by Lili Zander
We wait for the rains. Every night, Uzzan is shrouded in the sky, but though the air is thick and heavy with moisture, the deluge does not come.
As the days go by, the mad rush dies down. The medicinal herbs work their magic, and Beirax’s wounds begin to knit. Raiht’vi has suffered a concussion, but after a week of forced rest, she too seems to heal.
Five human women are still missing, but unfortunately, there’s nothing that we can do about them right now. If our theory is right, then there is another exile camp somewhere west of the Na’Lung Cliffs, west of where the spaceship crashed, but we can’t go looking for it. Between the Na’Lung Cliffs and the next set of mountains is a twelve-day journey. We can’t risk being trapped in the lowlands for such a long time, not when the rains are imminent.
Though the preparation for the rainy season takes up much of my time, I spend as many hours as I can with our mate. Her body is changing. Her muscles are leaner, and her skin glows with health. She has more stamina, and she climbs the cliffs with ease.
She still hasn’t realized that the changes in her body are brought on by the Draekon mutation, and truth be told, I’m afraid to tell her. On Earth as well as in Zoraht, men and women choose their partners. I’m not sure how Viola would react when she hears that her body is being adapted to bear Draekon youngling, but I suspect it won’t be with happiness.
Though it is shameful behavior, I hide the truth from her, hoping she’ll realize it for herself.
I’ve just returned from a hunt when Vulrux sends word that he wants to see me. “Beirax is finally healthy enough to be questioned,” he says. “Do you want to talk to him?”
Talk to him? I want to hurt the scientist. Yes, it was his actions that brought Viola Lewis to me, but I’m fully aware that it wasn’t my mate’s choice to be exiled on this world. Beirax is injured, and we will feed him until he’s well. After that, he’ll be put on trial. He’s directly responsible for the death of Mannix and Janet Cane. He will not escape justice.
Vulrux leads me into Beirax’s room and leaves us alone. The scientist is propped up against the walls and appears to be half-dozing. When I enter, his eyes flutter open.
“I’m Arax, leader of this exile batch.” I give the scientist a cold glare. It doesn’t make me feel good to yell at a man who’s obviously wounded, but what Beirax did is beyond forgiveness.
“I know who you are, Arax, Firstborn of Zoraht,” he responds. “I know all fourteen of you. There were ten Draekons in the first exile batch, the ones sent to this planet seven hundred and fifty years ago, and I know their names. I’ve read the secret sections of the ThoughtVaults, the ones accessible only to the High Emperor, the Head of the Council and the Firstborn. More than that, I’ve found the hidden records, the ones not in the ThoughtVaults, the ones that tell the truth of the Draekon race.” He gives me a challenging look. “Knowledge is power, Firstborn of Zoraht, and I’m the only person in this world who knows the full truth.”
His lips twist in a cynical smile. “I’ve heard it spoken that you’ve found your mate, but you haven’t shifted since. Would you like to know why?”
I’m not a fool. Beirax wants to trade his secrets for a pardon, but I’m not in a forgiving mood. “No,” I say flatly. “I know enough of my history. When scientists meddle, people die.” I take a deep breath and try to calm the fire within. “Make no mistake, Beirax. You will stand trial for your crimes.”
I’m sitting outside Nyx’s house with a cup of kunnr wine, staring into the distance, when Nyx finds me. The two of us have been away from camp on two different hunting trips, and I haven’t seen him for the last three days. “There you are,” he says when he catches sight of me. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
I raise an eyebrow. “What’s the matter?”
“I think we should go to the spaceship,” he says. “Viola said she had some belongings in the hold, but she couldn’t get it open.” He sits down next to me. “Our mate is happy,” he says carefully. “But I also think she’s a little homesick. We should get her possessions before they’re ruined in the rainfall.”
“She’s homesick?” I ask, concerned. I can’t change the way she’s feeling, but our mate shouldn’t be alone when she’s in pain. We should be with her. “Where is she now?”
“She climbed down to the lake with the other two human women,” he replies. “Ferix and Rorix went with them.”
