Lewis thought about it before answering, “Less than ten minutes.”
Dragon nodded at the man. “Take three men with you and be careful.” He then walked to Jade, whose eyes had never left him.
She sat on the kitchen table, her chin resting on her bent leg, while the other dangled from the edge. If it weren’t for her free foot kicking the air, showing her nervousness, one could have thought that she didn’t have a care in the world. The Master Assassin he had met several months ago would have never shown any weakness. And he loved her even more for that. He just wished that this journey of mutual discovery they were undertaking had begun during simpler times.
“How do you feel?” he whispered to her.
“I’m fine.” She stopped her foot, stilling her body.
“The truth.” Leaning closer, he grabbed her chin. “Was it contractions? Earlier, in the crawlway?”
Jade made to shake her head, but he gently applied pressure on his hold.
“We are in this together,” he reminded her.
As if deflating, she slumped against him. “I was scared and didn’t want to worry you.”
“I’m a big boy. You don’t need to protect me from bad news, but you need to talk to me.” He hugged her close. “That’s what a couple does. From now on, we share everything.”
“Okay.” She nudged his shoulder.
“Okay.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “So they were contractions.” He sighed. “All this stress isn’t good for you or the baby.”
“Don’t even think about leaving me behind while you fight our enemies,” she said, whispering to his ear.
“You are as skilled in combat as I am—”
“But?”
“But now we have our child to think of.”
She raised her chin, ready to argue his point, but her hand shot to her belly, a pained expression on her face.
“Jade?” Dragon caressed her back slowly, waiting for her answer.
Finally, she nodded. “I’m okay now.”
He sighed in relief and hugged her softly. “You need peace and tranquility.”
Jade scoffed, letting out a nervous chuckle.
“This mess ends here,” he said, looking at her.
Her body sagging, Jade gave him a small shrug. “How? The Academy and the Front Pro Humanity are after us. I’m not against fighting for our child, but there will come a time when we can’t run any longer. Only our deaths will stop them.”
Dragon heard her words, and an idea formed in his mind.
The hatch door opened, and Lewis climbed down, followed by Mr. Cillian and the rest of the crew who had gone with him.
“Where’s the princess?” the medicus asked, looking straight at Dragon who pointed at the pantry. The man strode across the room and disappeared behind the door. A few minutes later, he reemerged and said, “Gilda suffered head trauma, and she’ll need to be moved to the infirmary.”
Dragon nodded before addressing Lewis, “I entrust you with the princess.”
Lewis brought his right fist to his heart and lowered his head.
“She’s slipped into unconsciousness again and will need a stretcher,” the medicus said.
Looking around, Dragon found a narrow side table that was long enough to host a body. “That will work.” He turned it upside down and made short work of the legs, removing them one by one. “There you go.” As Lewis held the pantry door for him, Dragon slid the plank on the floor. Myriam gently pushed Gilda onto the makeshift stretcher, careful not to jerk the princess’s head.
“You need something to secure her,” Jade said from behind Dragon.
“There’s some rope in the broom closet.” Myriam looked over Dragon’s shoulder.
“On it,” one of the crew said, and a moment later, he handed several meters of thick twine to Dragon.
“Cillian, Jade has had a few contractions,” Dragon said from over his shoulder.
“I’ll check her,” the medicus answered.
Winding the rope tight around the bundle of cloths that covered Gilda, Dragon secured her to the plank before pulling her out into the kitchens. Lewis immediately took the other end of the stretcher, and they both hoisted it up, walking toward the corner where the hatch door was.
“Is Jade okay?” Dragon asked Cillian as he passed the medicus, who was standing by Jade.
Cillian nodded. “Just stress.”
Jade regaled him with a smile. Her expression appeared more relaxed than it had been a few minutes earlier, and it had a calming effect on Dragon, too.
“You can let go of the plank,” he said to Lewis, pointing his chin at the hatch door close to the ceiling. “Climb into the shaft.”
