by Hope Hart
Jozet mutters something and stalks away to talk to another Braxian. They chat for a few moments, and then the other guy looks at Vivian for a long moment before finally nodding.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“That’s Duvix,” she says. “He was going to be traveling with you guys anyway, and now Jozet is telling him he’ll have to ride with me.” She glances at me and rolls her eyes. “The mishua don’t let women ride them. Just like everything else on this planet, they’re as primitive as it comes.”
The mishua glares at Vivian, and Vivian narrows her eyes back.
“Can they…understand you?”
“Who knows. Anyway, Duvix and Jozet are both still pissed at me. Back when we were still trying to find you guys, there was only one person who could be counted on to flirt with the Braxians for information. Information that Nevada needed so she would know where to look.”
I can’t help but smile. “And you were that person.”
“That’s right. I did what I needed to do to help—the only skill set I have, really.” Her tone is self-deprecating, and I want to tell her not to talk shit about herself. But I sure don’t know her well enough for that.
“So,” she continues, “these guys got yelled at when Rakiz figured out who had spilled the most valuable information. They’re still salty about it.”
I eye her. “Let me guess, you don’t exactly feel bad about their saltiness.”
She shrugs. “They looked at me and saw an airhead who flirted with anyone who breathed. I taught them not to judge a book by its cover.”
I grin as the warriors return, their expressions dark. “You know what, I think we’re going to be good friends.”
Vivian links her arm through mine as the men saddle up the mishua. “I think so too.”
It doesn’t take long before we’re ready to go, and Jozet is a calming presence behind me once I’m seated on the mishua. He didn’t say a word when I handed him my cloth sack, simply attaching it to the saddle before showing me where to hold on to the mishua.
The mishua’s gait isn’t anything like a horse’s. It’s bumpier, and without Jozet’s arm around my waist, I’d likely tumble off Vari as she lurches along the path.
We’re in the same forest that Dragix used to explore with me. Or at least, I’d explore, and he’d watch my face, smiling at my reactions. I keep glancing up at the sky, expecting to see him fly overhead, but he’s obviously either back on his mountain or hunting somewhere else.
The sun is soon high in the sky, and we don’t bother stopping for lunch. Jozet hands me a waterskin and some dried meat, and I munch as we leave the cool shade of the forest for a wide, open plain.
The warriors are on high alert, and it makes me jumpy. I constantly scan our surroundings, wishing I was wearing a pair of shorts and a tank top as beads of sweat roll down my neck. It’s humid today, and I can practically feel my hair expanding, while Vivian somehow still looks great. Her face is flushed, but she looks like she’s been playing tennis on an indoor, air-conditioned court.
I narrow my eyes at her as Jozet and Duvix draw their mishua close so they can talk.
“I could learn to hate you,” I say, and she bursts out laughing.
If Dragix were here, he’d give me a slow grin and peel off my clothes. He loved my hair wild and would spend hours playing with my curls as we talked.
“You’ve got that look on your face again,” Vivian says.
I open my mouth to reply, but the mishua begin walking up a hill, and I clutch at one of Vari’s horns.
As soon as we’re at the top of the hill, a group of Braxians appear, swords in their hands.
“We are here to speak to Khax,” Jozet says. “It is of vital importance.”
The warriors study us for a long moment and then murmur amongst themselves.
“Hand over your weapons,” they say, and Jozet snorts.
“We have been tasked with protecting these females,” he says.
One of the other warriors bares his teeth. “You imply that we would hurt females?”
This is going well.
Vivian stretches, the movement drawing the attention of every male eye as it highlights her impressive breasts and tiny waist.
“I’d love to get off this mishua,” she purrs. “Surely you don’t expect our protectors to leave us completely defenseless, do you?”
I somehow manage to keep from smiling. In the past few hours, I’ve learned that Vivian is many things, but defenseless will never be one of them. Beneath the gorgeous face is a quick mind and a ruthless commitment to doing whatever needs to be done.
