by Maia Starr
As far as Scashra and I, we would stay true to our promise to stay away.
We made no plans for revenge, no plans to return. In fact, we talked very little of Cadir after that day.
We had nothing to say goodbye to and everything to go to on Earth.
A shuttle was laid out in secret for our return to Earth. Scashra shifted into his human form, content that he would never again be able to fly through the air, loving me enough never to alert the SAEW of a shifter’s presence on Earth.
Now I would get to show him my life, my people, my love—in peace, finally.
Orylis
(Warriors Of Cadir)
By Stella Sky
Chapter One
Hazel
“Azara!” came the distant call of my friend Nariva. “You have to leave, now!”
It had been six years since the humans and Parduss had called for a peace treaty.
The Parduss’ females had mostly lost their ability to breed, making staying alive something of a high-priority for them. The humans had agreed to send eight women every year to the alien planet, Cadir. In return for helping the species stay alive, the humans were allowed to send teams of scientists up to Cadir to do research.
Oh yeah, and the Parduss agreed to stop kidnapping women from Earth. That was a big stipulation.
I was one of the lucky breeders assigned to Cadir. When I joined the Space Administration Extraterrestrial Watch, SAEW, I didn’t think my degree in geology would be put on the back burner just so I could spread my legs for an alien.
Yet, here I was.
“What?” I asked of Nariva, turning to face her.
“Theren,” she snapped, speaking of my assigned Parduss lover. “He’s on his way back to Renden.”
Cadir was made up of floating islands, each rushing with water that spilled off its edges into the darkness below. There were many different island districts, called ‘Plenks,’ which the shifters called home.
Manaxula was a floating island that mostly housed the research districts. It was connected by a footbridge to the mainlands. The most dangerous area of Cadir: not a floating island but a massive landmass that stretched out into rebel territory.
Strangely enough, the edges of the mainlands were often where the scientists gathered their samples.
Then there was Adoranthe. The islands were vertical to one another, meaning a waterfall from one would spill down onto the next island. Since Adoranthe was the lowest plenk, it gathered the most water. Because of this, the east end of the island was perpetually ‘raining’ from the spilling water.
Aodranthe was also considered the market district and one of the most colonized areas by the humans. It had restaurants and markets along with some less reputable forms of entertainment.
Finally, there was Renden, where the Dendren lived. It was the top tier of the plenks and was absolutely stunning. There were vast gardens and a mountain city of beautiful glass buildings.
This was where I lived, with Theren.
“So?” I asked.
Nariva widened her impressively blue eyes and gave me a look of sheer annoyance as she said, “So, that doesn’t worry you?”
I shrugged, crouching back down to run my finger along a long, pink vine along the ground that sprung forth blue and purple flowers. The petals seemed to shiver and vibrate against my touch as I made a vain attempt to tickle it.
“Why should it?” I snarked sarcastically, flashing a brief grin to my assigned guard.
“Oh, I don’t know? Because you’ve been forbidden from coming out into the mainlands like… a million times? I’m pretty sure Theren recites it in his sleep now.”
“Not quite,” I laughed. “I thought he wasn’t due back for a few days still?”
“Hazel,” she lectured. “Come on. I’ll shift, and you can jump on. Let’s go back to Renden.”
“No!” I begged childishly. “Let’s take the footbridge instead!”
Nariva, when shifted, was a stunning dragon. She was smooth and sleek with a furry mane and feathered wings. It was like no other Parduss I’d ever seen before.
Even if I got a quick ride out of it, I still wasn’t excited about the prospect of leaving the mainlands. I loved it here, dangerous as it was. If we took the footbridge, at least I would have a little bit more time here.
“No!” Nariva protested in frustration, narrowing her brows at me and crossing her arms. “It’ll take too long. Now get on.”
“Please, Nariva!” I said in my most annoying voice, smiling up at her. “Pleeease! I barely get five minutes to myself. Can we please just stay out here for a couple more minutes?”
“You’re my charge,” she said and then scoffed to herself “Lucky me.”
I did my best puppy-dog eyes up at her, like she were some older sister left in charge of me that I thought I could manipulate to get my way. It never, ever worked this way.
“Do you want to get me killed?” she finally laughed, turning away from me.
“Oh please,” I laughed as I stood to follow her. “You’re acting like Theren is actually dangerous.”
But he was.
In fact, since the rise of the new Dendren, the Parduss “king,” Theren had been promoted to the head of the army.
The Parduss are a warrior race. While their dragon forms were no doubt good for taking down their enemies and striking fear into passersby, their human forms were practically made for fighting. They could call out sharp nails from their fingers and had tight, built bodies that were hard as stones.
Even so, the need for protection was increasing over the years. As Fenris, the old Dendren's son, came to power, rebellions rose up from the Atherien—the dragons who roamed in the far north of the mainlands.
This made Theren's position both a powerful and dangerous one.
“He may not be dangerous to you,” Nariva breathed, “But he is to everyone else.”
“I know,” I said with a half-hearted shrug. “You’re right, I’m sorry.”