The older man frowned. “But—”
“I’ll hand her to you,” Dragon explained.
As soon as Lewis’s hands left the plank, Dragon transferred his hold toward the center and pulled the stretcher over his head with ease.
“Right,” the man said, hoisting himself up with the help of one of the crew who gave him a boost with his united hands, pushing him toward the hatch. He grabbed the edges of the entrance and heaved himself inside the shaft, then turned, motioning for Dragon that he was ready.
Erecting himself to his full height, Dragon raised the stretcher higher and angled it toward Lewis’s outstretched hands. Carefully, he pushed the plank into the shaft as Lewis retreated further inside, pulling Gilda with him. Only when she was safely ensconced inside the maintenance corridor did Dragon release his hold on the edge of the plank. He then helped one of the men into the shaft, and after him the medicus and the rest of the crew.
“All of you, get in,” Dragon said, turning to the kitchen staff. “Lock yourselves in the infirmary.”
After a moment of hesitation, Myriam walked to Dragon. He grabbed her by her waist and handed her to one of the men. She promptly disappeared into the shaft. One by one, the rest of the men and women lined up for Dragon, and soon it was just him and Jade left in the kitchens.
“What do you have in mind?” Jade asked when he walked back to her.
“To give them hell,” he answered.
21
“We have to go,” Dragon said, grabbing Jade to help her off the table.
She stopped him. Jade didn’t know what would happen next, but of one thing she was certain.
“I love you,” she said. The revelation hit her hard, filling her with wonder.
The emotion was foreign to Jade, and yet, also familiar, making her feel that, for once in her life, everything made sense. Even in the midst of complete chaos, it only took one look at Dragon, and calm possessed her.
Dragon leaned away. His eyes sparked with a brilliance that would have put a star to shame. “Jade—”
“You needed to know.” She sought his lips, not ready to face reality.
“I never thought I’d hear those words from you,” he said, his voice a hoarse whisper.
“I never thought I’d ever say those words to anyone.” She burrowed into his warmth.
Dragon trailed small kisses on her nose and cheeks. “I love you, my fearsome assassin.”
His strong hands caressed and soothed her, vanishing her dark thoughts of imprisonment and death. Everything was possible in his arms. They had the most lethal forces in the Fifth Moon’s System hunting them, but Jade was ready to mow down everyone in their path. Now that she had found a reason to believe in the future, her own family, she wanted her happily ever after and would do anything in her power to achieve it.
“We must rescue Valerian,” she said, breaking their kiss.
Dragon groaned. “Valerian’s a big boy,” he said with a small chuckle. “But I need to make sure he’s alive for what comes next—”
A loud bang on the external door interrupted him. A hissing noise followed.
“They are melting the metal with a torch,” Jade supplied, leaning away from him and jumping off the table.
“Break’s over.” Dragon grabbed her elbow and turned Jade for
a kiss that took her breath away. “Do you trust me?”
Drowning in the depth of his aquamarine eyes, she answered, “Yes, I do.” She clutched his hand and placed it against her bump. “With our lives.”
His intake of breath resonated loud in the room. He brushed her lips one more time before turning to the stoves. “Help me turn all the burners on.”
Jade hurried to fire up the four industrial stoves as Dragon threw every scrap of cloth he could find onto the burners. Red welts contorted the metal surface of the external door as the banging continued. Angry voices filtered inside, one of them familiar.
“Come out, Dragon,” Lauren called. “I know you are there.” The metal walls softened the words, and she must have been screaming for Jade to understand her.
The fumes from the burning cloths became thick as the fires spread from one burner to the next, engulfing the stoves, and reaching the back of the walls. Tongues of red and orange flames licked the ceiling, propagating fast. The fire activated the water hoses, and the floors were flooded next. The level of the water rose higher than Jade’s chest in a matter of seconds. A moment later, she found herself submerged.
