Images of Jade filled Dragon’s mind, and he fought against passing out because he wanted the memory of her to be the last thought he had. Her black eyes. Her slender body. Her little gasps as he made love to her. He would have given anything to relive one of those moments that made her smile.
See you in the afterlife.
5
From the observation deck in her quarters, Jade watched the Jewel steer deeper inside the cavernous astroport.
The vessel’s sails and lateral wings swelled, catching the first breeze in more than two months. After looking at nothing but dark, bottomless space and faraway stars for the longest time, the hustle and bustle of Belarus’s main hub made for a nice diversion. Unimaginatively called Last Harbor, the place occupied the excavated interior of a mountain and served as the last stop to refuel and do some shopping for the ships bound to the Rim Sector.
Blue lights and whistles served as directional aids for the less skilled pilots who kept bumping against the safety buoys and slowed the entrance line to a crawl. Jade didn’t mind the wait. Once she stepped out of the Jewel, her life would forever change.
Several meters below the Jewel’s deck, Belters and newly-arrived settlers navigated the floating bridges with unsteady feet, looking for a lift that would take them to their final destinations. The rough-looking humanity filled a space already crowded with slim fretters and bulky cargo liners. Belarus orbited at the edge of the Outer Belts, its remote position a sought-after destination for anyone who wanted to disappear or start a new life.
During the entire voyage, Jade tormented herself about a life she could never have with Dragon, and finally came to the conclusion that she needed a fresh start, and to achieve what most assassins would never contemplate, she would assume a new identity. Hiding and changing her name wouldn’t be enough, though. Her rank of Master Assassin asked for extreme measures, and it was the reason Jade had wanted to reach Belarus.
“Lady Jade,” Captain Durant called from the gramophone. “We’ve received the confirmation code from the port, and we’ll be docking in less than an hour.”
Jade looked around at her surroundings. It didn’t matter that she had left Dragon on Solaria. Everywhere she looked, she could see him. When she closed her eyes, he would appear with his ready smile. How many times had she fallen asleep only to wake up in tears because she dreamed of him? The ghosts of his kisses still lingered on her skin. Two months hadn’t lessened her longing for him. If anything, her sentiments had grown stronger. She couldn’t live with his memories forever haunting her.
Fortunately for her, she wouldn’t have to.
Two hours later, Jade climbed down the Jewel as if she were going to take a stroll through Belarus City. She let Captain Durant believe she would come back to the ship for the next leg of her voyage and left with a mere, “See you later.”
Once she stepped on the suspended bridge that led out of the spaceport and into the glass dome protecting the city proper, Jade looked back for a last glance at the Jewel. Her ship.
When the captain explained to her that the High Lord had gifted her the vessel, her heart had shuttered anew. Even from afar, Dragon kept taking care of her needs. But if she wanted her plan to be successful, she couldn’t keep the Jewel, and with great anguish, she turned and walked away. Every step she took, warm tears wetted her cheeks. Jade didn’t wipe them away, though, but let them fall because she needed to mourn her loss.
For hours, she roamed street after street through Belarus City. Her original plan was to give the impression she was one of the many space travelers on a layover, waiting for the next shuttle to cart them off the planet. But even if that hadn’t been her intention, she wouldn’t have hurried to her destination: Vivaldi & Sons.
Once she entered the medicus’ office, her problems would be fixed. And this slow agony that tore her whole being in too many pieces would be gone.
She would be rid of Dragon.
But as she wandered through the seedier part of an already seedy outpost at the edge of the Outer Belts, Jade’s resolution balked. The pain in her heart had become a familiar ache that kept her company for the last two months.
To fortify her resolve, she entered a dive bar for a drink, eager to drown her sorrow in a pint or two of the fiery concoctions Belarus was infamous for. The clientele recoiled at her sight as soon as she stepped inside the dim locale. If she weren’t so damned depressed, Jade would have laughed. Finally, someone showed her some respect. It was the scum of the interstellar trade that bowed to her Master Assassin’s status, but she wouldn’t complain. After being treated like a harmless female by Dragon and his friends first, and later by Captain Durant and the Jewel’s crew who never forgot to call her Lady Jade, it was a refreshing change.
