by Kiersten Fay
After Cale scarfed down the rest of her slice, they hopped a cab heading for her apartment. The smell of smoke hung thick in the air. A few more police cars with their lights flashing passed by in the direction of Little Jitters. Kyra wondered how big the fire had become. Or maybe they had already declared it to be arson.
Fat drops of rain began to spatter across the windshield, steadily increasing in frequency. That should help in keeping the flames in check, she thought.
Once in her apartment, Cale made himself at home, heading straight for the couch and stretching out. The rain came down harder now, banging against the glass balcony doors like tiny drumsticks.
Fluffing her damp hair with one hand, she flipped on the television and switched to the news. On the screen, a helicopter hovered, providing a view of smoke billowing from the familiar alleyway, while a newscaster interviewed a police officer at the scene. He didn’t have much to tell.
“They won’t find anything that resembles a body,” Cale reassured.
“That doesn’t mean they won’t figure it out,” she said. Although, alien carcass would be the last thing they’d consider.
Realizing Zoey would probably be worried, Kyra pulled out her phone and scrolled to her name. While it rang, she pointed to Cale’s muddy boots resting on the arm of her couch and added a meaningful look.
He just raised a brow.
She was about to order him to take them off, but the fact that Zoey wasn’t picking up alarmed her. She usually answered after the first couple of rings. A robotic voice said, “Your call has been forwarded to an automatic voice messaging service—”
She hung up, cursing under her breath. To Cale, she asked, “They wouldn’t have gone after her, would they?”
“Your dark haired friend? There were no Kayadon around when you sent her off.”
“How do you know?”
“I can smell ‘em. Smell like aged socks.”
Well, that was comforting, and kind of gross.
“Huh. Maybe she’s just talking with Kevin.” She tried to let that thought ease her mind, but it didn’t help much, so she called back and left a message. Before hanging up, she added, “Oh, and I have your mom’s urn.”
When she finally sat, the cushy chair felt like a giant puff of cotton. If it weren’t for her unanswered questions, she would have fallen asleep right then. “Alright, Cale, start talking.”
He pushed to sit up. Mud crumbled off his boots as he dropped them to the floor. She had to remind herself that the carpet was ruined anyway.
“First of all, how much do you know about what happened to your planet?”
“Not much. We were under attack, I know that. Mine was the first escape-shuttle to be launched. I, uh, thought the others would be behind me but…”
“So you don’t know what your father had planned?”
She shook her head. “Is he alive?”
“That I don’t know. The pirate, I mean, Ethanule believes so.”
“Ethanule’s alive?” It shocked her to hear a familiar name. The relief was nearly overwhelming.
“And your sister, Anya.”
“Anya?”
“Yeah, er, Analia. We call her Anya.”
The breath rushed out of her and she sat forward. “Who else?”
Cale scraped a hand down the back of his neck, wishing he had more names to give. “That’s it.”
Immediately after he said it, he cursed his choice of words. Her hands flew to her mouth in horror.
“No, wait. That’s all we know of. I didn’t mean that everyone else is dead. Anya and Ethanule are on our ship.” He thought it wise to leave out the part about Anya’s condition when he’d left. It would only cause Kyra pain to hear it, and it was possible she’d made a full recovery.
“Our ship?”
“My family’s ship, Marada,” he clarified.
Along with everything he was omitting, he decided not to add they’d stolen it from a Kayadon noble. So far, she was taking everything pretty well, but he didn’t want to dump too much on her this first night, and that revelation would only lead her questions in a direction he’d rather avoid for now.
Her initial assumption that he was a dragonshifter had been convenient at the time, but he couldn’t keep his horns covered forever, and if he were to retain her trust he’d have to come clean. Maybe in the morning. Right now he wanted to feel her out to determine how she might react to the news of him being a demon.
“Tell me something about you. How has it been living on Earth?”
“At first, it was terrible. Well, let me rephrase that—it was worse in the beginning.” She pulled her hair aside to show her ear. “If it wasn’t for these, it would have been easier. Humans would take one look at them and declare me an evil creature from hell.”
Cale couldn’t help but laugh awkwardly at that, and she gave him a questioning look. “Uh, that just reminded me of some of the myths these humans have come up with. They seem pretty farfetched, don’t you think?”
“Actually, I’ve been surprised by the accuracy of some of them. Nearly every ‘myth’ seems to contain a shred of truth.”
“Is that so?”
She gestured in his direction. “Like the dragons. They didn’t get the shifting thing, but they got the breathing fire thing, and you have to agree some of the images are uncanny.”
“Right,” he dragged the word out.
“It’s almost as if every race I’ve ever known, and probably some that I don’t know, have been here at some point and left their mark on this world.”
“I’ve been thinking the same thing.”
She smiled at him. He wished she’d stop doing that. “Fascinating, isn’t it? Do your people have any recorded history of Earth?”
He was relieved by her phrasing. “No, they don’t.”
“Hmm.” There was a short pause. “So, tell me about the Kayadon. Why do they want me?”
“We’re not sure, exactly. It could have something to do with your royal status.”
