I knew it was a bold move, but I needed to get Cambien’s attention. Spurring my ship toward him, praying I didn’t get engulfed in an inferno of dragon fire, I pulled it to a halt right in front of his face. My eyes met his through the windshield, and his mouth dropped open in shock. Grinning, I gestured for him to follow and meet me on the ground. He nodded, an amused twinkle in his reptilian eyes.
Turning the ship around, I headed for a patch of wasteland nearby, knowing it would be a good place for us to talk. Cambien wouldn’t want to stray too far from his dragon army, and I wasn’t about to lose their advantage. They’d taken the queens by surprise, that much was clear. Now, it was just a matter of waiting.
“Riley, what are you doing?” Bashrik’s voice crackled through the comms system.
“I need to speak with Cambien. Send me the coordinates of the rendezvous and I’ll catch up.”
“Are you sure?”
“He’ll protect me from any danger—you’ve just seen what they can do,” I replied. “Go on, I’ll be fine. Send the coordinates to this ship and I’ll meet you soon.”
Bashrik sighed. “Navan is going to kill me.”
“You let me worry about him.” I clicked off the transmission and headed for the patch of wasteland, setting my ship down on the frozen tundra.
Cambien landed shortly afterward, morphing back into his more humanoid form. He waited, arms folded, while I exited the ship and closed the distance between us. A smirk crossed his lips, his eyes glinting. The usual arrogance rippled off him. Only, there was something different about him this time; a solemnity lingered beneath the surface.
“Long time no see,” he purred. “To be honest, I thought you might have lost your nerve.”
I smiled. “The time came, and I had to call,” I replied. “I just want to apologize that the war isn’t as far along as I’d hoped it might be. I know you said to use the opaleine when the battle was almost won, so your allies might deal the final blow, but… circumstances changed. There’s still a lot that needs to be done.”
He shrugged, his rusty scales glinting in the icy sunlight. “Not to worry, sweetheart.” A note of tension edged his words, as though he didn’t quite mean it.
“What are you doing here, anyway? You said you’d send allies, not your own people.” I paused, feeling a flutter of dread. “Does this mean what I think it does?”
“A ruse, dear Riley,” he said. “If I’d told you I was the one who’d come to your aid, you’d never have used the stone.”
“So… this is a one-way trip?”
“It is.”
“Do your followers know? The ones up there?” I pointed up at the twisting dragons filling the sky in a chaos of color.
“Of course. You may think me an unsavory sort of individual, but I am not as deceitful as you might think. I would never lead my people into a battle without informing them first. I gave them a choice, and those who wished to follow me did.” He chuckled. “There is a lot of dissent on my planet, after the end of the coldblood presence. They want revenge for those they lost. Zai and its opaleine robbed them of that opportunity. I simply offered them another avenue to seek vengeance.”
“A suicide mission.”
“No need for melodrama, Riley. It is exile, not suicide.”
“But you can’t go back.”
“No, but sometimes there are more important things at stake.”
I shook my head. “And Ginji?”
“He knows my decision. He understands,” he replied, his voice tinged with sadness. “He wanted to join me, but I forbade it. He has remained behind with his mother.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“You shouldn’t be. This is what the Pyros have wanted for a long time.”
I held his gaze. “Do you know how bad things are here?”
“I have heard rumors, but I am not one to listen to idle gossip. Perhaps you could enlighten me? I would suggest doing so over a drink, maybe somewhere a little more comfortable. Alas, I believe we may not have the luxury of time.” It appeared he’d lost none of his signature charm.
I smiled wryly. “You’re right about that. The rebel leader, Ezra, and his minions will be arriving soon. Your sudden arrival can’t have gone unnoticed.”
“We shall frighten them away, as we have frightened away the queens. And when they come for us again, we will kill them. They killed so many of our people—it only seems fair.”
“The only problem is, they’re immortal.”
He nodded slowly. “So, the rumors are true?”
“Afraid so.”
