Our gazes connect for a faltering, breath-stealing moment before the door swings open and the moment poofs away like genie smoke.
“They put a shield around our vehicle,” East announces as he rushes into my room with Arrow trailing behind him. “So, it looks like we’re going to have to do Plan S.”
Asher gives me a strange look that makes my heart rate quicken while East grins, seeming pretty happy. Arrow, on the other hand, offers me a remorseful look.
I sink my teeth into my bottom lip. “All right, will you guys cut the shit and tell me what the hell Plan S is? Your weird, contradicting looks are starting to freak me the crazy genies out.”
“Crazy genies?” Asher cocks a brow at me then quickly shakes his head and points a finger at me. “All right, you need to stop talking.”
My lips part in surprise. “What the heck did I do?”
“You’re distracting,” East explains as he rolls up the sleeves of his shirt. “Every time those gorgeous lips of yours part, we end up forgetting our vehicle is surrounded, and we need to deal with the problem.”
“I’m not doing it on purpose,” I sulk, wrapping my arms around myself.
“I know.” East steps toward me. “But you have this way about you. An allure. I’m starting to wonder if perhaps it may have to do with whatever you are.”
“You make me sound like I’m a siren.” My gaze skates to the hologram. “Like the ones in the river. Which FYI, do I still have to go there?”
East shakes his head. “Nope.”
I’d be ecstatic about that, except for the fact that we’re about to do Plan S and I still have no clue what the S stands for.
“Don’t look so frightened, little mouse.” East moves to stand in front of me, crowding my personal space. “No one here is going to hurt you. In fact, what we’re about to do …” A grin curls at his lips. “I have a feeling you’re going to like it.”
I shake my head. “I really doubt that.”
East eyes me over. “I guess we’ll see then.” Then his hands come down against the wall, trapping me between his arms.
I glance worriedly at Arrow, since he’s the only one I really trust. Remorse remains in his eyes, but he offers me a tentative smile.
“He’s not going to hurt you, I promise.” Arrow rubs his lips together. “None of us are.”
While I believe him, his words do nothing to alleviate my nerves. It doesn’t help that a voice suddenly blares from outside.
“This is the Worlds Patrol,” they declare. “Our radar has registered an illegal and potentially dangerous paranormal on your vehicle. You need to turn it over immediately. If you refuse to do so, you will be detained. And don’t even think about trying to escape. We have you surrounded, there are hellhounds nearby, and we’ve put a restriction shield around your vehicle.”
“Wow, that’s a lot of work they’re putting into this,” East teases, but nervousness resides in his eyes. “Whatever you are, sweetheart, you must be important.”
“Or dangerous,” I whisper. “Did you hear what they said?”
East shrugs. “They’re just trying to get us worried so we’ll toss you out.”
Then why does he look a bit uneasy?
I glance in Asher’s direction. He appears edgy, as well. Are they afraid of me? Should I be afraid of myself?
“No one’s afraid of you,” Asher insists, either because he read what I was thinking all over my face, or I accidentally said my thoughts aloud again. “We’re just concerned over what’s about to happen.”
I can’t tell if he’s being truthful or not, but I guess it doesn’t really matter at the moment.
I may have said before that perhaps it’d be better if the Worlds Patrol arrested me, but after what the announcer just said … yeah, I’m thinking it might be better to stay with the cocky genie, flirty faerie, and sweet cyborg.
“What’s about to happen?” I dare ask aloud.
East’s eyes twinkle with excited glee. “Our lips are about to get reacquainted.”
“Reacquainted?” Asher growls at the same time I say, “No freakin’ way.”
“What do you mean reacquainted?” Asher asks more calmly this time.
East pulls a whoopsie face. “I may have licked some frosting off her lips earlier, but only because I was hungry.”
“For what exactly?” Asher snaps with raised brows.
“You two are getting off the subject again,” Arrow intervenes, giving a pressing glance at the hologram. “And we’re running out of time.”
