Celestra Forever After (33 page)

Something warms in me at the idea. “Let’s do it.”

“I’ve been talking to married housing on campus all week.” She looks up with a twinkle in her eye. “Let me see if I can’t get us a place of our own before we break the big news. I’d hate for them to point out the obvious—our lack of shelter.”

My heart sinks. Never in my wildest dreams did I think our life together would start out essentially homeless. Logan offered the house he built for the two of them, but I’ve been wearing my pride like a coat of armor. There’s no way I’ll take him up on that. I’d rather the house sat empty. He should move into it.

“We’ll work something out,” I say without anything whatsoever to back it up. A selfish part of me is just glad Skyla and I are together.

She nestles in gently over my crotch and gives one of her sexy grins.

“That’s an invitation if I’ve ever seen one.”

“Darn right it is.” The smile fades from her face. “You’ve been pretty intense ever since we left your house. Anything you want to tell me?”

“My dad and I were just talking about a few things from the past. Nothing important.” The past is right—all the way down to my birth date.  I wall up my thoughts, so she can’t hear. The last thing I want to do is panic Skyla over a genetic mutation I might be housing. I don’t want to let her in on this infection that’s slowly taking over my life—the anvil that’s dangling over both our heads, if this happens to be true.

“I’d love to talk about the past.” She’s feeling me out, seeing if I’ll throw her a bone.

“I think, sometimes, the past can cloud things. How about, just for tonight, we start anew.” The fog billows into the tiny hut as if it were trying to smoke us out.

She slips her hand in mine and pulls it to her lips.

“So are you going to tell me what you and your dad talked about or not?”

I groan in lieu of an answer. Most likely not, I want to say.

“Okay.” She sits up in my lap, rotating until her knees are on either side of me. “Let’s try this another way. What has you running scared, Oliver?”

Running scared sounds about right, but I’ll be the last to admit it. Once Skyla finds out the truth about my questionable genetics, she’ll be the one running scared—and, most likely, pissed. Hell, I’m pissed, and I still don’t have all the answers.

The moonlight bleeds in just enough to create a halo around her. It makes her look otherworldly—ethereal.

“You’re a real angel, you know that?” I press a wet kiss into the hollow of her neck, and she dips her head back with a groan.

“I think you’re changing the subject, but I’m not about to complain. I happen to like where your lips are going.”

Skyla unbuckles my pants, and pulls off her jeans in some Houdini-like maneuver. Before I know it she’s helping me roll on a condom.

“I want to take care of you first.” I bite down gently over her ear.

“Tonight is about you, Oliver, whether you like it or not.” She bites my ear as if returning the favor. “Got that?”

“Yes,
Oliver
, I do.”

Her chest bucks with a silent laugh before she leans back, her arms still slung around my neck.

“I’m so proud to be your wife, Gage. And I can’t wait until everyone on Paragon—on
Host
—knows it.”

By Host she means Kresley.

“Sounds like our secret days are numbered.”

“Mmm.” Skyla gets on her knees and straddles my hard-on like she’s about to take the ride of her life. At least that’s what my ego wants to believe. She focuses her eyes over mine and carefully guides me to the tip of that warm spot I’ve longed to bury myself in all day long. “I don’t like secrets, Gage. Not with anyone, especially not between you and me.” Skyla carefully sinks over my body, inch by inch, her eyes never leaving mine.

“Shit,” I whisper barely audible, my lids too heavy to keep open. Skyla’s body wraps around me tight as a coil. There isn’t a hand job in the world that could ever replace Skyla. And if she ever finds out that I might have anything to do with Demetri or his knockoff son, something tells me I’ll be right back to dating Rosie Palm.

“I will love you forever, Gage Oliver.” She lets the words expire slow and sweet like a tire bleeding air.

I hope so. I hope she loves me forever despite what news the future might hold.

Skyla carefully moves herself over my body before gaining speed. I slit my lids open and watch the show. Her head arches back. Her tits ride up and down making me insane. Then I lose it. I grab a hold of her, low at the waist, and dig my fingers into her soft flesh until I’m resting on bone. I use all of my strength to pump into her body, slamming her over me as if I’m trying to punish my dick with this beautiful woman, kind enough to call herself my wife.

