The Fifth Moon’s Dragon

by Monica La Porta

  “Follow me,” Valerian said over his shoulder, exiting the van.

  “I’d never hurt him.” Somehow, it was important that Dragon’s friend knew.

  Valerian halted mid-step and turned. With his cold stare and stony expression, the Academy would have immediately hired him as an interrogator. He studied her a long while, not moving a muscle or giving away any emotion. Finally, he slightly tilted his head in a nod. “I believe you.”

  His approval made her feel good. It shouldn’t have mattered what this man thought of her, but it did and confused Jade.

  The corner of his upper lip curved up and his black eyes lit. “I would’ve thrown you out of the car otherwise.”

  Jade couldn’t help but smile back.

  They walked to the glass entrance, but before he stepped into the aviary, Valerian paused and said over his shoulder, “We all make sacrifices for the ones we love.” He seemed to think about his next words, then added, “Sometimes, it’s best to negate our sentiments and disappear for the greater good.” He crossed the threshold and headed inside.

  Jade was still considering his statement when she thought she heard him saying something that sounded like, “I wish I could—” but it was a mere whisper and he was several steps ahead of her already.

  The veterinarian bay occupied the back of the aviary, tunneling its way through the rock interior of the natural dome. Ventilation shafts and mirrors kept the place airy and well-lit. Draglets rested inside their nests hanging from metal beams while nurses and medicus flew around on small clockwork scooters.

  Jade’s eyes zeroed in on Dragon’s monumental form right away. His back to her, he was inside one of the fenced pens, talking to a medicus. Carellian lay on a short pallet, pushing his head against Dragon’s hand, demanding to be petted.

  She hadn’t moved yet, but Dragon turned and their eyes met. The same electric charge she had experienced when he brushed her fingers earlier shot through her body as if they had touched. His eyes widened, and she knew he felt it, too.

  Unable to avert her gaze, she walked toward him, pulled by a force she couldn’t fight. She knew her only hope of salvation was to go far away from him. Otherwise, she would end up accepting anything to be with Dragon. Even living the rest of her life feeding her heart on the scraps left over from his brides. Still, she was powerless to stop.

  “How is Carellian?” she asked outside of the draglet’s pen, not daring to step any closer.

  Carellian’s head shot up at hearing her voice and craned his neck toward her.

  “He’s fine and will be flying in no time,” Dragon answered, a big smile illuminating his beautiful face.

  The draglet whined because Jade was still out of reach, prompting her to walk the few steps needed to close the gap. Carellian pushed his head against her side, and she obliged him, patting his iridescent-blue feathers which made him purr out loud.

  “He’s his usual self, I see,” Valerian said, laughing. “The High Lord’s spoiled brat, looking for attention.”

  Dragon’s grin widened. “I’ve been told that Contessa has been raising hell to be brought over to Carellian.”

  “That’s true, Sir Valerian,” the medicus said, pointing at the other end of the aviary.

  Jade followed the medicus’ gaze and saw Valerian’s draglet circling inside a section enclosed by an intricate lattice made of wrought iron. Contessa hissed at the two draglets who foolishly approached her from outside.

  Valerian harrumphed, but a smile still graced his otherwise stern face, making him look different, almost approachable. “Women—” He shrugged.

  “It would be better if you could take her out to work off some of her energy with a good, long flight.” The medicus squinted at Valerian with an expectant expression.

  “I need to resume patrol anyway,” Valerian said, exchanging a look with Dragon, who nodded.

  Valerian lowered his chin, tilting his head slightly to the side before leaving. As he turned, he spared a glance for Jade, and she almost heard him say, “Remember my words,” such was the intensity of his look.

  Dragon thanked the medicus, whispered a few words to Carellian, then nodded at Jade. “Let’s go,” he said to her.

  Carellian demanded another rub before consenting to let her go. Dragon led the way and she silently walked at his side. Any time his arm brushed hers, goosebumps rose all over her body. They reached the aircar outside, and Dragon let out a chuckle.

