Death Defying (Dark Desires) (3 page)

“I wish you wouldn’t do that,” Tyler mumbled.

It took Callum a moment to realize he meant the wing thing, and he flexed them again.

Tyler leaned back in his chair and winced again, this time from pain, because he’d amputated his own wings—an operation that needed to be repeated every few weeks as they simply regrew.

But Callum liked his wings and had no wish to cut them off. He’d practiced in private and now could fly short distances—how cool was that? Now the one month he’d given the Council to decide how to go about revealing the changes to the world had passed, he couldn’t wait to go outside for a real fly.

He flexed them again just to piss the Council off a little more and caught a grin on the colonel’s face. Then he sighed. He wanted their cooperation, and this probably wasn’t the way to go about getting it.

But hell, the wings were great. He gave them one last little flap, bit back his smile at their sour expressions, and folded them neatly.

“We still believe it’s in all our best interests to keep this under wraps,” Tyler said.

“How long can we do that?” Callum stalked up to the table, placed his palms down on the smooth metal, and searched each face for some sign that they were breaking, but they were resolute as ever. Stubborn bloody bastards. “I’m done with skulking away.”

“Well, do what we’ve done, and then you wouldn’t need to skulk.”

Callum’s eyes narrowed. “No thank you. I’m not into self-mutilation.”

They’d been locked in argument all day. Callum wanted to go public—let the world see what was happening. Whatever that was.

He was eager to find out.

Until they announced their changes, any research had to be clandestine, and he wanted a major push—put a shitload of money and every resource they could get their hands on to find out exactly what they were becoming. That meant research into Trakis Seven, as that was the only planet where Meridian had ever been found. But no one spent time on Trakis Seven unless they had to. The planet was lethal to anyone who hadn’t had the Meridian treatment—those sentenced to the mines lasted anywhere between two weeks and two years, but eventually, they all died, and not a good death. And even those who had taken the treatment found the planet uncomfortable.

Unfortunately, it appeared he was the only one who wanted to know the truth. The rest of them would rather pretend the changes weren’t happening.

They’d been shaken by Aiden’s suicide. Hell, Callum had been shaken—despite the fact that Aiden had always been an asshole, and he was hardly going to miss the man.

But while the suicide had shocked them, that a motley bunch of misfit space pirates knew the truth terrified them. They’d gone all out to silence the crew of
El Cazador
and been furious that Callum had them in his grasp a month ago, but let them go free.

They claimed the Collective’s wealth was based on the sale of Meridian and no one would be willing to pay the exorbitant prices if they knew they’d turn into something other than human. Personally, Callum thought they’d pay, but that was beside the point. Their financial security was no longer dependent on Meridian. They had expanded until they controlled half the known universe—the profitable half.

He’d told the Council that he’d had no choice but to let the
El Cazador
go after that final showdown. But the truth was, an idea had been forming in his mind for a long time.
El Cazador
had been the catalyst that crystallized the idea into something tangible.

And if he was honest, there was something else. As he closed his eyes, an image formed in his mind. A woman with a long, sinuous body and yellow snake eyes that hadn’t left him for the entire time they’d been together.

His body tightened at the memory, and amazingly, his cock hardened in his pants. He frowned at the unexpected feeling. How long was it since any woman had affected him that way? He’d presumed his low sexual libido was another long-term response to Meridian. Now he wasn’t so sure. Maybe he’d just been as bored with sex as he was with everything else these days.

For the first time in years, he was looking forward to something. He pictured her again and savored the heat that coiled low in his belly.

“So?” Tyler asked. “Are we all in agreement? You’ll go along with the majority vote of the Council and give out the publicity statement we prepared.”

Callum nodded.

“And you’ll cover those up?” Tyler nodded at the wings.

“Of course,” he said smoothly and watched the relief blossom on the faces around the table.

Your new friends are coming in to land.
The colonel’s words sounded in his mind.

Good. Let’s do this.

He picked up his cloak and flung it around his shoulders, covering, if not hiding, the wings. After a quick nod to the colonel, he strode toward the big set of double doors that led to the stadium.

Outside, he could hear the murmur of a thousand voices. He’d invited the entire worlds’ presses here, and now the Council wanted him to keep quiet. He was fed up with the lot of them. They’d had a month to come to terms with this and still they cowered in fear.

