Maarlo didn’t move and beckoned the rebel to come to him.
For a moment, the rebel remained frozen on the spot, and Jade feared he wouldn’t be able to pull it off.
“Closer,” Maarlo commanded.
The rebel pressed the gun against Jade’s back and hissed, “Move.”
Keeping her head down, Jade walked slowly, stumbling on her steps as if she had been drugged.
“Stop,” Maarlo ordered when Jade and her captor were a few meters from him. He raised an eyebrow. “Where is Crane?”
“He was wounded during the attack,” the rebel said, and Jade was relieved that he could keep his voice steady. “We sustained heavy losses but were victorious—”
Disinterest showing on his face, Maarlo shrugged and pointed his chin at Jade. “And how did you manage to take her prisoner?”
The rebel spat to the floor. “The same way we got the High Lord. Crane promised the shifter he would spare the bitch if he surrendered.” He laughed. “And then used the same trick on her, saying he would spare her shifter lover if she surrendered.” He tugged at the rope, jerking Jade back as she turned in anger and stumbled to the side. He raised his gun to her temple. “Did you think we made deals with the likes of you?”
Jade screamed against the tape, and the rebel hit her head, sending her to her knees.
“That’s your rightful place.” The rebel pulled at the rope, making her cry in pain.
“Don’t damage the goods,” Maarlo said, his cruel gaze fixed on her. When she remained on the floor, her head lulling to the side, he asked, “What did you do to her?”
“We had to sedate her—” At Maarlo’s stormy expression, the rebel hurried to add, “Don’t worry, the medicus was careful not to harm the child.”
Maarlo regarded Jade with a long, glacial stare before fixing his prosthetic eyes on the rebel once again. “And the shifters?”
“Locked in the cargo bay,” the rebel answered. “The Front Pro Humanity wants to hold a public trial on Solaria and kill them on their planet. The event will be broadcast all over the Fifth Moon System. What an example it will be for the rest of them—”
“Shut up,” Maarlo said to the rebel, dismissing him. “You, stand up.” He curled his finger, beckoning Jade closer. “Bring her to me,” he ordered, stepping into the corridor.
30
“Come on, come on—” Dragon whispered, his eyes drilling holes on the metal surface in front of him.
The hatch door had been closed for less than five minutes, but it could have been a week to Dragon. His frayed nerves couldn’t take much more as he imagined that the worst was happening on the other side of that wall.
Time seemed to have slowed to a crawl. He paced. His body tensed with every passing second, and his heart raced. If Lewis didn’t open that door soon, Dragon would tear it down with his bare hands.
More seconds passed, stretching his patience to the breaking point.
His soulmate was dealing with a sadistic assassin all by herself, and his mind was running in circles, feeding him the most terrifying scenarios. If Maarlo took Jade with him on his ship, there was no telling what might happen. Dragon would scour the entire universe to get her back, and he would stop at nothing to save her, but the mere idea of Jade alone with that psychopath made Dragon sick.
His inner clock told him that only a minute had passed in real life, and he was sure that he couldn’t go on for another sixty seconds doing nothing. Finally, the slightest hiss resonated from the hatch door. The sound of whirring gears reached his ears, and Dragon placed himself before the opening wall.
A circular hole formed at the center of the unfolding sections of the door. Dragon looked at the scene unveiling inside the landing arm. The rebel lay on the floor. Maarlo was dragging a recalcitrant Jade toward his ship. The assassin looked up. With glowing blue eyes that clicked as he changed his focus, he stared at Dragon for a moment before slapping Jade hard. Jade slumped to the floor. Maarlo grabbed a fistful of her shirt to pull her up. He stepped behind the threshold of the inner chamber that led to his ship, shoving Jade behind him.
Dragon bellowed in anguish. As soon as he could fit his body into the still-opening entrance, he crossed into the landing corridor and sprinted toward Maarlo. Jumping over the unconscious rebel, Dragon launched himself forward as Maarlo pushed the command to close the hatch door.
