His Soul To Keep (Dark Knights of Heaven Book 1) (13 page)

Chapter Twenty-One

Cassidy got right up in the big man’s face. "You think it’s us!" she shouted. "You think whatever is happening with Rail and I…that we’re going to end the world."

"I don’t know. It’s incomplete—"

"But that’s what you’re thinking. That’s why you brought us down here, isn’t it?"

"Yes. I’m concerned you two are now the soul mates the prophecy predicted. The two of you are just so different…"

"The world didn’t end with Anallis and Savor," Rail countered.

"I told you, this was written after that!" Kaz flung the empty jar across the room. "This was prophesized after our expulsion.”

“Or did you just find it after?” Rail snapped back.

With a sob of frustration and anger, Cassidy burst into tears and fled the chamber. When Rail finally caught up with her, after taking a few minutes to verbally rip Kaz apart, he found Cassidy sitting on the beach, letting the incoming tide crash against her…just as her emotional pain crashed into him.

When Cassidy moved away at his approach, Rail sat off to the side and waited. After nearly two hours, the sun set and Rail felt Cassidy’s emotions settle from anger to exhaustion. Scooping her into his arms, he retreated to the cover of the palm trees lining the beach. Cassidy didn’t need the audience back at the villa.

Holding her tight, Rail took a seat with Cassidy in his lap and willed his heat into her body. She hadn’t stopped shaking since he found her. Whether from her shock or the dampness, he couldn’t tell. "Please try and relax, sweetheart," he whispered into her hair as he gently kneaded her neck. "Kaz is overreacting to a few lines of script taken out of context and it’s so old I can’t count how many thousands of years have passed. Besides, prophecies are a dime a dozen. Look at Nostradamus."

"Don’t joke." She sniffled. "What if he’s right? What if we started something that will end the world?"

Rail inhaled deeply and let it out, slowly calculating what he was about to say. "Then, what’s done is done. We have nothing that says the end can be stopped, so I say we live out our lives as long as we can, doing the best that we can to keep the humans safe and in the dark."

"You really don’t believe it’s true, do you?"

"I believe something is going to happen, but whether we start it or someone else does…" He lifted a shoulder to show he didn’t care. "I don’t believe the world is just going to stop dead like switching off a light."

"What do you believe?"

Shifting against the tree to make himself more comfortable, Rail tipped Cassidy’s face to the side so he could look into her eyes. "I believe an ending is just the starting point of a beginning. Maybe it is us. Maybe it means the end of war and strife, and that a new world of peace and prosperity will start anytime now."

"That’s a bit unrealistic, don’t you think?" Cassidy laughed and wiped her eyes.

Cradling her cheek in his big palm, he wiped away another tear with his thumb. "No more than the world ending because two people fell in love."

Cassidy’s eyes widened. "You really love me?"

"Honestly…I’m not sure, but I am sure I can’t bear the thought of being without you."

She sighed as Rail kissed her softly, nipping her lower lip.

"I’m still trying to sort out my emotions, just like you. But trust what you feel
inside
me." Locking his eyes on hers, Rail let all his barriers drop, flooding Cassidy with his emotions—as mixed up as they were.

"Oh, Rail…" She gasped. “Stop. It’s too much."

Rail blinked to break the connection. Cassidy sat in front of him panting, her hands resting lightly on his knees. "Did I hurt you?" he asked.

"No." She sucked in a breath and let it out slowly. "But I couldn’t…I couldn’t tell where you ended and I began. It was a little scary."

"I know what you mean."

"Really?" Her tone spiked with curiosity.

"Every time I open myself up to you, I feel like I’m on a runaway horse."

Cassidy leaned in, her hands sliding up his thighs, returning his earlier kiss. Only her kiss was far from soft; it was hard, hungry, and demanding. When Rail's hands slipped around her waist and under her shirt, Cassidy moaned with approval. "Can we go back to the house now?" she asked, her mouth moving along his jaw to his earlobe.

There was only one answer and it didn’t need to be said.

* * *

If he could have flashed them straight to the bed, he would have. Instead, Rail caught Cassidy, his hands cupping her ass, holding her tight against him, and took off. Halfway up the path, it became apparent he might not make it back without spending himself in his pants. With her arms around his neck and her legs wrapped tightly around his hips, every step caused Cassidy to bounce and rub deliciously against his straining erection. It didn’t help that Cassidy was more than enjoying the connection. Each sultry giggle, moan, and hip twist threatened to end the party before it started.

Skidding into his room, Rail looked longingly at the bed, his cock twitching in anticipation.

"What’s wrong?" Cassidy rasped, wiggling against him.

