by Shea Malloy
“Because usually rur draki royalty prefer the plebeians to refer to them by their title. Only family, friends and lovers get the honour of first names. I wonder which of those three categories you fall into?”
I purse my lips. “None.”
A silence follows for a moment before she breaks it.
“I think you’re lying. I think you know exactly why he allows you to be so familiar with him. Just because I’ve been unwell doesn’t mean I’m blind. He’s probably visited us as many times as the medic. And I’m betting it’s not because he’s so concerned about my welfare.”
“If you have something to say, Tess, spit it out already,” I say, properly irritated now.
“He likes you,” she says watching me closely. “And you like him too.”
“What does any of it matter?” I say, unwilling to admit anything. Despite my hard beliefs that I hated all dragons because of what one did to my father, Adan has worn down those beliefs. He saved mine and Tess’ lives and he’s been looking out for us ever since. Not even his people has treated us poorly during our stay. The Secan people don’t seem to care that we’re human. We’re not treated differently because we don’t have a powerful monster living inside us.
It’s so unlike what I’ve encountered all my years living in Andrasar. Sure there were a few Andrasari who were on the humans’ side, fighting alongside us for our freedom. The most notable was Theron Visclaud’s rahsa, Eyin Visclaud. Even though she was sister to the male who enforced our captivity until he fell in love with a human, she still wanted us all to be free.
“Because it means that that’s the death of any leftover hope I have.”
“Hope for what?”
“That you might like me too.”
Oh. The kiss. We’ve not spoken about it at all. I’ve been too much of a coward to bring it up. I’m afraid that by unpacking what it meant might lead to another fight and a definite rift in our friendship. We already had an unpleasant argument before we got to Seca. I don’t want that to happen again.
“Tess... I...” I remember what Adan said about being honest just before he gave me a toe-curling kiss that made me feel like his dragon had lit me on fire. Shamefully, I admit to myself that if he’d decided to fuck me against the wall then and there, I would have let him. No, stop thinking about that. Focus!. “Tess, I do like you. Very much. But only as a friend.”
“Because you prefer penises, right?” she grins.
I snort. “Well, yeah. Plus, you’re Jogen’s sister. It just wouldn’t feel right.” I give her an enquiring look. “I thought you liked males? Weren’t you with that mechanic… Sevan… Safan… ?”
“Sevran. I do like males, and I like females too.” Tess sighs. “It did feel like I’m being a traitor to my dead brother. I’d already told myself to back off, but I wanted to give it a shot still before I did.” She shakes her head. “Now I’m really backing off. Especially now that you’re interested in… Adan.”
My face grows hot. “I’m not. I can’t. He’s a draki.”
But even as I say the words, they hold less than zero conviction, and less than zero truth.
“That’s the same sort of close-minded, prejudicial thinking that had humankind enslaved for years, Xia,” she says. “I get why you hate them because of what happened to your dad, but the dragon that killed him is also dead. If you continue holding a grudge against everything that has wronged you in life, then you’re in for a lifetime of bitterness and anger, my friend.”
Holding onto a wall for support, she struggles to stand on her uninjured leg. I grab the fur jackets we were provided for the cold and wrap one around Tess, the other around me. Then I give her my hand for extra support.
I quirk an eyebrow as we slowly make our way toward the den’s entrance.
“When did you become this well of wisdom?”
“When I died, I saw the light. It spoke to me and gave me the answers to all of life’s important questions.”
Outside the den, it’s gloomy as usual. The heat from the steaming pool below chases away the cold and makes me warmer in the fur jacket.
“I’ll ask one of the guards patrolling to tell us how to get to an entrance.” I say.
It’s slow going because of Tess’ injured leg and arm. As we walk, sweat forms on her creased forehead and she breathes hard through parted lips.
“Tess, I don’t think this is a good idea. You look like you’re in pain.”
“Fuck the pain. I want some fresh air and I’m gonna get it.”
I spy a guard patrolling nearby but a child approaches us.
“Where are you going?” Zavi asks.
