by Hope Hart
Gold eyes flare, and I sigh.
“I mean no offense. You’re our best chance when it comes to organizing our forces.”
The dragon nods.
“Ignore him,” Charlie advises me. “He’s never grumpier than when he’s been injured.” She snorts. “Except, of course, when I’ve been injured.”
“Understandable,” I say. I glance at the doorway as Rakiz enters the room. He takes a seat next to me and slumps into it, looking more tired than I’ve ever seen him.
Dragix studies him. “I will warn Arix about the Dokhalls lying in wait on our side of the water. If I kill them now, the others will know we are expecting their attack.”
Rakiz nods. “It is better to wait until they are marching on our camp.”
“I’m going with you.” Charlie’s expression is defiant, and Dragix’s eyes flare in what looks like panic.
He opens his mouth, but Charlie holds up one hand. “I believed you were dead, Dragix. I won’t sit here going out of my mind with worry.”
He studies her face, and for a moment it’s as if only the two of them exist. She reaches for his hand. “Together,” she says.
Just a few days ago, I watched Dragix fall from the sky, his body covered in wounds. From the expression on his face, the thought of taking his female with him is just as agonizing.
The door opens once more, and Dexar walks in. “I’ve put more guards around the ship,” he says. “But we have the one thing the Dokhalls want. They’ll never stop coming as long as they think they can use it to leave Agron.”
My hands fist at the thought, and Rakiz sends me a sympathetic look.
My hands suddenly itch, and I’m desperate to once again feel Sarissa in my arms. After spending so much time loathing my vicious little female, now all I want is the ability to make time stop so I can spend every second with her.
Perhaps I never truly loathed her after all.
Chapter Fourteen
Sarissa
The sun heats my skin as I lean my head back, enjoying the gentle breeze that teases my hair. After spending the morning working on traps with the Braxians, I’m taking a break with Nevada, musing over the best way to take out the Dokhalls.
I glance at her. “They may outnumber us, but we’re smarter. The Braxians know this part of the forest like the backs of their hands. Plus, we know for sure that some of their weapons are no longer working.”
“We barely won last time, and that was before they got their shit together and allied with those Zintas. Not to mention the Voildi. There are so many of them now.”
I stare at Nevada. I’ve never heard her sound anything other than confident.
“Are you okay?”
Her lips twist, and Danica lets out a howl from where she’s lying on a blanket on the grass, having something Nevada calls tummy time.
Nevada picks her up, and the baby instantly turns back into her sunny self, giving me a gummy smile.
“You’re a master manipulator, kid.” Nevada holds Danica in the crook of her arm and hands her a wooden toy to play with before turning back to me. “I’m scared. I can’t talk about it because when I admit I’m terrified, Rakiz gets this look on his face like he’s about to go on a killing spree. The last thing he needs is for me to fall apart.”
“And everyone else relies on you.”
“Yeah. Danica changed everything. Having a kid makes your priorities real clear real fast. I won’t let anyone hurt her. But I’m terrified we’re going to lose this war.”
Seeing Nevada so disheartened makes my stomach twist.
“What can I do to help?”
Nevada studies me. “Ellie is going to have her baby anytime now. She’s been having contractions for days. The backup plan is to get her to Tecar’s camp. But if the shit hits the fan and it looks like the Dokhalls are going to take our camp, I need you to be ready to grab Ellie and Danica and hide them. Get them to one of your contacts—I know you have friends on this side of the water.”
“What about Charlie and Dragix?”
“They’re our first line of defense against the Dokhalls. They’ll be our eyes in the sky. Dragix has agreed that if he can, he’ll help evacuate the kids, but if he goes down…”
“Are you sure about this?”
“Yes. You don’t need to hang back during the fight to protect the kids or anything like that—we have people to do that, and backup plans for our backup plans. But if shit gets out of control and the Dokhalls pull something we’re not expecting…”
I gape at her for a moment, and her gaze is steady on my face. I snap my mouth shut. She’s talking about if most of us are dead. If she and Rakiz have fallen in battle. If Charlie and Dragix have gone down. If Terex is nowhere to be found. The thought makes me feel sick. But she’s a mom, and she’s still holding it all together for the rest of us. If this is what she needs from me…
“Okay.”
