by Hope Hart
It takes a while for my foggy brain to understand. Then Arix’s shirt parts, revealing a glimmering emerald green, which darkens to black.
Dragon scales. Arix is wearing dragon scales beneath his shirt.
Bevix lets out a strangled sound, and this time, he’s the one getting sloppy as fury makes him swing wildly. But Arix is barely paying attention as he attempts to get closer to me.
“Stay awake,” he roars, and I nod. I’m not finished yet.
My hand inches down. Thankfully, my dress has a long slit, and I’m sprawled on the ground, the knife strapped to my thigh, taunting me with how close it is.
I wrap my hand around the knife, but I can’t pull it free of Nevada’s thigh sheath. I tug, but nothing happens. Frustration makes my heart pound, and I force myself to relax. A pounding heart means even more blood will be pouring out of my body.
The ringing in my ears and the black spots taking over my vision tell me I’m losing consciousness. My mouth falls open as Nevada’s face appears in front of my eyes, her teeth bared. “Fight,” she orders me, and Ellie nods from where she stands next to her, tears streaming down her cheeks.
“You’ve got this, Viv.”
Zoey is suddenly there too. “Just get it in his bloodstream like we talked about,” she urges. “He’ll weaken instantly, I promise.”
My eyes want to close, but Charlie scowls at me. “Wake up,” she commands.
Ivy nods in agreement. “Make him hurt, V.”
I try again, a sob leaving me as my hand slips off the knife. I can’t get it free.
“Based on that asshole’s current trajectory, he will be in front of you in approximately twenty seconds,” Alexis points out, and I grind my teeth.
“Nineteen, eighteen, seventeen.” It’s Beth, counting down, her voice musical.
“Pull out the knife, V.” Sarissa’s voice keeps me conscious as I scream a curse, using what feels like every last ounce of my strength to wiggle the knife free.
Sarissa smiles proudly at me, and the women all disappear as I blink again.
Blood loss. I’m either close to death or I’m going insane.
I shake it off, and the rest of the world fades away as I turn my head, waiting until Bevix dances just close enough.
He doesn’t see me as a threat. No one ever sees me as a threat.
He won’t make that mistake again.
My hand whips out, and my knife slashes across his ankle, drawing blood. He curses, stomping his boot onto my hand.
I scream, but so does he.
Zoey promised me the poison would be fast-acting, and she was right. Bevix leans down and claws at his foot, then he throws his head back, another scream leaving his throat.
He raises his sword, turning toward me, and I switch the knife to my other hand as he advances on me, the rage in his eyes making it clear he’s got nothing left to lose.
I throw the knife, savage pleasure filling me as the blade buries itself in his throat. Bevix makes a choking sound and falls to his knees.
“Hey, look, my party trick had a purpose after all.”
Arix slams his sword into Bevix’s chest and then kicks the other male away, leaving him to bleed out.
The way I’m bleeding out.
Arix pulls me into his arms, and I cough, a metallic taste in my mouth. That can’t be good.
“For what it’s worth,” I manage to get out, “we were never going to allow you to be hurt.”
Anguish flashes through his eyes, although it’s quickly replaced by the steely determination I know so well.
“I know. Be quiet and conserve your strength.”
I laugh at that but quickly stop when it makes the pain worse.
I reach for Arix’s hand and squeeze. “Listen to me. Please.”
It’s the “please” that does it. He leans down, pressing his forehead against mine.
I take a deep breath, needing to get this out. “My whole life, I’d thought my only worth was in my looks. And beauty is fleeting, which meant I had to hold on to that beauty as tightly as I could, for as long as I could. I thought no one would truly want me. I thought I was unlovable.”
Tears are streaming down my face, and Arix moves back slightly so he can brush them away, his midnight eyes dark with sorrow.
I force a smile. “So I pushed people away first. I was willing to betray you at first because I knew you were never going to be able to love me for me anyway. So I might as well use you to help us all get off this planet.”
