Secrets of Night (Order of Night) Read online

  “Kale,” she whispered on a sigh as she rose up on all fours.

  His hands slid up her sides, dipping to rub across her breasts before he gripped her shoulders and pulled her into him. Moans and gasps of pleasure escaped her lips as he increased the speed of his hips, plunging into her forcefully. She screamed out as her orgasm gripped her. He leaned forward and sank his fangs into the soft skin of her neck, marking and once again claiming her blood and her body. He released her neck with a growl and then called out her name as he spilled his seed inside her.

  ****

  Kale lay on his side with Kierra tucked into his body. His hand absently caressed her breast as he placed a light kiss next to her ear. “I’m sorry for my earlier words. If you can’t tell me whatever you’re keeping secret, then I’ll not push you.”

  She traced her fingers over his forearm. “Do you remember about five years ago when we had the trial concerning a vampire male and a sorceress who had become sexually involved?”

  “Yeah.” With crystal clarity. The shifters decided to defer to the races that were involved and had left the meeting stating they would return for the final judgment when the vamps and sorceresses made a decision. The sorceress involved had been the then triad member and had caused tension on the peace treaty. Since Kierra had been the head senator for her line in area four and he had been the vampire triad member, they had dismissed the rest of the group and hashed out the dealings on their own. They’d fought for hours. He’d argued for leniency to be shown toward the couple, meeting her constant refusal with a demand for the reasons behind the no-interracial-mingling law. But she’d refused to give the reasons behind the law created by the sorceresses. She led him to believe it was only because they still held a grudge against the other races. He still didn’t understand why.

  As the hours passed, he realized he’d actually been arguing for his own reasons. Because that fucking law had been the only thing keeping him away from Kierra. In the early hours of that morning, he’d noticed her resolve fading. And whether it had been imagined or real, he’d believed she wanted to be with him too. He had reached out and touched her face, and she had pulled away from him as if she’d been burned. That had been the end of the argument. In the end, the two people were sent to separate islands to remain in exile for their crime against the Order. And he’d accepted he’d never be with her. But yet, by some miracle, she now lay in his arms.

  “I was wrong,” she whispered. “I was stupid, and I was selfish.”

  “Kierra—”

  “No. I forced the punishment to proceed on those people because, in effect, I was punishing myself for wanting you. I knew the dangers of interbreeding, but you didn’t. So I had to push for the exile because I lost the will to resist you, and I wanted you to touch me so badly. When you did, I became afraid. Because, even though you and I held the fate of those two people and I sympathized with them, we would not be so lucky if we were judged standing accused of the same violation. I couldn’t let my attraction to you get in the way of the interpretation of the law. Their relationship, as well as ours, could negatively affect the safety of everyone. At the time, I needed to be reminded that the punishment would be severe so I could continue to go forward with the denial of my feelings for the greater good of the whole. So I pushed for them to be punished.”

  He sighed. “I’ve never known you to overreact, so I figure the reasons behind your decision had a good foundation. You can’t blame yourself. We didn’t make the rules. We only enforce them.”

  She turned over in his arms and cupped his face in her hand. “Well, I seem to be on a roll with the rule breaking, so I might as well go for broke.”

  “You don’t have to tell me.”

  “Which is precisely why I’m going to. I’m going to make a decision based on what I feel is the right thing to do, not what someone has dictated to me from thousands of years ago.” She inhaled a shaky breath. “About ten years after Morganna spoke the curse that created the vampire and shifter races, an oracle gave a prophecy that foretold of three becoming one and ultimate power being born.”

  “Oh, shit.”

  “Yeah. Apparently when Morganna uttered her curse, her power fractured and was divided between the shifters and the vampires. This is why she died from it. It took everything in her. That’s where the limited magic ability in your race and the shifters comes from. It’s also through her power of creation that both of your races are able to turn humans into your kind. I don’t believe it was intended, but nonetheless, it seems to have been a byproduct. When our current queen, Navi, negotiated the peace and the Order was created, she demanded the no-turning law and the no-interracial-mingling law to not only try to keep the vampires and shifters from creating massive armies but to also try to avoid the fulfillment of the prophecy.”

  “Oh hell. So that’s why they’re trying to create a hybrid. How the hell did they find out about this in the first place?”

  “I can think of only one way. The last oracle of our people had pleaded with Queen Navi to allow her to marry her human lover, but Navi constantly reminded her that it was forbidden for us to marry anyone. Queen Navi also reinforced that we were to keep a low profile around humans and that the only reason we were allowed to mate with them at all was because our own male line died out with Merlin. We needed a way to continue our race’s existence. That was thirty years ago, and the oracle disappeared within days of that argument. We all assumed she ran off with her lover. She was found dead, though, about twenty years ago, supposedly in a car wreck.”

  He sat up in the bed. “You think the shifters got a hold of her?”

  “I can only assume. Only a select few in our race even know of the prophecy, so either one of them spilled the beans, which I find unlikely, or they found our wayward Oracle. Our last oracle. No one has shown the power of foretelling since.”