“We don’t want any problems,” the bulky bartender said, his gaze hard and speculating.
Under the glass dome of Belarus City, stores and establishments catered to a wild clientele. The bar Jade chose sported an even edgier side to it, judging from the patrons assembled by the long counter. Yet those men and women opened a wide path as Jade passed.
“I’m not looking for any.” Jade hopped on the barstool and pressed a coin against the opaque surface of the counter.
Judging from the corrugated, galvanized walls and the flying cables, the bar had once been a container, one of those large rectangular boxes attached outside cargo ships. Recycling and repurposing made up the entire architectural effort on outpost planets, and Belarus had elevated the practice to an art of sorts. The flickering lights haphazardly draping the rusted mirror glass behind the counter added a wishful note to the place.
Long beards, vape pipes drooping from scarred mouths, and a general sense of foreboding surrounded most of the male customers. For the women, too much makeup and the sharp glint of greed suggested lives spent fulfilling someone else’s physical needs.
There were exceptions. A couple of tourists sat at one of the small booths crammed against the battered wall. Their tailored clothes and elaborate hairstyles gave them away as rich people from Celestia. It was the latest fashion for wealthy travelers to get a taste of the raw sensuality of the Belts. Jade would never understand what passed through the minds of those lucky individuals. People born with everything seemed more prone to throw away fortunes—and sometimes their lives, too—for the thrill of danger.
“What’s your poison?” the bartender asked Jade.
She rolled her eyes at the cliché. “Blue Absinthe. Pure,” she said to challenge him.
The bartender said something under his breath that sounded a lot like, “Of course,” but immediately turned and bent to reach for a dusty bottle of the spirit he slammed on the counter a moment later. “Last one.”
It was probably the only one this dive had ever owned since its inception.
“Duly impressed.” Jade tilted her head at the bartender.
“You are not the only with expensive tastes visiting Belarus.” The man opened the bottle with his metal teeth. He was showing off for the assassin. How cute.
Once, before Dragon ever entered her life, Jade would have been open to the man’s flirting. He looked clean and eager enough. A few minutes in the shade of the container would have sufficed to satisfy her.
“Thank you,” she snatched the bottle from the man’s hand. As she brought the absinthe to her mouth, she avoided the bartender’s gaze and stared ahead at the hazy mirror instead.
With nothing else to do but look, she noted the rich woman sitting with her back too straight against the plastic booth. The dim lighting and the murky reflective surface hid details, but Jade watched as the man’s hand reached for his companion’s knee under the table and gently squeezed. The woman immediately relaxed, and a large smile brightened her pretty face.
It was but a small gesture. And yet, that insignificant show of affection soothed the woman’s nervousness, and it drove an arrow through Jade’s chest.
Without tasting a drop of the fiery alcohol, Jade dropped the bot
tle and stumbled outside, trying to reach the dark alley before she would weep inside the bar.
Plans change. Assassins adapt.
Or ran away to cry their heart out. Or find the first medicus willing to perform illegal, unsanctioned practices for the right amount of money. Whichever came first.
The look of trust on that woman’s face, the joy she couldn’t hide at her companion’s touch, reminded Jade that she would never experience such small pleasures ever again. Unless she erased Dragon from inside of her.
The city lights had dimmed to the night cycle’s settings, and her legs ached by the time she finally reached the edge of the dome. Very few ventured into the Badlands during the day cycle, but Jade wasn’t worried. The white marks etched on her naked arms and coiling around her eye protected her more than a personal shield. When choosing her outfit for today’s foray, she had elected a sleeveless vest to better showcase her Master Assassin status. No Belters in their right minds would approach her. Not even in the Badlands.
