by Aliya DalRae
While she slept, Nox instructed Sasha to rise and remove the spell she cast upon his locks, the one that prevented him from opening the door with his mind. Then she was to return to her room, lie down again, and sleep for thirty-six hours. That would give Nox plenty of time to put space between himself and the castle before she or anyone else could discover his deception. No matter what noises reached her ears, she would remain in a deep slumber, only to wake when her time had expired. In the unlikely event she should break through his spell, he added another layer, demanding that if anything disturbed her sleep, she would sit quietly in her room, speaking to no one, until the sun set, rose, and set again.
When Fergus came for him, Sasha was sound asleep. Nox dropped his breakfast tray, the noise loud enough to wake the dead, and waited. Sasha didn’t stir.
“Go straight down this hall and you’ll find a stairway on the right,” Fergus said. “Go up one flight only, and you’ll find a door what exits onto the back of the house. Stay low, and in the shadows of the trees. When you reach the lane, stay off it until you get yerself to the road. There’s traffic out there like you won’t understand, even at night, so avoid it at all cost. The docks are on the west side of town. Do what you can to get yerself there and on a ship bound for New York before sunrise. NEW York, you got that? Only way yer gonna survive is if you get out of England, sorry to say. Only wish I was going with you.”
“Why can’t you?”
“Plausible deniability,” Fergus said. “Plus, I got family what’s counting on me to provide. Now hit me with all you got, inside my head and probably a broken jaw wouldn’t be out of order.”
“But…”
“We gotta make it look like you done this on yer own. I’m sticking my neck out for you, sure, but I’d just as soon not have it slit on account of liking you too much.”
“I understand.”
“Go on, then. Give it to me, good.”
“I’m sorry,” Nox said, and punched him in the face with all his might. The poor servant’s jaw dislocated as the male fell sprawling to the floor, blood pouring from his mouth and nose. Nox was mortified, shocked to the point that he couldn’t move.
“I’m so sorry.”
But Fergus, still conscious by some miracle, managed to get a strangled, “Go!” out before collapsing in upon himself in pain.
Nox went.
He followed Fergus’ instructions to the letter, manipulating the mind of anyone he met, Vampire or human, into forgetting they’d seen him.
He found his way to the docks, and as the sun met the horizon, he stowed himself away in the depths of one of the magnificent ships bound for the Americas.
For the first time in his life, Nox was free. And it was absolutely terrifying.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
W ith the crisis in England averted and the Legion personnel off the ground and on their way home, Merlin should have felt a great relief. But that was a no go, even more so since the night of the Banana Pepper Debacle, as he’d come to think of that unwise and impromptu dinner with Martin and the kids.
In an effort to thwart this undue stress, Merlin decided a trip to the Club for a heavy bag workout was in order. He hadn’t been there in years, preferred to lift weights and do katas in the privacy of his own suite. It was better that way, as he could avoid any aggression that might force the Shade to the forefront, but tonight he felt confined, suffocated, and he needed to escape. Staring at the door, remembering that damned kiss, was getting old. He had to get out.
He opened the double doors and entered the Club, pleased to see no evidence of Raven’s most recent reign of heavy bag destruction. The repairmen replaced the broken mirror and hung new bags in place of the demolished ones. At least something was going right, but that’s where his luck ran out.
The sun had just set and most of the household were out patrolling. As such, he figured he’d have the place to himself, and so was surprised to see Jessica Sweet and that cat Shifter who had recently mated with Harrier standing on the mats. Jessica, who was great big pregnant, was trying to show Kythryn how to do a kata, but she kept losing her footing. The pregnancy had shifted her center of balance, and Merlin could see that she wasn’t compensating for all that frontal weight.
“Damn it,” Jessica swore as she staggered again.
“Widen your stance.” Merlin wasn’t aware he’d spoken aloud until the girls turned to him. He’d had every intention of leaving, of returning to his rooms to suffer through the rest of the night and another sleepless day. But they’d seen him now, so it would be impolite not to exchange pleasantries at the very least.
