Читать книгу Ascension Saga: 9 - Grace Goodwin - Страница 8

Destiny

Morson. Morson. Where the hell was this guy?

Nix searched the other side of the room, moving from shadow to shadow along the periphery, unnoticed by the attendees. I had no idea how that was even possible. He was six-foot-plus of pure power and raw sex appeal, but then, maybe since we were in a room full of traitors who were plotting to kill my mother and my sisters, they had other priorities.

Most in the room were powerful in one way or another. Clerics. Lords. Ladies. I hadn’t been on Alera for long and even I could tell. Members of the Optimus Unit, too. Talk about the fox watching the hen house. The Optimus Unit was like Earth’s FBI and judicial system all in one. Not the brightest setup, in my opinion. Civics class taught me about separation of powers and yeah, they didn’t have that here. I meant separation of powers, but Civics, too.

I scanned the faces, searching for the man I’d barely caught a glimpse of on the monitor before coming down here. Morson. The only person here who, according to my sister, Trinity, was worth saving.

With my bat hearing, the ticking noise of that bomb was still echoing in my ears, despite the fact that it was more than one hundred steps behind me, in another room. It appeared my strange superpower had locked onto the sound as a constant reminder that I was running out of time.

Tick. Tick. Tick. Worse than a metronome. Infinitely more annoying.

Die. Die. Die. That’s what I heard. The sound made my blood pound and my head hurt. Someone wanted everyone in this building dead. Someone wanted to destroy everyone who knew the truth about what happened to my mother all those years ago. Whoever it was held onto a grudge. Twenty-seven years. Twenty-seven!

People had been dropping like flies. One after the other, some psycho was killing people off. Fortunately, Trinity, Faith and I had survived. And Mom, too, since her spire was still lit. And now, this fucker—yeah, he was a total fucker—was planning on getting the rest with one bomb. A bomb was ticking down and here I was, looking like I was mingling at a cocktail party.

The risk didn’t bother me. No. What bothered me was knowing Nix was still in the building. My death? Not the end of the world. But if anything happened to him, I’d never forgive myself.

Was this what love was supposed to be? Gut wrenching anxiety?

I thought about how I felt any time I imagined Mom rotting in chains somewhere, or the times my sisters were hurt growing up.

Yep. Gut wrenching anxiety. Worry. Fear. Helplessness.

Love sucked. Why did we spend our whole lives chasing it?

“Morson, good to see you here. I knew you wouldn’t disappoint me.”

I wrenched my neck in the direction of that voice and spotted my prey, Morson, talking to an older woman who also wore the uniform of the Optimus Unit. I had no idea who she was, nor did I care. She’d be dead soon. And so would Morson, if I didn’t get him out of here.

But Nix. How would he know I’d found him? He was on the other side of the large room, dozens of bodies between us.

“It has been a long time,” Morson replied. “I am looking forward to hearing what the next steps are in taking the throne.”

If Trinity hadn’t said he was one of the good guys, I would have had a very hard time controlling myself. But this meeting said it all. The person who’d killed the king and tried to kill Mom was back at it. I didn’t linger to find out who the woman was. Clearly, she knew Morson well. But why was he undercover, and for how long? It couldn’t have been since the attack on my mother.

I looked at him one more time.

No. Too young. Maybe Leo’s age. He had probably been a child when Trinity’s father was killed. Still, he could have been at this for years.

Poor bastard. I could never pull that off. I was too impatient, and I knew it. Too prone to take risks. Sometimes, stupid risks. Like riding Nix’s cock in the high cleric’s office while she spoke to a warrior on the other side of a door.

But god, what a magnificent cock.

I looked for Nix. Found him. His eyes met mine and I dipped my chin so he’d know to start moving closer. And those eyes. Intense. Beautiful. Focused on me.

That was the answer. That look. That was what made love worth the pain.

The woman talking to Morson crossed her arms, her booted foot tapping the floor in obvious annoyance.

“I expected to be patient and wait for another attempt, but twenty-seven years?” the woman said, thinking the same as me. “I have to wonder if the king is actually dead. It would be just like him to pull a stunt like this, although I never knew him to wait this long for anything.”

That had me stopping in my tracks. The king might be alive? That meant… Holy shit. If it had been him behind the attempted coup, why wait so long to try again?

Morson looked as stunned as I felt. “Did you know him well?”

“Oh yes. We grew up chasing each other through the citadel gardens. He was just a few years younger than I. Always a selfish bastard. A bully. I never did understand what the queen saw in him.”

With my feet like steel welded to the floor and my brain in overdrive, I turned to look for Nix, my mate, the only man in the universe I cared about right now. Well, Morson, too, but not in the same way. Duh. But once he was safely away from this exploding building, he could do whatever the hell he wanted and Nix would still be mine.

