Page 81 of Captured By the Dragon Warlord
I lean into her, my face in her long hair, sweet, fragrant, perfect. “I will never leave you again, heartsfire. If I do, I give you full permission to cut off my tail.”
I pull back to see her shocked face for a nova-second or two before she smiles.
“Apology accepted, and I will hold you to that offer.” The steely glint in her eye suggests, as if I didn’t already know, I have met my match in this female.
And I am loving every single nova-minute.
“It’s time to catch a traitor,” I murmur. “Stay…”
“Are we really doing this?” Scarlett folds her arms.
“I was going to say, stay behind me.” I raise my eyebrows.
Scarlett huffs. I’m sure I see smoke, although maybe it’s my imagination. Her eyes narrow.
“I’ll do that. Doubt much will get through your thick hide anyway,” she grumbles.
I press my mouth to hers. Scarlett squeaks in delight before I hiss at her for the noise and tuck her behind me. My tail has not shifted back since we landed on Vorostor and was always relatively stubborn even before that time, so she has a job not tripping over it.
I snarl out into the sector, allowing my low, deep rattle to reverberate around, making sure any creature in the vicinity knows I am here. So many have attempted to fight me, and all have lost. This time will be different. I won’t lose because I have Scarlett. I won’t lose because I have too much to lose.
There is an answering snarl, and another, and another. A Sarkarnii shape steps out of the shadows. I’d recognise Driok anywhere. He’s followed by Dante, who is wearing a belt which looks suspiciously like it has a number of psi-grenades attached to it.
I should be grateful they’re just psi-grenades. Dante has been known to carry far more lethal explosives about his person.
“Dexx.” Driok’s voice is like claws being dragged over stone. “Dante convinced me there was a battle worth fighting here. Involving the…” he drags in a breath, releasing a stream of smoke and sparks, “…Veseli.”
“The Veseli and a traitorous Sarkarnii,” I reply. “One of my own. And it is my duty to put him down,” I state, not keeping the growl from my voice at the other two warlords. “Dalsor is mine to deal with. He put my mate in danger, and he killed two of my warriors. You can dispose of all the Veseli you want, but Dalsor belongs to me.”
“So be it,” the huge, dark Sarkarnii says. “Dante…” He inclines his head.
“Is it time?” Dante’s chest heaves.
“It’s time.” Driok nods. “We’re not expecting any more to this particular party.”
He means Darax and Dalox, and I didn’t expect either of them to attend in any event. They’re always going to turn up for the glory later.
But this time, the glory will be all mine.
Along with my Scarlett.
“We need to bring him out.” Dante shifts his wings and beats into the air, maintaining part of his biped form as he grasps at the psi-grenades on his belt.
“Take cover.” I gently pull Scarlett into a nearby alcove.
Driok attempts to join us but is rebuffed by a snarl. “Mine.” The word comes out as a challenge and a threat all in one.
I rather like it.
Behind me, Scarlett says something, but it is muffled by my body, which I move slightly out of the way.
“What’s going on?” she says, shoving my tail to one side.
The tip curls around her ankle. I never could control it much.
“Dante is going to do what he does best. Make things explode. Driok, if he has any sense of timing left, will scoop up whatever Dante flushes out, and I will do the rest,” I explain.
“It’s almost as if you’ve done this before,” Scarlett says.
