by T. J. Quinn
“I haven’t been able to check all of the golden dragons. But something is definitely changing. If it’s good or not, we will soon find out,” he said, shrugging.
“You don’t sound worried,” I pointed out.
“I’m not. This might be terrible news for the Asseptians, but not for us and certainly not for your people,” he said in a confident tone.
“How can you say that? You know how dangerous the dragons are,” I protested.
“We never talked about it, about my life before I came to this planet, did we?” he asked, leaning against the kitchen counter.
“No, we didn’t. I thought you didn’t remember much,” I replied with a slight frown.
He sighed. “Sometimes, I wished I didn’t remember, but I do,” he explained. “And I remember the dragons from before they were enslaved by the Asseptians. They were the most powerful creatures in the galaxy, and yet they did not abuse their power. They were good people, respected by their neighbors and feared by their enemies, though they didn’t have that many. Few dared to go against them.”
“How did the Asseptians managed to enslave them?” I asked, a bit surprised by Ryoko’s revelations.
“I don’t know. They had already captured them when my people and I were captured.”
“Why haven’t you ever mentioned the past before?” I asked him, curious.
“Probably, because it’s not a pretty one. My people have been mercenary warriors for generations, and that’s not something to be proud of,” he said in a low tone. “Fight for the highest bid is hardly something worth mentioning. We fought in too many wars we knew weren’t right or fair, just because we had been paid to do it,” he explained.
I could tell he didn’t feel comfortable talking about this, but I was in no place to judge. “Were you loyal to those paying you?” I asked.
He frowned at my question. “Of course,” he assured me.
“Then, you are no different from any soldier on this planet. They weren’t supposed to like or even agree with their orders; they just had to follow them and be loyal to those paying them to fight for their country,” I explained.
“I’m sure they fought for more than just payment,” he protested.
“A few, perhaps, but for most, it was just another job, one they were supposed to do as best as possible, regardless of their personal feelings,” I assured him.
He pulled me into his arms and kissed me. “You’re a special woman, did you know that?” he asked before he kissed me.
“Of course I am,” I agreed teasingly. “Now, let’s eat. I spent the entire day cooking, and I will not allow the food to go to waste,” I threatened him, remembering last year’s celebration.
Things had gotten too hot between us, and we ended up in bed without eating. Most of the food had spoiled over the night.
We were about to finish eating dessert when we heard a loud thump and the entire house shook.
The alarm system went off, and Ryoko jumped to his feet, startled. “Go to the shelter room and stay there until I tell you it’s safe to come out,” he ordered, walking to a small cabinet he kept locked.
“But…” I started protesting.
“Now, Maya. It’s an order,” he yelled at me, and I nodded.
I hadn’t seen him like this since I left the house and got captured by Sylan.
He trashed the wooden door and grabbed a huge weapon before he walked out of the house. Reluctantly, I rushed to the shelter room and tried to see what was going on, but nothing was there to be seen.
Chapter Twenty Three
Ryoko
Things had been so calm, so quiet for the past two years I had stopped watching over my shoulder every minute. Someone had followed me home, and now, Maya was in danger.
Cursing myself for being so careless, I rushed out of the house and looked for the intruder. It only took me a few seconds to find him on the roof of the house, in a very relaxed pose.
Furious, I jumped up to the roof and confronted him.
“Greetings, general,” the man said in a friendly tone.
For a moment, I considered pretending I couldn’t understand his language, but if I wanted answers, I would need to ask questions.
“Who are you, and what are you doing at my house?” I snarled at him, my weapon aimed at him.
“I come in peace. Do you think you could lower that weapon and talk to me?” he asked in a very calm tone.
“Peace? Those who come in peace, knock on the door,” I spurted, oozing scorn.
“Would you have opened it to me?” he asked, cocking his eyebrow.
“No!” I replied in a cold tone.
“There’s your answer,” he pointed out.
“Who are you, and what do you want from me?” I asked, never taking my aim from his face.
I had no idea who this man was, but I knew for sure he wasn’t human. He seemed familiar, but I wasn’t able to place him. In my years as a mercenary, I had met way too many people from different planets.
“Who I am is not important, and all I want from you is answers. Can we talk?”
“Why should I?” I asked, trying to understand what the intruder wanted and why he was here.
One thing I knew for sure. He wasn’t afraid of me or of my weapon, and that alone spoke volumes of the kind of man I was up against.
“I thought you might want to preserve your nest. I’m sure your mate has grown attached to it,” he said in a grave tone, and my heart stopped for a moment.
I hadn’t expected him to know about Maya and his subtle threat was enough to startle me
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” I mumbled, trying to fool him as I slightly lowered my weapon.
I wasn’t taking any chances when it came to Maya. Though the man didn’t look that much different from me, he exuded power and strength in a way I had only seen a few times in my lifetime. He was dangerous.
“You can’t fool me. However, I have no interest in exposing you or your mate. I really just want to talk,” he assured me.
“Why should I trust you?” I insisted, still not trusting this stranger or his motive to be here.