She nods. “Thank you.”
I blow out a long, shaky breath, fighting back the urge to tell Nevada I can’t do it. That I can’t be responsible for the tiny little life in her arms. I couldn’t save Claire. I couldn’t—”
“Sarissa.”
I blink, and Nevada smiles at me.
“I don’t think it’ll happen, but if it does, you’ve got this.”
“Okay.” I struggle with that and finally push it away. I’ll have a panic attack later. “Back to battle plans. What does Rakiz have so far?”
“He agrees we need to be sneaky. Lining up all our troops and marching on each other is a dumb idea. We’ll need to make a show of force, of course, but we have to thin their numbers, and quickly.”
“We need to start doing that before they get too close to our camp. But we also need to lure them in.”
Nevada tilts her head. “What are you thinking?”
“Let me ponder it for a while.”
“Hey, guys,” a voice says, and I turn my head as Kate and Alexis arrive. My stomach clenches, nerves making my hands shake.
“Spit it out,” I order, and Nevada laughs.
Alexis gives me a look, but she doesn’t keep me hanging. “The AI system works. The chip has given us back full control of the ship.”
I stare at her. Relief, excitement, and something that feels a lot like despair are all warring within me, ripping me apart.
“You’re sure?”
Alexis narrows her eyes at me, and I wave my hand.
“Sorry, of course you’re sure.”
Alexis would never risk our lives if she didn’t think we’d make it.
Kate sits down next to me on the grass and smiles down at Danica. “We’re aiming for a hub planet called Brexos. The ship has research capabilities and provided us with a bunch of different options. Brexos is full of mercenaries, and weapons from across the galaxy. We’re going to need ships, money, and training, and according to the AI system on our ship, Brexos is our best bet.”
“How are we going to afford all that?”
“Makayla convinced Dragix to save his scales for us. We’ll use some of them in the battle, but apparently, even more developed planets have a need for dragon scales, and we can sell them when we arrive.”
“Wow.” This just got real.
Nevada tilts her head. “You don’t need to go, you know. Seems like you and the commander are finally on the same page.”
Clara and Makayla enter the clearing. Clara’s eyes widen as soon as she sees us, and she stalks toward us, her brow furrowed. Makayla follows at a more leisurely pace, flashing me a grin from over Clara’s shoulder.
“What’s the deal?” Clara asks, and Kate reaches up, squeezing her hand.
“We’re leaving.”
It’s like all the tension goes out of Clara’s body, and she folds like a puppet that just had its strings cut, slumping to the ground.
Alexis reaches for her, but Clara waves her off, her eyes closed. When she opens them again, they’re wet with tears.
“You’re sure? Sorry,” she says
immediately. “Of course you’re sure.”
Makayla sits down next to us, listening quietly. She’s a mystery, this woman. I can never tell quite what she’s thinking. Apparently, she designed some of the best security systems on Earth. Agron must have been a surprise after her high-tech world.
Speaking of high-tech… I frown, staring into space. I’m already picturing getting on that ship. What if it gets damaged during the battle and we have to go through all this again?
“I just had an idea,” I murmur.
Nevada tilts her head. “What?”
“I think anyone who needs to board the ship should do it during the battle.”
She gapes at me. “Excuse me?”
“Their spies are watching us. If we all start traipsing toward the ship before the battle, they’re guaranteed to attack. Right now, they want to hit our camp—where it will cause the most destruction. If they see us heading toward the ship, their goal will be to either stop us or take the ship down so we can’t use it.”
Makayla smiles. “It’ll be the last thing they’re expecting. Because it’ll be dangerous as hell.”
“Why not wait until after the battle?” Kate asks.
