by Lili Zander
Sixth’s brows draw together. “And it's gone now?”
“For the moment. According to the scientist here, those with a high concentration of Draekon genes are more susceptible to Noturn’s resonance field.”
“Interesting,” Sixth says. “But irrelevant right now. Danek, do you have a med kit?”
I had a feeling Sixth was going to ask for it, so I grabbed it from my luggage before I commed my brothers. “You need a blood sample?” I ask, holding it up.
“Yes. Ruhan, can you connect me to Danek's med kit so I can look at the results?”
“Piece of cake.”
“Cake?” They look far too worried for my liking, and I seize advantage of the diversion. “Why are you talking about cake? Are you hungry?”
Ruhan chuckles. “It's something Lani says. It's a human expression. Sixth, you're in.”
“Good.” Sixth is all business. “Danek, stick a vial of blood into the scanner, please.”
I stab a syringe into a vein. Bright blue blood gushes into the vial. When it is full, I detach it and drop it into the med kit’s scanner.
We’re all silent as Sixth examines the results. “Oh, this is not good.”
“What is it?”
“For starters, your blood pressure is dangerously high. Your nitrogen levels are elevated. Your heart is beating faster. All of this is affecting your central nervous system.”
“I didn’t understand a word of that. Pretend I’m not a scientist, Sixth, and explain using very simple words.”
“Did you lose consciousness?” he demands.
“Yes.”
Mirak inhales sharply. Kadir’s expression darkens. Damn it.
“How long were you out?” Sixth continues relentlessly.
Damn it again. Any minute now, they’re going to start to fuss. “A little over two hours, I think. The scientist injected something into me. I think it was called—”
“Cranisum,” he replies. “Yes, I can see its effects. It's providing some temporary relief, and your genes are doing the rest. But this planet is not good for you. Normally, you are pretty close to invulnerable. You heal fast. You can't be easily hurt. Right now, none of that is true. On Noturn, you are mortal.”
“It’s like kryptonite,” Ruhan interjects. “Ah, okay. The story Lani told me finally makes sense.” Kadir turns to look at him, and Ruhan shuts up. “Never mind. Not important now. Pretend I didn't say anything.”
“I have to be careful while I’m here, right? That’s what you’re saying to me?”
Sixth shakes his head. “No, you need to get out of there. This is damaging your body, Danek.”
“Then it’s settled.” Mirak’s eyes shift to a screen. Likely a nav computer. “I can be on Noturn in four days. Sixth, will Danek be okay until I can pull him and Naomi Knoll out?”
“Cindifin patrols the space around Noturn,” Kadir points out. “Pirates have been stealing their rihim shipments.”
Mirak, whose mate Diana is the captain of a pirate ship, barks a laugh. “Imagine that. Don’t worry; I’ll stay out of trouble. Sixth, will Danek be fine until I get there?”
“Stop talking.” My voice snaps like a whip. “All of you.”
Silence falls over them. “Four days is not going to give me enough time to find out if Cindifin is building a prison on Noturn. I need to see this mission through.”
“The mission is not more important than your life,” snaps Kadir.
“Yes, it is.”
They all turn to stare at me.
“Everything that has happened is my fault. This is an outcome of my actions a thousand years ago.” I lurch to my feet and stride around the room. The cone of silence tingles as I breach its perimeter, but I barely pay attention. “I convinced Koval to rebel against the High Empire. I promised him that I would be the Draekon Warlord. I told him I would lead them into battle.”
“They were counting on me, the second-generation Draekons,” I whisper, staring into the distance. “I failed them. Because of me, they were all slaughtered.”
“That’s bullshit.” Mirak glares at me. “You know that.”
“Do I?” I shake my head. “If I hadn't talked them into it, none of them would have rebelled. I was responsible for the death the Empire rained down on us. I am responsible for everything that has happened since.”
Kadir opens his mouth to protest, and I hold up my hand. “I can't go back in time. Caeron knows that I would do anything to undo what I did, but that is impossible. But I will finish this mission. Abandoning it is not an option.”
