by Leslie Chase
Markath's frown deepened. "And leave you out here alone?"
"I'll be fine," Amanda insisted. "How much rest do you think I'll get if I'm worrying about Hannah? At least if I know you're still looking for her out there, it won't feel like I'm abandoning her."
Markath's disapproval was clear, but Amanda met his gaze steadily. If she had to keep walking to keep the search going, she would. Going days without sleep wasn't pleasant, but she'd done it before often enough. She could manage another day.
A few seconds of staring later, Markath threw up his hands. "I can see there's no persuading you," he said. "Very well. I'll keep looking nearby. You stay near the fire, and I'll be back before dawn. Don't go anywhere without me, is that understood? And if you need me, shout. I won't go out of earshot."
He didn't seem to mind the idea of keeping going all night, she noticed. Maybe his alien physiology didn't need as much sleep, or maybe it was just him. He was tough even by the impressive standards of his people, after all.
Reluctantly, Amanda nodded agreement to his terms. They were sensible, she knew, but the tone of command he used set her on edge. It's a small price to pay to keep him out there looking for my sister, she told herself.
"What was that about a fire?" she asked. "I don't know how to start one."
"Humans," he said, a smile eclipsing his frown. "There are so many things you need help with."
The amused, almost affectionate contempt in his tone made Amanda's jaw tighten with anger, and she crossed her arms as he tore down branches from a tree growing beside the street. Piling them up in the center of the street, he added some of the vines that wrapped around the nearest building to the firewood. Despite her annoyance Amanda watched curiously, wondering how he planned to start the fire.
His answer was embarrassingly obvious. Markath gestured for her to stand clear of him and then shifted forms, his dragon shape filling the narrow street with barely any space to spare. Taking a careful breath, he puffed a small flame over the tangle of vines and wood, igniting them instantly. The flames burned bright, illuminating him as he shifted back and grinned at her.
"Alright," she said, unfolding her arms. "I'll admit that's an advantage you've got over us humans."
Markath bowed with a grin. "Now, get some rest while I search. I'll be back soon enough, hopefully with your sister."
With that, he took her luminescent marker and walked into the gathering darkness of the fog. Amanda watched his silhouette until she couldn't make him out, feeling her heart fall as he walked away. Now that she was alone, she started to doubt her plan. She hadn't realized how much Markath's presence had reassured her until he was gone. Svetlana's vague warnings came back to her, and her sense of unease increased.
Don't be silly, she told herself. We've been here for hours without any sign of danger, and I do need to rest. If Markath can keep going, there's no reason that he should stop searching.
Lying down near the fire, she tried to get comfortable on the hard stone floor. It wasn't easy, but after the day she'd had she was so exhausted that she was soon drifting off. Her last thought before sleep took her was to wonder if the Hannah might see the fire and find her while she slept. That possibility made her smile with hope.
When her eyes opened again, the fire had burned low and the city was dark around her. She had no idea how long she'd slept, but her body ached from lying on the hard ground. Looking around into the fog, Amanda wondered what had woken her. There was no sign of Markath, but she was sure she'd heard something. Movement beyond the small circle of firelight? She wasn't sure.
"Markath?" she called hesitantly, cursing her nerves as her fear rose again. There's nothing to be scared of. "Hannah? Is that you?"
No one answered her, but this time she definitely heard something moving in the darkness. Standing, she pulled out her flashlight and shone it into the fog.
Red eyes glinted in the darkness. Three pairs of them, watching her from the cover of the fog. She could make out outlines, huge animals crouched and ready to pounce. Freezing in place, paralyzed by fear, Amanda watched the creatures stalk forward towards her. Something moved behind her, too, and she knew that she was surrounded.
Oh shit.
13
Markath
Markath struggled to stay focused on his hunt in the oppressive night. His eyes were keener than any human's, and the hunting ground wasn't completely without light. In fact, there was more light here than there would be on the surface, a dim illumination that mirrored a full moon shining down from the cave's ceiling. From the air, without the fog, he'd have been able to hunt perfectly well. But these streets weren't comfortable to walk through. They'd been built for flying over, for swooping down into, for posing interesting problems to a hunter and to prey. On foot, he found them awkward.
It didn't help to think of it as a hunting ground, either. He might never have hunted humans as prey, but far too many dragons had, and it was part of the old ways that a Guardian was supposed to protect. That had never been something he'd been comfortable with, but he had never been confronted with it as starkly as he was now. Amanda brought it into focus for him: some dragon lord would have seen her as prey.
I'm glad that whoever built this place is long dead, he thought. If he wasn't, I might have to kill him. There were some things that he could simply not permit, no matter what the traditions of his people said was right.
The sooner he found Hannah, the sooner they could all get out of this place. He didn't want to think about the failings of the empire he'd sworn to serve, though he'd never been blind to them.
"Hannah Cain," he called out again, feeling foolish. Would she even answer him? He shrugged. What could he do but try? Amanda needed her rest, and if he didn't find Hannah during the night then she could rejoin the search.
