by D T Dyllin
“It’s not. But if you don’t want any, more for me.”
My stomach chose that exact moment to growl. Scowling, I flopped down beside Kade, crossing my legs. “Maybe it won’t be that bad.” Although I seriously had doubts. Mind over body. Your body needs food, and beggars can’t be choosers. Just eat it.
I fidgeted anxiously as Kade continued to prepare our dinner. “You never did share your plan with me.”
He shifted, glancing at me from the corner of his eye. “What plan?”
Is he serious? “The plan of how we’re getting off this planet without a ship of any kind.”
“That’s because I don’t have one. An opportunity will present itself.”
Apparently, he is serious. Great. Just great. I ground my teeth together. “And if nothing presents itself?”
“It will. Stop worrying.” Kade bit into the corner of the cooked meat, grimacing. “It’s not the best thing I’ve ever tasted, but it’ll do.” He held the stick with charred lizard remains in front of my face. “Go ahead, eat up.”
“You expect me to eat it like this?”
Grunting, he took another bite from his side, his gaze glinting with challenge. “Didn’t realize you were so spoiled, Smurfette. You want me to fashion some proper eating utensils out of wood, and cut it up into little bite-sized pieces for you?”
Anger heated my skin. “Stop calling me that.” With a snarl, I bit into the meat, tearing off a piece with difficultly. I chewed rapidly, nearly choking when I attempted to swallow it. The flavor was rancid, leaving a sour aftertaste on my tongue. Reflexively, I bent over, spitting onto the ground. “That is horrible!”
Kade threw his head back, his laugh rumbling through the night air. “The expression on your face was almost worth the taste of this thing.” He flung the stick with the meat into the fire, and I watched it shrivel to a blackened husk. “Here.”
I glanced from the fire to something shiny in his hand with bewilderment, and then back again. The pieces all seemed to fit, but it just didn’t make sense that he’d actually do such a thing. “You … you had protein rations the entire time, and you cooked that thing just to screw with me?”
Kade shrugged, grinning wide enough to showcase his dimples. “I couldn’t resist.”
I blinked rapidly, embarrassment and anger warring within me. “You cooked that thing and made me eat it.” Pawing at my tongue, I spat on the ground again before lifting my chin up, anger finally winning out. “You made me eat that foul tasting—” I was already launched in the air, my hands outstretched like claws before I made the conscious decision to move. Landing on top of Kade, I scratched at him in a fury. “We’re in a life and death situation, and you’re playing practical jokes on me!”
With ease, Kade snagged my wrists and twisted them behind my back. His eyes glowed from within, the golden light causing his features to hollow out. “Watch it, little one. I thought we already went over the fact that unless you want to turn me on, don’t play rough.”
I stilled, my breath hitching as my hearts threatened to burst from my ribcage. A torrent of lust cascaded through me, washing away all traces of anger. “Maybe I want to play rough.” The thought of it intrigued me. I wasn’t untouched. I’d had several Galvraron sexual partners before my grand escape to The Pittsburgh. But those had been for the sole purpose of experimentation. I’d never burned for another creature the way I did for Kade.
“You don’t even know what I am,” he growled, even though his grip on me tightened. “You’re so overcome with all the new emotions that thing is making you feel, you didn’t put it together yet.”
I ground down on the bulge in his pants, wrenching a groan from him, which sent a shiver of pleasure through me. “Put what together?” I murmured, leaning forward to brush my lips along his jaw. My nostrils filled with his sweet scent, and I moaned, wanting to surround myself with all things Kade.
He stood abruptly, dumping me on my ass. “Exactly. You have no control over your own body right now, and as much as I might want to find out exactly what color your skin would be after I fuck you all night long,” he shook his head, backing up a few steps, “I won’t take advantage of you when you’re not in your right mind.”
Kade stalked off into the dark forest, branches and twigs snapping in his wake. Staring after him, I attempted to make sense of what just happened. I’d thrown myself at him, quite literally, and he’d dumped me on my ass. A lump formed in my throat as anger and embarrassment replaced my lust.
