Born of the Night (26 page)

extending his hand to Kiara. Grabbing it like a lifeline, she allowed him to pull her to her

feet.

"I'm sorry," the man spoke in a hurry, wiping the blood from his chin with the back of his hand. "She crashed into us. I had no idea. I mean . . . Well— "

"I suggest you leave," Nykyrian snarled, showing the man his teeth.

The group ran faster than Kiara could believe. Shaking with her emotions, Kiara buried

her head in Nykyrian's shoulder laughing in hysterical relief. "Had you said boo, I think they would have died of fright!"

Nykyrian held her against him, his arms soothing away the shaking in her limbs. "What

happened?" he whispered against her hair.

Kiara drew a trembling breath. "Hauk saw someone he knew. Then Darling and I were

talking . . . Arturo showed up. He's got Darling!"

Nykyrian's body went rigid. "Where'd they go?"

"Out the back door."

Nykyrian pulled her by the arm back into the club and through the crowd. As they passed

Hauk, Nykyrian grabbed him with a furious curse. They burst through the back door.

Nykyrian paced around, scanning the area.

"Remind me later to kill you," he said bitterly to Hauk, his face contorted in rage.

"What's happened?" Hauk asked in confusion, looking at Kiara.

Nykyrian curled his lip. "Nothing of any great importance. Arturo has Darling."

"Shit!" Hauk raked his hands through his hair. "Where do you think they went?"

"I have no idea."

Caillen came running through the back door. "Where's Darling?" he asked Nykyrian.

"Arturo has him."

Caillen let out a curse that brought heat to Kiara's cheeks. "Kasen just told me she saw

them together a little while ago. So help me, I'm going to throttle that woman!"

"Do you have any idea where Arturo would take him?" Nykyrian asked Caillen, taking

Kiara's hand.

"Maybe."

Nykyrian pulled out his link and called Rachol and Jayne to start a search. He tossed his

link to Caillen. "Keep in touch with them. I'll take Kiara home, then join the search."

"How will we keep up with you?" Caillen asked, tucking the link into his belt.

"I have Darling's link at home."

Guilt gnawed at Kiara while Nykyrian led her to his ship. If not for her getting into

trouble again, Nykyrian might have been able to get to Darling in time.

"I'm sorry," she whispered as they launched out of the bay.

"You didn't do anything," Nykyrian said with a sigh. "I should have known better than to leave Hauk with the two of you. Sometimes he just doesn't think."

Kiara remained quiet the rest of the trip, her thoughts whirling over what had happened.

She prayed for Darling's safety.

Nykyrian rushed her inside his house, grabbed the link and was gone before she could

even wish him luck. Her heart heavy, Kiara made her way up to bed.

She lay for hours watching the stars twinkling above her head, praying for all their lives.

When she saw Nykyrian's fighter fly over, her heart pounded in relief. Grabbing her robe,

she dashed downstairs to wait for him to enter. The lorinas curled about her legs, mewing

softly.

Exhausted, Nykyrian came through the door. He dropped his helmet to the floor and

opened his arms to receive her tight squeeze. "We found him," he said in a tired voice.

"I hope you beat Arturo to pieces."

Nykyrian held out one of his hands. The knuckles were swollen and bloody. "I did my

best."

Kiara smiled, brushing a lock of his hair from his face. "Where's Darling?"

Nykyrian moved away from her and stretched as he walked to the stairs. "He's staying

with Jayne and her husband."

* * *

He paused on the second step and turned to face her. "I'd give anything if you'd carry me upstairs."

Kiara laughed. "Come on, soldier. Move it!" Kiara pushed him from behind.

A groan escaped him as her hand slid between his thighs. "If you keep doing that, I might revive myself after all."

"Listen to you" she admonished. "And after the way you ran after that blonde tonight."

Nykyrian threw himself across the bed. "I needed information." He yawned into the

pillow.

Kiara shook her head. "If the universe could see Nemesis right now, I doubt they'd find

you such a terrible threat."

She waited for him to respond.

"Nykyrian?" Kiara leaned over him and realized he was asleep.

