Solaris

I made the prince of darkness squirm.

What was I doing? I shouldn’t be proud of myself for that. And yet, I couldn’t forget the feeling of Kaige’s arms wrapped around my half-naked body. My skin still tingled where his fingertips grazed my flesh.

I pulled the delicate purple fabric over my head and stared at my reflection in the mirror. My cheeks were still flushed from the memory of his touch. The soft top felt like silk on my skin. It was nothing like the standard issue polyester clothing we got in Imera. Even my prized thrift store finds were nothing as precious as this. Focusing on the clothes Kaige had brought me was easier than thinking about the nocturne prince.

He was the next king. He was only a step away from being the most powerful man in Draconis, and I was essentially his prisoner. Fear gripped my chest, sending painful spasms across my lungs. Just breathe, Solaris.

I ran my hand through my wet hair, wishing for a brush to get the tangles out. I glanced at the mirror. At least I looked semi-presentable again. After the plane crash and the taranoi attack, this was a vast improvement. Kaige didn’t seem to mind though. His raging emotions barreled through the blood bond, but it was hard to distinguish them. One moment it was anger, then hunger, then something else—something more primal. It’s just your blood, Solaris. That’s the only thing he could want from me.

I took a breath and opened the bathroom door. Kaige stood by the entryway, his muscles tense as his eyes skimmed over me.

“Good. The clothes fit.”

I hobbled over to the bed and sank down. “Yup. Thanks for bringing them; they’re really nice.” I wrapped my arms around myself. Half a sandwich sat uneaten on the bedside table. My stomach growled.

He chuckled, and the tension in his shoulders released. “Go ahead and eat. I have to get back to the castle. I have a meeting with my father and brother to discuss the trials. They begin in a week, and I have to prepare.”

I swallowed the huge bite of crusty bread and fresh cheese and looked back up at him. “This is ah-mazing by the way.”

His navy eyes sparkled as he watched me inhale the sandwich. I should’ve been embarrassed, but it was just too good and I was starving.

“I’m glad you like it.” He walked over to the kitchenette and pulled another sandwich out of the bag. “There’s another one for later, and I’ll bring you more tomorrow.”

I nodded, unable to speak with my mouth so full of deliciousness.

He strode toward me, pausing a few feet before reaching the bed. His nostrils flared, and he clenched his fists at his sides. “Solaris, I need you to promise me that you won’t try to run away again.”

I raised a hand. “I’m not going anywhere.” I pulled up my pant-leg and glanced down at my knee. It was the first time I’d really seen it without all the bandages. Purple and blue splotches mottled my leg, but it wasn’t twisted at that awkward angle anymore. Kaige stared at it too. “It feels much better.”

“Good. With any luck, we’ll be able to get you out of here soon. As long as you tell me the truth.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “Right. I just have to pass your inquisition, and I’m free?”

“Yes.”

“And how exactly are we going to get me back to Imera?”

His dark brows scrunched together forming a deep crease in his forehead. “I’ll tell you once you pass my inquisition.” He winked, and I almost died of shock.

Was the prince of darkness trying to be cute?

He eyed the restraints still fastened on the bedposts. “You’re sure I won’t need to use those?”

I narrowed my eyes at him, trying to look as intimidating as possible, which was hard at five feet nothing with a semi-broken leg. “Don’t even think about it.”

He shot me a smile and turned to the door. “Behave, Solaris.”

“Of course, your highness.” I tipped my head, wanting to bow so badly, but I was scared my leg would give out and I’d fall flat on my face.

The door slammed behind Kaige, and I was surprised at the twinge of disappointment it sparked. I shrugged it off. It was totally normal to want some company. I was lonely, that was all. I just had to survive one more night in Draconis. Tomorrow, Kaige would compel me and find out I knew nothing about those crates, and he’d get me home. I took the last bite of my sandwich and pushed down the churning unease in my stomach. Everything would be fine.

* * *

The no sun thing was a real bummer. I didn’t think I could ever get used to the eternal night in Draconis. It was majorly depressing. When I awoke the next morning, I thought it was still the middle of the night. Luckily, my watch had survived the crash. It was already 8am. I stretched, and a dull ache stirred through my leg. That was a definite improvement. The pain wasn’t even strong enough to make me scream.