  The gift of prophecy seemed to have vanished, along with other powers of their race. As time passed, the magic lines that defined each group of sorceresses seemed to be dying out. Almost all had a primary power, and whatever fueled it also shaped it. They did not learn to use magic. They learned to control their magic by mastering the ability they were born with. But, through the many years, fewer and fewer were born with extreme abilities. Time, however, was relative. Kierra knew they still had centuries before their race simply became a line of mundane magicians and psychics, but she worried for their future.

  He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up, looking for his pants. “We need to move. The sun is setting, and we need to find that lab ASAP.” He watched as she threw the covers back and exited the bed. A growl escaped his mouth as he gathered her in his arms. “I wish we had more time,” he whispered into her hair.

  “Me too.”

  Chapter Five

  Kale decided to take the Lotus so they could eat on the way. He drove away from a drive-thru window and handed the sack of food to Kierra. “As much as I would love to wine and dine you, we don’t have time, and I’m starving.”

  “I could eat cardboard right about now, so this is fine.”

  As they headed out of town, Kierra unwrapped the top of his burger and handed it to him then started on her own food. He’d given her one of his black T-shirts to wear, and she’d pulled it tight across her front, tying the excess in a knot at the small of her back. He liked her in his clothes, although he really wished he owned a thicker shirt because her nipples were standing out under the fabric.

  He flexed his hand on the wheel as he tried to curb his lustful thoughts. They had business to take care of. Lex had called about twenty minutes ago, informing him that he had located the lab in Erie, inside of an old steel factory. They’d agreed to meet in the mall parking lot to coordinate a plan for entrance. Lex wanted to take a team in, but Kale had quickly shut down that idea. A team would make it seem like an attack from the vampires, which would be a major violation against the Order of Night, and he didn’t even want to think about the repercussions of tha
t. He’d tried to discourage Lex from involving himself, but it hadn’t worked. The stubborn SOB had said he was going in with or without him; at that point, Kale had to tell Lex about Kierra’s involvement.

  “So are we going in, guns blazing, as you say?” Kierra asked before taking a long draw on the straw of her soda.

  “No. Lex is supposed to have the blueprints to the building, and we’ll find a way to sneak in.”

  “Because sneaking in worked so well the last time.”

  Kale glanced in her direction and saw her teasing smile as she watched the road in front of them. “Watch it, Witch.”

  After fifteen minutes of driving, they pulled into the parking lot of the mall. It took no time at all for Kale to spot Lex’s black Hummer. With a quick twist of the wheel, he parked in front of it. Kale and Kierra both exited the car and walked over to greet Lex.

  “Food,” Lex said, sniffing the air around Kale and Kierra. “Did you get me…” His words died as he sniffed the air again, his eyes wide, darting back and forth between Kale and Kierra. Switching to the old language, he pinned Kale with his stare. “Have you lost your damn mind? I can smell you all over the Witch.”

  Kale growled and bared his fangs in Lex’s direction, daring him to keep up his line of questioning.

  “Okay, have it your way. It’s your funeral,” Lex replied, opening the door of the Hummer to retrieve the blue prints. “Is the Witch going with us?” he asked in English.

  “I’m not a Witch, Bat Boy, and, yes, I am going in with you two.”

  “Oh, aren’t we feisty?” Lex replied. “I can definitely see what you like about her,” he stated to Kale in the old language as his gaze roamed over her body.

  “And if you keep seeing it, you’re going to have permanent vision problems,” Kale replied.

  “Okay. Just tell me one thing. Was it magical?” Lex asked, laughing.

  Kale shoved Lex into the side of the Hummer, which only caused Lex to laugh harder.

  “Men. English. I know you two are talking about me, and it’s beginning to irk me,” she stated, hands clenched into small fists at her sides.

  “Oh, yeah. Can definitely see it,” Lex stated in English, right before Kale popped him in the back of the head. “Ow! Okay. I don’t see shit.”

  “Much better.”

  “If you two boys are finished beating your chests, can we get to forming a plan?”

  Kale snatched the blueprints out of Lex’s hand and unrolled them on the Hummer’s hood.

  ****

  Kierra wasn’t sure what to make of Lex. He stood at the same height as Kale and had large, similarly well-defined muscles, but he had short, spiky blond hair. His blue eyes held a rebellious glint in them. She believed he probably broke the rules frequently. In an odd way, he favored the vampire king, Vincent. She had met Vincent only once before, but it was enough that she noticed the resemblance.

  She’d quickly figured out that Lex knew what had transpired between her and Kale and could only hope that he would keep their secret. She inwardly cursed herself for not paying closer attention to her studies in the old language. She’d been encouraged to learn it when she became a senator, but most everyone spoke common and had for the last several centuries. But, right now, she would really like to know what had been said. She would just have to question Kale later.

  “I believe they’re holding the women here,” Lex said, pointing to a spot on the second floor. “The shifter told us that they were being drugged heavily, to keep them from running or fighting.”

  “Then I’ll enter here,” Kale stated, pointing to a back door on the ground floor. “I should be able to distract them long enough for you to jump with Kierra from the neighboring building’s roof.”

  “Did he mention what kind of drugs they were using?” Kierra inquired.