I can hear footsteps running toward us, and I know I don’t have much time. It’s getting harder and harder to speak.
“Except you’re a good man. An incredible ruler who cares about his people. And when I’m with you, you make me feel like…more. I’m not just the girl who’s only good for posing in front of a camera. With you, I feel smart. I feel funny. I feel seen.”
He brushes his mouth against mine, the movement gentle.
“So thank you, Arix. And I’m sorry. I never would’ve let them hurt you. I hope you know that now.”
I force another smile, but he doesn’t smile back, his expression a picture of grief.
“Don’t you dare give up,” he says through his teeth, glaring down at me. “You belong to me.”
Tears fill my eyes at the words I’ve always wanted to hear. They’re bittersweet. Why is life so unfair?
“Will you hold me? I’m so cold.”
Arix’s enraged roar is the last thing I hear as my eyes slide shut.
Chapter Sixteen
Arix
“Why hasn’t she woken up yet?” I demand, almost unable to look at the human female who is lying so still in my bed.
The healer gives me a sympathetic look. But she doesn’t lie to me. Her honesty is the reason she is the healer I trust with my own health.
“She may not wake, Your Majesty. Humans are much smaller than Braxians, and their bodies are much less efficient at replacing their own blood. Severe blood loss can lead to brain damage and organ failure.”
“She was talking before she lost consciousness.” I don’t mention that she seemed to be mumbling to her human friends, who were obviously nowhere near the tunnels where we were.
The healer sighs. “The cava berries can only do so much. Even Dragix said his healing may not work due to the amount of blood she lost. For now, you must bargain with the gods.”
That I can do.
Fury makes my hands shake as I stare down at Vivian’s face, so pale against the dark blankets.
Korzyn’s paranoia once again proved to save us. The healer had alerted him that Bevix’s men had set fire to our cava berries—obviously to ensure our deaths. But hadn’t counted on Korzyn, who secretly—and illegally—harvested berries of his own a few months ago. They’re currently growing close to my mother’s garden.
“Why isn’t she waking up?”
I turn at Sarissa’s voice as she pushes open the door. Her face is pale with grief, and her arm is covered in bandages. She refused any cava berries when Korzyn found her lost in the forest after she’d killed her captor and freed herself. She insisted the berries go to those who had more serious injuries, curling her lip at Korzyn when he threatened to shove them down her throat.
I glance at my commander, whose gaze is fixated on the bandages wrapped around Sarissa’s arm, his eyes hard. I send him a look, and he returns his attention out the window, although I have no doubt that his entire focus is still on the female who is currently holding back tears.
“The healer said her brain may have been damaged,” I mutter.
Sarissa lets out a choked sob, and I can practically feel Korzyn’s rage as he slowly turns his head in my direction, likely unhappy with my brutal honesty. I ignore him, stepping closer to Vivian and taking her cool hand in mine.
“She has to wake up,” Sarissa says, firming her lips. She brushes her tears off her face and leans close to her cousin. “Enough with the dramatics, V. It’s time to rejoin the land of the living. We ne
ed you.”
We all watch Vivian intently for a moment, but she gives no indication she has heard us. Her eyes don’t flutter; her fingers don’t twitch. I press a kiss to her hand before gently laying it back down on the bed.
“I need to go talk to Dexar,” I say, and Sarissa nods.
“I’ll stay with her.”
She’s careful to keep her gaze away from Korzyn, who silently follows me from the room.
“I had them brought to your quarters,” Korzyn says. “I know you don’t want to leave her.”
I nod and push open the door, finding Dexar and Alexis—his queen. Dragix also leans against the wall, his arm wrapped around his mate’s waist. From the look on his face, he’s not at all happy she insisted on coming with him.
“How is she doing?” Alexis demands. “The others wanted to be here, but Rakiz thought it best if we left camp in smaller numbers to keep from drawing the Dokhalls’ attention.”
