Kaige

The briny, metallic tang of synth blood lingered on my tongue as I downed another gulp. The reflection in the side view mirror taunted me. It was my own, but all I saw was my twin’s face as he prodded me over my perfection—his word not mine.

I was far from perfect.

Just to prove it, I blew off the summit tonight. I couldn’t stand to sit through another boring meeting discussing the trials. It was pointless. My future was already set in stone. Xander wanted to be king, but I’d win. I was just better.

My fingers tightened on the steering wheel as the sleek sedan zoomed through the forest. If I weren’t a nocturne, I would have already crashed into a dozen tree trunks by now. Nothing in New Isos could rival a vampire’s senses. Nothing in Draconis and certainly nothing in Imera. That place was full of weakness.

My gaze flickered toward the crimson liquid sloshing in the clear plastic container. The only desirable thing humans had to offer was their blood. Or at least that was what I’d heard. There hadn’t been contact between a human and a nocturne in more than a century. Not since the prophecy.

I licked my lips, imagining what their blood must taste like. Nocturnes lived off of synthetic blood made by our alchemists. We hunted the occasional animal, but that was mostly for sport. They couldn’t fill us. Blood sharing between nocturnes was strictly for fun.

Humans were off limits: that was the number one rule in our world.

If broken, well, death was the only punishment.

I was going to get something close to death when my father found out I missed the latest summit. Too bad it still wouldn’t be enough to take me out of the running for king. Xander would love that. In fact, that was probably his plan all along. He’d been even more of a terror since we turned eighteen and our father decided it was time to choose a future monarch.

My foot mashed on the brake, and the car skidded to a stop next to a thick oak. I was stupid to fall into my brother’s immature trap. He didn’t usually get to me so easily. All he did was comment on our earlier training session in the arena and how perfect my performance was. It wasn’t a compliment.

Xander had followed me back to my room and continued picking at the irritation he’d already started. He called me a cold, hard machine capable of anything as long as it was programmed into me.

I jumped out of the car, the slamming door echoing like a crack of thunder through the otherwise silent forest. It was these trials. That was all. The sands were trickling to the bottom of the hourglass, and time was running out. Before long, I’d be stuck on that throne.

At least I wouldn’t have to spend an eternity on it. Nocturnes weren’t immortal. We just aged much more slowly once we turned eighteen. And we were difficult to kill. Disease and sickness didn’t affect us either.

I spun around, catching sight of my silvery eyes glowing in the window. Sharp, hard angles cut into my face, and my shoulders were taut beneath the leather jacket. My fangs were pressing against my gums, threatening to tear out. I needed to calm the hell down. At least no one was here to witness my loss of control. I was supposed to be the strong, levelheaded twin. Xander was the impulsive one.

My nostrils flared, and I took a deep breath, releasing the tension in my body. I blinked, my irises melting from glowing silver to a smoky navy. A sigh drifted out of my mouth. I ran a hand through my midnight locks, pulling on the roots. While Xander’s hair was straight as a board, mine was unruly. It was the only wild and out- of-control thing about me.

Usually.

Something was off tonight, and it wasn’t just me. Electricity hummed against my skin, raising the hairs on my arms as if a thunderstorm was on the horizon. My eyes lifted to the star-spotted sky; not a cloud in sight.

Maybe something was stirring in the Shadow Lands. There had always been rumors of evil creatures lurking in the old city ruins. Part of me figured they were only stories our parents told to keep us from crossing into no-man’s land. It stretched for miles, but it was still too close to Imera for comfort.

A rumbling suddenly resonated through the air followed by a deafening crash that shook the earth beneath me. My head whipped around, my nostrils flaring. Smoke and fire drifted on the wind.

I bolted through the forest, trees and foliage whipping by. Adrenaline rushed through my veins, blood roaring in my ears. It sounded like something had fallen right out of the sky. A Draconis plane could have crashed. And it may have landed on the other side of the border.