“Because you don’t have a choice,” he pointed out, shrugging.
His calm demeanor pissed me out, and for a moment, I almost lost my temper and shot his pretty face, just to see what would happen.
Of course, I did nothing of the sort. Not before I knew who I was up against.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, lowering my weapon to the ground.
“Who is running this show? I know they’re a parasite species, but I’m having trouble placing them,” the man asked, taking a seat on the roof and inviting me to do the same.
I stared at him, incredulous, as he confirmed my suspicions that he was an alien. What he was doing here was the real question. I sat down but never lowered my guard.
“They are the Asseptians. Their planet was destroyed by their sun, and now they roam the universe searching for a new home,” I finally told him.
“Did they hire your people?”
His question denoted that he knew who I was and what I used to do for a living.
I scoffed. “The Asseptians don’t hire anyone. They simply take what they want, no matter the destruction they leave behind,” I said, oozing all the hatred and scorn I felt for the parasites.
“Did they destroy Slythorus?” he asked, sounding worried.
I shook my head. “Not as far as I know. We were captured on an intergalactic market while we were looking for our next mission,” I explained. “They promised us a small fortune if we helped them on their next mission, and we fell for it.”
“Why haven’t you left if you’re not getting anything out of this deal?” the man asked, intrigued.
“When we first boarded our vessel, they tried to infect us with their parasites, but our blood is toxic for them, and they all died in a matter of minutes,” I explained. “I still get the creeps each time I remember those disgusting creatures
sliding out of the back of my neck.”
“Why didn’t you escape then?”
“The creatures were inside us for a couple of minutes, and during that time, they locked us up in sealed cells. The moment they realized they wouldn’t be able to use us as hosts, they freed some sort of gas into the air, and after that, I barely remember anything,” I told him in a harsh tone.
“You sound pretty lucid to me,” he pointed out.
“That’s because I found my mate,” I explained. “Her blood cleansed mine, and the toxin stopped working on me,” keeping the details to myself.
I still didn’t know who this man was. The last thing I needed was for the Asseptians to find out about Maya and her effect on me.
“However, you’re still working for the Asseptians.”
“What choice do I have? My men still act like robots, and the Asseptians have the dragons on their side. One word and I’m a roasted snack for one of them,” I stated in a matter-of-fact tone. “I need to protect my mate, at all cost. She’s human, and I had to fight just for the right to keep her with me.”
“I know the feeling,” he murmured, sounding as if he had been through a lot too.
“Who are you?” I asked, once more, trying to remember where I had seen a man like him.
“That’s not important,” he assured me. “Do you have any idea what toxin do the aliens use on your people and the dragons?”
I shook my head. “No idea. I do know they use different toxins for Slyths and dragons, but that’s all I know. They have similar effects on us, but I believe the dragons are on a much deeper trance.”
“Why do you think that?” he asked, curious. ´
“When the toxin is losing its grip on my people, I can see flashes of their old selves. But it doesn’t happen so with the dragons. They become confused, violent, and a lot more dangerous,” I explained.
That was one of the reasons I never considered not giving the toxin to the dragons. I had no idea how they would react to it, and they were too dangerous for me to take the risk.
“Would you like to go back to Slythorus?” he asked, out of the blue.
“To escape the Asseptians? Yes… but it wouldn’t be my first choice. My mate wouldn’t survive the atmosphere in Slythorus,” I pointed out.
“Doesn’t that bother you?” he asked with a slight frown.
“No… the Slyth people aren’t too attached to their home planet. We live most of our adult lives fighting for others, and home is an abstract concept. We generally adopt our mates’ home,” I explained.
“Would you fight on a war to get rid of the Asseptians?” the man asked, sounding a bit too interested in my answer.
A war against the Asseptians? I would do it for free, just for the pleasure of smashing the life out of the disgusting creatures. But the stranger didn’t need to know that.
Unfortunately, not many people would go against the Asseptians. They were too dangerous.
“If the price is right, yes, of course,” I assured me, with a sneering grin.
“What would be your price?” the man asked, curious.
“If you ever start that war, I’ll let you know,” I replied in a scornful tone.
“Were you present when the Asseptians attacked the dragons’ planet?” he asked, changing the subject.
“No… they already had captured the dragons when they got us. They needed people able to talk with them, telepathically, since they couldn’t understand any other language while on their dragon forms,” I explained.
“No wonder they captured you,” he murmured.
“My thoughts exactly. They knew we would be able to control the dragons and tell them what to do,” I agreed.
“Ryoko… where are you? What happened?” Maya’s voice sounded from the ground, and my heart stopped for a moment.
What the hell was she doing? Why was she exposing herself this way?
Chapter Twenty Four
Maya
I stayed in the safe room for as long as I could. I couldn’t see a thing through the cameras, and the thick silence was deafening. I needed to know what was going on. Who had dared come and disturb as at our home?
The scavengers wouldn’t dare. They knew the truth, they knew Ryoko was the one behind the killing of Sylan’s men, and they knew better than to mess with him.