My throat tightens, and I can’t say the words. Korzyn glances at me, his eyes sympathetic, before he returns his gaze to Alexis.
“The same,” he says.
Charlie’s hand shakes as she pushes her hair off her face, while Alexis’s lips tremble until she presses them together, turning and burying her head against Dexar’s chest.
I have to turn away from the sight, moving toward the window. My lovely female thought she had no one but her cousin. Thought she had no true family. The anguish these females are showing proves differently.
She once told me Rakiz’s tribe was a family. But the words were wistful, as if she was not part of that family.
Wake up, Vivian, and see how much these people care for you.
Charlie takes a deep breath. “Can we see her?”
I nod, and the females immediately move into my bedroom, where my female still lies as if dead, five days after one of my guards stabbed her with the sword I gave him.
I didn’t even think to make her wear dragon scales. Didn’t believe she could be targeted. Her struggle to stay alive is my fault.
Korzyn glances at me again and obviously realizes I’m incapable of anything that doesn’t involve sitting by Vivian’s side and begging her to wake up.
“We thank you for your help,” Korzyn says formally, and both males nod.
“Rakiz would have come, but he refuses to leave his mate while his child is so young,” Dexar murmurs, and I nod.
The first time I saw this male, I mocked him, calling him a barbarian. And yet it was his forces that secured my castle while I was unable to leave Vivian’s side.
“All your current guards have been interrogated,” Dragix says, his eyes hooded as he leans against the wall.
“Explain,” I say, and his eyes flash gold. “Please,” I amend, and he shows me his teeth but complies.
“I am able to speak mind to mind.” I gape at him as his voice sounds in my head, his lips clamped shut.
“I had thought you were only able to speak this way to your female,” I admit.
“I usually choose only to speak to my Charlie this way,” he says, glancing toward my bedroom as if already missing his mate. I attempt to suppress the jealousy that crawls down my throat, making it impossible to talk.
Wake up, Vivian. I need you.
“With a few words in their minds, Dragix was able to convince your men he can read their thoughts.” Dexar smiles, flashing white teeth. “A brilliant idea, really. Three guards confessed instantly, while a fourth was later found to be aware of the traitors, even if he wasn’t colluding directly with them.”
“Thank you,” I say, itching to return to Vivian. “I will need a few days to get my army in order, and then we will march toward Rakiz’s camp.”
Dexar frowns, and Korzyn clears his throat.
“We will join your war against the Dokhalls,” he says.
While we had agreed to provide warriors for their fight, today marks the first day of our official alliance with the barbarian tribes.
Dragix shows no surprise, but I can practically feel it radiating off the dragon.
“Why?”
“You came to my aid with nothing to gain,” I say.
“The human females are under our protection,” Dexar reminds me.
“You could easily have had them smuggled out,” Korzyn says. The hint of a smile plays around his mouth. “They would have fought like wild karja, but I believe you could have taken them back across the water.”
“Vivian and Sarissa asked for our help.”
I turn away, unable to speak when it feels as if a mishua is standing on my chest. While I had thought my female was conspiring against me, she was secretly planning to use her contacts to save me and anyone loyal to me.
“And you provided that help,” Korzyn says. “It will be remembered.”
My hands itch with the need to return to my bedroom, and I glance over my shoulder.
Dragix’s voice interrupts my thoughts.
“We will take our females home now. Be prepared though; they have already set up a schedule for visits. I will be flying back with Beth and Ivy in the morning.”
Dragix’s eyes lighten in amusement, and I nod. I don’t believe I will ever get used to hearing another voice in my head.
Alexis and Charlie return, both of them with reddened eyes. Their males instantly engulf them in their arms, and I can no longer stand to watch. I nod to them and turn, stalking back into my room, where Vivian is still unconscious, her face too pale.
Sarissa gets up from the bed and walks out, her movements slow, as if each step is difficult. Korzyn murmurs something to her in the next room, and her voice is hoarse as she replies.
