by Nina Croft
“How long now?”
“Five minutes less than when you asked five minutes ago.” Devlin growled the words.
They were all on edge. Maybe Thorne was giving off some super-bad mental vibes, or more likely, Devlin was regretting ever agreeing to this. But there was no turning back now. They had a whole horde of dragons on their tail, and more up ahead.
Saffira was the only one who appeared calm. Maybe she’d had some sort of vision. But if she had, she wasn’t sharing.
The Blood Hunter was somewhere behind them. They needed Fergal’s intel on the whereabouts of the dragons, but he was keeping contact to a minimum. Candy would no doubt eventually find out what happened, but it had to be too late by the time she realized what was going down.
He wasn’t having her come to the rescue.
“Coming up on Trakis One,” Devlin said. “And there’s the welcoming committee.” The forward monitor showed the whirling fire rings of Trakis One, the black hole behind it like a great, gaping maw of darkness. And a whole load of dragons. The shuttle was in stealth mode and invisible right now, but a ripple seemed to go through the mass, and the attention of the group shifted. He could almost feel their thoughts focusing as the stronger of them sensed Saffira’s presence.
At the same time, he felt a knocking in his mind. Kronus.
“Is everything agreed?” Thorne asked.
“Yes, my people will leave your universe in exchange for the time-mancer. But they will not all go. Some suspect that I have other motives. And they want your death.”
“I know.”
“And you accept that? Candace will not be happy.”
“Do you care?”
“She is my friend.”
“She’ll get over it.”
He needed the majority of the dragons to go, or there was no chance. Then he would deal with any who were left, including Kronus. How many could he take out? Not all of them, that was for sure—so most had to go of their own accord. His wings quivered with tension as he waited for some sign there was a hope of success.
Finally, up ahead, the group of dragons shifted, at first a trickle, then a mass exodus as they headed for the black hole. A stream of dragons, their speed increasing as they passed the event horizon and eventually vanished into the darkness.
“So what next?” Devlin asked. “Because I know you have a plan. And that had better not be wishful thinking.”
The exodus had slowed. How many were left? He counted ten, and that was still too many.
His gaze flicked to Saffira and back to Devlin. He had to convince them this was the only way, and he wasn’t expecting Saffira to be happy. But she’d seen his future. She’d told him—she’d watched him burn. He took a deep breath. “Yes, there’s a plan.”
“And you don’t think you’re coming out of it alive?” Devlin said.
He glanced at him sharply. “Maybe not.”
“Hell, definitely not. That’s what all the lies to Candy were for. You knew she wouldn’t go along with a suicide mission.”
“But you will?” Thorne asked.
Devlin looked at his wife and then back at Thorne. “Saffira says we need to do this. But I won’t do anything to put her in harm’s way.”
“She should be fine.”
“I want assurance.”
Thorne rose to his feet. “There are no fucking absolutes.”
“It will be okay, Devlin,” Saffira said, patting his arm. “Let’s hear the plan.”
He blew out his breath. “I’m going out there. Then you’re going to head into the black hole. With luck, the rest will follow you. Don’t go too far, and don’t let them get close enough to burn you.”
“What if they don’t all follow?”
“Then I’ll deal with what’s left. I’ll pick one, the closest to the center of the group, and the rest will be either incinerated or sucked into the resulting black hole.”
“And so will you.”
“I’ll try and keep a safe distance.”
“No you won’t. You plan to die here.”
“I don’t plan to die, but if I have to, I will.” He straightened his shoulders; he wasn’t getting into this again. It had been decided. “You don’t hang around—once you’re through, you open a wormhole, and you come straight back here. Then you blast the explosives into the black hole and it’s gone, and they’re stuck on the other side.”
There was silence for a minute. Then Devlin crossed to Saffira and gave her a kiss on the lips. “You want to do this?”
She turned to Thorne and gave a quick nod. “But we’ll come and find you afterward, wherever you are.”
He didn’t think there would be much left to find by that point, but perhaps that wouldn’t be a constructive comment right now.
Devlin released his breath. “Okay, let’s do this.”
Thorne crossed to the airlock. He didn’t want any more good-byes. He let himself into the first chamber and closed the door behind him. When he peered back, Saffira stood there, her palm pressed against the clear door. He forced his lips into a brief smile and then released the outer door, and he was in space. It took him a moment to orient himself. Everything looked so different out here.
The remaining dragons were grouped just beyond the event horizon off to the left. He took a route that would get him to a vantage point far enough away that he could watch, but close enough if he needed to move fast.
He searched for Kronus but found him nowhere. Maybe he’d suspected something and retreated. But one dragon they could deal with.
The shuttle came out of stealth, and the dragons ceased their milling. The little craft appeared to almost dance in front of them, teasing. Saffira sent out a mental call, in case any of them hadn’t picked her up already. And then the shuttle shot off toward the black hole. He hoped Devlin was pilot enough to get them through unscathed.