The thought of Amanda made him smile. Her presence in his life might raise uncomfortable questions, but he'd far rather face those than be without his mate. After so long alone, he'd finally met someone who could be his match. He would find a way to show her that she needed him as badly as he needed her, and then they'd be together.
Rescuing her sister would be a good first step, so he called out again as loud as he could, listening for an answer.
That was when he heard Amanda's scream.
Markath was in the air before he knew it, wings beating furiously to gain height, turning back the way he'd come. The terror in her scream was like a knife of ice to his heart, and his pulse pounded, fury filling his blood. Amanda was in danger, and he'd left her behind. Unarmed and unprotected. Stupid! I should never have left her side.
Part of his anger was for himself, but most of it was for whoever threatened her. That would not stand.
The twisting path he'd taken from the camp would take too long to retrace, but he didn't need to. Soaring over the buildings at top speed he raced to his mate's aid, a snarl on his face. Ahead he could see the red light of the fire through the fog and dropped into a swoop before he could make out what threatened her.
There! He saw movement in the fog as he entered it, and could just about make out what was happening in the firelight. Amanda backed away, flailing with a branch plucked from the fire and fending off huge predators that stalked her. The beasts stood shoulder high to her, and he knew that as soon as they overcame their fear of the flame they'd rush her. They looked lean and hungry, great cat-like creatures with huge jaws and black and red striped fur. Each of their six limbs ended in gleaming claws that would tear through Amanda's spacesuit like tissue paper. He didn't recognize the species, but he knew a pack of dangerous hunters when he saw them, and they'd fixed on Amanda as their meal for the night.
The branch wouldn't be enough to keep them back or keep her safe.
Not while I draw breath, he thought, dropping out of the sky onto one like the angel of death.
The creature's reflexes were impressive, and it twisted out of the way at the last second, avoiding the killing blow he aimed at its neck. But Markath
was a warrior with long experience and training, and he kept the pressure on. His attack sent it tumbling to the floor, and before it could recover he pounced onto its back. A powerful paw smashed into his side as he got a grip on the beast's thick fur, and its claws dug deep. Markath ignored the pain and lifted, pulling the creature up and then smashing it back onto the ground. It whimpered and lay still, and he whirled to face the next of them.
I wish I had a weapon, he thought in the moment before it reached him. Normally he'd have shifted, but his dragon form was too big for this space if he wanted to keep Amanda safe. The chance he'd accidentally crush her was far too high to take, so he'd have to face these enemies with his bare hands.
With the blinding reflexes of a trained dragon warrior, he grabbed the first slashing paw as it lashed out towards his face. With a hard twist, he threw the creature past him into the darkness. It hit the ground and rolled, and he knew it would be back, but he had a moment to face the third of them on his own.
Leaping to meet the creature, he roared a challenge and spread his wings wide. The six-limbed monster jumped to meet him, and its claws dug deep as they slammed into each other. But Markath was stronger and he knew how to use that strength to his advantage. Twisting with all his strength, he bore the creature to the ground, grabbing for its jaws. It scrabbled at him but he ignored the pain, getting a good grip and twisting hard. With a snap, the creature's neck gave way and it spasmed under him. Then it was still.
Looking up, Markath saw another bounding back out of the darkness towards him. Bracing for an attack he readied himself for another fight but before it could reach him, a burning branch smacked into its side. Yowling in pain and fear, it turned to face the new threat, and Amanda threw another length of burning wood from the fire.
The creature weighed its chances and then turned, tail between its legs as it ran off. All around Markath could hear other creatures fleeing into the darkness. It seemed that none of them were interested in prey that could fight back. Markath stood and hurled curses after them until he was sure they were gone, and then turned back to his mate.
Amanda stood, panting and wide eyed, staring at him, her expression full of shock and amazed joy at being alive. She threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around him and hugging him with a surprising strength.
Markath shuddered as he relaxed from his battle-fury, putting his arms around her in a careful hug.
"I thought I was going to die," Amanda sobbed into his torso as he held her tight. "They were going to kill me."
"Never," Markath answered fiercely. "Not while I am alive to protect you. You are safe with me, always."
He meant every word of it, more than he could express. The human language they spoke didn't have the words for how strongly he felt. But a worry spread through him, like a cold fog leaching into his bones. What if he'd been a little further away? Or if the creatures had reached her before she woke?
What if he hadn't defeated them, for that matter? Markath knew he was a skilled warrior, but those creatures were dangerous. As it was he was covered in deep scratches, blood running down his side from where the creatures' claws had caught him. If one more of them had joined the fight, or he'd made a single mistake, he'd have failed to protect his mate.
That can't happen, he told himself. Amanda has to be safe. Now that he'd known his mate's presence, he couldn't imagine a world without her.
Lifting her, holding her to his chest, Markath swore to himself that he would do whatever was necessary to keep her safe. And whatever he had to in order to show her what she meant to him. Because if she left, if she went back to Earth where he couldn't protect her, he didn't know what he'd do.
14
Amanda
Amanda held onto the solid bulk of Markath as though he was a rock in a storm, the only safe thing in her world. And there, folded in his arms and his wings, she felt safe in a way she hadn't since she'd left Earth. She couldn't remember the last time she'd felt this safe, in fact.
