Hotbloods 5: Traitors

“I haven’t had the chance to check for cameras. Wouldn’t want anyone getting a private show, if you know what I mean?”

He bundled me to him as we buried ourselves beneath the thick cover. He folded his one good wing around us, creating a bubble where only we belonged. Kaido’s bioluminescent plants were stacked on the shelves all around us, in portable carriers. As I cuddled into Navan’s side, we watched the veins and petals glow in the darkness, casting a soft light on our faces. It seemed that Kaido hadn’t properly fastened the lid on one tiny, bulb-shaped plant, as it released a flurry of gleaming amber seedlings, which burst out from their container before drifting down upon us. Each one was like a miniature lantern, floating down. I lifted my hand to catch one, and it melted like snow on my skin.

I wasn’t sure what was in the seedlings, but their soft glow made me feel sleepy, and I wanted to snuggle closer into Navan. My passion for him hadn’t dwindled, but I no longer felt like making love. It didn’t seem like he did either, as he pulled me closer, playing with loose strands of my hair and kissing me gently. All I wanted to do was be close to him and nestle into his arms.

“I love you, Navan,” I whispered against his chest.

He smiled against my forehead. “I love you, Riley.”

He was right—this was way better than a flashing climpet.





Chapter Twenty-Five





We spent the night curled up together in the cargo hold of Kaido’s ship. I hadn’t heard anyone discover us in the night, but when we awoke just after dawn, the hatch had been closed, and there was some chopped fruit and a vial for Navan waiting outside the door. There was a flask of something hot, too. At first, I thought it was for Navan, but as soon as the scent of aromatic herbs hit my nostrils, I knew who’d left all of this for us.

“Thank you for breakfast, Kaido,” I said, as we entered Sarrask’s cottage. The others were sitting around a kitchen table, sipping vials of blood.

“I thought you might require refreshment after a night of extensive copulation.”

I choked on a laugh. “There was none of that, Kaido—not on your ship. It wouldn’t be polite.”

He looked relieved. “Well, I have to say that’s excellent news, Riley. I was worried I might have to disinfect.”

“Is everything okay?” Ronad asked, his tone worried. His gaze was fixed on Navan, who stood behind me, looking forlorn.

The two of us exchanged a glance as we approached the kitchen table and sat down. I cradled a cup of Kaido’s herbal tea in my hands, sipping tentatively as we explained what we’d discussed the night before. They were naturally shocked by the resolution, but as soon as we elaborated on the threat Aurelius posed, and the reasons why we had to go through with the wedding, they seemed to understand. At least, they did on the surface.

“You’re stronger than any one of us, Riley,” Ronad muttered, hanging his head. “It takes some serious balls to do what you’re doing for Seraphina.”

I smiled sadly. “The thing is, I know she’s the kind of woman who’d do exactly the same for me, if the roles were reversed.” A murmur of agreement rippled across the room, though Sarrask didn’t seem convinced.

“I can’t believe you’re doing this, Navan,” he muttered. “You’ve got a woman who loves you. What the hell are you marrying another one for? Seraphina’s a big girl. Let her deal with her arranged marriage to Aurelius. She won’t be the first unhappy wife, and she won’t be the last.”

To my surprise, it was Kaido who replied first. “I thought you would be happy for Navan. After all, you wish to attract the affections of Riley. If Navan is married to Seraphina, you will have your opportunity to attempt courtship.”

“I’m not after Riley’s affections, Kaido! I don’t know where you got that from,” Sarrask fired back, blushing. “I just don’t see why Navan has to ruin everything he’s got—which a lot of people would kill for—for the sake of someone he doesn’t care about.”

“Riley has asked me to do this, and I understand why she’s asking,” Navan replied calmly. “I don’t want to marry Seraphina. I don’t want to ‘ruin everything,’ as you say. I wish I could shuffle off this responsibility, but I can’t. I can’t bear the thought of what he’ll do to Seraphina. Riley made me see the truth of it, and now I can’t walk away.”

Sarrask shook his head, sighing loudly. “Nothing will be the same between you after this. You know that, right?”

“What can I do, Sarrask?” Navan grumbled.

“Everything will be fine!” I insisted. The last thing I wanted was for someone to change Navan’s mind at the last moment. He was already teetering on a knife edge.

“I think it is a fascinating exercise in interspecies empathy,” Kaido chimed in, sipping the last of his blood and dabbing the corners of his mouth. “I used to think altruism was a myth, but you have proven me wrong. You gain nothing, yet you insist upon self-sacrifice. In some cultures, that is nobility in its highest form.”

I knew it was Kaido’s way of offering me a compliment, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. Right now, I needed the comfort blanket of someone’s support—someone telling me that I was doing the right thing. I just hadn’t expected it to come from Kaido.

Sarrask got up abruptly and strode toward a staircase at the far side of the kitchen. He disappeared upstairs. The house itself was quaint, with a homey quality I wouldn’t have anticipated. The front entrance led straight into the kitchen, with an open doorway revealing a lounge next door. I didn’t know what other rooms the house held, but I could hear Sarrask stomping across the floor upstairs, slamming at least two doors.

“Any sign of Gianne hunting us down?” I wondered anxiously. I’d expected her to come down on us pretty hard, but there was still no sign of her.

“We haven’t seen anything or heard a peep out of her. Whatever’s keeping her away, it’s got to be way more important than us,” Ronad replied. “Anyway, what’s your plan for today?” he asked. His face was hard to read, but there was a sadness in his eyes. I could tell he didn’t want this wedding to happen, either.

“We’re going to get in touch with Seraphina, and then go from there,” I replied, since Navan was being quieter than usual. “Once we know the details of what’s happening, we should probably contact Angie, Lauren, and Bashrik. I’m sure they’re worried sick by now.”

Kaido raised his hand, as if asking permission to speak.

Navan frowned. “What is it, Kaido?”

“I was listening to the news reports earlier. Queen Brisha’s army hit the comm towers this morning. They’re working to get them back up and running, but for now transmissions are out of action.”

He sighed. “Then we’ll just wait until the towers are back up.”

“No, we can’t wait that long,” I insisted, knowing it would give him a chance to back out. “We should go and find her in the city, and then go on to Gianne’s palace. We need to go there anyway, so we might as well kill two birds with one stone. We might even find out what’s been keeping her.”

“You plan to go hunting, after you’ve met with Seraphina?” Kaido wondered. “Wouldn’t a gun be more useful than a stone?”

I smiled, his words breaking the tension. “It’s a figure of speech, Kaido. It means getting two things done with a single action.”