The electric pulse of magic that created our permanent night slithered over my skin as I crossed into the Shadow Lands. Thankfully it was actually nighttime, and darkness still blanketed the world. The sun wouldn’t kill me, but it wouldn’t feel good either. The alchemists created the veil of nighttime around Draconis to protect us after we divided from the humans. The abandoned space in between only ever faced dull, murky days, never fully bathed in sunlight.

Skeletal structures from the old days stood out like rotting bones in the dark sky, and the air reeked of burning metal. A lake appeared, the water still churning from a chunk of steel framing that had tumbled off the tip of the nearest building.

Something had slammed into it.

I slowed as my gaze landed on the wreckage of a plane resting amongst the fallen debris. Thick gray smoke plumed from the engines, and fire lit the area in an orange glow.

All the moisture left my mouth. My eyes were fixed on the symbol stamped into one of the wings. Two interlocking hands inked in blue.

The Collective.

This wasn’t a plane from Draconis, and I wouldn’t find a nocturne inside. I’d find a human.

If one of the taranoi stumbled upon a human, they might drain it no matter the consequences. They were already unhappy with their share of synth. Too many of my father’s meetings ended with arguments over what to do about the dissatisfied laborers.

That couldn’t happen. I may not want to be king, but I couldn’t let chaos erupt in Draconis because of a human.

Without thinking, I rushed for the plane. The human was probably dead already. I ripped the door off with a grinding, keening echo, slamming it against the side of the plane. My head snapped back, and my eyes widened.

A girl not that much bigger than my little sister, Zabrina, lay hunched over the controls. Hair the color of golden wheat covered half of her face. A trickle of crimson ran down her jaw. Blood.

Oh gods. The scent of her fresh human blood slammed into me, knocking me back. I held my breath, but it was already branded into my mind like a permanent mark on my soul. Salty and buttery smooth. My mouth watered while a raging thirst crawled through my chest. It felt as if a hot rod of iron was shoved down my throat. The beat of her heart only made it worse.

She was still alive.

I spun around, my fingers digging into the sides of the plane as I tried to calm down. My fangs, aching and thirsty, ripped through my gums. No synth blood could ever smell this damn good. This little human had cursed me within a matter of seconds. I would forever dream of tasting the life elixir flowing through her veins.

The sound of my own pulse beat against my skull, but it did nothing to drown out hers. Tremors ran through my muscles, and a cold sweat slithered down my nape, dampening my shirt. I wanted nothing more than to sink my fangs into her flesh and tear open a vein. The synth blood I’d just drunk evaporated from my stomach, leaving me starving.

Starving for the human girl only a few feet away.

I shook myself and shattered the dangerous thoughts running through my mind. I needed to get control before I did something stupid that would earn me a slow death. I wasn’t going to risk everything for a few minutes of bliss.

My fingers dug into the metal of the plane, denting it. I should run now. Run without looking back and without ever thinking of the unconscious human. She was not my concern.

A fury of curses left my mouth, and my fist slammed into the side of the plane, creating another dent. She couldn’t be left out here for another nocturne to find. Dead or alive, she was a danger to us all.

I willed my body to turn back to the cockpit, my eyes looking at everything but the girl. Plush leather passenger seats crowded the back of the lavish cabin. Soft overhead lights reflected on the glossy dark wood and gold accents. It was almost as nice as one of our planes. Further in the back, something familiar shone in the darkness.

A line creased my brow as I stepped inside, trying my hardest to ignore the pull of the girl’s blood. It wasn’t easy. Moonlight streamed through the small windows, glinting against a silver symbol carved into a wooden crate. Squinting, I finally made out something familiar; there, staring from the shadows, was a crescent moon, hugging a single star, all resting above a sword.

Ice filled my veins. What was the Draconis emblem doing on a human plane? Why would the Collective have anything of ours?

