He felt Fiora take his arm. Her fingers worked nervously. They both watched the door, waiting for Salena to enter. It felt like an eternity before she did.
The sound of tapping feet acknowledged her entrance. Fiora’s breathing became shallow, and she didn’t speak.
Salena took the chair and looked over the crowd. “Who is next?”
The Lykan man returned to stand before her.
“They are not supposed to do that,” Fiora said. “Everyone gets one turn, one question.”
Grier took a step closer to his wife, watching for any sign of trouble.
“What about my children?” the Lykan demanded.
Salena shut her eyes and swayed in her seat. “I see many children if…”
“If?” the Lykan demanded.
Salena stood and moved forward to whisper something to the man. She looked to the side before continuing to speak. The Lykan turned to follow her gaze to where the Slit’therne stood. Just as demurely, she returned to her seat.
“I hope my sister knows what she’s doing,” Fiora said.
“I trust her,” Grier answered.
“You do more than trust her,” Fiora smiled, and the look somehow managed to appear sweet even with the morphed face. “I can feel it between you two. You’re connected. You have the kind of love for her that I have rarely seen in my life.”
Grier couldn’t help his small laugh. “You are blunt like your sister. I take this to be a family trait.”
“I know what you’re going to ask me. But first you must tell me what you’re thinking right now,” Salena said, “for I believe I may have a more important message for you.”
“That I do not believe I had to wait to go after a smelly Lykan,” a Dokka trader answered. His confession caused a round of laughter.
The Lykan had been sneaking up on the Slit’therne and turned at the Dokka’s comment.
“And you with the lustful eyes? What are you thinking?” Salena demanded.
“That I would like to bend over the Klennup’s wife,” another Dokka answered.
More laughter erupted.
“And you?” Salena demanded, eliciting several more unsavory confessions. “And you?”
“What is going on here?” a yell came from across the room.
Grier focused his hearing, moving closer to get his wife out of the mounting chaos.
“If you do not stop your dealings with the general you will be cheated, and you will lose everything,” Salena told the Fajerkin. “Stay with your current ore supplier at any cost. The dragons already know that you are trying to stab them in the back. You must appease them. It is the only way to secure your fortune. If you continue on this current course with the Federation, you will lose everything you hold dear, including your life.”
“Dammit, Salena,” Grier muttered, even as he could see the humor in what she was doing. The Fajerkin seemed to take her premonition seriously.
Fighting broke out. It started as shouts but quickly devolved into the throwing of fists. The Lykan grappled with the Slit’therne. The Dokka missed his target and hit the Fajerkin dandy. Bodies collided, escalating the brawl.
Grier took Fiora by the arm and escorted her as he rushed through the crowd. He angled his body to keep her safe as he pushed people out of the way. When he reached his wife, he pulled her with him.
Soldiers filed into the room to get the chaos under control. Grier turned toward the crowd and thrust Salena behind his back so no one would see him smuggling the fortune teller out of the party. He inched away slowly.
A soldier began to approach and Fiora let loose a loud pitched scream. She pointed across the large room. “They’re killing the general.”
The soldier and several others automatically stopped what they were doing and rushed into the crowd.
Grier used the distraction to get the women out of the main hall. He held them by their upper arms, guiding them as they entered the long corridor that would take them outside. He began to run and did not let them go.
“Grier,” Salena protested.
He skidded to a stop by the door that would take them outside. His heart pounded. He didn’t hesitate as he burst through the doors to catch Briggs off-guard. Without warning, he threw his elbow into the man’s face and sent him flying.
“Close your eyes,” Grier ordered. He grabbed them both by the wrist and pulled them to the edge of the cliff overlooking the city. Fiora screamed as he jumped off.
His body ripped apart and his hands turned to talons, holding the women as he beat his wings. He was sorry for the fright they must be feeling. Grier flew hard and fast along the edge of the city, looping around so he could land near the tower.
