by Lili Zander
We walk back to Zunix’s house. When we’re inside, hidden from prying eyes, I look at them. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Yes.” Zunix’s gaze is still warm and admiring. “Two days ago, I promised I’d tell you everything. It’s long past the time for us to have secrets from each other, Olivia. Let me go first. You asked me once how I seemed to know things that I shouldn’t have. Remember?”
I nod. It had been in the first few days. I’d asked him about it, and he’d fobbed me off with a clever non-answer. “I trust you,” I mutter. “I really do. You don’t have to tell me anything if you don’t want to.”
“But I want to tell you everything, Olivia.” His expression is intense and heated. “I will have no secrets from my mate. On the homeworld, I was an assistant to the Spymaster. As was Dariux.”
Of course he was. I’m assuming this Spymaster guy is something like Roman. Possibly a few pay grades higher. Like maybe the equivalent of the CIA director. Now that he says it, it’s perfectly obvious. Dariux and Zunix had tech, while the others didn’t. I should have seen it from the start.
I give him a searching look. “You know who I am, don’t you? I was a CIA operative. I was a spy.”
He nods. “I guessed.” His lips curl into a smile. “You kept your cover with everyone else but us,” he says. “Why?”
I feel my cheeks heat. “I liked you more,” I admit. Damn it. Now would be a great time to jump them, but too many things are going on, and we don’t really have time for sex. “Who are the two Draekons, and why are they prisoners? This is one of Dariux’s games, isn’t it?”
Liorax chuckles wryly. “Thank Caeron you like us, Olivia, because I shudder to think of you plotting against us.” He pulls me on his lap, and I feel the hard bar of his cock pressed up against my ass. Damn it again. Dariux has been cock-blocking the three of us from the start, and I’m getting pretty damn sick of it. “One of the two Draekons is Arax. Before his exile, he was the Firstborn of Zoraht. He’s Lenox’s older brother.”
My mouth falls open, and thoughts of sexy times are forgotten for the moment. “Hang on.” I turn around in Liorax’s lap to stare at him. “You guys are still pretty much bound by your rules and your titles and your blood status lunacy. People defer to you because you’re the Firstborn of Laris. And Arax is a bigger deal, right?”
“I love you, Olivia,” Zunix says affectionately. “Yes, you’re absolutely right. By the laws of the High Empire, Arax can demand our deaths. Dariux is playing a very dangerous game, but our hands are tied. For the moment. We promised him support in exchange for the med-kit.”
I love you, Olivia. My heart beats faster in my chest, and then the full weight of Zunix’s words sink in. They’re in this bind because Dariux healed my leg.
“It isn’t your fault,” Liorax says, correctly reading my expression. “This has nothing to do with you. Dariux has been searching for something ever since he was exiled here, and he thinks Arax might be the key to his quest. If not Arax, then Raiht’vi.”
I bite my lower lip. “What’s he looking for?”
“I don’t know,” Zunix replies. “He’s borrowed my copy of the ThoughtVault many times, but I can’t tell what he’s searching for. He’s looking at historical records from more than a thousand years ago. Ship logs, troop movements, citations of merit, that kind of thing. There’s definitely a common purpose to his searches, but I can’t make sense of it. Dariux has always been more of a historian than I have.”
If Zunix can’t solve this puzzle, with all the knowledge he already possesses, then I’m not even going to bother to try. “What happens now?” I ask them.
“I don’t know.” Zunix’s tone is frustrated.
Liorax wraps his hands around my waist. “The other women are safe,” he murmurs. “Arax is the most honorable man I’ve met. You don’t need to worry about that.”
I lean against his chest. “You’re right,” I agree, my voice muffled. “I just have a whole lot of new things to worry about.”
Zunix chuckles unexpectedly. “You really did fool everyone with your act,” he says. “Arax’s mate Viola evidently thinks you’re—what were his words?—not too bright.”
I start to grin. “I’m not surprised. I pretended I couldn’t figure out how to work the translator, and all the guys fell over themselves to help me out.” I glance down at my boobs. “The girls have magic powers. Guys look down my cleavage and do whatever I ask them to.”
