Page 79 of Captured By the Dragon Warlord
“And you know this how?” Driok drawls.
“Because I’ve been an idiot chasing shadows,” I growl. “When they were right under my nose all along. This has been a distraction designed to leave everything we care about undefended.”
Driok looks away from the screen. “Nev you, Dexx,” he growls and terminates the comm.
His ship turns, and his engines glow as he shoots away from me, back towards Vorostor. I punch in the coordinates and wind the flyer up to maximum as I attempt to keep pace with Driok.
Now I know how foolish I have been. Revenge will get me nowhere. Leaving my mate was the worst decision of my life. I left her undefended, even on a planet filled with predators.
Scarlett is mine, along with the sarkarnlings she carries. I should have heeded the part of my heart I thought was related to the rut, the part which told me to stay.
It was not the rut. It was simply right. My desire to find those who threaten us should never be greater than my desire to be with her.
I will never leave my mate again.
SCARLETT
Idoubt very much I can get away from Dalsor inside Dexx’s sector. He’ll know it much better than I do. My aim is to get to another sector, Darax or Dante’s at a push. Dalsor’s knowledge means I can’t possibly safe in this sector. But in the other sectors, he will be more easily detected. I doubt he’s going to risk another warlord now he knows he’s discovered.
“I’m coming for you, female.” Dalsor’s voice echoes through the passages. “And I can tell you, my master doesn’t need all of you in one piece.”
His words drip with menace. It makes me speed up until I get to the airlock leading out into the neutral sector.
“Mistress?” One of the warriors guarding it is caught unawares by my presence.
“I’m going to visit my friends in Darax’s sector,” I say rapidly.
He gives me the sweetest bow. “As you wish.” He motions to the other warrior who starts the opening sequence.
“Also,” I say carefully, “Dalsor is looking for me.”
The warriors exchange glances.
“And…he’s been making advances. Wanting to steal me away from Lord Dexx,” I say breathlessly. “Your Lord who is out theretrying to find a cure for your shift and defending Vorostor from the Veseli.”
Both of them release low, evil growls.
“But Lord Dexx is my mate. I do not want Dalsor.”
The growls increase.
“Then he shall not pass, mistress.” The pair unsheathe their claws, and smoke billows from their nostrils as they get flame ready.
“I will inform Lord Dexx of your service,” I say, hating I’ve had to drop a little white lie into my need to get away from Dalsor.
I’ve already exposed him, and I can’t risk him getting hold of me. It wasn’t what Dexx wanted, even when he decided to jump into a space ship and chase down whatever was attacking us.
I can partially understand his zeal, but Vorostor is where the fight is.
The airlock hisses open, and I run out into the neutral sector, the air heavy with the smell of cordite, or the alien equivalent, along with the spicy scent of Sarkarnii and, of course, smoke.
Behind me there are a number of blood-curdling snarls, and I know it’s my cue to get the fuck away from Dexx’s sector. I have to hope Dalsor won’t take on two Sarkarnii warriors and will give up on his quest to get to me.
I do my best to trace my steps to Darax’s sector. The last time I was in the neutral sector, I had Cestapal with me, along with two warriors, and I admit I didn’t pay enough attention to the route we took.
It doesn’t help the fact the neutral sector is a battered maze of steel and scorching. It doesn’t take long before I’m hopelessly lost. I haven’t seen a single airlock in the last ten or so minutes, and when I check my comm device, it’s gone dead, presumably something to do with being in this sector.
A crunching has me twisting, looking out for whatever might be lurking. It should only be Sarkarnii here, but as there’s been cockroach aliens invading Dexx’s sector and god knows what else, I’m not even going to hazard a guess at what there could be in here.
