Of Shadow Born (25 page)

Silence reigned again. Melanie broke it first. "So. Your side
—
our
side — was
supposed
to lose the tablet? You told me it had to be protected at all costs. The names, the families..."

Amrhic shook his head slowly. "The tablet is protected. Safe, under lock, key and ward."

Kade looked around at the thick stone pieces still littering the floor and lifted his gaze to Garamendi's. "A decoy?"

"A duplicate." Garamendi didn't flinch. His shoulders rose and fell. "We couldn't say anything. If we warned you, if you knew, the whole plan would have come apart. She had to believe she had the real thing. You both did."

"So you used me as bait?" There was a little too much breath in Melanie's voice. Kade tightened the arm around her waist and she leaned into his side.

"I made the facsimile after our initial meeting. It was left where you could easily take it. Though I must commend you on your speed and skill. Forgive me for deceiving you." Amrhic bowed his head slightly.

And Melanie laughed. "Forgive you?" She pulled away from Kade's side and went to catch the older man's face between her hands. She kissed his forehead and laughed again. "
Thank
you for making a copy. I was afraid I'd spend the rest of my life in jail, or limbo, or whatever you have."

"No jail. No inquisition," Garamendi said when Kade took a breath. "Relax. You're off the hook. You both did well, and we'll give you whatever you need. Time, space, to get over this. Can't have been easy, but you did good." He clapped Kade on the shoulder again. "And when you're ready, we'll talk about your next assignment."

Kade shook his head. "We can talk about me. Melanie gets kept out of this. She didn't ask to be a part of the field team."

"But I am." She surprised him with those three simple words. It must have shown in his expression because she smiled and came back to his side, lifting onto her toes to brush a kiss against his mouth. "I didn't want to be a part of this
at first, you're right, but now?" She laughed, more breath than sound. "Now that I know what's out here, and what I can do, I'm not sure I could go back to being ordinary. And." She jabbed a finger at his ribs lightly. "Someone has to keep an eye on you." She held his gaze, silent for a moment, then lifted that same hand and brushed her thumb against his cheekbone. "You don't get to decide for me. I already have." She looked to Garamendi, though she leaned once more against Kade's side. "I'm in. In a few days. I think I'll take some time off first."

Garamendi spread his hands and backed a few steps away. "All the time you need. You have my word." He winked and turned on his heel. Apparently, that was all that needed saying. He barked out, "Sylvie, fill me in. How's our girl?"

Melanie looked up at him again, glanced at Amrhic, then took Kade's hand and tugged him a few steps away. Out of hearing distance, more or less, though Kade doubted much of anything slipped past the curator when he was interested.

"We're a team, Kade," she said, quietly. "Echoes, remember. We work better together. Partners. We fit. I want to be there when you need me." She smiled. "I want to be needed."

"I do." The words slipped out before he'd thought about how much to confess or whether he should. She'd professed her feelings more than once and each time, he'd held back. He'd told himself he wasn't that involved. That if things went wrong, if she walked away, he could let her go and not suffer any pain. It was all a lie and he felt certain she knew it, no matter whether he spoke the words or not.

And yet he'd said it out loud. He'd started, anyway. So he took a deep breath, let it out, and said, "Do what you want. Whatever makes you happy. I'm
gonna worry. I might even growl. But as long as you stick with me, we'll be okay." He paused again, took her hands, and summoned every last weary ounce of courage he had. "I'm in love with you, Melanie. I love you."

For a moment, she was silent. Still. Motionless. Then she broken into a radiant smile and tears shimmer
ed in her eyes. She stepped inside his embrace and pressed her cheek against his chest, arms tight around his waist.

He kissed her hair and let relief sweep through him, let his mouth tug into a smile. That hadn't been so bad. Matter of fact, it felt pretty damned good. "So you're going to stick with me?"

She lifted her head and beamed at him. "Just try to get rid of me. Partner."

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Of Shadow
Born, book 1 in the Icarus Unit series. I hope you enjoyed it!

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About the author

S. L. Gray is a fantasy author (urban, epic and otherwise, often with a hint of romance) transplanted from many places to the not-so-wilds of northern California. A storyteller for as long as she can remember, she's tamed her magpie-like attention span, somewhat, and dedicated herself to writing stories other people might enjoy as much as she does.

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