Dragon hit the closing frame with his shoulder, cleared the door, and rolled inside the inner chamber of Maarlo’s ship. The assassin threw Jade against the wall and stormed to attack Dragon who met him head-on. Maarlo threw a punch that Dragon deflected with his forearm. With a side kick, he threw the assassin off balance and followed with a series of strikes to the man’s throat.
Towering over Maarlo, Dragon raised his knee to finish his opponent with a hammer kick to his solar plexus. At the last moment, Maarlo’s hand came up and jerked Dragon’s foot, sending him to the ground. The roles reversed, it was now the assassin standing over Dragon. Maarlo jumped with both feet and landed heavily on Dragon’s chest. The heels of his boots were reinforced with stainless-steel plates and crushed several ribs.
Steadying his breathing, Dragon moved before Maarlo could hit him a second time and cave his ribcage. A side kick and a hand chop sent the assassin against the wall. Dragon didn’t give him time to react and followed him to the ground, pummeling Maarlo until his knuckles broke.
Rage blinding him, Dragon saw Maarlo’s hand reaching toward the corner only when it was too late. The nuzzle of a small flare gun swung toward him, aimed at his eye. Maarlo’s finger reached for the trigger.
Jade launched herself at Maarlo, deviating his aim just as he pulled the trigger. The flare scorched Dragon’s neck and chest, burning his flesh and pushing him backward. Maarlo rose, turning toward Jade. Dagger in her hand, she jumped back, then feigned a thrust to the left, instead going for the opposite side.
Maarlo saw through her trick and moved out of the dagger’s trajectory. “I taught you everything you know.” He laughed, dancing on his feet as if he were having fun, mocking her attempts.
Dragon pushed himself onto his feet. Maarlo kept pivoting on his heels, making a circle around Jade. When Maarlo had his back to Dragon, Jade attacked the assassin one last time, running straight at him. Maarlo’s laugh resonated loudly in the small chamber. At the last moment, instead of hitting Maarlo, Jade threw the dagger at Dragon, who grabbed it midair.
Shouting, Dragon embedded the blade into Maarlo’s neck, severing vertebrae with a resounding crack and killing him on the spot.
“Are you okay?” Jade was at his side right away.
“Just a burn,” he answered, taking her in his arms as he began to shake. “Are you okay?” His hands roamed over her body, making sure she wasn’t injured.
“I’m fine.” Jade kissed him. “We’re fine.”
“He won’t hurt you ever again,” he said, his eyes cutting to Maarlo’s corpse lying on the floor.
“We beat him.” She snuggled in his embrace.
Nodding, he kissed her crown and inhaled her scent. “Now let’s get rid of the Academy,” he said.
31
Jade, helped by Valerian, supervised the exodus of Glory’s crew onto Maarlo’s ship, a passenger streamliner named Silence.
The assassin had traveled with a small, for-hire crew who were immediately onboard with sharing their ship with the newcomers. The loyal women and men who had fought valiantly against the rebels didn’t complain about the cramped quarters they would live in for the next month. Maarlo’s ship was smaller than Glory, but its powerful engines allowed it to reach double the speed, cutting the voyage to Solaria by half. Food would be rationed for the crew on duty, but the rest of them would be sleeping in the cryogenic pods until they reached the planet’s atmosphere.
“I’ll miss him,” Valerian said, breaking the silence between them.
“He’ll miss you, too.” Jade couldn’t know what it meant to leave everything behind but could ima
gine that it would be hard for Dragon. “I wish things could be different.”
“This is what Dragon wants. And it’s temporary, you know that.”
Jade wasn’t sure the Academy, but she didn’t contradict him.
As if following his own train of thought, Valerian’s gaze focused on a distant point. “I’d do the same if I were in his position. I would do anything to keep Gilda safe.”
“Until a few months ago, I would’ve never understood why someone would sacrifice everything for someone else.” Jade’s hand caressed her stomach. “Now I know.”
