by Lili Zander
Great Spirit, no. Please. He can’t be dead.
Zeke plugs his screen into a small port on the body. “Not very secure,” he says. “Then again, Ragnar’s probably not expecting to be robbed.” The ramp swings down, and he nods briskly. “There you go. It’s the latest model. It’s got every bell and whistle possible. Ragnar’s ship will override Zimmer’s security, and it’s more than capable of piloting itself.
I stare at him. What’s going on?
“Don’t take it to Starra.” Saber’s eyes are hazy with pain, but his voice is steady. “It’s too recognizable. Go to Merin. You can buy and sell anything in their markets.”
Nero nods. “Good idea. When you eventually get to Starra, find Gaia, the hidden city of humans. The last time I was there, it was in the Frostbloom tower. Level 310. Adam will help you find Ivar Karlsson.”
I finally find my voice. “What the hell are you doing?”
“Buying you time,” Saber says quietly. “Leave now. Run fast and hide well, Raven Unnuk. We’ll sort this mess out.”
No. They can’t. Ragnar will kill them when the truth comes out, and whatever else they might be, Saber, Zeke, and Nero are not fools. They know exactly what’s going to happen, and they’re still letting me go. They could use the compulsion on me, but they haven’t. Zeke hacked into Ragnar’s ship. Saber and Nero told me how to survive.
They’re keeping me safe, like they have, right from the start.
Blood stains Saber’s shirt. Nero’s cradling his right forearm. They took bullets for me. To keep me alive. To keep me safe. Like they’ve been promising to do right from the start.
It’s not about proof anymore. It’s time for me to ask myself what I believe. It’s time for me to listen to my heart.
“Help me get Saber on board,” I tell Zeke. “Nero, can you walk?”
Zeke’s liquid brown eyes hold mine. “Are you sure?”
My heart has always known the truth. “Yes. I’m absolutely sure.” I hug them tight. “I should have never listened to Zimmer,” I whisper. “I should have known he’d twist the truth into something that would serve his purposes. Can you forgive me?”
Saber’s eyes rest on mine. “There is nothing to forgive, Raven.”
We hug tight, clinging to each other. Tears fill my eyes. I almost lost them. Never again.
Nero clears his throat. “I don’t want to be the person breaking this up,” he says, “But we have the fastest ship in the Empire in front of us. We really should leave.”
Two hours later, we’re in deep space. Safe, at long last. Zeke has stabilized Saber’s wound, and he’s sleeping now. “He’ll be fine,” Zeke assures me. “We’ll take the long way to Merin, and by the time we get there, he’ll be as good as new.”
Nero’s sitting in the pilot’s chair, an expression of bliss on his face. “I was going to steal the Overlord’s ship,” he says. “But this is so much better. Bold thinking, Raven. I like it.”
I look fondly at my three vampyrs.
I’m flying into the unknown.
Will Ivar Karlsson be able to suppress the way I smell?
Will Ragnar hunt for us?
Will Lula Kenner make a fair administrator, or will she let power corrupt her?
What will happen to Ma Kaila? To Joanna, to Tomas, to everyone on Boarus 4?
There are more questions than answers, but I know one thing. With Saber, Zeke, and Nero at my side, I’m ready for anything.
Thank you for reading The Night of Shayde; I had a blast writing it. For the moment, this book was planned as a stand-alone, but if you’d like to keep reading about Raven, Saber, Nero, and Zeke, let me know! Drop me a line at [email protected].
Also, don’t forget to join my mailing list to be notified whenever I release a new book. (If I’m writing the next Shayde book, my newsletter subscribers are likely to be the first to know.)
About the Author
Lili Zander is the sci-fi romance loving alter-ego of Tara Crescent. She lives in Toronto. She enjoys reading sci-fi and fantasy, and thinks a great romance makes every book better.
Find Lili/Tara at:
www.lilizander.com | www.taracrescent.com
www.facebook.com/authorlilizander | www.facebook.com/tara.crescent
Email her at [email protected] or [email protected]
Mailing list: http://lilizander.com/draekon-mate-bonus/
Books by Lili Zander
The Blood Prophecy (A Reverse Harem romance serial)
Dragon’s Thief
Dragon’s Curse
Dragon’s Hope
Dragon’s Ruin - releasing Mar 22
Dragon’s Treasure
Exiled to the Prison Planet (Sci-fi dragon-shifter menage romance)
Draekon Mate - Viola’s story
Draekon Fire - Harper’s story
Draekon Heart - Ryanna’s story
Draekon Abduction - Olivia’s story
Draekon Destiny - Felicity’s story - coming soon!
Adventures of Suzie and the Alien (smutty alien goodness!)
Adventures of Suzie and the Alien (Episodes 1-5)
Which includes:
Episode 1: The Alien, the Doctor and the Virgin
Episode 2: The Alien Trains the Virgin
Episode 3: The Alien, the Virgin and the Warrior Queen
Episode 4: Tentacle Monsters and the Virgin
Episode 5: The Virgin Returns Home
BOOKS BY TARA CRESCENT
MÉNAGE ROMANCE
The Playing for Love Series (Ménage MFM Romance)
Betting on Bailey | Gambling with Gabriella | Playing with Piper | Wagering on Wendy | Messing with Miki
The Dirty Series (Ménage MFM Romance)
Dirty Therapy | Dirty Talk | Dirty Games | Dirty Words
The Cocky Series (Ménage MFM Romance)
Her Cocky Doctors | Her Cocky Firefighters
Standalone Books
Dirty X6 (A Reverse Harem Romance)
BDSM ROMANCE
Standalone Books
Mr. Banks (A British Billionaire Romance)
Teaching Maya
The House of Pain
The Professor’s Pet
The Audition
The Watcher
Dominant - A Boxed Set containing The House of Pain, The Professor’s Pet, The Audition and The Watcher
Nights in Venice Series
A Thief in Venice
An Heiress in Venice
A Starlet in Venice
The Assassin’s Revenge Series (Romantic Suspense)
Assassin’s Revenge - The Complete Series
Found (Book 1)
Bought (Book 2)
Freed (Book 3)
Claimed (Book 4)
The Doctor Dom Series (BDSM & Medical Play)
Triage (Doctor Dom Volume 1)
Observation (Doctor Dom Volume 2)
Diagnosis (Doctor Dom Volume 3)
Relapse (Doctor Dom Volume 4)
Recovery (Doctor Dom Volume 5)
Or, buy the collections for a discount…
Doctor Dom Series Sequence One (Triage | Observation | Diagnosis)
Doctor Dom Series Sequence Two (Relapse | Recovery)
CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
The Drake Family Series
Temporary Wife (A Billionaire Fake Marriage Romance)
Fake Fiancee (A Billionaire Second Chance Fake Marriage Romance)
Standalone Books
MAX: A Friends to Lovers Romance
A Touch of Blackmail
A Very Paisley Christmas
Boyfriend by the Hour
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