Nix’s gaze bored into mine as he moved closer. Intent. I saw the same anguish I’d been feeling moments before in his gaze. He didn’t want me here. He was only in this room for me. Because I asked it of him. Because he respected me enough to give me what I needed even if it placed me in danger, although I’d probably be handcuffed to my bed if he’d known a bomb was involved.

I hadn’t understood what it cost him, until now. What letting me be reckless and wild on Earth had cost my sisters and parents. Danger meant nothing to me. Pain meant nothing. Death? Well, I’d prefer not to rush toward my end, but even that held no true cost to me. Until now. Now, I understood.

Fuck me six ways to Sunday. I was in love. Head over heels, do anything to keep him safe, anything to make him happy, love. With the gorgeous, growly guy moving through the room like a wild animal hunting his prey.

“Your timing sucks, Des.” I was talking to myself as I moved toward Morson, but I tilted my head at Nix, this time clearly indicating that I’d found our target and to get moving. He didn’t take his eyes off me, but changed direction, heading for the closest exit, which was a good twenty paces away. And Morson was big. If he didn’t cooperate, I’d have a hell of a time getting him out of here before the bomb went off.

Tick. Tick. Tick.

“Excuse me?”

Morson looked down in shock as I looped my small hand under his elbow and tugged him toward me. I offered a brilliant fake smile to the older female with whom he’d been speaking. Who’d shared some interesting intel.

“Excuse us for a moment?” I said, using my Trinity-diplomat voice. “I really need to speak to Morson about a”—I ran my fingertip down the front of his uniform, over his chest. I could practically hear Nix growling—“a very personal matter.” I tugged at him, my cheeks starting to hurt from my ridiculously big smile. “If I could have a moment of your time before the meeting begins?”

He blinked, eyes rounded with a mix of suspicion and surprise. He glanced at the elder out of respect and that seemed to be enough to put her at ease.

If he was working undercover, he was good. I had to give him that. Very, very good. That one glance had preserved the woman’s trust, despite the fact that something unexpected and strange was happening. Mainly, me. Maybe he was nudging information out of her and I’d interrupted. Well, it was break up the gab fest or die.

Her head tilted to the side like a cobra about to strike, but she nodded. “Of course.”

Morson allowed me to pull him away, and I moved toward the exit doors a good five steps before he stopped me. Cold.

Damn my small size. Why wasn’t I six-foot-six and two-hundred-fifty pounds? Then I could just throw him over my shoulder and make a run for it. It wouldn’t be subtle, but it would work.

“Who are you and what do you want?” While he spoke softly so as not to draw attention, he was rigid and uncooperative. I flicked a glance over my shoulder. Nix was moving closer, but still not close enough to help. Not yet.

I turned back to find Morson’s gaze drifting over my face, the look in his eyes one I would have equated with desire, if not for the lack of a rise in his pants. These Alerans and their dormant cocks. Made them much more difficult to bullshit or seduce. False flattery and flirting was going to get me nowhere, except over Nix’s knee for a hot, toe-curling spanking.

Reaching up, I wrapped my hand around his neck, up to the back of his head, and pulled him down so my lips were pressed to his ear. He allowed my bold touch, but it felt wrong. Wrong man. Wrong scent. Wrong face too close to mine.

Whatever. This was the only way I could talk to him without fear that someone would overhear.

“My name is Destiny, and this building is going to explode in less than a minute. You need to leave with me. Now.” I grabbed his arm once more and pulled him toward the door.

He didn’t move. Not one freaking inch.

“Interesting claim from a beautiful woman,” he countered, not swayed. “How do I know you are speaking the truth? You could have an ambush set up outside those doors.”

“Don’t be an idiot,” I countered with a wave of my hand. “Move before we’re blown to bits.”

When he just stared, I took a deep breath and calmed the bitch rising inside. Tried to temper my need to flee. Tick. Tick. Tick. I could hear the bomb as clear as I could hear him.

“Fine,” I huffed, sounding like an annoyed teenager. “Stay here, get blown up. I’ll tell my sister I tried. She’s the one who told me you were one of the good guys and to save you.”

His dark brow arched. “Sister?”

“Trinity.” I slapped him on the shoulder and walked quickly toward the exit. “Not too bright, are you?”

I reached the doors. Tall. Thick. Made of some alien metal that reminded me of the vault doors in the basement of the cleric’s fortress. I had my palm on the handle when he came up beside me. “Who are you? Truly?”

Nix moved into place on my right and saved me from responding. I hated to repeat myself. Especially when I’d already told Morson once, and he was just being thick-headed. Perhaps, cautious. I couldn’t blame him in his line of work, but right now there was no time. Nix wrapped his arm around my waist and I leaned into him. Just for a moment.