He hesitated in the doorway, and the colonel came up beside him.

You’re sure about this? You won’t wait and take
The Endeavor
when she’s done.

The Endeavor
was Callum’s new super-star cruiser. She was a beauty, the most advanced ship ever built, but there had been some problems with the initial test flights, and he didn’t want to wait until the modifications were completed.

I’m sure.

You still plan to go to Trakis Two?

Callum glanced at his friend, but the colonel’s face was expressionless.
If you still want me to.

The colonel reached into his pocket and pulled out a small package.
Would you
g
ive Rosalie this from me?

Callum stared at the package for a second, then up at the colonel’s face.
Why don’t you come? Give it to her yourself?

She doesn’t want to see me. She made that perfectly clear. But she’ll see you, and I need to know she’s all right.

Fifty years ago, the colonel had fallen in love with a mortal. Rosalie had stayed with him for over thirty years until she’d started to age, while the colonel had stayed exactly the same.

Callum had offered her the Meridian treatment, but she’d refused. Some people couldn’t face the idea of eternity. Nor could she face growing older while the colonel stayed forever young. She’d left and nearly broken his friend’s heart. Now she ran a bar on Trakis Two, and Callum had offered to visit her, check that she was doing okay—it was as good a place as any to meet up with Venna, his science officer.

Then come along for the ride—it might be fun.

Fun? I’ve forgotten what that is.
The colonel gave him a wry smile and pressed the package into his hand.
I can’t. If I was so close, then I’d need to see her. I couldn’t do that to her. Besides,
I need to stay with my men. I have a feeling you might be in need of an army in the not too distant future.

Callum glanced at him sharply.
What have you heard?

You know the Church has been in chaos since their High Priest disappeared.

The old High Priest, Hezrai Fischer, had vanished over a month ago. The timing was suspect, and Callum had the idea that the disappearance was somehow tied in with Aiden’s death, but if anybody within the Church knew anything, they weren’t talking.

Well it looks like they’ve picked a new leader. I just got word Temperance Hatcher was appointed High Priest a week ago.

Great. Why the hell wasn’t I told before?

We didn’t know.
Fischer was our main source of information within the Church and now we have to build our network from nothing.

Hezrai Fischer had been another asshole, but he’d outwardly supported the Collective, and Aiden had made some sort of deal with the man before going completely off his rocker. Temperance Hatcher was a total fanatic who loathed the Collective.

Are you monitoring them?

We have people in there. Apparently, his first order was to mobilize the Church’s army.

Why didn’t you tell me before?

There was nothing to tell. Until Hatcher was given the job, it was all speculation. Besides, I never actually thought you’d go through with this.

This?

This carnival. Do you really plan on leaving?

Hell yeah.
He cast the other man a speculative look.
You think they’re right? You think we should just hide this away?
He waved a hand at the wings folded neatly under the cloak, but still very obvious.
Pretend it’s not happening?

No. But you’ve been building up to this for a long time. I reckon you need to blow off some steam, then maybe you can come back and make some sensible decisions.

Sensible?
He shuddered.

We need leadership now, more than ever. This isn’t just going to affect the Council but every member of the Collective.

I’ve left you in charge.

What?
The colonel sounded shocked.

I’ve left a document stating you have my full powers within the Council.

Shit, I don’t want that, Callum.

Hard luck. Now, let’s do this.

He strode through the open doors and the crowd roared as he came into sight. Glancing across the vast stadium, he spotted the Mark Three space cruiser touching down lightly on the landing pad. Black and sleek, with the words,
El Cazador de la Sangre,
in silver script on the side. It looked like his ride was here. He stepped up to the podium and raised a hand to quiet the crowd.

“Welcome, people of the worlds.”

The masses quieted, until an expectant silence filled the stadium.

“Over a thousand years ago, we fled our dying world in search of a place we could call home. And for over five hundred years, we roamed the vast emptiness of space until we finally came to rest in the Trakis system. And here we found suns that would warm us, air we could breathe, and food we could eat.”

So far so good. He could sense the waves of complacency wafting off the Council behind him. Time to shake them up a little—or a lot.

