Lunging forward, Turian’s fangs grew, his eyes darkened, and his black wings flapped as if he meant to take flight. “I will destroy you all!”
“Not on my watch.” I braced my footing and lowered the protective goggles.
Sabree glanced up at me. His eyes connected with my gaze.
“I must do this,” I whispered. “No choice…” And, without realizing it, I changed history by speaking. Already off course as far as I could ascertain, my glare focused on Turian. My eyes burned, the pressure behind them fierce. I steadied myself and charged Turian’s mind with a final farewell. “Hey, monster, meet Brian Ross Colton—your end.”
A fireball of cerebral death shot from my mind. The radiant blast of white light skimmed the desert, blinding all. The Fallen screamed as they pressed their hands against their temples. Their combined panic, fearful the intense pressure would crush their skulls, filled my awareness. My aim steadfast, I funneled the destructive ray at only one. The radiance burned brighter as Turian’s body vibrated like a jackhammer until it exploded into a ball of dust. Embers floated in the breeze.
I ducked as my eyes locked onto a single flame that eclipsed the dark shadow. It swooshed around me and shot into the sky. A wheezing gasp escaped my lips, the air sucked from my lungs. An icy chill consumed my entire being. Bloody hell, what was that?
Farian jumped to his feet and stepped in front of those who remained. “How is this possible? Turian would never threaten his own kind. Who destroyed him to save us?” He looked to me.
Eyes wide, Sabree rubbed his hands through his scalp. “The devil himself, I guess.” A veil of vapor swept over his body. He glanced at me and smirked. “You and I shall meet again.” He vanished. Farian misted after him.
“Aye, lad, count on it,” I whispered to empty space. I braved a glance at Euriel and noticed his nod of approval. The sky darkened and the sand beneath my feet shimmered until I stood on a wooden floor surrounded by walls. Only one window allowed the full moon to illuminate the room. I dropped to my knees. It had never been a dream. Finally, the reason I had destroyed Turian made sense. The same archangel who almost buried Sabree and me in a field of boulders now possessed Turian’s body. Possessed him more than once. Would my sister and friends empathize with my decision? Above all, a part of me panicked because I might’ve failed, time no longer on my side.
15
NEWSFLASH, EINSTEIN
A fitful sleep and racing mind woke Ariane long before dawn. Last night, she asked Sabree to come by the lab first thing in the morning. The urgency in her voice probably troubled him all night. Hopefully, he would restrain his usual pessimism and believe she only wanted to update him on the experiment, not discipline him for the spiteful way he treated her yesterday. She should bitch-slap him. Ariane smiled to herself. Perhaps another day.
In truth, her ulterior motive to gain his attention, perhaps his affection, ruled the day. After Brian revealed their true lineage, why couldn’t Sabree open his heart—hearts—to her? She could safely handle whatever his love dished out. Nothing seemed dangerous about him, but just in case, she equipped herself for battle. Ariane bit into an IV bag of blood Jesse pocketed from one of his labs. Brian beg for some if he found out about her stash. But with the Colton tablets set for production, this would be the last bag she would have to drink from.
A tap on the door of the makeshift laboratory startled her. “Come in.” She tossed the bag into the biohazard waste and reached for the syringe, slipping it into her pocket.
“What’s up?” Sabree asked. He looked around, his jaw clenched. “Where’s Abyss?”
“Who cares about the Queen-B.” a voice inside her head stormed.
“Good morning to you too,” Ariane said without a hint of emotion. She patted her lips with a tissue to hide evidence of the recent feast. Her evil grin broadened when she eyed him from head to foot. Her gaze focused on the soft white shirt tucked in his jeans, then paused on his groin.
“Sting him with your stinger. You need a colony of your own.”
Ariane glanced around the room. The voices spoke the truth but wasted their encouragement on her. She could handle Sabree. Easily. “As for Abyss, I asked her to leave us alone.” Resentment replaced uneasiness when she noticed how he fidgeted at the aspect of them being alone. “Don’t worry. I’m not mad at you for pushing me away yesterday. I just thought you cared about me in the same way I care for you.”
