Chapter 29

CHAPTER 29

T he chair in the observatory wasn't big enough for both me and Serath, but I loved curling up in his lap and stargazing. However, tonight, the mood was solemn. The conversation with Ulrickson had left Serath in a reflective mood. He was subdued and sighing a lot.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm still processing."

"All right." I nuzzled closer to him and settled into the comfortable silence that stretched between us.

Lionel was arranging an orb to get us close to the coordinate location Ulrickson had provided. Once again, we'd be using it from inside the tower. Tomorrow night we'd hopefully find some clue about the faction. Something to lead us to them.

"I've hated Ulrickson for so long now," Serath said, pulling me out of my thoughts. "I'm not sure how to stop."

I stroked his chest. "You have a right to be mad. To hate the person who caused your parents' deaths, but that person is now the faction. What Ulrickson did…staying quiet…I don't condone it, but I understand his fear. Fear is what the faction was banking on. It's how they've gathered their allies. But allies obtained through fear aren't true allies. We have Ulrickson on board now. Probably Selas's dad too. If we can bring down one of their active bases, then we'll show all the other goyles under duress that this faction isn't as powerful as they want everyone to believe."

He kissed the top of my head. "I love your brain." I offered him my lips, and he kissed me softly, lingeringly. "I love your mouth. Your body. Every fucking inch of it."

My stomach flipped as his voice lowered an octave. "Oh? I think I'm going to need a demonstration of just how much." I kissed his throat, then his jaw. "Maybe a repeat of last night."

"Oh?" He chuckled, chest vibrating against me. "I can certainly do that." He stood with me in his arms. "In fact, I think we should spend the day in bed and make sure you're fully recharged before tonight."

"Sounds good to me."

I woke to the early rays of sunshine to find Serath watching me sleep.

"Now that's not creepy at all."

"I'm sorry," he said. "But you are…beautiful."

I wasn't beautiful, not in a conventional sense, but Serath made me feel beautiful. He made me feel special, and the way he said it now, with such awe and reverence, tugged at the place deep inside me where our bond resided.

"Thank you." I reached up to stroke his jaw. "You're beautiful too, you know. Inside and out." I kissed his jaw then his lips. "I love every inch of you."

He moaned softly when I kissed his throat and ran my hands down his chest. "Every delectable inch." I pressed closer, curling my hand around his arousal to elicit a groan.

"Cameron…" He gripped my wrist gently and pulled my hand away. "Not that, just…" He cupped my jaw and claimed my mouth in a slow, exploratory kiss. Heat rushed from my toes to my head and my chest tightened, breathless as he pushed me onto my back and covered my body with his. His fingers sank into my hair, mouth slanting over mine in pure possession. I surrendered to him, my sleepy body waking slowly, aching and tingling with desire. He broke the kiss and looked down at me as if I was the most captivating thing he'd ever seen.

I licked my swollen lips. "I want you. Need you."

A slight frown crinkled his forehead as he sighed and kissed me again. I gasped into his mouth when his fingers slid into my heat to circle my clit then again when he thrust them into me.

He watched me in fascination as he brought me closer and closer to the edge. I pushed my hips up, grinding against his hand as the cold bite of release rushed over me and our bond snapped and vibrated.

"There," he said softly. "There you are." He brought his fingers to his mouth and sucked them clean, his gaze locked with mine, and damn if that wasn't sexy as hell.

"Now sleep." He pulled me into his arms and tucked me close.

Satisfied and spent, I tumbled back into darkness.

The day passed too quickly, night rushing in to take us out into the rims, to the edge of a deserted settlement a quarter of a mile away from the coordinates we were seeking.

We went on foot with Derek scouting ahead, keeping to the shadows and under cover of the woodland that stretched between us and our desired location. Swift and silent, Serath and Orix took the lead, and Curi and Levi made up the rear, with Shar and me somewhere in the middle. We'd decided to go in human form, not that it mattered to me. I couldn't shift. But the others agreed it was best to stay small, to not draw attention with wings and bulk, just in case there was some kind of surveillance.