“Not anymore,” Liorax growls possessively. His fingers brush against my taut nipples, clearly visible underneath my top. “These are ours, little human, and I don’t like to share.”
Irritation wars with pleasure. “You know, thumping your chest and acting like Tarzan isn’t going to get you very far.” Damn my traitorous body. My nipples are hardening in response to his touch, and my insides clench and twist.
Zunix’s eyes glitter with an amused warning as he gets to his feet and looms over me. “That’s not true, Olivia,” he breathes into my ear. He presses my hand against his cock. “Will you deny us, little human?”
Hell no. I can call them out on their caveman moves later on. Viola, Ryanna, Harper, and Sofia are safe, and there’s no reason to hold off any longer. Whatever cooperation I was hoping for among the exiles is gone, and there’s no need to indulge Dariux’s stupid contest anymore.
Right now, my body is demanding that I stop resisting and take what I want. Them.
“No,” I whisper. “I want you too much.”
A loud banging on the door interrupts us. “Zunix, Liorax,” Dariux calls out. “It’s time for us to confer.”
Fucking Dariux and his cliterference. The guy has the worst timing.
22
Zunix:
Dariux gives Olivia a sharp gaze, but waits for her to leave before turning to us. “What were you saying to the Firstborn this morning?” he snaps.
I give him a hard look. “Knowledge is power, my friend,” I reply, throwing his words back into his face. “And I don’t share my power with anyone.”
He grits his teeth. “Stay out of this matter,” he says, his hands clenching into fists. “It doesn’t concern you. If I were you, I’d focus on courting your mate, not interfering in my affairs.”
“You are holding the Firstborn of the High Empire hostage,” Liorax says icily. “Of course it concerns us. It concerns every single person in this camp, Draekon or human. Your recklessness could endanger us all.”
We follow him to the clearing. The other Draekons are already gathered there. “Remember,” Dariux says quietly. “You have promised me your cooperation in this matter. I am holding you to your word, Lord of Laris. Say nothing to oppose me.”
Liorax’s lips twist in distaste, but he nods curtly, as do I. Breaking my promise isn’t an option, and even if it were, it wouldn’t serve any purpose. As long as Dariux controls the six Draekons that can shift at will, we have to rely on subtlety, not brute force.
Dariux strides up to the center. “My fellow exiles,” he says. “I know you are all tense. By now, you have all learned that one of our honored guests is Arax, Firstborn of Zoraht.” His voice fills the clearing, soothing and calm. Herrix is capable of whipping people up in a blind frenzy, but I know from experience that Dariux is far more dangerous. “Yesterday, we made a grievous mistake. We believed that we were being attacked, and in our fear, we attacked the Firstborn.”
There’s a nervous murmur in the clearing. Dariux lets everyone’s anxiety build, and then he holds his hands up for quiet. “You know our laws. You know the price we must pay for attacking Arax.” He takes a deep breath. “Death.”
Luddux’s face whitens, but I will give him credit, he nods stoically. “I breathed fire on the other man,” he says quietly. “I will pay the price. Dariux, I beg you. Negotiate with the Firstborn to spare my mate. Felicity is innocent in this.”
So that’s his game. Dariux is going to pretend that Arax is demanding our deaths. That’s how he’s g
oing to justify holding them hostage. At my side, Liorax stiffens and mutters a curse under his breath.
We have sworn an oath that we will hold our tongues, and we can say nothing. We can only watch as Dariux feeds on the fear in the camp to achieve his own twisted goals.
“But what if there is another way?” Dariux asks. “What if no one needs to die?”
Expressions of hope replace the despair on the men’s faces. “How?”
“We negotiate. Arax’s freedom for our lives.”
Voices fill the clearing. Some are angry. “These are our laws,” Rezzix says. “We attacked the Firstborn. We will face the consequences with honor, Dariux.”
“And what about your mate?” he asks pointedly. “Would you have her face the consequences of our action too?”
Silence falls over the gathering. “That’s right,” Dariux continues. “Arax is angry. Let us send word to his exile batch that he is safe, and let me continue to negotiate on your behalf. Are we agreed?”
