“You’re a creature of the night. Do you really think after midnight is too late to go for a swim?”

Tameka didn’t wait for Xelan’s answer. As they entered the aquatics area of the fitness center, she slipped her shirt over her head exposing her bra to the humid air.

Did it have the desired effect?

Tameka took a few steps away from Xelan before checking over her shoulder.

Bingo.

He’d stopped dead in the doorway and stared with heavy lids at her muscular back.

Tameka asked, “Do you still think it’s a bad idea?” Her voice came out husky, even to her.

Two kisses. They’d shared two kisses so far, and she was gunning for three.

Xelan opened his mouth to say something when a cry from the gym interrupted him. They both turned and looked through the windows separating the spaces.

“Help!” The cry came again.

Tameka snapped back to Xelan. “That sounds like Rayne.” She charged out the door, not worried if anyone saw her in her bra. She’d planned to use the communal showers, soon, anyway. One pink lacy slip of lingerie was nothing compared to full-on nudity.

Tameka halted at the sight of Rayne entangled in a few pieces of equipment, bleeding and groaning while trying to minimize the severity of both. “Oh my god, what happened?!” Tameka tried to keep the panic from her voice.

“Yes, what did happen?” Xelan asked. His voice held no panic. An edge of something else crept in. Something Tameka recognized from their training sessions. His coach voice, and he wasn’t happy with his trainee.

Rayne groaned again and led with a huff. “I just wanted to do one pull-up.”

Xelan grunted.

She said, “I got a stand and everything to help.”

Xelan inspected the bleeding stitches on her hand, saying, “I said ‘bed rest,’ and I meant it. Rayne, these need restitching…” He glanced at her then, and something in the tight lines of Rayne’s face intensified the edge of ‘not mad, just disappointed.’ He asked, “What else?”

Tameka and Xelan followed Rayne’s gaze to her ankle. Tameka lifted the box-jump stand, untangling it from Rayne’s sling. Her ankle was swelling up like a melon. Tameka let out a heavy sigh. “Oh, Rayne . . .”

“It’s not that bad. I can almost stand on it.”

“It’s broken, and you know it,” Xelan scolded, still maintaining that gentle patience. “Let’s get you up and get you to your room.”

Rayne locked onto his eyes. “The room? Not the infirmary?”

Tameka lifted her stubborn-ass General off the ground without causing further injury. She asked, “Yeah, don’t we need to do an X-ray?”

“I’m heading to the infirmary. You take her to the room.” After Xelan looked them both over, he asked, “You got her?”

Rayne made next to no noise or protest despite the pain. Tough cookie and all, but kinda thickheaded. Tameka smiled at her soon-to-be-official boyfriend. “Yup. Let’s take you onto the dorms, General Callahan.”

As they hobbled out of the open gymnasium and into the gray corridor, Rayne asked Tameka, “Where’s your shirt?”

Tameka’s cheeks flared red where Rayne couldn’t see, thank goodness. “I went for a swim. And you’re lucky, too. Someone needed to find your white butt sprawled out on the floor.”

“You can try to change the subject if you want to, but I know you were taking a swim with Xelan,” Rayne observed with ease. “Skinny dipping?”

“I will drop you and leave you. And I won’t feel bad about it,” Tameka groused. In a softer tone, she added, “But yes. If you hadn’t interrupted, I expected to see a lot of abs, tonight.”

Rayne winced in pain, saying, “Sorry for the change in plans.”

“Woman, give me all your weight, or I really will let you walk yourself back and see how far you get,” Tameka commanded.

Rayne leaned more onto her. “Thank you. Sorry about your date.”

Tameka smiled. “Yeah, and that’s exactly what it was.”

“So is this an every night thing?”

“Every night.”

The two slouched the rest of the way in silence until they reached the dorm where Tameka asked, “Is Sagan in?”

“Yeah, she’s asleep,” Rayne answered.

