Shattered Stars

by Theresa Kay

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright

  Shattered Stars

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Chapter 40

  Chapter 41

  Chapter 42

  Chapter 43

  Chapter 44

  Chapter 45

  Chapter 46

  Chapter 47

  Chapter 48

  Chapter 49

  Chapter 50

  Chapter 51

  Chapter 52

  Chapter 53

  Chapter 54

  Chapter 55

  Epilogue

  A Note About Reviews

  Also By Theresa Kay

  About the Author

  Acknowledgments

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, organizations, places, events, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Text copyright © 2017 Theresa Kay

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher.

  Cover design by Nicole Spence at Cover Shot Creations

  Editing by David Gatewood

  Formatting by CookieLynn Publishing Services

  To Carla and Kelly, cheerleaders extraordinaire. Without you guys this book would still be sitting on my hard drive unfinished.

  I WAKE FROM RED-WASHED DREAMS with a silent scream perched upon my lips. Lir’s arm tightens around my waist, pulling me closer. He brushes a kiss over my temple and mutters something about it being too early to get up. Whatever the time, there’s no way I’ll be going back to sleep. Not when my mind is sure to conjure up more nightmares filled with blood and darkness. And my brother’s haunted eyes.

  I slide out of Lir’s hold and swing my legs over the side of the bed. The concrete floor is like ice on my bare feet, but the feeling grounds me, lets me know I’m really awake, even as my mind drowns in memories and shudders take over my body.

  Gavin gave us his bedroom, one of the few private rooms available on this section of the base, and part of a connected suite of four that share a common sitting room. I tried to protest, but Gavin said he had to be debriefed and wouldn’t be using it, and besides, Lir and I looked like we were about to fall over. The last thing I wanted to do was go to sleep, no matter how much I needed it, but now I’m glad for the privacy of the tiny room as anxiety buzzes through my veins.

  I’m used to nightmares, and I’m no stranger to screaming myself awake. But this one was different. It started off simple enough—soaring through the sky over the city, swooping past Peter’s cabin, and circling over Bridgelake—but then it changed. The weightlessness and the light disappeared, and I was engulfed in a darkness that oozed along the edges of my mind looking for an opening that would allow it to seep into my head and take over—an opening Jastren could use to get back in.

  When I’m asleep, my mind is vulnerable, and though Lir assured me the bond protects me, I can’t help but remember the slimy feeling of Jastren in my head, the slithering whisper of his planted suggestions and how easy it must have been for him, how easy I made it for him to take over not only my mind but my brother’s, too.

  If only I’d paid more attention…

  I flinch away from the thought. There’s nothing I can do about it now.

  It’s a relief to be rid of Jastren’s influence. It was subtle but pervasive, and I’m still not entirely sure how deep it went, how much of my crazy was me and how much was whatever hold he had over me. A rancid combination of grief and guilt is now my constant companion, a twisting knot deep in my stomach, and the dark madness from the combination of my uncontrollable E’rikon abilities and my past is still very much present. I’m certainly not… normal, but I’m not insane. I’m not the same kind of monster Jace has become.

  Lir explained what my dad told him back in the city. About the Collapse. About Jastren’s part in it all. And about how, until recently, no one had any idea how deep Jastren’s influence ran. We still don’t know everything, and there’s a good chance we never will.

  What I do know is that Jastren is a threat to us all—and to defeat him I have to become the weapon I never wanted to be. It all depends on me now.

  And without my brother, I don’t know if I’m enough. I have to hone my abilities, learn to control the shikiza—my strongest ability and the very darkness that threatens to consume me. I have to do it without my twin, the person I expected to have at my side when I went up against Jastren. And I have to do it quickly.

  I run a hand over my face and stand up. Four steps take me to the sink in the corner, where I splash chilly water on my face. The fog of sleep is receding, but that hazy, half-formed sensation of another presence in my mind lingers. And it’s not the pleasant one that comes with the bond.

  I cast a glance over my shoulder at Lir, still asleep on the bed. His face is haggard, and the gold in his coloring has lost some of its luster, but he’s still gorgeous, and he’s mine. I can’t always control when and how much of what I’m feeling or thinking flows across the bond, but making the connection to Lir is effortless. It’s still a little weird to be so entangled with someone else, but now that I’ve accepted it and opened myself up to it, the bond is… everything. I’m lucky to have it. I’m lucky to have him.

  Whether or not I deserve him is another matter entirely.

  My clothes—except for the tank top and underwear I have on—are in a pile in the corner along with the crumpled dark gray E’rikon uniform Lir was wearing. I pick up my jeans, and my stomach twists with sorrow and disgust. The denim is stiff with dried blood. Flint’s blood. I will not be wearing these.

  I walk over to Gavin’s dresser. As if I don’t feel guilty enough for taking his bed, now I’m raiding his clothes. Not that I have any other options. The first drawer is all boxers and socks, but I find a pair of soft drawstring pants in the second one. They hang over my feet when I put them on, so I roll the waistband a few times to shorten them. Looks a little strange, but it’ll have to do. I grab a T-shirt too. The black fabric of my jacket might hide the blood on my own shirt, but I’d still know it’s there. And as long I’m appropriating Gavin’s clothing, I pull on a pair of his socks, too.

