Kaige

The silence was heavy between us. Solaris hadn’t said a word since we nearly died taking off. The wasteland still stretched below us, but I could tell we were getting close to Imera. The air was a touch warmer from the exposure to the sun. It would be night by the time we arrived so I wouldn’t have to worry about being crippled by its rays.

My gaze lingered over her, tracing the bright red, angry wounds on her neck. The shirt I’d given her was soiled by blood. Dark circles bruised beneath her eyes, and her skin was pale.

Hot anger simmered beneath the surface. I hated those marks. They throbbed with every breath she took.

But it wasn’t the physical pain that tore me apart as much as the anguish inside her. Xander was the one who almost killed her, but I was the one who hurt her. I betrayed her, and she’d hate me forever.

My brain was telling me it was for the best. We could never see each other again. Hopefully the blood bond would dissipate with the long distance between us. We would put the entire encounter behind us as if it never happened.

The thought alone made my stomach churn with sickness.

“Stop staring at me.” Her voice startled me.

I swallowed hard but didn’t look away. “You can’t go back to Imera with those bites on you.”

The tendons in her jaw clenched. “Well, do that thing you did before. Cut your finger and heal them.”

My eyes dipped to the marks on her arms left by Xander. “That won’t get rid of the bruises.”

“Then give me some of your blood in a vial or something.” She wouldn’t even spare me a glance.

“I don’t have anything to put it in.” That left only one option. I tried to hide the way my body hummed at the prospect. The last time she drank directly from me, my control had barely been hanging on by a delicate silk thread. After watching her almost die, I’d never physically hurt her no matter how much I craved her intoxicating blood.

She let out a long sigh. “Fine. After we land, you can give me some of your blood. And then we’ll never have to see each other.”

A pang sliced across my chest at her words. Could she feel that?

“Can you please not do that?” she hissed.

My brows furrowed. “Do what?”

“Be upset because I’m mad at you.” She motioned toward me with her hand. “You are the one who turned me in. Because of you, I was attacked and nearly died. I have every right to be mad.”

I guess she could feel it.

My cheeks heated, and I bristled. “I can’t exactly help it,” I growled. I wasn’t used to someone knowing the things rolling around inside of me, especially when I was so good at hiding them. “It was a mistake, Solaris.” I shook my head. “I never should have done it. The moment I walked out of the cabin, I regretted it.” I dragged my fingers through my hair, willing myself to shut up. She made me feel too much, and I would make it so much worse if I kept talking.

“I trusted you.” Her words were barely more than a whisper, but the anguish in them punctured my heart.

“I know.” My head bowed, and I rubbed my face. “And I destroyed it in the worst possible way.”

“You did.”

Gods, I would rather jump out of this plane than feel all the emotions bouncing back and forth between us. It was torture.

“I’m not close to anyone,” I admitted. “I’d die for my little sister and my mother, maybe even my father.” Certainly not Xander. Not anymore. “But no one knows what goes on in here.” I touched my chest. “No one except you. You’re the first person to see that I’m not as perfect as everyone thinks. I’m capable of making mistakes, and my biggest one was betraying you.”

So much for not talking.

“I don’t want to say goodbye without you knowing how sorry I am.” I swallowed hard and stared out of the side window, forcing my emotions to shrink so she wouldn’t feel them.

A moment of silence stretched and then a delicate touch landed on my arm. “I know you’re sorry, Kaige. I can feel it through every inch of my body.”

My head whipped around. Solaris’s green eyes were finally on mine, and a warm shiver tickled down my spine.

“It was a crappy situation, and neither choice was going to end well for anyone.” She squeezed my arm. “I wouldn’t have wanted you to die for me, and I know that’s what would have happened. We both would have died.”

I snatched her hand as she tried to take it back. It was so small in mine. “I would never betray you again. I promise.”

Her pulse quickened, and the tension in the plane heightened. “I know,” she whispered. She licked her lips, drawing my attention to her mouth.

It would be nothing to lean over and…

She suddenly cursed.

“What?”

“We’ve got company.”

Another object was pinging on the small radar. “Imera’s border patrol,” Solaris said, panic echoing through the bond.