Which was why I was so worried.
After pacing the room frantically, I finally decided to go out and check for myself, even if that would bring Ryoko’s wrath on me. I couldn’t just stay still when he might be hurt or dying.
Taking a few deep breaths, I checked the cameras to make sure no one was around before leaving the safe room and venturing into the kitchen. My eyes went straight to the cabinet Ryoko had torn open and almost sighed with relief when I saw a weapon there.
I took it out, scowling at its weight. I had no idea how to make it work, but that didn’t matter. All I needed was to convince others I knew it.
With the weapon up, I walked outside the house, calling Ryoko’s name.
A stranger jumped in front of me, and I almost lost control of the weapon I had in my hands. I hadn’t expected that.
“I’m sorry I kept your man away from you, madam. We were just having a friendly talk,” the man said, in my own language when I stumbled back and almost fell under the weight of the weapon I was carrying.
Ryoko jumped right after the man, standing between the intruder and me.
“What the hell are you doing?” he asked the stranger in a raging tone.
I knew some of his rages were towards me, but I didn’t cow away.
“Meeting your mate,” the man said with a teasing smile.
“This isn’t part of our deal,” Ryoko snarled at him.
“Relax, I mean no harm to you or your mate,” the man assured him. “You gave me all the information I needed.”
“Who is this man, Ryoko?” I asked, looming from behind Ryoko, too curious to stay still.
The man looked dangerous, but for some reason, he didn’t scare me.
“No one important,” Ryoko snarled at me, still furious at me for disobeying his orders, again. “He’s already leaving.”
“Won’t you introduce me to your female?” the man asked Ryoko in a soft tone.
“It’s none of your business,” Ryoko growled, furious.
“Make it my business. My future plans include making you and your people my partners,” the stranger told him in a firm tone.
“We shall see about that,” Ryoko retorted in a derisive tone.
The tall stranger chuckled. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Ryoko. I hope we’ll meet again soon,” he said, bowing to him and to me before he walked away.
“Who was he?” I couldn’t help asking.
“I told you, Maya… no one important,” Ryoko scolded me as he turned to look at me. “What the hell were you thinking?” he asked as he practically dragged me towards the house.
I tugged my arm to free me from his tight grip. He released me, but not before he squeezed harder as a warning.
He put away the weapons before he turned to look at me.
“I was worried. The cameras showed nothing outside, and the silence was too ominous. I had to make sure you were alright,” I protested.
“Walking into a potentially dangerous situation is no help,” he scolded me.
“Would you have stayed still if you thought I was in danger?” I asked him, crossing my arms over my chest in a stubborn attitude.
He needed to know I, too, wanted to protect him and make sure he was safe.
“It’s different. I’m strong…”
“But you are also vulnerable,” I pointed out in a grave tone. “Do you have any idea how desperate I felt when Sylan shot you? I had never seen so much blood in my life, and knowing your life was slipping through my fingers almost killed me.”
He frowned. “You never told me that,” he said in a low tone.
“Wasn’t it obvious? I would have done anything to chan
ge places with you,” I admitted, grudgingly, as I looked away, suddenly feeling I had spoken more than I should have.
He grasped my chin between his fingers and forced me to look at him. “Does my life mean that much to you?” he asked, in a grave tone.
I gulped, and my heart jumped in my chest. “Why are you so surprised? I gave you my blood, not even knowing if I would survive,” I pointed out. “Bloodthirsty creatures usually suck their victims dry,” I explained.
He looked amazed. “But you kept telling me you didn’t believe the whole ‘mates’ stuff,” he said, deepening his frown.
“Well, no woman likes to hear the man she cares about was only driven to her by fate or whatever you want to call it. It feels as if you wouldn’t have chosen me if you hadn’t been forced to… am I making any sense?” I asked, feeling ashamed for exposing my heart out in the open.
“Is that how I feel?” he asked, astounded, as his thumb caressed my chin, his eyes boring deep into my soul. “There’s a legend amongst my people to explain why we can only be truly happy with our soul mates. It says we are created as one single soul, and then when it’s time for us to come to this world, it breaks in two, so each part can look for growth and wisdom on their own, until they meet again and become one, once more,” he explained, cradling my face. “I haven’t been forced to choose you. You’re the part of me I have spent my whole life looking for,” he assured me before he leaned down and kissed me.
“But… you haven’t mentioned the claiming ritual ever since we came back from the woods… I thought you regretted having me as your mate,” I pointed out.
“Never… life without you is no life, Maya,” he said, in a firm tone. “I haven’t talked about the ritual because I didn’t think you were ready. Besides, last time, it caused you a lot of pain. It worries me how you’ll react to the second stage,” he confessed.
Relief washed over me, and I cradled his face. “Don’t you think that’s something for me to decide?” I scolded him, kissing him.
He shrugged. “I’ll always do my best to protect you from pain and sorrow,” he assured me, kissing me back. “We have plenty of time. When you’re ready, we’ll do it,” he promised as he picked me in his arms and carried me to the bedroom.
