Chosen by the Dragon Alien (Zarux Dragon Brides #2)

Chapter 13

THIRTEEN

Fivra

Fivra clutched the edges of the hood pulled low over her head to keep her pink hair hidden. She peeked out from beneath its dark folds as she followed Cyprian through the winding, chaotic corridors of Hevatica Station. The clean, perfumed luxury of Erovik was quickly replaced by the gritty, unpolished reality of Hevatica’s lower levels. The air was thick and damp, carrying a metallic tang and the faint stench of recycled waste. Machinery droned endlessly, punctuated by bursts of hissing from steam vents.

Noise rumbled around her—gruff voices shouting over each other in haggling disputes, the heavy thud of boots against metal grates, the occasional shriek of metal grinding against metal. She flinched as a small delivery bot zipped past with a high-pitched beep, nearly colliding with her. The tight space felt alive, charged with tension. Everywhere she looked, beings of all shapes and sizes moved with rapid purpose as they scurried through the metallic maze.

Her senses were overwhelmed, but she held tight to Cyprian’s hand. It was the only thing that felt real. Overhead, long, flickering strips of light cast an uneven, dull green glow that barely illuminated the passageways below. Grime-streaked walls were plastered with holographic ads that sputtered and stuttered as if too tired to function. The ground beneath their feet echoed with every step, the grates riddled with layers of grease and dirt.

“Stay close,” Cyprian said, unnecessarily. Nothing could pull her away from him. His brow was furrowed and his silver eyes darted continuously to scan faces in the crowd. His wings were impossible to conceal. They were too big to hide under anything, so they opted for speed as they hurried through the station.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” she whispered, wincing as a loud crash echoed nearby.

He glanced at her. “Don’t make eye contact with anyone. We draw enough attention as it is.”

She nodded and clenched her jaw, forcing herself to focus on the path ahead. The farther they descended into the station’s depths, the darker and more suffocating the atmosphere became. The sharp smell of chemicals burned her nose, mingling with the acrid tang of ozone and the faint, unmistakable odor of decay. She pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders, trying not to think about what might be causing the stench wafting up from the grates they hurriedly crossed.

Cyprian’s pace quickened and Fivra had to jog to keep up. He moved with purpose, navigating the labyrinthine depths of Hevatica with a confidence that spoke of his long familiarity with its less-polished sectors. Fivra’s heart pounded as she struggled to keep up, every shadow and sharp noise making her jump. A group of scruffy workers argued loudly near a pile of dismantled tech scraps, their harsh voices echoing off the metal walls. They barely spared Cyprian a glance but cast long, narrow looks at her as she passed.

Another flash of movement caught her eye—a scrawny, pale being with impossibly long arms skittered between the shadows. Its glowing eyes fixed briefly on her before vanishing into the darkness. Fivra bit back a gasp and pressed herself closer to Cyprian’s side. “Do you come down here often?” she managed, her voice trembling.

“Often enough to know the way,” he said. “There are supplies and shipments that only arrive in this sector.”

They rounded another corner, and the surrounding air shifted. The narrow corridors opened up into a sprawling lower dock. Its massive domed ceiling was a patchwork of corroded metal and translucent panels, revealing the unfeeling blackness of space above. The space was loud, chaotic, and alive with activity. Workers shouted as they moved crates of goods onto waiting ships. Sparks flew from a crew hastily welding a patch onto the hull of a cargo freighter. Nearby, a group of armored beings monitored a transaction, their weapons glinting ominously under the dim lights.

In the center of the bay sat their apparent destination, as Cyprian was heading straight for it—a battered transport vessel that looked as though it had seen more than its fair share of scrapes and near-misses over the cycles. Its patchwork hull, coated in mismatched shades of tan and gray, bore the scars of countless journeys: dented panels and scorch marks.

A figure emerged from the ship’s loading ramp—a tall, sinewy male with deep marks carved into his pale gray skin, each one glowing faintly with a soft blue light. His eyes glimmered like molten gold, assessing with cool precision as he scanned the busy dock before landing on Cyprian. A wide grin split his face, revealing rows of sharp, jagged teeth. He radiated the sort of casual confidence that made Fivra nervous and relieved at the same time.

“Cyprian,” the male drawled. His gravelly voice carried just enough charm to mask the hint of menace beneath. His accent was foreign, curling around the syllables like smoke. “Your message sounded so urgent, I had to come myself, old friend.” His gaze fell to Fivra and that gold gaze held hers with interest. “With a guest. This is the reason for the urgency, I presume.”

“You presume correctly. Kaelen, this is Fivra. Fivra, Kaelen.” Cyprian’s voice was steady, but his wings twitched. “Can we board?”

Kaelen’s golden eyes flicked once more to Fivra, studying her as though they could peel back the layers of her cloak with a glance. Fivra tightened her grip on Cyprian’s hand and resisted the urge to tug the hood farther over her head. She had a feeling this being missed nothing.

“Of course,” Kaelen murmured with a careless wave. He turned and started toward the transport’s loading ramp. “Come on, then. The less time we’re out in the open, the safer we’ll all be.”

Cyprian released her hand, only to place his on Fivra’s lower back. He urged her forward as they followed Kaelen into the ship. The temperature dropped noticeably as they ascended the ramp. The cool, much cleaner air inside the transport was a relief to Fivra’s senses. Even the faint, metallic tang of recycled oxygen was preferable. The doors hissed as they closed and pressurized the cabin.

