Opalite

by Viola Grace

  He just grinned at her. "Yes, and what wonderful magic it is. One day, perhaps I will explain it to you."

  With that, he merely stepped back two paces and pulled her with him into another world.

  "Is this your world?" Opalite looked around, curious. She rather hoped it wasn't. It was a barren land. Nothing but desert, sand dunes stretched as far as the eye could see and as a dragon, she could see very far.

  "No. I brought you here just in case they have developed the technology to trace a rift." Kros glanced at her as though worried someone would follow them at any minute. "It is possible to do so."

  "Does that mean they can find my sisters?"

  "No." He smiled at her and raised a brow. "Will it frighten you if I change? I want to take you far from here to lessen the chance that they will discover our departure point and follow us from here."

  Opalite gave him a one-shoulder shrug. "It will not distress me." She looked back toward the area where the dimensional hole had closed. "However, what I have to say may distress you."

  "And that is?"

  "We must go back to Earth."

  "Why do you say that?" He did nothing more than cross his arms over his chest. His biceps bulged around the gold bands he wore on his upper arms.

  The sight made Opalite feel strange, though she had no idea why. She didn't know what kind of reaction she expected, but she didn't expect that calm inquiry.

  "We must return for Sela. She is my handler and I…care for her."

  "No, we must go. If we go back now, they could stun us and hold us."

  Before, Opalite may have been arrogant enough to think no one could hold her against her will, but she knew better now. After all, if they were immune to such attacks, she wouldn't have had the opportunity to meet and release Kros from his bonds.

  Something strange burned her throat and she shook her head. Was it the dry air? Looking around, she saw nothing to think anything was amiss.

  "We must go. If they have the technology to follow, they will do so within the next few moments." With a shimmer, Kros turned into a dark grey dragon and knelt down, his leg stretched out for her to climb. Hurry. I think I feel a fissure opening. You would think the humans would stop using that machine. They know what it does to the universe, yet they do not care.

  Opalite climbed up his leg and settled herself between his wings, lifted a soft scale and pulled it over her legs to help hold her in place.

  Are you ready?

  "Yes. I am ready." She took a deep breath and grabbed onto the leather strap that suddenly appeared around his neck. "You have a lot of explaining to do when we reach our destination."

  And I will be happy to oblige. With a mighty push from his powerful legs, Kros sent them hurtling into the air.

  It felt as though they left her stomach on the ground. I feel sick. She held her hand over her mouth.

  Do not tell me a mighty and fearsome dragon swan is afraid of heights.

  "Of course not!" she snapped the words at him. "It feels as though we left my stomach below." She looked down and closed her eyes. All her life, she wondered what it would be like to fly. She knew she would never get to leave the lab other than to go on assignment, but she had always wanted to fly. Now, she was finally in the air and it made her cringe.

  "You must teach me to do this."

  I can't.

  "You can't or you won't?" Opalite frowned at his back. If she could, she would have bored a hole through his scales with her glare, but instead, she settled for crossing her arms and thinning her lips at him.

  I cannot teach you. I would do so if it was within my power, but dragon swans can no longer shift shape. Eons ago they could, but not any longer. The ancient ones chose to allow that power to die.

  "But why? Flying would be so amazing."

  Yes, but for the ladies, it came at too high a price.

  "I can't imagine any price that would be too high to pay for that of flight."

  Having children. Since a dragon swan carries her young for several years before birth, every change risked the life of the child. Any change, even the first one could cause a miscarriage. Some stayed in their dragon forms to have their children, therefore avoiding the risk of miscarriage and could not change back. This was when they all decided, if they never changed to their dragon selves, they could never be stuck in that form.

  Opalite had to admit she wouldn't know what to do in dragon form but fly. She sighed. "It was a good dream while it lasted."

  Your dream can still come true. Look at the ground below us. Look at the sky above us. Reach into the clouds as we fly by and feel the mist. It is just as beautiful in your humanoid form as it is in dragon form. More so. Dragons cannot see in any other color other than shades of red while in dragon form. While you have the advantage of both flight and seeing the full spectrum of color your humanoid form is capable of.

  She could see his point. Still, it did little to hinder her disappointment. Looking down at the planet below did little to make her forget about Sela. Would the woman grieve for her for the rest of her life as she once said, or would she move on?

  Opalite hoped she would move on. What else could the woman do? She hoped Sela would go on with her life but didn't hold out much hope for that. Opalite discovered that her handler had lost a daughter a few years ago and somehow, she had become some sort of surrogate.

  Suddenly, a portal opened before them and they flew through it at high speed. I would like to see them find the remainders of the rift on that world.

  "They would be unable to find it. They have no planes small enough to fly through a rift and I don't think that even their most courageous pilot would give it a try."

  The next world was beautiful. They materialized over the largest waterfall Opalite had ever seen. Not that she had seen many in her lifetime. Still, it was enough to make her gasp.

  If you think that's something, you should see what's on the other side of the mountain.