But wait. What did he say? Something about me not putting the pieces together, and not knowing what he was. I considered what he’d said, reaching up to stroke Tinka, who was gone.
“Great.” Picking up the discarded protein ration, I tore the wrapper off and shoved the entire thing in my mouth at once. My thoughts flittered around as I tried to make sense of things. But before I could figure out exactly how the puzzle fit together, the warm fire and my full belly pulled me back into oblivion.
“What are you going to do to him, Mikla?”
My brother ignored my question, his focus on the shiny, and scary looking instruments he was gathering from the cart in front of him.
“Mikla, please. I merely want to know for—”
“You don’t fool me, Zula. Your curiosity is not what it should be. You care about the boy.”
“No … no, I don’t.” But it was true. It wasn’t scientific curiosity driving me to seek out knowledge on what was being done to Mikla’s patient—it was worry.
My brother crouched down so his gaze was level with mine. His expression was cold and disdainful, his eyes burning with contempt. “I’m going to help him be more. Not because I care, but because if I’m successful it will further our knowledge … and that’s the only thing you should ever be concerned about—furthering your knowledge.”
Mikla stood abruptly, gathering his tray of tools. “Remember, science is our god. And we worship it by acquiring knowledge.”
My lower lip trembled as I watched my brother enter the patient’s room on the right. Screams of agony pierced the silence, jump-starting my duel pulse. I covered my ears with my hands, sinking to my knees.
I drifted back to consciousness slowly, my mind circling the piece of memory I’d just dreamt. Over the years, I’d been witness to countless experiments done by my brother. He was highly admired for his scientific discoveries among my people. It didn’t matter how many lines he’d crossed, or morality issues he’d disregarded. None of those things mattered as long as he kept furthering our knowledge.
“Hey, Smurfette, rise and shine. I want to get moving before it heats up again.”
Ignoring his verbal jab, I forced myself to move. Sitting up, I stretched my sore muscles and blinked away the sleep from my blurry eyes. “Any more protein rations?”
“We’ll eat once we’re on our way.”
Rolling my eyes, I stood. “Fine, whatever.” I glanced around the clearing. “Have you seen Tinka?”
“Nope.”
“Oh. I guess she went back to wherever she came from.” It made sense that she wouldn’t stay with me indefinitely, but I’d grown attached to her already. Damn out of control emotions.
“Don’t sound so glum, Smurfette, you still have me.”
“Lucky me.” Closing my eyes, I counted to ten. It was clear Kade was attempting to rile me up with his repeated use of Smurfette.
“Well, come on, let’s get a move on, Smurfette.”
My eyes snapped open, annoyance pinging through my system. Somehow, I managed to keep my mouth shut though. “Lead the way,” I growled.
Chuckling, Kade sauntered off ahead of me, and I followed, because really, what choice did I have?
“Figure it out yet?” Kade asked.
Grunting, I kept my gaze scanning along the forest as we trudged through it, part of me hoping to see Tinka.
“Stop worrying about that stupid little Xemur.”
“I liked her.”
“It’s not like we
could have taken her with us.”
I knew that part was true. It would be illogical to take her from her home, but … but what if something happened to her on Zeffrin? I mean, she probably wouldn’t have survived past yesterday if not for Kade’s sharpshooting. I wanted to protect her.
“I’ll give you a clue.” Kade hummed the same lilting tune as he had the night before.
“Clue to what?” I huffed.
“Just figure out where you’ve heard this before.” Kade hummed louder, the notes harsher, his frustration making itself evident in the music.
Tilting my head, I listened, the knowledge of the song just out of reach. I threw my hands up in the air, smacking one against a tree branch. “Ow.” I rubbed my hand. “I give up. I’m mentally and emotionally challenged at the moment, as you well know. How about just telling me instead of being so cryptic.”
