by Lili Zander
“What difference does it make?” I shrug and take another sip of my wine. “It’s not like there’s a way to go back.”
Felicity gives me a serious look. “There might be,” she says. “I’ve been talking to Dariux about it. The High Emperor put us under his personal protection. If the Zoraken capture us, they’ll take us back.”
“Back to Earth?”
“Yeah.” She takes a deep breath. “I won’t let that happen. I’m not going back. I can’t leave Lud and Xan.”
“Me neither,” Ryanna cuts in. “But it’s different for you and Bryce, Sofia. You don’t have Draekon mates. If you want to return, we’d all understand.” She gives me a small smile. “We’ll miss you like crazy though.”
You don’t have Draekon mates. Ryanna didn’t mean to make me sound like I’m an outsider, but that’s what I feel like. It’s a familiar feeling. When my classmates were going to prom and getting to second and third base with their high-school boyfriends, I was in the library or at home studying. I was always outside, looking in.
In the prison planet, that’s the only future I will have.
Except when I think of leaving, of never seeing Ferix and Rorix again, my chest grows heavy, and I can’t seem to breathe.
I don’t know how to respond. “Every Zoraken ship has crash-landed so far,” I finally say. “None of them are in any shape to get off-planet. The odds of getting back home are so low it doesn’t matter.”
Someone’s banging on my door, and I don’t want to wake up. I’m in a bathtub, naked, and Rorix and Ferix are on either side of me. Ferix’s lips are on my nipple, and he’s sucking the engorged tip into his mouth. I wrap his hair around my fingers and pull him closer. Rorix watches us, his green-gold eyes gleaming. “Spread your legs, diya,” he murmurs. “Let me taste you.”
“Sofia,” a voice yells. “Wake up.”
It sounds like Paige. Go away, Paige. I pull my blanket over my head and return to the dream. Rorix and Ferix are still there, thank heavens, but we’re not in a bathtub anymore. We’re in a meadow. Blue grass stretches on as far as the eye can see. I’m sitting on a plaid blanket, still naked. There’s a picnic laid out next to me. I recognize my grandmother’s carne asada and chiles rellenos, and I reach for it, but Ferix stops me. “I think,” he says, his deep brown eyes dancing with wicked amusement, “that we should eat dessert first.”
In this dream, I’m brave and bold, unashamed to ask for what I want. “In that case,” I tell him, “I want dessert too.” I reach for his thick cock. It’s so big. I wrap my hand around him, and the tips of my fingers don’t touch, and for a second, I panic, wondering how the hell this massive thing is supposed to fit inside me.
“For fuck’s sake!” Paige’s voice increases in volume. “Sofia, if you don’t get out of bed and open this door this second, I’m going to get Rezzix or Magnux to break it down.”
The picnic vanishes, along with the sexy, naked dragons. Damn it. I get to my feet blearily and pad over to the front door. “What’s the matter? Is someone sick?”
Paige’s expression is strained. “No,” she says. “If only it were that simple. Come and see.”
My heart starts to hammer in my chest. Paige is not given to fits of drama. I pull a sweatshirt over my thin t-shirt and slip my feet into sneakers and follow her up the stairs carved into the side of the mountain. “What’s going on?”
She doesn’t answer; she doesn’t need to. When we reach the peak, I see for myself what’s causing her to freak out.
Four large, gleaming, golden ships have landed on the eastern plains. Four large, gleaming, intact, golden ships. And there are at least fifty soldiers milling around and setting up camp. Maybe more.
“Adrashian ships,” Arax says grimly. “Vastly superior technology. So Brunox has allied with the techmages once again.”
I don’t care about Zorahn politics. The only thing I can see is that the soldiers have come in strength.
To find Raiht’vi.
And to take us home.
A sudden premonition of doom fills me. The entire camp is here. Every single Draekon looks worried as the soldiers of their homeworld land in force.
But the two Draekons I’m searching for are nowhere to be seen.
“You guys,” I say out loud. “Where are Ferix and Rorix?”