If my DNA proves anything sinister, I’ll want to punish more than my dick.

I’d throw myself in a fire in order to protect Skyla.

I push it all out of my mind. This moment is about Skyla and me.

“
Gage
.” Her thighs tremble over me as I ratchet her down a couple more times. Then, in a surge of strength, I pull her in one last time and wrap my arms around her like a steel cage as my body shakes out with pleasure.

This moment is all I needed.

Skyla is all I’ll ever need.

Logan

A dark pall hovers over Host like a demon spreading its wings. The buildings stretch to the sky with their old-world architecture, limestone with leaded windows and gargoyles tucked in the corners. At a glance it looks like some Goth-inspired sleepy town with its cobbled walkways, the evergreens that look far weepier with their tendril-like branches than they ever did on Paragon. Of course, the sea of people, the guys on skateboards whizzing by, the girls with their pastel 10-speeds each with a basket secured to the front, it all brings you right back to the twenty-first century—and that’s the best one yet because Skyla is in it.

“Logan.”

I turn to find Cooper heading my way. I like Coop. He fought the faction war, and helped pull Laken out of the clutches of the Counts. He belongs to Celestra, so he’s already a brother.

I give him a knuckle bump. “What’s up?”

“Just finished up for the day. What’s going on with you?”

“Just checking out the campus. I need to head to the administration building.”

“You enrolling for fall? Crashing a few classes?”

“No, actually”—I take a quick inventory of the students—“I’m looking to enroll for the working adult program. You know, go at your own pace. It’s mostly online. I don’t plan on getting in anybody’s way.”

“By anybody you mean Gage and Skyla.” He cuts a look to the field. “I get it.”

“Do you? I’m the opposite of Wes. I’m not planning some hostile Skyla takeover. That’s not what we’re about.”

“Never said you were, but I appreciate you letting me know. As much as I can’t stand your nephew’s face—I think he’s all right.”

“Same goes double for me.”

“You find anything out?”

I fill him in on the meet and greet in the Transfer.

“Are you kidding?” He gives a riotous laugh. Coop adjusts his backpack while staring out into the woods that border campus. “The guy that let you in—Ingram? He’s a bullshit slinger. He didn’t let you in anywhere that you weren’t lured. Logan, they would never operate so loosely to let a Celestra in—or, excuse me—a sworn Count who fought for Celestra—and open up the playbook for him. Wes said what he wanted you to hear—what he thought might steer you in the direction he wants to send you.”

“I thought the same thing. But nothing too dramatic happened. He invited the Counts to defect from their ranks and join his renegade army. They’ve already lost on the spiritual battlefield, so it doesn’t surprise me.”

Coop’s features smooth out as if he just had an epiphany. “You’re right, they lost the spiritual battle. That means the only war they can really wage is one right here on earth.”

“Like what, a plague? They’ve done that, by the way.” The Counts and the Fems had their heyday back in the dark ages. It was the turning point of power, and it took until the faction war for Celestra to regain its footing.

“I don’t think so. If I know Wes, he’s into something far more low key. He likes to be the man in power, let his lackeys do his dirty work.”

“Enter the Steel Barricade, nothing but minions for the bastard.”

“That’s right.” Coop glances toward the Student Union then does a double take. “Speak of the devil.”

Wes heads toward the building with some tall dude dressed in a black suit.

“He’s here, huh?”

“Apparently, so. It’s giving Laken some anxiety, but she’s a strong girl. I’m not too worried. I told her if he tries anything to feel free to invert his jewels and show him who’s in charge. Hell, I might knock his balls in myself.” Coop’s brows peak as two other guys dressed in black suits approach Wes. “There’s an underground society the frats are forever spinning urban legends about—The Blood of the Dragon. It wouldn’t surprise me if Wes is campaigning. And if he gives them enough cash, he’ll be running it in a week.”

“What the hell would he want with a bunch of college goofs? He’s a little busy culling the dross from the Counts, isn’t he?”

“Who knows, maybe he’s scouting new recruits.”

Shit. “Human recruits.”