I start to turn to see what’s happening on the hologram when East’s lips come down on mine. I suck in a sharp breath through my nose, then lift my hands to his chest to push him away. However, he captures my hands and parts my lips with his tongue, kissing me deeply while pulling my body against his. Then his wings begin to stroke my shoulders; soft, velvety tickles across my skin.
Somewhere between the kissing and the touching, I forget about everything and end up kissing him back. I blame it on my hormones. After years of trying not to get intimate with anyone, I’ve finally lost all my self-control. Leave it to a tricky faerie to make that happen.
Damn faeries. They’re so annoying and crafty, but really good kissers. And their wings are so soft …
Wait. When did I start fondling his wing?
East’s body shudders as I trail a path along the tip of his wing, his teeth dragging across my bottom lip. I moan, traveling from his wing to his side as my knees begin to wobble.
This feels so good …
With one last suck on my bottom lip, East pulls away.
“I think someone may have liked that,” he teases, the corners of his lips kicking up into a smirk.
I get control over myself and raise my hands to shove him back. “In your dreams, faerie—”
In the snap of a wish, Asher is in front of me and crashing his lips against mine with so much force I swear I’m going to have a bruise. But it feels so good, like heat and sparks and fire. Scorching. Blazing. Powerful.
When I gasp, he slides his tongue into my mouth. The taste of warmth and cupcakes flood my senses, and a groan escapes my lips, embarrassingly loud. I clutch the bottom of his shirt, while he finds my waist, skimming his fingers along my sides as he tugs me closer, devouring me with his mouth.
I have no clue what in the hell of all orgies is going on, but I let him keep kissing me and even bite his lip a few times, basking in the taste of him, basking in the way he touches me, basking in—
He jerks back, smoke funneling in his eyes. Then he spins me around and straight into Arrow’s lean, mechanical arms. I gasp as our chests collide, still struggling to catch my breath.
“I’m sorry,” Arrow whispers, then slowly lowers his lips to mine, giving me plenty of time to move away.
I don’t. Again, I don’t have a good reason to blame my stupidity on. I just like being kissed, I guess.
I mentally shake my head at myself. One day, if I make it out of here alive, I’m going to look back at this moment and kick my own ass.
Or maybe I won’t. Maybe I won’t live very long—with everything going on, it might be a very high possibility—and I’ll look back at this moment with relief that I at least got the experience of kissing a handful of times.
And man, are they good kisses, I think to myself as Arrow’s lips tentatively touch mine.
Unlike Asher and East, he’s much gentler, his kisses carrying a soft spark. And I mean, a literal spark, tiny zaps of electricity flowing from his bronzed lips. The sensation is amazing, like gentle grazes of teeth along the most sensitive spots of flesh. I moan. Gods, do I moan. So does Arrow as he winds his arms around my waist and holds me like I’m something precious, instead of some weird-ass, unknown, possibly dangerous creature who tried to steal from them only days ago.
“Are you okay?” Arrow whispers after he breaks the kiss.
I bob my head up and down, feeling dizzy and lightheaded and sparkly inside …
Wait.
Sparkly?
“Why did you guys do that?” I direct my question at Arrow.
His lips part, but Asher speaks first.
“We need you to be able to confuse the patrol’s radar so you can sneak out and access the lockdown override in the chamber of the vehicle. The only way to confuse their radar so they don’t register you immediately is to put a little taste of all our magic inside you. But since you block most of our magic, we had to put it directly inside.” He steps toward me, his eyes drifting to Arrow’s hands on my waist.
Arrow swiftly pulls away, causing me to frown.
They kissed me to put their magic in me?
I wrap my arms around myself, feeling a bit used.
“It’s not like we didn’t want to kiss you,” East says when he notes my offish behavior.
“That’s not why I’m upset.” A partial lie, but whatever. I stare down at my hand, half-expecting my skin to be glowing. Everything appears normal. “You guys put magic in me without my permission.”