  “It doesn’t get any more non-descript than a delivery van, does it?” he asked, shaking his head.

  “It would’ve fooled me for sure,” Jade said. “I would’ve never looked for you in one.”

  “Let’s go.” He held the door for her and helped her inside.

  The moment the aircar opened its lateral wings and departed, leaving Sol Palace behind, a tight vice enveloped her heart, squeezing the breath out of her lungs.

  36

  The flight to his personal spaceport was another short ride Dragon wished would take longer.

  So many unspoken words lay between them, crowding the space inside the aircar until he couldn’t bear the silence any longer.

  He removed one hand from the driving lever and placed it on her thigh. “I still don’t want you to go.”

  Shivers ran along her body, and she gulped. He felt her reaction as if it were his own.

  “I have no choice,” she whispered.

  “You do, but are too stubborn to see otherwise.” His hand slowly caressed her leg.

  The pants Valerian chose for her were made of a sturdy cotton, but despite the fabric, he could still feel her skin underneath, heating under his touch.

  He could stall the aircar in autopilot and remove her clothes to have her one last time before he let her go. “Jade—” Desire burned brightly inside him, suggesting he go back on his word. He could cage her inside his quarters until she succumbed to the inevitable and accepted they couldn’t live apart.

  “I have no choice,” she repeated, louder, putting a halt to his train of thought.

  He removed his hand from her leg to pass it over his jaw, frustration eating at him.

  Jade angled in the seat, turning sideways toward him and opened her mouth to speak. Her words were drowned by the sound of the heavy artillery of a machine gun firing at them.

  The glass on her side was riddled with a hail of ammunition, and he thanked his decision a few years ago to fit all the court’s vehicles with bulletproof glass.

  Hovering in the sky, a lonely, winged figure took aim at them and shot again, directing the fire power at the same spot he had already hit. Cracks appeared on the window.

  Dragon jerked the lever and steered the aircar away from the assassin. With the corner of his eye, he saw Jade’s hand reaching for the door. He realized what she wanted to do and leaned to grab her elbow before she would jump out.

  There was no time to yell at her, but he tightened his hold to let Jade know he wouldn’t let go of her.

  “I can keep him busy while you fly back and ask for help,” she said over the loud shooting.

  “The assassin isn’t going to hang around once he gets hold of you,” he answered, pressing the gear button and switching from automatic to manual. The van wasn’t one of the faster vehicles in his fleet, but it could achieve a decent speed in the hands of a capable pilot.

  “Are there any weapons I can use?” Jade asked, sitting back in her seat.

  He shook his head, driving the van toward the next Rocky Dome in sight. He would use the geography of his realm to lose their pursuer.

  “Hang tight,” he warned Jade before sending their ride into a tilt as they entered the narrow valley shadowed by the Cathedral and the Twin, the tallest of the Rocky Domes in the region. With their canyons and hidden valleys, the Cathedral and the Twin were a sanctuary for wild draglets. The harsh terrains and rugged peaks made the two domes the perfect habitat for the draglets, but it was highly dangerous to drive between them. At several points, the monoliths leaned agai
nst each other with no flying space left to maneuver, but Dragon counted on that to get rid of the assassin.

  “Is it the same one from yesterday?” he asked, maneuvering closer to the Cathedral while keeping an eye on the rearview mirror.

  She didn’t hesitate. “Yes, that’s Maarlo.”

  “Then the Academy now knows for sure that you’re alive and with me,” he voiced his conclusion out loud.

  “And that I have no intention of killing you,” she added.

  “He also knew where to look for—”

  A volley of bullets hit the rear glass, interrupting him.

  Jade turned and swore. “He’s switched artillery.”

  Miniature wings protruded from the bullets that had burrowed their sharp points into the window. The wings started rotating faster and faster as the ammunition screwed itself deeper inside the glass.

