Ultimate Passage: New Beginnings: Box Set ( Books 1-4) (50 page)

T
hane stepped
into the alley behind The Other Side. He’d left Ali to work. She’d insisted she had to get back. He breathed a sigh of relief she hadn’t seen his wings.

He’d held her still, not allowing her to move or look back for fear that she’d see. He should have been far more careful. Next time—

There could
be
no next time. He cursed at his foolishness for giving in to the desire to be with her. It could have blown his identity. Then what? Then she’d have fled. It was one thing for her to wear those pretty little costume wings. It was a whole other matter for him to display his real ones. A complete other matter. She’d have freaked out and run from the room screaming, he’d have bet.

Thane wasn’t paying attention. He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he didn’t notice something was off until his senses went on alert. He whirled around, making a quick one-eighty.

A being stood before him, studying him with a dark glare.

“Death-dealer,” the creature said, arching a brow, gray skin over black and red eyes. Long fingers plucked at the creature’s overcoat, betraying a nervousness. The kind of nervousness that would lead to impulsive action.

“How do you know me?” Thane asked the creature, as it was unfamiliar to him, including the species. “What are you?”

“You killed my brother. Do not pretend you do not know what I am, death-dealer.”

Thane wished he could remember. Walking around without knowing if he had an enemy was uncomfortable.

“What is it that you want from me?” He braced himself, ready for an attack.

“Retri—”

Sounds of loud laughter came from around the corner, interrupting the being. Humans were coming.

Reaching out with a supernatural speed, Thane wrapped his fingers around the being’s bony wrist.

“You’ll not seek retribution. You’ll go in peace or regret it.”

The being drew a blade from the folds of its overcoat. It struck at Thane, the deadly blade a wicked glint in the lamplight.

“I will—”

Thane struck quickly with lethal force. A sideways slap at the blade, calculated to avoid touching the razor-sharp edge, and the blade was airborne.

Thane snatched it midair, flipped it in his hand and, with one swipe, slit the creature’s throat.

The being collapsed, its overcoat empty, now a vacant shell.

Thane held the empty coat up.

W
eeks
later

It was afternoon when Ali woke up. She was on her couch and Thane was long gone. She didn’t know what time he’d left.

They’d been doing this for three weeks. Every night, he met her after work, on her landing. He’d bring a latte, and they’d walk to the park nearby and sit all night, talking, and on occasion kissing.

He hadn’t tried to get into her panties again, and as much as she wanted him, she didn’t push the issue. There was too much at stake.

She showered and changed for work, wondering if he’d be at the club, and though she wouldn’t admit it, she was eager to see him and hoped he’d be there.

T
hane was a no show
.

Ali tried to contain her disappointment, but she’d had taken extra care with her wardrobe. She wanted to be the sexiest-looking fairy at The Other Side. She’d gone out and bought a new miniskirt and a new backless top with straps that crisscrossed her back, between her wings. When she’d looked in the mirror that night, she thought she looked particularly fetching.

Too bad though, because the entire night had passed without incident. And without Thane. Not a single sighting. Nothing.

Irritated, at the end of the evening she’d driven off in a huff, pulled into her apartment complex and stomped her way up the stairs to her place, refraining from slamming the door because she didn’t want to disturb the neighbors.

She sat on the couch, too dejected to bother peeling her new clothing off and change into something more comfortable. She wanted to not care that he hadn’t come, but she did care, and she was pissed.

A soft knock on the door made her jump, and then a surge of joy erupted in her. Who else, of course.

She opened the door without bothering with the peephole.

There he stood, calm, collected, self-assured and unreadable, in another expensive suit. Yet, so different from the man who’d held her as she’d fallen asleep last night. Remote. Almost sinister. Not her Thane. He seemed… off.

Except he was here. That’s what counted.

“You’re late.” She wished she could bite back that response.

“I came as quick as I could.” He stepped into her place, closing the door behind him, for all intents seeming to completely belong there. “I had business to take care of.”

“More important than me?” She allowed a mock pout to form on her lips.

“Nothing is more important than you.” He reached for her top, took the hem of it between two fingers and pulled gently, tugging her closer. “This
was
about you. Everything is about you.”

She wanted to ask him what that meant and how that could possibly be, but it was difficult to talk when his lips were locked on hers, taking control of her tongue, stroking it with his, doing that eternal dance of tongues, sealing her words behind a vault of emotions and desire.

“I missed you.” He breathed the words into her mouth, his hands wrapped in her hair, pulling her head back. “I thought of you all day.”

“I like the sound of that.” She tugged on his lapels, wrapping her fists around the expensive fabric and holding him close, her hands trapped between them. “I thought…” She gulped her insecurity away.

“Don’t think. There’s no room for thoughts between us, only whatever it is that’s driving this forward.”

“It’s scary.” Her voice was tiny, breathless.

“It’s magnificent,” he murmured against her jawline, his lips traveling down, kissing her neck, his tongue blazing a trail.

“What if—”

His lips took away her protest, his tongue taking control. A long, breathless kiss later, he held her in his embrace. “I want to know more about Ali.”