“Have they spotted us yet?” My muscles tightened as I looked through the windows for the other plane.

“No. If they had, they’d be trying to communicate through the radio or trying to force us out of the sky.”

I leaned over her and began flipping switches.

“What are you doing?” she hissed.

“I’m cutting off the exterior lights.” Her scent swirled around me as I brushed against her. “They may be able to pick us up on radar, but they can’t see us.”

“Uh, there’s a little problem with your logic, Kaige.” Her voice had escalated up in pitch. “I can’t see either. I’m flying blind.”

“I can see. I’ll let you know if anything is in our way.” I sat back in my seat. “This wouldn’t have been a problem if you had just let me fly in the first place,” I mumbled under my breath.

She heard me loud and clear, shooting me a narrowed glare. “This is a bad idea,” she gritted through her teeth.

My nostrils flared. “Do you have a better one?”

Solaris’s body was tense as I guided her through the dark. It may have been forced upon her, but at least she couldn’t ignore me anymore.

After a few minutes, her sharp intake of air echoed through the cabin. “Another plane is here. We’re on their radar.”

My pulse spiked. “How do you know?”

“They’re flanking us.” Her lips thinned. “Standard procedure for an unidentified aircraft.”

I glanced out the window, their lights growing closer. “Do they know it’s a plane?”

“I don’t know.” Solaris chewed on her bottom lip. “I need to fly lower. They might just think it’s a malfunction on their radar.”

My body tightened. The lower we went the more objects were in our way. Plenty of dilapidated structures still spotted the Shadow Lands. The altitude dropped as did my stomach. Silver melted through my eyes, reflecting in the window. I allowed my heightened senses to guide us through the treacherous maze of steel, glass, and cement.

The skeleton of an old building rose before us. My hand reached out to yank the control to the left, dodging it. Solaris hissed, and the plane shuddered. Blood pounded in my skull, and sweat slickened my nape. We did not escape execution in Draconis to get captured by humans.

Solaris slapped the dash. “There are three of them now.” She motioned toward the beeping lights on the radar. “This is bad. I didn’t think there would be so many together. They must have radioed for back up.”

Knots fisted in my chest, squeezing my lungs. “They won’t kill you for being with me, right? You are Malcolm Levant’s daughter.”

She shot me an incredulous expression. “You wouldn’t have been safe from death in Draconis, and you’re the prince.”

I cursed, my insides raging with turmoil. We needed to get out of the damn sky.

“I’ve gotten away with a lot of crap, but breaking this law,” she motioned her hand between us, “might be the straw that breaks the camel’s back.” Her green eyes burned through the cabin. “They would definitely kill you.” Solaris turned back to the controls, shaking her head. “I’m not going to let that happen.”

I believed her. Well, I believed she’d try.

“We need to land and find something big enough to hide under.” She chewed on her bottom lip. “Do you see a clear strip with something that can shield us?”

I glanced out the window, using my amplified vision. A large row of decaying structures loomed in the distance. If we went toward the left and landed quickly, we could blend in with the crumbling landscape. “Yes.” I pointed in the correct direction. “Get your landing gear ready. Now!”

Solaris went into action. I’d never seen her move so quickly or confidently. She knew what she was doing, and even though I hated to admit it, she was far superior to me.

A smile twitched at my lips. I was never going to admit it though.

“Where am I going, Kaige?” She snapped me out of my head.

“A little to the left.” I checked the radar. The three planes were still chasing us, gathering speed. I was pretty sure the only reason we’d manage to elude them this far was because of my little human controlling the unworthy machine.

The plane started to descend. “Tell me if I get off track?” Her shoulders were taut and fingers tight on the yoke.

“You’re doing great.” My heart thudded in my ribcage, adrenaline speeding through my veins. The buildings were closer than I’d thought. “A little to the right.”

Solaris followed my instructions, barely missing a piece of metal frame sticking out. She had no idea how close we’d been to crashing. The earth quickly rose up beneath us. “We’re about to hit the ground!”

She yanked back on the yoke, and the tires caught us. The plane jerked and bounced on the uneven ground, throwing me around in the seat. Solaris was strapped in, gritting her teeth against the impact. The tip of the right wing grazed a cement pillar, sparks flying.

