“You do whatever you want,” Stal cut in, “but I've got twenty credits that say Natalie wins this one by knockout.”
“I'll take that bet,” one of Tarion's officers replied crisply.
“What is wrong with all of you?!” Dashel's voice this time. “She's pregnant! She's carrying my younglings! This could endanger their safety! Tarion, help me end this!”
A few seconds later, Tarion and Dashel reached in between us, trying to pry us off each other. It didn't do much good. Our fingers were locked around each other's throats in a death grip. Carissa's eyes were bloodshot and bulging, and black roses began to bloom in my field of vision as my air supply was cut off.
Doesn't matter, I thought as everything went dim and distant. Never see Earth again. Daniel either. Least I can...punish her...for...that...
Dashel's claws scraped the delicate flesh of my throat as he ripped Carissa's fingers away from it. Tarion pulled mine from Carissa's neck as well, but that seemed like it was happening light years away. Another world, another galaxy, too far to reach, too far to even think about ever again. One tiny gleaming speck in the sky, one star out of a hundred billion, lost to me forever.
26
Dashel
Natalie went limp in my arms as I dragged her away from Carissa – who was still pinwheeling her arms and legs, striking and clawing in all directions like a rabid Loxican Fiend Lemur. The officers standing around us seemed disappointed that we'd chosen to abruptly end their entertainment.
“Enough of that, all of you!” Tarion roared. “These women are our mates, not gladiators to fight for your amusement! Show them some respect!”
The crew members quieted down instantly, fearful of Tarion's wrath.
He turned to me, hoisting Carissa over one of his massive shoulders. “I apologize for her violent behavior, Dashel. It was uncalled for.”
“Don't you dare apologize for me!” Carissa screeched. “You let go of me right now! I'll kill her, you hear me?! I'll rip her fucking lungs out!”
“That sounds like a good argument for not letting go of you, then,” Tarion replied calmly. “Besides, there's no honor in harming a pregnant woman.” He carried her out of the mess hall as she continued to kick and rage.
“Well, if there's no wager to be made on the outcome after all,” Stal commented dryly, stepping forward, “I suppose I'd better examine her to make sure she's unharmed.”
“You could have tried to stop it,” I said, “rather than encouraging it by betting on the winner.”
Stal raised an eyebrow. “Do you happen to see a whistle hanging around my neck, captain?”
“No.”
“Correct. That's because I'm not a referee, and as such, I have no incentive to get between two combatants. Especially when they seem as keen on slaughtering each other as these two. No, that sounds like the sort of responsibility a person in authority might have. A leader of some sort—like a captain, for example.”
“All right, all right, point taken. How is she?”
“Just cuts and scratches mostly, plus a hairline fracture in her left wrist and a cracked incisor. All easy to repair with what I've got in sickbay. Her pregnancy isn't in any danger, though I'll keep a close eye on her over the next few days just to make sure.”
Later, after Stal had treated Natalie's minor wounds, she woke up and looked up at me. Her eyelids were fluttering delicately like the wings of a Vulnavian Dusk Moth, and I was once more reminded of how beautiful she was.
“I'll give you two some time alone,” Stal harrumphed, making a graceful exit.
“How are you feeling?” I asked, leaning down over her.
“Like a total idiot,” she replied ruefully. “I know Carissa started the fight, but I should have been better at keeping my cool. I shouldn't have escalated it by throwing myself at her when I found out about...” But from the look of it, she couldn't quite manage to finish that sentence. “Especially now that I'm pregnant. Especially knowing it wouldn't bring him back.”
“Such behavior is not uncommon among Drakon,” I reassured her with a smile. “Once our females begin the process of brooding and nesting, they are known for becoming extremely quick to anger.”
That got a small laugh out of her. “So that's what I'm doing, is it? 'Brooding' and 'nesting?' Should I be picking up twigs and bits of fluff to make a nest? Maybe pick out a nice little spot on a tree branch?”
I chuckled. “Perhaps. At any rate, I believe Tarion and Lehar are returning to their respective ships, along with their mates. So you won't need to look over your shoulder and sleep with a knife under your pillow where Carissa is concerned, at least.”
“Oh? You don't think I could've taken her?”
“I'm sure you could have. I'm just glad you didn't have to, and that our hatchlings are safe inside you.”
Natalie looked down at her stomach and put a hand over it, her expression unreadable. “'Our hatchlings.' That's still a hard concept to get my mind around. Daniel and I talked about having kids, but it never ended up happening. At the time, I guess I didn't give it too much thought. Looking back now, though, I suppose there was some part of me that just assumed I was the one who couldn't...you know. Get pregnant. Looks like that wasn't true. Or at least, I couldn't with a human, ha. And now I have a pair of dragons growing inside of me. I should probably be a lot more scared and grossed out about it, but instead, I'm just...in awe.”
“You mentioned him before, too,” I pointed out gently. “Daniel, I mean. You said you couldn't bring him back. But...would you, if you could?”
27
Natalie
Would I? It was a difficult question, and I sat silently for a while, giving it some serious thought. Dashel deserved that.
“The truth? I have no idea. I hated losing him. I hated the horrible way he died. More than anything, I hated how