“What about you?” She traced the collar of his suit, her hand wandering over the fabric, her fingers playing with his buttonholes.

“I’m boring.”

“I’d rather kiss you than talk about me.”

***

After a marathon of kissing Ali on the couch in the small dingy apartment, Thane wished they’d been at his place. They would have been more comfortable there, where they could have enjoyed the evening on his balcony, but he knew Ali’s budget didn’t allow for a nice place. And he couldn’t take her to his. He couldn’t risk another unexpected visit from Brohm.

Thane tugged on her top. Pulling at it, making it clear he wanted it off her body. Wanted her naked. His cock was about to burst from kissing and touching through clothing. Pulling her up, he lifted her onto his lap so she could see what she did to him.

Then she did the strangest thing. She avoided looking at his pants, and kept her eyes on his face. She jumped up from the couch.

Ali tossed some throw pillows on the floor next to the couch.

Was this her way of saying no? He couldn’t believe it after the way her tongue had danced with his and her moans had been low spurts of aphrodisiacs that drove him crazy.

Thane rose from the couch, confused, and opened the window, letting the moonlight shine in on them. He flicked the lights off. She sat cross-legged on the floor, her hands in her chin, elbows perched on knees.

He could spend an eternity looking at this woman, learning what was in her mind, what made her tick. What was so special about her that drew him to her?

He didn’t want to tell her he’d spent the whole day looking into a place for them. A place where they could meet and spend time alone. A place unknown to the Brethren.

A
li had divulged
nothing of herself, or her Asazi roots, to Thane. By the same token, she’d learned nothing about him either. She wanted to know where this dark man had grown up, who his family was, where he was from.

Should any of that matter? It shouldn’t. She couldn’t have sex with him unless they were at the club or she was in her own skin. She shouldn’t even be allowing them to spend this time together, getting attached. She sighed. Too late. Way too late to avoid getting attached.

She’d had to push him away. She felt horrible, in more than one way. Horrible because she didn’t want to rebuff him. Horrible because her desire for him kept growing. And growing. And she could do
nothing
about it.

Raising her hand to push her hair back, she noted the indigo color of her skin, reflecting her sadness. She moved to the restroom, studying her skin in the mirror. Behind Ali, her wings unfurled, fluttering slightly, also a deep-blue color, though diaphanous.

Cursed Asazi wings. They were the cause of her inability to be normal. They were to blame for everything.

She stalked around her apartment, going from one room to another, furious at her predicament, hating her people, hating herself, hating everything Asazi.

She turned abruptly, continuing her pacing, back and forth in tight circles, from the kitchen to the restroom to the living area. Each time she passed the restroom mirror, her wings and skin mocked her dilemma.

With the next abrupt turn, the bottom of her wing swung wide and knocked a wooden knife block off the kitchen counter. Knives scattered, clanging as they struck each other and bounced off the linoleum, some of them leaving scars on the floor.

Ali swooped down to pick them up, catching them in her hands. One knife sliced her thumb. Blood began to drip down her hand, over her wrist and forearm to her elbow, then plopped to the floor.

She looked at the sharp butcher knife. Large and lethal.

She’d had enough of these damned wings. They’d’ ruined her life on Kormia, and now they were doing the same on Earth.

Ali stormed into the bathroom. Hoisting herself up to the counter, she sat, her feet in the sink, her body angled so she could see her wings.

Taking the knife, she wrapped her arm around herself and plunged it into the base of her wings, at the lowest crease in the middle of her back.

T
hane took wing
to the north, finding a mountain that was isolated. He alit on a dirt road that led to an abandoned cabin. This spot had long been the place he traveled to in order to create a portal that led to Kormia.

He could do it elsewhere, like in the city, but he always stood the chance that someone would see the portal. Or even worse, that someone on the other side—in Kormia—would seek to travel to Earth. That was not permitted. Not only was it not permitted, it could create complete chaos and piss off the Brethren. Here, on this isolated mountain, if anyone did decide to come over, he could pursue avenues to convince them by word or deed to go back to Kormia. Luckily, he’d never had anyone try to come to Earth.

He crossed his arms, closed his eyes and concentrated. A moment later the force of the portal’s energy pulled at his being. He opened his eyes. He’d created the portal to Kormia, a shimmering mirage that looked more like the heat that rose off of a hot road than a doorway. He couldn’t cross through it. No Brethren could enter their own portal. But he could wait for the Kormic Elders. It never was a long wait. They’d always sensed his portals before long and arrived.

True to this, within thirty minutes, several scarlet-robed figures appeared. Their hoods covered their faces, but he knew it was the Kormic Elders. The ones who kept track of Saraz and all pertinent events on Kormia.

In unison, they stood shoulder-to-shoulder facing him, raised their hands and pushed back the hoods. Their eyes, all white, as if they had cataracts, used to spook him and send chills all over his body.

As many times as he’d seen these beings over the span of time, he had never become accustomed to their exotic look. Though at least now, they didn’t repel him as they had in the beginning, with their half-human, half-alien features. He could think of no word that suited them better than alien.