  “The good news is that he can’t carry many of the winged bullets because they are twenty times heavier than regular ammunition,” she said.

  “And the bad news?”

  “Winged bullets can perforate steel.”

  Dragon was still waiting for something to go right today, but it seemed that there was no end to his bad luck lately.

  “How long does it take for one of them to go through bulletproof glass?” He steered the aircar once again toward a rocky arch connecting the two domes.

  “Ten minutes at the most, probably less because he’s already compromised the integrity of the surface.”

  He nodded, changing gears as he crossed under the arch and hung a sharp right, entering a windy canyon.

  The assassin followed them easily enough, but when the first gust hit his wings, he was jerked backward. His gun went off, wasting a round of ammunition.

  “Hopefully, they were winged bullets,” Jade said as she kept looking from the front to the rear of the van, her head whipping back and forth.

  “We can only hope.” As far as he was concerned, he was due some luck by now.

  The assassin adjusted his aim with the next shot and hit them squarely on Jade’s side, cracking the side window until it sported a web of lines radiating from the impact points.

  “No winged bullets,” Jade exulted.

  Dragon changed gears again, pushing the van to its highest speed yet before entering a valley. His intention was to lure the assassin into the open space before leading him inside the Death Canyon. The gorge was named after a group of teenagers who lost their lives on a dare. The elusive terrain lured inexperienced drivers into its meanderings that appeared safe enough to fly through at first glance, but high winds and the water cascading from the top of the Twin ran through its nooks and crannies. Fed by the winter snows, a beautiful waterfall fell along the wall of the Rocky Dome, splashing the Cathedral. During summer, a strong gale filled the narrow passages of the canyon and it would form a channel of water in a matter of seconds. The unfortunate teenagers were driving airbikes when they drowned several dozen meters above the river.

  Dragon tuned his ears on the combined sounds of gurgling water and whistling wind. “You might want to take a good breath,” he said before giving the riddled windows a brief glance, then forged ahead toward one of the tunnels excavated by hundreds of years of slow erosion. “We’re going to get wet soon.”

  Behind, the assassin followed.

  Dragon had chosen that tunnel because it would allow the assassin’s gear through, even though it didn’t accommodate his van’s wingspan—but he had a plan to remedy that. Keeping the same distance between them and their pursuer, Dragon pushed the button to fold the van’s wings in half and activated the propellers that would keep them hovering long enough for him to carry out a risky maneuver. The propellers consumed fossil fuel and weren’t as fast as the clockwork lateral sails, but they would do in a pinch.

  He focused on the rumble ahead of them, slowing his heartbeats as he calculated several scenarios.

  The assassin gained speed on them and took aim at Jade’s side one more time. Bullets hit the glass again and again. The rear window cracked under the relentless action of the winged ammunition that were now sticking inside.

  Reality froze for a few heartbeats. Then in short order, the windows collapsed and thunder shook the vehicle. A wall of water advanced fast toward them. Dragon grabbed Jade and enveloped her in his arms, bracing for the impact that came a moment later.

  “Everything is going to be okay,” he yelled in her ear, holding her closer as they were tossed inside the vehicle and icy water filled the space.

  37

  Contained in Dragon’s strong embrace, Jade looked over his shoulder. Behind them, Maarlo halted his wings, realization etched on his face as the water engulfed him, rendering his clockwork equipment useless and transforming its gear into a hazard in the span of a breath. The current swept him under, dragging him backward.

  Now completely underwater, Dragon pressed his mouth against hers and ensured she breathed through him. She was freezing already, but his body was warm enough for the two of them.

  The propellers held under duress, moving the vehicle forward. Meter by meter, the van floated toward the other end of the tunnel, illuminating the way with its frontal lights that cut a visible path through the dark water. Still holding her and without stopping their kiss, he turned to the dashboard and freed one hand to guide the van away from the wall when the current pushed it to the side.