“What did you say?” Jessica asked. She wiped the sweat from her brow on her sleeve and shook out her hands.
Merlin went to her side. “You need to widen your stance to compensate for the extra weight you carry in your belly.
Jessica frowned, but followed his instruction. “Like this?” she asked.
“Yes, good. Now sit back a little further. That’s right. Bend your knees. Don’t forget to breathe. Good. Now, continue.”
Jessica resumed the kata, only stumbling a couple of times before adjusting her stance and moving on. As she executed the form she glanced at Merlin. “I didn’t know you knew Tae Kwan Do.”
Merlin shrugged. “I know all forms of karate.”
Kythryn, the cat, snorted, but straightened up when he gave her a flat look.
“How?” Jessica asked, pivoted, punched.
“I was there when most were created. I learned them from the masters.”
“How old are you?” Kythryn asked.
Jessica threw a warning look her way. It was bad form to ask a Vampire their age, but Kythryn wouldn’t know that. She hadn’t been with them long.
“It’s okay,” Merlin said, and gave Kythryn a considered look. “Put it this way. I’m not as old as time, but I’ve given it a run for its money.”
Kythryn snorted again, but Jessica was looking at him with something akin to awe.
“So, you’re saying you’re ancient?” Kythryn asked.
Merlin forced a smile. “Yes.”
“Older than Harrier?” The cat was relentless.
“If you can imagine it.”
“That takes some doing,” she said.
“Indeed, it does.” Merlin studied the Shifter for a moment and decided that Harrier had his work cut out for him with this one. He would never have imagined the two of them together, but somehow, they fit. It was interesting, and frustrating. Martin fit. But there was no way he could allow them to further their relationship. That kiss was a mistake, a distraction he didn’t need and couldn’t chance.
Jessica interrupted his thoughts. “Do you know Basic One, Two and Three?”
“Hmm? Yes, of course.”
“Wanna go through them with me? Tell me if I’m screwing it up?”
Merlin hesitated. He couldn’t remember the last time he used his training in the presence of others. Still, it was just a few katas, and these were not enemies, nor were they Legion or Kurai Senshi. What could it hurt?
He nodded and fell into a stance next to Jessica. Chum vi, left turn, lower block, punch. One-hundred eighty degree turn, lower block, punch. As they moved, Merlin’s mind drifted, to another time, another life. A million years ago when practicing forms with Kioshi was the highlight of his night.
Kioshi was beautiful, his skin flawless, his eyes a soft brown that caught the moonlight when he turned. Being Kurai Senshi, he didn’t spark, but as the two males performed each movement with meticulous perfection, Merlin saw in Kioshi’s gaze the fire of a thousand stars. It was a look that let loose a kaleidoscope of butterflies in Merlin’s stomach, made him forget where they were, and the terrible existence life forced upon them. In all the darkness of the Kurai Senshi, Kioshi was the light.
Merlin completed the final move in Basic Three with a loud kiai, turned to Jessica and bowed, his eyes never leaving hers. Jessica stepped back, that look on her face again. One that s
aid she was seeing him in a different light.
“That was fucking beautiful,” Kythryn clapped her hands together several times in exaggerated applause.
Jessica nodded her agreement, reached a hand out to Merlin. “Are you okay?”
Merlin moved deftly out of her reach, not wanting to offend, but also not in the mood to be touched. He bowed to Jessica, then to Kythryn, and made his apologies. “I’ll leave you to your workout.”
“Thanks for the advice,” Jessica called as he passed through the exit.
The doors swung closed behind him and he was well into the hallway before he felt the tears slipping down his cheeks.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
N ox leaned his forehead against the cool glass as he stared out the window. It was another beautiful night, the galaxy flying by a lightshow performed for him and him alone. At ten thousand feet he felt as if he could pluck the stars from the sky and gather them up in a basket.
