Under Sunless Skies (Starlight Saga Book 2) Read online

  The ferocious beasts sniff the air with a slight tilt of their large heads. I’ve never seen such scary creatures in my life. My fight-or-flight instinct kicks-in and I start moving backward with cautious steps. The mutants freeze, keenly watching us with voracious interest.

  Suddenly, I have the distinct feeling of being drooled-over like a meat platter at Bert’s Steakhouse.

  One of the reapers moves closer, stepping over the pebbled sand in our direction. Tremors travel from my legs and pulsate up my neck. The other mutated beast’s lips curl, revealing sharp teeth. Hayden and I are about to become puppy chow. Being mauled by two mutant creatures was not on my agenda for the day.

  Getting back with Hayden? Yes.

  Getting eaten by two scary-ass mutants? No.

  “Don’t move,” Hayden whispers. “They might charge us.”

  As if I could run even if I wanted to.

  The reapers step lightly over the grainy sand, snarling and growling. No one else is in this area of the beach, but I’m not sure what will happen if a jogger runs past.

  “Maybe I can lure them away.” Hayden moves guardedly, inching toward a wall of bushes planted at the edge of the parking lot. He waves both hands in the air. “Over here! Hey, mutts!”

  His actions don’t faze the two reapers, who watch him but don’t move. Then their heads snap back in my direction and they remain zeroed in on me as if they’ve found their target, the other white meat.

  The bigger reaper growls, its head hanging low as drool drips from its powerful jaws. The slightly smaller reaper—female?—lifts its enormous head, her pointy ears flicking upward. The mutants tread slowly toward me still standing by the Jetta with a laser focus.

  Hayden curses. “Looks like you need rescuing again.”

  “Are we still keeping score?” I say, but my joke hangs in the air.

  Before I can blink an eye, the world speeds up, while simultaneously the reapers rush forward, kicking sand in their wake, and Hayden reappears beside me.

  He takes me in his arms. “Hold on tight, Sloane.”

  NINE

  A flash of light illuminates the space between our two cars at the beach in a semi-circle of swirling blue flares. A fine current of electricity crams the atmosphere. Within an instant, a brilliant residue throbs over my skin and a roaring fills my ears, like a jumbo jet thundering overhead. The beach and reapers charging us instantly vanish. Holding onto him, I squeeze my eyes shut while Hayden teleports us to safety. As the ominous light surrounding us intensifies, I’m hurled through an obscure space of nonexistence. A feeling of weightlessness causes my stomach to heave, while every cell in my body dissolves into particles.

  Then abruptly, we settle on the lawn behind the high school gym. A metallic taste sticks in my mouth. Hayden’s still holding me tight, and for a second the world spins.

  “Are you all right?” he asks, his tone soft with concern.

  “Just a little wobbly.” I lean one hand against the building and wait for my equilibrium to stabilize. “Why did you teleport us here?”

  “It was the first place that came to mind. I figured no one would see us since school let out hours ago.” His expression is somber, his humor left with the reapers.

  Every inch of my body becomes aware of his touch. My flesh is hot and shivery. His arm is securely curved around my waist, his thumb moving in slow circles on my skin just under the hem of my shirt.

  “I hope those reapers haven’t attacked anyone.”

  “Me, too. I think you need to sit down.” Hayden helps me to a bench in the quad lined with towering oaks. “Using animals in unethical scientific experiments is just so effed up.”

  I slump beside him and sigh. “I get why Sector Thirteen agreed to let the Zetas save their dying race with their Wolverine-type experiments, and it’s obvious they had their own agenda by wanting to create that super soldier program, but those reapers are crazy-scary.”

  “It seems they’ve moved onto breeding monsters. Their Frankenstein experimentations need to be stopped.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Genetic engineering is the same as playing God. It doesn’t matter how pro-science and progressive a scientist might be—there’s something disturbing about it.”

  “Oh, yeah.” I brush tangled hair out of my face. “So what do we do now?”