I think rapidly. The sun is starting to sink in the sky, but if we leave now, we can make it to the cave where we first made love to Viola before it gets too dark. The spaceship is a four-hour journey. If we leave at dawn tomorrow, we’ll be able to retrieve Viola’s possessions and return by nightfall.
“We have to make haste,” Nyx says. “If the rains come…”
If the rains come, our lives are at risk. On the prison planet, the rains aren’t a gentle mist, the way they were in Giflan. Here, the skies open, and the water pours down, and the rivers overflow their banks in the blink of an eye. We have to hurry if we want to be there and back before the deluge.
But if the contents of the spaceship’s hold will make our mate happy, then we will get them for her. It’s that simple.
“Let’s go.”
“We should tell Viola where we are going,” Nyx says. “She will be concerned if we are missing.”
“We’ll probably run into her on the way down.” I see Vulrux hurrying to the house where the Earth woman, Harper Boyd, rests. She’s still in a coma, and Vulrux seems unsure what to do to revive her. The Earth healer, Sofia Menendez, doesn’t seem to know what to do either. “But just in case we don’t, I’ll tell Vulrux where we’re going, and he’ll pass on the message to Viola.”
Vulrux is my cousin. His mother was my father’s sister, and the two of us grew up together. I trust him with my life.
Nyx nods agreement. A flash of lightning pierces the sky, and a worried expression crosses his face. “If we’re going, we need to go right now, Arax.”
We follow Vulrux into the house where the two scientists are recovering, and we find him examining Raiht’vi. I fill him in on our plan. His lips tighten in disapproval, but he doesn’t protest. “Don’t linger,” is all he says. “Are you taking anyone else with you?”
“No.” I can’t ask one of my companions to take this risk. “It’ll just be Nyx and I. Don’t tell Viola why we’ve gone; I want it to be a surprise. I don’t want her to worry, though. Tell her we’ll be back in no time.”
28
Viola
Sofia and Ryanna want to go swimming in the lake. They insist I come with them, and since Arax and Nyx are away on hunts, I agree.
My mood is dark. It’s been almost ten days since Arax, Nyx, and I first made love, but guess what? No dragons.
And it’s freaking me out.
I’m distracted the entire time we’re away. Rorix and Ferix shamelessly show off their swimming prowess, while Sofia and Ryanna giggle and egg them on, but even their antics can’t cheer me up.
Back at camp, Vulrux tells me that Arax and Nyx are off on yet another hunt. “I thought we had plenty of food?” I question sharply.
Vulrux shrugs philosophically. “You know what a worrier my cousin is,” he says. “He likes to be prepared.”
“How very Boy Scout of him,” I reply acidly. Immediately, I feel bad about snapping at Arax’s cousin. The tall, calm healer is one of my favorite people in the camp. “Sorry, Vulrux. I’m in a bad mood, that’s all. Please forgive me.”
He waves away my apology with an easy smile. “It is of no concern, Viola Lewis. I’m about to check in on Harper Boyd before I turn in for the night. Would you like to walk with me?”
“No.” A sudden thought crosses my mind. I’ve been trying to figure out why Arax and Nyx haven’t transformed, but I’ve been looking in the wrong places.
It was Beirax who brought us to this planet, specifically so we could mate with the Draekons. It is Beirax who wants the Draekons restored to their former glory. Surely th
en, Beirax would know why Arax and Nyx aren’t becoming dragons.
Vulrux shares Arax’s viewpoint that the scientist is responsible for Janet and Mannix’s deaths; he won’t approve of me talking to Beirax. I wait until he’s out of sight before making my way rapidly to the house where the two Zorahn patients are recuperating.
I have to know the truth.
No one is around when I slip into Beirax’s room. He seems to be asleep, but as soon as I enter, he opens his eyes. The Zorahn must sleep like a cat. “I have some questions for you,” I say bluntly, skipping the pleasantries.
“Of course you do. You’re wondering why your so-called mates haven’t taken their dragon forms.” His lips twist into a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes. “You’re the talk of the entire exile batch, Viola Lewis. I admit, I thought you’d seek me out sooner.”
