Chapter 16 Spark
SPARK
Rin let out a heavy breath, watching white mist puff before her face and fill the night air.
Not when so much was at stake.
Cyrus lay down on the dark cliff’s edge, shifting until he matched her pose, flush to the cold rock, on his stomach, with his elbows notched at the edge of the rock.
A great boulder was before them, and that was what kept them hidden in the darkness.
The perfect spot, really; however, Rin lamented it, for the boulder made the chill bite deeper, stripping away any lingering warmth.
She rubbed her palms together, her elbows knocking against pebbles, as she tried to generate heat.
"Want me to help warm you up, doll?" Cyrus whispered from her side, leaning in until his lips tickled the shell of her ear.
She trembled—this time, not from the cold—and dug her elbow into his side. "Stay focused, Cyrus."
On her other side, the shadow of nearby towering trees was replaced by that of Rhyden. The vampire shimmied on the ground until he covered her other side. His fangs flashed in the darkness, the only spot of color on him, along with his white hair.
They all wore black clothing. Rin had donned her Hunter’s uniform, ensuring her harness was filled with weapons. Knives, ammo, and, of course, her Echogun.
Her fingers trembled as she tapped the holster.
"Don’t make me regret letting you come with us, incubus," Rhyden drawled lowly from her side. His voice was a soft hiss, careful not to be too loud. It made the hair on her nape tingle.
"Like you could’ve stopped me," Cyrus shot back, folding a hand over her shoulder firmly. "She’s mine."
Caught between the two males, Rin could do nothing but tense up.
"You want me to try and stop you? Because I’d be fucking glad to," Rhyden snapped.
Cyrus readied himself to volley back an insult—another in the long list of barbs they’d shared.
"Enough."
The word drifted over the three of them like the wind.
Rin carefully turned her head, watching as Auren stared at them all. His scythe was gleaming and proud, resting over his knees. He had changed his all-white ensemble to that of a dark cloak. But there was no denying his otherworldly presence.
He sat further back, against the side of the rocky mountain. It was far enough away that he could not be seen from what they watched below.
While Rin staked out the location of the drop below, Auren staked her out.
His blue eyes were soft and half-lidded, the Star etched there seeming to glow. Ever since he had inserted himself into their plans, he had not taken his sights off her.
It was a strange feeling… to be tied to such a powerful being. This Soul Searcher claimed he loved her—claimed he always would.
Rin could not help but feel sorry for him; she didn’t remember. And maybe, she never would.
She shivered again, and those great metallic clangs resumed, filling the night. With a small cliff circling part of the valley below, and the trees taking up the rest of the area, it made the sound echo, like a robotic beast, preparing for battle.
The noise had been what drew them here in the first place.
The coordinates of the drop had been set for Nova Zone 21, but it was one of the largest Nova Zones around.
As Auren, Rhyden, Cyrus, and Rin had taken one of Rhyden’s reinforced cars—which had been tucked away safely in his goddamn base hidden in Solar City—Auren had been the one to lead the way.
The Soul Searcher had not asked any questions of why they came, merely looked them all in the eye, settling on her last, and proclaimed, I know the way.
It had been Cyrus who had taken the first step of trust, following after Auren. Rin had followed Cyrus, and Rhyden had been forced to follow Rin—but the vampire sure as hell hadn’t hidden his displeasure.
An hour ago, a large hangar had opened from within the ground, grass and pebbles scattering below, and two unnatural doors had groaned open. They now stood propped with metal bars, stairs leading below.
And that, the source of those metallic groans, echoing from deep within.
She still didn’t understand how Auren had known this was here.
Rin’s fingers dug into the rock. Besides the sounds of the night, it was otherwise quiet. Her legs were numb, and her lips cracked with cold.
Auren rose from his spot, keeping crouched low to the ground. His posture was loose, but Rin saw the danger in those soft blue eyes. He removed his dark cloak, settling it over her back and reaching to tuck it around her shoulders.
"Here," the Soul Searcher murmured.
Rin’s fingers curled in the front of it. It was warm from his body heat and held traces of his scent—like a roaring fire in the dead of winter.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Auren hovered gracefully by her knees. Cyrus tapped Rin’s shoulder, drawing her attention. When he had it, he grabbed her cheeks, tugged her forward, and pressed a bruising kiss right on her numb lips.