Nothing else seemed real. The fake city, the endless red deserts of Mars, the hunting monsters that wanted to eat her — all of that faded away in the security of his grip. While Markath held her, she knew that there was nothing to fear.
His grip was strong but careful, the same arms that had effortlessly dispatched monsters held her gently. Slowly, her breathing calmed and her pulse slowed, and her mind started to function again. She could hear his heart, beating a steady comforting rhythm in his chest, and she closed her eyes pressing her head to his chest. The heat of his body was strange but familiar at the same time, and his scent filled every breath. A strange scent, nothing like a human but strangely enticing. She couldn't believe that she hadn't noticed how good dragons smelled before now.
Or maybe it was just him. Perhaps this was part of the 'mate' deal the dragons kept talking about? Amanda didn't know and didn't care. For now, she just didn't want to let go of the man who'd saved her.
Thinking of the fight made her heart race again. She'd needed him and there he was, as if by magic. That first moment when he'd fallen from the sky onto one of the creatures, she'd felt as though her heart would stop. He'd jumped into danger to fight off the monsters that menaced her. No human could have done that, and most humans wouldn't even have tried, but Markath hadn't even hesitated to leap into the fray to defend her. This alien warrior had put his life on the line for her, without pause or thought.
And it had cost him. She felt him tense as her fingers touched one of the wounds the creatures had left on him, hot blood running freely. That was enough to snap her back to herself and reluctantly she pulled back from him. She felt a tremor run through her body as she looked at his injuries, and his eyes widened with concern.
"What is it, Amanda?" he asked. "Are you hurt?"
She laughed, surprising herself. "Not me, idiot. You're bleeding everywhere."
"It's nothing," he said, smiling down at her. "I'd take a dozen wounds like this to keep you safe."
"Yes, well, you wouldn't survive that, so please don't," she responded. "Sit down and let me look at you."
For a moment, she thought he'd argue, but then he sank down near the remains of the fire.
"Amanda," he said as he watched her grab her bag and root through it, "if saving you cost me my life, I'd pay that price gladly. You are my mate and I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe."
It wasn't a boast, it wasn't bravado. There wasn't a trace of pride in his voice. Amanda knew, with bone-deep certainty, that he was simply telling her the truth. Her snappy response died on her lips and she felt herself blush. What could she say to that?
Balancing her flashlight so that it illuminated Markath, Amanda crouched down beside him to examine the wounds that crisscrossed his body. The sight of them made her shudder, imagining what claws that could do so much damage to him would have done to her instead. Don't think about that, she told herself as she felt the panic building again. Markath needs your help, and he didn't freeze up. You aren't going to let yourself do worse than he did, right?
Steeling herself, she took a deep breath and looked closer. None of the injuries looked life threatening on their own, she was glad to see, but Markath was losing too much of his bright crimson blood for her comfort. There wasn't anything she could do to replace it, though. Human blood wouldn't work, and she didn't have any dragon blood to offer. All she could do was stop the bleeding and hope he hadn't lost too much.
At least there was no sign of any serious damage, or of poison from those claws. She didn't know anything about those six-legged cats and had tried to brace herself for any unpleasant surprises they might have left.
"I hope this works," she said, pulling out her can of skinseal spray bandage. "This is meant for humans. It might sting a bit."
Markath rumbled something, and from his tone she was glad he hadn't chosen to say it in English. It didn't sound flattering. Wiping the blood away from the longest and deepest cut, she carefully held the edges together and sprayed sealant over
the wound. Markath yelped and squirmed, and she couldn't help laughing.
"It's cold," he said with wounded dignity as she kept the edges of the wound together until the seal solidified. She laughed again, and after a moment he joined in.
"It's antiseptic and it'll keep the wound closed while it heals," she told him. "It'll stop the blood loss. And you're complaining because it's cold? Wimp."
"You think so little of me? Perhaps I should find another three or four of those things," he said, grinning at her. "Then I could bring you their pelts to show you I'm a warrior, if you don't believe me yet."
She shivered at the thought of him going back into a fight, spraying more of his wounds closed. "If you go looking for a fight like that, you'd just prove you're stupid, not a warrior."
She looked up from her work, meeting his eyes. "Seriously, you don't have to prove anything to me. Seeing you hurt scares me, Markath. I don't want you to take risks to impress me, and you don't have to. Not after you saved me tonight."
He nodded, expression growing more serious. "I don't want to frighten you, Amanda. I promise I'll keep myself out of danger as much as I can. You are everything to me, my mate."
Mate. That word made her breath catch, and the feel of his skin under her fingers was suddenly more real. More powerful. She could feel the furnace of his inner fire, the power of his muscles, the sheer physical presence of him. And looking into his eyes, she could see his awareness of her, too.
The urge to pull away was powerful, but she pushed down her fear. Markath wanted her, and she wanted him. She was tired of denying it, of hiding from it. She'd never seen a man look at her like that, never been desired that strongly. No human had ever looked at her as though she was the jewel of his universe, but Markath's strange alien eyes were different.