Whereas containers and leftovers from interstellar business made up the bulk of the construction anywhere else in the city, here scraps of metals and rubbish had been used to build rickety shacks. The sturdier of the ramblers looked likely to collapse if one so much as breathed too hard nearby.
Remembering her previous jaunt to the Badlands, Jade followed a path made of broken glass and electrical cords. As she walked further inside Belarus City’s outskirts, fabric screens replaced doors on corrugated cardboard walls. Whispers followed her, but she didn’t see anyone. Still, she knew that her presence would be announced to the right person.
When she finally stopped outside a squat building made of reinforced cardboard, the faded curtain was swept by the side, and a tall man exited.
“Master Assassin,” the man said, slightly tilting his head in recognition. “We meet again.” He moved to the side to let her in.
“Medicus.” Jade hesitated only for a moment before following him inside.
“What can Vivaldi & Sons do for you today?”
“An erasion. Strike the last two and a half months from my mind.”
6
Dragon didn’t close his eyes. He stared straight ahead.
Peace descended upon him as he realized that he had saved Jade after all. If he hadn’t let her leave as was her desire, she would probably be at his side now.
“There’s another ship!” The first mate screamed the words, wildly waving his hands to catch the attention of everyone on the deck, then pointing at the porthole.
Dragon squinted, trying to make sense of the shadow rapidly growing in the blind spot behind the man-of-war.
A pink explosion brightened the white halo as the blast engulfed the man-of-war.
Time stood still, freezing Dragon’s heartbeat in his chest.
A collective shout went out as time resumed its course and the enemy ship fractured in a million pieces.
A moment later, the second ship came into sight, signaling its identity and intentions.
“It’s Sea Wolf,” the first mate said, his voice a raspy whisper, but everyone heard him as if he had shouted. “It’s Valentine Lobo’s.”
“Thank him,” Dragon said. “Profusely.”
Two months later.
“Daddy, Daddy!” Valemir called.
Dragon watched as the small child took a few tentative steps toward his father.
“Good job, Valemir,” Valentine said, a proud light shining in his usually hard gaze.
The child’s last few steps fumbled, and he ended up flying into his father’s safe embrace. “Love you, Daddy.”
“Love you, too, baby.” Valentine stood, cradling his son to his chest as he walked back to Dragon and Gabriel’s corner. “Any news from your assassin?” he asked Dragon as he lowered himself to the settee, taking care not to disturb Valemir. The boy had promptly popped his thumb into his mouth and closed his eyes for an impromptu nap.
Dragon shook his head. “Either the Jewel hasn’t landed yet in any of the ports I’ve sent my message to, or Jade is ignoring me.” He had made sure his note would be delivered to each one of the Outer Belts’ outposts, five thousand of them and counting, for what could only be estimated as a ransom of stellar proportions. Still, it was worth it if Jade ever answered him back. He massaged his face, feeling the stubble against his fingers.
“I knew she would try to cover her tracks and make it impossible for me to find her, but I thought—” Dragon’s hand found its way into his mane. “I don’t know what I thought.” He shook his head and chuckled sadly. “If I was even thinking at all.”
“I can only sympathize with you.” Valentine looked at his son who made the most adorable noises, sucking his thumb. “Since Mirella entered my life, I haven’t had a straight thought. It’s only emotions and feelings governing my actions, and the need to protect my loved ones.”
“I can’t say I’ve experienced what you two have, but I’m here to lend any support you might need, brother,” Gabriel said.
“We’ll find her.” Valentine brought his free hand to Valemir’s head, his large fingers playing with the soft curls. “You aren’t alone.”
“Thank you.” Dragon pressed his fist against his chest.
His friends’ commitment to help him find Jade meant more than words could convey. Since she left, his life had slowly descended into hell. Trying to fix things between him and his now ex-betrotheds had only strained the already rocky relationship.