She gasped from shock, and he pulled away only slightly, breathing against her open mouth. "My pretty doll doesn’t need to be cold."
She nearly went cross-eyed as she stared at him, because he was so close to her. "Cyrus?" she questioned.
The incubus merely placed a kiss on the tip of her chilled, reddened nose in answer. Then, he rolled away, leaving the perfect, empty spot at her side.
"For you." Cyrus waved a hand from Auren to the empty spot. "You have to keep her warm, though. Doesn’t matter what she says. Press against her side. She likes it. Trust me." The entire exchange made her blush.
Auren claimed the empty spot, nestled between her and Cyrus, while Rin was tucked between Auren and Rhyden.
"I am grateful to you, Cyrus," said Auren.
Cyrus winked in reply.
Auren pressed against Rin’s entire side, and from that, combined with the heat of his cloak, she was no longer shivering as the minutes passed.
But she was still numb from staying in the same position for so long. She shifted after a while, and it forced her right side against Rhyden, who tensed as she brushed against him.
"Sorry," she whispered, glancing up at him to find his red eyes boring into hers.
Rhyden ran his tongue over his bottom lip, and she flushed, remembering how he had consumed her utterly as he’d kissed her.
They hadn’t spoken about it since. And Rin was more than happy to pretend it never happened…
Though, when she was alone, she was unable to stop the memory from replaying in her head.
He passed a hand over his jaw, his silver rings glinting in the moonlight. That flash of silver made her recall something, niggling at the back of her brain. When she focused on it too long, it drifted through her fingers like sand, so she gave up.
"What is it?" Rhyden spat lowly.
Her lips parted, and a soft gasp escaped her. She met his eyes, fumbling. "I was just wondering, when you said more than a hairpin would kill you…" She trailed off. That hadn’t been what she wanted to say—not at all.
Rhyden twisted one of his rings. "Silver," he finally settled on. "Silver is the only thing that can truly kill or harm a vampire. Why? Want to know how to kill me?"
She shook her head, fist notching under her chin to prop up her head. "Aren’t those silver?"
Rhyden’s eyes flashed, and he held out a hand. They were already so close, his side was nearly flush against hers—a compelling dichotomy compared to her left side, where Auren was quiet and warm, a constant, steady hum of patience and power. Whereas Rhyden was on the edge, tempting her to follow.
Entranced, she reached for his beringed hand, her fingers drifting over the cool cut of the rings that adorned his every finger, stacked on top of each other.
Some were plain, thick silver; others were inset with sparkling jewels.
Rubies, most of all. It reminded her of the bracelet Cyrus had fitted her with, with the Ryuxia diamonds.
She hadn’t taken it off since he’d clasped it around her wrist. It was tucked under her shirt sleeve now.
Rhyden inhaled sharply at her touch. She grew bolder, tracing over each ring.
"White gold." The vampire’s voice was strained. "I don’t keep silver anywhere around. Even being near it could cause a headache."
Her touch stilled on a ring on his fourth finger. She wondered if they’d worn wedding bands. Had she worn a wedding band that matched his? "The hairpin?" she questioned.
"White gold, too." He gritted his teeth and said with reluctance, "It was yours."
"Oh." Rin pulled her hands away from him, tucking them back under the neckline of Auren’s cloak. She didn’t know what to say to that—Rhyden had kept something of hers, from her prior life, and she’d used it to…
"If I’d known you would use it to fucking stab me, I’d have melted it with the rest." With that, Rhyden stood cautiously, keeping low to the ground as he made for where Auren had sat before he moved. He fiddled with the rings on his fingers and stared at the trees, refusing to look at her.
Rin stared off after him.
Auren gently touched her shoulder, bringing her back down from her unclimbable tower of what-ifs.
"Vesperin, what happened between you to cause such vile words to spew from his lips?
A Soulbond is the grandest gift one could ever receive.
It pains me that he does not treat you as the jewel you are. "
Her eyes traced the shape of the Star under his left eye, and she whispered, "I don’t know if what Rhyden says is true, but he thinks I hurt him." She shrugged a shoulder, and the cloak rustled. "He says I was the reason he was sentenced to Dark Star Hold—for five hundred years."
Auren’s breath caught. "Dark Star Hold? That is a wicked place. How could he think you had anything to do with that?" He spoke calmly, as if no matter what she’d say—even if she shared she was the reason—he wouldn’t blame her.