“I’m sorry,” Arrow apologizes again, raking his fingers through his hair. “If there was another way, we would’ve done it.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t go that far.” East gives me a look that makes my pulse speed up. “But maybe we should’ve asked for your permission first. We just figured you’d say no.”
“Yes, you should have,” I agree, lowering my hands to my sides. “And if it was necessary … I wouldn’t have said no.”
“Well then, I’m sorry for kissing you without your permission.” East takes my hand and lifts it toward his mouth, kissing my knuckles.
I sigh with exhaustion, struggling not to smile. “Oh, whatever.” I slip my hand from his. “Can we just get Plan S over with so I don’t have to go with the patrol and their big-ass hellhounds? Although, I’m still a bit confused why I’m the one who has to override the lockdown. And what about the shield?”
“East, Arrow, and I are going to take care of the shield while you override the lockdown.” Asher steps closer to me. “The trapdoor that you have to use to get to the chamber is extremely small, and you’re the only one who can fit in it. And the only way to get into the chamber is to go through a door on the front right side of the vehicle. And you’re going to have to do that without being seen.”
I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, my brows pulling together. “How am I supposed to do that when the entire vehicle is surrounded?”
“You’re going to do one of the things you do best.” Asher leans closer, his eyes darkening with smoky magic. “Be sneaky.”
I wish I could tell him I got this, but this is entirely new territory for me. Usually when I break in somewhere, I spend weeks planning and scoping out the area. My main rule: never go in blind.
I guess I don’t have much of a choice in this matter. Either I succeed at this and stay with Asher, East, and Arrow, or I get arrested and hauled off to who knows where with a bunch of paranormals who think I’m some dangerous creature.
When faced with the two choices …
Yeah, I’m going to override the lockdown no matter what it takes.
Chapter 14
So, in order for me to get to the chamber to override the lockdown, I’ll use a trapdoor that’s in the floor of the living room and shimmy my way down a narrow tunnel that will take me outside. Then I’m supposed to crawl underneath the vehicle until I reach the back end. There, on the far right side, is a small chamber that I have to somehow make it into without being seen. Once I’m inside that, if all goes smoothly, the guys should be able to get the shield down and take off the moment I hit the override button.
A lot could go wrong. Plus, I’m going to be stuck in the compartment until they can find a safe place to land.
Awesome, right?
Yeah, not so much. But I’ve been in worse scenarios before.
Still, I can’t help wondering …
“Can’t you guys just use your magic to get us out of this?” I ask as I sit down on the floor and lower my legs into the trapdoor.
I’ve changed into a pair of black pants and a T-shirt made of a stretchy material that will allow me to blend easily, because apparently, the tunnel is going to be a tight fit, even for me.
“One use of magic directed at them, and they’ll attack us.” Asher crouches in front of me with worry in his eyes. “And if we hurt or kill any of them, we’re going to be chased and have a bounty put on our heads.”
“But you won’t if we just take off?” I question with skepticism.
Asher and East are digging through the fridge for magical supplies, but every so often, they throw a concerned look in my direction.
What I’m about to do is dangerous. I get that, which is why I can’t help wondering if there’s another way.
“There’s less likely of a chance,” Asher says, adjusting his cuffs. “Plus, we’ll have an easier time ditching them if we just take off.”
“Oh. All right then. I guess the trapdoor plan it is.” I take a deep breath and start to lower myself in, when Asher wraps his fingers around my wrist, stopping me.
“Be careful, Harlynn,” he whispers. “Don’t let them see you. And don’t get caught.”
“I won’t.” I wink at him. It’s all bravado, but I’ve got to fake it, or else I’m going to lose my shit. “I’m good at this sort of stuff.”
“I know.” He brushes his knuckles across my cheek, the worry in his eyes increasing. “Still, be careful.”
My nod is a bit shakier this time, yet I toss my nervousness aside and drop into the trapdoor before I can chicken out.
The moment I land, I have to lie down flat on my stomach just to fit in the dark tunnel. “All right, here goes nothing.” With another inhale and exhale, I army crawl inside.
