Salvation's Kiss (Tales Of Mython Book 1) by Kathryn Jayne (old books to read .TXT) 📗

the last twelve months, they had been setting up this sting operation, their operation slowly leading to the ringleader of the drug chain. It was one thing for humans to ingest things created by their means, but when preternaturals perverted their vice market, it led to trouble. Hard-hitting and highly addictive, this new drug—known on the streets as zeal—had taken the country by storm.

While this side of the barrier preternaturals still lived in the shadows, they had their own network in place, facilitated by the countries’ leaders who—after being sworn into power—were shown the world’s true history, ensuring their cooperation. Their knowledge was bound, ensuring that, even should they wish to, they were unable to even hint at this concealed community.

Alex’s unit was one of many that ensured this hidden world stayed undiscovered and protected. His team had been assigned to investigate a string of abductions thought to be related to the manufacturing of zeal. After a year of undercover work and a fictitious relationship with the ringleader’s sister, Katrina, their diligence had paid off.

Katrina had been the one to first seek help. As Madam of a brothel, she employed both humans, preternaturals from the Aphrodisia Clan, and nymphs. The flower nymphs, in particular, gained much interest. While few in number, they were able to reproduce any aspect of a plant’s nature and were often craved for the drug-like effects they induced on exchanging fluids with their client, creating a natural, risk-free high. It wasn’t until her third employee had vanished that she contacted the P.T.F., the Preternatural Task Force. She had been certain her brother had been involved, but at the time lacked any proof.

Alex had been impressed by her decision to turn informant in exchange for the promise of being taken to Mython, a place where she could choose whether to live in the shadows or flaunt her talents. For years, her brother had forced her to run his brothel, but when her employees started vanishing, and others confided to her that he was forcing them to act as mules and peddlers, her tolerance expired and her fear of him evaporated.

It was her Intel and cooperation that had brought the operation crashing down, and now it was clean-up time. Alex couldn’t deny his relief that this mission would soon be over, he could shed his glamour. Not that it made any difference, his very nature meant very few people actually knew he was a natural blonde with eyes as blue as the ice he controlled. His aura held a constant glamour that altered from person to person, protecting his identity, which was why undercover work had always been his forte.

It was approaching Ashley’s birthday, and this was an important one. It was time to tell her the truth about what she was, and how his father finding her and taking her in had been more than just good fortune. It should have been his parents’ job, they had taken her in knowing full well the danger. But now it fell to him. At first he had resented the little intruder who inserted herself into his life disrupting their balance. She was monopolising time with his parents that belonged to him. But his dislike soon thawed and now he would do anything to protect her.

‘That’s the last of them, Lex,’ came the telepathic communication from his team beta who had taken point on the other side of the warehouse. Just a few hours ago, they had brought down the kingpin, Katrina’s brother. His execution sentence was completed instantly, which had meant targeting his distribution chains and warehouses had to be done quickly, before they destroyed any evidence along with the innocent lives of their captives. Alex glanced at the young boy. The makeshift bandage he had applied to the bleeding needle wounds was doing its job, but a mere bandage was nowhere near the level of help he needed. It would take more than that to heal him. Judging by his gaunt appearance, it had been months since food had passed his cracked lips. He had been kept alive by drips, chemicals, and feeding tubes while the rest of his body was coated in animal fat and scraped raw. He had never imagined enfleurage could be used in such a way as to harvest this clan’s pheromones. The poor boy was days away from a deadly infection, which of course had only made him more potent, in a hope to lure a prey closer to save his life.

‘Excellent. Great job, everyone. Call the cleanup and let’s get the survivors passed to medical and regroup back at base.’ Alex turned as his partner’s hand patted his shoulder. She offered him a faint smile, her tired brown eyes matching her weary posture. The young girl she had recovered hung onto her leg, her tiny hands clutching Bindu’s black combat trousers tightly as her frail legs trembled under the strain of her weight.

‘Bet you’ll be glad to get back to your sister,’ she continued telepathically, but Alex knew it was a conversation shared just between the two of them. Bindu was the reason this group could communicate across the distances telepathically. As a psychic vampire, she created a link between the task force; as long as the number in the task force was geometrically stable, it caused no detriment as the linking of minds created a web of joint energy-sharing which actually enhanced the team’s overall powers. She worked best with five or six, but had been known to link as many as fifteen people. Her light affinity also gave her the ability to utilise the power of light in a similar way that normal vampires could manipulate darkness. Energy, after all, could become light.

‘Honestly, I’m dreading what’s to come more than this raid.’ Alex blew out a breath as the now-opened roller shutters came into sight. Waiting outside were the cleanup crew, complete with ghouls to dispose of the bodies before the area would be purged. ‘But at least I’ll make