Page 111 of White Raven (Nevermore Duet #2)

A BIRD OF A DIFFERENT FEATHER

The terminal was so busy for it to be so early in the morning, and Sarah passed Poe’s cage to the attendant to be carried into a pressurized cargo cabin, clinging to the handle, and leaning into the skinny dude’s face as she all but bore her fangs at him.

“What’s your name?” she asked.

He swallowed, and glanced down at the raven, who sputtered in the small confinement. “S-Simon…”

“Well…Simon? If anything happens to this bird, I’ll find you…and rip your fucking throat out. Savvy?” Sarah smiled, but made sure he knew she meant business as she allowed her eyes to grow a shade darker and narrowing them at him. Athan stood firm behind her as the kid nearly pissed himself.

“Y-Yes, ma’am…you got it.”

“Good boy,” she said, blowing a kiss to Poe as Simon stumbled away uncomfortably.

“Vicious,” Athan snorted, taking her hand. He was nervous. She could tell it in every betrayal of his body language.

“You haven’t seen vicious yet. He better be well fed, groomed, and his fucking claws painted by the time we get to Dublin.”

“Mmh,” Athan agreed, looking around the airport. Sarah watched him and smiled.

“Alright, detective…let's do something about those immortal nerves.”

“I don’t have immortal nerves.”

She huffed a laugh and dragged him behind her, rolling her eyes as she searched for the bar. “Yes, you do. You need something to take the edge off. You’re not even on the plane yet.”

He’d thrown back three doubles of top shelf whiskey, and still hadn’t looked very settled as they announced the boarding for their flight twenty minutes later.

“Fuck…” he whispered, paying the bartender. “Keep the change.”

“Would you relax?” Sarah chuckled, shaking her head. “It’s just a bird, Athan. Just a bird of a different feather.”

“It’s not! It’s a tin can…with people on it. Miles above the ground.”

“You’re gonna love it. Come on.” He was dead weight behind her as they trudged across the airport, and it had nothing to do with their carry-ons strapped to his shoulders.

His pale skin had turned the greenish-gray of a week-old corpse when they finally made their way to the plane itself.

They found their seats, and he stared out the window, biting holes through his lip.

“Athan…for God’s sake.” She couldn’t help but giggle, and he refused to turn his head.

“If this is it…just remember I love you. I also really hate your beautiful ass right now.” She said nothing, and after another minute he turned his face towards her to see her camera recording every second.

Sarah exploded in laughter. “Get that shit outta my face!” he bit, covering the lens with a palm.

“Rhaena’s gonna love this,” she laughed, as the flight attendant made rounds to secure everybody, and the door closed.

“You suck, St. James.”

“I do…very well.”

“First timer?” the attendant smiled, pointing up at the ‘fasten seat belt’ sign. Athan buckled his before anyone else had a chance to fumble for theirs, and Sarah snickered under her breath.

“Yes. Can we get him a little something, please?”

She nodded, obviously amused to see someone as tough-looking as Athan Kane about to puke his guts up—and they hadn’t even left the ground yet.

By the time she brought his cup, it was time to start moving, and he nearly crushed the poor plastic vessel in his fist, while his other gripped the end of the armrest until his knuckles were blanched white.

“Why the hell did you sit me next to this window?” he croaked, staring at the back of the seat in front of him.

Sarah giggled, and the plane moved faster.

“Oh, my God…oh, my God… shit .” Somebody was laughing in front of him, and Athan grit his teeth.

“Whoever that is can suck my ass .” Their bodies jostled with the speed, and Sarah reached over, gripping his sweaty fingers as the plane finally left the ground.

Athan squeezed his eyes shut. “Oh, fuck… fuck …”

Her stomach dropped, and the rush of takeoff lasted all of about five seconds before the sign turned off, and everybody relaxed.

Athan breathed erratically and refused to open his eyes.

“All done, detective,” she grinned. “You can um…let my bones fuse back together now. That kind of hurt.” The thought of hurting her at all sprung him from his torture, and he looked down at their hands, prying his fingers from hers.

“Shit…Sarah, I’m sorry…I’m so sorry.”

She was pretty positive he’d broken one of them without realizing his strength during those tense moments, and she couldn’t do anything but smile at him.

“You’re fine. We’re fine…look out the window,” she whispered.

He kissed her already healed knuckles, and slowly turned his head to look. Boston was growing smaller by the second, and he grew still and quiet…lost in thought. His little plastic cup was wrinkled, and the ice rattled in it as he pulled it slowly up to his mouth.