It was enough. I was home.

“We have seconds, Des,” he murmured, his fingers tightening. While his words were calm, he was anything but. “Hurry.”

Morson glanced at Nix over my head and whispered, “She is truly the third princess?”

I tugged at the door handle. It didn’t budge. Houston, we have a problem. “Nix, it’s locked. Shit.”

I lifted my hands and Nix took my place, straining against the door as he applied his entire body weight to the handle.

“Check my comm,” Nix ordered.

I did, the screen plainly visible to me once I lifted it from his pocket. “Thirty-two. Thirty-one. Thirty.”

Nix pushed harder, his entire body straining. I looked around us, searching for windows. Doors. Any possible way to get out of there.

“Fuck. It’s not moving,” Nix said. His breathing was ragged, his eyes a little wild.

“You were serious. About the bomb?” Morson looked from me to Nix. “And what are you doing here, Vennix?”

“Later, Morson. We have to get the fuck out of here.”

“Twenty-six.” Not that I wanted to interrupt, but we didn’t have time to chat. “We could go back.” The room we’d entered was an option, the window still open.

“Too far. We’d never make it.” Nix was right. It was on the other side of the building, and we were starting to get some odd looks, and I could hear quiet murmurs. Well, not we, Nix. He was kind of famous on this planet, his face plastered all over the news every time my sister or Faith was broadcast, standing behind them. Watchful. The ever faithful guard. That notoriety was not helpful at the moment.

“They recognize you, mate. Know you aren’t on their side. They might start shooting any second.” I hissed the words to him as I slid my own weapon free from its holster and stood just behind him, protecting his back. “Get the door open. Shoot the lock.”

“That won’t work.” Morson shoved Nix aside and pulled an oddly shaped key from his pocket. “The door will absorb the ion blast. You need a key to get in or out.”

Nix looked from Morson to the key. He was wondering why he had a key just as I was. But I wasn’t taking the time now to figure it out. “Hurry the fuck up. If my mate dies in here, I’ll kill you myself.”

Morson grinned.

Inappropriate. At least I thought so. But Nix grinned back.

Men.

Morson inserted the key and the door’s locks clicked open with a very loud series of pops, thunks and sizzling noises, like lightning bolts were moving along the frame.

I checked the comm. “Twenty. Nineteen.”

Morson opened the door. Nix tried to shove me through, but I got behind Morson and shoved him. “Trinity said to save your ass, so get out. Now.”

He had the sense not to argue. Nix held my gaze as I shouted as loudly as I could over my shoulder, “There’s a bomb. Everyone get out!”

I didn’t like any of the people in the room, knew they were evil, but I couldn’t just let them die. They deserved justice, not death.

Morson hadn’t gone very far, waiting for us, but took off again when we followed.

Nix and I sprinted. I heard commotion and heavy footfall behind us, but didn’t take time to worry about the others. They had warning. They could get their own asses out. We bolted through the front doors and dove to the ground at the first loud rumble behind us. I heard it first, diving on top of Nix, covering his body with mine. I didn’t think. Just dove, taking him down, my small frame wrapped around his upper body, protecting his torso and head the best I could. Any NFL linebacker would have been proud of my take down.

The boom blasted through me like I’d been hit full speed by a semi-truck. My eardrums ruptured and I screamed, covering my ears as heat scorched my back through my uniform and hot blood filled my ears.

It was all over in less than a second because Nix kept rolling, his big frame covering mine completely as he cradled my face to his chest.

Another blast rocked the air and moved through the ground beneath us like an earthquake. I clung to Nix, in so much pain I could do nothing else, every sound like a cannon blast inside my skull.

The rumbling stopped. Fire blazed into the sky behind Nix’s outline where he hovered above me. His large, warm hands were gentle on my face and he turned me so that I looked up at him. His lips were moving, but my ears hurt. I couldn’t hear a word he was saying, but could read his lips. “Destiny, what have you done?”

My back burned, the uniform sticking to my flesh where the explosion had seared my skin. Contact with the ground under me added to my misery, but I felt the welcoming cold numbness of shock setting in, and I didn’t even try to hold it off. Numb meant bliss at the moment.

Nothing mattered. Morson didn’t matter. He had been in front of us, far enough away to survive. And if he didn’t, well, we’d tried. I looked Nix over the best I could from my position. Satisfied that he would survive relatively unharmed and with just a ReGen wand pass or two, I smiled with relief. Mission accomplished. I loved him. And I protected the people I loved. The list wasn’t all that long, and Nix had somehow clawed his way to the top. “I love you, Nix.”

“Goddess damn it, Destiny.”

That one I knew. I read his lips easily, he’d said it often enough.

I was still smiling when I lost consciousness.