Renegades (Hotbloods #3)

My breath caught in my throat as I bucked against him, wanting more, wanting all of him. My nails raked against his back, his breath mingling with mine.

No matter how hard he kissed me, or how his fingertips danced across the most sensitive parts of my body, or how his lips moved when they caressed my skin, I couldn’t get enough. In that moment, nothing else mattered. It was just him and me, entwined together, our bodies moving in perfect rhythm, everything else lost in the wake of his addictive touch.





Chapter Twenty-Six





I awoke to the dawn sunlight glancing in through the window. I was enveloped in Navan’s arms, his wings folded around me, his breath tickling my neck. I grinned, wriggling against him, giggling as he stirred in his sleep, scooping me closer against his body.

I could have lain like that for hours, but it seemed as though the world had other plans. Across the room, the holographic comm device was flashing red, notifying us that a message had been left. Not wanting to wake Navan just yet, I extricated myself from his loving embrace and padded over to the device, pressing the button to make the message play.

Pandora’s face shot up in front of me, and I scowled. This wasn’t the sight I wanted to see, especially after the best night of my life—when I’d been able to pretend none of this existed. She began to speak.

“You are invited to a special private ceremony at the alchemy lab, which is to take place before the official, public unveiling,” she said sternly. “Queen Brisha demands your presence on this historic day, when we shall trial the first immortality elixir. This may well be the day that Northern Vysanthe triumphs. The ceremony will begin at eight. The queen is expecting you. Do not be late,” she warned, before the message clicked off, leaving the hiss of white noise and the sight of a blank screen.

Checking the clock on the wall, I saw that it was just after six. Even so, I hurried to the bed, rocking Navan gently to wake him. He blinked his eyes open slowly, shielding them from the light. He gave me a goofy smile as he saw me, reaching out his arms to scoop me back into a tight embrace. I tried to struggle, laughing as he clung onto me, before giving up and snuggling against him. I figured I might as well enjoy the comfort while I gave him the bad news.

“I’ve just checked the message machine,” I said, as he trailed kisses down my neck. “Queen Brisha asked us to meet her at the alchemy lab at eight for a ‘special immortality elixir ceremony.’ They want to test the first batch.”

He stopped kissing me. “How can they have synthesized your blood so fast?”

“The device Yorrek told us about—it must have helped them speed up the process. None of us had access to the lab yesterday, which means Queen Brisha could be sure we couldn’t tamper with anything. Now, she wants us to see the results,” I muttered.

“That woman has sapped all the enjoyment out of me,” Navan remarked, though his body told a different story. He grinned against my neck, flipping me around to face him. “Maybe we could remedy that, if you feel up to it?” he whispered, kissing me softly on the lips.

“It might have to wait,” I murmured, knowing Angie and Lauren would be expecting us for breakfast. “We can definitely try to coax that enjoyment back once this morning is out of the way,” I promised, returning his kiss.

Reluctantly pulling myself away from him, I wandered into the bathroom and closed the door. I took a long, hard look at myself in the mirror, staring at my naked reflection, trying to see if I looked any different. Although nothing had changed on the outside, I felt strange on the inside. It was as if I’d unlocked something that had always been there, waiting for the right person to come along. With Navan, I didn’t feel the need to hesitate or hide. I could be wholly me in his arms, and he loved me all the same. I grinned at the memory of the previous night, and the things we had done. Even with the aphrodisiac spiking our desire for each other, it had been the right moment for it to happen. In the cold light of day, nothing felt wrong, or like it shouldn’t have happened. In fact, it felt the opposite.

Running the hot water for the shower, I stepped in and let the soothing liquid calm my aching muscles, reviving my spirits for the day to come. A few moments later, Navan peered in through the bathroom door, grinning mischievously as he saw me standing under the cascade of water. Without waiting for an invitation, he hurried over and stepped in behind me. Restraining himself, he kissed me deeply before reaching for the jar of shampoo, which sat on a ledge carved into the wall. He took out a small amount and lathered it between his hands before running it through the damp tresses of my hair. When my whole head was smothered in suds, he gently tilted my head back into the running stream and washed it all out, planting delicate kisses on my face as he did so.

After quickly washing his own hair, he plucked a fluffy towel from the rail and wrapped me in it, drying me off as I struggled not to laugh. It was so sweet and unexpected, brightening my mood immeasurably. That was the thing about Navan—it wasn’t often that he showed his playful side, but when he did, it was the best thing in the world.

Ten minutes later, we were dressed and ready to head downstairs for breakfast at Angie and Lauren’s apartment. However, when we arrived, everyone seemed way more on edge than Navan and me. I could practically feel it even before I knocked on the door, the tension flooding out when it opened. Part of me wished I’d stayed curled up in the warmth of our bed, instead of venturing into this anxious atmosphere, and from the look on Navan’s face, he felt the same.

“This wasn’t supposed to happen!” Angie cried. “This could ruin everything!”

“Angie, you need to calm down. It’s a test run. It might not even work,” Lauren reassured her, but I could see doubt on her face, too.

“I’m guessing you got the message?” Angie asked, whirling in my direction.

“I did, but I don’t think we need to worry until we see how it goes,” I said, following Lauren’s line of comfort. “They might have synthesized our blood, but there are a lot of other factors that go into making a successful elixir. We know that from everyone we’ve spoken to. This will likely just be a work in progress, to show how far they’ve come,” I reasoned, hoping I was right. If we got to the lab and the elixir worked, we were doomed. Not just us, but the whole universe and everyone in it. Immortal Vysantheans were a terrifying prospect. It could not be allowed to happen.

“You better be right,” Angie muttered, chewing her bottom lip nervously.