I mentally cursed, hoping the humans couldn’t detect the momentary bright orange flickers from the sky.

The plane finally came to a grinding halt, nestled amongst the ruins. It was going to be a challenge taking off again, but not impossible. We quickly shut everything off, throwing the cabin into total darkness. Neither one of us breathed as we waited for the planes to pass. They were so low to the ground, we could both hear them.

One. Two. Three.

Several heavy moments stretched before Solaris let out a shaky breath. “They’re gone.”

I slumped back in my seat and wiped a fine sheen of sweat that had gathered on my brow with the back of my hand. “That was close.”

A laugh tumbled out of her as she unhooked her straps. “I can’t believe I just flew a plane blind.”

I smiled through the darkness. “You’re one of those people who like to brag, aren’t you?”

She shrugged. “When you’re as good as me, you get to brag.”

My eyes landed on the bite marks, and I leaned closer. She stiffened when my fingers gently trailed over her skin. “I should give you my blood now.”

Her heartbeats tripped over themselves. “Are you sure about that?” she asked. “Last time you seemed so adamant about not doing it—like this.”

I swallowed hard. I didn’t want her to leave with any of the marks my brother had caused. I wanted to heal her. If I was honest with myself, I wanted her to have my blood again.

One last time.

“Yes, I’m sure.”

“Okay.” The word was barely audible in the thick darkness between us, but it was enough to make my insides flare with anticipation.

Without thinking, I wrapped my hands around her waist and hauled her into my lap. A gasp escaped her, and she clutched my shoulders.

“What are you doing?” she rasped, her warm breath blowing across my neck.

“It’s easier this way.” It wasn’t. I just wanted… things I shouldn’t want. This was stupid and dangerous. It could only end in disaster.

I just couldn’t seem to care.

Solaris’s pulse quivered, and her jasmine and honey scent clouded around me. It made me weak.

I cut on a dim light, meeting her wide eyes. I tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, feeling her body trembling. “Are you afraid?”

Steel entered her gaze. “No.”

She was lying. She was like a terrified little rabbit in front of a predator. But she didn’t fear being hurt. She was afraid of what was about to happen between us.

So was I.

My fangs tore through my gums, and I lifted my arm, opening my flesh for her. I presented her my wrist, two drops of crimson glistening on my pale skin.

She hesitantly wrapped her fingers around my arm.

I nodded. “Go ahead. It’s all right.”

She drew my wrist closer, pressing it to her mouth. The moment her tongue swiped across my skin, heat unfurled inside me. Her body jolted as she felt the intensity rolling through mine. I thought it would have frightened her and forced her away.

It did the opposite.

Instead she continued, drinking more of my blood as

emotions swirled around me, desire and longing at the forefront. The last time she’d done this, she’d been unconscious. She was wide-awake now.

My other hand curled around her hip, gripping her tight. Blood rushed through her veins beneath my touch, and the bond crackled with electricity. A storm was brewing between us, and if we weren’t careful, we were both going to drown in it.

“Solaris.” Her name crossed my lips without my consent, breathy and ragged.

Her hazy eyes lifted to mine. She couldn’t read my mind, but she knew exactly what this was doing to me. The vampire part of me reveled in the sensations. The prophecy had created a rift between our two races. It made nocturnes weak and forced our true nature underground.

Mine was clawing its way out.

Solaris pulled my wrist away, her chest quickly rising and falling with every labored breath. “That was…” She licked my blood from her lips, unable to finish her thought.

Both of our bodies vibrated with energy. My fingers brushed the hair from her shoulder, checking the bite marks.

“How are they?” Her words were ragged.

My fingers traced her unmarred neck. “Healed.”

A shiver rippled through her. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.” She continued to lick her lips, but my blood was gone except for a drop in the corner.

My thumb wiped it, lingering. Her lips closed around the tip, tasting that last little bit.

I couldn’t contain the breathy sigh that exited me. Her eyes widened, and my head lowered.

“Kaige,” she whispered. “What are you doing?”

“Nothing,” I murmured as my head dipped. “Nothing good.”