Dead End Page 12

  He shook his head. “They always blindfold us before taking us to their hideout. David doesn’t take any risks.”

  Lyrian walked forward a few more steps and made the sound again. Long seconds passed, and then something whizzed past my ear and buried itself in the tree behind me with a thunk.

  An arrow.

  Someone had shot an arrow at me.

  “Nobody move,” Micha ordered.

  I froze, hands splayed like starfish, and then figures emerged from the trees, dressed in the same colors as the forest around them—brown and ash and green.They were in full camouflage, face-paint and all, and they had old-style guns pointed at us.

  “It’s Lyrian and Micha,” Lyrian said. “Here to see David.”

  The circle of gun-toting humans tightened around us, and then a woman stepped through the lineup. Tall and athletic, dark hair pulled off her face in a severe ponytail, she studied us with deep violet eyes that were all too familiar.

  “Jules?” Micha said.

  Her gaze settled on him, and her lip curled in a sexy smile. “Hello, lover.”

  Chapter 16

  Jules? As in Emory’s sister, as in Micha’s ex-girlfriend. He’d told me about her, how she had been devastated by the death of her father and came and went as she pleased. It’s why their relationship hadn’t worked out.

  Jules sauntered over to Micha, and the intention was clear on her face. She was going to kiss him. My heart climbed into my mouth, and rage burned my throat, but I held firm. It wasn’t up to me to stop her. This was for Micha to deal with; no way would I be the jealous girlfriend, or, in this case, the jealous kindred.

  I needn’t have worried because Micha raised his hand to ward her off.

  She halted her approach and arched a brow. “Oh, right. Do we have to do the whole you’re-mad-at-me-for-leaving shtick again before we fall into bed?”

  My hands curled into fists at my sides because the thought of anyone else in bed with Micha made my insides twist, but then Micha’s warm palm closed around my right fist and his thumb stroked my knuckles until I relaxed and laced my fingers with his.

  Jules’s eyes dropped to our linked hands, and her gaze shot back up to his face. “New girlfriend?”

  Micha squeezed my hand slightly. “No, Jules. Echo is my kindred.”

  As if his words were a physical blow, her face drained of color, and a sharp exhalation fell from her lips, and whereas a moment ago I’d been ready to tear out her hair, now there was nothing but pity in my heart for her. She’d cared for him, maybe even loved him … But not enough to stay with him. Not as much as me.

  “Kindred?” Her lips turned down. “Right.”

  Lyrian took my other hand. “And she’s my scalemate.”

  Jules cleared her throat and fixed a smile on her face. “A lucky woman then.” Her gaze slid past us, and then her mouth parted. “Emory?”

  Emory stepped forward. “Hello, Jules.”

  She flew into his arms, and he hugged her close.

  She pulled back after a moment. “How’s Mum? How are the dads?”

  Oh, shit. She didn’t know about Harker.

  Emory’s expression sobered. “Jules … Mum is dead.”

  She stared up at him blankly for a long beat and then stepped back, all emotion wiped from her face. “How?”

  “An uprising, a mess. I’ll fill you in later?”

  Her throat worked. “Right. Okay.” Her voice wobbled, but she cleared her throat again. “What brings you here?” She was all business now.

  “We need to see David,” Micha said softly.

  “Can’t help you with that,” she said. “David is dead too.”

  There was an ominous rumble of thunder.

  “Shit,” Micha said. “Fine, then we need to see whoever is in charge.”

  Lightning lit up the sky.

  Jules shrugged. “You’re looking at her.”

  The settlement was underground, and that was all we could tell. They’d brought us here blindfolded, and yeah, it was like being in the Hive but less sophisticated. There were clues here and there, machinery that made me think we were in some huge basement level of a warehouse, but it wasn’t my place to speculate, and Jules … Jules had fallen into a cocoon of silence. The first fat raindrops had hit my face before we’d been led out of the elements. The storm Rhydian had predicted was probably raging full force now.