The interior of the transport was open and sparse. Clearly, this was a ship used for moving goods. Every panel and seat was worn with the mark of heavy use. Tubes and exposed circuitry snaked along the walls and ceiling.

“Quickly now, put on gravity belts. They project a field around you and interface with the floor to simulate gravity when we’re in space. Also, use the safety straps in your seats. These trips can get bumpy.” Kaelen dropped into the pilot’s seat. His long fingers danced over the controls. Fivra moved toward the row of simple seats bolted to the wall and sat in the one closest to Cyprian. The belt sitting on the seat was thick and appeared to be made of woven metal. Her fingers were stiff. The gravity belt felt awkward in her hands as she fumbled to secure it around her waist.

“Let me,” Cyprian murmured and leaned over to secure the belt. “You’ll need this when we’re off the station.” Then he pulled the safety straps over her shoulders and clicked them in place so she was secured to the seat. His fingers brushed hers. A flicker of warmth traveled up her arm, a welcome contrast to the cold metal pressed against her. She hoped he didn’t regret taking her.

“Hold tight,” Kaelen called back to them. “This is going to get messy.”

“What do you mean by messy ?” Fivra’s heart slammed against her ribs.

“Station controller announced a full-scale lockdown,” Kaelen said, waving casually toward the flickering alerts glowing on the overhead display screens. “Axis scan teams looking for someone.” A sharp, knowing grin. “Someone important.”

“They’re shutting down the station?” Cyprian leaned forward, his jaw taut.

“Not yet,” Kaelen said lightly as he flipped a lever above his seat. The vibrations beneath them grew intense as the thrusters came to life. “We’ll be ahead of it. If you trust me.”

Fivra’s knuckles whitened as she gripped her armrests. “And if we don’t make it out?”

Kaelen’s gold eyes glinted as he glanced back at her, unbothered. “Oh, we’ll make it. I never miss a window.”

The screens flashed red. A low, droning alarm spread through the ship as Kaelen grinned and engaged the thrusters. The ship shot forward. The sudden force slammed Fivra back against her seat. A sick pressure dragged through her chest as the vessel surged toward the dock’s exit portal. Her eyes darted to the viewport at the front. Several hulking Axis ships hovered just beyond the station’s perimeter, their dark, angular silhouettes unmistakable. Their scans, represented as sweeping beams of pale blue light, fanned out in slow, deliberate arcs, seeking…her. The portal leading out of the station flickered with faint energy barriers as the lockdown crept closer. Fivra dragged in a breath and held it.

“They’re scanning everything,” she whispered, clutching at the armrests like lifelines.

“They won’t find you.” Kaelen’s tone was light. He didn’t look concerned. If anything, he seemed to be enjoying himself. “I have a scanning re-sequencer that will give them data showing this ship carrying a mixed cargo of little value and only one life form.”

“This re-sequencer,” Cyprian said. “It’s always effective?”

“So far. I’ve been dodging Axis scans since before your lady mate was born,” Kaelen replied as he toggled a few switches. “Trust me.”

Kaelen wrenched the controls abruptly to the right. The ship jerked with such force, Fivra was almost certain the straps holding her in place would snap. Her stomach rolled as they narrowly avoided a heavy cargo vessel veering toward its docking bay.

“They’re locking down sectors faster than I expected,” Kaelen murmured, almost to himself. His eyes flicked to another monitor, scanning the paths filtering through in garbled streams of data. “Hold tight. We’re cutting it close.”

“What does that mean?” Fivra squeaked as the viewport filled with the sight of a glowing energy barrier crawling its way down the last open docking bay corridors. For someone who had very little experience off-planet, this was both terrifying and fascinating. At the moment, mostly terrifying.

“It means we’re threading the needle,” Kaelen said calmly. His hand slapped another lever. The hum of the thrusters escalated into a thunderous roar that made her teeth rattle.

The ship shot forward, weaving between sluggish, larger freighters to escape the impending lockdown. Fivra’s vision blurred at the speed, her breath coming shallow. The glowing energy barrier grew closer, so close she thought she could hear it.

“We’re not going to make it,” she whispered to Cyprian, her voice cracking.

Only the tightness of his jaw revealed nerves. “We will,” he said.

In a fluid motion, Kaelen adjusted the controls, and the ship tilted sharply downward as it hurtled toward the narrowing space at the bottom of the docking portal.

Fivra’s breath seized in her chest as the edge of the energy barrier sizzled just above them, close enough to singe the top panels of the ship’s patchwork hull. Sparks danced along the canopy, illuminating the inside of the cockpit in brief bursts of electric blue light.

“Kaelen.” Cyprian’s voice was low. The hint of dragon fire rumbled beneath his tone. His wings tensed. The crimson membranes flared as if preparing to push the ship through the void by sheer force of will.

“Steady,” Kaelen muttered to himself. His sharp golden eyes stayed glued to the monitors. At the last possible moment, he yanked the controls upward, the ship responding with a gut-wrenching lurch. They slid below the final arc of the energy barrier and out into the open expanse of space just as the portal sealed shut with a resounding hum behind them.

They’d made it out of Hevatica Station, but Fivra knew their journey was only beginning.