ALLEGIANCE [3013]

by Laurie Roma

  She had hoped she could learn how to master her gift, and with the Mystics’ aid, she had. Well, sort of. She had learned how to summon the energy around her without releasing all of it, however, it had been a long, slow, dangerous process. For the first few months, they had left their temple on the moon and moved to another planet in their galaxy. It had been safer for everyone, considering she had ended up destroying more than half of that planet before she had learned enough control to be safe.

  Ilius had been a sanctuary for many years since most of the Mystics could contain their energy enough for her to be comfortable, but she hadn’t been able to stay. It wasn’t her place, and she wasn’t someone who could hide away, no matter how easy it would be. Still, she would be forever grateful for what she had learned.

  Despite her hard-won control of her powers, there were facets that still remained elusive. Sometimes, it was as if the universe itself was giving her orders and demanding for her to act, but those occurrences were rare. Most of the time, the energy came to her as a heightened sense of awareness, which was only useful when she could decipher what it meant. And if she opened herself up without limiting how much energy she summoned, total annihilation was always a possibility.

  Amari had felt that sentience, a strange shifting in energy recently, and she had to admit the dream wasn’t the only reason she was on edge. For weeks, she had felt tense and unsettled. As if she were expecting for something to happen, and she hated waiting.

  As a Dragon Warrior with a potentially infinite lifespan, time had a different meaning to her than other species bound to restrictions. In her four hundred and fifty years of life—four hundred and fifty-one in a matter of days—patience wasn’t a virtue she’d ever learned, despite going through those years of strenuous training.

  For centuries, her life had been about exploration and adventure. She’d traveled the vastness of the universe, yet in the end, all of her experiences were like drops of water in an endless ocean of time. Part of that was her fault, and she knew it. As the years passed, it was becoming more difficult to find pleasure in the things that had once brought her joy. And she’d discovered that, for a life without limitations, time was both a blessing and a curse.

  “Stop,” Rhys growled, nudging her with a low rumble.

  “I am allowed to brood a little when I am contemplating how not to destroy half of the universe,” she said dryly, earning a snort of amusement from him. “We have started this rising quite early. Shall we sit out on the balcony for a while to see what the day will bring?”

  He jumped off the bed in response, then circled to make sure she followed. Amari noticed that the silken, cream-colored covers was rolled in a pile down at the foot of the bed. It was a sign of her restless sleep. With an absent thought, she remade the bed, then let out a sigh when Rhys impatiently bumped his head against her leg again.

  “I am coming. Where is your companion?”

  He let out an irritated huff, and it made her smile. An image of the large lagoon located inside the mountain behind the castle filled her head. It was only accessible through a tunnel located on one of the lower levels, and it meant that she wouldn’t have to worry about their other friend for a while.

  Amari strode across the room, then she pushed aside the golden gossamer drapes that hung over the open doorway. She didn’t bother removing the magical barrier she had created when she’d chosen the room as her own, walking through it instead. The cool night breeze made her long, dark tresses dance as she stepped out onto the balcony.

  Rhys followed her out, sitting on the floor where he could lean against her leg after she sat down on the curved, black bench near the wall. She created a massive tray of roasted birds and a large bucket of water on the floor, and he pounced on his early meal. Looking out, she found that it was still well before dawn, but the view suited her mood.

  Known as the dark planet, Tartarus was an interesting world with three moons and a red and black sky that could churn into violent electrical storms without warning. As if the sky answered her reflection, red lightning exploded out of a dark cloud, and the sizzling light struck a black tree near another set of mountains off to the west.

  The branches burst into flames, creating a halo of light in the shadows. A few seconds later, rain poured down in a torrent, smothering the fire until not even smoke remained. Thunder boomed out before another burst of lightning turned a small portion of the sky vibrant ruby. This time, she watched the lightning hit the ground, where it sparked into several trailing lines of light before disappearing.

  The castle that Amari and her sister, Eden, had created was built into the side of a mountain, partially for concealment, but mostly because she enjoyed the view. The frequent storms that worried most of the natives energized her, the power calling to her with each boom and strike.

  Using their magic, they’d made the castle with a black material that glistened and gleamed in the sun, while at night, it all but disappeared to the naked eye...of most races at least. It was the same material that Dragon Warrior ships were made of and would probably last long after most of the planet was gone.

  The balcony had been built into the castle wall, so it was shielded instead of sticking out from the rest of the structure. Still, they would have gotten soaked if she hadn’t thrown up a magical barrier to shield them. The rain came down hard and fast, but Amari could still see the Alliance outpost toward the left. In the opposite direction was Rego Palace, an imposing stone structure that had stood in place for centuries. Recently, Amari and Eden had added to it, so the massive palace had nearly doubled in size.

  The palace had been the birthplace of her mother and was currently where Lord Malik Rego reigned with his Helios mate, Reva. There were several other Regos residing in the palace, along with other warriors and females, some who had recently been saved from captivity. Although there were centuries separating Amari and the Tarins, she considered all of the Regos close family now.