I stalked into the cabin, my eyes fighting to rest on the girl again. Hell, my whole body was struggling not to go directly to her instead. A stack of crates imprinted with our symbol was tucked into the back, visible now because a black covering had slipped off during the crash. I reached out, my breath unsteady but managing still to draw so much of the girl’s scent into my lungs that it made me dizzy. My fingers brushed the smooth wood of one crate’s lid just as crackling resonated from deeper inside the plane.

Frayed wires snapped and sizzled, sparks shooting from damaged equipment in the back. Fire erupted. A ball of heat engulfed the rear of the plane and my arms lifted, shielding my face from the burst of heat.

I cursed and stumbled back, hitting the control panel with a thud. Yellow and orange flames crawled toward the boxes and began to climb up the plush upholstery. My teeth ground together, knowing I’d lost my chance to discover what secrets were tucked away in those crates.

Was my father involved in something nefarious or was the Collective somehow stealing from us? Was another noble nocturne family conspiring to overthrow our rule? There were a few who secretly coveted the crown no matter how loyal they pretended to be. Could they use something the humans created against us?

There were so many terrifying possibilities. Anyone could be at the center of it.

A painful moan sounded beside me.

My eyes widened as I looked between the girl, and the billowing smoke creeping from the back. She and the plane were going to burn and sink to the bottom of the lake, taking with them the answers I needed. She might be the only one who could tell me what was in those boxes and why a human had them.

Before I could change my mind, I yanked her out of the plane. I took off with her cradled against my chest, trying not to think about the intoxicating blood flowing through her veins.

The forest sped by, and the magical current creating the invisible border around Draconis barely registered over me. The fact that I’d just brought a human into nocturne territory was enough to distract me. If anyone found out Prince Kaige broke the number one rule, they’d die of shock. And then I’d be sentenced to death.

I ran until the thicket with twisted trees and vines came into view. The overgrown foliage shielded in its midst an old cabin – which no one except Xander knew about, and he was too preoccupied with the trials to worry me now. I jerked open the door, stepping into the small, one-room shack. The girl sank into the mattress as I laid her on the small bed in the corner. Her leg was twisted at an odd angle, and a deep gash sliced her forehead. Other smaller cuts and welts littered her visible skin. Who knew what kind of internal injuries she’d sustained?

The scent of her blood was already filling up the small space, obliterating the stale, dusty air. I backed away, my hands trembling. What had I done?

Sweat beaded across my forehead, and my clothes were sticking to me. I ripped the leather jacket off, tossing it into a chair by the fireplace. My own blood thundered in my ears as I paced back and forth. My long legs quickly ate up the small space, so it felt as if I were turning in circles. Dizzying circles.

My eyes flicked toward her, her skin growing paler by the second. Her heartbeat had also slowed. She was going to die if I didn’t do something.

A barking laugh left my mouth. What was I supposed to do?

Of course, I already knew the only option that might save her. Garridan had told me stories of what it was like when humans and nocturnes lived together. He told me nocturne blood could heal just about any human injury.

But back then nocturnes were stronger from drinking human blood. Mine might not be enough.

What am I doing? What am I doing? What the hell am I doing?

I brought a human into Draconis. Chills slithered over my spine as I replayed the words of the prophecy every nocturne knew by heart. It would be the end of both our worlds.

I shook my head at the ridiculous thought. I, Prince Kaige Stramonox, would be the last person to fulfill the prophecy. In fact, it was so ridiculous it was laughable. The truth was the only thing I wanted from this little human. I needed to know what was in those boxes, and why she had them. That was the only reason I was even considering healing her.

I marched toward a cabinet in the tiny kitchenette, drawing out candles and a box of matches. The sizzle of the match igniting reminded me of the fire consuming the plane. And nearly taking the girl with it. I placed the lit candles on the chipped bedside table.

My eyes lingered over her, imagining what she looked like awake and full of life instead of dying. Her cheeks were probably a rosy hue warmed by the hot blood coursing through her veins. Her heart would be stronger too, pumping that said blood through all those arteries and tiny little veins just under her skin.