The dragons were after them. But not all. Had he really ever thought he’d be that lucky? He counted seven following. He saw the moment the shuttle passed the event horizon and Devlin lost control. Now all he could hope was that he could maintain some steering and stop the craft from hitting the edges, which would explode the whole ship.
Then they were gone, hopefully through the other side.
Thorne turned his attention to the three remaining dragons. Hadn’t he always known, deep down, that it would come to this? The tension left him; the choices were gone, vanished into smoke. He knew what he had to do.
Time to meet his destiny.
…
When Candy shifted into human form it was to a feeling that something was wrong with the world.
Well, she knew that.
But there was more than the obvious.
She cast her mind back to that last meeting with Thorne. It was almost as though he’d been trying to wind her up, make her angry. Why? To stop her feeling sorry for herself?
Or an alternative reason—to stop her brain from functioning properly. To make her get mad and say “Fuck you. You might run and hide, but I’m staying and fighting. Even if it means I’ll die.” Shit, he knew her so well.
And he’d let her stay, encouraged her even, despite the fact that it would mean her almost certain death.
He loved her.
She had no doubt about that. And yet he’d walked away and left her to die.
No fucking way.
In a moment of blinding clarity, she accepted that it wouldn’t happen. Never. Not in an eternity.
So what had really gone down there?
She nearly banged her head on the wall, she was so pissed off with herself. What if that had been his true purpose? To get her mad so she wouldn’t work out what he was really doing.
So she would stand by and watch while he flew away without her.
Bastard.
She dressed quickly, clicked her comm unit on, then off again. She was betting the whole crew knew what he was up to and had colluded with him to keep her in the dark.
Red hot rage boiled up ins
ide her, choked her so that for a moment she couldn’t get her breath. They didn’t trust her. Didn’t think she could be of any help. Probably thought she would be a hindrance.
When she flung open her door, Rico was standing there, hand raised. He dropped it to his side and studied her. “I figured you’d have worked it out by now.”
She glared at him. “I’m going.”
“You can’t help. He needs to do this, and you will only get in the way.”
Was he goading her? Probably. “Piss off.”
“You can’t do anything. The ship is on lockdown, the docking bay off-limits until we hear from Devlin.”
From Devlin. Not from Thorne, because they didn’t expect to hear from Thorne ever again.
“Stay in your room. You don’t want to see this. We’ll let you know when it’s over.”
“Are you fucking crazy?” She pushed past Rico and headed for the docking bay. The doors were shut, and nothing she did made any difference. She kicked them, and that didn’t work either, just fucking hurt.
The ship was in lockdown mode. She wasn’t going anywhere. Or so they thought.
She made herself breathe deeply until her mind cleared and she could think again.
“Thorne?”
Nothing. But had she really expected anything?
“Kronus?”
This time she felt a flutter at the back of her mind, then that slight tap.
“Candace.”
“Whatever he said, he will never give you Saffira.” The dragon was silent, and she continued, “I can’t give you Saffira, but I can help you get close to her, and maybe she’ll help you get what you want.”
“And what do you require in return?”
“That Thorne doesn’t die.”
“You…love him.”
“Always.”
He snorted in her mind.
“Please, Kronus.”
“Yes.”
The strength went out of her and she sagged. “I’m leaving the ship now. Come and get me.”
She made her way across the Blood Hunter to where the rear airlocks were situated. Drawing her laser pistol she shot a blast into the monitoring device so she wouldn’t be seen. It might set off an alarm, but she would be gone by the time anyone realized what she was doing. She opened the airlock, scrambled inside, and pressed the release button. Then she was sucked out and shot headfirst into space. Finally, her momentum slowed, and she floated among the stars.
Where the hell was he?
“Kronus?”
Would he leave her here to die? Was it some sort of lure because he really did see her as an abomination?
But in that moment the air around her shifted, and her breathless nostrils filled with the scent of sulfur and cinnamon. Kronus clasped her in his huge claws, and then they were speeding through space.
“We may be too late.”
“Then move faster.” She closed her eyes as everything blurred around her, only opening them as they slowed. She crawled up, finding handholds in the dragon’s scales, until she could drag her leg over his back and view what was happening. In the distance she could see the burning rings of Trakis One. And before that, the black hole.
She gasped when she caught sight of the shuttle, just as it vanished into the gaping jaws of the hole. Dragons poured in after it
“Look to the right.”
She turned slightly and saw Thorne, hovering in space. He hadn’t seen them, his whole concentration on the three dragons who had not followed the shuttle. He charged toward them, and flames filled the air. He was burning, his wings on fire, and he was tumbling through space.
“No!”
“Hold on.”
She heard the words in her head as Kronus lunged forward, diving toward the action. No way could they get there in time. And if they did, would the dragons attack? She was so vulnerable out here. But if she died then so be it.
“Thorne!”
Too late.
The world exploded.
The shock wave ricocheted through space. The force hit them in seconds and Kronus rolled over, Candy clinging to his wings as they were flung outward from the center of the blast.