  And she protected her family...those who were worthy, at least.

  She hoped they never discovered just how far she would go to protect them.

  There was a large forest that spanned the area between Amari and Eden’s castle and Rego Palace. The dark mass covered land that had once been barren, and there was also a well-sized lake close to the palace which was fed by a river that had been redirected through the mountain. The forest had been a recent gift from the Nazira sisters to the Regos, mainly for the Helios shifter. The lush trees, flowers, and other greenery added a splash of vibrancy to the otherwise dark world.

  Through the deluge of rain, she could see into the window openings of Rego Palace. At the moment, the majority of fire lights were out, which meant that most inhabitants were sleeping. Despite the downpour, there were several warriors on the outer wall surrounding the palace, but they’d be relieved by the next set of guards soon. She respected their diligence, though, there was little need for sentries. The civil war that had ravaged the planet had ended, and the planet was at peace for the first time in centuries.

  She enjoyed observing the Regos as they went about their simple lives. It was like seeing a glimpse of her past. At first, it had been difficult for her to believe that her mother had come from such a primitive place, but there was something about the stark, uncomplicated nature of the planet that appealed to her.

  The Tarin were coming into their own age of enlightenment, even if it wasn’t really their choice. Tartarus had been at war for so long, the warriors didn’t know how to deal with the idleness of peace. Most had never traveled to other worlds, so it would be difficult for them to adapt to the technology and customs of other planets. It was too late to stop advancement from happening, even if some of the Tarins might wish it would.

  She couldn’t help but wonder if the Tarins were truly ready for all that was to come. Change was always difficult, but even more so for a world so steeped in tradition and duty. They would find their balance and learn to adapt, and in the process, heal the scars left by
their brutal history.

  In many ways, they reminded her of the Ziturri from long ago, and those similarities brought back the dream that kept haunting her.

  And as she watched the world flash black and red...Amari thought of war.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Flying was a joy beyond compare.

  Amari soared through the sky in her dragon form, a giant creature of black and gold. The glory of speed was exhilarating, while the simple pleasure of being out in the open gave her the freedom she had been craving.

  As an escape from the dark disposition that had plagued her over the last few days, she’d sought the silence found high above the clouds. It was the only place she could truly think when she was on the surface of any planet. She was—and always would be—a solitary creature, and after traveling alone for so many years, she needed space and time to herself.

  Both of those things had been in short supply in recent days.

  It wasn’t that Amari hated people. She just disliked being around them most of the time, and since arriving on Tartarus, she had rarely been alone. Actually, she hadn’t had much solitary time since she’d decided to travel with her sister. Eden had a particular talent for conversation, which meant that she hardly ever stopped talking. It allowed her to thrive in social settings, but it also made her the absolute worst traveling companion in the entire universe.

  Amari enjoyed the Volis Tesera, Tor, and Rego families far more than she had expected, but that didn’t mean she wanted to spend every waking moment with them. Since she and Eden had arrived on Tartarus, there had been an endless stream of invitations. Everyone wanted to get together to do things or celebrate something, even simple meals could turn into a festival that lasted for hours, days even. She didn’t care for parties, but she attended the gatherings since they were all family of sorts now.

  Being around all the people on Tartarus was just so bloody exhausting.

  Furthermore, it was safer for everyone if they limited the time they spent around her, but that wasn’t exactly easy to explain without clarifying why. What was she to say...the possibility of complete and utter destruction was just part of her charm?

  That would certainly be a killer conversation starter.

  She knew they were waiting for her to return, but she still wasn’t in the mood for company. Unfortunately, that really didn’t seem to matter to anyone. At least the past few days had been hers, and she would enjoy these last moments of silence for as long as she possibly could.

  This would be the last chance she had to shift for quite some time since she would be leaving the planet soon. Regrettably, racing through the sky was a pleasure she couldn’t indulge out in space.

  Amari had understood her dragon spirit from the moment she was born, though, the rest of her powers had taken longer to grasp. Dragon Warriors were born with magic, while mates inherited their gifts upon conversion. Unlike most younglings who began to receive their powers when they were between ten and fifteen cycles, she had acquired her magic far earlier than most.

  Although, that was probably due to her slayer-of-worlds-genes.

  Fun times for her.

  Since her magic hadn’t come all at once, there had been a few interesting years while she struggled to learn how to use all of her basic abilities. During those early years, Amari had completely destroyed her family’s vessel, transported herself into a volcano, and turned her skin silver. Then, there was the time she had wanted to watch a star explode while she was standing on it. She had to admit that hadn’t been her wisest decision, but she had survived. Barely.

  She had also blasted herself out of a hole in the shielding of their ship while they were in space...twice. Luckily, one of her fathers had brought her back inside while another had fixed the damage before any real danger had occurred. There had been other mishaps before she’d had complete control of her powers, but her family had kept her safe until she had stopped making such hazardous mistakes.

  She’d been born on her home world, but when she was five years of age, her family had decided to leave the planet to travel the stars as they had before. It had been a good choice, for even as a youngling, Amari had known that she didn’t belong there. Since her first breath, she’d had an issue with rules and following orders. She’d listened to her mother and fathers, but that was due to her love and respect for them.