I shrug. “Because their goal is to take the ship. If they don’t get it this time, they’ll regroup and strike again. If we take that ship, we’ll let the Dokhalls see that it’s gone. Sure, some of them will be more dangerous with nothing to lose, but a large portion will flee, realizing they’ll be putting their lives on the line for no reason.”
Silence.
I sigh. I know I’m right. “Look how motivated we are to get on that ship. We’re willing to put everything on the line. It consumes our thoughts. You think they’re not just as motivated? As long as they know that ship is here, they’re going to throw everything they have at us.”
Kate slowly nods. “If the Dokhalls took the ship, we’d be devastated. We’d mourn, and we’d want revenge against anyone who remains. But eventually, most of us would probably start building some kind of lives here.”
“That’s assuming a hell of a lot,” Alexis says. “Since when are the Dokhalls logical?”
I shrug. “We know the ship works. Am I the only one who’s scared to leave it sitting there for too long with the Dokhalls marching toward us?”
“You’re definitely not the only one,” Makayla murmurs. “It feels like we’re asking for it to be damaged again.”
Nevada studies my face. “Are you sure about this?”
I know she’s not talking about the plan. She’s talking about the commander.
Temporary mate.
“I’m positive.”
“You know what this will mean. Arix and Vivian are going to attack from the west. They’re the distraction.”
“I know.”
“You won’t get to say goodbye.”
My eyes are burning, and I push my palms against them. I refuse to lose it until I’m alone in my kradi.
“Believe me, I know.”
Clara wraps her arm around me. “A true leader sacrifices for her team,” she murmurs. “You’re right—this is the best chance for us to get everyone loaded onto that ship without drawing attention.”
Makayla shoots her a look. “You know, Sarissa never asked to be our leader.”
I can’t talk about this anymore. I get to my feet, ignoring the look of concern Clara gives me. “I need to go. I’ve got some things to do.”
Nevada raises her eyebrows at me, and I scowl at her. Yes, the commander is one of those things I have to do. Bite me.
But first, I need to talk to Zoey. I find her in the healers’ kradi talking to a woman named Harper. She’s grinning at Zoey, her dark hair in a long braid, her bright blue eyes lit with fun. I don’t know her well, but she seems like the kind of woman you can count on when some serious shit is going down.
Zoey’s busy mixing some kind of concoction that smells disgusting, and she gives me a wry smile as I make gagging sounds. “Yeah,” she says, “it’s gross. It’s also one of the best ways to prevent infection we have. And yet some of my deadliest poisons smell like perfume.”
“Actually, that’s kind of what I came to talk to you about.”
“Oh yeah?” She wipes her hands on the apron she’s tied around her waist and glances around the kradi. “I need some fresh air. Let’s take this outside.”
Harper glances down at Zoey’s concoction. “Smartest thing you’ve said all day.”
We trail after Zoey, and I can’t help but grin at the way she breathes in the air, raising her face to the sun. For someone who spends most of her time inside, Zoey sure seems to appreciate being outdoors.
I get straight down to business. “I know you’ve been working on poisons, and I have some thoughts for how we can use them.”
She glances at me and raises her eyebrow. “You know, I’ve been mulling this over for some time. I know for sure I could poison their water source, but it sounds like the Dokhalls are on the move.”
Harper tilts her head. “I like where you’re going with this.”
I smile at them both, pleased we’re on the same page. “I think we need to dip our arrows in poison. From what Vivian told me about the poison on the knife you gave her, even the slightest scratch could slow them down significantly.”
“That’s what I was thinking too,” Zoey says.
“Well, I have a few other ideas in mind as well.” I tell them both what I’m thinking, and nods.
“I like it.”
We smile at each other. “Let’s take this fight medieval,” I say.
“I can help mix up some of the poisons,” Harper offers. “As long as they don’t smell as bad as whatever you’ve got going on in that kradi right now.”
Zoey laughs. “They’re not all that stinky, I promise.” She nibbles on her bottom lip. “I shouldn’t be this excited about someone else’s pain and suffering.”
I shrug at that. As far as I’m concerned, the Dokhalls deserve everything they get.