6
Ferix
Things do not go exactly to plan.
We start walking at dawn, hugging the eastern edge of the Dsar Cliffs, heading due north. Part of me wishes I’d looked at Dariux’s map one more time, but the more practical part points out there’s no reason to. It’s not as if we’re going somewhere. We’re just leaving.
Neither Rorix nor I talk much as we walk. We’re both lost in our thoughts, probably thinking of the same person. I can’t speak of Sofia just yet though. It hurts too much. I thought my thirst for my mate would be quenched by kissing her, but it’s only made things worse. Now that I’ve tasted her sweetness, I’m addicted. I want more.
We walk for a few knurs. A trio of dwals tries to ambush us at a stream, but the instant they scent the dragons lurking under the surface, they flee.
One predator can recognize another.
The sun is rising in the sky when we hear it. A thin whine, gradually growing louder. A sound I haven’t heard for many years.
The distinctive screech of fighter jets.
We’re deep in the jungle. Thick trees obstruct our view of the skies, but the terrain in this part of the prison planet is one we know well. Without a word to each other, both Rorix and I start running to the nearest clearing.
So far, every single Zorahn ship has crash-landed, damaged by the asteroid belt that surrounds the prison planet. But this sounds different. This doesn’t sound like a ship in distress.
This sounds like an invasion.
We reach open ground and look up. We’re just in time to see four golden ships enter the atmosphere. Unharmed.
“Those aren’t Zorahn ships,” Rorix says, staring at the sky.
“They aren’t?” I look closer, but I don’t see what he’s seeing. Then again, Rorix is the one that wanted to be a pilot as a child. He’s the one who was obsessed with ships.
“No. Different wing style, different body shape.” He inhales sharply as the spaceships draw closer. “They’re Adrashian.”
A growl is torn from my throat. The Adrashian techmages captured Dennox and turned him over to Brunox’s butchers. Now, they’re landing on the prison planet. Once again, they threaten us.
Kill them, my dragon demands. Kill them all.
My body starts to blaze. The wall keeping the beast trapped weakens and cracks. “It’s happening,” I gasp, falling to my knees. Every bone in my body shatters and reforms. I’m engulfed in pain. In fire. I’m burning up from the inside out. My nails elongate to claws, digging into the earth. My skin cracks and hardens into silver scales. My spine is in agony as spikes erupt from my back.
Free, the dragon roars, throwing off the shackles that bind it. Free at last.
It’s so powerful. So primal. So raw and untamed. I struggle to hold on to the essence of who I am, but I can’t. I’m drowning. I’m burning. I’m being suffocated by the dragon’s overwhelming presence.
The enemy approaches. The silver dragon at my side stands on his hind legs and exhales fire into the sky, roaring angry defiance at the approaching ships. His name is Rorix, a small voice deep inside me whispers. The dragon at my side is Rorix.
I brush that voice aside and jump into the sky. The only thought in my mind is to attack. Destroy. Obliterate.
We climb in the air, wings beating, struggling for height. I’m burning up. I’m roaring in anger, radiating fury and breathing fire. My body is ablaze. The outsiders are here for our mate. They will take her from us. We must stop them.
The ships continue their descent. They’re too far away. We fly faster and faster, but we can’t get close.
Everything hurts. Pressure builds in my head. I feel li
ke I’m moving through water. There’s a drag on me, and I don’t think I can go on.
No, I scream defiantly. I will not yield.
But we’re losing height. Losing control. My wings won’t beat anymore. I’m falling… falling…
And then, darkness.
The sun is beginning to set when I regain consciousness. I raise my head and look around, but the area around me is unfamiliar.
I could be anywhere on the prison planet.
Rorix groans next to me. “What happened?” he says, sitting up and clutching his head. “The last thing I remember is seeing the Adrashian ships.” He looks around and swears under his breath. “Bast. We’ve lost our packs. Our knives.”
No food. No weapons. But that’s not the worst problem.