“We will still fight. Tell us what you want us to do, and we will do it. I am very accommodating when it comes to a lady’s desires.” I was suddenly glad Navan wasn’t here. The last thing we needed was a brawl between allies.
I shook my head. “You should leave while you have the chance,” I insisted. “Go to your Pyros and tell them the truth—let them decide if they want to stay or go. None of us will hold it against you.”
“If I’m to die, I wish you would.” He grinned, the humor not quite reaching his intense gaze.
“Cambien, this is serious. Many of your people will die if they stay and face the rebels.”
“Violence may lead only to self-destruction, but our vengeance will not be extinguished. We must have our revenge for what they did to us. If we are to die here, on coldblood soil, then so be it. They know what they have signed up for. It won’t change anything.”
I frowned. “And what about the opaleine on Zai? Won’t it corrupt if you kill anyone?”
“You worry far too much, Riley,” he replied coolly. “I’m flattered, honestly. The truth is, once we left Zai, the opaleine is no longer connected to us. If we return to our home planet, it will corrupt, but we have no plans to go back. We know the consequences, and we are willing to pay whatever price is necessary for this opportunity.”
“You don’t need to do this, Cambien. I won’t hold you to your promise of help.”
“Lucky for you, I hold myself to my promises.” He looked up at his comrades with pride. “We all wish to bring peace to the universe. You have only increased my desire to do so, in saving it from an immortal race of coldbloods. Once they learn of this, they will feel the same. I know, as well as you do, what they would do with their immortality in years to come. In making this sacrifice, we save Zai and everyone else. A win-win, if you ask me.”
“At least let us protect you, so you can protect us,” I insisted.
He grinned. “Now, there’s an offer I can’t refuse.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Following the coordinates that bleeped steadily on the control panel of my ship, the drone trailing close behind, we made our way to the rendezvous point. Cambien, no longer in his full dragon form, sat beside me in the cockpit, his feet up on the dashboard. We were flanked on all sides by the army of Pyros, their magnificent scales shining in the sunlight. Every time I caught sight of them through the windshield, I felt a swell of pride, mixed with sadness. All of these soldiers had offered their futures for us; they’d given up the hope of ever returning home, so the rest of the universe might be able to sleep a little easier.
Spotting the congregation of mist ships in the distance, I pushed the engine forward, setting down a couple of minutes later beside the others. The task force and the rest of our crew stared up as we landed. In the crowd, I saw Navan’s face—he didn’t look happy, but there was no time to argue now. I’d done what I thought was best, and he’d soon come to realize that I was right. The Pyros needed our protection against the rebels as much as we needed theirs.
“Nice to see relations haven’t thawed between myself and your grayskin,” Cambien mused. “If looks could kill…”
“Lucky for you, they can’t.” I shot him a look. “Just don’t say anything inappropriate, okay? I know it’s your ‘thing,’ but we can’t mess around with petty arguments and squabbles.”
“I am never petty,” he purred. “If your man can
’t handle a little challenge, perhaps you deserve a better one. A stronger one. One with a bit more bite to him.” He snapped his teeth together in a grin, clearly pleased with himself.
I rolled my eyes. “I’m perfectly happy with the husband I have, thank you very much. Now, I know I can’t change who you are as a person in the space of an hour, Cambien, but please just don’t goad him. That’s all I’m asking.”
“Husband?” Cambien’s jaw dropped.
“What’s the matter, Cambien? Cat got your tongue?”
“I have no idea what that means, but if you’re asking whether or not I’m shocked—I have to say, I’m not a man who’s easily surprised, but you’ve managed it,” he commended me. “The two of you are married?”
I nodded.
“Well, congratulations,” he replied. “Although, I should warn you, I have a particular penchant for married women. There’s so much more chase to be had, and they are always so grateful for the attention. I promise you, Riley, it makes the capture all the sweeter.”
“Why am I not surprised?” I sighed. “Here’s one married woman you won’t be capturing, okay?”
