Page 52 of Interlude

“I’ll have to give them extra snuggles when we get up to make it up to them.” I feel a little guilty now. Hopefully they don’t hold a grudge.

“Are you okay? Can I get you anything?” he asks me, and I wince.

“I need to go to the bathroom, but he’s holding on pretty tight.”

“Dragons are fairly possessive, and you just became the most important part of his hoard. I would offer to help you, but your mating is too new, and I do not want to get cooked. Even with immortality, burning still hurts, and with my powers at less than half, I probably wouldn’t regenerate as quickly as I normally would.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re enjoying this?” I ask him, looking at him.

“It has been a long time since I enjoyed company, and the fact that it’s my mate and her mates who I hope will become friends is exciting. I like watching relationship dynamics, and I’m eager to see how this all unfolds.”

“Is that what we are? Entertainment?” I ask, feeling hurt by his declaration, and his smile drops as he shakes his head, reaching out to touch me, but he hesitates.

“No, not at all. Sorry, like I said, it’s been a long time since I had interaction with other sentient life-forms. I don’t even interact with the harvesters. I am looking forward to having family and friends again. When we all went our separate ways in search of life and death and what happened to our powers, I never imagined I wouldn’t see my family again. They are not dead, I’d know if they were, but I guess they probably decided to protect themselves and found somewhere to lay low. We are immortal, but we can be killed. How we die determines how long it takes to regenerate. Anyway, I miss them, and it wasn’t until just now that I realized how much. I may be a god, but I am still a red-blooded male with feelings.”

His words appease my hurt feelings, and I wriggle a little more, trying to get my Klingon to release me. “Tirrian, I have to pee,” I hiss at him, and he grumbles and releases me. I slip out quickly, not wanting him to latch on before I can leave the bed. I’m still naked, but I’m past the point of caring now, and I hope Zeydan gets a good look as I crawl down to the bottom and climb over the pile of murder puppies, careful not to step on any of them.

I give one or two of them a scratch, making a head start on sucking up, and I get a couple of happy tail thumps before hurrying to the bathroom. I find the toilet in a little alcove and do my business before flushing it. Thankfully there are pipes in this section of the house. I wondered how they filled the bath so quickly.

When I return to the bed, I stop abruptly, trying to figure out what I’m seeing. In my absence, Tirrian shuffled into my spot. He must have been attracted by the heat, and he wrapped his arms around Zeydan. I slap my hand over my mouth at the look on Zeydan’s face. He seems bemused and slightly panicked. What’s even funnier is Tirrian is rubbing his face against Zeydan’s chest and petting him.

“Would you like some help?” I ask him, smothering the laugh that wants to bubble up.

“If you wouldn’t mind. I think your mate would be perturbed if he woke up and saw that he was grinding against me, especially since he’s naked and erect.”

“Oh? Oh!” Intrigued by this but unsure where Tirrian or Zeydan sit on the bisexual spectrum, I decide to help him out, not wanting him to feel uncomfortable. I mean, he’s a god, so I’m sure he’s probably experimented, but he did say it has been some time since he has been around people, and I don’t want either of them to feel uncomfortable. Also, being humped by a dragon probably isn’t the best way to start a friendship, even if they have been playing nicely up until now, much to my amazement.

“Come on, lover boy.” I drag his arm off Zeydan and shove him, trying to move him back onto his side of the bed so I can slip between them. It proves impossible, so I climb into the spot Tirrian was in previously. That’s all it takes. He must smell me, because he releases Zeydan and rolls over, wrapping himself around me once more. His weight draped over me and the heat he puts off warms me quickly. The trip to the bathroom had been cold, and I’m happy for my heater.

“Thank you, and sleep well, little one,” Zeydan says.

“Night, Z,” I call back. “And thank you for everything.” I reach over Tirrian, and I feel Zeydan give my hand a squeeze. A spark lights up my nerves.

“Whoa, what was that?” I ask him, snatching my hand away quickly.

“That’s my soul reaching out to yours. I’m sorry if it scared you. It’s quite excited about you,” he answers calmly, his tone belying what his soul told me. That little spark was a small shot of joy and celebration, and I can’t believe that’s what he feels without even knowing me, but I’m also thrilled about it.

“It’s okay, I liked it,” I tell him.

“Good.” He sounds pleased now, and I feel a smile drift across my lips as I fall asleep again.

Lila

The next morning, I’m woken by what I’m sure they think is a quiet conversation, but it sounds like a bunch of pissed off cats hissing.

“A large craft just appeared in the orbit of Husadavia. It’s cloaked, but I can feel its presence,” Zeydan tells my dragon. He sounds worried, which is a concern in itself, considering he’s a god.

“Were you expecting anybody?” Tirrian asks calmly, and I’m impressed. I thought he’d hit hyperdrive on panic.

“No. No one visits this planet except the harvesters I employ. The only reason the carevasta bears got onto the planet was because I was on Z68, gathering the crew. I’m surprised they got as far as they did—unless they beamed directly to the spot where they left Lila’s grandmother’s stasis box, which should have been impossible. They must have had intel from someone who knows the planet, and the only living people would be my fellow gods.”

“Do you know where it is?” Tirrian asks as I stretch, deciding I need to be involved in this conversation as well. I look around for some clothes as Zeydan answers.

“Yes, I searched for it last night while you were otherwise occupied. The bears’ bodies are nothing but bones scattered around it, but I couldn’t penetrate the box. It has a signature I recognize on it though, which makes me think one of my fellow gods is definitely involved, but I have no idea why. What would be the benefit of keeping Liliana Adams in stasis?” Zeydan sounds aggrieved. “If I were at full power, opening it would be child’s play, but I don’t have access to all of my powers.”

I hate how defeated he sounds. I spy Zeydan’s cloak on the end of the bed. He must have picked it up after I dropped it to run from Tirrian. I snatch it up and pull it around me, my movement drawing the males’ attention.

“Lila, you’re awake.” Tirrian’s worry drops for a moment as he smiles gently at me.

---