When we were exiled, we knew nothing about the Draekons. They were creatures of legend. Beasts that were whispered about, but never openly discussed. But ever since the two exile camps came together, we’ve learned more. Dariux’s ThoughtVault has been an eye-opener.
So I know what happens next. I know what happens when a Draekon cannot complete the mating bond.
First, the dragon will burn with fever.
Our temperature has been abnormally high for days. We’re already past that stage.
Then, he will experience an uncontrolled, violent, mind-obliterating rage, and will transform from man to beast.
We experienced that today.
The man will be subject to bouts of unconsciousness. He will have no memory of being the dragon.
We seem to have lost a day. We left the Dsar Cliffs in the morning, and it is now very nearly sunset. The moons are already visible, and if we don’t find shelter soon, the winged hairus will swarm us and feast on our flesh.
But when the fever breaks, all hope is lost. Because then, the dragon will emerge, and the man will vanish forever.
Rorix reads the expression on my face. “We left just in time,” he says soberly.
“The others might still look for us.”
His hands clench into fists. “No,” he says. “Sofia will tell Vulrux about the flames. And when she describes our symptoms, the others will realize the truth. They will know that it is too late for us, and they will not follow.”
I really hope he’s correct. Right now, I’m not sure who is the greater threat to our friends. The four Adrashian ships that landed on the prison planet, or the two of us.
7
Sofia
By unspoken agreement, everyone crowds into the communal room for a conference. It’s more crowded than it’s ever been. Most people opt to stand, as if their nerves are too on edge to sit. If there was more room, I swear half the Draekons would be pacing.
My friends clutch their mates’ hands. Seeing them draw strength from togetherness, a fresh surge of fear runs through me. Today’s work schedule had Rorix and Ferix in the kitchen, curing meat ahead of the rainy season. The Draekons have always done their tasks without complaint, and they’ve never shirked off their chores.
Something’s badly wrong. I just know it.
Arax lifts his hands for quiet and gets it instantly. “There are a few things we must discuss,” he says calmly. “Let’s start with the most urgent issue. The ships.”
“Do we fight, Firstborn?”
I look up to see who asked the question, and I’m not surprised to see that it’s Haldax. Of the Draekons in camp, Haldax is the only one who still shaves his head. The man clings to the traditions of the homeworld, as if they’re the last barrier between him and savagery.
Arax doesn’t reply immediately, and Haldax continues, his voice rising with rage. “Soldiers of the High Empire allying themselves with Adrashian techmages,” he says. “This is an outrage. They must be exterminated.”
At his side, Viola’s face goes deathly pale. She grips Arax’s hand so tightly that her knuckles are white. She’s terrified.
I understand her fear completely. Viola just found out a few weeks ago that she’s pregnant. Only a few of us know. Arax and Nyx, of course. Vulrux and me, because we’re her doctors. No one else. Now, warships have landed on this previously impenetrable planet, and death stares at us in the face. Of course she’s frantic with worry for her unborn child.
Harper looks scared too. She holds Kaida close to her. Vulrux and Dennox flank her protectively.
Arax looks around at all of us. I don’t envy him. He’s in charge. He’s going to have to make a decision this morning that could impact all of our lives. I’m pretty sure I’d crumble under the responsibility.
“No,” he says firmly. “We do not fight. Not if we can help it. We have youngling to protect, and our first duty is to them. Those are Adrashian ships, this is true, but they do not hunt us. They’re looking for Raiht’vi.”
He takes a deep breath. “I do not like the position I’m in,” he confesses. “The scientist does not seem to want to return to the homeworld. If it were within my power to grant her wish, I would. But the matter is out of my hands. The Zoraken are here, and they will find her, and I cannot risk our lives to protect Brunox’s daughter.”
Before he was exiled, Dariux used to be a spy of some kind. I guess that makes him good at connecting the dots, because he clears his throat now. “The humans were under the personal protection of the High Emperor,” he points out. “Lenox loses face if he can’t return the women. The Zoraken will be searching for them too.”
That’s what Felicity had said last night. In reply, I’d told her the odds of getting back home were low. Every ship had crash-landed so far. We were safe.