Rachel slept in the seat next to him, her head on his shoulder, her breathing slow and steady. A lock of hair had fallen over her eyes, and he brushed it away to drink in her beauty. He knew, just as he’d told her on the flight over, that he would never tire of the sight of her.
He felt a prickling at the base of his neck, that odd sensation of being watched. When he looked up, he met Rebecca’s eye, as she stared over the back of the seats facing Rachel and Nox. She’d chosen to sit in the rear of the plane by herself, said that she’d rather not have them all looking at her as she slept. Well, she wasn’t sleeping now.
She nodded at Rachel and whispered, “She’s a good female.”
“I know,” Nox said, puzzled by this odd vote of confidence from a sister who, as far as he knew, couldn’t stand Rachel.
She started to turn around, but the plane shuddered, and she whipped her head back to stare at Nox, eyes wide and unblinking.
“Don’t look at me,” Nox said. “I nearly pissed myself.” He glanced left and saw Raven staring at him, that don’t-be-a-pussy-you’re-embarrassing-the-fuck-out-of-me look on his face. Nox started to say something, tell him to sod off, but the plane shuddered again followed by a loud explosion that rocked them sideways. He lunged for the window, looking when he should have just closed his eyes. Sure enough, the engine on his side of the plane was on fire.
The commotion roused Rachel and she grabbed Nox’s arm. “What’s going on?” she said, just as they heard Harrier say, “Fuck,” from the front of the plane.
Seatbelt lights started flashing and Harrier, having found the pilot’s microphone, said, “Fasten your seatbelts folks. We’re going down.”
“What?” Rebecca screeched from the back of the plane. “What did he say?” Rachel rose to go to her sister, but Mason patted her shoulder as Nox pulled her back into her seat.
“I’ve got this,” the Warlord said over his shoulder, and he disappeared into one of the seats in the back. Rebecca was screeching still, but Mason continued to talk to her, low and calm.
Nox sort of wished he would come back and use that voice on him, as he was feeling a little bit like screeching himself. He grabbed his seatbelt and pulled the thing tight, then made sure Rachel had strapped herself in as well. He glanced at his brother. Raven was white as a sheet. Nox gave him a who’s-the-pussy-now look and assumed the position, his head between his knees, hands on the back of his neck as the pamphlet in his seat’s pocket suggested.
When he turned to be sure Rachel was as safe as she could be, their gazes locked. Abject terror filled her eyes, and he knew that to be a reflection of his own. She reached a hand to him, and he gladly took it, held onto it as the lifeline it was. Once they hit the water, he would live or die with this female by his side. Fuck Titanic. He would not let go.
The plane went into a sharp dive, and oxygen masks dropped belatedly from somewhere up above. Nox helped Rachel affix her mask before strapping his on. Above the racket, he heard Harrier shouting from the cockpit. “Mayday! Mayday! Merlin, where the fuck are you? Mayday! Shit!”
Another explosion shook the plane and Nox’s world took a spin as they veered sharply in the air. He squeezed Rachel’s hand tight, wanting to make promises to her, to tell her she was right, that he would find his place. That he had found his place with her. He wanted to tell her he loved her, but all he could manage was a nod. She returned the gesture and tightened her grip on his hand.
The window Nox had been staring out of exploded, causing loose objects to lift into the air and fly toward him and Rachel on an escape path into the night. He threw his body over hers as best he could with the seatbelt restraining him, trying to form a barrier between the debris and her precious body.
Nox felt the plane level out, but they were still falling at an incredible rate of speed. When they went into a flat spin he held his breath.
“Hang on everybody, and I hope you can all bloody swim,” Harrier shouted over the din of rushing wind. “Brace for impact! Brace for impact!”
Everything slowed down at that point. When they hit the water, it was like slamming into concrete. In slow motion the plane broke in two, the rear section with Mason and Rebecca separated from the front. Nox locked eyes with Mason briefly, then the Warlord was moving, trying to force an extremely hysterical Rebecca into action.
Rachel gasped, her left hand still clasped in Nox’s as her right fumbled with the seatbelt. “We have to go, Nox. Come on.”
