by Pearl Foxx
And then there was Zayd.
So much had changed since the first time she’d met him and he’d agreed to take her back to the Draqons’ hive. She never could have imagined where that would take her. That she would end up here, in this moment, completely and utterly happy.
Zayd needed time, she knew. And she was more than willing to give it to him. He’d lost his mate, his Queen. Niva never wanted to replace Sotu, but she wanted her time with Zayd. Her stomach dipped just thinking about him, and an unbidden smile tugged on her lips as she passed over a swinging bridge, mist swirling over the boards, the mountain air cool overhead. The Draqons she passed nodded at her, returning her smile.
Yes, she would wait. Because she’d found her home. Her place on Kladuu.
As she reached the main swimming area, she noticed Maxsym and an assortment of guards grouped together near the underground tunnel exit.
She wandered over, pulling her hair back into a ponytail, and looked up at the enigmatic Swarm Master. “Are you meeting the Vilkas?”
“We are,” Maxsym said with a sour frown. “Their Beta is leading a convoy, and Zayd put me in charge of getting the guns. Apparently, I’m being punished for something.”
Maxsym kept talking, but Niva tuned him out. Rayner? Rayner was coming. If Rayner was coming, was it possible…
“Is anyone else coming with the Vilkan Beta?” she interrupted, barely containing her hope.
“Oh, yeah.” Maxsym put his hands on his hips and glanced at the guards who were grouping behind them with hover trolleys and containers to fill with weapons. He took so long to respond that Niva wondered if he’d forgotten her question. She wanted to jump up and down and wave her hands and demand he pay attention to her, demand he tell her if anyone else was coming with Rayner. But she’d learned not to rush a Draqon. They were an unhurried and frustrating species, taking things at the speed their emotions dictated, not the speed that was convenient for anyone else.
Just as she was about to burst, Maxsym turned back to her. “The Vilkas said something about some woman coming too. I don’t know. I guess in some sort of display of peace? Honestly, I stopped listening. The Vilkas take forever to get to the point.”
Niva wanted to smack him in his stupid face—that was probably thanks to her spending so much time with the Draqons too. She was getting in touch with her violent side, and she kind of liked it.
“Could her name have been Vera?” Better to get straight to the point, or she was never going to get an answer.
“Yeah, something like that. Vera. Meira. Kira—I don’t know.” Maxsym turned away and called for the trek down the mountain to get underway.
Niva peered behind her, looking back at the hive that had so quickly become her home. If any part of her wanted to leave, to return to the Vilkas’ mountain, this would be the time. But while she was determined to see Vera, she had absolutely no desire to go back with the Vilkas. That part of her life was over, and the new adventure she’d embarked on wasn’t easy, but she was positive it would be worth it.
Zayd was worth it, even with his scars. Maybe more so because of them.
She trailed along behind the departing Draqons until they reached the cavern opening into the tunnel that led down to the bottom of the mountain.
Maxsym turned on his heel, letting the guards go past him, and stepped directly in front of Niva before she could enter the passageway. “And just where the hell do you think you’re going?”
“I know Vera. She’s coming to see me.”
Maxsym smirked. “And what makes you think that? You’re so very special that the Vilkas sent you your very own gift-wrapped present?”
“No, assface. Vera is my friend. If you bothered to listen when people spoke, you would know that. I’m sure she’s here because I didn’t say goodbye before I left. I’d like to see her again and let her know how I’m doing.”
“No fucking way.” His amusement disappeared, replaced by serious worry. “Zayd would kill me if I let you go.”
Niva put her hands on her hips to mirror Maxsym’s posture. From a distance, they would look comical, him so large and hulking and her so tiny and petite, but if attitude could be measured in size, she’d tower over him.
“I don’t really care what Zayd would think,” she snapped. “I’m going to see my friend. You can either let me go with you, or I can wait an hour after you’ve left and go by myself. Which do you think Zayd would prefer?”
Maxsym puffed up his chest like a peacock. He geared up for his big argument, but upon seeing the resolve on her face, he exhaled with a disgruntled huff. “Fine, but if you fall behind, I’m not waiting for you.”
