Though I’m still smarting from the viper’s sting, even I must admit that her choices prove her intelligence. Even Drakon females are not half as smart. It hurts that such a worthy brooder turned out to be a deceiver. Her deception will make it difficult for me to trust again. She’s taken something important from me and can unfortunately never give it back.
As we chase down my errant slave, my mind drifts back to all the human media I’ve consumed. Humans thrive on conflict, deceit, and turning on each other with alarming regularity. I believed that all the conflict and mayhem in their shared stories was mythical. Good always triumphs over evil after all. Now I am forced to consider that they might be actual representations of human morality. If that is so, I have been grievously deceived by the human female.
9
Carissa
Relaxing on a long sandy beach, my eyes drift closed. The sound of the ocean waves lapping against the shoreline helps me to enter a state of peace. I dream about water a lot, but this dream is different. There are so many boulders strewn along the beach that it is difficult to find a spot for my lounger. A row of large, jagged stones separates the beach from the water, and another separates the beach from the rest of the island.
After the endless dreams of being chased by a crimson dragon, it’s a relief this dreamscape looks totally different. Soaking up the sun, I don’t worry about being sunburned because none of this is real. It’s so peaceful that when a furious roar splits the air, my shocked body jerks to attention. The enraged crimson dragon is diving towards me.
I’m lucid dreaming and fully aware that I’m projecting my own anxieties about being recaptured by Tarion into my dreams. Although that makes perfect logical sense, I’m still terrified when the creature lands a few yards away. He’s the size of a small shuttle and his eyes are fixed on me. I’m too scared to move, my pulse racing as he begins to stalk toward me. When he starts running full stop towards me, smoke rising from his flared nostrils, panic rises from my chest to my throat.
Jumping when the dragon lands on me, I nearly fall out of the pilot’s seat. Rubbing my eyes frantically, the cockpit of the small fighter comes into focus. Since running out on Tarion, my dreams have been filled with images of the same crimson dragon. It’s funny that I’ve transformed the big lug into an actual dragon in my dreams. Something tells me dreaming about the real Tarion would make me want to go running back the only man I’ve come close to loving. That little nugget is a new epiphany I’ve had since being on the lam. I must have been developing real feelings for him. Why else would I be spending every waking moment wondering what he’s doing and if he misses me?
He’s not only a talented lover with amazing stamina, but he’s also someone I can really relate to. Three days ago, I realized that we have several important things in common. We both lost our mothers at an early age, which clearly stunted our emotional development. Additionally, while I spend all my time fighting my masters, Tarion’s fighting his own battles, thinking that if he kicks enough ass and amasses enough wealth, he’ll get back all the respect he lost by failing to be accepted by a Drakon mate. We both keep everyone else at arm’s length, but for some absurd reason, we trust each other with our innermost secrets. I’m fairly certain he’s never shared that story about being locked in the ventilation system as a child with anyone else. For some godforsaken reason we click, and I miss the hell out of him.
Transforming him into a real dragon is my mind’s way of keeping him at arm’s length. Despite that, I can’t help but feel like something else is happening. When we are together, I feel an undercurrent of something dark and dangerous. It’s like our connection is more than just the two of us.
Maybe it’s all in my head. I’ve been in the black for over five days and it’s looking like I might need to make a refueling stop soon. One of my fuel rods has gone dark, and the other four are fading quickly. I won’t breathe a sigh of relief until I find a populated planet where no one will ever find me. If I keep my head covered and don’t draw a lot of attention to myself, I’ll be able to avoid capture. It’ll work because there is no other option.
Trading in this fighter might be worth the effort of seeking out black market operatives. No legitimate dealer will buy stolen property. Stealing a valuable craft from the only person who ever gave me a chance at something better weighs heavy on my conscious, however.
My mind drifts back to the night I ran from Tarion. For some reason, leaving him had been difficult but necessary. Standing at the foot of his bed, he’d been gorgeous sprawled out naked. His wings were folded tightly against his back, covering the nice backside that I was dying to see. His beefy crimson arms were above his head, showing off his bulk. The guy even had nice feet.
My heart and body were both on the same page; they wanted me to climb back into bed and just forget all about making a break for it. My more pragmatic brain had