  Curiosity piqued, Opalite sat forward and watched as they approached. A cloud of mist rose up from the pool of water below the waterfall. They flew through the vapor and over the rise to see a golden castle in the distance. It sat atop a huge mountain range that reminded Opalite of a large, sleeping dragon.

  "Is this your home?"

  It is, but I would build another if it doesn't please you.

  She shook her head. "You can just change the drapes if I don't like it."

  The laughter in her mind rippled over her. I appreciate a woman who is willing to adapt to her surroundings.

  "And I appreciate a male who can land and talk at the same time."

  Her legs clamped around him tightly as they dropped altitude and his laughter spilled through her mind again. Welcome to our home.

  Chapter Seven

  Opalite dismounted with shaking legs. She had never straddled anything for that long before. "It seems nice enough. Do you live here alone?"

  He shifted back into his bipedal form. "Yes. Few dragons live with others if they have a choice."

  "How do little dragons come into being then?" She gave him a look out of the corner of her eye and watched him flush slightly.

  "Well, finding a mate is a prime concern for many, but there are few females to be found." He cleared his throat. "You and your sisters are a blessing from the universe. To have twenty females of breeding age entering society at the same time is unheard of."

  "Not anymore and we are not a blessing from the universe, we are a blessing from Eiwyn. Our mother sacrificed years of her life with our father in order to bring us to the worlds." She couldn't help but give credit where it was due.

  "He is not happy about the loss of his wife. We are trying to keep the complete truth of his children from him, but it has not been easy." Kros's voice was next to her as she explored the huge doorway that led into the castle.

  "It has not been easy on Mother either, but it will not be forever, or so she is telling us. I wish for the day that I can meet her." Opalite whistled so
ftly, listening to the echo within the interior.

  "What do you mean you haven't met her? She is your mother."

  "We were cloned. She had four embryos and they somehow were split into five sisters each. The researchers don't know why we look identical, but our eyes and personalities are all completely different."

  The interior of the home was cool and comfortable. Glossy marble floors butted to matte stone walls. Huge windows were open to the breezes and couches dotted the inner rooms.

  "This is a lovely place. How can you live here on your own?" The vastness of the space astonished her.

  "Well, I was rather hoping you would join me." He snaked his arm around her waist and she blinked up at him.

  "I need to see my sisters first."

  He was coming in for a kiss and she reached up and grabbed his lips. "My sisters. Now."

  Surprised, but held in her grip, he walked them both to the wide veranda and through a portal. She released him the moment that they touched down on a new flagstone path leading into a large stone building. A less fanciful castle than Kronos's but very striking.

  "I am beginning to believe that castles are a theme with our people."

  "They are. Men have little else to do while waiting for a mate to come of age or to be available for union." He ran a hand along his hair and he looked a little uneasy.

  "What's wrong?"

  "It isn't usual for dragons to drop in on one another without notice. Please be aware that we may be rushed by the inhabitants."

  Still wearing her scrubs, she straightened and kept her senses on the alert. The body that struck hers was all too familiar, but the squeal of delight was new.

  "Hello, Ruby. You are looking well."

  Ruby pulled back with a frown and slapped her on the arm like any sister would. "Is that all you can say? After all, it's been a few months since you have seen me."

  Opalite gave her a one-shoulder shrug. "It is all that comes to mind. Should I have said more?"

  Snorting, Ruby grabbed her by the arm and dragged Opalite into her arms for a hug before she turned and pulled her toward the castle. "You have no idea what's been going on." Pausing, she turned to Opalite and grinned. "We have all decided to continue the retrievals. With all of us working in conjunction, we should still be able to finish all of the extractions in the time projected when we started."

  Like she didn't already know that. Opalite crossed her arms with a smile and arched a brow. "And you didn't think we would figure it out when the rifts opened and parties of disoriented people were unceremoniously dumped into the facility?" The look of glee fell from her sister's face and Opalite felt a twinge of remorse. She ran her fingers through her hair and shook her head. "Forgive me, sister. I have been around Janus far too much since you left. I think his rudeness has rubbed off on me."

  "Don't worry about it, Opalite. I should have realized that you knew we were still working. I only wish we had the convenience of their records. Worlds with humanoids are plentiful. Having the records would have sped up the process."

  "It would," Opalite said with a nod. "Yet, getting them would be near to impossible, unless…" She glanced at Kros. He refused to go back for Sela, would he refuse to go back to search for the records? Could he refuse such a request? If he agreed to return for that, they could snatch Sela away while they were at it.

  "Unless what?"

  Ignoring the stern shake of Kronos's head, Opalite turned to her sister and waved her arm toward the man who so obviously wanted to be her mate. "Unless you had the ability to freeze people in time the way Kronos can."

  Ruby turned and pinned Kronos with a wide-eyed stare. "You're named after the god of time and you can freeze time?" She clapped her hands and laughed. "How apropos." She turned back to Opalite. "Do you think he will help us?" Leaning forward she whispered. "The real question is do you think you can convince him to help?"

  "He won't even consider returning to retrieve Sela," Opalite replied with a shake of her head. "He is certain they will stun us. They can now. They have perfected the stunning weapon and I have told them it works. I had no idea they would accuse me of misconduct, or I would have withheld the information, the ungrateful wretches."