Before today, I wouldn’t have chosen Vivian if I needed someone at my back. Even I was guilty of judging her by her appearance.
The warriors hesitate and then glance at me. I give them what I hope is a flirtatious smile, but I’m well aware that I’ll never have one ounce of Vivian’s sexual self-assurance.
“Fine,” the first warrior says gruffly. They turn to walk away, and Jozet looks at Vivian and snorts.
“Do you have something you’d like to say?” she asks sweetly.
He shakes his head, and we clomp toward the camp.
I nibble at my lip until we enter the camp gates. One of the warriors points at a mishua pen, and we dismount, handing the mishua over to a group of warriors who take them from us.
“Wait,” I say. “Can I have that bag?”
Jozet hands it to me, and then we trail after the warriors who met us at the camp entrance.
It’s clear that this camp is much more temporary than the camp we just came from. While Rakiz and Nevada share a tashiv—a hut also used for meetings—there’s no such structure here. And while the kradis in Rakiz’s camp are aligned in neat rows, the kradis here have been placed seemingly without rhyme or reason, so we’re forced to dodge around them as we follow the warriors.
These Braxians are wearing knee-length loincloths, each with a long split up the side, and little else. They look dangerous, mean, and unfriendly as we walk through their camp with Jozet and Duvix.
They take us to a large communal area. Tribe members are sitting on rocks around a firepit, which, thanks to the current warm temperature, is unlit. The tribe members are facing a huge boulder, which has been hollowed out in a vague approximation of a throne.
There are absolutely no women here, I realize. We passed a few of them on the way through the camp, their eyes wide and curious, but this gathering is obviously some kind of men’s club.
Awesome.
A Braxian lounges on the throne. His face is hard, and his nose has obviously been broken once or twice. He’s the first Braxian I’ve ever seen with a full beard, and I can’t help but stare. I’m guessing this is Khax.
“Strange females,” he booms. “Where do you come from?”
Vivian steps forward and explains just how we got here and why we need his help. I keep my eyes on Khax, and I’m relieved to see a hint of interest on his face as she tells him about our situation.
He shifts on his throne. “And you are hoping to benefit from our reputation in battle.”
I blink at that. Truthfully, Nevada said they were vicious savages and it would be great to get them on our side. She said nothing about the tribe’s reputation.
Vivian doesn’t miss a beat. “That’s right,” she says, giving him a sweet smile.
He snorts, but he stares at us consideringly for a long moment. “We are not the type to ally with tribes like Rakiz’s,” he says finally. “In fact, we have never sought any type of alliance with the Braxian tribes on this part of Agron.”
I clear my throat. “And have you benefited from this insular approach? Or do you think it’s possible that allying with Rakiz’s tribe could lead to opportunities for your tribe?”
He scowls at that. “We have everything we need.”
His jaw is hard, and I glance around, finding his warriors leering at us. Vivian sighs but glances at me with a shrug. She’s all out of ideas.
> I hesitate, but I have one last card to play. I lift up my cloth sack, and he raises his eyebrow at me as I approach him. It breaks my heart to hold out the bundle, and my hand shakes. One of his guards steps forward, but Khax holds up his hand and reaches for it.
In spite of my devastation, I have to smile as he looks inside and his mouth drops open. He meets my eyes, and I force myself to speak around the lump in my throat.
“A gesture of good faith,” I say. “We would love to have your support.”
He pulls out one of Dragix’s scales, and I clasp my hands together so I won’t reach for it and snatch it away from him. It glimmers, a gorgeous aqua in the sunlight, but the next one he pulls out could be a deep forest green or a midnight blue.
Tribe members are murmuring at the sight of the scale.
“I would be interested to know how you came to have these in your possession,” Khax says.
I give him a bland smile. “That is a story for another day.” He stares at me, and I keep my mouth shut. He doesn’t get that piece of me.
Finally, he gives us a slow nod. I don’t know what that nod means, but I force myself to turn, and we file out of the clearing.