“In the alley, I remember the first one called me princess.”
“Aye, I heard that. From what we know, they are still occupying your home world. We believe your father is being used to keep the people in line.”
A flash of anger crossed her face which quickly transformed into concern. “Is he well?”
“I cannot say. I’ve never met him.”
She waited solemnly for him to elaborate.
“Like you, your father sent your sisters off-planet to hide. Anya found us first and knew nothing of your people. Ethan came next, and he brought with him a book that your father had created, which can only be opened by you or your sisters. It’s how I knew where to find you. Your father’s intention had been to recruit us to find you and bring you home, and he couldn’t have found a more willing group. Once we heard the Kayadon were involved, we were in.”
“You’ve fought those monsters before?”
“No, those were the first Kayadon I’d had the pleasure of killing. Thought they’d be tougher.” He hesitated. “The Kayadon destroyed my…family.” He didn’t want to distress her further by suggesting that her own planet could destroyed as his was.
“I see. So, you’re out for revenge.” It wasn’t a question.
“Precisely.”
“I can understand that.” She slowly exhaled. “So, where do we go from here? You have a craft, or something, don’t you?”
“Unfortunately, my trip here was a one way shot. My shuttle nearly ran out of fuel about a million miles back. I was lucky to coast in and use small bursts to adjust my trajectory. We’d probably be able to get back into space, but unless Marada is close, we’d be stuck drifting.”
“And where is Marada?”
“They stayed behind to find your sister, Nadua, as well as one of our crew who’d been captured during the initial search for her. I was sent ahead because Ethan found an inscription in the book that suggested you were in immediate trouble.” He spread his hands out. “
So, here I am.”
She went quiet, contemplating his words. “Well, thank you…and sorry for shooting you the other day.”
“No harm done. I heal fast. Should have known better than to sneak up on a tipsy Faieara. Though I can’t say I regret it.”
She tried to hide a grin and changed the subject. “So, where’s your shuttle now?”
“I landed it north of here, deep in some forest land.”
“Okay, I have a cabin upstate. You said we should get out of the city, so we can head up there in the morning. It’s about a three hour drive.” Nervously, she checked her phone. “We’ll have to stop by Zoey’s first.”
Cale’s eyes followed her as she moved across the room to a small closet. When she came back, she handed him a blanket and pillow.
Stepping back, Kyra asked, “Do you need anything else?”
Cale stood. “You mind if I use your shower?” He shrugged out of his shirt, managing to keep his hat in place, and balled it up in his fist, giving it a good whiff.
“Uh…” was all she could get out—the man was cut. He had the kind of physique for which athletes would trade their souls.
He pointed toward the bathroom, unaware that her mind was drifting into the gutter. “In there, right? Do you mind?”
“Uh.”
A sexy grin spread across his face. “Want to join me?”
That snapped her out of it. “No!” She flushed. She’d always been a sucker for a six-pack, but no one alive could look at him and not get turned on. It was a statistical impossibility.
His smile widened, and he exuded the kind of confidence reserved for rock stars.
“Oh, you’re trouble,” she grumbled and went to grab a clean towel for him. Thrusting it at his chest, she snatched his shirt. “I’ll throw this in the wash.”
She ignored the wicked glint in his eyes as he closed the bathroom door. A few seconds later, she heard the hiss of the shower spray and her mind conjured an image of water hitting his body. She groaned, shaking her head. They couldn’t have sent a less attractive male?
She crossed to her cramped laundry room, but before depositing his shirt in the washer, her curiosity got the better of her and she sniffed it. It was definitely a masculine odor, and a primitive part of her brain could appreciate the scent, but the sensitive nerves in her nose told her he’d probably been wearing it for a week straight.
“Extra soap,” she mumbled. With a twist of a nob, the washing machine grumbled to a start.
She never invited men up to her apartment, so Cale was the first, but it felt almost natural to have him there. Maybe that was because he was an outsider like her, and because of that she felt a connection with him.
She warned herself, however, not to confuse that with infatuation, as she’d done in the past.
It was foolish to have asked her to join him. He wouldn’t have been able to hide his horns if she’d agreed, and he would have had to deal with the fallout sooner than planned. But when her breath hitched in that familiar, female way, and he saw her eyes dilate as she ran them over his body, he’d gone instantly hard and been unable to resist.
Her blush had been the most gratifying thing he’d seen in a long time. As the water trickled over him, he reminded himself that sleeping with her would be a bad idea. Unfortunately, he couldn’t keep from imagining it. All this time watching her had given him plenty of fantasies to work with. He fisted his cock, rubbing his length as he allowed the scenarios to play through.
He imagined what he would have done had he pulled her from the dance floor that first night. He would have found them a dark corner and guided her legs around him as he took her against the wall. The image of her on her knees, her mouth coming over him, had him gripping the tile for support as his release exploded, numbing his mind.
He cut the water flow and toweled off, noticing that everything here smelled like her. A pleasant scent, not overpowering, but feminine and sweet.