I look around, and I notice something for the first time. Herrix and Belfox are nowhere to be seen.
And neither is Olivia.
I have a very bad feeling about this.
23
Olivia:
Come on. Of course I was going to follow Herrix and Belfox.
I’m not a complete idiot. I’m not going to be the too-stupid-to-live heroine who runs into the haunted house, ignoring all signs that it isn’t safe. Before I slip away, I grab Bryce’s elbow. “When Dariux is done,” I whisper. “Tell Liorax and Zunix to find me.”
She gives me a dubious look. “You know they don’t like you to be alone with Herrix and Belfox,” she murmurs.
She caught that? Bryce is far more observant that I’ve been giving her credit for. “I have to. Trust me. I have my reasons. Tell them I’m headed west of Lake Ang.”
She nods, and I slip away, my heart pounding in my throat.
The two Draekons seem unaware that they’re being followed, and I’m planning on keeping it that way. I stay well back and move as silently as I can.
In the tumult of the last day and a half, everyone’s forgotten about the spaceship, but as leverage goes, it’s a pretty valuable bargaining chip. I have a sneaking suspicion that whatever Dariux is searching for, it’s not as important as getting off the prison planet. If I tell him the location of a working spaceship, will he let the two prisoners leave?
It’s not much of a plan. Roman would sneer at me if I ever presented something so half-assed to him, and he’d have several cutting things to say about me setting out on the tail of two dangerous men without backup. Sorry Roman, I think ruefully as I walk. Circumstances alter cases. For all I know, Herrix and Belfox are ready to leave. If that ship gets off the planet, we are almost certainly facing war. I can’t allow that to happen.
Shit. Have I lost Herrix and Belfox? Neither man is anywhere to be seen. I take a quick step forward, and someone clamps a hand over my mouth. “Well, well,” Herrix says, his voice satisfied. “Just the person we’re looking for. Load her on the skimmer, Belfox. She’s our way out of here.”
Herrix brings a small vial up to my lips. I start to struggle, but it’s no use. Both men are far stronger than I am. I feel Belfox sling me up on Dariux’s borrowed—or stolen—skimmer, and then, darkness descends.
The sun is still overhead when I wake. Not too much time has passed then. Two hours, max.
My hands and legs are tied, and I’m lying on the ground. I look around and try to figure out where we are, but the area isn’t familiar to me. Zunix had mentioned once that the area to the west of Lake Ang was pretty hilly. Given the direction we were headed, if I had to guess, I’d say that’s where I am.
In front of me is a large cave mouth. I can hear voices on the inside, and some muffled swearing. Is this where they’re storing the spaceship? I twist my wrists to and fro, trying to get free, but whoever tied me up knew what they were doing. All I manage to do is chafe my skin badly.
Find a stone, Liv. Something with a sharp edge.
I hear footsteps before I can act on that plan, and Herrix appears in front of me. “Ah, you’re awake,” he says. “That’s good.”
I lift my chin up and give him a defiant look. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?” I snarl. “Do you think you’re going to get away with this?”
“Why that’s exactly what I think, human.” He gives me a chilling smile. “Who’s going to rescue you? Dariux is holding the Firstborn hostage, so he’s not even going to notice that his skimmer is missing. My kinsman, Liorax, will be too busy playing the hero to pay much mind either.”
I don’t bother to reply. Think, Liv. How far away were the hills? I try and remember what Zunix had said. A day’s journey, maybe a day and a half. That’s too long.
But Zunix and Liorax aren’t fools. There are six dragons in camp. They’ll ask for help. They won’t try to search for me on foot. They’ll be on dragonback.
“What do you want?”
“Ah, now we get to the interesting part.” He rubs his hands together, and a prickle of unease runs down my spine. “See, the ship that Belfox is busy assembling only holds four people. Luddux was going to be my pilot, but he got quite uncooperative when he realized he couldn’t bring his mate along.” He rolls his eyes. “Stupid fool. A chance to get off the prison planet and he bleats about some human woman.”
He’s not making any sense. “What does Luddux have to do with me?”