Still crossing her arms, Nariva gave me a long once-over and then let out an endeared sigh.
“I’m turning around,” she said in an instructional tone. “I don’t see you! I’m just wandering off this way to perch by the lakes because, what? That’s right. Hazel isn’t here. She couldn’t be. She’s been forbidden from the mainlands!”
“Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!” I cheered, running up and pouncing onto her from behind until she was forced into a smile.
Nariva burst into a laugh and shook her head. “When I’m done, I’m grabbing you by a claw whether you like it or not.”
“You’re so good to me,” I mocked.
I watched as the woman shifted into her dragon form and flew off toward the lakes just a few miles away.
The mainlands were absolutely stunning—almost fluorescent in its colored. Vivid seafoam lakes, yellow-green grass that seemed to glow, and vibrant flowers and fauna.
Nariva had long, white hair that she wore in a collection of braids. She had massive blue eyes that were almost unnerving for their size. She had full lips and a strong, hourglass figure. She was absolutely stunning. The kind of pretty that was exotic when you first met and only grew more and more endearing the longer you knew her.
Her personality, I had to admit, didn’t quite match. But I loved Nariva—loved bugging her.
She was all business in front of others. She was a warrior, after all. But with me, she let her sarcastic side out. Hell, I think it was the only way she knew how to deal with me.
I crouched back down to the plant I had been vainly trying to connect with and gave it a few more strokes before making my way over to Nariva, allowing her to pick me up and fly the both of us back to the immense glass castle on Renden.
We made our ways down the expansive halls of the council hall. The setup of the Dendren’s quarters was something like an old ‘court’ at a castle. The council room was their war chambers. A place to dissect and discuss important matters.
Outsi
de the council room was a series of confusing, crisp and clean hallways the led to various sections of the plenk. There was something like a dining hall where they would hold massive feasts; then there were the court chambers. A vast hallway with doors on either side, spaced widely apart. The entrances to the soldier’s chambers.
We stopped at the last door on the right, and Nariva thinned her lips and gave me a look that said: ‘Here we go.’
I stepped through the sliding door and saw Theren waiting inside. I offered him a genuine smile, and he carefully breathed out, “You’re late.” His eyes flicked to Nariva, and he asked, “Where were you?”
He was pissed.
“Just exploring the mai—” I began to say but was quickly cut off as Nariva stepped on my foot, twisting her heel on the tips of my toes.
The action, meant to silence me, did just the opposite. I started laughing so hard that Nariva couldn’t help but laugh herself.
Our shared giggles seemed to ease Theren’s irritation, and he cracked a single, small smirk.
“You know I don’t like that,” he said, walking up toward me. “It’s dangerous in the mainlands. The kenthian live out there. They’ll kill you,” he said.
I nodded. “I know.”
“She says casually,” Nariva scoffed.
Theren glanced her way, and she suddenly seemed embarrassed for having said anything. “It’s your job to make sure she’s protected,” he said, still teetering somewhere between amused and angry.
“I was!” I said quickly. “I am! Look,” I gestured to my body. “Don’t I look good?”
“Hmph,” Theren said before waving a regal hand toward Nariva. “Leave us.”
I frowned at him, and he already knew what I was upset about—his rudeness. Nariva was my friend, after all.
“Please,” he added quickly, smirking at me.
Nariva gave an obedient nod and left us, letting the sliding doors locked tightly behind her.
Now that we had a measure of privacy I slipped further into our shared space.
Our home was small but absolutely lovely. I remember coming here and thinking it was quite futuristic with our sharp furniture and the straight lines that decorated it.
The walls were dark and slick and warm, and there was a large bay window overlooking the massive garden maze outside.
I grabbed Theren’s hand and led him to our bed. He followed as I walked backward. “Now…” I said slowly. “Whatever shall we do?”
We fell onto the bed, and I spread my legs to let him in between them. He leaned over my body and kissed me, and I instantly knew this moment was going to be my favorite part of the day.
“A true mystery,” he teased and set his hand on my face, pulling my lips into his.
Theren was a black dragon with deeply tan skin and mid-length, silver hair. He was broad and muscular with unique silver scales that splotched around the hollows of his small, almond-shaped eyes. He was inherently handsome… but closed off.
Just looking at him, I was already turned on.
I knew it was my job to mate with him, but there was something deeper to our connection now. I’d only been here for three months, but our arrangement was working out quite well.
When I arrived on Cadir, I wasn’t hostile. I was willing. Plus, I’d always wanted to be a mother so… the chance to work for the SAEW and come to a new planet was something of a dream job, in a way.
In fact, I was lucky to be paired up with Theren. Not only was he in a prominent position, assuring that I was treated well on a socioeconomic level, but he was gentle and kind to me.
“I can’t stay,” he said, trying to pull himself away from me.
I looked up at him in surprise, and my eyes flicked back and forth from his. “But you’re hard?” I said breathlessly.
Theren laughed. “You’re too late,” he said. “I’ve been waiting here for over an hour.”
“Well… can’t… I mean,” I huffed, incredulous. “I didn’t know you were waiting to do this. I didn’t even know you were back!”