I clamp my mouth shut as we make our way back to the mishua, Jozet and Duvix a threatening presence by our sides.
Vivian nudges me. “Are you sure about giving up those scales?”
“Yes.” No. She gives me a look, and I sigh. “It’s done now. Plus, Rakiz said this tribe is known for their strategies in battle. If Khax is the difference between us winning the war or ending up prisoners again, it’s worth it.”
She nods, and Jozet helps me up onto the mishua. I still have one precious scale tucked beneath my pillow. It’s a gorgeous silvery blue that reminds me of the sun shining on those scales while he napped on the top of his mountain.
The next couple of hours pass quickly, all of us lost in our own thoughts. Since we left so early and our chat with Khax wasn’t exactly lengthy, we arrive back at camp by midafternoon.
Nevada is waiting for us when we slide off the mishua. “Rakiz is in a meeting with Dexar and some of the other tribe kings. We’ve had some…news.”
From the sick look on her face, I’m guessing that this isn’t good news.
Vivian frowns. “What happened?”
“They’re here. Our scouts spotted them near the Seinex Forest. They’re guarding their ship, but the rest of them seem to be spreading out and hunting. For us.”
Oh God. I wipe my sweaty hands on my pants. “How the hell did they land without anyone noticing?”
Nevada shrugs. “Dead of the night. One of Dexar’s sentries noticed some strange lights and reported it. When Dexar sent scouts back to the area…”
“What?”
“The aliens attacked. They killed two of the scouts. One of them was wounded but managed to get back to camp and warn Dexar.”
I stare at her. “They know that we know they’re here.”
Nevada nods, and for the first time, she looks exhausted.
Vivian steps closer and rubs her arm. “Why don’t you get some rest?”
Nevada shakes her head. “There’s something else. Alexis and Beth have both been putting off their mating ceremonies. They wanted to wait until we were all together.” Guilt hits me. If I didn’t know about this threat, would I have even left Dragix? I tune back in as Nevada continues, “As qatai and qatal, Alexis and Dexar should have a huge ceremony at their camp, but with this threat…”
I frown, not understanding. It’s Vivian that seems to get it.
“They want to be mated in case Dexar goes down.” Her voice is hollow.
Nevada nods, running a hand through her hair. She looks worn out, and I’m sure if Rakiz could see her right now, he’d be ordering her to rest.
Of course, she’d likely tell him exactly what he could do with that order. If there’s one thing I’ve learned watching Nevada and Rakiz, it’s that both of them are quick-tempered. But they’re also quick to make up—constantly dragging each other into dark corners and stealing private moments whenever they can.
I had that—briefly—with Dragix. We had that passion, that…need.
“Charlie?”
“Sorry. I blanked. What difference will it make if Dexar…falls?”
Nevada sighs. “Alexis will be able to rule their tribe without him. At least in the short term. God, I can’t believe we’re even talking about this. What a shitshow.”
Vivian sighs. “A shitshow is right. When is the ceremony?”
“Today. They thought it best to get it done. And then we plan for war.”
I shiver as we follow Nevada to the kradi that Alexis has been using with Dexar while she is here. She looks pale, but her eyes are hard and determined. Ivy, Beth, and Zoey are here, and from the looks on their faces, they haven’t managed to cheer her up.
“How are you doing?” I ask, and she gives me a tiny smile.
“I’m fine. It’s just…Dexar was so looking forward to this, to doing it properly in front of our tribe. He says we’ll have another ceremony, but it’s not the same. It shouldn’t be like this,” she finishes in a whisper.
I don’t know what to say. She’s right. It shouldn’t be like this.
Beth steps closer and kneels at her feet. “Do you love him?”
“Of course.”
“Then this is just a chance to show off that love to your family and friends. Don’t let them steal this from you. Don’t let them make it ugly.”
A tear falls from Alexis’s eye, and she wipes it away. “How’d you get so wise?”