Niva shot him a grin. “I think we both know that’s not going to happen.”
“You’ve certainly gotten chatty since the last time we did this,” Maxsym said, but this time it was his usual twinkly, mischievous self that shone through the words. He led the way to the mountain pass, and even though he said he wouldn’t, he kept an eye on Niva and made sure she stayed with the group.
After a few hours of hiking through the dark tunnels, they reached the bottom of the mountain. Maxsym had strategically planned it so they would get to the meeting point quite a bit earlier than the Vilkas.
The guards settled in to wait farther down the pathway, and Niva stared up at the overhanging cliffs above. This area of Kladuu felt wilder and harsher than the mountain range near the Vilkas’ home. The colder air lent the environment a more rugged nature. The trees were permanently bent from the wind that howled down the pass, the animals more skittish and alert, the shifters more hardened. Niva wondered how long the Vilkas, who were used to their inner mountain city, spiced food, and luxurious clothes, would last out here.
As she was considering the thought, her eyes caught on a glimmer of gold high above her. She squinted as she looked up, shielding her eyes against the sun.
When she realized what she was looking at, she let out a little gasp of surprise.
Giant yellow disks of haksiba deposits were suspended from the rock side. She hadn’t had any food cooked with haksiba in it since she’d arrived at the hive, and her mouth watered at the thought of the sweet, thick flavor that she’d grown used to at the Vilkas’ mountain. She wondered if any of the Draqons had ever had haksiba-soaked bread or haksiba-crusted fish.
If she could get to it, she could serve it tonight for dinner. Zayd would love it. Maybe even enough to actually smile.
Niva scaled up the side of the mountain a few feet, reaching for the lowest haksiba deposit left behind by the tiny insects that had mated and abandoned the location. She stretched up to reach the lowest edge of the yellow disk, but before her fingers reached it, a large, strong arm scooped her up and swung her away from the wall.
“Hey!” she huffed, stumbling slightly when Maxsym released her. She was getting really tired of being knocked around by arrogant Draqons who thought they knew better than her.
“What do you think you’re doing? That’s deadly!” Maxsym shouted.
“Only if you don’t know how to cook it,” Niva shot back, unable to contain her annoyance. “If you’d ask questions before acting like a fool, you would save both of us a lot of trouble.”
He scowled for a moment, alternating his glare between her and the offending golden husks. Finally, his curiosity got the better of him. “You can really cook it?”
She fought the urge to roll her eyes. “Yes. Really. And if you’re so determined to keep me safe, then help me gather some of the haksiba.”
He looked up the cliff wall and shook his head. “These deposits are old, at least a month or two. If we go around to the western slopes, we can get fresher deposits. The crevice over there is full of active haksiba bugs.”
“Really? I would love to get some. It would be a great treat for everybody. You have no idea how delicious it is.” She couldn’t help her building excitement. Usually, she was the one learning, trying to catch up after a lifetime of being behind. But she’d learned how
to cook haksiba when she lived with the Vilkas, and the idea of sharing something she loved with her new family filled her with so much excitement she practically vibrated.
Maxsym looked at her, his green eyes piercing. “You know that Zayd really might kill us for this?”
Niva met his gaze with a grin. “Not if he tastes the final product before he finds out.”
“You have a wicked streak. But I like it.” Maxsym scratched his chest, and the purple scales on his shoulder fluttered. “Okay, here’s the plan. Once the Vilkas leave, the rest of the convoy can take the weapons back, and we’ll fly over to the west end. You’ll have to ride on me.”
Niva hesitated. The idea of sharing something so intimate with anyone other than Zayd seemed strangely uncomfortable. She wouldn’t like it one bit if he allowed another female to ride on his back. But the idea of getting to fly again and the payoff being a massive amount of haksiba to share with the Draqons overshadowed any worry she had.
“Let’s do it, and it will be our secret.”