  As I pad over to the door, I kick my pile of ruined clothes farther into the corner. Later, I’ll find someplace to get rid of them. Or burn them.

  As I expected, the hallway is quiet and empty. Gavin hasn’t returned from his debriefing, and the twenty or so of his men who made it out of Bridgelake have quarters elsewhere. Rym and the older, dark-haired E’rikon who rode in
the ship with us are probably still asleep. Stu and Ethan went to the infirmary with Emily, and Bree went… who knows where. As far as the other two people I know here…

  I’m still pissed at Matt for lying to me. I suppose it was more a lie of omission since he didn’t ever claim to not be working with my father, but still. And I just haven’t had enough time yet to adjust to the fact that my dad’s alive. So to be honest, I don’t much care where either of them are right now.

  No. That’s a lie.

  I care very much where Dad is. The little girl in me wants nothing more than to run into his arms. But the me who’s spent the last four years grieving the man only to find out that he never died at all, but rather deserted me and Jace… that version of me wants nothing to do with him. He lied to me. He hid things from me. Damn important things, too. Had I known them, I might have been able to help Jace—save him even. But I didn’t. And I couldn’t. For that, I blame Dad. And I don’t know how to forgive him yet.

  After a quick stop in the bathroom, I walk to the small sitting room. My steps falter at the sight of Gavin slouched in the easy chair in the corner, his chin resting on his chest. Why didn’t he find a bed? That position can’t possibly be comfortable. He hasn’t even removed his boots.

  His eyes crack open, and he stretches forward with a yawn. He runs a hand over his face and gives his head a brisk shake. “Hey.”

  “Hey.” I sit down on the loveseat across from him and tuck my legs underneath me.

  We sit there in silence. Gavin blinks a few times before running a hand through his hair and giving his head another shake.

  “I’m sorry about Flint,” he says finally in a low, sleepy voice. “I didn’t have a chance to tell you that earlier… yesterday?” He blinks again and rubs at his eyes. “Wow. I’m really out of it.”

  “You look like you haven’t slept in days,” I say, taking in his wrinkled uniform and stubble-lined jaw. The rumpled appearance ages him, making him appear closer to thirty-five than twenty-five.

  “I haven’t.” He blows a breath past his lips. “I had to make sure things were settled here, and I only got out of my debriefing… an hour ago?” He shrugs. “I don’t know. It may have been longer than that.”

  “So…”

  He offers me a weak smile. “You want to know what’s going on.”

  “Yeah.”

  Gavin straightens in his chair, then leans over with his elbows resting on his knees. “My superiors aren’t happy I brought E’rikon here. They’re… concerned about the location of this base becoming known.” I open my mouth to retort, but he holds up a hand. “They’ll get over it. I’ve explained the situation as best I can, and I think I’ve managed to impress upon them what we’re up against.”

  My brows go up. “You think?”

  “What did you tell them?” Lir’s voice startles me, his question harsh and accusatory. He strides across the room, barefoot and sleep heavy, but no less confident and commanding.

  Gavin leans back in the chair, studying Lir with slightly narrowed eyes. “I didn’t tell them anything about Jax, if that’s what you’re asking.”

  “Good.” Lir sits down next to me. How well do you know this man? Do you trust him?

  I grab his hand and give it a squeeze. Well enough, and yes, I do.

  Gavin watches us with an assessing gaze. “You’re doing the telepathy thing, aren’t you?”

  Lir stiffens, but I squeeze his hand again before he says anything. “Yeah,” I say. “Lir asked if I trusted you. I told him I did.”

  Gavin bobs his head toward Lir. “I think we share the same goals here. Before the, uh, sudden shift of power yesterday, Jax came to me and offered up the use of her powers in our defense.” He looks Lir directly in the eye. “I didn’t take her up on that. Things here are…” He releases a breath. “Complicated. I think it’s best if Jax keeps her abilities secret—at least until I have a better idea how my superiors would react to that information. I don’t want to put anyone in any unnecessary danger.”

  “I agree,” says Lir.

  “And I’m sure Dr. Mitchell kept her and her brother’s existence a secret for a reason. I want to speak with him before making any decisions.” Gavin tilts his head to the side and studies me. “I had no idea you were related to him. Why didn’t you tell me that before?”

  “Oh, now I get to talk?” I send a pointed look at Gavin, then turn to Lir and wait for him to meet my eyes. You haven’t tried to make decisions for me before. Don’t start now.

  Lir frowns and squeezes my hand. I apologize. I didn’t mean for you not to be included.

  “I agree that keeping my abilities a secret is a good idea. I’ve seen how some people act when they figure out what I can do. As far as your question, Gavin, for the past four years or so I thought my dad was dead. He disappeared one day, and I had no idea he was alive until yesterday.”