“We’re trying to find one of those entrances so we can look outside.”
Zavi’s eyes light up in excitement. “I can take you.” He races to the mouth of one tunnel and point into the yawning darkness. “Through here.”
“Pretty dark,” says Tess.
Zavi holds his hands out, palms up and a ball of light manifests in his open palm until it grows.
“Safur,” he says with a grin, his silver eyes gleaming in the light from the ball.
Right. I’d forgotten Rur beings could do that. They took all the impressive abilities while leaving us humans with absolutely nothing.
“I’m liking you more and more, Zavi,” says Tess with a grin. A bit of colour fills Zavi’s pale cheeks and his eyes become a little shinier.
Holding the safur before him, Zavi leads us through the tunnel. Thankfully, the path is smooth and easy for me to take Tess through. The further we go, the colder it gets until the tunnel ends, opening into a open area like another den. Except a huge open hole lets in all the cold air.
It’s dark outside, and the light from Zavi’s safur capture the steadily falling flecks of snow. Some of the snow blows inside, forming a small mound at the entrance.
“Even in these jackets it’s cold,” Tess says as I help her to sit on a short ledge jutting out from the wall.
I sit beside her. “You’re the one who wanted fresh air.”
She smiles and closes her eyes as she takes a deep breath. “Worth it.”
We sit in companionable silence watching as Zavi plays with the snow that’s coming in.
“Where’s Lim, Zavi?” I ask him. In all the instances I’ve seen him that huge white cat has been faithfully at his side.
He perks up and comes closer. “She went hunting earlier. She is probably in one of the mountains waiting out the storm before she can come home.”
For a second I envision Lim pouncing on unsuspecting prey and making short work of the feast. It’s not a pretty sight in my head. I shudder. I don’t know why my imagination can be so vivid in the worst moments.
Soon, it gets too cold for Tess and I to tolerate any longer. We’re both shivering as the furs can no longer protect us from the cold. I help Tess to her feet and Zavi creates another safur as the first one fades.
“What’s that sound?” says Tess suddenly, frowning.
I pause and wait for a short moment before I hear it too. A slithering, hissing sound. I’m about to say I hear it too when a huge, black creature leaps out of nowhere right onto Zavi.
12
Xia
—
Zavi cries out, the new safur he made flying from his hand.
It rolls away, submerging where we are in near darkness. Then Zavi’s cries are cut short and muffled by an unpleasant sucking sound. I rest Tess down and run in the direction of the awful noise. I can’t see but I fling myself at whatever it is that’s harming Zavi. It has to be the terrible creature that’s been hiding in Vyaka and killing the Secan children.
Whatever I touch is cold and slimy. When I dig my fingernails into it, it’s like sticking my fingers into some sort of viscous liquid. Nevertheless, I yank hard with every ounce of my strength, flinging it off of Zavi.
The creature snarls, spins and hits me hard across the face, sending me crashing backward. Despite the pain, I scramble to my feet. I will not let it kill Zavi. I won�
�t let it snuff out his young life.
“Xia!” Tess cries and I turn to see her lobbing the ball of light at me. I barely manage to catch it and as soon as I do. I turn the light in the direction of the creature so I can see.
The bright light from the safur reveals an awful sight. A hunched, slimy, blood-red monster with no discernible features except for a gaping maw where there should be a face. It screeches loudly when the light hits it, and wisps of dark vapour rises up from its flesh. It scrambles away from the light and I chase after it realizing that this is its weakness.
“Yeah, you better run, asshole,” I snarl as it push it toward the opening. It leaps off the edge, the blackness outside swallowing it. Breathing heavily, I hurry back to Zavi who is lying unconscious on the ground. Blood leaks from his nose and his mouth.
“Is he ok?” asks Tess, dragging herself along the wall slowly.
“I don’t know. He’s unconscious.” I frown at her. “What about you?”
“Don’t worry about me. Let’s get him the help he needs right now.” Her features are stricken. “It’s my fault he got hurt. If I hadn’t wanted to come here—”
“Quit it, Tess. Don’t blame yourself. You saved him by throwing that ball.” I say. “Can you walk on your own?”