“No.” Mirak’s voice is low and furious. “You have held onto your misery for too long. Out of respect for your pain, we haven't challenged your beliefs. But enough is enough. You are going to stop this endless self-pity and listen to us. You can’t convince someone to do what they don’t want to do; that’s not how your ability works. You show people the deepest desire of their hearts. Koval was a soldier and he was a slave. They all were. And they wanted more than that. They knew what they faced. They knew the risk. They wanted freedom so much that they were willing to die for it, and you will not disrespect their agency because you’re busy feeling sorry for yourself.”
“If you are trying to allocate blame for what happened,” Ruhan adds soberly. “Ask yourself whose fault it is? Is it your fault, you who were trying to help them, or is it the fault of the people that imprisoned them in the first place?”
“You’re determined to stay, aren’t you?” Sixth gives me a disapproving look. “I don’t recommend it.”
“With all due respect, it doesn't matter. This is my choice to make. Tell me how long I can stay before it’s a problem.”
“Very well,” he sighs. “You have a lot of natural immunity. You will be fine for two weeks. But after that…” He shakes his head bleakly.
Two weeks. Bast. That’s not long enough.
“With any luck, I won’t need it.” They’re all looking so very concerned. They don’t need to be. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to do anything stupid. I have Naomi here, remember? I won’t let any harm befall her.”
Kadir’s eyes narrow. “No, you won’t, will you? That makes me feel a little better.”
“I’ll make sure I stay close to Noturn,” Mirak says. “When you need a fast exit, comm me. I’ll be there in a few hours.”
“Keep taking the cranisum,” Sixth advises. “It will help. It’s a pretty simple drug to synthesize. I’ll load instructions into your syn, if you don’t want the scientist to know you’re taking it.”
That reminds me. “Speaking of the scientist, she analyzed my blood and figured out I’m Draekon. Her name is Kenia ab Cindifin. Can you—”
“Monitor her comms?” Ruhan cuts in. “Will do.”
“I still think you should leave Noturn immediately,” Kadir says, looking acutely unhappy. “But you’re right. It’s your choice to make. But Danek, please be careful. We love you. We care about you. There were only six of us. One is already lost forever. Please don't make it two.”
16
Naomi
Holy crap, this house is nice. It’s not large, but it’s snug and comfortable and very homey. I walk around, taking it in. The kitchen has windows along the front, looking out to the park. There’s an artificial lake in the middle, and, as I watch, a fountain shoots water into the air in a graceful arc.
Pumpkin bounds into the kitchen and jumps onto the counter. “Oh no,” I chide, picking up the orange furball and setting him on the floor. “Counters are for food, little monster. Not for adorable floofs.”
A crash sounds from the back of the house. I hurry there, only to see Plague and Pestilence—damn it, Danek’s names for them are sticking—curled up on a corner of the bed, looking innocent and not at all guilty. Next to them, a vase rests on the floor, its flowers strewn everywhere.
Flowers in a vase? That’s a thoughtful touch. More and more, I wonder about the House of Cindifin. From what Resi and Afain said, they appear to be good employers.
The two scientists we’ve encountered—Bash, on the Wekat Exchange, and Kenia here on Noturn, have been ethical, decent people. Lashi’vi and Xeni were nice too, friendly, and welcoming.
What would make them agree to allow the Zorahn Empire to use Noturn as a prison? Especially when they know the effects on the planet on Draekons?
I don’t get it. The Rebellion must have got it wrong. I’m sure a prison is being built for the Draekons, but it isn’t here. It can’t be.
“Bad monkeys,” I scold Plague and Pestilence, scratching their warm furry heads. They squeak in approval, turning into my hand and demanding more petting. “Look at the mess you made,” I murmur, rubbing their warm cheeks with the back of my knuckles. “It’s a good thing the vase didn’t break. You don’t want glass fragments in your feet, do you? No, you don’t. Silly floofs.”
