Page 19 of Legend of Scorpio (The Thirteenth Zodiac #1)

CHAPTER 18

The pain in Rebecca’s chest from the gunshot went from sharp, and whimpering-worthy, to nothing.

Probably because she died. A valid assumption, seeing how Rebecca floated in a dark place. No body to see or feel or hear. Nothingness everywhere…

Hold on a moment. Was that the orb floating in front of her? But not the same orb she recalled. No longer did it appear made of dull metal but rather it twinkled like a miniature star.

Finally, the first piece.

The voice she’d heard only once before in her dream sounded pleased.

What is it?

Rebecca tried to speak, and while the words didn’t emerge aloud, the entity in this place heard her this time.

It is the beginning.

Of what? she asked through her thoughts.

My escape.

The claim held an ominous ring, but Rebecca found herself more concerned by the spinning orb. It whirled, faster and faster, shooting off streaks of light. If she’d had arms, she would have held them over her face to protect it. At least the sparks didn’t cause her harm.

What’s happening?

The voice didn’t reply as the orb glowed brighter and brighter, a miniature sun preparing to go supernova.

Despite having no body, Rebecca closed her eyes, to no effect. The brilliance expanded, much like a bubble overfilled, before exploding with a shock wave that sent her incorporeal form tumbling.

When she returned to simply floating, the dark nothing had resumed, and the orb was gone, but the voice returned, stronger than before.

And so it begins.

What’s going on? Where am I? Who are you? Am I dead? A flurry of questions erupted.

You are not dead, simply in a place outside of time and not for much longer. You’ve completed your task. Time for you to go while I wait for the next piece.

Go where? Where are you sending me?

Back to where you belong.

Before Rebecca could ask another question, she found herself being tugged, as if drawn through a dark tunnel, terrifying. Where did she go? What would happen to her? What?—

“Doc! Can you hear me?”

Rebecca blinked at the bright sunshine on her face before her eyes could focus on Scorpio leaning over her.

“Where am I?” she murmured. “What happened?”

“You’re at the very top of the tower,” Scorpio exclaimed, dragging her into his arms. “How did you get here? I thought I lost you when I exited the portal and you were gone.”

“I… I…” She scrunched her face as she tried to recall. There was a fleeting memory of darkness and a bright light, vague and already fading, which led her to mutter, “Last thing I remember is you holding me tight and the pain from being shot.” A pain she no longer felt.

She shoved at Scorpio and went to tug at her shirt, only to realize she wore nothing. Not a single thread. Astonishing, but even more surprising?

Her unmarred chest. She ran her fingers over the flesh. “I thought I was injured.”

“You were,” Scorpio stated in a low voice. “Badly, too. I wasn’t sure you’d live. Wherever you went healed you.”

“How long was I missing? There’s not even a hint of a scar.”

“A few hours, during which I panicked, trying to figure out where you ended up, only to have the tower suddenly go bonkers. I was climbing the stairs to the command level when it wrapped me in a pod and shot me up to the top.”

His explanation didn’t ease her confusion. “But how did I get here? I thought you said no one used the top floors.”

“No one does, so you can imagine my surprise when the tower insisted on bringing me here. Once I saw you, I understood.”

Rebecca pushed herself to her feet and glanced around. The rooftop appeared made of solid stone that sparkled. The blue sky stretched for miles around. What she didn’t see?

“Oh, no. The orb!” She glanced at her hands as if it would magically conjure it.

“Guess it got lost in the transition.”

“I’m sorry.” Her lips turned down.

“Don’t be. Fucking thing’s been nothing but trouble. The important thing is you’re here. safe and unharmed. Although you’re probably freezing.” He stripped his shirt and handed it to her, but she shook her head.

“I’m not actually cold.” A strange thing to say since she could feel the coolness of the air.

“That’s weird.”

“No weirder than any of the other stuff that’s happened,” she quipped.

“Well, even if you aren’t getting frosty, we should head inside and let the others know to call off the search. The crew’s been popping in and out of portals, trying to see if you accidentally ended up somewhere else. Aquarius has been scouring the web for news of an injured woman suddenly appearing. while Aries has been trying to get Sage to clarify.”

“Clarify what?”

“She kept saying ‘All is as it should be.’ Which wasn’t helpful, I’ll admit.” He tucked his shirt around her. “While you’re not cold, you might want to wear this unless you want to give the boys a show.”

Still somewhat discombobulated, she slid her arms into the sleeves. A dazed feeling hung around her mind, tickling her with the sense she’d forgotten something. But did it really matter? She was alive. Healed. Safe.

With Scorpio.

