by Lili Zander
“You haven’t answered my question,” she grinds out.
Sarfax steps in before the situation escalates. “Ashara is currently in a state of emergency, Commander Cax. Any idea when you’ll drop it?”
It’s only been a day, and already, the Senate is chafing at not being in charge. I don’t enjoy being high-handed, but if they assume power once again, they’ll start bickering among themselves, and we’ll never get anything done. “When I believe the threat has passed.”
He frowns in displeasure, and I raise an eyebrow. “Is there a problem, Senator?”
“I had a vacation scheduled in the beach world of Karmat.”
How in the name of Caeron did this guy become a Senator? We’re being attacked. Surely he can’t think that I’m concerned about his vacation?
Ulle explodes. “Are you crazy, Sarfax? This is a serious situation.” She turns back to me, still glaring. “You might have all the power right now, Commander, but let me assure you I’ll be watching you carefully. One misstep, and I’ll make sure you’re out.”
Yes, you’d love that, wouldn’t you?
I have no more patience for these two, not when there’s work to be done. “We’re beginning reconstruction work on Nixmi Tower in an hour. I’m looking for volunteers.” I give them a bland smile. “It would greatly help morale for the citizens to see their senators work to rebuild their homes.”
Entirely predictably, both Draekons murmur excuses and melt away. Good. Now that they’re gone, I can get to work.
Flying is a handy skill to have when you’re rebuilding a sixty-story high tower. The Draekons in the volunteer crew transform and hover in mid-air, gripping diarmod beams in their claws. Adrashian techmages work their magic on circuit boards, fixing tech that was damaged in the Zorahn attack.
We’re lucky. Nixmi Tower is a place of work. It contains labs, technology workspaces, and healer halls in some of the lower levels. As soon as the fighter jets broke through our shield, Silu ordered the tower to be evacuated. A few people were hurt by falling debris, but nobody died. Thank Caeron for that.
The damage isn’t extensive. We can fix it in a couple of days.
Finding the traitor isn’t going to be as simple.
Before Silu left to deliver Bryce’s food syn, the two of us poured over the entry records to the room that houses the tech that maintains our shields. Part of me was hoping that I’d find something that Silu had overlooked, but there’s nothing there. The senators had visited the Control Center last week as part of a security audit. When Hurux’s ships had breached Trion VI’s atmosphere, I’d visited the Control Center to warn the techs to be careful. Silu, as a former techmage, is in and out of there routinely, as are Korum and Babbuq.
Speaking of Silu… Her skimmer pulls up in front of Nixmi in a cloud of dust. She gets out and makes her way toward me. “It’s done,” she says.
“Thank you.” Silu is my second-in-command, a Lieutenant Commander of Ashara. She’s earned her position by being smarter and more competent than anyone else on our small security force. In normal times, I wouldn’t ask her to run errands for me.
But Silu is also my friend, and the only person in the city that I trust. If the Senate finds out that Bryce is my mate, and if they find out that Hurux is my pair-bond, they will immediately act to get me fired.
Ashara is in danger. A traitor from within sabotaged our shields. I can’t afford to be sidelined right now. This is not the time for a power struggle.
She looks around to make sure we aren’t being overheard. “I am not good at reading the humans’ facial expressions, but it seems to me that your mate didn’t look very happy.”
That’s an understatement if there was one. “She thinks I’m going to turn Raiht’vi over to Lenox.”
“What would give her that idea?”
“I told her it might happen,” I admit.
Silu’s feathers flutter in irritation. “Why?”
I take a deep breath. “Because it’s true. It might happen. If it comes down to the life of everyone in Ashara, I might have to make some hard choices.”
Silu rolls her eyes. “Commander Cax, with all due respect, the chances of you surrendering Raiht’vi to the High Empire is about one in a thousand.”
“You don’t know that.”
“Yes, I do,” she counters. “You’ve been planting clues for the rebellion. Tarish has already received Raiht’vi’s message. He’s rumored to be a smart man. You’ve given him enough information to find Ashara. If you intended to turn over Raiht’vi to the High Empire, why would you have done that?”