  But there was a storm in here too, in Jules’s violet eyes. She’d just found out her mother was dead, but she couldn’t grieve yet because she was playing leader. We walked through what was a communal living space lined with mattresses and sleeping bags. The humans had made each of their spaces as homey as possible. Some had erected DIY screens to create an illusion of privacy, and steam and aromas drifted up from kerosene cookers. Barrels were dotted around the huge space, and fires burned within them to keep the place warm. There were children too, running around playing a never-ending game of tag. This was their home, their sanctuary. A weak substitute for what the Hive had to offer. These were the anomalies, the hybrids that hadn’t made the cut for the Hive. If they knew who we were, would they hate us? Would they fall on us and tear us apart?

  Jules led us past it all, and even though people stopped to stare, no one questioned our presence. She led us down a corridor and into an office space that was occupied with a battered desk and some chairs. Old photos were taped to the wall.

  “Tell me what you’re doing here?” she asked Micha.

  Micha took a deep breath and began to fill her in on Genesis’s attack, on the fact we had his location and a way to kill him.

  She stood taller, her eyes gleaming. “You’re sure the explosive will work.”

  “Positive,” Emory said. “We just need manpower.”

  “You know, David hated the Hive and everyone associated with it. He knew where I came from, but he never tried to wrangle the location from me. He could have tortured me to get it. Hell, I’m no saint, I’d have caved with enough pain applied, but he didn’t, and do you know why?”

  I shook my head. “Because he felt sorry for us. He felt sorry for all the humans that never got to see the sun or the moon. For all the humans trapped forever under the earth. He hated the Protectorate for discriminating, but he wouldn’t have traded places with any one of the humans in the Hive. He told me that himself. He said that at least here, above ground, we were moving forward.” She smiled wryly. “He hated the Hive, but he would have helped because this would benefit us all.” She shrugged. “You want manpower. Then you’ll have it.”

  I stared at her. Just like that, she was ready to help us. “Thank you.”

  She frowned. “Don’t thank me. I haven’t done anything yet. It seems like I should be thanking you for doing all the guardian shit. Can’t have been easy.”

  “No. It hasn’t been.”

  We locked gazes, and then her lips quirked in a wry smile. “But fate has a plan for us all.”

  “I prefer to make my own fate.”

  Her smile widened. “Yeah? In that case, I think we’re going to get along just fine.” Her shoulders sagged. “Get some rest. We’ll move out when the storm ebbs. There are a couple of unoccupied rooms down the corridor you can bunk down in for a few hours.”

  We all headed for the door except for Emory. He had a tale to tell his sister of how their mother had sacrificed herself to save human lives. Of how she’d died a hero.

  I sat on the chair in the room next door to Jules’s office and buried my head in my hands.

  “You all right?” Micha asked. He crouched in front of me.

  “I’m fine.” I raised my head and offered him a smile. “Just wish we didn’t have to wait.” I looked at the door, which he’d closed behind him. “Where are Lyrian and Deacon?”

  “With Finn next door. I think they’re looking for supplies just in case we have to spend the night. The storm doesn’t look like it will let up anytime soon.” He cupped my cheek and then kissed me softly. “It’s going to be
okay.”

  Dammit, I wanted to believe that, but the fluttering of dread in my chest and the whisper of doubt at the back of my mind were impossible to ignore. “But what if it isn’t? What if we fail? What if something goes wrong?”

  “Then we deal with that when it happens. If it happens.”

  “What if Genesis figures out that we’ve played him and kills Bry and Verona as punishment?” The thought had been swimming round in my mind, but now that I’d given it voice, it was a real possibility.

  Micha pulled a chair up and sat opposite me. “Listen to me, Echo. One thing I’ve learned about battle is that if you dwell on all the things that could go wrong, you’re draining energy that could be better utilized elsewhere. We have no control over what Genesis does; all we can do is focus on our plan, execute it, and modify if necessary.”

  “Plan, execute, modify.”

  I couldn’t help but smile at the way he broke things down. How he was able to take the fear away a little.