“War can make people do crazy things. Never say never.”
“I am saying never.”
“Still, a man can hope.” He chuckled to himself, kicking his legs off the dashboard as we prepared to exit the ship. I’d filled him in on what we planned to do with the mist ships on the way over, suggesting they could somehow seek refuge in them and drop from the skies into battle, the way they’d done before. Those strange cruisers had long since retreated, leaving the Draconians alone on an enemy planet.
“Who were those guys, anyway?” I wondered. “The ones who dropped you off here?”
Cambien smiled. “Allies.”
“Care to elaborate?”
“A merevin friend owed me a favor. He didn’t want to linger and get involved in an interspecies war, or bring his own people into the conflict, but he lent me a fleet of ships and a pilot with each to take us from Zai to here. They are under strict instruction to keep to the edge of the solar system, so that we may call them when the war is over. They will take us to whichever planet we choose to live on… if we survive, that is. I haven’t really planned much after this, though I’m open to offers.” He winked.
I frowned. “I thought they might be merevin ships. Don’t suppose this ‘friend’ is Killick Loligo?”
“Maybe, maybe not. It would be rude of me to tell,” he teased.
“Well, if it was him, make sure you thank him for us. I have a feeling we’re really going to need you in the battles to come.”
“Always nice to be wanted,” Cambien said with a smirk.
“I said needed, not wanted. Don’t put words in my mouth.”
“I could put something—”
“Say one more word and I will personally send you packing, do you understand? We don’t have time for jokes and flirting. The entire universe is under threat here, and I don’t want to hear another perverted word from you,” I ranted, cutting him off. “Either you’re here as my comrade, or you’re not. If it’s the latter, I suggest you leave.”
He cast his gaze to the floor. “My apologies, Riley. Humor and flirtation are my way of lightening the load of serious matters. I know it’s not to everyone’s tastes. From here on out, I will endeavor to speak with you in a more professional manner. I can’t promise the odd dirty joke or crude comment won’t slip out when the going gets tough, but I’ll do my best.”
“Thank you,” I said sharply, getting out of my seat and heading for the exit. He followed close behind, the two of us walking down the gangway toward the gathered group. There were a lot more people now—almost a hundred that I could make out, not including my own people. Some had brought their own ships, a mismatch of vessels spread out across the barren tundra. Still, it wouldn’t be enough to draw the eye of the enemy, unless they were flying directly over.
The air-force of dragons was more likely to garner unwanted attention. They thudded to the ground around us, shaking the earth beneath their reptilian claws. A moment later, they shifted into their humanoid forms, approaching the rest of the group at Cambien’s signal. Rich, jewel-toned scales and rainbow skin contrasted the dull gray of the coldbloods. We made quite the bunch.
“You didn’t think to tell us you were going to meet with Cambien?” Navan asked, striding forward.
“There wasn’t time to spread the word to all of you. The Draconians weren’t safe there, outside the walls of Regium. If they’d stayed, the rebels and the queens would have pinned them between their two sides,” I replied firmly. “The Pyros have come here to help us, and they are sacrificing a hell of a lot to do so. They know they can’t go back to Zai if they help us, but they’ve come anyway. I wanted to check the situation with Cambien, without disrupting the mission to get the mist dispersed. Besides, I told Bashrik.”
“She did, to be fair,” Bashrik replied.
Nisha stepped in. “My contacts are here, as are some of Harko’s. I say we accept the gift these Draconians are giving and get on with the task at hand. The rebels will show up soon enough, having heard of their arrival—we should aim to strike before they have the chance.”
“Agreed,” Rethela said. “Who cares if she liaised with allies without us? She is one of our driving forces. We ought to trust her judgment.”
Navan sighed, shooting Cambien a less-than-amused glance. “Call it personal worry.”
“No time for that, my friend,” Ronad replied, clapping Navan on the back. “Bigger picture, remember?”
“Sorry.”