There are three powers in the High Empire, each with secrets of their own, each keeping the other in check. Lenox, the High Emperor, almost certainly killed his father to ascend the Crystal Throne. Ru’vi ab Corsu, the Spymaster, crushes anyone who is deemed a threat with ruthless efficiency, and in the Crimson Citadel, Brunox, Head of the Council of Scientists, performs forbidden experiments.
Raiht’vi is Brunox’s daughter. If she is bonded to Lenox, she brings her father one step closer to power. And she knows more about her father than anyone else, even the Spymaster.
Raiht’vi knows that instead of sending the Draekons into exile, for the last sixty-five years, Brunox has been diverting them to secret labs scattered all over the Empire.
He’s been experimenting on the Draekons. Torturing them, testing the mating bond, trying to make them transform on demand. He’s been creating an army of his own.
Then there’s the rebellion, a motley group of people who are opposed to the exile of Draekons on the prison planet. Tarish is their leader. A few weeks ago, Raiht’vi had sent him a message, one that the Zorahn Navy hadn’t managed to intercept. In a desperate attempt to win her freedom, she offered to cooperate with him.
Tarish wants the location of those secret labs. He wants to expose the Empire’s dirty little secrets. So do I.
“I didn’t think you’d find out.”
She snorts. “Commander Cax, I used to be a techmage. You did a good job hiding your trail, but when it comes to tech, your skills are not a match for mine.”
That’s true enough. I’ve seen Silu and Korum work. Their abilities are light-years ahead of mine. “If you’re hoping that Tarish will rescue Raiht’vi, why don’t you tell your mate that?”
“I don’t want to make any promises I can’t keep.”
Silu gives me a deeply exasperated look. “Far be it from me to tell you how to conduct your own business, but…”
I cut her off. “Have you told Korum how you feel about him?”
Her claws extend involuntarily. I’ve hit a sore spot. “That is not the same thing, and you know it. Korum works for me. As long as he serves as part of Ashara’s security forces, my attraction is inappropriate.”
“Or you’re afraid.”
“Oh, there’s no doubt I’m afraid.” Her voice is dry. “But Commander Cax, I’m not the only coward in the room.”
“Ouch. Remind me why I promoted you?”
She opens her mouth to say something. Just then, one of the Draekons shouts out. I look up, to see the heavy diarmod beam slip out of his claws, and careen toward the ground.
Calling my dragon forth, I prepare to jump into the air.
But the dragon doesn’t come. It’s blocked.
Because I haven’t completed the mating bond. Fuck.
Before the beam can crash to the ground, one of the Draekon volunteers swoops to intercept it, grabbing it out of midair.
Silu, always observant, notices what no one else has. “The mating bond,” she says. “You need to complete it. You can’t risk the fever, Commander. Not now.”
Or I could take darniq, the same drug that saved Rorix and Ferix. The drug cures the fever, but it comes at a cost.
I will forget my mate. Forget everything that has happened from the moment I set eyes on her and transformed.
The way Bryce had jumped into the skimmer and taken off.
The amusement in her
eyes as she’d accused me of being high-handed.
The look of pleasure on her face as she sipped the sarinth liquor.
The way she’d looked at my cock, curious and hungry.
It’s just twenty-four hours. That’s all I’ll forget. Just the events of the last day.
Except I don’t want to give up even that sliver of time.
I might be in trouble.
12
Bryce
Hurux goes out for a walk after Silu leaves. He doesn’t get back until the sun starts to set. That’s when Cax returns too.
He looks tired, and I can’t help but feel sympathetic. He spent most of last night looking for Fluffy McCutie. Woke up at the crack of dawn to get back to Ashara. As soon as he dropped us off, he headed straight to work. He probably hasn’t slept for thirty-six hours.
“Thanks for the food-syn,” I say awkwardly.
“It was the least I could do.”
I don’t know what to say to him, and he doesn’t seem to be in a chatty mood either. Neither of them is. Rather than sit around and stare at them awkwardly, I retreat to my bedroom.