Sabree’s cheeks reddened. “As I explained before, we should never allow our feelings for one another to develop.” Without waiting for a rebuttal, he asked, “Do you have an update?”
“You could say.” Her cheeks flushed warmer than usual.
Sabree leaned over the microscope to look through the eyepiece. “Any closer? Any hope for this batch? You mentioned a week.”
“In production as we speak.” She squeezed the syringe in her hand. “One final test before I switch to the tablets. We should be able to celebrate in a few days.”
He clapped his hands when he turned to face her. “Give me your best shot.”
Her eyebrows lowered as she slid the needle into his neck.
“Hey, that hurt.” He rubbed the sore spot. “You never jabbed me there before.”
Ariane flushed. Her brows furrowed. “Sorry, the next dose will be in tablet form laced with sugar. Too much at stake, more than you realize.”
“More at stake?” he asked, rubbing his neck. “What do you mean?”
A whiff of his sweet scent made her head reel. His nearness sent shivers up her arm. Her eyes burned bright, her reflection revealed in his gaze. “You’re so naïve. My research projects are top priority. I’m not in this for myself. I am in it for everyone. The infection must be curtailed.”
Ariane spun on her heels to avoid bumping into the table. “Then, there’s Eric. The tablet will act as an antidote to nullify the effects of the anti-vamp serum. Brian and I are indestructible.” She glared at him to emphasize the rest. “However, if someone uses the anti-vamp serum, it could cripple us long enough for someone to entomb us forever. All this grief because dimwit mailed the recipe to Jesse.”
“Guess Brian opened a can of bugs.”
The wisecrack made Ariane bare her teeth. “Worms, silly.” Reference to the insect derailed her train of thought. “Do you know what it’s like to slither across the floor? The ooze left behind smells wicked.” Weary fingers massaged her scalp.
“Are you all right, Sis?” Brian asked her telepathically.
“Yes, I’m fine. Go away.” This was the first time he spoke inside her mind. They had practiced here and there without success. Maybe her brother believing she was in danger shot his skill up a notch.
A frown plastered on his face, Sabree shoved his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “Listen, Ariane Rose, I realize how important your work is. Others will too. God forbid, Eric develops a stronger dose.”
The moment Sabree confessed his concern, she no longer sensed Brian lurking outside the door. Although the dispute over the anti-vamp serum had come to a dead end, she refused to accept her brother’s apology for mailing the recipe. Because of his folly, the serum landed in the wrong hands. The circumstances that led her to this stage in her life had spiraled out of control. Perhaps she should take control back.
“Yes, do it! You’re the queen.”
“Shut up!” If the voices refused to hush, she’d focus on her prey instead. Sabree mimicked her by pacing between the table and the kitchen counters. She nodded satisfaction when he swayed slightly and sidestepped to avoid the laboratory instruments. The kitchen was already a tight squeeze without him shadowing her every move. “It’s working,” she whispered. The syringe contained a souped-up dose of anti-anxiety meds instead of serum.
Ariane backed away from his erratic steps and used the table to shield her while she gathered the courage to fulfil her goal. “My research involves a third objective. For those infected or uninfected, the Colton tabs will replace the desire to consume
blood. Once I synthesize the exact formula for potency, we can sever our dependency on humans. The Fallen too.” If Ariane could pat herself on her back, she would. For now, she danced in place to display her enthusiasm. “Science is power; it’s freedom, and for you and me, it’s salvation,” she sang.
Sabree tried to rub his jaw, but his hand slipped. “Won’t these Colton tabs also infect the Fallen like your blood infected me, infected Abyss? They, too, will become dependent on these tablets. Do you think it’s wise to supply them as well as us?””
“They’re already dependent on human blood. What’s the difference?” Her gaze became lost in his lavender-gray eyes.
“Focus,” a voice demanded.
“There’s more. Results from our latest DNA analysis,” Ariane said. “Besides having two extra chromosomes, a few pairs align in reverse order compared to yours. The evaluation is far from finished.”