“Well?” I demand tautly. “Why haven’t they transformed? What do you know?”
He struggles to sit up, and I’m angry enough that I don’t help. Some of Arax’s high-handedness must be rubbing off on me. “We chose the Earth women with the best likelihood of compatibility,” he says finally.
A cold ball of dread knots in my heart. “What do you mean by that?”
“The mysterious illness that’s sweeping Zoraht, what did you think that was?” He sneers at me. “An outbreak of the mutation. In the past, the Draekon mutation manifested in only one in a million births, but something changed, because during the last Testing, we didn’t find ten or even twenty Zorahn that tested positive. We found two thousand.”
“You exiled two thousand people?” I ask him, shocked. Tearing ten or twenty people from their homes and loved ones is bad, but two thousand?
His lips tighten, and he refuses to answer. I switch tacks. “What does that have to do with Earth?”
“Stupid human. Isn’t it obvious? A thousand years ago, we used genetic matter from Zoraht and from Earth to create the Draekons. Where else would we go to destroy them?”
I frown at Beirax. “I heard you on the ship. You don’t want to destroy the Draekon. You said you wanted to restore them to glory.”
Beirax nods. “There is much infighting in the Council of Scientists, but we are clear on one thing. We will not allow the High Emperor to destroy our greatest creation.”
His eyes gleam with the madness of a true fanatic. “Lenox hopes to find something in your genes to eradicate the Draekon mutation,” he says. “But the Order of the Crimson Flame has a different goal. We will bring the Draekon back, and with them as our loyal soldiers, we will rise to power.”
He gives me an indifferent look. “Arax and Nyx have transformed once. Other mates will be found if you aren’t adequate.”
That hard lump of dread in my heart grows larger. We’re all lab animals to Beirax. Arax, Nyx, me. We are just one big science experiment. “You’re talking about Sofia and Ryanna?” I ask, my voice cold. “What makes you think they’ll do any better than me?”
He bares his teeth at me in a humorless smile. “You must think we’re fools, Viola Lewis. We have more power than you think. Do you think this is our only attempt? We will try and try again until we succeed. The Order of the Crimson Flame will prevail.”
The scientist is insane. I pivot on my heels and stalk out of the room. I need to find Arax and Nyx and tell them what I’ve learned.
I’m almost outside the house when I hear someone call my name. It’s Raiht’vi. “Viola Lewis,” she addresses me, a strange light in her eyes, “Are the rumors true? You have mated with the Draekons?”
Jeez. Nice to know that my sex life is a topic of conversation for the entire planet. “Why do you want to know?” I demand.
“You must not complete the bond,” she insists. Her voice is weak, and when she holds her hand out in my direction, there’s a distinct tremble in it, but the conviction in her tone startles me. “Beirax did not share all the facts with you. Why do you think the Draekons were exterminated in the first place? Because when they transformed into dragons, they lost the ability to tell friend from foe.”
Her eyes bore into mine. “If they turn, they will kill us all. If I were you,” she says with calm, terrifying intensity, “I would kill myself before the mating bond is complete. I would do it to protect my people.”
“No.” I shake my head violently. Raiht’vi is wrong. She thought the Draekons would tear her to pieces, and instead, Vulrux is tending to her wounds. She thought Arax and Nyx were dangerous beasts, and instead, they’ve sheltered her as she’s recuperated. “I’ve had enough of your lies, your half-truths, your refusal to take responsibility for the actions of the scientists. You’re wrong. I know Arax and Nyx. They would never harm any of us. They don’t even care that they haven’t transformed after our mating.”
“Is that so?” Her tone is as contemptuous as Beirax’s was. “If that’s true, then why have your mates set off in search of the Draekons that took the Earth women? They hunger for the transformation, Viola Lewis. Perhaps they hope that the other Draekons may be able to guide them. Or perhaps they seek a different mate.” Her face twists into a sneer, and her words knife into my gut. “A better one.”