“It’s either that or stay here and wait while you carry him to the infirmary. There’s no way I’m gonna stick around for that monster to return and feast on me.”
Nodding, I set the safur down. I shove my hand under Zavi’s slight frame and lift him into my arms. His skin is still warm and when I wipe away some of the blood from under his nose, a warm gust of air caresses my finger which means he’s still breathing.
Placing the ball of light on his stomach, I lurch to my feet with him. I want to hurry, but I can’t because Tess’ injured leg demands a slower pace. Anxiety wracks me as we trek through the dark tunnel. My eyes dart everywhere, terrified that there are more of those monsters and that they might attack when we’re most vulnerable.
As soon as we’re at the mouth of the tunnel, I immediately cry for help. Several of the guards rush to our assistance as well as other Secans who poke their heads out of their dens.
“What happened?” asks Jetta as she scoops up Zavi immediately from my arms. The horror mixed with fear and pain on her lined face is familiar. It reminds me of that day I watched my father being carried away to his death and I could do nothing to stop it.
“He got attacked by one of those monsters that are targeting the children,” I explain.
“Xia fought it and saved him,” says Tess, slightly out of breath from the pain and effort of journeying quickly through the tunnel.
Jetta nods sharply and barks an order at one of the guards.
“Help them back to their den.”
Then she speeds away with Zavi.
One of the guards, a large, muscular Secan sweeps Tess up into his arms like if she weighs as much as a baby. He leads the way back to the den, laying Tess down on the fur bed gently.
“You should probably go to the infirmary too, Xia,” says Tess. “That monster hit you hard.”
I rub my face. It still stings a little, but I’ve endured worse. “I’m fine.”
The rest of the night passes in quiet, simple conversation as we try to fall asleep. But I can’t sleep. I keep thinking about the look of that monster and how Adan would feel when he heard about Zavi’s attack.
Where is he, anyway? I haven’t seen him all day.
Not that I miss him.
Not that I could use his strong, reassuring presence right about now.
Because that would be selfish. I’m sure he’s wrapped up in taking care of Zavi.
Worry for Zavi plagues me. Like Tess, I feel responsible for his injury too. If I hadn’t asked him to show us where the entrance was, he would have been safe.
At some point, Tess’ soft snores fills the silence. She would be exhausted after everything that happened tonight.
I keep the fire pit going, no longer feeling safe in total darkness. The metal poker sits close beside me, ready to be of use as a weapon. As I’m nodding off, a soft rustling of the coverings over the den’s entrance chases away my drowsiness. Gripping the poker with both hands and lifting high, I stand, ready to beat whatever it is to death.
But it’s Adan.
His gaze darts to the poker in my hands. Relief crosses his features before it’s replaced with mild amusement.
“Should you ever need to use your newfound weapon, it is better to stab than to strike with it.”
“Thanks for the tip,” I say, dropping my hands.
He regards me for a while in silence and I do the same too. He looks tired, his hair dishevelled. Yet this large sense of relief and happiness overcomes me seeing him again. Now that he’s here, I feel safer. Adan exudes so much power and strength, there’s no way a bloodsucking monster would even dare to challenge him.
“Thank you for saving Zavi from the attack.”
“Not just me. Tess helped.” I set the poker down. “How is he doing? I haven’t heard anything after your mother carried him away.”
“The medic says he will live.”
“Thank the goddess.”
“And you?” he steps closer. “Were you hurt?”
“The monster knocked me around a little, but I’m fine.” I pause. “I saw it Adan. We all did. We know what it looks like now. It doesn’t have any eyes or ears. Just a mouth for it to suck blood. And it doesn’t like light.”
“Like the creatures in your stories from Earth,” he muses aloud. “This is helpful information, Xia.”
I smile, happy to help and eager to do more.
“Vyaka is sort of gloomy. I was thinking that since I’m stuck here for a while as Tess heals, I can rig up some lights using some of that steel and other equipment the Andrasari gifted you.” My face heats beneath his persistent stare. “Just a suggestion.”