“That’s right. Wes needs someone to take out the trash, and a Count of any caliber will be the last person to take down Celestra. So why do you think he did it—gave you a special invite to hear his midnight ramblings?”

“Ego.” I look over at Wes with his million-dollar smile, that thick, black hair, his shoulders stretched back with pride. I think I just nailed it.

“Wes has got an ego as deep and wide as the sea, that’s for sure.”

“So why steal my nephew’s face?” I’m still stumped over that one.

“No clue.” Coop blows out a breath. “Plus he’s two years older. I’d have to guess this factored into Edinger’s plan somehow.”

Wes and the three stooges part ways, and he heads in our direction as if he were onto us the entire time.

“One thing is for sure”—the muscle in Coop’s jaw pops as Wes draws near—“one of them is a red herring. Only which one?”

“It’s not Gage.” I’m quick with the defense. It’s bullshit to think otherwise.

Then it hits me. My body goes numb, my mouth falls open like I’m some kind of idiot, and I just stand there, staring this semi-truck in the face.

Holy fuck.

Wes is just a smoke screen. But for what? I know Gage better than I know myself. He’s genuine, the real deal—I’d even go as far as calling him pure.

“What’s going on?” Wes nods over to us as if we have anything to say to each other. He looks right at me, and pins me with that familiar face. “So, you think about joining the crew?” A smile plays on his lips. Coop was right. It was all a big show, and I’m the guest of honor.

“The deconstruction crew, huh?” I’m over his bullshit. “Yeah, I’ll bite. I’ll join and attend every one of your staged meetings, and you can tell me what direction to go in so Skyla and I can stay out of your way.”

His dark brows swoop in, and, for a minute, everything in me believes this is Gage. “I don’t know what you’re babbling about, man. I’ve got a real plan with real people, ready and willing to do the right thing.”

“Closing those tunnels is the right thing.” Coop looks like he’s ready to sock him in the nuts. “Releasing the Celestra prisoner’s is
right
, Wes.”

“Oh?” Those ditches in his cheeks invert. “I thought leaving Laken alone was the right thing. Which is it?”

“Look”—I pull him in by the shirt—“I’m not joining your hit man parade, so you can take off. What the fuck do you want anyway? Another war? You’re a day late and an army short. Apparently you didn’t get the memo.” I push him away. “You lost.”

“Celestra needs to be removed for one reason and one reason only.” He dusts off his chest and glares at Coop. “This planet—these people are killing themselves with pollution, poverty, lack of prudent guidance. Celestra is simple minded. They’re not open to new ideas. They want the Nephilim to live in fear of everyone else—lay low and stay the hell off the radar because, God forbid, they find out who you really are. Is that what you want? Do you want every single generation of our people to live in fear?” He pants out his words. His eyes light up like flames. “Because that’s what you have.”

Coop’s chest expands. “So you want us to believe you’re some kind of environmentalist on a humanitarian mission. That’s sweet.” I can see his biceps popping under his shirt, ready to knock Wes into tomorrow. I’m pretty sure I’m not going to stop him.

“Okay—I’m already knee-deep in your bullshit, so I’ll bite—if the Count in you wants a clean sweep of Nephilim off the planet, what does the Fem in you want?” I already know the answer to that—power.

“Dominion.” He widens his stance. “And, for the record, I don’t want the Nephilim off the planet. In fact, I think they need to stay. I’ll see you two, later.” He strides toward the forest, toward the most isolated patch of woods that dead end to nowhere and dissolves among the shadows.

“Dominion,” Coops says it slow as if trying it out on his lips.

“He can’t have dominion.” My stomach bites with battery acid because that’s exactly what Marshall will have with Skyla one day.

“I don’t see why not, he gets everything else—except one thing.” Coop cinches a smile because Wes will never get Laken.

“To get dominion, he’d need to have an offspring with a near pure Celestra or Count.”

“Laken’s out.”

“So is Skyla.” It hits me like a sucker punch. The red herring—its Wes. “Oh God.” I stagger toward the woods. “Wes will never get dominion. You don’t think…” I can’t even formulate the words.

“Gage will.”

10

Testimony