I stare at her, my thoughts jumbled in my brain. Arax and Nyx couldn’t have gone in search of the other Draekons. So many times, I’ve heard them explain that the journey is dangerous this close to the rainy season. I know they don’t care enough about the transformation to risk their lives, and despite Raiht’vi’s poisonous words, I know they wouldn’t cheat on me.
Then it dawns on me. I’m the one who’s freaking out that they haven’t become dragons.
They’re not doing it for them. They’re doing it for me.
I have to find them and tell them that I love them, and that’s the only thing that matters. Before it’s too late.
29
Viola
Even I’m not stupid enough to take on the hairus, so I wait until daybreak. As soon as the sun rises, I set out. All I have with me is a pack with some food and water in it. I’ve thought about taking Beirax’s gun, but it’s still with Ryanna, and if my friend finds out what I intend to do, I’m sure she’ll stop me.
This is a stupid idea, Vi.
I know, I know. Arax and Nyx can take care of themselves much better than I can. I’m positive that they won’t put themselves in danger with reckless abandon. Especially Arax. But I still feel responsible. How many times have I worried about their inability to transform into Draekons? A lot. I can’t help thinking that this is my fault.
I hurry down the cliff face with daredevil speed. My father would be proud of his little goat. He was afraid of heights, and he was always very impressed whenever he saw me climb.
I make excellent time getting to the lowlands. When we climbed up, it took us almost an entire day to make it to the top, but judging from the position of the sun, I’ve descended a lot faster than that. If I had to guess, it’s noon, which means I’ve made the trip in six hours.
Of course, it’s easier going down than climbing up.
Once I get to the bottom of the Na’Lung cliffs, I drink some water and set off in the direction of the spaceship. If Arax and Nyx were going to look for the other Draekon, the trail would begin there.
Unfortunately, I’ve been walking for about an hour and a half when I realize I’m completely lost. I’m in a section of the lowlands that I don’t remember seeing, thick with the pink schrit trees, their bark covered with the orange fungus responsible for Harper’s coma.
“I’m pretty sure I didn’t come this way before,” I say out loud, looking around at the dense jungle that surrounds me. Is this the same set of schrit trees that Harper brushed against? I don’t think so. If it were the same set of trees, I should have passed the river on my journey, and I haven’t.
Don’t panic, Vi. All I need to do is keep calm, retrace my steps back to the Na’Lung cliffs, and start over. I have food and water. There’s no need to freak out.
Umm, the Dwals? A much more sensible voice inside
me prods. Remember them?
Yeah. I should have taken Ryanna’s gun, or asked one of the Draekon to go with me. Vulrux wouldn’t have approved of my recklessness, but he wouldn’t have let me go alone. Right now, I’d even be glad to have gloomy and grouchy Haldax watching my back.
My heart hammers in my chest as I turn around and go back the way I came. As I walk, I talk to myself. Hey, there’s no one else around, no one to think I’m a lunatic. “This isn’t your brightest idea, Vi,” I say. “Yes, you want to find Arax and Nyx, but shouldn’t you have thought this through?”
Yes, inner-voice-Viola says at once.
“Well, I had to,” I argue, though I’m aware that I’m arguing with myself. “It’s a twelve-day journey to the other mountain range. It’s about to rain. I have to stop Arax and Nyx before they do something really stupid.”
Inner-Viola isn’t done pointing out the holes in my plan. Perhaps you should have sent someone who has a better sense of direction than you, she says snidely.
I’m about to concede the point when I see a familiar-looking section of the lowlands. If I’m not mistaken, this is the turnoff for the river. Here, ten days ago, Arax and Nyx morphed into the Draekon and rescued me from three Dwals.
Are you sure, Vi?
I can’t risk getting lost again. Already, I’m hours behind Arax and Nyx, and the more I delay, the less chance I have of catching up with them. My half-baked plan definitely didn’t include time for walking around in circles.
There’s only one thing to do, and that’s to head to the river. I’m reasonably certain that if I see the spot where the Dwals almost ate me, I’d recognize it.
Nyx’s voice sounds in my head. The Dwals lurk near the water, looking for easy prey.
Okay, fine. I need a weapon. I break a branch off a nearby tree and fortified by the thick staff, I head toward the river.