Penny for your thoughts, detective.

Athan’s head turned, and the relief in his eyes suddenly felt overwhelming. It wasn’t relief that he’d survived takeoff…and she knew it.

It’s over. All these years I’ve been stuck here. All those dark places I went to when she had me. It’s all over. Boston’s way down there, Sarah.

She leaned over and stroked a finger down the side of his face. The sun gleamed over his dark hair, and those eyes were bright with freedom. With peace. He never looked more beautiful than he did right now. Sarah softly nodded and kissed the corner of his mouth.

“Yeah,” she whispered tenderly. “Yeah, it is.”

Darkness there no longer.

He’d calmed down a great deal since the last bout of slight turbulence, and it was finally dark out, hiding the promise of a swift death from the ocean beneath this plane.

Sarah slept peacefully on his shoulder, and he smoothed a thumb over the fingers he still felt terrible about breaking during takeoff.

She didn’t even flinch when it happened.

If she had, he was too distraught to notice. It felt horrible.

The moon was so full and bright, illuminating the wisps of clouds underneath it. He’d never seen anything so peaceful. Flying wasn’t so bad. He wondered how Poe was faring down below in that tiny cage. It was probably covered in bird shit by now. Athan cracked a smile. That got him thinking…

“Sarah,” he whispered, brushing her hair aside. She groaned against his shoulder and shifted as her eyes fluttered open. The cabin was dim, and most everybody was asleep. He felt horrible…again. She looked up at him half-lidded and made a sour face. “Sorry…”

“What’s up?” she yawned.

“Um…bathroom?”

Sarah snorted and scratched the corner of her eye. “Come on.”

He quietly followed her down the aisle, and she slid open the tiny excuse for a door to reveal what they considered a bathroom that seemed smaller and less comfortable than the coffin he’d been buried alive in. Athan gave her a look. “Seriously?”

“Yep.”

“They charge way too much for a plane ticket. I’m gonna piss on my fucking leg in here.

” Sarah huffed a tired laugh, and pushed him inside, shutting him in.

He took it back. Flying was the worst. As he took care of his business, he stared at the handle on the toilet, and started to get even more nervous about what was gonna happen if he pushed that lever down.

He decided he didn’t want to. He’d be that asshole.

You better not.

Athan’s smile cracked across his mouth as Sarah’s raspy, sleep-riddled voice sounded in his mind.

But…where does it go?

He heard her snickering from the other side of the door.

You’re the fucking detective! Use your imagination.

His turn to laugh. Sarah slid the door open, glancing into the cabin before she squeezed herself inside, looking every bit the devious little fucker he adored.

“What the hell are you doing?” he whispered loudly as she locked the door. “You’re gonna get us kicked off this plane.”

Sarah pressed him against the wall, and reached her foot over, pressing the lever.

He flinched as it flushed, and she grinned.

“What are they gonna do? Send us out over the Atlantic in our parachutes?” She slid her leggings down her thighs, and her scent overpowered his discomfort with the situation.

“They can’t kick us off if there’s nowhere to land. And we land in Dublin .”

“You can’t be fucking serious.”

“Oh, I am…” she wrapped those slender fingers around his cock and propped a bare leg on the seat. “I’m feeling a little blue, baby…I think I need a good cry.”

“Christ…” he groaned, relishing in the sensation of her tight grip as she stroked him.

He couldn’t deny her if he wanted to. No matter what kind of situation they found themselves in.

He took her waist and slid her long-sleeved shirt up enough to lower his eyes to her wide open slit.

Watched her handle his dick like a dirty girl. “You’re so fucking insane.”

She poked her lip out and feigned a cry before devilishly smiling as he pulled her closer and angled himself to get her screaming. “Make it hurt, detective. I’d say you earned it today.”

That toilet could go to hell. He pushed himself inside her, and they both lost themselves.

Athan took her by the swell of that perfect ass and lifted her slightly as he slowly slid in and out.

She asked him to make it hurt, but…after the tranquility of leaving all his demons behind…

this seemed so much more satisfying. He buried himself deep.

Her body trembled, and instead of the screams he loved hearing tear out of that mouth, she softly moaned, and let her head fall back in breathless gasps.

This wasn’t just a fuck to join the mile-high club.

This was a thank you. For breaking every chain that held him down and saving him from himself.

That notion amplified every single nerve in his body as he dug his fingertips into her thighs and quickened his pace.