Nina Croft | Deleted scene from FLYING THROUGH FIRE
October 29, 2016
In FLYING THROUGH
FIRE, book 6 in my Dark
Desires series, we have the whole cast of the series appearing at some point
or other. I thought it would be nice to get inside a few of their heads, see how
they were doing, what they were thinking…
However, my editor believed that these scenes detracted from the two main
characters and were a little jarring, and so the scenes were removed. This one
was from Saffira’s (the heroine of book 4, TEMPORAL SHIFT) point of
view.
The door slid shut behind her. Saffira leaned against the wall of the corridor
and tried to slow her breathing. Sweat pricked her forehead, heat from the
vision.
Thorne had burned because of her. She’d been powerless to help him, to save him.
It’s not real.
Not all her visions came true. Maybe this was a warning of what might be.
And she’d already lost Thorne. He’d closed himself off. He’d given ten thousand
years to his people. Now they were dead. Perhaps he was right, and that meant he
was free. They were both free.
She pushed herself up, hating the weakness that made her stumble. The visions
drained her strength, but she had to sort herself out before she saw Devlin or
he would want to know what was up, and what could she say?
In the back of her mind, deep down, she’d always known it would come to this.
She shook the thought aside, not wanting to think about what was to come. She’d
always been afraid of burning; had the flames already consumed her in some
forgotten vision?
Thorne had been right; she hadn’t thought of anyone but herself and Devlin in
the past year. She’d been totally immersed in their love. It had been a magical
time, and she’d believed she deserved it. She’d saved the goddamn human race.
Sort of. And besides, she would have visited later; she was supposed to have had
fucking eternity.
Time enough for everything.
Now time was running out.
The strength was coming back to her limbs. Good, because she was going to need
all that strength. She headed to the nearest transporter bubble.
“Bridge,” she murmured. The ships mind control systems were still offline.
Wouldn’t be brought back up until Thorne was away.
He’d been like a father to her, but that was over. She’d broken the first ties
when she had lied to him, betrayed him. He’d said he understood, but she’d known
that underneath he’d harbored resentment. The remaining ties had snapped when
she had abandoned Espera and her people.
How hard would it have been to visit?
Guilt gnawed at her insides.
She’d always had a selfish streak.
The transporter bubble opened onto the bridge. It was empty but for Fergal
sitting at the console.
“Hi,” she said.
He glanced up. “Hey, there. I’m just tweaking the program and keeping an eye on
our incoming.”
“Are they still heading this way.”
“Yeah. On a direct course. There’s also a third, seems to be following but
farther behind. It’s these two you’re going to have to avoid.”
She leaned closer. “Can I see?”
“Sure.” Fergal flicked on the monitor and the screen filled up with an image of
the two dragons flying through space. In a way, they were beautiful, fierce and
powerful, and they called to something deep inside her. But then she was part
dragon. It had been in her blood from birth, and she had strengthened the
connection when she had made the change. Probably more so than anyone alive.
She took a mental note of the coordinates flashing on the screen. They were
still four hours out. Plenty of time. Or no time at all when compared to
eternity.
“Thanks,” she said. “I’ll go check if Devlin has Thorne’s shuttle ready.”
This time she didn’t take the transporter bubble but walked to the docking bay.
She needed time to think this through. Sort out what she needed in her head, and
the best way to achieve it.
And put off seeing Devlin for the last time.
She didn’t know if she was strong enough, but she had to be.
Her steps slowed as she drew close, and she cleared her mind. She needed to keep
the truth locked down in that lower level where they only went in the most
intimate moments when their minds became as one.
As she entered the docking bay, he was coming down the ramp from the shuttle he
was readying. Her heart still gave a little jump each time she saw him. He was
the most beautiful man she had ever seen, with his tall, lean figure and his
black and gold hair. The scar running down his cheek adding to the attraction.
When he caught sight of her, his lips curved up in a smile, and as she came to a
halt in front of him, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her hard.
For a second she relaxed against him, gave herself over to the kiss, emptied
herself of everything but the taste and feel of him. Finally, she pulled away.
“How did it go with Thorne?” Devlin asked.
She screwed up her face. “Not good. He’s determined to go, and won’t let me in.
Said I should leave, that I’m endangering everyone by hanging around.”
He leaned across and kissed her forehead. “We’ll be out of here as soon as he’s
on his way.”
She licked her lips. “I think I might have one more go. I’ll call him, tell him
the shuttle’s ready, and try and convince him one more time.”
“Well, you know him better than anyone else. Go for it. Rico seems to think he’s
our one hope. You want me to stick around?”
“No, I think I’ll have a better chance alone.”
“Okay. I’m going to get some food. Is there anything I can get you?”
“Ice cream?”
He grinned. “Of course,” he said and strode away.
At the last moment, she had to touch him one more time. She raced down the ramp
and he turned at the bottom. She ran into his arms, hugged him tight.
“Hey, are you okay?”
“No. Not really.” She forced a smile. “It will take time, but I will be.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Go call Thorne. I’ll feel better once we’re away
from here and on the move.”
“I will.” This time she held her feet in place as he disappeared into the
transporter bubble.
She worked quickly, tapping into the systems manually. She knew the Blood
Hunter better than anyone. Better even than Devlin. After all, she had five
hundred years on Earth to study the plans.
When she was sure she had done everything she could to buy herself enough time,
she wiped the ship’s memory and headed to the shuttle Devlin had prepared for
Thorne.
She purposefully didn’t think as she sat in the pilot’s seat and switched on the
engines. The shuttle lifted, hovered, then the docking bay doors opened and she
was heading out into open space. Tears pricked at her eyes as she left the
Blood Hunter behind. She watched the rear screens, saw the docking bay
doors close and then the explosion that would seal the doors and give her enough
time to do what she needed to do.
Two minutes out, she sensed him in her mind.
“Don’t go.”
“I have to. I love you, but I have to do this.”
“Why?” The question was tortured.
“I’m the only one who can end this. I started it, and I need to finish it. I
should have died a year ago. We’ve had that year and it’s been the best time
ever.”
“You promised me eternity. How am I expected to go on without you?”
“You’ll find a way.”
“I’m coming after you.”
“You can’t. I’ve seen to that.”
She raised the wall in her mind and shut him out forever.
Winged monsters have been seen in the skies, and a pestilence follows in
their wake, threatening the very survival of mankind. Only the crew of the
Blood Hunter knows where they come from, and only one man has the power
to send them back—Thorne, a human/dragon hybrid in possession of mental powers
beyond comprehension.
Candace Decker doesn’t need anyone to look after her—she’s a badass werewolf
more than capable of protecting herself and those she loves. All the same, she’s
always been drawn to Thorne’s strength. In an uncertain world, he’s the one man
who makes her feel safe. And what Candy wants, she usually gets.
But while Candy is tenacious, Thorne’s willpower has been honed over ten
thousand years. He might want her, but the last thing he needs is an infatuation
with a young, impetuous werewolf. Candy makes him lose control, and that could
have disastrous consequences.
As the threat escalates and they become separated by time and space, Candy
must find a way back to him, because while Thorne alone has the power to defeat
the dragons, only together can they finally bring peace to the universe.
Romance Paranormal
[Entangled Select Otherworld, On Sale: November 7,
2016, e-Book, ISBN: 9781633757769 / eISBN: 9781633757769]