Page 15 of Serpents of the Night

Even if Kehtal wasn’t killed outright to remove him from the breeding pool for not being responsive to the influence of a female’s pheromone release when it was discovered, his nest brother was not taking being surrounded by so many females well.

The shinara was not a good place for them. Any of them.

His gaze shifted back to Lori and his hearts warmed. Even next to Kehtal she appeared so small despite the male being more evenly matched to her size. Slengral’s bulk at her other side almost seemed to swallow her up as he curled protectively around her. Even in his sleep, Slengral wrapped himself around their mate. It did not bother him. Exactly the opposite. That simple gesture proved where his loyalties rested, and Daskh never had a reason to doubt for a moment that the male would do everything he could to care for their mate. He had little doubt that Slengral would rise up against the divine guardian, Higthar himself, to protect Lori.

A red eye slowly cracked open to peer up at him.

“Why are you hovering? Get back into bed,” Slengral grumbled, his tail shifting over their mate.

Daskh dipped his chin. “I am unable to sleep. The air feels strange so deep in the caverns. I never did like to venture down to the shinara.”

Slengral gave a sleepy sigh of agreement as his eye slid shut. “I will be pleased when we can return to our nest. There is no true rest here. But do not go far, Daskh. You require your rest as well—or at least what little can be found.”

“I will not. Just call for me if you need me. I will hear you,” Daskh replied as he glided away.

After being together so long, he could differentiate either of his brother’s sonic shrieks from other Seshanamitesh easily now. It was unfortunate that Lori did not have that same capacity to be able to call for them if she was in distress, but it was for that reason that she was never left alone. She would never be left so vulnerable. In the colony, it was easier since she had her comm, but the comms did not work at the depths of the shinara, and in the colony, she was not surrounded by potential enemies as she was in the shinara. Knowing that she was safely tucked between his nest brothers was what allowed him to move through the nest and down the short tunnel to the entrance.

Daskh sat there for a moment on the ledge, his tail coiled beneath him as he regarded the dark silence that descended over the shinara below. The rare, luminous singing crystals that hung within the strategically placed lamps and within the palace itself were dimmed to a soft glow for the resting hour with no tenders to brighten them with their songs. There was nothing but heavy, slumberous shadows as the suns moved high through the skies above ground. Even the air had a crackle of static with the dryness that invaded the depths of the Aglatha during the hottest parts of the day.

His gaze slid over the darkened buildings and paused to follow the bouncing movement of a small, winged figure gliding from building to building just below him. His head cocked as he watched. It was far too slight in build to be a female—unless it was a juvenile. But the young females were kept strictly within the care of their mother and father at all times until they reached maturity. An adult mated male, then. But what was a male doing out during this hour?

Anchoring his claws into the tunnel entrance, he spread his wings for balance as he tipped forward to keep better watch as the male passed directly beneath him. Daskh’s gavo rose warily. The flying was so erratic—what was he doing?

Wings snapping fully open, Daskh launched himself from the tunnel, his tail whipping through the air behind him as he steered through the air until he was directly overhead. He sped up to get ahead of the male and turned sharply in the air before folding his wings so that he dropped rapidly, plummeting through the air directly in front of his target. He was directly within the male’s path when he snapped his wings open, drawing him up short so that he was level with his quarry. The male shrieked in surprise, his tail moving erratically as his wings flapped with a clumsy, disjointed effort to stop in midair.

Concerned that the male might hurt himself, Daskh winged across the short distance separating them and grabbed ahold of the smaller male’s shoulders, steadying him until his wings began operating together again. Now that they were so close, Daskh could see though he was smaller than even Kehtal and clearly still young—barely out of the haga, he boasted very fine, pale, iridescent blue scales that doubtlessly attracted a female in the first season he was introduced to the viewing grounds. And being such a small and early mated male also came with a certain nervous disposition that Daskh could see rippling through the male’s scales as he shook within his hold. He seemed to barely remember to flick his wings enough to keep himself in the air. His gavo was slightly oversized for his small stature and fluttered nervously before flattening submissively.

“Please... do not hurt me,” he hissed fearfully, his wings beating a fast, nervous tempo as he spoke.

“Easy little brother,” Daskh murmured, squeezing the male’s shoulders reassuringly. “I will not harm you. What is your name?”

“Mareesh,” came the tremulous reply.

“Mareesh. What are you doing flitting around down here during the resting hours? Should you not be nesting with your ashlava and seeing to her needs?”

Mareesh shrank into himself but snapped his gavo faintly in agreement. “Normally I would since my ashlava enjoys for me to spend the fire hours smoothing the juice of the waga berry mixed with cooling herbs over her scales.”

“Waga berries?” Daskh murmured in surprise. He had dim memories from his youth of his mother making ointments of waga berries for him when he cried when the heat of the day caused his juvenile scales to become dry and in danger of cracking. He immediately thought of his mate’s sensitive skin and his gavo rippled with excitement. “Do you know where I might procure some?”

The male paused but nodded meekly. “In the Daliska Market there is a female, Nashee, who sells them with her mate. She is Uralial, but she has the best supply since the berries grow best near their rivers.”

Daskh grunted. A Uralial was unexpected in the shinara as most Seshanamitesh derided their existence altogether, but it seemed she was useful enough to tolerate during the two coolest hours of the night when the Daliska Market was open.

“If that is all...” Mareesh began as he flapped his wings and wriggled violently in an attempt to get away.

Frowning, Daskh’s grip tightened, frustrating the male’s attempts to escape until Mareesh once again quieted submissively. “This does not answer my question.”

“Does it not?” The male’s eyes widened in exaggerated innocence and Daskh hissed impatiently.

“You know very well it does not. Do not think that just because I am vehaliska that I cannot follow your sly attempts at diversion.” He sighed heavily as the male trembled anew. He knew it was not Mareesh’s fault. The male was conditioned to do whatever it took to follow his mate’s orders and protect her. “I will not harm you,” he reiterated. “I swear on Shangla’s scale and my own mother’s scale that I will not harm you. Just tell me why you were sneaking around down here below my nest.”

Mareesh’s wings shivered, but he huffed softly. “I was technically beneath the nests of many. This entire great wall of the shinara cavern is full of nests.”

Daskh leaned forward. “And were you heading to another nest?” he inquired softly. “And take care not to lie to me. I will know. You are very transparent.”

The male’s eyes widened for a moment, but he reluctantly dipped his chin. “I was sent here with this,” he murmured, drawing out a scrap of material drenched in a thick, cloying scent that made Daskh want to wretch. “My ashlava is sister to Vekatha. Vekatha arrives in a full day cycle but sent this to my mate with instructions.” He quivered, his head dropping lower as Daskh’s jaw tightened. “I... I was to attempt to lure Slengral out. If successful, it would prove that Vekatha’s claim is valid.”

Daskh’s eyes narrowed on the scrap of fabric dyed purple from the royal tagla flower. With a low hiss, he released the male from one hand as he held him securely with the other and snatched the fabric from him. “Venomous female. She would do anything.” He waved it in front of Mareesh’s nose. “This will do nothing except stink up our nest. Thankfully, I do have a treated storage pouch that will contain its stench. What you have supplied is proof of her attempts of treachery, for which I think you,” he rumbled with a soft hum as he released Mareesh altogether.

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