Page 70 of Captured By the Dragon Warlord
“Nev, you’ve got bigger,” he says.
I drop my head until I’m closer to him. “That’s how shifting works, Dante,” I growl.
He huffs out a load of smoke and grins at me in his usual unhinged way. “I know how shifting works, and you don’t normally get larger with each shift.”
“Perhaps my clan does.”
“No clan does.” Dante shakes his head. “And any chance you can shift back? I don’t think you’ll fit in the rest of my ship.”
“I can’t,” I rumble.
“You can’t?”
“I won’t.” I glare at him. “Not while my mate is in danger.”
“She’s hardly in danger surrounded by Sarkarnii on a Sarkarnii ship,” Darax says, striding towards me.
He looks over to where his mate is comforting mine. They are deep in conversation.
“Then explain to me how we were taken from a Sarkarnii ship surrounded by Sarkarnii, and why we are out in space,” I growl at the nevver.
“Your entire clan was rendered incapable by a significantly larger version of the devices we’ve been finding everywhere. Someone let the Veseli into your ship.”
“Dalsor,” I rasp.
“Fortunately, Dante saw the ship carrying you take off. We were in the process of diffusing a device in my sector and we were able to give chase. As expected, the Veseli jettisoned you as soon as they realized we were following,” Darax says.
“Or they were attempting to send us elsewhere,” I growl. “Are there any other ships in this vicinity?”
As Dante looks at Darax, the bulkhead next to us buckles inwards.
“Nev,” Darax growls. “Get the crew to battle stations, Dante.”
SCARLETT
My brain has barely caught up with being in zero gravity, then not, then seeing Kerra peering in at me when the wall of the ship we’re on ripples and the entire structure shakes.
“Get the crew to battle stations, Dante,” Darax growls at the chaotic warlord.
Dexx glares down at everyone, his one eye baleful.
“Why isn’t he shifting?” Kerra says in my ear.
“I don’t know,” I reply as the ship is rocked from side to side and we struggle to stand.
Darax scoops her into his arms. “We need to get back to our ship,” he says to her, his hand spanning her stomach almost subconsciously. “You have seen your friend now.”
Kerra gives me a long-suffering look. “It doesn’t quite work that way,” she says to Darax.
“Then get her to have Dexx shift, and we can deal with those who are attacking us,” Darax says.
“I’ve got this.” I put my hand on her arm. “Don’t risk anything for us.”
I leave her to walk over to Dexx. His huge flanks heave with repressed rage. He wants to fight. I’ve seen enough Sarkarnii to know what it looks like.
“Can you shift?” I ask him.
A curl of smoke escapes one huge nostril. Dexx shakes his head.