When he put distance between them and the facility, he lowered them as gently as he could across the valley on the cliff beside the watchtower. Jaxx landed next to him, shifting as he ran toward them naked.
Fiora took two wobbly steps and fainted. Jaxx caught her. Salena covered her mouth as if she were nauseous but appeared sturdier than her sister.
“I can’t believe we did it,” Salena said, jumping a little before moaning as she grabbed her stomach. She fell to her knees.
“Wait, Salena?” Jaxx looked at the unconscious woman in his arms.
“I’d like you to meet my sister.” Salena reached for the ring on Fiora’s finger and turned it off. She morphed into her regular form, still completely out.
“Jaxx, help me get them back to the dragon palace before Fiora regains consciousness,” Grier said. “I’m afraid I gave her a terrifying ride.”
Jaxx nodded and lowered Fiora to the ground. He let his dragon form take over before grabbing her by the shoulders and taking to the sky.
“We should go too,” Grier said. “Can you ride?”
Salena covered her mouth and shook her head in denial, even as she said, “If I have to.”
29
“Babies have the cutest feet, especially dragon babies, and…” Queen Rigan’s joy couldn’t have come at a worse moment. Grier’s mother hopped up and down in excitement, embracing her new daughter as she continued to ramble strange confessions about wall colors, baby features, and hating floral patterns on gowns.
Salena was motion sick from the flight and had to press her lips tightly together to hold back her nausea. She wanted to beg the woman to stop shaking her, but this was her mother-by-marriage and already she felt like she was making a bad impression on the queen.
They stood in front of the double doors that opened into a large dining area. The vague impression of banners over the hall was about all Salena registered of the room’s decor. Servants carried trays, and they definitely appeared to notice the sorry state of the dragon prince and his wife.
Salena’s hair felt like a tangled, windblown mess. The white fortune teller outfit she wore was stained with dirt along the knees. The king and queen pretended not to notice. Neither did they comment on the muddy clay color covering their son’s face. He had swiped off the fur, but the strange color still marred his features.
“Mother, let me take Salena home.” Grier pried his mother’s arms from around Salena. “It’s been a long night.”
“Of course, I’ll bring by a tray for breakfast and—” the queen started to offer.
“I promise we’ll talk later. Right now we need sleep,” Grier broke in firmly. “We’ll see you after we have rested.”
Thankfully, the dragon king was a little more reserved in his affections. He held her shoulders briefly and nodded, “Welcome to the family, Lady Salena.”
She nodded, hoping her smile was convincing.
To his son, the king said, “Grier, I expect a full report as soon as she’s settled.”
“Of course,” Grier answered.
Salena still felt the impression of the queen’s shaky hug as Grier escorted her away from his parents.
“Let me know if there is anything I can bring you,” the queen called behind them enthusiastically.
Salena hung her head forw
ard.
“Thank you, mother,” Grier answered loudly, only to add in a quieter tone, “I apologize. She’s excited.”
“She’s nice,” Salena managed to answer. All she wanted was to lay down and never move again. Her head felt like she was still in the air while her wobbly legs were trying to navigate the ground. “What did your father mean about a report? Could he know what happened?”
“Probably not exactly what happened, but our state has to raise questions,” Grier said. “As does the fact we did not appear after our night in the marriage tent to announce our union as is customary. I’m sure I’m in for a lecture about how I did not leave word, but we won’t worry about any of that now. That conversation can wait.”
Grier led her through the dragon palace. The fortress was hidden behind the face of a cliff and did not have windows. Essentially, it was a giant cave, the rooms carved from the stone. The idea that so much rock protected them was oddly comforting. As much as she wanted to appreciate the beauty of the sculptures and paintings adorning the red halls, she found it difficult when her vision kept blurring.