  When he leaned away, Jade’s body temperature dropped. Dragon focused on her, stroking her arms and back. He pumped air into her lungs and kept her awake when she was close to going into thermal shock.

  The van dragged forward, fighting the strong current under Dragon’s guidance as he alternated driving the aircar—now turned into a submarine—and keeping Jade conscious. Several long minutes passed before natural light shone ahead. The last moments felt interminable, but she forced her mind into a state of calm, because she didn’t want to work herself into a panic and consume too much oxygen, putting him in danger.

  The light from outside became brighter, and a moment later, the water level began lowering until the channel emptied. The fuel engines sputtered but propelled the van along until they reached the mouth of the tunnel.

  Dragon’s mouth lingered longer than necessary on hers, his lips curving into a smile against hers. “We made it,” he said, as she resumed breathing on her own.

  She hugged him tightly, not ready to let go, shivering so much her teeth clattered against her tongue.

  “I wish I had time to warm you up properly, but we need to get going, my love.” He nudged her nose before leaving a small peck on its point.

  My love.

  Her heart broke anew and tears filled her eyes before she could do anything to stop them.

  He had called her my love. Jade might have had a pet name when she was little, but the few good memories of her youth were buried deep in her mind. She couldn’t recall anyone ever having termed her with an endearing title.

  She was tired of checking her reactions around him and let her emotions play freely on her face.

  “What’s wrong?” His worried frown made her smile.

  “Nothing’s wrong.” She wiped her tears away as she leaned against his chest, listening to his strong heart, synching her heartbeats with his. “I’ve never been as happy as I am now.”

  He raised an eyebrow. “Is that true?”

  “On my Master Assassin’s honor.”

  Dragon rewarded her attempt at humor with a shake of his head, but his mouth twitched in a grin. “But you are still going to leave me.”

  “But I’m still going to leave you.”

  “I won’t fight your decision.”

  She moved on her seat. “Why?” It was what she wanted, but it didn’t feel right that he would accept her will when he had been opposed until now.

  “Because I didn’t realize earlier that I put you in danger.”

  “How?”

  “I’m still the Academy’s target, and assassins will be sent
after me until I obtain a meeting and successfully negotiate the price for our lives.” He kissed her, a tender brush of her lips. “So, I let you go.” His forehead leaned against hers. “For now.” He smiled. “But we must get to my spaceport as soon as possible,” he added with a sigh.

  Dragon launched the aircar from the ledge jutting a few meters out of the mouth of the tunnel. The propellers smoothed the freefall into a downward glide until the wings fully deployed, and the van jerked forward and up. Finally, they were sailing away from the canyon.

  Frigid wind engulfed the car, and lacking the protection from the windows, her wet clothes stiffened against her skin. Dragon pushed his seat backward, and pulled her into his lap, creating a warm cocoon with his body that ran almost feverish. It was uncanny how he could cater to her without the need for words.

  The rest of the flight was blissfully boring, only clouds and the occasional wild draglet competing for the right of way. No assassin jumped out at them.

  Jade had a lot on her mind and didn’t contribute to the few attempts at conversation that Dragon made, not because she didn’t want to talk to him. On the contrary, she had many questions for him, many things she wanted to say before she left Solaria, and didn’t know where to start. The solid presence of his large body around her was also distraction enough, and made her thoughts wander toward a completely different way to spend their last moments together.

  Then the idea that she would never see him again hit her.

  “Land there.” She pointed at a dome fast approaching on their right. The top was flat and spacious enough for a safe landing.

  Dragon didn’t ask why but immediately veered toward the mountaintop. Before he shut off the engine, Jade turned in his arms, seeking his mouth. His response was heated, his arms snaking to her back, stroking her with possessive caresses, meandering under her shirt. Her hands made short work of his shirt, tearing apart the buttons, then she moved down to the flap on his pants. She couldn’t curb her eagerness to see him naked, but steadied her fingers before she hurt him.