  “I’ll call Arcane, who’ll contact the Galactic Brotherhood and tell them what Sector Thirteen is up to. They’ll capture the reapers before they can hurt anyone. Then we’ll go back to our cars. It shouldn’t take long.” Hayden takes out his cell from his pocket and calls Arcane. When they finish talking, he slips his phone back into his pocket. “He’s going to text me after they collect the reapers.” He stands and offers me his hand. “Come on, let’s walk the grounds and make sure we weren’t followed.”

  My gaze darts around us, my pulse jumping. “Do you think there’s more reapers?”

  “Hopefully, those are the only ones, and the residue on your skin will fade before they pick up your scent again.”

  “Is it safe for me to go home?”

  “I’m sure it’s fine. The ectoplasm can’t be detected as clearly if you’re inside a building, like your house or at school. However, whenever you’re outside, it’s easier for the reapers to track. Maybe stay in your room and watch those horror flicks you love so much the next few days.”

  “What about my family?”

  He kneads the back of his neck with one hand. “I think the real danger is if ST finally locates your father and arrests him, but that won’t happen as long as your family stays under the radar. And if they don’t have any residue on them, they’ll be safe from the reapers.”

  Catching sight of my reflection in a window, I smooth down my wild, windblown hair and straighten my clothes. “You never explained teleportation to me, which might really come in handy if I ever develop any superpowers, or facedown those reapers again.”

  “Yeah, no doubt. It’s simple, you just have to concentrate on a place you’ve visited in the past. I imagine the location in my mind,” he explains, tapping the side of his temple, “where I want to teleport and hold it there for several seconds, and then—bam!—I can transport myself there, along with anything I touch.”

  “Anywhere in the world?”

  “Only as long as you’ve been there before. If you just think of a place or have a memory, or see something on TV, you don’t automatically teleport there. It must be a clear image and a physical location.”

  “No teleporting to Gotham City then, huh?”

  He nods with a slight grin. “Nope. Sorry.”

  The school appears dark, quiet. The buildings have arched doorways and cobblestone paths lined by freshly cut grass. Someone’s car screeches out of the student lot, the odor of burning rubber clogging the air.

  “We can hang out here until it’s safe to return,” he says. “It’ll be dark by then, so no one will see us teleport.”

  “Speaking of that…you left your damn alien pheromones all over me again,” I say through my teeth. “You’re like a dog marking its territory.”

  His lips twitch. “I suppose, I am.”

  I halt near the science building. My heart does a little happy dance. “What’re you saying?”

  Hayden stops walking and gently brushes a lock of hair off my forehead. “That in my heart, you’ll always be my girl, Peaches.” His voice is barely above a murmur. “Nothing’s ever going to change that. But for now, you and I still can’t be anything more than friends…and I realize it’s not the kind of relationship you deserve to have.”

  I’m staring at him and blinking back tears. “Why is it so wrong if we’re more than friends?”

  He takes my hand without answering and urges me to keep moving. Glancing at our linked fingers, I quietly sigh. I don’t think Hayden understands how hard it is for me to be around him and not with him, or how confusing it is to spend time together.

  We pass the stone statue of a previous principal staring blankly across the
campus. Tall wildflowers stand like loyal sun-worshipers in the flowerbeds lining the quad. Tangles of thick ivy crawl along the south wall of the main building, even covering a row of dirty windows, as if the stems are seeking a way inside. We settle on a bench under a tall oak.

  Hayden checks a text on his phone, then nudges my knee with his own. “We may be stuck here for a little while longer until they capture the reapers.”

  I shrug. “I’m in no hurry.”

  Eyebrows furrowing, Hayden leans forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “I wonder if Sector Thirteen even knows the reapers are loose on the island. I didn’t spot any ST soldiers with them, so I’m guessing the reapers randomly picked up your scent.”

  I chew on a strand of hair, trying not to freak out those hellhounds are hunting me. “Which do you think it is?”

  “I wish I knew.” He pushes light brown hair off his forehead. “It’s ironic…I mean who would’ve thought you weren’t human?”

  I blow out a breath. “Certainly, not me. So where does that leave us?”