Famous last words, Sofia.
Dariux’s words come as a bombshell. The room explodes into conversation. People are looking angry. Afraid. Ready to do something stupid. “We will tear them to pieces first,” someone says angrily. “We will die before we allow them to take our mates.”
“Enough.” There’s an edge to Arax’s voice that immediately brings silence to the room. “The women aren’t possessions. They have their own free will in this matter. If they wish to return to their planet, we will do whatever’s needed to make that happen. If they wish to stay, then we will fight.”
“I’m staying,” Viola says promptly. Harper nods agreement, as do the rest of the mated women. Arax turns to Bryce. “What about you?” he asks her.
She doesn’t reply right away. “I don’t want to go back to Earth,” she says finally. “There’s nothing for me there. Beyond that, I don’t know.”
Arax transfers his attention to me. “And you, Sofia?”
Felicity asked me what I wanted last night. I didn’t know then, and I don’t know now. Right now, the only emotion I’m feeling is fear. There’s a tight ball of anxiety in my gut. Ferix and Rorix seemed so different last night. So unlike their usual selves. The fire on their skin, the burning heat of their bodies, none of that seemed normal.
Now, they’re missing.
“I want to stay too.” It’s not the truth, but it’s not a lie either. I don’t care about the soldiers. Not now. Not when the two Draekons could be in danger.
Arax surveys me for a long time, and then he nods. “If the Zoraken are looking for the human women, they’ll start their search at the Fehrat 1.”
Nyx, Viola’s other mate, who’s said nothing so far, groans in reply. “We ransacked that ship,” he says. “There’s no way to hide that. The luggage is gone, the technician’s body is buried. The Zoraken will know, as soon as they see the ship, that the women aren’t on their own. They’ll be alerted to our presence.”
“Maybe not,” Vulrux replies. “The rains did a lot of damage to the ship. We might be able to conceal our presence.”
“I’ll head to the Lowlands,” another Draekon, Zunix, volunteers. “And make sure there’s no trail back from the ship to us.”
“Good.” Arax takes a deep breath. “Thrax, you’re the closest to a technician. Will the Zoraken be able to detect our heat signatures?”
Thrax is one of Ryanna’s mates. He’s always got a
ready smile on his face. Just like Rorix, I think with a pang. Right now, he’s not looking cheerful though. “I don’t think so,” he says slowly. “The mountain walls should act as a shield. But Adrashian tech has always been better than ours. Who knows what they’re capable of doing now?”
Arax doesn’t look thrilled. “There’s nothing that can be done; it’s a chance we have to take. We hide, and we wait for the Zoraken to leave.”
I can’t hold it back anymore. “What about Rorix and Ferix?” I blurt out. “We have to go look for them. They’re sick. They’re in no condition to be left alone.”
“They’re sick?” Vulrux, who is a healer, looks up at that. “How so?”
“They were both running a fever,” I reply. “A really high one. They were literally burning up. There were little licks of fire over their skin.” My cheeks heat as I think about the demanding way they’d kissed me. “And they were acting weird too.”
“Flames over their skin?” Vulrux’s voice is suddenly alert. “Actual fire? And they were acting weird, you said. Weird how?”
Oh God. I can’t believe I have to say this out loud in front of the entire camp. “They were growly. Possessive.”
Vulrux inhales sharply. “Possessive of you?”
From his expression, I can tell that Vulrux knows what’s going on, and whatever it is, it isn’t good. Damn it. I knew I should have woken him last night. “They said it was just a side effect of being Draekon. They were lying, weren’t they?”
It’s not just Vulrux who looks shocked. Arax looks pole-axed. “Why did they hide it?” he murmurs. “Why didn’t they come forward?”
“They’re from the House of Kei.” Dariux grimaces. “As is Beirax, the Crimson Night puppet who stranded the humans here.”
“Ah.” Arax nods grimly. “That makes sense then.”
The other Draekons seem to know what Dariux is talking about. Even Olivia has a look of dawning comprehension on her face.