Page 63 of Fated to the Dragon Warlord

“Lord Darax.” The Sarkarnii thumps his fist over his heart. “Lord Dexx is inside.”

Darax releases a vast cloud of smoke and sparks.

“Is he now,” he rasps. “He knows better than to enter my sector without permission.”

Before we can set foot in the ship, a huge green shape fills the airlock.

“I don’t need your permission to take what I need,” the Sarkarnii growls.

Darax releases a burst of flame, and it is truly, truly terrifying. The other Sarkarnii does not move, and once the flaming is done, he merely pats off the ends of his long dark hair which smolder slightly.

“Nothing here belongs to you,” Darax snarls back.

“You have females, although your refusal to share them means they are now lost. You deliberately kept that knowledge from me,” Dexx retorts.

“I tell you what you need to know,” Darax rasps. “And violating the accords we live by is not going to change anything. Leave, or you will regret it.”

Dexx glares at him for a long time. His eyes, fiery like Darax’s, only with a strange green glow, do not blink.

“You will give me a female, oryouwill regret it,” Dexx says finally, before the swirl of scales and smoke turns him into a Sarkarnii at least as large as Darax.

One which huffs out the most enormous cloud of sparks before the downdraft of his wings hits us and nearly bowls me over.

“When I find out who is responsible for letting Lord Dexx onto the ship, they will be spending the next nova-decade cleaning out the filters,” Darax roars at his warriors as he stomps through the airlock.

“Do you think he took them?” I ask, hurrying after him.

“No,” Darax says. “Dexx has a death wish under many circumstances, but he wouldn’t cross a fellow warlord. He doesn’t have your friends.” Darax takes hold of my arm and guides me down a passage to where his quarters are situated.

“Where are we going?”

“I need to interrogate my crew,” Darax says. “And I don’t think you want to watch.”

“If it means I get my friends back, then I will watch anything.” I stop dead, meaning he cannot continue. “You’re not locking me out of this, Darax. I told them they would be safe here.” I put my hands on my hips, attempting to keep the tears which threaten at bay. “I told them. This is my fault.”

Darax growls low under his breath, smoke curling from a nostril.

“It is not, little mate. If anyone is to blame, it will be me. I should not have left theSilver Star, not so soon after the meeting.”

“You really think one of the other warlords is responsible?” I ask.

Darax dips his head, smoke streaming up around his ears, making what looks like horns around his head, as if he is the devil incarnate.

“The Sarkarnii are many things. They call us warlords because we are not afraid to fight, to battle, to triumph. We made this galaxy what it is. We stopped the Veseli from ravaging this place.”

“You took it over.”

“We took what we needed. And we gave back in return,” Darax growls.

“But you made enemies. And those enemies have taken my friends,” I respond, anger blooming in my chest. “They were supposed to be safe.I promised.”

I push past him, and Darax yields to me for a moment before I’m pulled into his arms.

“Don’t do this.” I go limp, not wanting to engage.

“Do what? You are mine, Kerra. MINE,” he growls. “I would protect you and anyone you cared for with my dying breath.”

“But you didn’t, did you?” I respond. “And you decided to keep so many truths from me. About your enemies, about yourbrother,” I hiss. “You told me he was dead.”

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