“An intelligent one that I will accept if you are willing to implement it,” he says. “Finally, there is a way to protect ourselves against this creature.” He drags his hand through his hair in frustration. “I’ve done nothing but run in circles. I’ve been so consumed searching for this beast, I was not present to protect my brother when he needed me.”
“I know what it’s like beating yourself up because you were unable to protect someone you love.” I hesitate then touch his arm. “But you can’t be in all places at the same time. And at least he is alive.”
Silence falls between us. I should remove my hand from his arm but I don’t. Insanity sweeps me closer to him, lifting me up onto my toes so that I can press my lips to his in a quick kiss.
There. I did it. I did the thing I’ve been aching to do since he first stepped into the den tonight.
Just as I’m about to retreat, Adan pulls me to him, holds me tighter and kisses me fully. Slowly at first like he’s unsure if this is what I want. So I slide my tongue against his lips to let him know that yes, this is exactly what I need. Our kiss becomes hungry, desperate, fuelled by need and pent up frustration.
He walks me further into the den, behind a wall out of Tess’s viewpoint. A quick glance at her tells me she’s still asleep.
Pressing me against the wall, Adan hoists me up higher so that my face is level with his. I wrap my arms around his neck and my legs around his hips, his thick rigid length pressed between my thighs. It frustrates me we’re still clothed and I can’t feel him bare against me. He claims my mouth in another hungry kiss trapping me between the hard stone against my back and his firm body.
His lips leave mine to trail kisses down my neck. I try not to moan too loudly as his lips dragging on my skin sends shivers through me. My nipples are tight points, the nightgown I was given by a Secan female scratching against them.
He pulls away from me, setting me down so that he can shove the thick straps of the nightgown down my shoulders. The cloth pools at my feet, leaving me mostly naked. I’m still wearing my underwear, though not for long.
It’s darker on this side of the den where the fire pit’s light doesn’t quite reach. The gloom gives his face a mysterious, dangerous look that’s strengthened by the hunger in his silver eyes. My heart races, my stomach tightening in anticipation.
He slides his hands down my arms then back up. Down again, his thumbs intentionally grazing the sides of my breasts. Then he clamps his hands down on my hips, squeezing me there before trailing his hands up over my waist.
“You are so beautiful,” he says in quiet reverence. I grow warmer beneath his genuine appreciation. Every time I look at myself in the mirror, all I’d see are the inadequacies. The smaller than average breasts, the faint lines on my hips, the little pudge on my stomach that I’ve long given up on trying to defeat. Yet the way he looks at me is as if I’m perfection made real before him.
He cups my breasts, rolling a thumb over my nipples. Then he swoops down and claims one in his hot mouth. I gasp, my hand flying to the back of his head. My fingers sink into his hair and I strain against him as he sucks me, his tongue circling and flicking my nipple incessantly. Each lap sends little shocks through that finally settle between my legs where I’m literally throbbing for him.
“Adan…” I moan, spreading my legs when he trails his free hand along the inside of my thigh. He cups me, pressing his fingers firmly against my clit through my panties.
He lifts his head from my chest and leans his face close to mine as he continues to rub me,
“I did not get the chance to taste you the first time. I won’t make that mistake again.”
He sinks to his knees and as he does so, he grasps the sides of my panties and drags them down my legs. I’m a little ashamed he can see how wet he’s made me. But that embarrassment takes a backseat when Adan jams his face right between my legs and breathes me in.
Fuck me. I didn’t know something like that could be so arousing. I didn’t know hearing a male growl his approval could intensify the heat that’s burning me up inside and out.
Digging his fingers into my thighs, he forces them wider, lifting my leg to coil it over his shoulder so I’m completely bared to his greedy gaze. He presses kisses along my thigh until his mouth hovers over my heated center, his hot breath fanning me, torturing me. He drags a finger along my slit then follows that action with one long, delicious lap with his wet, hot, slippery tongue.