Plague rolls over on her back, her six little legs waving in ecstasy. I don’t actually know if the floofs are male or female, or even have a gender, but a lifetime of social conditioning has me equating pink with girl. Pestilence curls up into a tighter ball, an arm over her face, and settles in for a nap. “That’s right,” I tell her. “You’ve explored the house, you’ve broken a vase, and you’ve got pink fur all over the bedspread. It’s obviously time for a nap.” With difficulty, I pull away from the warm creatures. I pick up the flowers from the floor, right the vase, fill it with water from the refresher, and set the blossoms back in it. Then I start to unpack. I shake out my dresses and hang them up, then set the folded blouses and pants on shelves, all while dodging Pumpkin, who has decided that the best way to help is by weaving in and out of my feet.
The bedroom has a door set in the back wall. It’s shut, which means that’s where Danek is comming his brothers.
My mind wanders as I arrange my clothing in the mirrored closet. I had been terrified when Danek had lost consciousness. Panic had engulfed me, and I hadn’t been able to stay at Danek’s side. Seeing him in the healing tank had brought back a rush of horrible memories. I’d barely managed to talk to the scientist without succumbing to my fear.
Despite all that, I’d made a decision in the hospital. I’d resolved to sleep with him. And now, I’m standing in what’s going to be our bedroom for the next three months, and only a thin door separates Danek and me.
Suddenly, I hear his voice from the other side of the wall. “I promised him that I would be the Draekon Warlord,” he grits out. The words cut out abruptly, a wall of silence slamming down.
Warlord? What?
His voice is audible again. “They were counting on me.” I’ve never heard him sound so raw, so broken. So anguished. The Danek I know is always calm and in control. But the man I hear is anything but that.
“I failed them. Because of me, they were all slaughtered.”
His voice fades away as he reenters the cone of silence. I go still, trying to process what I’ve inadvertently overheard. What is Danek talking about? Did someone die recently, or is this part of his past? He doesn’t talk about himself much. No, correction: he doesn’t talk about himself at all.
He rescued me from the scientists. For a month, he sat in my hospital room, a steady, healing presence. I wouldn’t be here without him. I doubt I’d still be alive.
He sounds anguished. I ache to comfort him. I have to dig my nails into my palms to keep silent, to prevent myself from rushing out there and wrapping my arms around him. In the dark times, he was there for me, and I need to return the favor.
He’s not looking for comfort. Not from you.
As much as I try to let it not bother me, that thought stings. You’re being ridiculous, I scold myself. You need to count your blessings. Danek is alive and safe. He appears to desire you. If you want him, chances are that all you have to do is ask. The sex will probably be off-the-charts good, because it’s been forever since penis-in-vagina, and you probably have cobwebs down there.
And if I can’t have the other things I crave—intimacy, togetherness, and love—so be it. I am luckier than many; I found love once with Will. Nobody is owed a second chance. Wanting it all just makes me greedy.
I’m almost done unpacking. I pull out the last item. It’s the stupid purple lingerie, the one I shoved into my bag at the last minute. I should have been more careful with it—the soft gossamer fabric is badly wrinkled. I shake it out, wondering if there’s a way to iron out the creases.
Just then, the door opens, and Danek steps into the bedroom. He looks at the center of the bed, where the floofs have made a nest, and he shakes his head. “If those creatures walk on my face in the middle of the night...” he begins.
And then he catches sight of the silky lingerie in my hands.
Now or never, Naomi.
My skin erupts in goosebumps. He notices.
I swallow the lump in my throat. “I have a problem,” I whisper.
“You do?”
I hold out the filmy garment. “You never did show me how to wear it.”
His gaze drags over me, slow and deliberate. “I would hate for there to be a misunderstanding between us,” he murmurs. “What exactly do you want, Naomi?”
Argh. He’s not going to make this easy, is he? You can do this, Naomi. It’s not like you’ve never hit on a guy before. “I’m inviting you to have sex with me. If you want, that is.”
His eyes flare with desire. “I definitely want that.” He slowly closes the distance between us and takes the lingerie. I expect him to toss it on the floor. Instead he holds it up, the silky fabric looking flimsy in his big hands. “Take off your shirt.”
