A low growl rumbles from somewhere nearby, and it should be terrifying, but I find I don't really care. My vision blurs as darkness creeps in around the edges. I want to reach out and touch Soran's wings, but I can't feel my limbs.
The air swirls around me, kicking up dust and debris. A loud and primal roar fills the air as I fall to the ground. I blink again. A giant silver-gray dragon stares down at me, its beautiful iridescent scales glinting in the sunlight.
"Wow, a real-life dragon," I manage to whisper before I close my eyes and fall away into darkness.
Chapter 10
Liana
I'm surrounded by warmth, and a strong and steady rhythm beats beneath my ear. It's so soothing and comfortable, I don't ever want to wake. A small sigh of contentment escapes me as I stretch my arms and legs. I open my eyes to pitch-black nothingness, and my blood runs cold.
I jerk up but stop abruptly as strong arms tighten around my form. A terror-filled cry rips from my throat as I thrash against my captor.
"Liana. It's me. Soran."
Instantly, I still.
His warm hand cups my chin, and he brushes his thumb softly across my cheek.
Relief washes through me, and I blink several times, trying to make out his shape in the darkness.
"Can you see anything?"
"No," I barely manage to speak through my fear. I hate the dark. "Why—why can't I see? Where are we? What happened?"
"An Anguis slaver shot you with a breaking dart."
"A breaking dart?"
"It instantly immobilizes its target. Slavers use it to capture and 'break' their new slaves. It is mostly used on gladiators. It takes away your vision, making it difficult to fight against the masters."
Panic coils tight in my chest as I realize what he's saying. A slave that cannot see is almost completely helpless, making it easier for the masters to break them. "Will I”—my voice catches—“get my vision back?"
His warm hand gently cups the side of my face, and he hesitates a beat before he responds. "You should. It is not meant to be permanent."
Although his reply is no doubt meant to be reassuring, I notice the words he doesn't say: I'm Terran, and he doesn't know how my body will respond to this toxin. It shouldn't be permanent, but it could be.
Realizing I cannot do anything but wait, I clench my jaw and push down my fear, swallowing against the lump in my throat. A cool breeze brushes against my skin, carrying the scent of forest and earth on the wind. Instinctively, I press myself closer against Soran's warm body.
"We're not on the ship, are we."
He runs his hand soothingly across my back. "No. But we are safe. I flew us out into the forest. I've contacted my brother. He will come for us as soon as it is dark. The Krulta was working with the Anguis who shot the dart." His voice is a low rumble of displeasure. "He was a distraction to pull my attention away from you so they could hit you with the dart. They are both dead now, but I doubt they were here alone. And if we are being watched, it is better to wait for nightfall for Rowan to retrieve us."
Breathing in and out through pursed lips, I focus on trying to remain calm. As soon as its dark. That means it's still light outside, and I'm completely blind. Fear and worry twist deep in my gut, but I force myself to ignore it. Panicking won't help anything, and neither will tears.
We are safe. As I repeat these words in my mind, my body begins to believe it. The tense muscles of my neck and shoulders slowly unknot as I relax in Soran's arms. The strange, dream-like image of a silver-gray dragon floats through my mind, and Soran's statement comes into sharp focus. I sit up, turning my head as if to stare at him even though I still cannot see. My brow furrows in confusion. "What do you mean, you flew us into the forest?"
"I had to shift into my draken form to kill the Anguis and his partner and then fly us away from danger."
My jaw drops as I picture the giant winged dragon. I thought it was just a drug-induced dream. "That was you?" I ask, unable to hide the shock in my voice that I'm pretty sure is also visible in my expression. "You're a dragon?"
"Draken," he corrects, emphasizing the hard K sound. "My battle form."
My jaw drops even lower. "You can change forms?" My voice rises in pitch on the last word.
"Of course. Many species can," he says as if it's the most obvious thing in the world.
"So, why haven't you ever shifted before now?"