  Gavin rubs his chin with two fingers. “Four years? That coincides with his arrival here.” The fingers on his chin move to his temples. “I don’t know what the future looks like at this point, but I do know we’re going to have to work together to make sure there is one. We—the humans—simply aren’t prepared to fight someone like Jastren Reva. We’re going to need your help, and your knowledge, to defeat him.” He lifts his face to meet my gaze. “And I’m talking about both of you, not just your boyfriend.”

  “Bondmate,” Lir corrects him.

  “Bondmate,” repeats Gavin as he swings an arm outward. “And not only you two, either. We’re going to need as much E’rikon help as we can get.”

  “He is correct,” says a voice from the hallway.

  Karo—I think that’s his name—steps into the room. He doesn’t sit, instead choosing to stand stiffly on Lir’s left.

  “An alliance between the humans and the E’rikon is essential,” he says. “The E’rikon Council is weakened and, as a whole, shares the same blindness of the upper classes as to lineage over sense. They would easily choose to side with the Reva sire simply because he is E’rikon—despite the fact his goals most likely benefit neither of our species.”

  Great. I knew things wouldn’t be easy, but I figured there’d be enough self-preservation instinct on the E’rikon side of things that we wouldn’t have to worry about them joining the wrong side of this conflict.

  Lir’s eyebrow goes up as he turns to face Karo. “An alliance? The Council is not here. Who exactly would broker this alliance on behalf of the E’rikon?”

  “You would,” says Karo in an even voice. “Diplomacy is your family’s legacy, and this is what you were raised for. Perhaps not for this specific situation… but this is the one in which you find yourself, and this is the one you must work with.”

  Lir shifts in the seat. His gaze slides to Gavin, unease and indecision on his face. He takes a deep breath before speaking. “You are assuming the E’rikon would listen to me. That they would honor a deal made by me.”

  Gavin’s brow furrows. His eyes dart to me, but I angle my head toward Lir. It’s not my story to tell.

  Lir continues. “My uncle has painted me as a traitor, and the people have listened. Neither my lineage nor my word are worth anything.”

  Karo shakes his head. “I believe you are overestimating Vitrad’s control of the city. From what I observed, Vitrel has taken to handling many public appearances and speaking engagements. I would not be surprised if she is now in control of day-to-day operations—perhaps even the Council meetings.”

  “It’s true.” This comes from Rym as he joins us. Things are turning into an all-out party now. Rym takes a seat on the arm of the couch closest to me. “Morning, everyone,” he says brightly. “Shouldn’t I have been invited to this meeting?”

  I snort. “Not exactly a meeting, Rym.”

  “Yeah, well, now that I’ve had the blissful experience of attempting to sleep on a rock-hard mattress in a facility where I can practically feel the animosity directed at me, I think I should be a part of any decision-making. Espe
cially if it involves my father or my sister.” He leans back against the wall. “Besides, I happen to know that Trel might be open to an alliance with the humans. I’m not sure what’s going on with the Council—that’s one thing my father hasn’t had her attend to—and they probably won’t like it, but my father, and therefore the askari, would follow her lead.”

  Lir raises his eyebrow once more. “And how do you know that?”

  Rym’s face darkens. “Because she told me.”

  “When she was bandaging your wound,” Lir says.

  Rym’s eyes are far away as he nods his head in agreement. But, as with most times Rym tries to be serious, the mood doesn’t last long. He smiles. It’s overly bright and forced, but a smile all the same. “So, that’s one problem out of the way. What’s next?”

  Lir runs a hand over his head, ruffling his hair. “This all takes for granted that the humans”—his eyes go to Gavin—“are truly open to an alliance. Were the type of people who accompanied Adam into the city the exception or the rule?”

  Gavin shifts uneasily in his seat. “I won’t lie; most here wouldn’t be considered pro-E’rikon. But they are pro-survival. If I—we—present this in the right way, they’ll have to agree to it. The question is who to speak to. President Taylor isn’t here right now, and I’m not sure when he’ll be back. But I think, if you give me a day or two, I can get you in to see General Carter. He’s the one in charge of the base and the military, so he’s probably who you’d need to convince anyway.”

  “And what do I tell him?” Lir asks.

  “The truth,” says Karo. “Tell him about the threat Jastren poses—to both our species—and the possible repercussions if they wait too long to come to an agreement.”

  Lir’s eyes slide to me, and he lowers his voice. “And what about Jax? Putting aside the issues with my uncle, and assuming I can negotiate some sort of alliance, will the E’rikon ever be able to accept her? Or me, if she is my bondmate?”

  Karo turns an assessing gaze to me. “Your bondmate is untrained and undisciplined.” I start to reply, but he holds up a hand and gives me a soft smile. “But her… spirit?… is a good balance for yours. You will be great assets to one another, and you should learn to utilize each other’s strengths. It may take time, but the people will see the benefit of your bond. Our two species have remained segregated for too long; Jax has the potential to be the bridge that brings us together.”