I lie down on my side next to Vivian, ignoring the healer as she walks away, muttering something about returning later to change Vivian’s bandages.
“This is the second time you have almost died on my planet,” I murmur, stroking Vivian’s hair off her face. “Not counting the way you crashed here on that ship. When you wake up, you’ll need to convince me not to tie you to my bed, where I can keep you safe.”
I lay my head on her pillow, breathing her in. “You will wrinkle your nose and give me that disdainful look, and I will fantasize about pulling off your clothes. Then you’ll say something sarcastic, and I’ll kiss your smart mouth.”
I nuzzle her cheek, attempting not to notice how cool her skin is. I pull more blankets over her, making a mental note to add more logs to the fire.
“I’m lonely without you,” I murmur against her skin. “I need you.”
This is my fault. I was so focused on avenging my parents that I failed to protect the female who means everything to me. I tried my best to push her away, to treat her as if she was just another female warming my bed. But the moment I watched Zion slide his sword into her stomach was the moment I ceased lying to myself.
Vivian is mine. And when she wakes up, I’ll make her realize I’m hers too.
I sigh, my throat raw with barely suppressed rage. My enemies succeeded after all. They may not have killed me, but they’ve broken me into pieces.
Vivian
My stomach is burning me alive.
I wince, shifting in an attempt to alleviate the pain, but it only gets worse.
Something tightens around my chest, and my breath comes in sharp pants.
“Vivian? Open your eyes.”
Eyes. That’s right. I have eyes. But they’re so heavy. Maybe if I keep them closed for a little longer, the pain that’s clawing its way through my body will disappear.
“Please, lovely. It’s been eight days.”
My brow furrows, and even that slight movement seems to excite the low voice in my ear.
“Eight days without those beautiful blue eyes staring into mine. Have mercy, Vivian. Show me you’re still with me.”
The voice is hoarse and…tormented. It’s full of pain and sorrow, and for some reason, it makes my chest hurt worse.
I’ll do anything to take the pain from that voice.
Open
ing my eyes feels like tunneling through concrete, but I take a deep breath, ignoring the way it pulls at my stomach.
“There you are.”
I blink as I stare up at the most gorgeous face I’ve ever seen.
“She may be groggy,” a feminine voice says. “We also don’t know if the blood loss has damaged her brain.”
That face tenses as the man bares his teeth in the direction of that voice, and footsteps sound, followed by the opening and closing of a door.
“You know who I am, don’t you, lovely?”
Arix. It all comes back to me now. My stomach hurts because I was fucking impaled on Zion’s sword.
Arix looks like he’s aged twenty years. He has new lines between his brows, and from the dark circles under his eyes, he hasn’t slept properly for days.
I shift, immediately wincing at the pain, and Arix turns, roaring for the healer to return.
“That depends,” I manage to get out, and every word feels like an achievement. “How pissed are you at me?”
I don’t think I’ve ever seen relief take over someone’s face the way it does Arix’s. His expression goes blank, and then he closes his eyes, burying his head against my neck as he shudders.
Someone clears their throat, and he pulls away, leaving me mourning the loss of him. He doesn’t go far though, taking a cup from one of his healers.
“This will help with the pain,” she says.
“Will it make me sleepy?”
I’m tired of sleeping. Eight days is a lot to miss out on.
She nods, and I frown, opening my mouth, but Arix brings it to my lips, his eyes hard.
“Please,” he says. “It…hurts me to see you in pain.”
The guy knows just what to say to make me fall in line, and I sigh, sipping at the liquid. It tastes fruity, with an underlying bitterness, but it hits quickly. I don’t appreciate the feeling of floating above my body, but the pain from my abdomen is no longer roaring through me like a wildfire.
“We need to talk,” I mumble.
“When you’re feeling better.”
I open my mouth to protest, but Arix lies next to me, gently pulling me close, and I sigh instead, soaking in the feel of him against me.