I pushed back the covers to examine the break. My knee was still bruised, but my bones seemed to be fusing back together. It was unreal. When I was ten, I’d broken my wrist trying to jump out of the second-floor window of our house, and I’d had to wear a cast for six weeks. It had only been two days since taking Kaige’s blood, and I was almost fully healed. He had said nocturnes weren’t as strong now that they didn’t consume human blood. I couldn’t imagine how powerful their blood must have been before. They could save countless human lives in Imera.

Damn prophecy. Why did it have to ruin everything?

The front door creaked, and I reached for the broom I’d tucked underneath the bed. I gripped it tightly, pointing it at the entrance until Kaige’s dark hair appeared through the opening.

“Relax, it’s just me.” He held his hands up with a smirk playing on his lips. “You know any nocturne worth his salt could disarm you faster than you could blink, right?”

“I’d like to see one try.” Unless they had the prince’s disarming smile, of course.

Molten silver swirled in his irises. “Don’t tempt me, little human.”

I put the broom down and slid to the edge of the bed. I rolled my neck out and pushed back unruly waves of golden hair.

“Were you frightened last night?” He stood right in front of me, his legs practically grazing my knees as he stared down at the broom at my feet. How did he get so close that quickly?

A sharp pang pulsed through the bond. My hand flew to my chest from the pressure. “No. I just figured it wouldn’t hurt to be prepared.”

“Smart.” His eyes flicked to my mouth and then trailed down my neck. He licked his lips, and for a second I wondered how they would feel on mine.

I inhaled sharply as heat rose in my middle. Focus, Solaris. My gaze drifted up to meet his, and my breath caught in my throat. The way the silver lit up his eyes should have scared me, but instead I couldn’t tear myself away from its breathtaking beauty. My eyes wandered down his broad shoulders to his firm chest and the rippling abs hidden beneath. They strained against his tight t-shirt, mesmerizing me with each inhale. My fingers itched to set them free.

“Solaris?”

His deep voice yanked me from my lust filled haze. Oh my God, what is wrong with me? I couldn’t be thinking about him like that. He was a nocturne. A nocturne who still might kill me at any moment.

“Sorry. I… um…” I couldn’t string together a single coherent sentence. It had to be the blood bond.

He crossed his arms over his chest, blocking my view of his perfectly sculpted torso and my mind cleared. “Are you ready?”

My lips parted, my heart rate picking up, and I wanted to smack myself. “Ready?” I squeaked.

“To try the compulsion?”

My shoulders slumped, and I cursed myself for feeling disappointed. That’s what he’s here for, Solaris—to hypnotize you and make sure you’re not some sort of spy. This bond thingy was playing tricks with my mind.

“You have to promise me something first,” I finally said.

His deep navy eyes regarded me skeptically. “What’s that?”

“How do I know what you’re really going to ask me? You could dig around in my head and uncover all kinds of personal things. I need you to swear that you’ll only ask about the crates on the plane.”

“Fine. I promise I will only ask you about the crates.”

“Swear on something important to you.”

His jaw clenched, and a low growl rumbled in his throat. “I swear on my little sister Zabrina’s life.”

There was something about the way his lips curled up and eyes brightened when he said her name that made me believe he was sincere. “Okay, prince of darkness. You may proceed.”

I shifted on the bed as he neared. He sat beside me, his leg brushing my thigh. My skin tingled, sending a wave of goose bumps over my arm. I looked up and his face was inches from mine. Did he feel it too?

He sucked in a breath and clamped his jaw shut.

The air crackled between us.

I closed my eyes and swallowed hard, my heart thundering frantically against my ribs. It wanted out and so did I, but I couldn’t move.

“You have to open your eyes.” His voice was rough with emotion.

Two silver orbs fixed on mine. I squeezed my hands together in my lap to keep them from shaking.

“Don’t be afraid. I’m not going to hurt you.” The words flowed from his mouth like honey. My erratic breathing normalized, and a sense of calm washed over me. Warm hands gripped mine, and it was like the sun had finally risen in Draconis. Streaks of silver danced in his pupils, mesmerizing me with every spin. “I’m going to ask you a very important question now, Solaris. Are you going to answer me truthfully?”