Beth grins, and we all turn as Ellie walks in. Her bump seems larger today, and if she were on Earth, I’d say she was five or six months along. But that math sure doesn’t work.
She smiles as she sees me looking. “Braxian babies are big,” she says. “Moni says they also usually come earlier than our babies.”
“Are you feeling okay?”
“Now that I’m not throwing up everything I eat, I feel great. I just can’t wait to meet this little guy or girl.” She glances at Alexis. “How do you feel about a sunset ceremony?”
Alexis smiles, and this time most of the sadness is gone. “That sounds lovely. Tell my bossy Braxian that he’s not allowed to see me before the ceremony. Some traditions are still sacred.”
We all laugh, and for the next few hours, we talk about everything but the aliens who have just landed on Agron.
Chapter Fifteen
Charlie
Alexis looks incredible. Her long blonde hair has been swept up into an elegant updo, and her dress is an icy blue that perfectly matches her eyes.
Vivian did her makeup, which is apparently a tradition for mating ceremonies around here, and her lips are stained a deep cherry red while her eyes have been lightly lined with kohl.
On her head sits a crown, the shiny jewels glinting like they’re on fire in the sun.
She’s standing next to Dexar, and they only have eyes for each other as they speak the formal words that will cement their mating.
My chest is so tight it aches.
One of Dexar’s warriors steps forward, and I fan my face. For some reason, a fire has been lit, and while the sun is setting, the temperature is still warm.
I frown as the warrior lifts Alexis into his arms and walks to the fire. I tense, and Nevada puts her hand on my arm.
“Shh,” she murmurs. “Watch.” She slides her hand down to her stomach, and my eyes widen as I realize she’s also pregnant.
These Braxian warriors waste no time.
I return my attention to where Dexar is now standing on the opposite side of the fire, and then I’m gaping as the warrior throws Alexis into the air, high above the fire. She soars over the flames and lands in Dexar’s arms, her smile blinding.
I glance at Nevada, and she grins at the look on my face. “Dexar’s tribe doesn’t do this, but when he heard about our tradition, he said it sounded like it represented his and Alexis’s relationship.�
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I turn back to the happy couple. Alexis has her arms wrapped around Dexar’s neck, and his mouth is on hers as they ignore the whoops of the crowd.
“That part is meant to come later,” Nevada laughs.
Rakiz steps forward and murmurs something to Dexar, who pulls his mouth away from Alexis with a grin. Then he places her back on her feet and makes a show of pulling his hands off her, holding them up in the air.
The crowd laughs, and Rakiz hands him two golden bands.
“Lexi,” Dexar says, and my eyes fill with tears at the pure love on his face. “These bands represent our bond. Strong, true, and never to be broken. Will you accept them?”
Alexis is crying now. “I will.”
Dexar ties the bands around her wrists, and then Beth steps forward, handing Alexis her own bands.
Alexis smiles at him through her tears.
“Dexar,” she says, her voice cracking, and she takes a shuddering breath. “These bands represent our bond. Strong, true, and never to be broken. Will you accept them?”
His green eyes are practically glowing as he nods.
“I will,” he says solemnly, and she ties the bands around her warrior’s wrists.
Nevada leans close to me. “With this act, she’s telling everyone that she’s his equal and he’s hers, just as she’s his,” she murmurs.
“It’s beautiful.”
I brush more tears off my face, embarrassed. God, I’m losing it. Some of the reason is that the ceremony is lovely, and Dexar and Alexis are clearly so in love that their happiness practically shines like a beacon.
And part of it is that I so deeply miss my dragon that it’s taking every ounce of my self-control not to turn on my heel and walk out of the camp gates, through the forest, and up the mountain until I find him.
I blink as I realize the ceremony is over, and then I line up with the other women to hug Alexis while the Braxians slap Dexar on the back. Rakiz is grinning like a fool as he examines Dexar’s mating bands, obviously happy for his friend.
Alexis wraps her arms around me.
“Congratulations,” I tell her, forcing myself to smile. “What happens now?”