The building came into view through the tree line—a low, flat, whitewashed affair that was now all shades of gray. The windows were small and high up, and no doubt any operations taking place would be at basement level.

"What do you think it was used for before?" Shar whispered.

"No clue."

Serath and Orix slowed their pace.

"Derek's gone in," Orix said, and beside me Shar tensed.

"He'll be fine." I squeezed her hand. "They can't hurt him."

She nodded but didn't look too convinced. A couple of minutes passed before Derek returned.

Shar rushed over and hugged him.

"I'm fine," he reassured her. Then to us, "It's empty but not cleaned out. There are files and vials. Things we might be able to use."

"How many floors?" Serath asked.

"Ground floor and basement only," Derek said. "All doors are open. The main power is down, but lights came on when I moved through the corridors."

"There must be a generator still running on emergency capacity," Orix said.

"Most doors are open," Derek continued. "But there are panels on the walls. The back door was padlocked from the inside, but I've opened it."

"Okay, let's get inside," Orix said.

The ground floor was an office space designed in cubicle fashion with rooms coming off it. Derek led us through a door marked fire exit then down some stairs to basement level. Another door, and we were in pitch darkness as there was no light to activate my night vision.

"Wait for it," Derek said.

Weak light illuminated the corridor around us.

"Definitely a generator," Curi said. "Backup motion detector lights."

"This way," Derek said, taking a right.

We passed through a door into a large room set up with desks and chairs.

"The rooms coming off this have files and computers," Derek said.

The doors were sliding ones. All closed.

Derek hurried to a switch on the wall and hit it to open all the doors simultaneously. "This must be on the generator with the lights."

"We split up and cover more ground," Orix said. "Curi, Levi, you're with me. We'll take the room on the left. Derek and Shar, you take the room straight on."

"Cam and I will check the one on the right," Serath said.

I followed Serath into what looked like a computer lab with banks of monitors.

"Check for any data sticks. Anything that might hold information," Serath said.

But the desks were clear. Not even a scrap of paper to be found. I flipped a couple of the power buttons on a few of the monitors.

Nothing.

Serath opened and closed drawers, sighing in frustration. "Hopefully the others are having more luck. Let's go."

As we stepped into the main room, the lights went out completely, and a series of mechanical clicks sounded.

"Whoa!" someone cried out, but it sounded muffled.

"Serath!" I reached out for him in the darkness but caught only air.

"Cameron?"

"Here." I stepped forward, hands out and grasping for contact.

"Cameron?" Serath sounded far away.

"Serath! Cameron!" Orix's voice was muffled.

My fingers grazed something hard and warm. "Serath!" I fell against him, then froze because he felt all wrong. Too large. His skin too rough.

"Cameron!" Serath called from somewhere across the room.

Hot breath rushed over the top of my head. Oh…Oh god.

I made to pull away, but an arm clamped around my body, pinning me to a hard torso. "Hello, little mouse."

The lights flicked on, revealing Romi's graynite face contorted in a menacing snarl.

My scream shattered the silence.

This couldn't be happening.

How were they here?

This was a trap.

The graynite that had once been Romi held me tight, my back now to his chest.

There were two more in the room with us—huge, menacing beasts.

Orix and the others were trapped in the side rooms, hammering on the doors in futility.

Yep, this was a trap.

But how?

"Let her go, Romi," Serath said, his gaze fixed on Romi. "It's me you want."

"My name is Enron, and yes, it is you we want. But our orders are to kill the mouse."

"No!" Serath rushed toward us, but one of the other graynites intercepted, slamming into him and throwing him against the wall with such force the plaster cracked.

Serath slumped to the ground and didn't get back up.

"No!" I twisted and bucked trying to be free. "Serath!"

"You fool!" Enron bellowed. "He'd better be breathing."

The graynite crouched over Serath and checked his pulse. "Alive. Unconscious. Better for us."

He was alive, thank god he— "Argh!"