“You’ll take care of the big oaf, won’t you?” Valerian nudged her shoulder with his.
“I will.” She smiled. “I promise.”
“It’s going to be hard to get used to the change,” he said.
“You’ll do a great job as the new High Lord.”
“I hope so.”
“I know so,” Jade said. “Dragon would’ve never left you in charge otherwise.”
“Again, I don’t intend to be in charge for long.” Valerian shook his head in amusement and added, “Imagine when I tell Lars.”
Dragon entered the command room and strode to Jade, taking her in his arms. “What’s so funny?” he asked.
“Life,” Valerian answered. His expression turned serious, and he grabbed Dragon’s arm. “You’ll find a way to let me know you’re okay.”
Dragon nodded. “As soon as I can.”
For the next few hours, the three of them worked side by side until all the wounded were safely hosted in the new infirmary, and the prisoners were locked in the cargo bay cellars. Finally, it was time for Silence to sail away.
Valerian and Dragon said their farewells. Each man tried to sound tough, but their eyes shone, and their one-armed hug lingered several seconds. Jade gave them the space they needed and remained a few steps behind, feeling the emotional strain of the moment herself.
“Until the day we meet again,” Valerian said to Jade, hugging her briefly before turning and leaving Glory.
“Are you ready?” Jade asked Dragon when they were alone.
Dragon hugged her tightly to his side. “Yes, I’m ready.” He triggered the timer that would detonate the bomb he had placed in the engine room earlier in the afternoon. “Time to abandon ship,” he said, grabbing her by her waist for a smoldering kiss.
Walking at a brisk pace, they reached the cargo bay where a slender cruiser waited for them.
“Welcome aboard New Beginnings,” Dragon said, cradling Jade in his arms and carrying her over the ship’s threshold. “Home sweet home for the next two months.”
Three hours later, they watched Glory explode from the safety of their new command room.
“And so Dragon Sol and his beautiful Master Assassin died in a blast of glory.” Dragon chuckled. “I’m sure ballads will be sung about our tragic love.”
“It’s such a romantic story.” Jade curled against his side on the couch which he had moved from the recreational bay. Now they could sit comfortably together while he commanded New Beginnings.
“Speaking of romantic…” Dragon launched the new sequence with the coordinates to their next jump before turning back to her. “We have a few hours before we need to buckle in—” He leaned to lay a soft kiss on her mouth. “I love you.”
“And I love you.” She lowered herself to the cushion, pulling him on top of her.
His hands pulled at the hem of her loose shirt, dragging the fabric over her breasts, deliberately brushing her nipples with the cotton. She arched, her legs opening to accommodate his weight as his mouth descended on her breast. His tongue and teeth alone brought her to the edge of release.
She moaned softly when his hand traveled down, his fingers trailing over her skin, leaving goosebumps where he touched. Dragon found her ready for his invasion, but instead of taking her, he played with her senses. It was a sweet torture that made her whimper in frustration.
Dragon took his time to stoke her fire until she thought she would burn, only to cruelly prolong her passion with soft kisses. Finally, she grabbed the collar of his shirt and tore it open, her hands frantically moving to his pants next. As soon as he was naked, Jade moved on top and lowered herself onto him.
“You look like a goddess,” Dragon whispered, thrusting up to meet her demands. His hands caressed and kneaded her breasts. “Untamed and beautiful—”
Unable to resist much longer, she commanded a wild pace that made her cry in ecstasy a moment later. Dragon’s release immediately followed.
“I’m looking forward to a lifetime of this,” Dragon said in between kisses, rolling them to the side. His eyes fixed on her. He smoldered with his unwavering ultramarine gaze that still had the power to steal her breath.
“A lifetime with you.” Jade would never tire of the way Dragon made her feel like the only woman in the universe. It was a strong emotion that empowered her to finally believe they might have the lifetime he promised. Feeling their baby stir inside her, she took his wandering hand and brought it to her bump.