Tameka knocked on the door with her elbow, maintaining her load. Sagan answered with proper bedhead. It was just a colossal mess on top of that girl’s head. Then she glanced at Rayne and woke up real fast. “What happened?!”

Rayne groaned, but not from the pain. “I fucked up.” Good. She could admit to it.

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Xelan rounded the corner after them. “Inside. All three of you.” They followed his instructions and placed Rayne on the middle bed.

“I’m really sorry,” Rayne mumbled.

Xelan laughed. An ancient sound with so much warmth. He said, “You’ve set yourself back.” Then the features of his face drew together into something close to anguish. “We have to take drastic measures.” He sat on the edge of the bed next to her, and Tameka and Sagan watched as he retrieved a syringe from his cargo pants. “What happens next can never leave this room. Not even to the members of the Shadow.”

Xelan peered up at Tameka. She nodded.

Then to Sagan, who saluted.

He said, “This can never happen again. Exposure to Icarean blood kills most humans.”

Tameka frowned and sat on the other side of the bed while Xelan continued, “Occasionally, I’ve given blood to some Progeny descendants, less and less over the millennia.” He swallowed hard and stared down at the floor. A strand of his hair fell from his ear. “It’s not a gift. Before you get better, you’ll go mad. We can manage it a little.” He waved Sagan over to Rayne’s feet. And nodded Tameka to take Rayne’s hands. “But the outcome is always the same. You will sleep for at least a day. You will hallucinate. And Rayne?”

She finally peeled her eyes from her arm to his face. “Xelan?”

“It will hurt.”

Rayne clenched her jaw, and Tameka fought not to roll her eyes. Their leader always had to be such a badass. “I can take it.”

“No doubt. It will only set you forward a month or so in your healing. It won’t touch your arm. I’m sorry there’s no way to fix that. It’ll mend the bone, though.” Xelan tapped her good arm. “Repeat back to me the risks and benefits, so I know my mighty warrior let all of that sink into her thick skull.”

All three girls smiled despite the tension. Rayne repeated, “Pro: advancing the healing process by one month. Cons: I sleep at least one whole day, lose my mind, and trip some balls.” Her smile withered as she added, “And pain.”

“The nanites last one minute outside of my body, so we need to be quick here. Ladies,” he nodded to Sagan and Tameka.

Sagan clasped Rayne’s right wrist.

Tameka shuffled to the foot of the bed and laid her hands on Rayne’s ankles, mindful of the broken one. “Shit, Sagan’s got it easy. Everyone knows you’ve got legs like a kicker during scout’s week.”

“Actually, you kick the hardest, Tameka,” Xelan commented as he retrieved something else from his pocket. Tameka flushed in response. “One time you kicked me in the head so hard it activated the nacre hard tissue repair system.”

Sagan and Rayne exchanged a glance and giggled.

Tameka shrugged. “I’ll take it as a compliment.”

“I meant it as one.”

She couldn’t stop the smile spreading over her face. Until she realized what he held in his hand: a small plastic tube with a significant number of rubber bands wrapped around it.

Xelan said, “To protect your teeth,” as he reached over to Rayne’s mouth with it.

She peered up at him, glanced at her friends, and took a deep breath before opening her mouth. He placed the bit inside, and she chomped on it.

He asked, “Is everybody ready to go?” He held the syringe to the bend of his elbow.

With her eyes wide in her face, Sagan said, “Ready.”

Tameka clasped onto Rayne’s legs. “I’m ready.”

With swift, expert movements, Xelan jabbed the needle in his arm, drew on the plunger, and withdrew the syringe. “I’m sorry,” he offered into Rayne’s wide eyes before stabbing the large needle into her sternum and plunging it home.

Rayne’s groan and quick frantic breaths were the only sound in the room. Xelan, Tameka, and Sagan held a collective breath.

One heartbeat.

Xelan got off the bed.

Two heartbeats.

Sagan said, “Maybe—”

Rayne cried out against the bit as her spine bowed all the way off the bed. If Tameka wasn’t ready at her feet, her leader might have bounced to the ceiling.