Kade halted abruptly, and I nearly ran into his back. He whirled around, his hands resting loosely on my shoulders as he leaned down to whisper in my ear, “Studies have shown that music can help relax the mind and body. It can help you sleep, and it can also help ease pain if the right notes are hit.”
“Oh!” Stumbling away from him, my hand shot up to cover my mouth, my eyes as wide as they would go. The memory slammed into me completely unbidden, triggered by his words.
I waited until my brother had left, and then I crept into the boy’s room. He lay curled up in the center of his bed, various machines attached to his arms and legs. His eyes darted to me as I approached.
“It’s okay,” I said. “I want to help you.”
“You again. Get it through your head. That’s why I’m here. My father needs me to be better. I want it, too.”
I nibbled my bottom lip. I still had so much to learn, I was only twelve after all, but I knew about parental expectations. The boy, maybe a few years older than me, was a Talsen, a breed of warrior-like men. But this Talsen was small and weak, which was why he was here. His father, someone important amongst his people, had been desperate when his only son was born with perceived defects. My brother, Mikla, was tasked with fixing him.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I smiled. “I’m Zula, Mikla’s sister. I never introduced myself before.”
“Sister? Are you sure? His face doesn’t seem to move the way yours does. Does he even know what a smile is?”
I laughed, sobering quickly. “I’m not supposed to be here, so I have to be fast. I wanted to tell you something.” I gulped, hoping he would take me seriously. Talsen believed in the sciences, but what I was about to suggest was a bit beyond what someone like him might accept. “Studies have shown that music can help relax the mind and body. It can help you sleep, and it can also help ease pain if the right notes are hit.”
“Okaaaay,” he drawled, his golden eyes studying me with puzzlement.
“Try this …” I hummed the tune I’d made up, composed of carefully researched pitches, the tone meant to relax the nervous system.
“Is this a girl thing?”
“What?”
He waved his hand at me, the tube attached to his arm jiggling. “Well, it seems like it’s a girl thing. I don’t know much about girls. Talsen can only reproduce males, so we don’t have sisters.”
“I know about your kind. Talsen men’s DNA holds strong, and no matter the species of female he mates with, it produces another Talsen who holds the characteristics of his father, strong and warrior-like, with aspects of his mother.” I eyed his dark skin, wondering what his mother was.
“Yeah, but I’m not strong, am I? That’s what your brother is going to fix.”
“And I’m not going to stop him. I simply want to help.” I began humming again, and the boy groaned.
Snapping back to the present, I met Kade’s expectant gaze. He watched me closely, waiting for my reaction. “It worked. Mikla’s treatments worked. And after all this time you remember the song I made up for you.”
“It got me through some rough times.”
My stomach flipped. “It did? I was under the impression you thought it was silly.” I had so many questions. Here stood the scrawny, sick Talsen boy, the one I’d felt compelled to help as a child—probably because I’d identified with him on some level—and I never would have guessed who he was. Of course, I’d never even known his name, despite the lasting impression he’d left on me.
“Maybe at first I did, but once the treatments progressed I was willing to try anything. I thought a lot about you during those dark days. I always wondered what happened to you. If you grew up to be like your brother.”
I sputtered around a laugh. “No. I could never be like him. I could never be like any of them. It’s why I left …” Shifting, I curled my arms around my middle. “I was punished for visiting you. My brother didn’t like what I’d done, and he told my parents. He didn’t even know about the song part.”
“You were punished for visiting me?”
“Yes, I was punished for being compassionate. They didn’t like the idea of me comforting or caring for a strange boy in any way. Science is all that matters to them. Sure, they helped you, but it benefitted them as well. Galvrarons don’t do acts of kindness.”
Kade crowded into my personal space, his breath tickling my cheeks. “You do.”
“Yes, I do. And like I said before, I’m not a normal Galvraron. Or rather, I’m a throwback to our kind before we became the species we are now. The new genetic coding didn’t hold true with me. I was born with several defects, some fixable,” I rubbed my sternum, my second heart thudding softly, “and others not.”