Where I proceed to have the most erotic dream about the two of them. Of course. Stupid fucking hormones.
Sofia visits me the next morning. “Bryce,” she exclaims, hugging me tight. “It is so good to see you. I can’t believe you’re here.” She raises an eyebrow. “In Cax’s house. Explain.”
Hurux isn’t around. He’s gone on another walk. “It’s complicated,” I sigh. “You know Hurux?”
“The Zorahn commander? Yes, we met.”
“Well, he and Cax turned into Draekons when they saw me.”
Her eyes go round. “They’re your mates? Oh wow. And Hurux is a Draekon? How’s he taking that?”
“Not well.” I slump on the couch. “Never mind me. Tell me what you’ve been up to.”
She fills me in on her adventures. She was arrested by the Zorahn soldiers. Then her mates rescued her. “Yeah, Hurux told me about Rorix and Ferix taking down his camp.”
She grimaces. “They were pretty furious. Did anyone get killed?”
“Not that I know.”
“Thank heavens. Well, after that, we spent some time looking for the lost city. The Zorahn shot some missiles at the guys, and then Silu showed up to bring us here.” She exhales. “I thought our troubles were over at that point, but of course, it wasn’t that simple.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ashara is run by a Senate,” she replies. “I had to go in front of them and plead for the medicine that would save Rorix and Ferix. The Senate…” Her face darkens. “Let’s just say that if it wasn’t for Cax, Rorix and Ferix wouldn’t have made it.”
“Cax?” Surprise coats my voice. “What did he do?”
“Everything. He showed me where the drugs were, and he arranged for Silu to give me his own access bracelet.” She shows me the black band on her wrist. “Basically, he made sure I could steal the drugs I needed. He saved Rorix and Ferix.”
“He did?”
She nods. “He’s like a puppeteer. He does all his stuff behind the scenes. Never says anything, just arranges stuff. He’s a good guy. Hurux as well.”
“Hurux? He imprisoned you.”
“He did,” she agrees. “But his soldiers were beating Dariux up pretty badly, and Hurux put a stop to that.” She cocks her head to one side. “They’re your mates. What are you going to do?”
She’s got a look in her eyes. Starry-eyed and romantic. “I’m going to do nothing,” I say flatly. “Cax told me that Raiht’vi was a hostage. If he can’t figure out who attacked his city, he’s going to surrender her to Lenox. Both Cax and Hurux know she doesn’t want to be married to the High Emperor, and they don’t care.”
“Are you sure of that?”
“They told me themselves.”
She waves that away. “People say things they don’t mean when they’re under pressure.”
“Tell me you’re not giving them a free pass on this.”
“Of course not, Bryce. But I’m also not going to judge them solely based on what they said. Hurux didn’t have to stop the soldiers from beating Dariux, but he did. Cax didn’t have to save Rorix and Ferix, but he did. Their actions matter.”
Finding Fluffy. Getting me a food syn. Listening to me talk about Liam. Arranging Sofia’s visit.
“Where are Rorix and Ferix?” I ask her to change the topic. “Now that they’re cured of the fever, are you all good and mated?”
“Not exactly.” She blushes. “The drug that cures the fever also affects memory. Any Draekon who takes it forgets his mate.”
I stare at her, aghast. “They don’t remember you?”
She shakes her head. “No, that’s what I thought at first. But the keyword is ‘mate.’ Rorix and Ferix transformed a few hours after they met me for the first time. First, they rescued us from the dwals, and got Ryanna, Harper, and me to safety. So they didn’t forget about me entirely. Just all the stuff in between.”
“That’s still six months.”
“It is,” she agrees. “But they’re well again, and we’re dating. It’s nice.”
I can’t help teasing Sofia. “And sex? Are you having sex with them?”
She goes beet-red. “Are you talking about my sex life in order to change the topic from Cax and Hurux?”
Touché.
Still, Sofia’s words make me think. Maybe, just maybe, I’ve been a wee bit judgmental.