  Hayden steals a glance at me before continuing the stare-down with the lawn. “We can’t just automatically resume our relationship and not expect some fallout. My brother for one, needs another swift kick in the ass so he’ll stop harassing you. There’s also Arcane and my parents to deal with…”

  “Are there even any laws since I’m assuming there’s not many shalinayas, like my brother and me?”

  “That’s a good question. I’m not sure, but there must be a rule against it.”

  “Have you forgotten? I’m not into rules. I break ’em.”

  Hayden shakes his head with a crooked smile. “Such the rebel without a clue.”

  “And I don’t care about the stupid laws as long as we can hang out again. As friends only, of course. There’s no reason why I can’t have one foot in both worlds until we figure out a solution.”

  “Living a secret double-life like this—it takes a toll on you after a while. I mean, you and I didn’t know what we were getting into when we first hooked up, but we do now.” He looks at me, tentatively cupping my cheek. “You still have a chance to live a normal life, without having a complicated relationship with someone like me.” His thumb sweeps across my jawline, then he drops his hand, and the tender moment’s gone.

  “What makes you think I want a normal life? What I do and what I want—it isn’t up to you. It’s my choice, not yours. And I choose us every time.”

  His brows arch over his eyes, one the color of blue skies and the other like an emerald jewel. “I just don’t see how this is going to work out between us, Sloane.”

  I punch him lightly on the arm. “What’s to work out? Yes, we come from different backgrounds...and, hey, until I met you my life was wickedly boring. Then we started spending time together, and I discovered you’re interesting, sensitive, and mysterious. So, you’ve got a weird family and strict parents. Who doesn’t?”

  “Did you just say I’m sensitive?” He groans. “I’m that guy? Mr. Sensitive Guy?”

  Smiling, I shake my head. “What’s so bad about that? I always rooted for Angel and Buffy, and he’s the king of broody, sensitive dudes. Plus, so hot…”

  He grabs my hand and frowns. “Hotter than me?”

  I squeeze his fingers. “No one’s hotter than an alien who can stand up to bullies and teleport a damsel in distress to safety.”

  “Whew.” He blows out an exaggerated breath and drops my hand. “For a second there, I thought I’d been replaced by a vampire do-gooder.”

  “Ha!” The geek in me smiles wider. “You watched Buffy, the Vampire Slayer?”

  He sheepishly grins. “Yeah, on Netflix, but I wanted Spike and Buffy to end up together. He’s very alpha male.”

  I shake my head. “Don’t worry, Hayden. You’ve got your alpha moments. Trust me.” I bump his shoulder with mine. “While we’re on the topic of vampires, there’s a new horror flick I need to review, and it’s playing at the local theater on Thursday. Do you want to come with me? We can meet there so it doesn’t look like we’re actually going together.”

  “Thursday?” He rubs his chin. “I can’t that night. How about Saturday?”

  “It’s no biggie. I don’t mind going to the movies alone.”

  He shakes his head. “I want to go with you, but I already have plans.”

  “No worries. The deadline for the review is coming up.” Tipping my chin downward, I ask, “What’re you doing?”

  Hayden fidgets with the zipper on his hoodie. “Nothing important, just friends of my parents stopping by the house.”

  A coil of unease twists in my gut, but I ignore it.

  “No more psycho ex-girlfriends, I hope,” I say lightly, but he doesn’t even crack a smile.

  “Sloane, if you can wait until Saturday, I’ll go to the movies with you. It might not be a good idea for you to go places alone until the residue has completely faded.”

  “There you go again, being all Mr. Protective. You said it isn’t as strong when I’m indoors, right? So I’ll be fine inside a movie theater. I don’t want this crap to change my life.”

  Hayden reaches over and laces our fingers again. “I only want to keep you safe.”

  He scoots down the bench until there’s only an inch of space between our bodies. Our gazes fuse in a hot pulse of desire. He places one arm around my waist, his hand settling on the small of my back. His soft touch links us, rekindling a passionate warmth flowing through my body like a current. My pulse quickens. No boy—or alien—should be this gorgeous and smoldering. We are lost in our own world. Time slows down, every second unfolding in tantalizing and torturous moments. I suddenly have to concentrate on the simplest of tasks. Like breathing. Thinking. Talking.