“We also discovered something else, something beyond our wildest dreams and the secret to man’s greatest fear. We found the gift of immortality. But every gift comes with a price. I have come to believe it is a price worth paying. I hope the rest of the world will see it as the same.”

He fingered the edges of the cloak. “So, with that in mind, I have brought you together today to show you the new, improved Collective.”

Chapter Two

They’d touched down smoothly on a raised landing platform that looked out over a vast, packed stadium. Tannis pressed her palm to the panel, and the doors of the docking bay slid open.

Rico and Skylar were at her back, though Rico stayed in the shadows of the docking bay—he didn’t do sunlight, and the midafternoon sun was hot and bright. Skylar followed her out. They stood side by side and stared down at the mass of writhing humanity ringed with the black uniforms of the Corps.

All attention focused on the podium at the front of the stadium and the man who stood alone. He made an imposing figure. Even from a distance, she could see his eyes glowing violet in his lean, handsome face as he stared out over the crowds. For a second, he looked straight at her, and a frisson of sensation skittered down her spine. He was tall, and the dark cloak he wore gave him a bulky appearance. Tannis had seen what was beneath that covering. Was he about to reveal himself to the world?

A movement to the side of them distracted her, and she swung around as four men in Corps uniforms stepped onto the landing pad. She cast a brief glance at Skylar, who gave a casual shrug.

“Can we help you?” Tannis asked.

“We’re the private bodyguard of the Leader.”

“So?”

“We were ordered to wait with you.”

“Are these guys for real?” she asked Skylar.

“Yes, look at the insignia.”

Tannis peered at the chest of the first guy. The usual violet insignia of the Corps was there, but circled with a gold C. “Freaking cool. Just don’t get in the way.”

“Something’s happening,” Skylar murmured.

Tannis turned her gaze from the soldiers to the podium, where Callum leaned forward and spoke, his voice rolling around the stadium. He had the most amazing presence and his words—despite being nothing new—sent little shivers running through her. She’d never been one for speeches, but she could have listened to that voice all day. Quite happily just stood here and stared at him. She sighed.

“You have got him bad, haven’t you?” Skylar sounded amused. Tannis ignored the comment, mainly because at that moment, Callum paused.

Was this it?

“So, with that in mind, I have brought you here today to show you the new, improved Collective.” His voice boomed.

Taking a step back, he loosened the cloak at his throat and it slipped from his shoulders, revealing the wings folded neatly behind him. Then they spread, almost six feet in span, black and leathery. They flexed slowly, beating the air with an audible whoosh. The crowd gasped.

He looked up toward where Tannis stood and nodded once. Then he flexed the wings again and rose into the air.

“Holy freaking moly.”

She’d known what to expect but all the same, her mouth dropped open. For a few seconds, he hovered over the podium, then the wings flapped and he headed toward them. Sort of. He didn’t appear to have much control and wavered almost as if he’d taken too many pinkies—the popular recreational drugs found in every bar on the planet. Finally, he straightened and hurtled their way fast. Too fast.

“Shit, he’s going to crash.”

Close up and spread wide, the wings were enormous, shadowing out the sun. Tannis poised, ready to dive out of the way, but at the last minute, when it seemed impossible that he wouldn’t smash straight into them, the wings folded and he dropped to the ground with a
thud.

He rolled onto his feet in moments—she got the distinct impression he’d had a lot of practice at falling—then brushed himself off and looked around.

“Bloody exhibitionist,” Rico muttered from the doorway behind her.

Too right, but who wouldn’t be if you were five hundred years old and The Leader of the Universe and you had wings… All the same, she’d rather put off a confrontation with Rico until they were safely in the air. She turned to him briefly. “Go get us ready for takeoff.”

His eyes narrowed, but he spun on his heel and stalked away.

“Are we ready to go?” Callum asked.

Tannis opened her mouth to answer and then realized he wasn’t speaking to her, but to the guard beside him. A flicker of irritation poked her in the gut. She was captain; it was up to her to say whether they were ready to go or not. And what the hell did he mean by “we?” No way was she having a load of hard-assed, heavily armed bodyguards on her ship. “We?”

He turned to look at her, and she was caught in that violet stare. He seemed to look straight into her mind, then he frowned.

“Captain?”

“Yeah, that would be me.”

“I thought I made my instructions clear. You were to be ready to take off immediately.”