“I’ll talk to Nevada,” Zoey says. “I look forward to working with you both.”
I grin. “Sounds like this is the start of a beautiful working relationship.”
Makayla and Blaire walk past and Harper goes still, the smile dropping from her face. I nudge her with my elbow. “Something wrong?”
She sighs. “Promise not to say anything?”
Zoey and I both nod.
“Makayla was responsible for creating security systems to lock up some of the prettiest things on Earth. And I was responsible for taking them back out again.” She wiggles her fingers. “Without the owner’s permission.”
My mouth drops open and Harper nods. “Yeah,” she mutters. “Oh, and Emma is a cop. It’s only a matter of time before we have to have that conversation.”
Zoey nibbles on her lower lip. “You should probably have that conversation sooner rather than later.”
I tense, feeling him before I see him. When I glance over my shoulder, Korzyn is standing outside Rakiz’s tashiv, his eyes on me.
He stalks toward me, and Harper laughs. “Wow,” she murmurs. Then she lets out a choked cough. “Choking on the sexual tension.” She makes a strangled sound, raising her hands to her throat, and I roll my eyes.
“Ha ha.”
Zoey grins at me as they both walk back into the healers’ kradi. But I barely notice. All my attention is on the way the commander prowls down the row of kradis, his eyes burning as he stares at me.
“Hey,” I say stupidly as he draws closer.
His voice is low and teasing, and he ignores my awkwardness. “Hey,” he purrs, and despite myself, I blush.
What’s going on with me? I never blush. At least I never used to. Now, I seem to blush around this man all the damn time.
He takes me by the hand and leads me to the steps of the tashiv, gesturing for me to sit down. “What’s going on?” I ask, and he simply grins at me.
“I’ll be right back,” he says. “Wait for me right here.”
For once, I’m willing to let him boss me around. I have a sudden vision of him putting me on all fours last night and ordering me not to move. Okay, so maybe taking orders can be fun occasionally.
He’s waiting for me to answer, so I shrug. “Fine.”
There’s an odd sort of desperation in his eyes. It’s as if he’s trying to be lighthearted. And it’s easy to understand why. He’s just come from meeting with Rakiz, Dexar, and Dragix. And I can guarantee they weren’t talking about the weather. My heart aches. If he wants to pretend our world isn’t falling apart, who am I to stop him?
I smile at him, and his silver eyes gleam with a hint of relief. I settle in as he turns and strides away, and I take a few moments to watch the people around me going about their day.
I’m going to miss this place.
This planet and these people are barbaric. They take what they want, and they don’t apologize for it. But beneath everything they do is their own code, their own values and morals.
Help those weaker than yourself. Fight for what is right. Don’t lie, cheat, or steal. Value your mate above all else. Always think about the good of the tribe as a whole.
Here, people argue, they fight—often fiercely. But they love just as fiercely. And they treat each other as a family.
Korzyn doesn’t take long, returning with a large sack and a blanket draped over his shoulder. I raise my eyebrow, but he takes my hand—pulling me behind the tashiv and down a short path. Within a few moments, I can hear the sound of a stream. He finds a good spot on the grass and lays down his blanket, gesturing for me to take a seat. My mouth waters as delicious scents waft toward me from the sack.
“Rakiz told me about this place,” he says as he sits down, stretching out his long legs in front of him. He reaches into the sack and begins unpacking it, handing me a piece of bread along with the roast meat he knows I like.
“It’s beautiful.” And it is. There are no sounds other than the bubbling of the stream and the rustle of the wind through the trees.
We talk about everything except the coming battle. It’s as if we’re both in silent agreement we’ll take this one afternoon for ourselves.
It turns out the commander is funny. I’ve had glimpses of his sarcastic wit, of course, but here, sitting next to me, he seems more relaxed than I’ve ever seen him. He tells me about growing up in the castle, and while it must have been lonely—especially knowing he had pretty much been disowned by his family—he has me laughing until I’m clutching my stomach with stories about protecting Arix’s life. It turns out the king was somewhat of a klutz as a kid.