  His gaze dropped to my lips. “Yeah.”

  My body reacted to his attention. How could I even think about sex at a time like this? But my body was heating up in all the right places, and I was getting off my seat and straddling his lap, eager to feel something, anything but foreboding.

  I kissed him deeply, thoroughly, reveling in the rub of his erection. “Micha, I need you.”

  He adjusted me on his lap and stood, one hand gripping my ass. He strode to the door and pushed me against it before flipping the lock.

  “Take off your trousers.” His breath was hot on my cheek. “Let me make you feel good.”

  I fumbled with zippers and buttons and kicked them off. He dropped his pants and lifted me up again, and then he was inside me, deep and thorough, just like the kiss. I moaned into his mouth, tasting his sweet tongue as we rocked together, careful not to make too much noise as we fucked hard and fast against the door. Our hips met in a frenzy as we coupled with soft gasps and raspy moans.

  It was pure connection, pure escapism, pure sensation, and as we came, I prayed that this wouldn’t be our last time together.

  Lyrian joined us a few minutes later. We were still flushed from the sex, but I’d pulled my trousers back on. He didn’t say anything, but it was obvious from the look on his face that he knew what we’d been up to. He was carrying a couple of rolled-up sleeping bags, one under each arm. He didn’t comment, but his shoulders relaxed as Micha made an excuse and left the room.

  He was giving us some alone time.

  Lyrian closed the door and dropped the bedding. “The storm doesn’t look to be easing off. We may have to spend the night here. Jules gave us the sleeping bags to use. Deacon and Finn are bunking next door. Micha and I will be in here with you, and Emory is bunking with his sister. They have a lot of catching up to do.”

  “Is there a washroom?”

  “Yes, down the corridor and turn left. I think this place is under an old warehouse.” He fumbled with his bundles and handed me a scratchy towel and a tiny sliver of soap. “Here, just in case you want to shower.”

  “You saying I smell?”

  He tucked in his chin. “You reek of Micha, and as much as I love my brother, I don’t want to be kissing him.”

  A smile tugged at my lips. “You plan on kissing me?”

  He locked gazes with me, and my breath stalled, because damn, those eyes, those ice-chip, cut-me-through-and-through eyes, were looking into my soul.

  “Yes, Echo. I plan to kiss you.”

  “Right. In that case …”

  I left him setting up the sleeping bags and went in search of the washroom.

  The washroom was huge, several toilets and sinks and shower cubicles. It looked like the plumbing in this place still worked. I used the loo and then stripped off and climbed into one of the cubicles. The water was cold, but it did the job of cleaning, and the soap smelled of flowers.

  Washed, dried, and dressed, I ducked out of the washroom and walked straight into Emory. My hands came up to brace myself against his chest, and his eyes flared gold before dimming back to twilight. He took in my damp hair and then trailed his gaze across my face before finally settling on my eyes.

  “Are you all right?” he asked.

  I nodded. “How’s Jules?”

  “Devastated. She wasn’t close to Mother, but I think that makes it worse. I guess she thought she had time, you know, and now …” He blew out a breath. “She’s focusing on the mission. On bringing down Genesis. I think the reason she and my mother didn’t get on so well was that they were too alike—stubborn, independent, and opinionated. Both were strong characters. The only people my mother ever ceded any control to was my fathers, and even then, it was always temporary.”

  “And what about you? How are you?”

  “Me?” He looked surprised and then comprehension cleared his features. “You mean with Gideon.”

  I smiled. “You two seem to be getting on better.”

  He answered my smile with a sheepish one of his own. “We had a chat. There were only two options, really. Fight each other or fight for you.”

  They’d chosen to fight for me? A lump formed in my throat. I reached up and caressed his jaw. “Thank you.” His eyes bloomed gold. “And you, Gideon.”

  His features shifted slightly, and then Gideon had me pushed up against the wall. “A thank you from that pretty mouth isn’t going to cut it.” His deep, rumbling voice lit me up. “When this is done, you can thank me with your lips around my cock.”