  Ruby bit her lip. "We must consult with my mate. Perhaps if enough of us stormed the facility looking for the records, we could take them by surprise and retrieve the stunners as well." She grinned. "Wouldn't it be fun to turn their own weapons upon them?"

  Opalite had to agree that it would be…interesting to see their reactions. Not that she would be able to see them. However, she would learn of them through her other sisters as they managed to escape the facility. "Then we must find your mate."

  "Oh, he's in his office speaking to a group of males who have petitioned him for his help in procuring one of our sisters for a companion." Ruby thinned her lips for a moment. "The unmated males seem to think the others can force us to make a decision to live with them."

  "No one can force a female to mate." Kronos spoke up as he moved up beside Opalite. "We can ask them to accept us, but any male who wishes to force a female to do his bidding is unworthy of a mate."

  "Don't you think desperation drives them to thinking that way?" Opalite wanted to hear his answer. She would never condemn a person just for needing another and she must know that he wouldn't as well. Otherwise, they may not get along together as well as she had hoped.

  Kronos nodded. "It could be so. However, they must realize that to attempt to force you to their will would make them unlikely mates for you or your sisters." Taking her hand, he pulled her to a stop, rested his hands on her shoulders and looked down into her eyes. "I couldn't bear to see someone forcing their will upon you or any of your sisters after all you have been through. Living in captivity since you were born is already too much to ask me to forgive. Do not attempt to get me to accede that holding you captive for the rest of your life would be more agreeable than living alone until you find the male who would love you as you deserve."

  Opalite's eyes burned for a moment and she blinked. Whatever it was that ailed her wouldn't go away for a few moments. She had never had her vision blur or her eyes burn in such a way before. She would have thought it was tears that burned her eyes, but neither she nor her sisters had ever been a victim of something decidedly human as tears. "I thank you." She turned to Ruby. "Lead us to your mate, sister." Kronos slid his hand down her arm to lace his fingers through hers and she looked down with a smile. "I would like our mates to meet."

  Chapter Eight

  Opalite tried not to stare at the opulent setting as Ruby led her through the castle. What was it about these males and their need for large, luxurious homes? Had they been human males, she would have wondered if they needed such lavish dwellings because they wished to compensate for something. However, her mother had made it quite clear that male dragons had nothing to prove to anyone.

  They need large homes to protect their most precious possessions.

  I see no treasure here, Mother. She looked, too. All she saw was thick carpeting covering the stone floor, paintings on the wall, apparently by local artists and sumptuous-looking furniture that appeared so comfortable she could have sat down and fallen fast asleep.

  Ruby is his greatest treasure. Watch the way he looks at her. I have seen this through your sister's eyes. He adores the very ground she walks upon. All of your sisters' mates are this way. They wish to keep their women comfortable and happy. Isn't this the way it should be?

  Opalite knew it was the way she wanted things to be between her and Kronos, but she wasn't certain he felt the same way. She told her sister he was her mate, but there was still a small grain of doubt lurking in her mind. Who could blame her? She would go from one form of captivity to another--life in the facility, then life with her mate.

  You are not my captive, my lady. I would cherish you until the day we both draw our last breath. He released her hand slowly, almost reluctantly. I will not force your compliance. You must make the choice to st
ay with me or not. However, you also should be aware that there are others who will not give you the choices I have. They will try to take you from me as long as they know you have, as yet, remained undecided.

  If I must choose, how can they force me?

  They cannot force your acceptance, but they can kidnap you and take you to their worlds where they will hold you captive until they tire of you or find their true mate. Kronos sighed as though he didn't want to tell her about the dark side of their males. Some males never tire of their females, even if they aren't true mates. I thought I should warn you of this.

  Do you think I am your true mate? She continued to follow her sister through the castle that had become Ruby's new home.

  I would not be here if I did not. He continued to match her stride as they walked and talked with each other.

  Listen to him, sweetling. He speaks the truth. Who else would have been able to pinpoint your exact location? Your father would be able to pinpoint mine if the humans hadn't rendered my body inert. My mind still reaches out to him as yours does to Kronos, but without the electrical receptors in my body to amplify my mind's desire, your father cannot and will not locate me until my body awakens and I break free of my prison.

  I live to see the day that you two can be together again, Mother. Opalite didn't say that she couldn't wait to meet her father. She had heard much about him and she feared what he may do when he found out that the humans had held his mate and daughters captive for so long. Yet somehow, she knew that he would care for them all and she wished she could get his blessing on her union with Kronos.

  Your father, though he would love you dearly, would not hesitate to use you and your sisters to further alliances. Your choice with whom you mate would be forever eliminated. He would mean well, but he would take your choice from you. That is why I begged the males not to tell him of your existence.

  Opalite swallowed thickly at that. How could her mother be so certain of this? Wouldn't their father feel any kind of remorse for forcing such unions when he knew they would live their entire lives in virtual captivity? Her mother loved him and swore he loved her. Could a man capable of loving his mate be so cruel to his daughters?