Jaxx had managed to slip Fiora by the king and queen undetected while they were busy greeting Salena. They waited near a statue of a small dragon wearing a crown. Fiora looked worse than Salena felt. Her features were drained of color and she only mustered up enough of an expression to scowl at Jaxx when he tried to grab her arm to hold her upright.
Salena recognized the dragon statue to be her husband’s shifted form, which considering the two hellish flights she’d just endured wasn’t exactly a pleasant sight. She grabbed hold of the dragon’s stone shoulder and leaned over. Nausea filled her, and it was all she could do not to heave on the pedestal.
“Salena?” Grier urged her to look at him.
“Move me and I’m throwing up on one of you, Grier,” Salena warned. “I need the world to stop spinning first.”
Fiora did more than threaten.
The sound of her sister’s heaving brought Salena’s head up. Fiora held a hand over her mouth, looking horrified at the fact she’d thrown up on Jaxx’s crotch.
Fiora’s dismay was nothing compared to Jaxx’s. He stood frozen with his hands to his side as if he had no idea how to handle what had happened.
Fiora moved her hand as if to speak only to moan and shake her head. She pressed her fingers against her mouth once more. She swayed ominously on her feet.
“Let’s get you ladies some place where you can rest.” Grier gently guided the sisters away from the statue, sidestepping the mess. Fiora walked beside Salena, staying close. To his cousin, the prince said, “Jaxx, Kane should be home. You can bathe there. He’ll have something you can wear. And call a servant to send a cleaning droid to help with this, please.”
When Salena glanced back Jaxx was staring after them, not looking too happy.
“Sorry,” she mouthed. Fiora grabbed her arm, leaning into her.
“I promise you’ll be safe here,” Grier told Fiora. “No one can get to you while you are in the palace.”
“They’ll come,” Fiora whispered. “It won’t take them long to figure out who took us. Two beasts in the sky will not go unnoticed.”
“They’re called dragons,” Salena said, able to concentrate better when she had her sister to think about.
“You have many fights ahead,” Fiora’s shaky prediction of doom continued. Her eyes were brimmed with red and she knew this was more than a reaction to flying. The Federation had been pushing her sister too hard for premonitions and she was beyond exhausted. “I see red and violet—”
“Shh, you don’t have to speak now.” Salena patted her back. “You don’t have to look at the future. We’re safe now.”
Grier walked ahead of them to open a thick wood door. He stepped aside and waited for them to enter.
“Two is stronger,” Fiora insisted. She stopped before stepping through the door and grabbed Salena’s hand. “Together we might be able to find our missing piece.”
Salena hoped that was true. The overwhelming joy she felt at finding one sister was lessened by her fear of still missing the second.
“Do you know anything?” Fiora insisted, her voice as frail as she looked.
“No, and I’ve searched many places.” Salena guided her sister’s elbow to walk her into Grier’s home.
The living space was the size she would have expected for the future dragon king, but it had a modesty to the decoration which seemed fitting to her husband. Like the corridor, the walls were made of red stone but here they were covered by blue and gold tapestries. Each tapestry depicted a scene—dragons in flight, half-shifted dragons in battle against upright cats, strange swirling lights in what appeared to be dark caves.
A domed window capped the high-vaulted ceilings. Curtains were partly drawn, showing the cliff jutting upward from the home against the green-blue of the sky. It provided the interior light.
“You should lie down,” Grier said. “I’ll show you to…”
Fiora stumbled, going toward one of the blue circular couches in the middle of the room. The furniture surrounded a giant fire pit, but there was no fire burning behind the black grates. Her sister’s body collapsed more than sat, and she fell over onto her side. A gray pillow, embroidered with the insignia of the dragons, was knocked onto the floor.
Salena followed her sister.
Fiora’s eyes were barely open, and she stared into the distance not seeming to focus on anything in particular. Her feet were still on the floor and her arms remained where they had dropped next to her body.