I licked my lips. Gods, I could almost taste it, hot and savory on my tongue. It would be nothing like synth blood.

My lids squeezed shut, cutting off her image. This was wrong on so many levels. I jammed my fingers in my hair, mussing up the strands. I caught sight of my reflection in a mirror on the wall, my irises lit up like silver neon and sharp fangs spilling over my lips.

She’d scream if she were awake. I looked like I was seconds away from tearing her throat open.

Was I?

I stepped closer, my knees hitting the edge of the bed. Her blood still perfumed the air, but beneath it, honey and jasmine swirled around her. I bent, breathing in through my nose. The scent coated her skin.

The thump of her heart suddenly staggered and slowed. My eyes widened. Death’s blade was at her throat. If I let her die, I’d never know what the Collective or possibly even the king was up to. It was now or never.

I tossed all sense out the window and tore into a vein at my wrist. Thick blood bubbled out. I held it over her mouth, crimson drops spilling onto her pale lips.

Nothing happened. My jaw flexed. I had to help her drink.

As I sat on the mattress to pull her into my lap, a wound on her temple smeared blood onto my t-shirt. Damn it! I hoped I didn’t end up licking it off. My wrist settled over her mouth as I cradled her head. “Come on, drink,” I hissed, my muscles wrought with tension. I’d never even seen a human in person, and now this little creature was in my lap, slowly dying. And bleeding.

Seconds seemed like hours and minutes seemed like decades. The scent of her blood toyed with my senses as she lay limply against me. If she died, I might not be strong enough to keep my fangs from her throat. No nocturne was that controlled, not even me.

Finally, her body twitched with life. My blood had entered her system.

Her breathing quickened, warm puffs of air steaming over my skin. I squeezed my hand, opening the flow a little more. Without warning, her lips latched onto my wrist, and she sucked blood on her own.

A gasp tumbled from my mouth, and my body jerked. Unexpected heat swirled through my core. The blood in my veins buzzed, and a sweet burn pulsed at my wrist. I was the one thing standing between her and death, and it gave me a sense of power not even the throne of Draconis could.

Her hand lifted, pressing my wrist against her mouth, drinking more. Electricity crackled, and everywhere we touched seared with fire. It was like lightning and thunder all at once, a storm crashing through my insides.

I didn’t expect sharing my blood with this thing to make me feel so, well, alive. I’d exchanged blood with a female nocturne before, but the sensations had been tame.

This was wild and uncontrollable. Dark urges were unlocked, and I wasn’t sure I could ever choke them back down. This little human had destroyed my careful restraint.

No wonder our worlds were divided. Humans were more dangerous than I’d thought.

A trail of crimson leaked down her jaw from a cut, and a deep ache flared within my fangs. I’d never been this thirsty in my life. I watched, mesmerized, as her blood glistened in the candlelight. It would be nothing to move forward and taste it.

Before I could stop myself, my lips were inches away from the wound on her jaw. My lungs expanded, sucking in the salty flavor. It would be so, so good.

My head snapped back, slamming into the wall behind me so hard the wood threatened to crack. One little taste of human blood would never be enough. I bit my lip to keep from releasing a growl, the metallic tinge of my own blood dripping onto my tongue.

A tiny, barely audible sigh slipped from her, distracting me from the bloodlust tearing at my chest. Her skin had gained color, and her heart was steady. Some of the cuts had healed over, and the one on her head stopped bleeding. Her leg was another story. It was still awkwardly bent.

But she wasn’t dying.

I withdrew my wrist, and she slowly licked my blood from her lips as if savoring the flavor. My flavor. It only seemed fair I sample hers.

Nope. I shook my head. Not doing it. I’d saved the little human, and I wasn’t going to let it go to waste by killing her. I still needed answers.

In the meantime, what was I supposed to do with her? She was a living, breathing temptation to every nocturne in Draconis and a threat to the precarious balance our two worlds lived in.