When the Vilkas arrived, Niva stood on her tiptoes, trying to see over the large hulking bodies of the other clan’s guards. It was strange to think of the Vilkas as them and the Draqons as us, but she was exactly where she belonged.
As the Vilkas came closer, their guards dressed in the typical black tunics and pants, she spotted a slash of white fabric and then fiery red hair through the trees.
Vera.
Niva could barely contain herself.
At the sight of the Vilkan convoy, a small growl rose from Maxsym’s chest. Even though the clans were at peace, conflict between them still raged strong, and Niva doubted there would ever be any friendships between those in charge.
She couldn’t help the fact that Vera was the one person on this planet who had always stood by her, who knew where she’d come from, and understood why she had come back. If anyone understood the pain she’d lived through since her abduction, it was Vera. The shared experience had bonded them, and now she was raising a baby Niva would likely never get to see grow up.
The idea made her heart sink, but as soon as her mind turned to Zayd, the knowledge that she was exactly where she was supposed to be came through stronger than any other emotion she felt.
When the Vilkas came close enough that she could make out individual faces, Vera’s voice broke through the strained silence. “Niva!” Vera squealed and ran out in front of the guards. A tall blond man dressed in black reached out for her, but she dodged his grasp and came barreling toward the line of Draqons.
“Vera!” Niva couldn’t contain herself anymore and rushed past Maxsym before he was able to stop her.
“What do you think you’re doing?” he called out at the same time Niva heard Rayner’s voice scolding Vera for acting rashly.
The women met in the middle. Niva pulled her friend into a tight embrace, and Vera clung to her, tears streaming down her face.
“I’m so glad to see you. I was so worried. The Draqons kept telling us you were fine, but I made Rayner ask them to get you over and over, but they never let me speak to you.” Vera pulled away and took Niva’s face in her hands. “I’m so relieved to see you.”
Niva ignored the Vilkan guards as they passed by the two women with massive containers of weapons. “I’m fine, Vera,” she said, pulling away and holding her friend out at arm’s distance so she could look at her. “Motherhood agrees with you. You look beautiful.”
“Well, I always was quite a looker. Grease stains and all,” Vera joked.
Niva giggled, and for a moment, it felt like the two women were back on Earth building a spaceship in their desperate attempt to get back home to Kladuu. She never could have guessed then that, while her life was destined to be on this planet, she wouldn’t get to spend it alongside her best friend.
“And look at you.” Vera raked her eyes over Niva, motioning for her to spin around. “I never would’ve thought leather for you, but it works.”
Niva ran her hands over her thighs, suddenly self-conscious of how tight and revealing her leathers were. She had gotten so used to living someplace where everybody walked around half naked that she hadn’t realized just how different it was from being in the mountain with the Vilkas.
“You look strong and happy. Are you happy?” Vera studied her face, and Niva felt heat rise up the back of her neck. Of course, Vera’s sharp green eyes caught her blush. “You are happy. Tell me, is it the tall one with the dark hair? He’s got a great ass.” Vera’s voice lowered conspiratorially.
Niva choked. “No! Oh, my moons, no. That’s Maxsym. You met him at the meeting with Gerrit. Maxsym is… I don’t know. Maxsym hasn’t grown up yet.” She laughed, shaking her head.
“So, who is it, then? Have I met him? Is he here?” Vera took Niva’s hand and held it while she looked over the Draqon guards milling about in their tight leathers with no shirts. All the men had black tattoos on their backs and scales running down their unclothed torsos. Looking at them objectively, they were impressively masculine. Sexy, even. But Niva couldn’t appreciate them without comparing them to Zayd.
“No, he’s not here. But you met him. He’s the hive’s leader. It’s… new.”
“Isn’t that the best part?” Vera pulled her friend in for another hug. “I’m so happy for you. I mean, I’m sad you had to leave the mountain to find happiness, but I’m so glad you have.”
Niva squeezed her friend and, for a moment, questioned the idea of her happiness. Was she happy? Could she be happy with Zayd? What she felt was intense, overwhelming even, but was it happiness?