Orange light from the metal door being torched colored the liquid darkness surrounding Jade. As soon as Lauren’s gang breached the entrance, water would pour out, but it wouldn’t stop them for long.
Before Jade could kick her feet and swim, Dragon pulled her to him and kissed her, pumping air into her lungs as he propelled both of them toward the hatch door that was still above the water. With his free arm, he opened the hatch, pushed her inside the shaft and hurried to close the door behind them just in the nick of time.
“Are you okay?” he asked Jade, his hand reaching for her shoulder.
Panting, Jade nodded. “To the command room?” she asked, looking ahead and seeing little in the darkness surrounding the maintenance shaft.
“Yes. I’ll lead the way.” He passed her, his body sliding between hers and the wall.
She followed him, keeping close enough to touch his leg if she wanted. His movements were as soft as hers, and they walked on all fours for several minutes before Dragon stopped.
“I see the infirmary hatch,” he said.
They listened for any sign of unrest, and when they didn’t hear anything suspicious resumed their trek.
More than fifteen minutes later, a cramp seized Jade’s stomach, and she slowed her pace. Her knees and palms hurt more than the cramp, but she wouldn’t have stopped for them. She was used to physical pain and exertion. What she wasn’t used to was constantly worrying for her unborn child.
“Are you okay?” Dragon asked.
“A cramp,” she said, trying to keep the panic out of her voice. “Now it’s gone.” She blindly reached out for him and found herself wrapped in his arms. “We’re going to be fine,” she said, leaning her head against his chest.
“I’ll make sure of it, my love.” He kissed her crown and rested his chin on top of her head.
Rejoicing in his embrace, Jade inhaled his scent to anchor her tumultuous thoughts to him. “I’m ready,” she said, pushing at the solid wall of his chest. She appreciated that Dragon didn’t try to dissuade her from continuing on. He squeezed her hand instead, conveying with that simple gesture more than words could ever say.
She resumed her crawl, trying to relax her stiff back and focusing on his soft voice.
“This reminds me of something. When Lars, Valerian, and I were kids, we played this game of hide and seek in the maze inside the caves underneath Sol Palace,” Dragon said.
She knew he was trying to distract her and found his attempt sweet.
He continued, “Since the three of us could see easily in the dark, we used to enter the cave blindfolded to make it more challenging and spent hours in complete darkness looking for the maze’s exit—”
Jade listened to his tales of a childhood she could only dream of as his constant stream of words lulled her into a calmer state. Much later, he announced they had reached the command room.
From the shaft, she could hear no sound, but Dragon stopped for a moment before saying, “Valerian is in there.”
Jade moved to Dragon’s side and kissed him soundly. “What are we waiting for? Let’s rescue him.”
22
Dragon stole a moment to commit to memory the softness of Jade’s lips and her scent. His dragon roared in his head, and his blood boiled with excitement. The imminent fight brought forth his inner warrior, and the woman beside him awoke his protector, even though she didn’t need one.
“I need backup,” he whispered. “Can you stay behind and create a diversion when I need it?”
Jade seemed to think about it, then said, “I can do that.”
“Ready?” he asked.
“Ready,” Jade answered without hesitation and moved to the side of the hatch.
He rested his ear against the hatch door, listening for Valerian’s voice again, but couldn’t hear anything. It wouldn’t take long for Lauren to figure out what his plan was all along. He needed to act now. Sending a silent prayer to the Goddess, Dragon gave Jade a nod and threw the hatch open, shoving the panel out of the way with a loud bang.
The shaft opened at floor level in the command room, and Dragon burst from the maintenance corridor, bellowing at the top of his considerable lungs. His war call halted all activities in the room as people stared at him in shock.
Dragon took stock of the situation. Several bodies were scattered on the floor. Valerian lay in a corner, wounded. Blood covered his side, and his eyes were closed. Attuning his shifter senses to his friend’s vitals, Dragon detected a steady pulse. Valerian’s chin slightly dipped in a subtle nod. Reassured about his lieutenant, Dragon turned his attention to the captain’s body, slumped by the command seat that was now occupied by a man pointing a gun at him. He wore the orange and purple uniform of the lower deck’s maintenance crew. Several other men wearing the same colors kept the rest of the command room under armed control.