Enron lifted me into the air by the throat. "This is not personal," he said. "I will make it quick."

"NO!" Derek materialized to my left, and a shockwave of power hit Enron hard enough for him to lose his grip on me. I dropped to the ground, then made a break for the door release switch while Derek attacked Enron.

A graynite blocked my path, making a grab for me, but I swerved, then ducked to avoid his buddy before sliding across the floor, scrambling to my feet, and breaking into a run.

They gave chase, their huge lumbering bodies no match for my smaller, faster form. For a moment, I was back in the pit being hunted by Orix.

Use the environment to your advantage. Focus on the exit.

Right now, the exit was the switch to open all the doors. I needed to get to it. Fast. I leapt over a table, hit the ground, and dove to slide under the next one, staying a step ahead of my pursuers.

Shar's bellows of rage, mingled with the guys' cries of encouragement, fueled me.

I doubled back toward the switch, reaching for it.

A vise curled around my ankle and tugged. I lost my balance. The ground rushed up to slap me in the face, but I braced in time to avoid a broken nose.

The vise moved to my nape, and a growl blasted my ear drums. "I got the mouse!"

"No!" Derek's momentary loss of concentration gave Enron time to grab him by the throat and slam him into the ground.

Another shockwave of power blasted out of him, singing against my skin. Enron yelled as Derek vanished from his grip.

My buddy materialized beside me and punched my attacker in the face, but his shadowy fist passed through the graynite. Derek's diamond eyes widened in shock, then he disappeared.

"Derek!" Shar screamed.

"Finish her," Enron ordered. "Then grab the host and let's go."

The graynite lifted me up by the throat, and I managed to get a glimpse of Serath, crumpled on the ground, before the fist around my throat tightened, spawning tears of pain and blurring my vision. I blinked and glared down at the graynite defiantly.

Was that regret in his eyes? No. I was imagining things. I closed my eyes, waiting for the snap that would signal my demise.

"Let her go, Sazon," Serath said from across the room.

I snapped open my eyes and blinked back tears to find him on his feet, shoulders heaving. Hope flared in my chest.

"You will let her go," he said again. "You will adhere to the infernal code that prohibits the harming of your brother's mate."

Wait…what…

"Ubron?" Enron said. "We thought we lost you to the ether."

Ubron? No…that couldn't. He was gone. Ivor had checked and?—

"I am here," Serath said. "And I am free, and I have bonded with the female whose life you threaten."

But it wasn't Serath speaking, even though it was his voice. The inflection was all wrong but…it was familiar. I'd heard it before, and not just when he'd attacked us at the elite trial. I'd heard it last night when I'd been half asleep and…No…My stomach filled with ice. I wouldn't consider it. Not here. Not?—

The graynite holding me slowly pulled me close to sniff me. He drew back suddenly and stared at me in horror. "He speaks true. He has taken this mouse as his mate."

"We have our orders," Enron said. "You know we cannot disobey."

"Our code comes above all other orders," Ubron said. "Brothers, I have listened and learned, and there is more to what we have been told."

"It does not matter," Enron said. "We are not free."

"But you can be. Let us go, and I swear to you that I will find a way to free you all."

"Enron, this could be our chance," Sazon said. "I want to take it."

Enron sighed. "Very well. Prepare yourselves. Steel yourselves."

Sazon lowered me to my feet. "Go to your mate, sister."

Sister? Oh fuck.

"Cameron, release the others," Ubron said, his gaze still on Enron. "Do it, then move to the exit. Do not look back. Get out of here. I'll be right behind you."

But I didn't care about him. "What have you done with Serath? Where is he?"

"Safe. You would know if it were otherwise. Now go!"

"Do it," Enron ordered.

My questions and the realization that was now a ball of ice in my belly would have to wait.

I hit the door release and ran for the exit. Shar, Levi, Orix, and Curi joined me at the doors.

Behind me, the graynites bellowed in pain, falling to their knees as they clawed at their heads.

"Go!" Ubron ordered. "Now!"

We ran.