I leaned up and kissed him on the lips, before turning to address the crowd. “We have eighteen mist ships at our disposal, and two holds full of manual sprayers. I propose that everyone climb aboard a mist ship and get to spraying. If you’ve come in your own ship, you can leave it here and return for it later. Now, our mist will work slightly differently from the sleeping mist, which is effective when breathed in. If our anti-elixir is ingested, rather than soaked in, it will have a similar effect, but we need to focus on it soaking through their suits. Fortunately for us, Jareth has designed it to sink through the fabric that the rebel suits are made from.”
At the mention of the sprayers, the Idrax brothers sprinted into the Fed ship and Kaido’s vessel to retrieve the spray guns from the holds, and they proceeded to hand them out amongst the congregation. It took a matter of minutes. As they were doing so, Cambien stepped forward to address the awestruck crowd. I doubted any of them had seen a Draconian before, let alone one who looked so infuriatingly majestic.
“We can assist in every matter where you require support, be it in the air or on the ground,” Cambien said. “We can also defend those coldbloods who will be using the manual sprayers, ensuring no harm comes to them as they creep from rebel vessel to rebel vessel. I doubt it has evaded your notice, but we create quite the distraction.” He gestured to his colorful army.
“That sounds like an excellent idea, friend,” Nisha commended him, reaching out her hand to shake his. I noticed he didn’t make a single advance or crude joke at her expense. It made me smile; nobody dared to cross Nisha, not even Cambien’s ego.
“As with the queens’ mist ships, if we come across any rebel vessels, we can dispense the anti-elixir through the vents and the engines; it will work its way into the ship and spread,” I went on. “Although, that is where the sprayers will come in. You can direct the anti-elixir more precisely through these weak spots.”
The task force nodded in understanding.
“It’s going to be a tight squeeze,” I warned. “We have eighteen ships at our disposal, which means roughly six of you per vessel. Then, we need to factor in the Pyros.”
“We have our wings,” Cambien protested.
I shook my head. “You’ll be safer inside the ships, just until we reach the rebels. I don’t want anyone getting shot down on the way.”
Garrik’s eyes went wide in horror. “You m
ight not have to worry about that.”
“Why?”
“Because the rebels are coming.” He pointed to the far horizon, where the heat of engines shimmered and clouds of dust whipped up across the wasteland. We’d known it wouldn’t be long before they found us, but I’d hoped for more time.
“Everyone get to the ships!” I roared. “Find space where you can. Get inside and wait for our command!”
“We’re going to drench these bastards!” Nisha howled.
I nodded. “Pilots, stay close to us in a tight formation,” I shouted, my voice carrying across the task force. “Bashrik and Lojak are going to stretch the cloaking mechanism of their vessels to cover all eighteen ships. We need to stay as close as possible. One false move and they will see anyone who breaks away from the parameters of the cloak!”
A confused fighter raised her hand. “Aren’t we facing the rebels in battle? Why this hiding and waiting?”
“We have to see how their battle with the queens pans out before making our strike,” I replied, for all to hear.
“Their forces will be diminished, and they won’t be expecting us,” Navan added, standing at my side.
“Is everyone clear?” A rumble of assent rippled through the group. “Then, get on board and listen closely for the next move!”
In a mass of orchestrated chaos, the task force—now loaded down with spray guns—and the Draconians piled onto the eighteen available mist ships. The Idrax brothers hurried onto Lojak’s ship, which had been haphazardly adapted for anti-elixir dispersal before any of us left, and we did the same, running onto the one we’d arrived on. We’d attached a few of the sprayers to the wings, rigging it to the weapon controls. It wasn’t pretty, but it would work. At least, I hoped it would.
“Ronad, maybe it would be better if you moved over to Lojak’s ship, to help with the cloak mechanism. You know these systems better than anyone—if it fails on their side, they’ll need someone like you to fix it,” Bashrik suggested. “It’s easy on this ship, because it comes fully installed, but Lojak was still going over things with his vessel this morning.”
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