Dragon had no time to comprehend the situation before the man in the command seat fired at him.
Moving faster than any mortal could, Dragon dodged the bullet by a hairbreadth and charged full speed. The man automatically stepped back, and fired a second time, but in his haste missed his target again. Someone screamed in pain. Dragon was on him before the man could fire a third bullet.
“Shoot him!” the man screamed as Dragon seized his wrist, breaking it and sending the gun flying toward Valerian’s corner.
Valerian unfurled and shot into action with feline grace, his hand reaching up to intercept the weapon midair. Dragon threw the man against one of the other rebels. Valerian fired twice, hitting bullseye in both cases.
Three rebels remained standing. Chaos ensued. Shots resonated in the chamber. One bullet whizzed by Dragon, searing the skin on his forearm. He turned as Jade moved silently behind his assailant and slashed his throat with her dagger. Nodding at her, he launched himself at the closest rebel. The other remaining insurgent grabbed the navigator’s arm and pulled the woman in front of him, using her as a shield as he pointed his gun at her temple.
Dragon slapped his opponent hard enough to turn the man’s head with an audible crack.
“Don’t move, or I shoot her,” the last man standing said. His eyes roamed from Dragon to Valerian on the other side of the room, to Jade, who kept to the wall by the hatch, and back again to Dragon. “Nobody move!” he shouted when Jade inched farther away from Dragon, increasing the distance between the three of them and making it difficult for the man to keep them in his sight at the same time.
“I said nobody move,” the rebel repeated.
Valerian raised his gun at the same time Dragon charged. The man swung toward Valerian and fired, then turned to Dragon, opening his side to Jade. He didn’t see or hear Jade’s dagger and was stunned when it slammed into his neck, embedding deeply. His hand reflexively reached for it, releasing the woman’s throat. Valerian seized the moment and
fired a shot into the man’s forehead before collapsing again.
Dragon ran to his friend’s side. “Valerian?”
“I just need a moment.” Valerian’s hand pressed under his heart, where fresh blood soaked his shirt.
“He needs to see the medicus,” Jade said from behind him, her hand on his shoulder.
“I’ll be fine,” Valerian said, his gaze glassy and his voice a mere whisper.
Running steps echoed from outside. The command crew’s eyes all zeroed on Dragon.
“High Lord—” The first engineer stepped forward, coming to stand beside the navigator. “What are your orders?”
“Can you keep this section locked?” Dragon asked, looking at the solid metal wall isolating the command room from the rest of the ship.
The first engineer shook his head. “The security chief is one of them. He knows the codes.”
Dragon’s eyes went to the shaft’s hatch door. Outside, the pounding had stopped, and a moment later, the iris mechanism of the entrance whirred to life. There was no time to escape through the maintenance corridors.
“Grab a weapon, and be ready to fire,” Dragon commanded, leaning to pick up a weapon he threw at Jade before seizing one for himself.
Valerian brought his fingers to his temple. He could barely raise his gun, but despite being heavily wounded, he wasn’t near death and couldn’t shift into his dragon to heal.
The moment the first rebel entered through the opening door, shots echoed in the command chamber. Riddled by multiple bullets, the man’s body fell forward. More shots were fired, but the enemy kept pouring through the entrance. One after the other. When the door opened completely, they burst inside in rows of ten or more, in a seemingly endless parade. Like a swallowing tide, they overpowered the decimated command room’s crew by sheer number.
The men and women who were still loyal to Glory fought with honor, hitting as many rebels as they could, but Dragon knew their guns would run out of ammunition soon. Lauren could be seen biding her time from around the corner, waiting for them to succumb before her army.
The Fifth Moon's Legacy (The Fifth Moon's Tales Book 6) Page 10