"Give me a moment." Rail inhaled, taking in the scent of her arousal. "I want you so badly."

"Then…" She lifted her hips in invitation.

"I don’t want to rush this."

"Rail…" Cassidy’s voice was husky and carried a hint of impatience.

Answering with kisses, Rail backed them into the bathroom and set Cassidy on the vanity. The shower sputtered to life, and the bathroom filled with steam as Rail slowly began to undress his woman.

When Cassidy tried to help, he gently pulled her hands away. "Let me do this. Let me take my time. I want to savor every inch of you and then start over."

She nodded, eyes at half-mast, as he worked her shorts down, letting his hands caress her legs until the fabric fell away. Only then did he notice she’d lost her sandals.

With her shorts out of the way, Rail found himself gazing at a tiny pair of pink cotton panties. It was killing him to go this slowly, but damn it, Cassidy deserved this. She deserved to feel special, wanted, loved. Slowly raising his gaze to Cassidy’s face, Rail lifted the hem of her t-shirt, pausing as the fabric revealed her breasts. "Damn." He moaned with appreciation. With a snap, the shirt joined the shorts on the tile. Her bra and panties followed soon after.

"My turn." Cassidy slid from the vanity and stood on her tiptoes. Kissing Rail, she slipped her hands under the hem of his shirt. Caressing his abs and chest, she removed the barrier. With his shirt out of the way, she ran her fingers around the waistband of his sweatpants, teasing him before sliding her hands beneath the fabric to squeeze his ass. "I have a quick confession," she whispered against his chest, placing kisses over his nipples.

Rail moaned. "What?"

"I’m not very, uh,
practiced
when it comes to sex."

"You’re doing just fine, sweetheart." Rail's voice rumbled low in his chest. "Just keep doing what you’re doing."

Keeping her eyes locked on his, Cassidy knelt, taking the sweatpants with her. "Lift." After Rail stepped out of the fabric, she teasingly ran her hands up his strong calves, over the sensitive spot at the back of his knees and farther up to his trembling thighs. His erection, jutting from the dark forest of curls at the apex of his legs, twitched in expectation. Tentatively, Cassidy leaned forward and licked the swollen crown, eliciting a growl from her man. "Do you want me to keep going?" She blushed, a tremor in her voice.

"No." Rail helped her to her feet and carried her into the shower, pressing her back against the tile. "You first. Always."

Rail skimmed his hands over Cassidy’s body, taking the time to memorize her curves, dropping kisses along the way "You’re so beautiful," he whispered against her lips before his mouth moved downward, following the path of his hands again. Cassidy moaned in approval as one hand slid between her legs. "You like that?"

"Yes…" She gasped as Rail added pressure.

"Good." Rail slid to his knees, replacing his hand with his mouth, smiling when Cassidy jerked against him. His hands slid up to her hips. Instinctively, she hooked a leg over his shoulder. Her fingers dug into his scalp as she urged him on.

* * *

Cassidy swore her bones had dissolved even as her body tightened and shook with pleasure. Rail didn’t give her any time to come down from the heights he’d sent her. Instead, he started the ride over. "No. Rail. Wait." She panted, gasping between each word. "Not again until you’re in me."

Rumbling with approval, Rail stood slowly, running his mouth along her body until their lips met. "You sure you’re ready?"

"God, yes!"

Rail grasped Cassidy’s hips, lifted, and guided his shaft in as he lowered her. "You feel so good," he murmured, his moving, pounding her body into the wall. "So hot and tight."

Cassidy wrapped her legs around him and tilted her hips forward, begging him to go deeper. Wave after wave of pleasure raced through her veins, taking her breath away, melting her bones, freeing her spirit. In that perfect moment, she realized Rail’s emotions had merged with hers. He radiated the same hunger and passion, the same joy and need she felt.

She wanted to tell him. Hell, she wanted to scream it from the rooftops.

Instead, she screamed her ecstasy as they came together.

This time, no one came running to interrupt them, which was a good thing because they were far from finished
.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Cassidy stretched and rubbed her eyes. She didn’t remember falling asleep, but considering the wonderfully wicked things Rail had done to her, and with her, she wouldn’t be surprised if she had passed out from exhaustion.

How embarrassing would that be?

Rolling over, she found the bed empty except for a white rose on Rail's pillow. She had some vague recollection of him kissing her and whispering an apology that he had something to do, but she hadn’t been awake enough to care.

Now, she regretted not telling him he couldn’t leave. With a yawn, she tucked herself around his pillow and inhaled deeply. She hadn’t thought that Rail's woodsy, smoky, chocolaty scent could get any better, but now mixed with his distinct musk, she found herself even more intoxicated.