“There’s no time,” he said and pressed himself against me so that my whole body throbbed. “Besides, that’s not why I came back.”
I swallowed, eyes already glazed with lust. “I can make it worth your while,” I teased, biting my lip and hoping it sounded somewhat sexy.
He hesitated and then smiled, pulling himself off of me like he was ripping off a Band-Aid as fast as he could.
“Here,” he said, reaching into his pocket and handing me a pen-like device.
I took the stark white apparatus from him and felt my stomach go sick.
“A pregnancy test?” I asked, and he nodded, beaming with anticipation.
The SAEW kept diligent track of our cycles. I snatched up the test and ripped it from its packaging before pressing the needle on the end down into my arm. The test pricked against my skin and immediately the strip on the side went a pale, dull, disappointing gray.
“No,” I said simply, and Theren gave a single nod.
I knew he was frustrated, but I wasn’t. I wanted to get to know him better, still… to make him fall in love with me.
“Then I guess we keep trying,” he said, walking up to me and offering me one last kiss. He could tell I was nervous about his reaction and so tried to tease, “Too bad.”
“Yeah,” I forced a laugh. “Hard work, that baby-makin'.”
He smiled back, but it was cool and put-on. My heart flipped again.
“Make love to me,” I said and absolutely hated how it sounded. Until I came to Cadir, I had never used the phrase ‘make love’ with a man before. But it felt weird, somehow, to ask a Parduss to screw my brains out or to have sex.
It was like my brain thought it had to be something special—something more if there was going to be a child born out of it.
“I’m supposed to meet the council,” he said, pushing away from me again and walking toward the door.
I followed quickly behind him and reached for his arm. He turned to look at me, narrowing sexy dark eyes my way.
“Stay,” I said in a whisper and reached down to cup his dick in my hand.
He let out an amused breath and closed his eyes. “You’re making it impossible not to,” he whispered.
“Stay,” I repeated, and he laughed, shaking his head.
“I can’t,” he said. “I have to go. Fenris is waiting.”
“The Dendren?” I said, swallowing. “Why?”
“This…” he spun his wrist several times before deciding, “rebel situation. They’re trying to make some sort of unholy truce with them. We’re meeting some of them tomorrow.”
“And you don’t think this could be some kind of trap?” I said, removing my hand from him and looking up at my towering partner with concern.
“It amazes me how betrayal is automatically where your mind goes,” he said evenly.
“Hey,” I shrugged. “I’m cynical.”
“No, you’re not,” he said and walked through the door so he was in-between the expansive hall and our home. “Now start thinking positive.” He gestured toward the pregnancy test laying on the hall table and added, “For us and the rouges.”
Chapter Two
Orylis
I stared down at the fiery pyre: my mother’s body wrapped in shimmering cloth and bristling green leaves, set ablaze and sent down the river.
The last of our females, the eniwan—gone.
My people, the Atherien Parduss, gathered behind me as I led the march down the still water up to the river’s edge. I walked into the water until I was knee deep in waves, our people following until we were all drenched: mother’s body floating too far off to follow any longer.
I craned my head back and arched my body so that in an instant, the gathering all let out a fiery blast into the sky: a dragon’s unified cry that echoed and cracked into the distance.
Flocks of smooth-skinned birds flew out from the forests as they heard our bellow. They flew in swarms and then perched
as close to us as they could brave: watching our ceremony in reverence at the death of our leader, I wanted to think.
My mother was the rebel queen. The true Dendren.
As Atherien, we were cast off from the rest of the Parduss—the Gilds, as we called them.
We had made a home in the mainlands: garnered respect from the wild beasts that kept the rest of the Parduss from trespassing.
We sacrificed tech and other luxuries those who lived on the plenks had.
And now we were fucked.
I could hear the swishing of the water around me: the waves brushing up against my legs as the rest of the shifters exited the water. But I stayed to watch her.
I wanted to pay my respect until I couldn’t see the warm, orange glow of the fire in the distance.
“Ma’shon,” Veynore said his sympathies, coming up next to me and resting a hand on my shoulder.
Veynore was younger than me by several years, but we were close like kin.
I set my jaw and offered him an upward nod, never taking my eyes off the pyre.
“So,” he breathed. “What now?”
“Now you let me watch respectfully.”
“Yeah,” he said, shifting awkwardly in the water. “Then what? What do we do about the meeting tomorrow?”
I exhaled loudly. I had forgotten about that. The meeting with the council. The Gilds.
“Are you going to hold true to the Dendren’s wishes?” he asked of my mother, brushing a hand across his swarthy, bald head.
“I was going to stand here in solemn silence, but I can see that’s out the window now,” I said, offering Veynore with a half-serious lecturing stare.
Veynore shifted his weight, and I could sense his impatience
He took a breath and began, “I think we should talk about our next steps.”
“Can I get a minute?” I snapped at him.
Veynore clenched his jaw but didn’t let up. Setting his hand on my shoulder he said, almost jovially, “I don’t think you’re going to get a minute to yourself ever again, A’sashon.”