“So, a wee bit of you and Brian’s code is half-ass backward?” Sabree drawled with his best attempt at a Scottish brogue. “Kind of explains the anti-ness of it all. Sucks to be you.” He cocked his head as he inched his way around the table.
The anti-anxiety meds filled him with false bravado. Although, Sabree closed some of the gap between them, she held her position, her eyes unblinking. The voices inside her head refused to let up.
“How dare he advance with the boldness of an army ant.”
“If only he knew what you have planned for him.”
A shriller voice answered. “Then again, perhaps it’s best he is clueless.”
Ariane’s mind reeled. Now only inches apart, her eyes met Sabree’s as her body pressed against his. She wrapped her arms around him and planted a kiss on his lips. Together, they slammed into the wall. She pressed her hip lightly against his groin until he moaned. The fire within her ablaze, she leaned back to unsnap her lab coat. Along with her resistance, the coat fell at her feet, exposing her nudity.
“What? No, no, not this. Not with you.”
“He must! Don’t let him escape.”
His negativity stung, but not enough to curb her advances. “Nothing you haven’t seen before,” she whispered. “I want you. I want us.” Ariane leaned back onto the table and stretched her arms overhead, arching her back.
Sabree’s eyes blazed a rich purple hue. The color betrayed his true desires. He leaned over her.
The hollowness in her loins began to smolder until she wrapped her legs around his thighs and unzipped his jeans. She hesitated when his eyes glazed over, focused on the ceiling. Ariane wanted him; however, she wondered if he dreaded every minute of their closeness. Although the anti-anxiety meds made her advances too easy, reason took hold.
“I can’t,” she said, pushing him away.
“Good, because I don’t have a condom. Without protection, I might impregnate you.”
“Exactomundo, genius, the reason for this tryst”
The voices reminded her why she risked all, especially Sabree’s friendship, to seduce him—to conceive a child. “Who cares,” Ariane said as she bolted upright.
“You’re not thinking. This passion between us cannot exist.”
“Your blindness infuriates me,” she spat.
“Ignore mixed emotions. Be the best of all queens.”
She squeezed his arms and pulled him closer, sinking her fangs into his shoulder. She bit down as her legs locked around his waist. Their frenzied dance knocked some books off the table. The thud made him shudder in her grasp. They continued to rock in battle. She wanted him. He wanted nothing to do with her. Her nails dug into his back as she continued to nibble on his neck, the original bite already healed.
His moan of defeat, a heavy breath, tickled her ear. Victory! The rocking climaxed into passionate throes. She squeezed her thighs and froze, gasping when his entire body tensed and then quivered.
“Mission accomplished. You have his seed.”
Ariane hissed into his ear. “I love you. Don’t ever forget.”
“What? Impossible.” Sabree’s shoulders caved as he released the breath from his lungs. “You’ve endangered yourself.” He pushed away and pulled up his pants. The zipper tugged on fabric. Crimson pools shrouded his turquoise eyes, warning his rage would erupt any second.
Perfect timing. The anti-anxiety meds had worn off. She tried to embrace him and cringed when he pushed away. His noticeable shaking prompted her explanation. “I have my reasons, some you will never understand. I want your child.” His widening eyes made her snatched her lab coat and put it on.
“Okay, petty jealousy is at fault here.” Ariane planted her hands on her hips. “Brian has the amulet, the portal, and time travel. He met our mother and father.” Her index finger jabbed her chest. “What do I have besides you? Besides my ant colony? I will do something my brother never could: deliver a child who is anti-Malakhim, Turian; human, my mother; and Fallen, you. I will love this child as I love you.”
“Bah! Love is overrated. You’ve endangered yourself.”
She tried not to laugh. “Newsflash, Einstein. Brian and I are pretty much indestructible. Do you honestly think childbirth will kill me? I am not 100 percent human.” She regretted nothing, not even hurting her lover, whose pupils blazed afire.
“Your obsession of science will be your undoing.” Sabree kicked the side of the table. “When your research is done, I’m done—gone.” He stormed out of the lab.