The lower half of their faces were human, with human jaws, but they had pale, raised striations that traveled from their bottom lips and converged to a point in the middle of their chins, exactly where a cleft would be, if they’d had one.

The part that garnered the most attention was above their eyes. A brow ridge that was composed of lizard-like skin traveled upward to a forehead that had two bony vertical ridges, stopping where a hairline would be. Instead of hair, the Kormic had purple-and-orange-tipped spikes.

He found himself holding his breath, as he always did when they were in front of him. They were able to walk through the portal. That would not be a good thing, and Thane was glad they didn’t. He’d never tested their skills, and he was unsure if he was a match for them, death-dealing expertise or not.

“Brethren Thane.” Their voice was a collective, as though they were of one mind.

He knew they could communicate silently.

“Elders.” Thane nodded respectfully. He’d come to have a high regard for these beings.

“We have been trying to reach you for a long time now. Why have you been blocking our attempts?”

Thane frowned. “Blocking? I wouldn’t do that.” Worry washed over him. “Why? Why were you trying to reach me?”

“Asazi have made a home on Earth. In the last few months, a human traveled to Kormia then returned to Earth. With a hybrid Asazi and human child. And her Asazi mate.”

Thane’s hands clenched into fists. “What the—”

The Elder raised his hand—Thane didn’t even know his name. Did they have individual names?—then he continued, “And the one that Saraz seeks to fulfill his prophecy has left for Earth. An Asazi Elite, one of their best soldiers, has gone rogue and is seeking to find her to return to Saraz in exchange for his father’s life. Saraz is holding this Asazi’s father captive.”

Thane released his fists, flexed his fingers. “How has Saraz managed to get humans to Earth again without you noticing? That’s what the Elder group was created for: to prevent these exact incidents.”

“Saraz is very adept at subterfuge.”

“This cannot be happening.” He cursed inwardly.

“We will be taking care of Saraz ourselves. The Brethren do not seem to have the Kormics’ best interests in their minds.”

Thane didn’t want to tell them that none of the Brethren cared about the Kormic or the Asazi. They only cared about punishing Saraz by keeping him on Kormia and containing his mistakes. It wasn’t such a bad idea, their handling the issue. He couldn’t sanction it, of course, but he would do nothing to prevent it.

“I do not want to hear of this.” That was the best he could do as far as permission went. It had to be tacit.

The Elders looked at each other, then looked at him. They nodded and pulled their hoods over their head, drawing them low until their faces and white eyes were well hidden.

A one-eighty, and with that they walked away, leaving Thane to wonder if they’d just solved his problem on Kormia and the next time he talked to them, they’d tell him the deed was done. That Saraz was no more. Now he had to figure out about the Asazi on Earth.

Thane had never been close to Saraz, but he wished him no ill. He wondered if the madness he suspected had overtaken Saraz’s mind was there before the banishment or if being banished had made him insane.

None of it mattered to him anymore, it never really had—much. He was not one of those who felt as though Saraz should have been banished. Thane understood the tenets and didn’t agree with what Saraz did, creating a whole new race—but the truth was, there were so many paranormal beings on Earth and in the entire galaxy, anyway. It didn’t seem to be such a big deal that Saraz had added another one.

Thane watched the Elders’ departing backs. Let them take care of Saraz. He had more important things on his mind.

Like the Asazi on Earth.

And Ali.

He hadn’t talked to her today.

T
hane pushed
his hair out of his face and ran through the day’s events. He was still taken aback by the Elders’ revelations. He would reach out to his contacts and have someone find the Asazi and take care of this. He didn’t want to leave Ali, not after Heather’s threat.

Would Brohm be coming to Thane for answers tonight? Probably, since this was the deadline. If so, Thane couldn’t afford to be with Ali. He didn’t want her to be in Brohm’s sights.

The Brethren would definitely frown on his having feelings for a human female. Thane wasn’t sure he could hide those feelings.

He’d stay away. He’d text her and tell her that he was out delayed at a meeting.

After Brohm visited him tonight, he’d go see her. Then things could get back to normal.

What in the name of Shalin was happening on Kormia? What he’d heard from the Elders was the last thing he’d expected.

He shook his head. He’d been too complacent. Too eager to stay away from conflict. Had Thane been given him this duty because he’d been a death-dealer and the Brethren assumed that he’d do the deeds they needed done?

What if the Brethren learned that Thane had mismanaged the situation and there were Asazi on Earth? Brohm already had suspicions. He’d have to keep his mismanagement a secret. More lies built upon lies.

He sighed. Would he have to leave and go hunt them down now? He was tempted—very tempted—to outsource this task. He was not interested in being responsible for more deaths.

What would he tell Brohm?

He should come clean. Had anyone ever quit their position as Brethren? He’d do it, to find a way to make it work with Ali.

Ali.

He checked his phone. No messages, no texts, no missed calls. Where the hell was she?

It wasn’t like her not to answer or at least call back.

A feeling rolled through him, one of unease.