He linked his hand with hers as he directed her to the stairs that descended from the roof into the tower. The chamber they entered took her by surprise. Windows wrapped around the open space that held a massive bed, a pair of couches and chairs, bookcases, a dining table, and a bathroom area that had its privacy curtain pulled open. “Does someone live here?”

“Not that I know of.” Scorpio frowned as he glanced around. “We only use the first dozen or so floors.”

As Rebecca walked for the bookcases, drawn by the books, she suddenly found herself going backwards. A glance at her feet showed the stone underfoot transporting her.

“Scorpio, why is the floor moving?”

“If I had to guess, the tower doesn’t want us snooping around.” They ended up in the stairwell, where the stone suddenly encased them in a cocoon. She might have panicked, except Scorpio held her against his chest.

“Now what?” she murmured, leaning her cheek against him, reassured by the steady beat of his heart.

“I think the tower wants us back where we belong.” A journey that happened quickly. Too quickly, given the distance, but she knew by now not to use logic where the tower was concerned.

When the cocoon peeled away, they found themselves on the office floor, which startled those milling around.

Aries spotted them first. “You found her!”

“More like the tower showed me. She was at the very top,” he explained.

“But how?” Everyone had questions, but Rebecca had no answers. She truly didn’t know how she’d ended up there or what happened to the orb, although every time she tried to remember, for some reason, she thought of exploding stars.

Weird.

With her safely returned, the Zodiac Warriors in residence ended up on the dining level seated at the massive table, where the tower had spread a feast. It also provided her with clothes, which she changed into when using the bathroom.

A famished Rebecca tucked into the food, hungrier than she ever recalled. Scorpio, by her side, only ate slightly more. The mood oozed jubilance, the crew celebrating what they considered a victory. The relic wasn’t in Cetus’ possession. As a matter of fact, Cetus had suffered a setback, given their main building was destroyed in what officials were calling a lab explosion.

The only oddity occurred when Sage suddenly stood with her glass of apple juice and said in that creepy voice she liked to use, “Celebrate today, for soon a new quest begins. Sins from the past return to test. The harshest trials are yet to come.”

Silence fell until Leo stood and said, “And on that note, I’m going to get drunk.”

He stalked off, and the party broke up with Scorpio and Rebecca heading to his suite. They both sighed as the door closed behind them then laughed.

“Is your life always like this?” she asked. “Since I’ve met you, it’s been nothing but danger.”

“Usually, we each do a couple of missions a year. This whole relic and an evil corporation out to get us is new.”

“With Cetus losing its headquarters, do you think they’re done with the Zodiacs?” she asked.

“I’d like to lie and say yes, but given the trouble they went to…” He shook his head. “They’ll be back, but this time, we’ll be ready for them.”

“Speaking of ready…” she purred. “I seem to recall someone promising me more than ten minutes the next time we were alone.”

His lips stretched into a wide smile. “Is that a hint, Doc?”

“More like me demanding you make good on your word.”

“You’re not too tired?”

“I feel better than I can ever recall.” And that was the truth. Nothing ached. On the contrary, she felt strong, energized, and very, very aroused.

She grabbed him by the shirt she’d given back after the tower clothed her and yanked him until she could reach his lips.

He uttered a groan as she kissed him. Their lips meshed hotly and passionately. His hands cupped her ass and squeezed, sending a shiver of anticipation through her.

Their clothes went flying as they made quick work of the garments, eager to be naked, craving skin-to-skin contact.

Rather than make it to the bed, Rebecca found herself seated on the couch, Scorpio kneeling between her legs. His hands caressed her flesh, and his lips tickled a path as he made his way from her lips, down between the valley of her breasts, to her stomach. He didn’t stop there. He trailed his mouth even lower, burying his face between her parted thighs.

His tongue speared her nether lips and teased, making her cry out. He licked her, teased her, flicked her clit until she writhed and panted.

When she begged him to give her his shaft and end the turmoil, he kept licking instead. Teased her until her body bowed and she came, a sharp cry slipping past her lips.

But he wasn’t done. He kept going, toying with her sensitized flesh, taking the dying ripples of her first orgasm and stoking them, building up the tautness again, making her whimper with need.

Only then did he lift his head from her sex. He wrapped an arm around her waist and drew her to the edge of the couch, where his cock waited. He buried himself deep, and she sighed at the relief and pleasure of having him fill her.

Their lips joined once more as he pumped her pliant flesh. She moaned against his mouth as her pussy squeezed him tight. When she came for a second time, she clenched hard, and he shouted, “Fuck yeah.”

They came together in a big bang of an explosion that had her seeing more than just stars. She saw right into the heart of Scorpio. The man who’d changed her universe. A warrior who’d taught her courage. A lover who made good on his promise and pleasured her for hours.

And what did you know. It was more satisfying than science.