A smile curved her lips. Darling had told her he would get tired like this. Sighing, she

turned out the lights. Kiara tugged his clothes from him, folded them neatly, and placed

them in his closet.

A warm tingle pulsed in her breast as she watched him in the dull glow of the room. He

looked so peaceful. She prayed he would have one night free from his nightmares. But

she knew better.

She always knew which nights he actually slept. On those nights she would hear him call

for his mother, cursing her, crying for her, or he would remember his missions and come

awake trembling. Kiara wondered if he remembered any of his dreams. If he did, he never mentioned them to her later.

Pulling his hair from his cheek, she kissed the stubbly area. She would never leave him.

Kiara spread a blanket over him, then crawled into bed by his side and wrapped her arms

about him. With a contented sigh, she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

Kiara brushed her hair, her cheeks warming at Nykyrian's lustful stare. He leaned back on

the bed, a knowing smile on his lips. "Do you realize you married me last night?"

Her hand stopped mid-stroke. "I what?"

He nodded. "Andarion law states that any two people who profess, uncoerced, to be

mates before another individual, are married."

A warm thrill shot through her. "Are you serious?" she gasped, lowering the brush.

He looked away from her, his face stoic. "I take it you want a divorce."

Kiara bit her bottom lip, a smile curving her lips. "Let me think this over. I kind of like the thought of being
Tara
Nemesis." Kiara sat next to him on the bed. "Is that really all it takes?"

He touched her cheek, his hand burning a trail along her chin. "It is. Andarions aren't big on illustrious ceremonies." He sipped his juice.

Kiara sat back in a pretended huff. "Well, I never thought my wedding day would be so

uneventful."

He smiled. "A divorce is just as easy to acquire."

She shook her head, her curls tumbling down in her face. "Oh no. You're stuck with me

now!"

Nykyrian's warm hand moved to cup her cheek. The look on his face was one she

couldn't place, and it worried her.

"What's wrong?"

He kissed the top of her head. "I thought I'd take you to your father today."

Surprise jolted her. She studied his lovely green eyes, not entirely sure she wanted to go

home. "My father might shoot you if he finds out we're married," she said with a smile, running her hand under the blanket.

When her hand closed around him, he snorted his juice up his nose. Kiara laughed.

"That was mean," he accused.

She bit her lip, giving him her most seductive smile. "Is the marriage legal without

consummation?"

Nykyrian sat the juice on his nightstand. Before Kiara could blink, he had her pinned on

her back, to the mattress. She welcomed his kiss, the strength of his hands on her body.

He trailed kisses to her ear, gently nibbling the lobe. Chills shot white hot through her

body.

Everywhere he touched, she ached in pleasure. She dug her heels into the mattress and

arched her back to meet him. Never had she felt so desired, so alive.

Kiara ran her hands over the planes of his back, feeling the scars. He belonged to her and

no one would ever take him away, she would make sure of it.

"Now," she gasped, pulling his lips to hers.

Obeying her, he parted her legs with his knees. Kiara moaned as he entered her. She

reveled in the feel of him and the knowledge that they belonged together.

Her release came quickly. "I love you," she said, stroking his hair from his face.

His answer was a deep, magical kiss.

He lay on top of her, his strong body melding to hers. Kiara forgot about her career, her

life. All she wanted was Nykyrian.

They lay silently for several minutes. Kiara felt his heartbeat slow down to a normal thud.

She kissed the salty flesh of his neck, reveling in the heady scent of musk that seemed to

be a part of him.

"Care to join me for a bath?" he asked.

Kiara smiled. "I'd love to."

It didn't take long for them to bathe and dress. Almost too soon, they were in the fighter

and headed to Gouran. Kiara dreaded meeting her father. She didn't know how he would

react to their news, but she was sure it wouldn't be gracious.

When Gouran came into sight, she wanted to urge Nykyrian to turn them around. But she

knew she couldn't. Her father was worried about her. She just prayed he would listen to

reason and not jail Nykyrian immediately upon their arrival. A hundred fighters surrounded them as they entered Gourish airspace.