  His thumb traces lazy circles on the back of my hand. “I understand it now.” His voice is melting sweet like dark chocolate.

  “What’s that?” I whisper.

  He pulls back, his expression confused and almost desperate. “Why I can’t seem to resist you. You always try to make the best out of a bad situation.” He cups each side of my face, his breathing quick as he scans my face. “What the hell are we doing, Sloane?”

  I shake my head, my gaze settling on those unique irises. “Tempting fate?”

  Hayden lowers his head, resting his forehead against mine. “You need to walk away, Sloane. Be stronger than me. God knows, it’s getting harder to stay away from you.”

  My heart takes stuttered beats. “I don’t want you to stay away,” I whisper.

  Then Hayden puts his arms around me, pulling me close, and I liquefy against his body. Hayden takes a deep breath and closes his eyes. His minty breath fans my cheek, and his head lowers.

  I drag in a deep breath. “Why are you sitting so close?”

  He cocks his head to the side. “Why not?”

  “Because this is exactly what I mean by your whiplash inducing mood swings!”

  His amazing eyes smolder. “I give up. I’m tired of trying to avoid you.” His voice is quiet like velvet, muted.

  In this perfect movie moment, I want Hayden to kiss me senseless. My breath catches in my throat and my eyes drift closed, while I’m mentally pleading with him to put his lips on mine.

  “Hey guys!” Viola calls out.

  TEN

  Hayden jerks back and slides down the bench away from me. I grind my teeth at the intrusion. My best friend’s smiling slyly, like the Cheshire cat, as if she saw Hayden about to kiss me.

  Viola hovers near the bench, holding a heavy textbook and papers—all dark-side apparel, with thick eyeliner, red-glossy lips, and pale-as-a-corpse makeup—her grin disappearing as her gaze skips from Hayden to me. “What’re you two doing here?”

  Hayden straightens and frowns. “Hello, Viola. What’s up?”

  “I had to stay late to take a makeup test,” she says. “What are you guys doing?”

  One side of his mouth curls. “Just getting reacquainted.”

  “Is that w
hat we’re doing?” I ask.

  He checks his phone, then glances at Viola. “Since you’re here, would you mind driving Sloane back to her car? She left it at the beach.” Hayden turns to me. “It’s all good now. Everything’s been taken care of.”

  I exhale, thankful the reapers have been captured.

  “I’ll see you guys later.” He stands and walks to the front of the administration building.

  “Don’t you need a ride, too?” I call to him.

  Hayden pauses to wink at me over his shoulder. “Nah. I have a faster form of transportation.”

  I glance at Viola. “You’ve got great timing.”

  She sits on the bench. “Sorry. Was he about to kiss you? Are you guys getting back together?”

  My cheeks burn. The curse of being so pale—my face flushes a lot. “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “Wow,” she murmurs. “That’s a good thing, right? How’d he take your big news? Was he psyched that you’re partially alien?”

  “Not as much as I’d hoped.” With hunched shoulders, I slump on the cool bench. “Unfortunately, we still have a few major issues to work out before we can dive back into coupledom.”

  “You and Hayden are giving me Sid and Nancy, and Kurt and Courtney flashbacks!”

  I groan and rub my temple. “You might be right. Our relationship is still on a pause.”

  “Unless you’re going on a long vacay together, you don’t need someone like Hayden with all that emotional baggage, Sloane,” Viola says.

  I shrug. “Yeah, well, I’m starting to build a pile of my own emotive luggage that might even topple his.”

  “I’ve always believed in true love, so hopefully you’ll figure it out and get your HEA.”

  “What’s that code for?”

  “It’s booklover speak for happily-ever-after.”

  “Oh. Right. Hayden and I are more like a work-in-progress.”

  Curiosity fills her face. “What were you and Hayden doing earlier…before you guys almost started swapping spit?”

  “We met at the beach to talk. Then Arcane showed up like the voice of doom, followed by some rather scary monsters…” I quickly fill her in on how Hayden saved me from being eaten by a pair of mutated beasts and all about the residue coating my skin.