Dragon leaned over her stomach and kissed her stretched skin. “I can’t wait to meet you.” He pressed against the small bump that formed on her round belly when their baby moved at the sound of his voice.
“Hopefully, she or he will wait to be born until we reach land,” she said, losing herself in the comfort of his strong hands as they moved to her back, and soothed her tense muscles with expert caresses.
Soon, his touch stopped being calming, awakening her senses yet again to a fever pitch in the span of mere minutes. As Jade let him take the lead, she thought that two months of solitary confinement on New Beginnings might not be long enough to make up for the time they had lost as she had fought their enemies and herself as well.
“You won’t be able to walk straight once I’m done with you,” Jade said, grinning as he pulled her united wrists over her head with one hand and trailed the other down between her legs.
“I’ll hold you to that promise.” Dragon proceeded to kiss her thoroughly, making her forget whatever she planned to say next.
It didn’t matter. They had a lifetime together now.
32
Two months later.
“That was our last jump,” Dragon announced, unbuckling from the captain’s chair they took turns using. “We’ll soon see Lupine on our screens.” When Jade didn’t comment on the news, he twisted on his seat to look at her.
Sitting on the chair behind him, Jade stared at him in silence. Her face was pale, and her hands tightly gripped the armrests, her knuckles white.
“Jade?” He immediately reached for her. “What’s wrong?”
Instead of answering him, her eyes cut down.
“What is it?” He followed her gaze and saw the pool of water at the base of her chair. “Is that—?”
“My water broke,” she finally said, standing up.
Taken aback, Dragon did the only thing he could think of. He took Jade in his arms and cradled her. Her big belly bumped against him. “Do you want to go to the bed?” he asked, trying to remember what little he knew about birthing.
His knowledge on the topic wasn’t vast to begin with, considered that a small army of medici and ancillae would have supervised his brides’ labors. Right now, panic was taking root at an alarming speed, erasing his memories and making him feel like a blithering idiot.
“It might be better if I walk,” Jade answered after a long silence. “I’ve felt some contractions and I think that walking is good for me.” She didn’t sound sure, but Dragon knew better than to question her reasoning.
They strolled across the length of the command room, then moved toward the hallway and continued to their small quarters. In their bedroom, Jade refused the bed again and paced.
“Come here,” Dragon said, grabbing her elbow and pulling her closer. He turned her so that her back was against his chest. Rocking her slowly, he murmured sweet nothings.
Jade’s body had just relaxed when a scream
left her mouth. She doubled over in pain, leaving Dragon’s embrace. Her contraction lasted long, or it seemed long to him because he couldn’t do anything to help besides talking and caressing her.
By the time the tenth contraction had torn Jade apart, Dragon thought he would go crazy if she didn’t give birth soon. Past the twentieth or so, he was sure neither of them would survive this birthing and cursed himself for putting her in danger.
“I wish I could take your place,” he said, fear straining his voice as he wiped a strand of hair from her cheek.
“You and I both,” Jade hissed under her breath. “Believe me—” A contraction shook her slender frame, renewing Dragon’s panic.
He didn’t know if what his soulmate was going through was normal or not, and couldn’t bear the idea that something could happen to her because of his ignorance. As an assassin, Jade wasn’t supposed to become pregnant or know anything about giving birth. But he had known all his life that his brides would bear him children. He should have at least asked what the whole process entailed.
Time passed slowly aboard the ship as the amber night light illumination supplanted the bright white of the artificial daylight. The distant shape of Lupine appeared on the right sector of the external screen Dragon checked from time to time. So close to civilization, yet so far away.
Jade finally decided to rest on the bed, and Dragon sat behind her, surrounding her body with his and hugging her softly. She was covered in sweat and could barely cry. Her contractions had become stronger and more frequent, to the point that when one ended, the next was already starting, until there was no respite from her agony.
Only the fear that if he fainted Jade would be left alone gave Dragon the strength to remain conscious throughout her ordeal.
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