"There is no need to shift on the glider. And my draken form is much larger than my current one. Too large for me to risk shifting on most space stations." His voice carries an air of regret as he continues. "I'm certain I destroyed all the vendor stands around us when I shifted, but at least no one was harmed besides our enemies."
Gently, he tightens his grip around my form as he leans back a bit, pulling me with him. I'm sitting on his lap with my legs across his thighs, and the fact that he's relaxed reassures me that his words are true. We are safe. For now. And that's enough for me to allow myself to melt into his embrace.
His strong arms are wrapped around me, and it feels like the most natural thing in the world. I rest my cheek against his chest and breathe in his masculine scent—a strange mixture of earth and spice, something close to ginger. It's only now that I realize his top is bare. I pull back slightly. "What happened to your tunic?"
"When I shifted into battle form it shredded all my clothing."
"Oh," I reply, mildly shocked that he's not wearing any clothes. But, it's not like I can see anything. Besides, it doesn't matter. It's Soran, and I trust him. With a small nod, I allow myself to relax back against his chest. "Thank you for saving me, Soran."
"You should not thank me." His voice is thick with regret. "It is my fault you were almost taken. I...I was distracted. I should have been more vigilant."
I gently place my hand to his chest. His heart beats steadily beneath my open palm in a reassuring rhythm. "You shouldn't blame yourself. You saved me. That's all that matters."
He gently covers my hand with his. "Rest if you are tired. I will keep watch."
Knowing that he can shift into draken form in an instant, I have complete faith in his ability to defend us from danger. I shake my head, thinking of how wrong it all could have gone. "Thank god they didn't hit you with the dart as well," I add.
"It would have taken more than one to knock me down and affect my vision."
"How do you know that?"
"The masters used breaking darts on me several times...in the beginning. The first was so they could implant the chip to prevent me from shifting into my draken form to escape them."
My mouth drifts open slightly before I quickly snap it shut. "You were a slave?"
"Yes. I was a gladiator in the arena for three cycles before Rowan rescued me."
A heavy silence settles around his words, and I trace my hand up his arm to gently cup his face. I heard horror stories from many of the other slaves about the sheer brutality of the gladiator rings. I run the pad of my thumb lightly across the sharp ridge of his left cheek. "You should have told me, Soran."
He shakes his head. "It... What happens to slaves is unspeakable. And I did not want to burden you with my painful memories because I know that you carry your own."
His words strike a chord in my heart, and I squeeze my eyes shut against the tears that would come if I let them. A reply forms in my mind but is quickly discarded before it reaches my lips. How inadequate is speech in describing my pain? Raw emotion like this is felt deep in the soul, understood at the most primal core of one's being in a way that the highly evolved part of the brain can barely manage to comprehend.
I understand his pain, and now I know that he understands mine. He tightens his arms a bit more around me as he rests his chin lightly atop my head.
"How did you get taken?" I ask softly.
He's silent for so long, I wonder if he will answer. When he finally does, his voice is thick with emotion. "The night my father died saving us, I stayed behind with him to fight our attacker
s. I loved my father and I knew he did not stand a chance alone. We held the door as long as we could while my mother, Caryn, and Rowan escaped on the transport. When our enemies finally forced their way in, we fought until we could fight no more. There were too many of them. They executed my father in front of me." Deep sadness fills his tone. "Before he died, he begged them to spare my life. They sold me to slavers but lied to my family, telling them I'd been killed along with my father."
"How did Rowan find you?"
With my hands on either side of his face, I can feel the hint of a smile that curves his lips beneath my fingers. "My brother is the only one who never believed I was dead. He insisted that he would have felt it if it were true. After my mother regained her throne, they captured one of the original assassins who had been sent to kill our family. Rowan tortured him until he gave up the truth."
Warm tears slip down my cheeks as I imagine all he went through. To see his father murdered before his eyes... "I'm so sorry."
He wraps his arms a bit tighter around me. "Thank you," he whispers softly.