I immediately tense as darkness encases me, but then my skin illuminates, the light cascading against the walls. From the magic the guys put in me, I assume.
“Holy crap, I look like a glow bug,” I mutter as I continue dragging myself down the tunnel.
The journey feels endless, knowing that the moment I reach the end, I’m going to be outside with the patrol and their hellhounds. I still haven’t come up with a way not to be seen, but I’ll assess the situation when I reach that part of the plan.
A few sprinkles of magic later, I reach the end of the tunnel. Again, I don’t give myself time to overthink what I’m about to do; instead, I hurriedly open the door and stick my head out, practically hanging upside down as I scope out the surroundings.
Below me is a strip of glassy grass and about a foot above it is the bottom of the vehicle.
Crap, it’s going to be a tight fit.
Sucking in an exhale, I wiggle out of the tunnel. The glassy grass feels bizarre underneath me as I lie flat on the ground, peering around at all the paranormals just outside the vehicle. None of them appear to be moving toward me, so I take that as a sign that I haven’t been spotted …
Yet.
No negative thoughts. You got this.
Like I did in the tunnel, I army crawl toward the back of the vehicle, stopping at the far right side. Lowering my head, I scan the area then mentally curse myself for not coming up with a plan beforehand.
There’re so many of them. And they’re so close.
Shit.
I roll behind the wheel to avoid being seen then rack my brain for all the information I’ve ever read about the Worlds Patrol.
Made up of various kinds of paranormals, they’re extremely powerful. Knowing that doesn’t help me one bit. In fact, it makes me feel even more hopeless.
Don’t give up. You can do this. Think outside the box. You’re good at that.
Outside the box. What’s outside of the box, though? I mean, I really don’t know much about the Worlds Patrol. Hell, I didn’t even realize they could own hellhounds.
Dammit.
I pound my hand against the ground in frustration and the glassy grass shatters, the dirt cracking apart.
What the hell?
I pat my palm against the ground again with a bit more force, and the same thing happens, only the cracks in the dirt are a bit bigger. Lifting my hand, I stare at my palm, searching for … well, I’m not sure what. First the glowing and now this? This has to be because of the magic the guys put in me, right?
Gods, I hope so.
Part of me wonders if these wonky gifts have something to do with the Worlds Patrol being here to arrest me. Doesn’t really matter right now, though. All that matters is escaping them. And this little gift … curse—whatever the heck it is—could help me.
Lying flat on the ground again, I crawl back toward the front of the bus. My fingers tremble as I prepare to do what I’m about to do. One wrong move, and I’ll get caught. Or worse, create a hole in the ground that I’ll fall into.
You’ve got this. You’ve got this. You’ve got this, I mentally chant to myself as I smack my palm down on the ground hard.
The glassy grass ripples and tips over like shattering dominos, and the ground begins to splinter, a giant crack zipping out and across the field in front of the bus.
“What in the worlds?” a patrol officer mutters from nearby. Then his voice grows louder. “We have a situation over here.”
And … that’s my cue.
Twisting around, I hightail it back to the rear end of the bus and peer out at the field. The patrol officers have migrated to where the shattering grass and dirt are carving a path toward the field. A smile starts to break across my face until I realize the dirt and grass have begun shattering in the opposite direction, as well, making a giant path—or should I say massive crack in the ground—straight underneath the vehicle.
The vehicle starts to wobble as the ground crumbles underneath it.
Shit. I so did not think this through all the way.
Seeing no other option, I hurry out from under the vehicle, crossing my fingers no one is looking my way. Once I straighten, I yank open the compartment, dive inside, and lock myself in. Darkness smothers me, but again, light glitters from my skin, revealing the override box just in front of me. It consists of a series of buttons, and on the bottom row in the farthest corner is a button labeled lockdown override. I push it then sit back and wait for … well, I’m not really sure. The guys never explained what would happen after I pushed the button.