“Yeah, but just who exactly is taking off?”

He’d half turned away, and then swung back around and stared as though he didn’t quite understand the question. She was beginning to think he might not be too bright, which was a pity. Maybe he was some sort of figurehead, not in charge at all. Just somebody who acted as a front because he was stunningly gorgeous, which took people’s minds of the fact that he was spouting garbage—like all politicians.

“None of your concern. I’ve hired this ship. Now get us in the air.”

“I don’t think so. You’ll tell them”—Tannis nodded toward his guard—“to stand down, or you won’t be in the air unless you flap those pretty wings again.”

He appeared puzzled. Yeah, he obviously wasn’t all there. That was maybe another side effect of the Meridian treatment: killed off the brain cells. A mixture of emotions washed over her, mainly regret mingled with relief—she really hadn’t wanted to have a crush on him. She’d turned to go when she caught a slight movement of his head and heard the rasp of a weapon as the guard beside her drew his laser pistol.

Bastard. Did he think she was an idiot?

Blasters drawn, Skylar and Daisy emerged from the ship side by side.

Tannis glanced from the guard with the laser pistol—the other three hadn’t drawn their weapons yet—to Skylar and Daisy. She smirked. “I think my guns are bigger than yours.”

Callum frowned. “What’s the problem? I’ve employed you. Are you incapable of taking simple orders?”

Someone sniggered behind her. She guessed it was Daisy. She’d had enough. They were out of here.

“Keep them covered,” she said and stepped back. She kept moving backward, not taking her eyes off Callum until she reached the ramp of the ship. He was still frowning. Obviously, it hadn’t occurred to him that not everyone was willing to blindly follow his every command. This would be a good learning process.

“I don’t go anywhere without my bodyguards.”

Tannis paused as he spoke, but no way was she letting four heavily armed men on board
El Cazador
. She’d seen Skylar in action, so she knew what the soldiers trained by the Corps were capable of, and four of them might be able to take the ship. She wouldn’t risk it. “Then I guess we’ll see you around. Or not.”

She made herself turn and walk away, but it was hard. She wanted to do this job so much each step was a torment, but something told her if she showed any weakness, he would walk all over her. Too used to getting his own way, he had to realize that everybody on board
El Cazador
put themselves under her command.

“Wait.”

She’d reached the top of the ramp and was about to step between Skylar and Daisy when he spoke again. She turned slowly.

“For some strange, godforsaken reason I trust you.”

“That’s sweet of you. So?”

He said nothing out loud, but the guard holstered his weapon.

“Sir, the colonel said—”

Again, Callum didn’t speak, but the guard shut up abruptly and stepped back.

“Would you reassure my guard and tell them you’re not going to shoot me? You’re not, are you, Captain?”

“Well,
I’m
not, but then I’m not the one with a blaster aimed at your chest. Then again, I suppose they can always patch you up.”

He gave a smile that creased the corners of his eyes. “I’d prefer it not to come to that. And if we’re going, I suggest we leave. I made sure there was a window, but any minute now, I’m guessing the space around this planet will be locked down so tight a fly won’t get through.”

He was giving in. Tannis kept her expression deliberately deadpan, but inside she buzzed with excitement.

“Let’s go.”

…

Well that hadn’t gone as planned. The thought flickered through his mind as he stepped between the pair who still held their blasters pointed in his direction. He gave them a quick sideways glance. Skylar he knew, and he could have blasted her with brain power, but that would have still left the other. Though on closer inspection, she didn’t look much of a threat despite the weapon in her hand. What she did look was…green. He’d never seen anyone quite that green before. Skin, hair, eyes. Shades of green from palest grass to deep emerald. She wasn’t tall, but she held the huge blaster with an easy confidence and her finger rested on the trigger.

It occurred to him, not for the first time, that perhaps he was actually making a huge mistake.

Goddamn right, you’re making a mistake.
The colonel’s words echoed in his mind, and he grinned. Mistake or not, it felt good.

Of course, once they had him on board, they could murder him—the only person to successfully destroy one of the Collective was actually a member of this crew—or, more likely, hold him for ransom. But he didn’t think they would—while the majority of the jobs they took on skirted the boundaries of “legal” they had a reputation for honesty and integrity.