Ariane followed him out of the kitchen and stood by when he almost slammed into Brian and grabbed his shoulders to prevent their collision. Then he shoved Brian hard enough to knock him against the wall. Sabree stormed out without an apology.
“I won’t ask,” Brian said, cocking his head in the direction of the abrupt exit. “Eric called and asked to meet us. Offered a truce. Maybe he’ll leave us alone if we agree to his terms.”
“Fat chance.” Ariane rolled her eyes. “We’re talking about Eric Tripper here. Mr. I’m Better Than Thou because he’s number one spelunker west of the Mississippi River.”
Brian shrugged. “Wants to meet us for lunch. Noon at the Potbelly.”
“Did he invite Sabree?”
“Not sure, but I bet Sabree wouldn’t miss it for the world.” His amber eyes shone brighter than usual.
“Easy, Brian, you have that wild look. Let Sabree know. I’ll be ready after I shower.”
“Make it a cold one, Sis.”
16
COUNT COLTON
A rriving early, Ariane, Sabree, and I paused at the entrance. Eric’s choice to meet us at Potbelly at high noon seemed safe enough. Their lunch specials normally lured costumers from business offices, the local police, and weary shoppers; however, today was different. A wannabe vampire hunter, a Fallen agent, and a mishmash of Fallen invaded Potbelly for the special of the day—Pay up or die. In our favor, the crowds meant we would all have to behave. Before entering, I stole a glimpse of the roof for the flyboy. Euriel’s distinct scent wafted in the air along with grilled burgers.
Oddly enough, I had sensed another who followed us from home. As soon as I got in the car, the faint thumping of two heart beats echoed off the interior. When I asked Ariane and Sabree about it, they changed the subject to the weather. Certain of their deceit, secrets and lies was all I skimmed off their easy-to-read minds.
To avoid Sabree’s reproachful stare, I led the way and ignored the host while scanning the tables. Eric and Jesse sat at a booth in front of the bay window. Besides filling me with dread, seeing Jesse made my heart skip a beat. I cocked an ear to the quiet couple behind me, the silence frostier than a huge iceberg parked amidst all three of us.
“They’re already seated. Shall we join them?” I bowed my head and motioned my sister to the front. “We’re backup, so lead the way, Sis.”
Sabree politely nodded at the host while I inspected the bar.
“That’s our party over there,” Ariane said. “We’ll seat ourselves, thank you.”
A few feet shy of the table, I nudged her from behi
nd and tilted my head to peer over her shoulder. “Hope Jesse’s a double agent. Can’t believe he’d team up with Eric.”
Sabree slammed into her backside.
“Watch it,” Ariane hissed. She ignored the gruff attitude and addressed me instead. “For now, it doesn’t matter. I’m just glad we’re all here in case this little get-together’s a trap.”
After my sister sat and slid toward the window, I squeezed in next, pushing her all the way in to give Sabree some room. I nudged her shoulder with mine, my brows raised in question of her stiff posture. She frowned at the shrug I offered as an apology for making her sit across from Jesse. I gently slid against her again and patted the six-inch space for Sabree to sit.
After we settled, the three of us bordering on a comedic performance, I braved another glance Jesse’s way. From the glare he gave my sister, a chill shot through me. Those dark eyes of his could burn her soul. Mine as well if I wasn’t careful. Although none of us had anything to do with Gray Wolf’s death, we still held ourselves responsible since it had always been a backup plan to hide at his ranch. The only way to approach the delicate situation was to offer condolences.
“Jesse, we’re very sorry,” I said, my voice barely audible. “Gray Wolf was a kind and generous man. He’ll be dearly missed.”
Ariane expressed her sorrow and ended up choking on her emotions. Sabree silently nodded at Jesse.
“Bad idea to let you guys stay at the ranch,” Jesse uttered into his tall brew. He glanced sideways at Eric and gritted his teeth. “This may be a truce, but, damn it, it doesn’t mean I have to be civil with these monsters. I helped them and look what it cost me.”
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