Then time seemed to stop.
For a moment everything was still. She blinked open her eyes and took in the huge black nothingness at the center of the tableau; the other dragons were pulled in and vanished with a flash of white and violet light. And finally, she saw Thorne, too close.
Then time started again as the hole dragged them relentlessly closer. Kronus beat his wings, somehow managing to hold them in place, until at last they were able to pull slowly away.
Panic flared.
“No!”
Kronus slowed his wings; for a moment they were stationary, then she sensed the pull, and they shot forward. She saw the moment Thorne was drawn into the hole. He was trying hard to avoid the edges, but he had no control with his damaged wings and was hurled from side to side. She expected Kronus to turn away, to fly to safety, but he kept going. She had to keep her eyes wide open, her gaze fixed on Thorne’s burning figure as he was tossed around. They were closing in on him. But what then? Even if they got him, they would be spat out the other side to a waiting horde of pissed off dragons.
Closer. Closer.
Finally, Kronus’s claws gripped on to Thorne, and they turned in one fluid move, aiming for the entrance. She could sense the dragon straining against the pull, but they were gaining.
Then her heart stopped. The entrance to the hole was closing, the edges of the tunnel narrowing. They weren’t going to make it. They were going to slam into it. They would implode. She lay close against Kronus’s neck as he flattened his wings against his body.
And then they were through and into space. She glanced back over her shoulder and saw the hole was gone and they were free.
“Thorne?”
Silence.
“Thorne!”
“I’m here. I think.”
She almost let go of her hold on Kronus, the relief was so great. They were safe. No doubt the dragons would return, but for now she could relax. With that thought, she started to cry. Sniffing, she wiped a hand across her eyes.
“Move away from the black hole.”
Thorne’s words sounded in her mind, but she realized he was talking to Kronus, and beneath her the dragon shifted his direction until they were heading away from Trakis One.
“That’s enough.”
As Kronus slowed and turned, she noticed a black ripple through space. Another wormhole, a small one. It opened and a shuttle shot out, the hole closing immediately. Saffira.
The shuttle turned 180 degrees and the blasters opened, shooting straight into the black hole. Seconds later an explosion of red and crimson filled the sky. As the flames cleared, the hole collapsed in on itself and was gone.
“Hurray!”
As Kronus headed for the shuttle, it turned to face them.
“It’s Candy,” she said, “don’t shoot us.”
She braced herself for the lasers but nothing happened.
Kronus set Thorne gently on the roof of the shuttle, then held still as she scrambled down, her legs trembling. Her fingers refused to work, and she was sure she was going to slip off, but then Thorne’s arms came around her and held her tight.
“You will keep your promise?”
She glanced up at Kronus’s words and nodded. “I’ll find a way. Just not today.”
“I will be back.”
He flapped his wings and moved with such grace, heading into the vastness of space.
The airlock opened, and Thorne handed her down, following behind her and into the main room of the shuttle. She didn’t speak, just moved to the console and watched as the dragon disappeared from sight.
Thorne’s hands came around her and pulled her against him. He smelled of fire and smoke, and right now she couldn’t take it in.
“Let’s go home,” he said.
“We don’t have a home.”
“T
hen let’s go make one.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
They stood on the ramparts overlooking the main city on Trakis Five. The damage to Thorne’s wings was nearly healed and Candy was in his arms. He hadn’t let her more than a few inches away since she had rescued him.
“This is the chance for you to make that world that you always dreamed of,” she said, her voice soft but urgent. He knew she was in no way sure of him, hadn’t really forgiven him for lying to her. In fact, maybe it was she who hadn’t let him get more than inches way. Did it matter?
“Isn’t that what you planned all those years ago,” she continued. “To take your people and build a home where they could be free of tyranny, free to follow a religion if they chose to, or to just live their lives?”
Thorne gazed around him, at the chaos years of war had made of the city.
He’d wanted a new canvas. A clean place to start afresh.
He looked at this and saw the past. But Candy looked and saw hope for the future. For the first time, he felt a hint of excitement for what was to come. But not with him in charge. He was never taking that route again.
“There’s so much you can do,” Candy said. “I think you need to start rebuilding the city, but at the same time we need volunteers to get the farms working, so food won’t be an issue.”
“Good idea,” he murmured.
“Kronus told me about all these civilizations he’d visited. Some were just weird, but some…well, I think there are ideas you could take from each and make something really good.”
“You,” Thorne said.
“Me?” She smiled. “What about me?”
“Haven’t you worked it out yet? This place needs a leader, someone with a vision for the future and the passion to see it through.”
“Well, obviously I’ll be around. I’ll do anything to help you. If you still want me to.” She glared at him. “You’d better still want me to be around, because I saved your ass, which means you’re mine now, and I’m not letting you go.”
He turned from the broken city and rested his hands on her shoulders, leaned in and kissed her until the world spun around him, then he kissed her some more. “I’ll never leave you. Not as long as you want me to stay.”
“That’s eternity, then.”