"Do you think your father's upset?" Nykyrian asked.

She could have done without his sarcasm. Kiara stared aghast at the number of ships.

"Drop your shield and disengage your main thruster," the controller ordered.

Nykyrian tensed as a warning light went off notifying them they were targeted by another

ship's weapons system. "There's no need in this hostility," he said calmly.

"You'll know hostility after you land, you son-of-a-bitch!"

Her father's loud shout echoed in her ears. "Papa, everything's fine," Kiara said, praying he would calm down.

"Angel?" His voice quivered. "Thank God you're alive."

The knot in her stomach coiled tighter. "See, everything's fine," she said in a low voice, not sure who their words were meant to reassure, her or Nykyrian.

They landed inside the main landing bay. Kiara trembled in apprehension. When her

father was this angry, he was not reasonable. It looked to her like a thousand guns were

angled on them from a large crowd of soldiers standing inside the bay.

"Send Kiara down first!" her father shouted.

Nykyrian's strong hands unstrapped her helmet and her safety straps. "It's all right," he whispered. "Do what he says."

Kiara nodded. Her head light with panic, fear, and anger, she descended the ladder. She

moved slowly toward her father, unable to believe all the soldiers gathered. "What is the meaning of this?"

Tiarun placed two icy hands on her cheeks, then drew into his arms in a crushing

embrace. She hugged him back, thinking he must be calmer now that he was sure she was

fine.

"Papa, it's time you stopped this." She watched Nykyrian being removed from his ship by a blaster pointed at his head.

"You're right, angel." He smiled at her. "It is time to put a stop to this. Someone has to."

His arms tightened around her as he looked up at his men. "Shoot him!"

Her father's order tore through her.

"NO!" she screamed, trying to pull free.

Her father's grip tightened and she spun around. Her father held her by her arms,

preventing her from running to Nykyrian. "No!" she screamed again, but it went

unheeded. Light erupted inside the bay. Nykyrian recoiled from the shots.

Kiara went cold. No sound would leave her lips as she crumbled to the floor, a denial

screaming inside her soul, her father's hands still locked on her, preventing her from

running to her husband.

"He's dead," a soldier said, straightening up from the floor where Nykyrian lay.

Kiara couldn't breathe. She wanted to die. It was a mistake, it had to be. Sobs choked her

body as excruciating agony tore through her soul.

"Dispose of the body. Troops dismissed." Kiara stared at her father, unable to believe he could be so cold, so callous.

"I hate you," she screamed as he moved to help her rise. She struggled in his arms to no use. Despite her unwillingness to leave the bay, her father dragged her out, oblivious to

her pain.

Two soldiers waited for the bay to clear. Nykyrian did his best not to breathe deeply. He

ached more now than he ever had in his life. At least four shots had hit him at almost

point-blank range.

"We're dead," Tameron whispered. "If Biardi finds out about this, he'll have my balls."

Once again in his life, Nykyrian thanked God for the loyalty of his OMG members. There

were times when spies were extremely valuable.

"Just how the hell are we supposed to get you and your fighter out?" Tameron asked,

scanning the bay nervously.

Nykyrian closed his eyes against a wave of pain. "Tell control you're driving my fighter

out on remote to get rid of it and me," he whispered.

Tameron smiled. "Brilliant."

Nykyrian forced himself to remain limp as they picked him up and dumped him into the

seat of his fighter. Kiara's screams echoed in his ears and he wished for a way to let her

know he was all right, in a manner of speaking anyway.

Pain erupted through his body and for a moment, he feared he might pass out. His fighter lurched as they jettisoned it by remote.

Blood covered him to the point he couldn't figure out where he was wounded. He waited

until he had cleared orbit before he sat up and took control of his craft. Pain clouded his

mind, dulling his thoughts. Every second seemed to bring more throbbing agony than the

one before it. By the time he reached home, it was all he could do to move at all.

Nykyrian staggered out of his ship, his eyesight dimming. He had to call Rachol and get

help with his wounds. At this rate, he might bleed to death within the hour. Despite the