  “Only that it was a type of sedative,” Lex replied.

  “That could really complicate our exit.” Kale sighed.

  “Give me a second,” Kierra stated, rubbing her hand across her forehead in an effort to concentrate. “Okay. I have an idea, although it might not work. But I think it’s worth trying.”

  “By all means, enlighten us,” Lex stated, leaning his back against the Hummer.

  “I can use a type of animation spell on them, to control their movements. In essence, I’d be controlling their bodies through the conductivity of their nervous systems. But once I take control of them, I will have to focus all my attention on them, so I would be pretty useless if we were to meet up with any hostiles.”

  “While that might work on the sorceresses, I don’t think it will work on the vampires. We’re not very susceptible to mind control,” Kale stated.

  “But with the heavy dose of sedatives they’re on, it might weaken their resistance, and besides, it really isn’t so much mind control as it is nervous system control,” Kierra said, hoping she was right. Their success might’ve been better guaranteed if they could take a team in, but trying to maintain the peace after such a move would be shaky at best. As things stood, it would be easier to say they acted on their own. The right choice had been made. They couldn’t risk it seeming like an attack.

  “The Witch … er … the lady has a point,” Lex corrected as he met Kierra’s glare. “Even if it doesn’t work, it would leave just two vampires to carry.”

  Kale released a frustrated breath. “Which would leave you unable to react fast enough if you were attacked. I guess, though, it’s our only option, so hopefully it’ll work. Did you happen to get any info on how many shifters are in the building?”

  “There are normally ten. Three, acting as guards on the ground floor, and the others are there to run the lab. But after your showdown with them last night, there’s no guarantee they haven’t beefed up their security.”

  “It’s best to assume they did just that,” Kale said.

  Kierra turned her gaze on Kale. She didn’t want to separate from him. What if something happened to him? She looked up at him, her brow furrowed, not sure how to convey her thoughts and fears. He seemed to understand though, as his full lips turned up in a reassuring smile.

  “We’ll park a block away and go in on foot. If I’m not at the car when you two get the women out and into the Hummer, I want you to go ahead and go. I should be right behind you. You know where to go, Lex.”

  “I won’t leave without you,” Kierra stated, hands clenched into fists at her sides.

  “I won’t argue this with you, Kierra. I want you away from all of this as fast as possible.” Kale looked over Kierra’s head in Lex’s direction. “Drag her if you have to.”

  “My ego positively soars at your faith in my He-Man abilities,” Lex said as he rolled his eyes.

  Kierra grabbed two fistfuls of Kale’s shirt and tipped her head back to look at him. “He won’t have to drag me. You just have your butt there when we do.”

  He took possession of her lips in a fierce kiss.

  “Ah … guys? You can get a room when we’re finished. We need to go.”

  Chapter Six

  Kierra looked over the edge of the roof, her eyes trained on Kale’s form as he moved through the shadows toward the service door. A cold chill worked its way up her spine, causing her to shiver despite the warm summer air surrounding her. She couldn’t shake the bad feeling that had begun to form in her chest.

  “You don’t need to worry about him.” Lex spoke from behind her. “He’s a tough SOB. I learned a long time ago never to mess with him.”

  She spun on her heel to face him. “How well do you know Kale?”

  “Considering he’s my brother, I would say very well.”

  She frowned in confusion. “You look nothing alike. In fact you resemble…”

  “Our father. King Vincent. We’re half brothers. Kale gets his dark looks from his mother.”

  Her hand shot up to her mouth. It had been one thing for members of high-ranking positions to break the rules, but this … oh, this was just too much. The vampire king�
�s son? If her queen ever found out about their encounter, his position as a member of the aristocracy might prompt a break between the races. “That would make him a prince.”

  “No. And don’t look so shocked. Not a lot of people know. There’s always been speculation, but Kale refuses to soil my father’s and mother’s names and marriage after all they’ve done for him. Our father claimed him and raised him alongside me and our brother, Warrick, but he has no claim to the throne. He’s the eldest, but he was conceived and born out of wedlock. I prefer to say it that way. Bastard is such an ugly word, and in my opinion, my brother is anything but that. When my uncle, King Thorian, died after we were all cursed, my father became king. He’d never even thought of marriage before that time. He later met my and Warrick’s mother. She accepted Kale and has always treated him well.”

  Her gaze fell to the tar-papered rooftop. In her mind, she’d known they could never be together, but in her heart, she had hoped they could’ve arranged some type of secret meetings.

  “I can see you care deeply for him, and I also see he cares deeply for you. Your situation really saddens me. That’s the only reason I told you about this. I want you to know I’d never betray him. Your secret is safe with me.”

  She felt the weight of Lex’s hand on her shoulder, in a gesture of comfort. She looked up into his sapphire eyes and saw the sincere kindness and sympathy they held.

  “We have to go now. Kale just entered the building. Hold on,” Lex stated as he picked her up.

  In a few quick strides, they were airborne, and Kierra squeezed her eyes shut until she felt the light bounce of their landing. She released her hold as Lex set her down on her feet.

  “This way,” Lex whispered.