  Otherwise, when someone told her to walk, she would run...or fly.

  The Naziras had friends and a few other family members on their home world, but nothing had held them there. Once her family had started on their journey, everything had been new and exciting. She loved the quiet of space and enjoyed studying all the information they had in their database on all the races and planets previously discovered.

  Nothing compared to visiting the real thing, though.

  Over the years, her family had visited countless planets, some of which hadn’t been cataloged yet. They’d made contact with other sentient life, battled for various causes, and had even brokered a treaty or two. On a few occasions, they’d discovered secrets hidden beneath the surfaces of barren lands that spoke of a destructive past or a fragile, new beginning.

  Living amongst the stars was incredible, and every day was a new adventure. She enjoyed studying new worlds and returning to old favorites, but it also had its flaws. The constant travel took its toll. Day and night didn’t exist in the dark expanse, nor did sky or sea. Living a life in space held other difficulties, but she’d found that the key to her restlessness was her desire for a real home.

  Unlike other Dragon Warriors, Amari had no desire to spend eternity on her ship. She had lived in palaces, castles, fortresses, and even a cave or two throughout the universe, though, none of those places had ever been permanent. She wanted a real home she could return to no matter how far she traveled. A place where she could watch centuries of sunsets and chase countless dawns and simply be at peace.

  But the truth was she’d never have what she wanted until she found her mate.

  After years of searching, she was beginning to lose hope of finding the one male destiny had chosen for her. That was until she’d been pushed to accompany her sister on the journey to this section of the universe.

  For some reason, Amari had always avoided this entire area. Perhaps she had always known her mate would be born in this time, in this place. Not that she had a clue who the blasted male was, or even what planet he was from. That would be far too easy, and life—particularly hers—was never that simple.

  No one ever said fate was fair.

  Having a male in her life would change everything, and a part of her didn’t like the idea that a male could have such power over her by simply existing. Even as a youngling, she had recognized how extraordinary the mating relationship could be. Her mother and fathers’ love had been evident in every word, every touch, and their connection had only grown stronger as time passed.

  As the years went by, she’d sensed that same profound emotion in all who found their mates. Individuals were seamlessly fused together to make a single unit, and lonely lives were transformed into the ridiculously happy.

  Of all her flaws, her greatest fear was that she wasn’t capable of giving that to someone. Of being that kind of partner, a half to a whole. Love—true love—was an abstract concept to her, but she yearned for it. She wanted that intense, indisputable connection, to belong to someone, and to have him belong only to her.

  It might have been purely selfish to continue looking for her mate. Instead of thinking about what she wanted, she should be focusing on what was best for the male whose life would be forever linked to hers.

  Except, he wasn’t actually real to her.

  She knew he was out there, but he wasn’t hers...not yet.

  There was a darkness inside of her that she shouldn’t risk exposing him to. Nay, that wasn’t exactly true. She didn’t want the one male who mattered most in the universe looking within her, seeing who and what she really was, and finding her lacking.

&
nbsp; Even worse, she didn’t want him to regret.

  Mating might not be a choice, but acceptance and understanding were. Maybe it would all work out, or maybe it wouldn’t. Conjecture wasn’t helping and wishing was merely fanciful. Until she actually met her mate, nothing could be guaranteed.

  Which was why the wait was slowly killing her.

  Shaking off her frustration, she shot through the sky, then flapped her great wings and circled as she saw Rhys below finishing a meal of some type of animal that had foolishly crossed his path. Since he couldn’t go past the mountain range, she had left him there to wander around as she flew beyond. If dragons could smile, she would have as she watched Rhys leave the remnants of his meal to splash in a small pond of dark water, shaking droplet loose from his thick fur as he romped.

  At least he would be clean when they returned to the castle...maybe.

  Rhys looked up, and she felt his humor when he shook his head at her. Turning, he began to run as she circled once more, then followed leisurely, taking her time. She could spend days like this, in the air, with only her friend below, both of them content and relaxed. In fact, they’d spent weeks doing just that, and it had been pure bliss.

  Solitude was an indulgence that didn’t happen when she was traveling with Eden. Since their arrival to this section of the universe, there had been little time for peace and leisure. Not that Amari could fault Eden for the events that had occurred. The mishaps had mostly been her own doing.

  The sisters had been invisible to the Xenon when they’d visited Xenthian, but they had decided to reveal themselves on the first Alliance space station they had gone to in order to truly observe the established bonds between races.

  Scorching suns, that particular visit hadn’t gone well.

  Amari hadn’t quite understood the edicts of Asylum, the Krytos sanctuary on Alpha Station: X21. Truth be told, if the rules stated that no one could assault another within the walls of the refuge, then she had been justified in slaying the Reema who had attacked her. When he had slammed into her, she had realized that he hadn’t actually been striking out at her. He had been projecting hatred as he’d reached for a concealed knife, and Amari had sensed he had planned on delivering a fatal blow.