The plane was pitching forward, their section anyway, and they were taking on water, fast. Nox scrambled to free himself from his restraint as Harrier climbed his way from the cockpit. Raven was just gone. Not even his seat remained.
The water had risen waist high, and though his head spun, and he hurt everywhere, Nox realized he was not ready to die. “We have to get away from the plane,” he told Rachel, but she didn’t move. She was staring into the darkness at the spot where the rear of the plane had disappeared.
“Where’s Rebecca?” she cried. “Where’s my sister?”
“We have to go,” Nox said again and pulled on her hand. “The plane’s sinking fast and it’ll take us down with it if we don’t swim.”
Rachel didn’t budge, just kept screaming for Rebecca. Nox looked to Harrier for help, and he got it.
“Here,” Harrier said as he grabbed a couple of seat cushions and threw them as far away as he could. “Swim to the floatation devices and hang on. I’ll get Rebecca and Mason.”
This time when Nox tugged on Rachel’s hand, she allowed him to pull her away. “Find her, Harrier,” she said. “Please, find her.”
Harrier nodded and swam into the ocean.
“And Harrier?” Nox called. The male paused. “Keep an eye out for Raven, would you? He’s got a baby on the way.”
Harrier saluted then dove beneath the waves in search of his sister.
Nox and Rachel swam hard and fast, putting as much distance between them and the wreckage as they could manage. Some miracle put them near the floating seat cushions. They grabbed them and held on, watching helplessly as the remnants of the front of the plane slipped beneath the ocean waves.
The water was cold, but Nox barely felt it, Rachel and the rest of their group his primary concern. Time stood still. After the blast of the explosions and the roar of the crash, the night was eerily silent, the only sound that of water lapping against the sides of their floatation devices.
Nox checked Rachel for injuries, but other than a few cuts and bruises, she was remarkably unscathed. However, she continued to stare into the darkness, alternately sobbing and holding her breath as they waited alone in that great big ocean.
A loud splash startled them, but relief replaced fear as Nox saw Raven swim toward them. “Brother,” he called. “We’re over here.”
Raven reached them in short order, and Nox pulled him into a tight hug before pushing his float at him. “Take this.”
Raven tried to argue, but he looked to be in worse shape than Nox felt, and soon gave in. When he turned in the moonlight, shock filled N
ox’s belly at the sight of a wide gash in his brother’s skull. Raven laid his head down on the seat cushion and closed his eyes.
“Raven,” Nox said, “stay with us.”
Raven opened his eyes but didn’t seem capable of focusing on any one thing.
Nox swam to him, lifted his head. “Stay with me, brother. If I don’t bring you home safe, I’ll have that mate of yours to contend with.”
“Jessica,” Raven said.
“That’s right, and Izzie, too. You have to stay awake, Raven. Your family needs you.”
“Won’t matter,” Raven said. His eyes drifted shut, then opened again. “If I stay awake for a minute or hours…the sun will still rise…and we’ll all…be dead.”
Chapter Forty
M erlin was halfway down the hall when he heard the screams. He ran back to the Club and burst inside. The females had been fine a moment ago, so he was surprised to find Jessica on the floor clutching her belly.
Oh gods, the baby.
“Get the doc,” he yelled to Kythryn as he fell to his knees beside Raven’s mate.
“No, no, no,” she repeated again and again, bloody tears streaking her cheeks as she cradled the child inside her, rocked back and forth on the mats.
“Jessica, what is it?” Merlin asked. “Is it the baby?”
Jessica bolted upright, and clutched his arm, her tiny Vampire claws digging into his skin as her eyes sparked a blinding white. “Merlin. Where are they? Where’s the plane?”
“The plane? What?”
“My family!” Jessica screamed. “Where is my family?”
“They’re on their way home,” he said, and stroked her hair, tried to calm her down. “They’ll be home in just a few hours.”
“No,” Jessica moaned. “Something’s wrong. Something’s wrong!”