“Okay.” So we are doing the lingerie thing. I hesitate with my fingers curled around the hem of my shirt. “You’ll show me how to put it on?”
“Oh yes.” He leans close, a wicked gleam in his eyes. “I’m going to put it on, and then I’m going to rip it off.”
Oh my.
I tug my shirt off. He looks me up and down.
“You like?” I try to be playful, but there’s the tiniest quiver in my voice.
“Oh yes, Naomi.” His gaze drags over me, leaving heat in its wake. “Very much so.”
“All right then,” I say over the fluttering in my chest. It feels like a horde of butterflies is having a rave in my stomach. I’m forty, dammit. I don’t know why I’m nervous. I can get a hold of myself. “Your turn.”
With a grin he peels off his shirt, then spreads his arms. He’s a bronze giant, his muscles shimmering in the low light. He’s got muscles squeezed between his muscles. His abs have abs. It’s ridiculous. Ridiculously hot.
I can’t stop myself from walking up to him and running my hand over his carved chest. His breathing deepens and his pecs rise and fall under my palm. “You’re beautiful,” I murmur.
“So are you.” He cups the back of my head and leans down to kiss me. Warmth rolls over me as I lock lips with him. He tastes delicious. His tongue dips inside my mouth and my pussy clenches in response. The room spins away.
His fingers brush my back. When I break the kiss and step back, panting, my bra falls away. He undid the clasp while I was pressed against him, the clever trickster. My nipples tingle, desperate for his touch.
Before I can jump him, Danek turns me around and threads my arms through the lingerie top. He’s surprisingly gentle with the delicate black straps, nimbly twitching them into place. He spends extra time fiddling with the sheer triangles of fabric that cover my nipples.
“There,” he says finally and steps back. There’s a complex web of straps over my chest and stomach.
“Not bad.” I turn this way and that admiring the pattern. “What about panties?”
It takes a second for Danek to respond. His eyes have glazed over a little.
It’s a very flattering reaction. A thrill of excitement shoots through me. “Earth to Danek. Come in, please,” I singsong. He drags his gaze to my face. “Panties?” I ask sweetly.
He shakes his head. “You don’t need them.”
Typical male perspective. “Al
l right then,” I say, calling his bluff. I step back and slide out of the rest of my clothes, including underwear. The strappy top I’m wearing comes down to hug my hips. The design frames my sex.
Oh my.
I’m flushing all over, but I fake confidence and strike a pose. “Like this?”
He doesn’t answer. He’s frozen, face blank. Ladies and gentlemen, Danek’s brain has left the building. And then he moves. With a growl, he pulls me forward. His hands glide over my back and he squeezes my bottom. I gasp at the surge of need in the pit of my belly.
I’m up on tiptoe, rubbing myself against him, when he steps back. Then he tugs the straps down so my arms are trapped.
“What are you doing?” I murmur. I could easily shrug off the makeshift bondage, but I’m curious about what he’ll do next.
“Whatever I want. Do you have a problem with that?”
He fiddles with the straps around my breasts again until I’m going crazy. Then he bends his head and swirls his tongue over the fabric covering my nipple.
“Not even a little,” I gasp. I groan and hang on to his broad shoulders, tugging him closer. He’s still kneading my bottom, hard enough to make my insides clench. I wish he’d touch my pussy.
He backs me up until the back of my knees hit the bed. I end up lying on my back with him over me, still teasing one nipple then the other through the silky fabric.
I try to hitch the straps aside and they won’t budge. “How the hell does this thing come off?”
Danek raises his head. His sly grin warns me he’s up to something. Ripples of excitement run through me.
“Like this.” He grabs the bottom of the strappy top and pulls it up. The lingerie slips off, but somehow my arms are caught in the binding, stretched up over my head. I struggle and the straps tighten. I’m caught. I laugh out loud. I feel so safe with Danek, it almost takes me by surprise. Almost. “This can’t be right,” I fake-grumble.