Rayne’s body flushed bright red, almost purple as she strained against the three of them holding her in place. She screamed, long ravenous sounds, and saliva dripped from the bit like she foamed at the mouth. She thrashed her head about, fought against her friendly restraints, and swore against the clenching of her jaw.

Sagan’s brow dripped sweat, and her muscle’s strained on Rayne’s good side.

Xelan held Rayne on the bed, careful for her arm.

Tameka bit her tongue, trying to stifle a cry as Rayne surged twice more before collapsing unconscious on the bed.

Between heavy breaths, Tameka asked, “Is it over?”

Sagan cried, “Holy shit!”

Rayne’s swollen black eyes receded from purple to sickly yellow to perfection within a few blinks. Every cut and scrape disappeared. The stitching in her hands dissolved into unmarred palms and knuckles. The mosaic of purple bruises on her throat, chest, and all over her body vanished. The burn on her face scarred over. Where Tameka kept her hands on Rayne’s legs, a heat storm emanated from her broken ankle. The swelling reduced to nothing, and the bruising faded to a light brown. The bone healed beneath the skin. All the while, Rayne mumbled incoherent words in her sleep. Sweat matted her hair to her forehead.

“Caedes will notice this,” Xelan said as he stepped away from the bed. “It’s forbidden to transfer blood.”

Tameka asked, “What can he do about it, now? We’re in charge.”

His eyes met hers. “Don’t underestimate him. I saw you with him earlier. Whatever you guys are planning, be careful. I don’t trust him or Frullop and their people.”

Sagan cut in, “Neither do we, so we’re doing some digging. We’ll share whatever we find. And we’ll be careful. Right, Tameka?”

Tameka glanced from Sagan to the extreme concern in Xelan’s eyes. “We got this. It’ll be okay.” She nodded at Rayne. “We got the General back in working order. Everything should run more smoothly.”

Xelan shook his head. “She has to survive the night. Someone will need to watch her. I don’t think it’s good for me to be seen in the dorms like this. Especially after…” He waved his arms over Rayne, indicating the magical healing shit. He tossed the syringe in the trash.

Tameka clocked the black circles under Sagan’s eyes. No doubt Rayne had made it hard for Sagan to sleep. Her notorious insomnia used to infect each of them during various sleepovers throughout the years.

Tameka said, “I’ll take first watch. Sagan, you should get some sleep to relieve me, okay?”

The blond girl hid the relief in her dragging eyes. “Sure. Four-hour shifts?”

“I can watch her for six. You need the rest.” Tameka looked back at Xelan. “I’ll walk you out first. Unless there’s more work to do?”

Xelan gazed down at Rayne. He’d always kept a soft spot for her in his heart, unlike anything he felt for the rest of them. The warm look he gave her spoke volumes to Tameka. Some part of her screamed she should be jealous, but that was childish. The love was platonic. Almost fatherly. And right now Rayne was pretty fucked up, so she warranted the extra care. Tameka would never come between that.

When Xelan gave Tameka his full attention, the smile he beamed at her melted her down to her toes. “I’d like that.” He peeked at Sagan, no doubt catching the girl’s exhaustion. “Good night, Sagan. Thank you.”

“Go on, Wingmaster. Finish your date. Nice bra, Tameka.” Sagan closed the door behind them.

He grinned. “I guess it’s not a secret anymore.”

Tameka peeked down at the curves filling out the pink lace. “I wonder what gave it away?”

Xelan cupped her chin in his hand then. She grew very still and tried hard to remember to breathe. Every time he touched her like this, she went properly weak in the knees. It was so cheesy, but so painfully true.

Xelan leaned in, and Tameka closed her eyes for the kiss.

Nothing came until a moment later Xelan whispered against her lips, “I’ll go get your shirt,” and walked away.

Tameka blinked a few times, watching him leave. Of all the male, teasing, cruel things for that Icarus to do. She had so many plans to get back at him later.