  Heat bloomed low down. “Only if you return the favor?”

  “Say it,” he said. “Tell me exactly what you want me to do. Tell me you want me to fuck you with my tongue.”

  My breath was coming faster, shallower. “I want you to fuck me with your tongue.”

  His face hardened, and then he kissed me hard on the mouth, just a crushing press of his lips, and then he was gone. The gold in his eyes melted to twilight.

  Emory stared at me, his expression momentarily dazed, and then he shook his head. “That fucker.” He cupped my hand to his cheek. “When this is over, we can work out how this … him, me, and you will work, because I’m done holding back, Echo. I always thought our lives were too long, but they’re not long enough.”

  My heart was still pounding way too fast after Gideon’s appearance, but I pushed up on tiptoe and brushed Emory’s lips with mine. “I’d like that very much.”

  I found Lyrian stretched out on one of the sleeping bags, a forearm slung over his eyes. Had he fallen asleep? I padded over and lay beside him, making sure to move my damp hair out from under me.

  He shifted and turned on his side to face me. “Echo.”

  “Yes?”

  His throat bobbed as he scanned my face. “I need to be inside you.”

  There was a thrumming tension to his voice that vibrated through me. We didn’t speak as we tugged off our clothes, but our eyes remained locked. I flung the door between us open and was flooded with his emotions—need, desire, love, fear, all tangled up into one huge ball. They rolled over me, and then my mouth was on his as I pushed him onto his back and climbed on top of him. Our bodies joined just like our minds were linked, and for a few minutes, there was no him or me, just an us. An us that held on tight, digging in its claws, unwilling to let go, unwilling to contemplate that there may not be a tomorrow.

  His hands kneaded my ass as I rode him, his hips rising to meet mine, teeth bared as he sucked in delicious breaths. I watched his face tighten and his eyes close as he came.

  Afterward, we lay side by side as our pulses finished off the race we’d started them on.

  “Lyrian?”

  “Yes?”

  “What’s happening?”

  “I’m not sure. I just … I needed to be close to you.”

  “Me too.”

  This hadn’t been about sex or lust, but I was damned if I could explain what it had been.

  I rolled onto my side, and he wrapped his arm around me, hugging m
e against him. My eyes closed, and just before sleep claimed me, Micha lay behind me and slung an arm over my waist. I wanted to open my eyes, but my lids were too heavy. The sound of the door opening and closing again was unmistakable, though. Who had entered the room now? My nose gave me the answer to that.

  Deacon and … And Emory.

  The rustle of material and the slide of sleeping bags against the hard floor followed.

  “You guys bunking in here too?” Micha whispered so as not to wake me.

  “She doesn’t belong to you,” Deacon drawled. “I can sleep here if I want.”

  “She doesn’t belong to any of us,” Emory said softly. “No. We belong to her.”

  I fell asleep with a smile on my face because no matter what tomorrow brought, I’d have this. I’d have my guys.

  Chapter 17

  Hunter

  “Get out. Get out of my mind.” I push at the presence, but Genesis is too strong. I am bound, and I am weak. He has me. The monster that has been terrorizing our world has me.

  “Let me go.”

  His sigh reverberates through me. “Show me what I need to see. Do not fight me. Who is Bry? Who is Verona? Show me their faces.”

  He wants leverage against Echo, and he will hurt them if he doesn’t get what he wants. He doesn’t bluff. I know this about him just as he knows too much about me because we are one.

  Memories from a lost time rise in my mind. A room with a huge mirror. Blocks to play with and people in white coats. I am a prisoner in another place, and then she comes … Marika. She saves me and imprisons me once more, but I’m grateful. Grateful for the tender love she shows me. Grateful that someone speaks to me, not about me. I hold tight to this new memory, cling to it while Genesis swims through my thoughts.

  He is in my head, so deep it is a physical invasion, rifling, rifling through my memories, but I have my walls, and I hold them in place, hiding what he needs to know behind these fresh memories of a past I’d thought lost.