The men finished up the exchange, and Rayner even seemed to exchange some pleasant words with Maxsym, which shocked both Niva and Vera. While the two clans spoke about the infringing Hylas, Niva ignored them in favor of listening to Vera’s tales of her new baby.
When it was time to leave, Rayner had to pull Vera away. Niva waved at her friend until the Vilkas were out of sight. It was a relief to just be with the Draqons again. Niva relaxed, glad Vera hadn’t tried to convince her to come back to the Vilkas’ mountain. The Draqons were her people now. The only ones she could truly be herself around.
The Draqons checked through the guns and prepared for the trip back. Once everything was packed onto the hover carts, the guards made their way back to the tunnel entrance, but not before Maxsym snatched a bag and threw it at Niva with a wink.
The pair followed along, making sure they safely entered hive territory again.
As soon as the guards disappeared into the tunnel, Maxsym’s face lit up with an impish smile, which he turned on Niva. “You ready to fly, tiny human?” he asked and shifted into a massive green and purple Draqon.
“Call me tiny again and I’ll kick you in the balls the next time you’re shifting,” Niva shot back at the massive creature.
Maxsym’s tail twitched over the ground, and a puff of smoke curled out of his nostrils.
Chapter Fifteen
Niva
Niva approached Maxsym’s Draqon form and ran a hand along his green and purple scales. They trembled slightly in response, fluttering against his muscular body. He was smaller than Zayd, but no less impressive. The combination of blue, green, and purple scales reminded Niva of the extinct peacock bird, an animal known for the males having a striking display of feathers. It seemed like an apt comparison.
She climbed on his back, and Maxsym shifted to accommodate her weight. When she grabbed hold of the thicker scales on the back of his neck, the Draqon flapped his powerful wings and took off into the sky. As they ascended, Maxsym veered close to the cliff’s wall of jagged rock, closer than Niva was comfortable with.
Was Maxsym having some fun with her, scaring her with the danger of flying? She gripped tighter and forced herself to relax and move her body with him, rather than fight the sudden shifts in his trajectory.
His flight path evened out, and Maxsym’s Draqon calmed beneath her. Her hips softened with his controlled movements. They soared above the flatlands
and swerved over to the western slopes. Despite the smoother ride, she felt none of the peace she’d felt with Zayd. Their flight had felt natural and easy, like they were part of the sky, floating between the sun’s rays. His scales had been loose, moving independently as she touched him and lifting off his back as if he was just as relaxed as she was.
Air blasted her face as she flew with Maxsym, forcing her to hunch close to his back and hold on tight for fear that the gusts might blow her right off. He seemed to be battling against the air itself, fighting against the natural movement instead of letting it carry him toward his goal.
Niva stroked his side as she had with Zayd to settle him or maybe reassure him, but at the contact, his entire body shuddered, and his scales seemed to retract slightly back into his body as if avoiding her touch.
He veered to the left, steering them away from the crevice at a wide angle like he’d lost all sense of direction. His wings flapped hard, pushing them high into the clouds, and then in the next moment, he fell limp, sending them plummeting toward the ground until Niva screamed and kicked him.
“Maxsym, land!” she shouted into the wind, kicking and smacking his sides, trying to get the out of control Draqon to bring them back to the ground where she could stand on her own two feet.
Maxsym roared, banking hard to the right to shake his passenger from his back.
Niva screamed and clung tighter, digging her small fingers between his individual scales. She dug her heels into his side and shouted into the wind. He couldn’t hear her. The air buffeting them was so deafening she could barely hear herself.
She couldn’t die up here. She wasn’t going to die up here. She’d just found peace with the life she’d started to make with the Draqons, with Zayd. If he truly could feel her, now would be a fabulous time for him to show up.
Maxsym dropped suddenly, and Niva lost her grip with one hand. The wind slammed into her side, throwing her off balance as she clamored to find a new handhold. The scales clung tightly together, like armor layered one on top of the next to keep out any attack. Prying her fingers between two scales, she realized Maxsym’s behavior was more like that of a wild animal, out of control and acting on instinct.