Herrix is in a chatty mood. “Why, isn’t it obvious? I need a fully transformed Draekon to pilot the ship, Olivia Buckner. That’s my only hope against the asteroid belt.” He raises an eyebrow. “Did I ever tell you I used to fly ships on Pleno? All that’s stopping me is the lack of a mating bond, and,” he smiles again, “here you are. Like I said. You’re just the person we’re looking for.”
Belfox appears in the cave opening. “Herrix,” he growls. “We talked about this. I won’t take the woman against her will.”
Bonus points for Liorax and Zunix. They’ve pegged the men perfectly. Herrix is an amoral wannabe rapist, while Belfox still appears to have some integrity.
Then again, all the Draekons want to get off this world pretty badly. What’s one teeny-tiny rape going to matter against that? I’m not holding out hope for Belfox’s honor. Not for long.
But will it be long enough to give Zunix and Liorax a chance to find me?
The two men start to argue. I listen intently, trying to figure out what they’re saying, and look around for a rock at the same time. There’s one, almost within reach. Are they distracted enough by their conversation that I can grab it?
A flutter of movement in the corner of my eye distracts me. My heartbeat speeds up as Herrix, moving faster than I’d think possible, grabs me and yanks me to my feet, holding me against his chest and pressing a knife to my throat. “Show yourself,” he snarls. “Or I kill her.”
Liorax and Zunix saunter out. “Don’t be ridiculous, Herrix,” Zunix says calmly. “How stupid do you think I am? You need Olivia alive to pilot the ship through the asteroid belt.”
Liorax, with a grim expression on his face, pulls out his bow and lines up an arrow. “Let her go,” he says.
“Put down your bow, or I’ll slit her throat,” Herrix warns.
“If she is harmed, you will die,” Liorax retorts. His knuckles are white as he grips the bow tightly, but his hands are steady.
We’re at a stalemate.
Herrix realizes that too. “I’ll make you a deal,” he says, a thread of desperation in his voice. “You transformed when you saw her too. You take her. Complete the bond.” He gives the two Draekons a persuasive look. “There’s room for four on the Cloakship.”
Damn it. That’s one way out of the impasse.
Except, the thought of Liorax and Zunix leaving sends a stab of pain through me, sharp and hot and jagged.
Love is about making the hard choices, Liv.
“You should take the deal,” I call out
, the knife edge of Herrix’s blade at my throat. “Think about it. I’d be alive, and you’d be free to leave the prison planet.”
“No,” Liorax says at once. His eyes bore into me. “What did I tell you, little human? Leaving is meaningless if you’re not there with us. I won’t trade one form of exile for another.”
I swallow hard. They’re choosing me. They’re voluntarily opting to stay on the prison planet because of me.
If we all get out of this alive, I’m going to jump them so hard.
“We won’t pilot your ship. We won’t stand by and watch you take Olivia,” Zunix says to Herrix. “There’s only one way out.”
Belfox lifts his head hopefully. He hadn’t wanted to rape me. I get the sense that he’s as trapped by this situation as I am. Well, not exactly. I do have a knife to my throat, after all. “What’s that?” he asks Zunix.
“You’re not going to get everything you want, and neither will we,” he says. “Let Olivia go, and we will let you fly your ship out of here. Take your chances with the asteroid belt. You are Draekon. The mutation lives within you. For all I know, you might succeed.”
“We’re not going to do that,” Herrix snaps, but his knife wavers slightly.
“That’s your only option, Herrix,” Zunix continues calmly. “We will trade Olivia’s life for your lives and your freedom. Choose wisely.”
“You might shoot us once we let her go,” Belfox says.
Liorax shakes his head. “You have my word as the Firstborn of Laris. If she is unharmed, you can leave here.”
The silence stretches out. Finally, Herrix breaks it. “Fine,” he snaps. “Take your pathetic, useless human.”
He pushes me toward them, and I stumble, but Liorax is there to catch me. He circles me in his arms and faces his kinsman. “You would have taken her by force,” he says coldly. “You are an affront to everything I believe in, Herrix. You stain the name of the House of Laris.”
Zunix grips his own bow. His eyes are wary, watchful. “Leave.”
