While he’d been aware she’d held an exalted position in Draconian society, he’d been ignorant of her true nature—by her design. When they’d met, she’d even omitted mention she was the priestess. She’d never exhibited any special powers or even told him about any.
Or was this a case of eyes wide shut? He’d sensed a…radiance about her, and he couldn’t help but notice the effect she had on other dragons. It had been blatantly, painfully obvious. They were scared to death of her. He puffed his cheeks out and exhaled. Unbelievable.
“What’s wrong?”
He shook his head, unwilling to reveal his stupidity. “So, what happens to the Eternal Fyre now? Will it stay on the ship until the new temple is built?”
“I don’t think it’s there.”
“Not there? What do you mean? Where is it?”
Helena cleared her throat. “Um…I have a crazy, wild theory.” Her voice dropped. “I think the priestess is the vessel. She’s carrying it.”
“Carrying it, how?”
“I think it’s inside her,” she whispered.
“Are you sure?”
“No, but what other explanation could there be? Did you ever see the sacred flame on the ship? I didn’t. It just vanished from the temple on Draco. If it had been on the ship somewhere, I’m pretty sure passengers and crew would know it and would have been paying homage.”
If O’ne did carry the sacred flame, then she most certainly was a deity. “Ho…ly shit.”
Helena twisted her mouth. “Hold that thought because I have bad news.”
Worse than this—that he’d been mooning over a shapeshifting dragoness who might be a god or at least a demigod? His gut tightened. “What is it?”
“You can’t return to Earth.”
He expelled his breath in a heavy sigh. Not this week? This month? “You mean no time soon?”
“I mean ever.” She hunched her shoulders apologetically. “After what happened to the temple, relations between Earth and Draco have been severed again. We’ve been in this situation before, but this time I think it’s permanent. Attacking the temple was the absolute worst thing anybody could have done. There are no ships going to or from Earth. If one from Earth did happen to come—if my father tried to send one for you, it would not be allowed to land. I’m sorry. I tried to get you on a ship before the shit hit the fan, but it hit way too fast. The temple was desecrated after my father had supposedly recalled all the colonists, which means there are still humans here—or, one human anyway.
“King K’rah is enraged. According to Rhianna and K’ev, he’s spitting fireballs. He ordered the immediate severance of any and all contact with Earth.” She twisted her hands. “T’mar is angrier than I’ve ever seen him. They both believe Earth has doubled-crossed them again and that my father planted saboteurs.”
“Did he?”
Helena pursued her lips. “He denies it, and I believe him—although no one else does. I was with T’mar when he vid-commed my father. Dad seemed genuinely shocked by the news.” Her shoulders sagged a little. “I used to admire him so much. He was a wonderful, caring man and public servant. Then Biggs wormed his way into the picture and used threats against me to coerce him into doing terrible things.”
“He loves you very much,” Henry said softly. President Marshfield had been in a no-win situation.
“I love him. He tried to protect me, but it shouldn’t have been at the expense of others. He and Biggs brought Earth to the brink of a war we couldn’t have won!
“The man I’d looked up to as my hero, the hero of an entire country, didn’t have the backbone I believed he did.” She expelled her breath in a whoosh. “I love him, but it’s been hard. In the last few months, I’ve seen signs he’s becoming the man he once was, so that’s why I believe he’s telling the truth when he says he thought all the colonists had gone back to Earth.”
“But they didn’t.”
“No, and scouts are searching for them.” Her mouth tautened into a grim line. “When the perpetrator is found, he’ll be executed.”
“Draconians don’t believe in trials?”
“They don’t see a need because they can smell guilt, lies, and malice. This is why you need to remain in the palace. It’s not safe for any humans to be out. You could be mistaken for the saboteur.”
Toast now, ask questions later. “Can’t they smell I wasn’t involved?”
“Yes, but there is enormous antipathy toward humans right now. Do you want to risk it?”
“No, I’ll stay put.” What a mess. He couldn’t blame the Draconians—Earth hadn’t operated in good faith in the past, but…shit. He shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the pool area before settling on the respirator he’d left on a lounge chair. He didn’t need it in the pool area, but, as advised, he carried it with him in case he encountered toxic air.
“Since the habitats have been torn down, how have the human, or humans, been surviving out there?”
“They must have built a habitat somewhere. Probably on the other side of the planet.”
“So they leave the safety of their habitat, travel across the globe, risk encountering dragons, and enter a temple to take a whiz?” He shook his head. “I don’t think so. Whoever defiled the temple has to be close.”
“All the easier for the scout teams to find them.”
From what he’d seen via the donatta express en route to the palace, the only way to get from