Cax comes back earlier than I expect. He must have run into Hurux on the way, because the two of them are laughing about something. Wonderful. They can get along with each other just fine. Just not with me.
They take in my expression. “You look annoyed.” Cax’s lips tilt up in a smile. “Want a drink?”
Okay, I’m not saying that my mood’s always going to be improved with booze. I’m just saying, there are days when a girl needs a glass of wine. Or sarinth liquor, or whatever they called it. Or, if I can get the food-syn to cooperate, beer. “More of that stuff we drank the other day?”
Another smile creases his face. “I can do that.” He waves his bracelet over a wall, and a section of it slides out to reveal a liquor cabinet. “Hurux, you drinking?”
“Might as well.”
Hurux stretches lazily, and his shirt rides up, revealing taut abs. Mmm. Can’t complain about the view. “Where were you all day?” I ask him, taking the glass Cax hands me with a murmur of thanks.
“Just walking around. Thinking through things. It’s a little disconcerting sharing my mind with a dragon.”
“Got a sudden desire to set fire to things?”
“Not exactly.” He gives me an enigmatic smile. “My dragon is hungry for you.”
My insides turn to mush. “Oh.” I don’t know how to react to that. I down about half of my glass in one nervous gulp. “Is that good?”
‘Is that good?’ Headdesk. I’m not winning points for clever repartee.
“You tell me.”
I bite my lower lip. What the hell happened to Hurux? He’s flirty, and he’s smoldering, and it’s totally getting to me. Get it together, Bryce, I tell myself sternly. Be sensible.
“More?” Cax reaches for my glass, his fingers grazing mine. A spark runs through me, and I shiver.
Do I really have to be sensible? Would it be really wrong to flirt back?
Think about what they’re willing to do to Raiht’vi, I remind myself, but Sofia’s voice echoes in my ear. I’m also not going to judge them solely based on what they said. Their actions matter too.
“Okay.”
He tops up my drink. “Want something to eat?”
“That’s probably a good idea. Drinking on an empty stomach doesn’t sound very wise.” Especially now, when Hurux, and to a lesser extent, Cax, are acting so uncharacteristically attentive. “Do you have drinking food?”
A furrow appears between his forehead. “Drinking food?”
Hurux answers for me. “The humans eat
salt and fat and starch to soak up the alcohol,” he tells Cax.
Color me surprised. “How do you know that?”
“Research team,” he replies readily. “Before the High Empire landed on Earth, they sent scouts to learn about your home planet. A team studied every aspect of your culture.” He looks enquiringly at Cax. “I’m assuming your people hacked into the High Empire’s reports when you created the food syn?”
Cax nods, unabashed. “I’ve read the highlights.”
“Me too, in preparation for this mission.”
“Hang on. You guys are experts on Earth, are you?”
“I hear a challenge in your voice, Bryce MacFarland.” Hurux’s eyes twinkle at me. “I assure you, our research teams were very thorough. They ate your food. Watched your entertainment.” He laughs. “Including your science fiction movies.”
I wince. “Listen,” I start to say. “When Will Smith beat up that alien in Independence Day…” My voice trails away as I remember the trail of carnage in that movie. “Yeah, okay. Some of our movies are not pro-alien.”
Cax laughs at my attempts to explain away the situation. “What I don’t understand,” he says, his dimple flashing into view, “Are the animals you refer to as cats.”
“Nobody understands cats.”
“Yes, but what do they do?” He looks genuinely puzzled. “The purpose of other animals is clear. Your horses provide transportation, or at least, they have in the past. Dogs protect their humans.”
I break out into giggles at the look on his face. “What else?”
Hurux grins. “They slide down mountains with long strips of plastic strapped to their legs. Bryce was telling me about that yesterday.”
“It’s called skiing.” This is fun. I walk over to the living area. Making a split-second decision, I settle on the same couch as Hurux. I’m not saying I’m going to make a move, okay? I’m just leaving the option open.
Cax moves to my food syn. “What do you want to eat?” He does something, and 3D images of food project above the space-toaster.