I nodded.

“Do you know what was in the crates stamped with the Draconis emblem?”

“No.”

“Did you see anything unusual on the plane before you took off?”

“No.”

“Why are you here in Draconis?”

“I crashed my airplane when I was out on a stupid joyride, and now I’m stuck here.”

“Thank you for your honesty.”

The swirling stopped, and my eyes widened as the foggy haze lifted. “Did it work?”

“It did,” he growled.

He leapt off the bed, tension radiating through the bond. He kicked the broom that had been lying on the ground and sent it flying across the room. It cracked in two and wood splinters torpedoed across the floor.

“What’s the matter?”

“You really don’t know anything…” He raked his hands through his hair and yanked at the dark strands.

“Um, yeah. That’s what I said from the beginning.”

He grabbed the teapot from the stove and hurled it against the wall. The steel clanged against the wood, making me jump.

“What the hell, Kaige?”

“Do you have any idea what I’ve done?” He tugged at the hem of his shirt, stretching it so far I was sure it would rip. “I brought a human into Draconis for nothing! I risked the lives of all my people for no reason. I’m tempting the gods by forbidding the prophecy. I’ve committed treason—and for what?” He was pacing now, the fury rolling off him in waves.

I shuddered. What could I say? “I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” He threw his hands in the air. “Well that’s just great. I’m going to be sentenced to death and you’re sorry.”

I got to my feet and reached out to him. I don’t know what possessed me to do such a stupid thing.

He recoiled, spinning back to the far wall. “Don’t touch me!”

I wrapped my arms around myself as tears stung the back of my eyes. I will not cry.

“Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to control myself around you? How much I have to fight every second to keep from sinking my teeth into your warm flesh? You’re all I can think about.”

I took a step back. The broken broom was on the other side of the room, far from my reach. Dammit! Not like it would have made much a difference. If he wanted to bite me, I would’ve been powerless to stop him.

He slunk down to the floor and buried his head in his hands. Molten silver blazed in his eyes. It was no use covering his face; I knew exactly what he was trying to conceal. I could almost feel his fangs forcing their way to the surface. “What have I done, what have I done?” he murmured.

The rage coursing through the bond relented, replaced by blinding despair. It felt like I was suffocating. An invisible hand clutched my lungs and squeezed.

“Kaige, please. Everything’s going to be fine. You promised. You said you wouldn’t hurt me—that you’d help me get home.” I had to get through to him.

He glanced up at me, his eyes twin pools of darkness. “I don’t know if I can.”

Well, crap. I’d survived a plane crash and an attack by starving vampires. There was no way I was giving up now. I stood tall and shot him my steeliest glare. “Prince Kaige Stramonox, you get your butt off that floor. We’re going into the Shadow Lands to find that plane and discover exactly what was in those crates. Then you’re going to let me go home. We’ll never see each other again, and no one will ever have to know.”

I was pretty sure I’d butchered his last name, but I seemed to have gotten his attention.

He narrowed his eyes as he regarded me for a long minute. “You are crazy, aren’t you?”

“No, but you are if you don’t do as I say.”

“You’re forgetting the plane and everything inside must be burnt to a crisp by now.”

“Not exactly.” I chewed on my lower lip. “All AirComm planes are equipped with a fire repellant foam. It should’ve been released when the fire started.”

His smoky eyes widened, and a twinge of hope ignited in my chest. It wasn’t mine. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”

“I had to make sure you had a reason to keep me alive.”

He shook his head, and a ghost of a smile pulled at his lips. “Unbelievable.”

I reached out my hand and to my surprise he took it. I hauled him to his feet as he stared down at me sheepishly.

“I take it your leg is better?”

I leaned all my weight on it, and it held. I barely winced. “I won’t be doing any dancing any time soon, but I’m pretty sure I can hike far enough to find my plane.”

His mouth went slack. “You really are something, little human.” He stared at me like I was a complete enigma. “And by the way, there’s no need for much hiking. I have a car.” A sexy grin crossed his lips, and my traitorous heart did a little dance.