearly imperceptible gap between her front, top teeth, something he hadn’t noticed before. Vane liked it, though. It added character and personality to her already beautiful features.
“Okay, I think I get it. About this shape-changing thing, though. I mean, how do you find him if he could literally be anyone? How do you know it’s really him? How do I know you aren’t him?”
Chuckling, Vane tapped the top of his left check, just below his eye. “Morphling’s eyes never change. No matter what form they take, their eyes are always pitch black.”
Several seconds ticked by while Charlotte studied his face. “Your eyes are different colors. I hadn’t noticed before.” Straightening, she reached up, fluttering her fingertips at the corners of Vane’s eyes. “They’re beautiful.”
“That’s my cue.” Standing, Xavian grabbed the entire tray of sweets and disappeared through the swinging doors that led to the kitchen.
With Charlotte holding most of his attention, Vane noticed his friend’s departure only in his peripheral. His head swam when her warm breath fanned over his lips, and he gritted his teeth to stop the groan building in his chest. Gripping the edges of his seat to prevent himself from dragging the female into his lap, he held himself rigid, allowing her to explore at her leisure.
“Blue.” She held his cheeks in both hands while she brushed the pad of her thumb under his left eye. She smiled as her gaze shifted to his right eye. “And amethyst.” Charlotte nodded. “That’s what I’d call it. I’ve never seen anyone with purple eyes before.”
“All Nekros have different colored eyes.”
“Nekros?”
He didn’t want to start another argument, but he couldn’t lie to her, either. “It’s what I am.”
Surprisingly, she didn’t question him. “His eyes were dark,” she whispered. “I remember how dark they were, almost like they had no irises at all, just really big pupils.”
Swallowing past the constriction in his throat, Vane released the death grip on his chair and took her wrists, gently pulling her hands away from his face. “Remember what those eyes look like, Charlotte. Since I couldn’t track him down, that likely means he’s taken on another appearance.”
“You’re telling the truth, aren’t you?”
Holding her hands, he squeezed lightly as a wave of sympathy washed over him. “I haven’t lied to you, not once.”
“Will you show me again?” Her gaze fell to their clasped hands. “I mean, can I see the flames again?”
Turning his shoulders, he looked through the window, searching for any prying eyes. Satisfied they weren’t being watched, he held his right palm up, supporting it on his knee, and produced the same purple flames he had the night before.
“Does it hurt?”
“No.” He much preferred this curious attitude to her skepticism. “It’s just a part of me. It doesn’t really feel like anything.”
“I don’t feel anything, either.” Her brow furrowed, and she reached forward as though to touch the flames. “There’s no heat.”
Vane closed his hand, quickly extinguishing the small blaze. “Careful. It might not give off heat, but I assure you, it’s as dangerous as any weapon.” The thought of hurting her, even unintentionally, made his stomach ache, and he damned himself for being so reckless. “Here.” Opening his hand again, he produced a green spark this time.
“Oh, wow!” Charlotte’s eyes rounded, and she beamed as she watched the flame danced in his hand. “That is seriously awesome. Is this one dangerous, too?”
“No, not for you.” With his free hand, he lifted her elbow out to the side and passed the flickering flame over the red and purple bruise there. “See?”
She flinched, jerking her elbow back a little, and giggled. “It tickles.” When he removed his hand to reveal smooth, unblemished skin, her mouth fell open, and she looked between him and her arm several times. “Why didn’t you just do that last night? I definitely would have believed you.”
“You weren’t injured last night.” He’d only noticed the bruise on her elbow after returning from his search of the city. “What happened?”
The tops of her cheeks glowed pink, and she wrinkled her nose in that way he found so endearing. “I tripped over the cord of my hair dryer and banged it on the vanity.”
As he watched her mouth move, the compelling desire to kiss her welled inside of him. He wanted to feel her lips, to taste them, to know if they were as sweet and full as they looked. Unable to stop himself, he leaned in, his gaze transfixed on her lips as he bent his head.
Vane hadn’t harbored any expectations, but Charlotte still surprised him when she didn’t retreat from his advance. On the contrary, she arched her neck to look up at him, her beautiful blue eyes shining like sapphires. Her quiet intake of breath, though barely audible, set his blood on fire.
No man—human, Nekros, or otherwise—lived as long as he had without bedding his share of beautiful women. What he’d felt for those other females didn’t begin to compare to the storm of emotions Charlotte caused in him.
“The kitchen doors swung open, banging against the wall and counter. “Charlotte, do you have any more of those—fuck!” Xavian crouched low and reached for the dagger on his hip. “Vane, twelve o’clock!”
Lunging to his feet, Vane swung around, placing himsel
f between Charlotte and the window. Just beyond the glass, a petite woman with blonde curls and ink-black eyes stared back at him with a taunting smirk. The girl wiggled her fingers and blew a kiss at him before dissolving into a thin, black mist.
“Fuck!” In his anger, Vane grabbed the back of his chair and hurled it across the room to smash into the opposite wall.
“Vane, calm down.” Rounding the bar, Xavian held his hands up in surrender as he approached. “We’ll get him.”
“He’s toying with us. It’s all a fucking game to him.” A wildfire of rage and loathing exploded inside him. “Watch the girl.”
“You don’t even know where he went,” Xavian reasoned, placing himself between Vane and the front exit. “He could be anywhere and look like anyone.”
“Xavian, get out of my way.”
“No. Just listen to me.”
Past rationale and driven by his fury, Vane turned both palms toward his friend, a ball of purple fire burning in each. “I don’t want to hurt you, Xee.”
“Vane, look at what you’re doing.” He nodded to a point over Vane’s shoulder and lowered his voice. “You’re frightening her.”
Charlotte. Shame dampened his ire, and Vane closed his eyes as he took several deep breaths. He regretted that he’d scared her, but worse, he hated himself for putting her in danger.
Clenching his fists at his sides to extinguish the flames, he turned to face her. The sheer terror in her eyes pierced him in the chest, and he gritted his teeth against the wave of unexpected pain it caused him.
“I won’t hurt you,” he promised. “Breathe, Charlotte. It’s okay now.”
As though she’d been waiting to hear those words, Charlotte shuddered and pulled in a huge, gasping breath. “Well, that was intense.” While the statement sounded flippant, her voice quivered when she spoke.
“Don’t be scared.” It came out as more of an order than the plea Vane had meant. “You’re safe, I promise.”
“I’m not scared.”
He admired her courage, but he knew better. Chancing his luck, he took a step forward, encouraged when she didn’t flinch away from him. “Forgive me.”
