“You were badly burned. I feared the worst…” Arax’s voice trails off, and his expression is strained. Then he gathers himself together, and his voice turns crisp. “Nyx, meet Liorax, Firstborn of Laris, and Zunix, one of the Spymaster’s assistants. They were exiled five years before we were. And,” he adds, “they seem to be holding us prisoner.”
“Is that so?” Nyx surveys us coolly. “Why did you attack?”
I hold up my hands. “I didn’t attack you.” I explain about the dead man, the metal knife, and the frenzy Herrix had whipped the others into. “They thought you were going to take the women.”
“Let me guess. The women aren’t in any danger, and once again, Raiht’vi has misled us.” Nyx shakes his head in disgust. “We didn’t kill anyone. We have no metal, except stray pieces of diarmod we salvaged from our drone ship. Our knives are carved out of bone.”
“You were searching for the women? That’s why you were here?”
Arax and Nyx exchange looks. The silence stretches out. “There was another reason,” Arax says finally.
“The ship,” Zunix guesses quietly. “So we were right. You were searching for the parts as well?”
Arax gives Zunix a sharp look, and Zunix meets his gaze. “My loyalties are always to the High Empire, Firstborn,” he says directly. “I have no secrets from you. We believe that four of our exile batch have found the ship. One of them is a technician.”
“Escape from this planet isn’t important right now,” Arax replies. “We should have returned back to our home last night. Our mate Viola will be frantic with worry. We have to get out of here.” He gives me a questioning look. “Why is Dariux holding us hostage? What does he want?”
Zunix answers. “He’s searching for something,” he replies. “I don’t know what. He believes that you hold the answers. And if not you, then Brunox’s daughter.”
Arax’s head snaps up. “Raiht’vi is Brunox’s daughter?”
“You didn’t know?” Zunix shakes his head wryly. “Surax really did love his secrets.”
Arax’s lips narrow to a thin line. “This changes things,” he muses. “Brunox will not allow his daughter to be stranded on the prison planet. He’s a powerful man. Asteroid belt or not, they will come for her. No matter how many die in the attempt.”
“Again,” Nyx points out, “that’s not important right now. What’s important is getting out of here. Before Vulrux and Dennox come looking for us.”
This time, it’s my turn to be shocked. “The Thirdborn is here too?” The Draekon mutation is blind to the well-being of the High Empire. It seems to have attacked the finest men from my generation, leaving behind the incompetent, the power-hungry, the ones that will act without regard to consequences.
“Yes,” Arax confirms. “And when we don’t return, they will come looking. I would like to avoid war. Any ideas?” He gives Zunix a searching look. “I’m quite sure,” he says, “that Surax was better informed than I was. I have no illusions that the Spymaster shared all his secrets with my father. Whatever Dariux is looking for, I don’t know it.”
Zunix looks unsurprised. “Let me work on a plan,” he says. “For the moment, Liorax and I are obligated to support Dariux. He healed Olivia, and the price of the med-kit was our cooperation. I know it’s hard to be patient, Firstborn, but I beg you, stay calm. If this matter can be resolved, I will find a way.”
“It’s not my patience I’m concerned with,” Arax replies. “It’s those in my camp. At last count, we were four dragons. If it comes to war, we will fight to the death, but we will lose.”
Never. “We will figure a way out, Arax,” I repeat.
“I hope you’re right,” he says bleakly. He tilts his head to one side and surveys us with a curious look. “Olivia’s your mate? Viola seemed to think she was,” he hesitates, “not too bright.”
Zunix grins. “She’s the smartest person here,” he says, a note of pride in his voice. “She’s playing a role. I’m assuming the humans sent her to spy on the High Empire.” There are footsteps outside. “Bolox, Narix,” Rezzix says loudly, his voice carrying into the room. “Are you here to relieve us?”
“That’s our cue,” Zunix says, his voice low. “We must leave you now, Firstborn.”
I hear another set of footsteps. Lighter this time. Zunix’s smile widens. “If I’m not mistaken, that’s Olivia now.” He winces. “I promised her yesterday that I’d explain everything.”
I chuckle. “You’re in trouble.”
His expression is sharp and focused. “Indeed,” he says. “But I have a way out.”
“What is it?” Nyx asks from behind us.
He smiles. “Why, I’m going to tell her the truth, of course. It’s time she knew everything.”
21
Olivia:
I make my way to the treehouse where the two injured Draekons spent the night. The others are milling about, so I paste a vacant smile on my face. After my hysterical sobbing yesterday, an acting job worthy of an Oscar, if I say so myself, most of the guys give me a wide berth.
There’s no sign of Liorax and Zunix. The Fox and the Hare are nowhere to be seen either. Probably taking advantage of everyone’s distraction to continue work on their spaceship. I see Felicity and her two guys though; they’re sitting on the small balcony outside their house, deep in conversation, their expressions serious.
Maybe they’re telling her about the spaceship? That is, if we’ve guessed correctly and there is indeed a spaceship. For all I know, they could be having another lover’s spat.
When I reach the mansion, Bolox and Narix are standing guard outside a closed door. A stroke of luck for me. The mated guys are very good at keeping their eyes on my face. Bolox and Narix, on the other hand, can’t stop staring at my cleavage. I lean forward to give them a better look. “Are the prisoners inside?” I ask them in my stupidest tone. “Can I peek?”
It takes another leering glance at the boobs for Nuts to let me in, but unfortunately, the moment I step inside, I realize the prisoners aren’t alone. Liorax and Zunix are there with them. Of course.
God, they’re hot. Memories of yesterday fill my mind, and a shiver of desire runs through me. You’re mad at them, Liv, I remind myself, opening my mouth to say something sarcastic.
Zunix lifts his eyes to the door behind me and shakes his head by a fraction. It’s an unmistakable warning. Bolox and Narix could be listening in.
Got it. I can wait to chew them out. “I heard there were prisoners.” I flutter my eyelashes at the two men. Zunix’s lips twitch, but his expression is warmly appreciative, and it sends tingles through me. Damn it. I’m supposed to be angry with them for not telling me what’s going on, but they’re making it hard for me to stay annoyed. “I thought I’d peek at them.”
“Of course you did.” Zunix rises to his feet and takes me by my elbow. “They’re asleep. You can peek tomorrow. Until then,” he says in my ear, sending a shiver of desire through me, “I believe it’s our turn to court you.”
I glance over his shoulder at the two men, who are lying down, but obviously awake. One of them, the dark-haired one, winks at me. Oh good. If they’re winking, they’re not furious. I think.
Zunix and Liorax lead me outside. When Balls and Nuts see the two men, they open their mouths in protest. “Dariux said no visitors,” Balls says to Liorax, his expression uneasy.
Liorax shrugs. “I keep pointing out,” he says, his voice indifferent, “that Dariux isn’t in charge of the camp. One of these days, someone’s going to realize I mean it. Run along and tell him if it’ll make you happy.”
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.”