“No, you’re not normal. You’re better. Much better,” he rumbled, his thumb swiping across my jaw.
Goose bumps prickled along my skin in quick succession, despite the heat. “You have no idea how much it means to me to hear you say that—that I made a positive difference with my compassion. My family made it seem like I should be ashamed, like it was a bad thing. I learned they were wrong, but … but I-I needed to hear that.” Shit. I was rambling and saying things I didn’t want to share. How … embarrassing. I knew why.
Something I’d learned long ago was that emotions loosened the tongue on things logic demanded be kept tightly wound. Emotions also sprung attachments into existence where they didn’t make sense. Like with Tinka … and now Kade. Nothing had actually changed between the Talsen and me, except for the knowledge that I’d met him as a child. There was no real connection between us, and yet my heart screamed that maybe we understood each other on a deeper level, and understanding was something I’d yearned for my entire life.
Warmth bloomed within me that had nothing to do with body temperature. “Kiss me,” I murmured, the words spilling from my irrationally driven body. He didn’t laugh after all. He memorized the song I made for him, even though I forgot.
Kade swayed towards me, his golden gaze focused on my lips as I licked them in invitation. “You still don’t know what I am, what your brother did to make me like this.”
“Why is all of that … this so important to you?” He obviously had motivations for taking the job of returning me to my parents. He’d been tracking me, listening in on all the conversations that took place on The Pittsburgh. Why? Was it some kind of twisted childhood obsession, or was he merely curious? Of course, there was always the slight chance that it was all a coincidence. He could have accepted the job being familiar with my family, and now faced with spending time with me on Zeffrin, he was simply overcome with the urge to drudge up the past.
His head dipped closer, his nose touching mine. “I wasn’t meant to be like this.”
“Like what?” Our breath intermingled, the taste of him so close I wanted to take it. However, I clung to the last bit of restraint I had left.
“Your brother fixed me, but at a cost. A steep cost.” His hand slid into my hair, tightening into a fist.
“Tell me.” My trembling fingers pushed into the waistband of his pants, brushing against smooth skin.
“I can
tell you’re not listening to me. You’re drowning in lust, blind to everything around us. This isn’t who you are.”
“But it is. These feeling aren’t fabricated by the plate, they’re merely brought to the forefront of my consciousness where I can’t ignore them.”
“And what happens when the plate is removed?”
Pushing farther into his pants, I shivered with delight. “I don’t care.”
A low growl rumbled in his chest. “Of course you don’t … now.”
“Why do you care if I care? Once you get your bounty you’re going to leave anyhow. What difference does any of this make to you?”
He broke away from me, whirling around, his shoulders hunched as he ran his hands through his hair. “I’ve never been with a woman.”
My mouth dropped open, hanging with uncertainty. “What? That can’t be true.”
He turned, his face in profile, his chin tipped low. “I wouldn’t lie about something like that. It’s not normal Talsen behavior. As I’m sure you’re aware, we’re known for womanizing.”
“D-do you like men?” Please say no.
“Are you a man? Because I’m pretty sure you just felt how much I want you.”
Thank the stars. I knew I probably wouldn’t care once I was back to normal, but at the moment I couldn’t stand the thought of Kade being unavailable to me sexually. “Then why?”
Snarling, Kade ground out, “Because your brother used dragon DNA to make me what I am today. Only after he was finished did he warn me of the side effects.”
Dragon DNA? Where the hell did Mikla get Dragon DNA? Not that it mattered. It sounded exactly like something my brother would do. Science before morality; results before compassion. “And what are those side effects?” I was afraid of the answer. Dragons were a secretive species who kept to themselves almost exclusively. Even the UGFS didn’t expect them to adhere to any of their policies. They were beyond rules, both natural and unnatural.
“Your brother told me that if I had sex with someone I would run the risk of binding myself to them permanently, although he wasn’t sure of the exact details. He said dragons bond for life. Their very long life.”