I’m closing down all links,
he told the colonel.
I’ll be in touch if I need you.

Good luck.

He stepped into the docking bay and looked around. He’d never been on a pirate ship before and a shiver of anticipation prickled down his spine. It wasn’t what he’d expected—the place was immaculate, gleaming black and silver, and the air smelled fresh and clean.

Behind him, the door slid shut. He turned to see the three of them lined up, staring at him. None of them looked happy. The captain stood in the center, her hands shoved into the pockets of her tight black pants. She wore a scarlet shirt, knee-high boots, and a weapon’s belt strapped to her thigh. Her dark hair was cut short, her narrow face dominated by yellow eyes, the irises almost slits. This close, he could see the faint luminosity of her skin—she wasn’t beautiful but again he felt that stab of lust.

He wanted her, and soon. But she hadn’t been the pushover he’d expected, and when he’d tried to probe her mind, he’d hit a brick wall. That was another skill he’d developed over the past few years—another sign he was changing. He’d always been able to communicate with the Collective members, but now he could also read non-Collectives—not their actual thoughts, but their emotions, so he could tell whether they were lying or telling the truth—which had come in handy. But with this woman, nothing.

He raised an eyebrow, as they all remained unmoving. “Are we waiting for something?”

The captain shrugged, then pressed the comm unit strapped to her wrist. “We’re ready to go.”

She listened to something said in reply. “I don’t know.” She glanced at Callum. “Are we still heading to Trakis Two?”

“Yes, but for the moment, just get us away from here.” When she remained silent, studying him out of those cold yellow eyes, he continued, “Did I mention there might be a lockdown? Could we leave? Now?”

She shrugged again and then spoke into the comm unit. “Head into deep space.”

His ultimate goal was Trakis Seven, but it was probably best not to mention that just yet. Most people had no wish to go anywhere near the planet and usually had to be transported there in cryo—it was a one-way trip. But if he was going to find any answers about the nature of Meridian, he reckoned that was where they’d be.

Beneath his feet, the ship rumbled as the main thrusters were engaged, and then they were off. A wave of exhilaration washed over him. They were on their way. For a while, he could forget the weight of responsibility. Forget the rest of the world. Wasn’t it about time he had something for himself after all the years he’d devoted to running this rotten universe?

“Could someone show me to my room?” he asked.

“I’ll take you,” the captain said. “By the way—we haven’t been properly introduced. I think you were too busy trying to kill us last time we met.”

Callum ignored the comment.

“Skylar, you know. I’m Tannis, and this is Daisy.” She waved at the green girl who now stood with a wide smile on her face and her weapon holstered. “I’ll introduce you to the rest of the crew later. Except Jon and Alex, they’re meeting us on Trakis Two. So, what do we call you?”

“Your Great Holy Leadership,” Daisy suggested with a grin.

Callum was getting the distinct impression that the crew didn’t like him. He supposed he couldn’t blame them—he had tried to have them all killed.

He smiled. “Call me Callum.”

Besides, he wasn’t interested in the rest of the crew. He was interested in Tannis. This was a chance to get her alone, see how she really felt about him.

…

“Let’s go,” Tannis said and then paused. “Shit. Where the hell are we going to put you?”

The ship was almost full. It could support a crew of eight comfortably, and that was what they had right now. Luckily that included two couples who were more than happy to share. Skylar had moved in with Rico, and Jon and Alex had moved into Skylar’s guest suite, which was empty at the moment, but full of their stuff. Tannis had the captain’s suite, the best rooms on the ship, but she certainly wasn’t giving them up; they had been her home for fifteen years. When she’d first come on board and Rico had shown her the rooms she’d broken down and cried—something she’d sworn she would never do again.

She’d avoided looking at Callum directly. He had a strange effect on her insides, and she didn’t know why, so she’d limited herself to oblique glances. Now she allowed herself to study him. He was tall, lean and rangy in build, but the wings made him appear larger. They probably made things awkward—like dressing. He wore dark pants and a purple shirt, likely custom-made, that perfectly matched his eyes. She glanced up to find him watching her. His face was long, with prominent cheekbones and a full, sensual mouth, but dominated by his eyes. The rest of him faded into insignificance when she looked into those inhuman violet orbs—almost. They radiated a sense of power and age that sent a shiver running through her.