Salena picked up the pillow from the floor. She glanced at Grier who nodded at her. He stayed back as Salena eased the pillow beneath her sister’s head. She then pulled off her shoes and drew her feet up onto the couch. The tight pleasure droid disguise couldn’t have been comfortable but Fiora didn’t look like she wanted to move.
Grier appeared next to her with a blanket and gently laid it over Fiora’s body. She hadn’t heard him go to retrieve it.
“You have to sleep now, Fiora,” Salena whispered as she brushed back her sister’s hair.
I can see that we should stay, Piera’s voice whispered through her mind.
Her sister’s eyes closed. Salena gazed at her face, stroking her hair for a long time, almost afraid to turn away for fear Fiora would disappear into a dream. Time had stolen the innocence from their features, but even after all the years Fiora was like looking into a mirror to the past. The scar on her forehead had healed.
A tear slipped down Salena’s cheek as she remembered all they had been through. Moments came at her in a rush—laughing and throwing clay at each other in the pits as children, the spinning sound of the wheel while their mother worked, the clop of her father’s boots and the feel of his grip as he carried them under his arms through the forest.
She stopped petting her sister’s hair and covered her mouth to keep from crying out. Tears spilled down her cheeks. Instantly, Grier was there, helping her to her feet. He pulled her to his chest and held her.
“We have to find Piera,” Salena whispered.
“And we will, I promise,” Grier said just as quietly as if not to wake Fiora. “I’m already planning it. One of the elders, Lochlann, has old space contacts we can use to get the word out. We’ll have everyone looking for her—my aunt’s space pirate friends, Prince Jarek of the Var’s old space crew, every dignitary we know. We will find her, Salena. We will not stop until we have.”
She nodded, grateful. “I almost don’t want to leave her side, but we should let her sleep.”
Grier lifted Salena into his arms. He carried her toward a long row of curving stairs that led up to a second story which overlooked the area below. “You’ll be able to see her from the landing.”
The vaulted ceiling of the main living section ended just past the top of the stairs, becoming flat as it cut across a bedroom and beyond. Pushed back where it could not be seen from below was a large rectangular bed. It was placed away from the
walls and sat atop a woven rug.
Grier set her on her feet. Salena turned a slow circle as she looked at her new home. It seemed surreal that a girl growing up in the clay pits of Noire would end up the princess of dragons living in a palace carved into a mountain. She smiled at the thought.
“It pleases you?” he asked.
“You please me,” she answered, still in awe of her new home. “I was thinking how strange life is. I was practically born into a clay pit, even sleeping below our family home in the hand-dug basement, and now I am back to living within the confines of the ground—from clay to stone. It feels…”
“Yes?” he appeared mesmerized by her. His eyes did not leave her.
“Right,” she finished, wishing she could think of a better word. Salena covered her mouth and yawned.
There was a small dome over the bed for light. The bedroom also had a fireplace. The arched doorways on the other side of the bed were tall, but then she realized they would have to be for the comfort of her husband’s form.
“Do you have a decontaminator?” she asked, not wanting to ruin the comforter on the bed. It looked regal with the golden dragon embroidered on blue material.
“There is a heated water bath downstairs, if you prefer, but yes, I have a decontaminator in here.” He walked through one of the archways.
When she followed him, it led to a wide closet, half filled with his belongings and half empty, as if the shelves and hooks had been waiting for a woman to use them. His side had rows of tunics, boots, stacks of pants, and what looked to be a wide array of weaponry.
Grier pushed a button on the wall. A panel opened, and he gestured into the standing unit. “It’s an older model.”
He sounded almost apologetic.
“It’s perfect. Everything is perfect,” she assured him. Salena crossed to the unit and looked in. Suddenly, she frowned. “I take that comment back.”
“You don’t like it.” He joined her by the door and peered inside. “I will have it replaced immediately. You tell me what you want, and I will make sure you have it. This is your home too. I want you to be happy here. I want you to have everything that you desire.”
Dragon Prince Page 24