Red numbers glared from the nightstand declaring she’d already missed half a day's work on the computers, along with breakfast and lunch.

"Damn."

Refocused, Cassidy scrambled out of bed, showered, and dressed in record time before running downstairs.

After a quick stop in the kitchen for coffee and toast, she found an Un-Tar to lead her to the computer room.

* * *

Rail felt Cassidy’s joy and excitement as soon as she woke—at least she wasn’t angry with him for not waking with her. A fact that was completely not his fault. Around eleven, he’d gotten a 911 text from Tucker regarding the samples they brought back from Peru. He promptly ignored it since no alarms were going off, but when the second 911 came thirty minutes later, and another fifteen minutes after that, he gave up, kissed Cassidy, and headed to the lab.

Tucker wasn’t a real scientist or even a real doctor. When they’d found him, he’d just finished his second year of med-school. With instruction and the equipment they’d procured, the young man was making progress. Of course, they had their own mad scientist, Zach. Rail shook his head. Zach was the only one of them who went on patrol in order to gather information on the
skratars
and other creatures they fought. If there were more of Knights to take patrols, Zach would probably stay in the lab twenty-four seven.

"Are you even listening?" Tucker waved a hand in front of Rail's eyes.

"Yeah, sorry. Still not used to feeling Cassidy’s emotions so strongly. Right now she’s frustrated with something or someone, other than me."

"Whatever." Distracted by his work, Tucker returned to his laptop. "Zach wanted me to show you the slides of the markings on the skin samples you brought back."

Rail shut Cassidy out and focused the image on the screen. "What is that?" For the first time, he realized the design was not natural coloring, but there was a pattern
placed
within the craggy skin and around the scales. "Is that a tattoo?"

"That's what we thought, but neither of us can figure out how it was done.
Skratar
skin is too uneven, like a crocodile—hard as armor and in places the scales are even harder. No needle would be able to mark it by conventional means." Tucker tapped a few keys and the pictures changed. "Here. See, if you stretch out the samples, you can see more of an actual design. Like somehow they were on a bigger piece of skin that was shrunk like a raisin." He gestured to the image.

"So they’re labeling their pets?" Rail scratched his head.

Tucker shrugged. "If that’s what these are, then they started a long time ago. Zach thinks the markings could be as old as your eviction from Heaven. Weirder yet, he said they’re somehow familiar. Ancient even by y'all's standards."

That caught Rail's attention. "What exactly are you saying?"

"Our current hypothesis is that they are being marked at birth. Provided they’re born and not created magically or something." The young man skimmed his finger over the touchpad to enlarge the image.

As if each step pained him, Rail moved slowly away from the table. Zach was right; something was familiar about the patterns. Some were just symbols, others looked like tribal tattoos. Some blurred when he tried to focus on them. His mind spun in fifty different directions—none of them good. "Where’s Zach?"

"Talking to Kaz, I think. He’s back on that rant about needing to capture a live
skratar
for testing." Tucker pulled up another slide.

"Never going to hap—" Rail stopped mid word feeling like he’d been hit in the head. "Damn it. What is going on with her?"

Tucker laughed. "Cassidy again?"

"Yeah." His cell phone buzzed in his pocket—another 911 text, this time from the computer lab.

Rail was at a dead run when he hit the doors, moving too fast to stop before slamming into Hacker. The collision took them both to the floor.

"What the fuck, man? First her and now you." Hacker pushed Rail off him and jumped to his feet. "I think her insanity is rubbing off on you."

A frustrated screech brought Rail to his feet poised for a fight—instead he found Cassidy cursing at the computer in front of her.

"She’s been like that for nearly an hour—verbally abusing my babies." Hacker patted the monitor closest to him.

"You yell at the computers all of the time," Rail pointed out as he relaxed.

"I get to yell at them—they’re mine." Hacker winced as Cassidy let loose with another inventive curse at her electronic victim. "Look, I don’t know what the problem is. I tried to find out and she screamed at me like a drunken sailor crossed with a banshee. Just get her out of here before she breaks something."

Rail waved him off and headed for Cassidy, alert in case she chucked something at him for interrupting. No sooner had the thought occurred, a pad of paper sailed past his head.

"I’ve had it!" she shouted.

"Me too!" Hacker yelled. "I’m taking Boomer's turn on patrol. There’s less chance of getting killed facing down a demon than there is in here. If she wants to keep doing whatever she’s doing, you can babysit her." With a
swoosh
, he was out the door, ambivalent to Rail's one-finger salute.

"Cass, sweetheart. What’s wrong?"

Finally spent, she dropped in her chair, head in her hands. "This is going to take forever."

"Aw, come on, hun. This is your specialty, remember?"

