Driok
Maggie stares out of the bridge window at the stars. I have modified the seating so it is easier for her, especially as she seems to grow larger every day.
This wasn’t my plan. Had the burst engines been working, we would have caught up with my crew and the original ship by now. I have to hope they are still where the information provided by the baron says they are.
I have to hope the information is correct. All I have to go on is a feeling within my gut which says if our enemies were to take everything from me…there is only one place they would go.
“My spitfire.” I join her in the second chair, staring into space. “I have something to tell you.”
“If it’s about the food dispenser, I know you’ve been eating more than me,” she says. “Which is fine because you are bigger than me.” Her hand rubs over her stomach. “Even like this.”
“It’s not about the food dispenser. It’s about the place we’re going.”
“What about it?”
My heart thumps against my chest, needy, wanting all of this to be over so my mate and I can raise our sarkarnlings on Vorostor without any enemies, and without any battles.
It is time for peace. It is time I stopped being a warlord.
“You cannot come with me.” I put my hand over hers, the one resting on her stomach. “I cannot risk you and our sarkarnling.”
She stares at me and then shakes her head. “If you think you’re going alone…”
“I do think that,” I respond. “And you know it to be true.”
“I…I can’t let you go.” Words tumble out of her. “Perhaps we should have kept the Gryn....”
“This is no one’s fight except mine.” I give her hand a gentle squeeze. “I thought I knew it all, but as it happened, our enemy was one step ahead.”
“You were betrayed.”
“I should have considered it an option, rather than relying on my belief no one crosses a Sarkarnii. It was a stupid belief anyway, one I can’t quite recall the reason I held it.”
Maggie coughs. “Ego.”
I shrug. “Perhaps.”
She barks out a laugh. “If you have to say perhaps, then it was ego, Driok. You thought you were invincible. But it doesn’t take much, even one tiny betrayal, maybe one which wasn’t even a betrayal to the person doing it, in order for a house of cards to fall.”
“A house of cards?” I study her face.
“It’s a human thing. We have small pieces of stiff paper…
parchment…which can be used to build a tower, or a house as we call it.
But the paper isn’t held together by anything other than balance, so if there’s a gust of wind, or the slightest touch, the tower falls.
It’s a reminder to build on strong foundations.
” She looks at my hand on hers. “Not ego.”
“Humans have some strange customs.”
“You’re telling me.” Maggie forces a smile. “But we don’t have dragons.”
“You have a dragon.” I hold her hand a little tighter.
“One who wants to bugger off and do it all by himself.”
“Well, actually…” I say. “Not quite all by myself.”
Maggie shuffles to look at me. “What do you mean?”
“I don’t want you to physically come with me. Both you and I know we cannot take such a risk.” I stroke my thumb over her stomach. “Don’t we?”
Maggie opens her mouth and after a beat, shuts it again, instead glaring at me with bright eyes.
“But I need eyes and ears. I need a pilot and I need backup.”
“I agree, but it’s not something I can do, apparently,” Maggie growls.
“That’s where you’re wrong.” I stand up and offer her my hand.
“I’d have thought you’d realize by now, I’m never wrong.” Maggie gazes at my hand before she takes hold of it and heaves herself to her feet with my assistance.
“I have something to show you,” I say, leading her through the ship until we reach the place I’ve been working on for a nova-week.
“What’s this, Driok? A closet?” she asks as I open up the door. It’s dark inside, but as I step in, the lights come on.
Maggie follows me and stares around.
“Is this some sort of cockpit?”
“It is not a place I would keep my cock,” I respond, brow furrowed.
“I mean, it’s sort of like the flyer,” she says with a brief glance at me as she trails a hand over the controls.
“Yes, it is. Only it won’t ever leave this ship.”
Maggie looks at me with confusion in her eyes.
I put my palm down on the starting sequence, and the entire place lights up with the various screens I have installed along with the controls.
“This is your control hub. You will have a flyer and multiple smaller flying bots at your disposal. All of which will be of assistance to me when we reach our destination.”
Maggie stares at everything, and I can see the realization creep over her face.
“This is all remote,” she says, and then she claps her hands together and jumps on the spot. “I can go with you, but I’m not with you.”
“You’re going to need to practice,” I warn her. “This is not easy.” I gesture to the consoles.
Maggie fixes me with a look. “I think I’ll manage,” she says, with ice in her voice.
“I’m absolutely sure you will. It’s the reason I built it. For you. After all, you didn’t think I’d leave you out of all the fun, did you?”