Facing the mirror, he slipped his fingers through his short tuft of hair to see if he could possibly hide his horns without the hat. He couldn’t. They were just a bit darker than his blond hair, although not much longer in length. Hat in place, he pulled his jeans on and stepped out of the room.
He worried she’d question the headpiece, but luckily he found the living room empty. Her door was closed, and he figured she must have gone to bed.
Making himself comfortable on the couch, he closed his eyes.
After dressing in a long shirt and using her own bathroom to wash up, Kyra lay sprawled out on her bed, unable to sleep. Finally, after four hundred years, she was getting answers. She was practically giddy with excitement, though the knowledge she now possessed was disturbing.
Her father was being held captive. Her sisters had been sent away, same as her. Were they living just as alone as she was? She was grateful that they were still alive, but what could her father be planning? She recalled his last words to her. “It might work.” Which conversely meant that it might not work, whatever it was.
She sighed and turned over, trying to find a comfortable position. After another hour, she accepted that she wasn’t going to get any sleep tonight. Fumbling for her phone, she dialed Zoey, and again received no answer. At the sound, “Your call has been for…” she banged the phone on the bed.
If anything had happened to her, Kyra would blame herself for the rest of her life. She couldn’t wait till morning. She needed to check on her.
Slipping out of bed, she pulled on jeans and crept into the living room. Cale slept peacefully on his back, one arm draped over his stomach. Her eyes traveled to his bare chest, and she greedily took him in.
She debated waking him. It wouldn’t be good if he found her gone, but she remembered that he’d been living in the park for the last few weeks, or more, and probably hadn’t gotten much sleep. In fact, he’d been so exhausted he hadn’t bothered to remove his hat. She hated to disturb him now, reasoning that if she took a cab she could make it to Zoey’s and back in maybe forty-five minutes. Less, if traffic was fair. He wouldn’t even know she’d left.
Thinking to make him more comfortable, she reached to remove his hat and then froze. A set of spikes that curved slightly toward the crown of his head protruded from his hair. After a moment of inspection, she realized they were attached to his skull.
“What the fuck!”
Burning red eyes flashed open. His face twisted in a snarl and he grabbed her wrist in a lightning fast move, jarring her and causing the dark hat to slip from her fingers. It landed with a soft thud.
She couldn’t help but cry out, partly from the pain and partly from surprise. He released her, and she jerked back so fast she lost her footing. The carpet cushioned her fall.
Her body reacted while her mind tried to catch up, and before she knew it, she’d slammed open the balcony door and made the long leap to the glossy, wet ground. A bystander screamed at her landing, but she ignored them, racing straight into the street, dodging traffic.
A loud noise crashed behind her, but she didn’t look back. She knew it would be him chasing after her. In a smooth jump, she cleared the low wall and then pushed past the cold shrubbery into the park.
Not a dragon! her mind screamed as she tried to keep the soggy, rain-drenched earth from slowing her.
Why would he lie? What was his purpose here? She suddenly became aware that she really hadn’t garnered much information from him. His intentions could be congruent with the Kayadon. Maybe he came to trick her into giving up information, unaware that she had none to give. Worse, she hadn’t actually seen him destroy the bodies of those who had attacked her; she’d only taken his word for it.
When did I become so gullible?
Was it because she’d been so desperate for a real connection with someone? For information about her home?
Heart pounding, she raced through a path she’d walked a thousand times before, trying to organize her thoughts. Why would he lie about being a dragon? What exactly was he? She
knew the horns were a clue, but the first thought that came to mind seemed ridiculous. Only…what else could he be?
He hollered from behind, his voice sounding guttural, unfriendly. “Kyra! Stop!”
She didn’t.
A clearing was coming up fast, and she prepared herself for a hard sprint, but he appeared in front of her.
The momentum she’d gathered was too great, and she tried spinning like a football player to keep from slamming into him. At the same time, he reached for her, snagging her around the waist with one arm. The strength of his hold was inconceivable, and she knew she wouldn’t get away unless she could knock him unconscious.
“Just calm down for a second,” he ordered. His other arm hooked around her.
“Let go of me!” She tried to slam the back of her heel against him his shin, but he took advantage and swiped both legs out from under her. Her body splashed into a cold puddle of water.
He followed her down and held her still with his weight. “Can I explain?”
She continued to struggle, growling, “Get off me!”
“Settle down first, and let me explain.” His voice was so calm and even. He wasn’t even breathing hard.
She, however, was sucking back air, finding it hard to capture it in her lungs. “I told you, I’m not a trusting person and the first thing you did was lie to me!”
“I didn’t lie. I just didn’t correct you.”
She paused and narrowed her gaze. “That’s the same thing!” she bellowed and resumed her struggling.
“Maybe I should have handled it differently, but I was afraid you would react badly to the truth.” He gave her a look as if to say he’d been right.
Finally, she relaxed, not because of his words, but because she was running out of energy. “What are you, and why are you really here?”
“I’m a demon.” He watched her eyes, waiting for her shock to wane.
It didn’t take long; she’d suspected as much. Although, she hadn’t known till now that they actually existed.
“Everything else I told you is the truth. Your sister and Ethan are with my family, and they are coming to get us.”