"No, you don’t understand. We’re talking days, even weeks, for me to get each algorithm written and coded. I have several I want to try." She pushed from away for the computer. "I’d forgotten how much I relied on my building blocks. I haven’t had to start this much from scratch in years." With a self-deprecating smile, Cassidy stood, walked to Rail, and leaned into his embrace. "Sorry. I’m frustrated with myself. Everything just came so easy before because I had what I needed at my fingertips. Now…well." She shrugged. "I have to start over."

Rail nodded and leaned back against the edge of the desk, pulling her between his legs and against his chest. "I get the frustration factor, but what are these building blocks?"

"I had a lot of the code for these types of searches pre-written and saved. When I started a new project, I had a base to start from, a launching pad. Some of the codes…I could just go in and make specific changes to and they would work perfectly. To think I’ll have to rewrite all of that…" She sighed and pushed away from him.

"Why can’t you start over?" He braced for an onslaught of ‘you don’t understand’ and perhaps screaming, but Cassidy’s frustration appeared to be running out of energy.

"This is a multi-level search with tons of data and cross checking parameters." Cassidy paced between the two desks. "And even with spiders hunting and gathering information, it could take weeks or months just to get one viable lead once the programs are up and running. I’m starting out already behind."

"We’re not on a deadline, sweetheart. Why are you taking this so personally?" Rail shifted his weight slightly and waited for Cassidy to collect her thoughts.

"I’m impatient to find the other
Aktura
." She twirled a pencil on the desk.

He didn’t buy it one bit. "Is that all?"

"Can’t fool you, huh?"

"Not really." Rail held his breath, waiting for her to go at him again about invading her thoughts through the soul-bond; instead, she looked at him like a child who’d just been told they weren’t getting a puppy for Christmas. "What’s the real problem?" he asked softly.

"I feel like a useless failure, but that’s my problem, right? I’ll take the rest of today to calm down. Tomorrow, I’ll get my head back in the game and start…”

"You are not a failure. No one is expecting results overnight."

"Maybe not you, but Kaz
is
expecting me to fail. He thinks this is stupid. Isn’t that what he told you when you were trying to find the others who were evicted with you?"

"Yes, and maybe at first he will expect you to fail, but he’ll come around. Kaz needs to be shown this isn’t a pipe dream, and that’s going to take time." Rail pinched the bridge of his nose. "Sweetheart, this is what you were meant to do. I believe you can do it."

"I’m not doing a very good job though." She huffed.

"What if you had your programs, your building blocks?" Rail winced. Cassidy’s frustration and pain resonated through their connection. She wanted so badly to succeed. Silently, he vowed to move Heaven and Earth to help her.

"Doesn’t matter, I don’t." Cassidy twisted her hair in a knot and used the pencil she’d been playing with to secure it in a bun.

Rail tucked a loose strand behind her ear. "But what if you did?"

"It would simplify things." She shrugged. "I’d be able to start merging what you started into my formulas. All I’d have to do is tweak a few lines of code to adjust the parameters—"

Rail cut her off before she could slip too deep into geek-speak. "You said you saved them. Where?"

"On the company server and my laptop, but I’m sure that’s all been erased or archived by now."

"Back ups?" Already his mind was spinning with hare-brained ideas labile to give Kaz an apoplectic fit.

"Sure." She gave a sheepish grin. "Against company policy, I copied every program I ever wrote to thumb drives that I stored at home in case we had a server meltdown or hackers or something catastrophic happened." Her interest began to waver. "But I’m sure my parents got rid of all my stuff by now. They had to make my death look convincing, right?"

Ignoring Cassidy’s self-defeatist attitude, Rail walked around lab. "Would your employer have archived
only
the client-related items?"

"I’m not sure what the procedure would have been." Cassidy moved closer, a light of excitement in her eyes. "I see what you’re thinking. You think they would have copied everything on my hard drive to the server to audit later. Makes sense, but even if you could get to the archives, you’d have better luck trying to find a specific rat in the sewers of New York than sifting through all those files to find mine."

"But if you were there, in the office, you could find them?"

"Well sure, but—"

"Then I’ll get you there." A sly smile crept across his lips.

Cassidy jumped into his arms. "But you said I couldn’t leave. If I did, the
skratars
might find me."

"They still could. But you don’t need to worry. There’ll be three of us as protection. Four, if I can swing it."

Cassidy tipped her head to the side. "Kaz will never agree."

"Kaz can suck it." Rail winked and gave her a squeeze.

"Such language from an angel." She laughed.

"Former angel. Anyway, Kaz doesn’t need to know until we’re back."

"So, what’s your plan?"

Rail tapped his temple. "Working on it as we speak."