The princesses’ families had accepted Dragon’s terms but requested that Lauren and Gilda remain at Sol Manor until the rebels’ threat was dealt with. The families argued that the princesses were still a target, even if their status had changed, and the safest place on all of Solaria was under the High Lord’s roof. Dragon had the hunch that both Lauren and Gilda were behind the request for completely different reasons, but splitting his army to provide his ex-betrotheds with the necessary protection against an attack would not be ideal. So, they stayed.
On top of an already uncomfortable situation, the near-death brush with the man-of-war two months earlier had left everyone shaken. If it weren’t for Valentine’s timely arrival, both Ferocity and Celestial Star would be drifting aimlessly in space with their dead crew.
“Do we have any news on the Front Pro Humanity?” Valentine asked, changing topic. The man skirted thanks like the plague.
“No, and it worries me.” Dragon stretched his long legs in front of him before crossing his boots at the ankles.
The terrorists behind all the attacks on Lupine, and now on Solaria, had been silent since the space battle.
“Has your technician found anything useful in the black box?” Valentine asked Gabriel.
Soon after Sea Wolf arrived at the scene, taking the mercenaries by surprise by attacking them with more fire than they had expected, the man-of-war exploded. They would never know the truth, but one thing was sure: the death-rings had been activated, destroying the ship to smithereens. After more than a month combing through the space flotsam, Gabriel’s crew had retrieved the mangled black box.
“No, he hasn’t. The damage was too extensive.” Gabriel reached for the flute on the side table and swirled the long stem between his fingers. The dark-red Laurum sloshed against the crystal walls of the glass, leaving a blood-like stain.
Dragon thought that for a vampire, Gabriel kept his feeding habits a secret. Martelli could be seen drinking his special reserve wines, but nobody knew how Gabriel sustained himself. In fact, when Dragon asked if he or his Celestian entourage and crew needed any special accommodation for their meals, Gabriel thanked him and said everything was already taken care of.
“We expected that opening the black box wouldn’t be of any help,” Dragon said. “It still sucks, though.”
The peace and quiet they were experiencing felt wrong. After the assassins’ attacks and a space battle, standing idle unsettled Dragon. “We are like sitting ducks, waiting for the slaughter.”
“I don’t
like it either, but I’ve learned to enjoy the little moments.” Valentine’s adoring gaze for his son was endearing.
A year ago, such a domesticated sight would have shocked Dragon. His previous experience with the werewolf had never given him the impression that the man was capable of tender emotions. If anything, ‘barbaric’ would come to mind if he had been pressed to think of a qualifying adjective for Valentine Lobo. Yet, during Dragon’s stay on Lupine, the man changed, becoming someone else entirely.
Dragon couldn’t help but remember that awful night when Valentine burst into his quarters and found his wife in bed with Dragon. The pain Dragon saw in his friend’s eyes would forever haunt him. The thought that Mirella had betrayed him made him act like a wounded beast. Valentine was out for blood, and Dragon thought he had understood his friend’s motivations. The truth was, only now that Dragon had so much to lose could he fully recognize the sentiments that governed a betrayed man.
What would Dragon do if he found Jade in someone else’s bed? They weren’t mated, but to him, their union was as binding as if he had marked and collared her in the way of the dragon. If Jade took a lover, would he lose his mind and challenge her companion? He couldn’t even bear to think of the possibility.
“Something wrong?” Gabriel asked.
“Thoughts not worth dwelling on.” Dragon stood and served himself a shot of Radessium from the liquor cabinet. He needed something stronger than the refined Laurum from Martelli’s vineyards. The Solarian spirit burned a path down Dragon’s throat and found his stomach empty. He pulled the ring for refreshments.
A few minutes later, the door opened, but it was Valerian who strode in, instead of the food. Immediately after, Lars, too, appeared at the door.
“Captain Durant made contact,” Lars said, waving a brown cable message before him. “The Jewel is on Belarus.”
7
The Fifth Moon's Assassin (The Fifth Moon's Tales Book 5) Page 3