We sit together in shared silence. My upper body moves with each gentle rise and fall of his chest. This closeness between us is neither awkward nor uncomfortable. I trace my hand down to his shoulder and arm, my fingers gliding over the smooth, silken texture of his scales.
I've often wondered how they would feel. Perhaps my lack of vision is the reason I’m not nervous to explore, because I cannot see his expression as I study him, learning him through touch. "Your scales are much softer than I thought they'd be," I whisper, more to myself than to him.
He surprises me by giving my hand a gentle squeeze before lightly brushing the tips of his fingers across my cheek. "You are soft as well."
His heart beats beneath my ear as my thumb traces a lazy circle on his forearm. A small smile tugs at my lips. "Dragons are myths on my world, you know. When I was a child, my mom used to read me a story about a princess and her dragon."
"Dragon." He repeats the word, drawing out the G. "That is the Terran word for my draken form?"
"Yes."
"Strange that it is so similar to the word used by my people," he says, and I notice the slight hesitance in his voice. "Tell me more about these myths."
I shrug. "Well, dragons were these ancient—“ I hesitate a moment, not wanting to say the word, but finally realizing that I don't want to hold anything back from him either. "Monsters."
He stills.
I continue. "In one of the stories I remember from my childhood, the dragon wanted the princess, but her parents, the king and queen, hid her away from him, fearing for her safety. So, he burned the castle and the entire village to the ground before one of the knights—a warrior”—I make sure to use a term he'll understand—“finally slayed him."
He's quiet for so long, I start to worry that I may have offended him. I decide to tell him a different variation of the fairy tale. "My favorite version of the legend, however, was the one my mom used to tell me often."
"And what was that?" he asks.
"In that story, the dragon was in love with the princess and she with him. He rescued her from the evil knight that wanted to force her into bonding. And they lived happily ever after high up in the mountains in the dragon's cave."
His muscles tense beneath me.
Panic skitters up my spine. "What's wrong?"
"The ship is almost here."
Holding my breath, I strain to listen for any sounds but hear nothing. "I don't hear—” I start to say, but stop abruptly as a faint, rumbling noise fills the air.
It grows louder, moving closer to our position. Even though I cannot see, I turn my head in the direction of the sound while holding tightly to Soran. "Is that the glider?"
"Yes."
The wind whips up around us, kicking up dust and debris. Soran twists, shielding me with his larger form.
A low thud sounds, and the ground trembles slightly beneath us as the glider touches down on the forest floor.
Soran carefully lifts me back into his arms as if I weigh nothing, cradling me close to his chest. I wrap my arms around his neck, blinking my eyes as if that will somehow magically clear my vision.
It doesn't, of course, so I use my other senses to tell me what's happening around us.
His footsteps echo loudly up the ramp. The sharp click and subtle hiss of the airlock opening is quickly followed by Tr'lani's cry. "Thank the Creator you're all right! Can you see anything?"
I squeeze my eyes shut, saying a silent prayer in my mind, but when I open them again, there's still nothing but darkness. I shake my head. "The toxin hasn't worn off yet."
Rowan pats my shoulder, and I only know it's him because he says, "Do not worry, Liana. You are safe, and your vision will return soon."
"Yes," Tr'lani adds. A low electric hum buzzes lightly around my head, and I realize she must be scanning me as we speak. "It shouldn't be more than a few hours now."
Hope fills me. "You're sure?"
The scanner chimes loudly to indicate it's done. "Yes," she replies, and I smile at the complete confidence in her voice.
"You're certain you weren't tracked here?" Soran asks, a slight edge to his tone. "Why didn't you wait until dark?"
"We need to get off this rock as soon as possible," Rowan replies. "Tr'lani and I scanned the channels while we waited on the ship. An A'kai cruiser is on its way here to refuel, and I don't want to risk being here when they arrive."
Once we're back in space, I don a headset and continue to scan and flip through the channels, listening for any sign of the A'kai. I don't want to risk being caught unaware. After a few hours, Soran's voice cuts through the static noise in my ear. "We're far enough away from Le'ro. If they were tracking us, we'd know by now."
Despite his reassurance, I'm reluctant to quit, worried I may have missed something. "I'm just going to cycle through the channels once more to be sure."
I can't pilot or check our nav course because I'm still blind. Since listening to the channels for any sign of our enemy is the only thing I can do at the moment, I'm going to make sure I'm thorough, leaving nothing to chance.
By the time I'm finished, the static hum in my ears has gone from annoying to being one of the most pleasant sounds I can imagine because it means we're safe.
Tr'lani helps me to my quarters and waits outside the cleansing room while I shower. When I'm done, she brings me a set of nightclothes that came with my new wardrobe. The shirt and pants are soft as silk against my skin.
She sits beside me on the sofa, and a loud yawn escapes me as I lean against her. "Why am I so tired?"
"It's the effect of the dart wearing off."
My eyelids are heavy, and I allow my head to fall back against the sofa.
Tr'lani moves away from my side and gently guides me to lay down on the cushions. A whisper of fabric glides over my body as she covers me with a blanket. When I turn onto my side, her voice is soft in my ear. "You should rest, Liana. The toxin will metabolize faster that way. And when you wake, you should have your vision again."
Even though I don't like the idea of being alone, in the dark, I'm too tired to reply. I close my eyes and fall away into sleep.
Chapter 11
Liana
Lying on the soft blanket of grass, I stare up at the stars.
"Can I go with you next time, Aunt Liana?" a small voice asks, and I smile as I turn to find my niece Elizabeth beside me.
Reaching across, I take her small hand in mine, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Maybe when you're older, my angel."
Thunder rumbles loudly overhead. A streak of lightning flashes as dark clouds twist and roll across the sky, blocking the light from the stars.
"We need to find shelter."
I sit up and blink in surprise as the image falls away. "Elizabeth?" I call out, but she isn't here, and no one answers.
Jumping to my feet, I turn and inhale sharply when I see Talel stalking toward me.
Obsidian eyes lo
ck onto mine with a predatory gaze as long, sharp fangs extend from his mouth.
Knowing his inhuman speed makes him far too fast for me to even think I'd have a chance if I ran away now, I stand my ground. My hands tremble at my sides as I curl them into fists, bracing for his attack. Clenching my jaw, I meet his gaze evenly. I will not be killed without a fight.
With an explosion of movement, he lunges forward. I cry out as my body instinctively reacts in defense. Strong arms wrap around me, and I thrash and struggle against his hold. "No!"
"Liana, wake up!"
My eyes snap open to pitch-black nothingness.
"Liana, you're safe." Soran's voice cuts through the darkness. "It was a nightmare. You're safe."
Panting heavily, I place a hand over my chest as if to still my rapidly beating heart. "Lights on," I call out, but nothing happens. "Lights—”
He touches my arm. "They are already on."
Inhaling sharply, I bring my hands to my face. My fingers trace over my eyelids as they flutter open and closed. "I still can't see." My voice quavers as I struggle to contain my panic. "Why can't I see?"
His warm hands cover mine, pulling them gently from my face. "You were only asleep for half an hour. Your sight will come back," he says softly. "Just give it some time."
Shakily, I nod. I've never felt so vulnerable before. "How long have you been here?"
"I came as soon as Tr'lani left. I wanted to be here when you woke up, in case you needed something or if your vision was not yet returned."
Carefully, I reach out toward the sound of his voice. His hand finds mine a moment later, and I move closer to him on the sofa.
His body stills as I lift his arm and wrap it around my shoulder before I nestle into his side. I drop my head to his solid chest as an unbidden tear escapes my lashes and rolls gently down my cheek. Emotions lodge in my throat, and I'm unable to speak.
We sit together in shared silence and it is neither uncomfortable nor strange. Soran makes me feel safe. I relax, allowing myself to melt against him.
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