Damon looked at his hands, still amazed he was invisible. Hera was unbelievable and fascinated him at every turn–something the queen had never done. He’d lusted over Cosima, mooning over her like a love-sick gurry, but she’d never surprised him like Hera. He wanted to spend the rest of his life discovering her little surprises, but she wanted to return Earth–something he could never allow.

He reached over and touched her beaming face.

She jumped. “Damon, you scared me.”

“I know.” He wrapped his hand around her neck, then gently pulled her toward him, kissing those luscious lips. She sunk into him and opened her mouth, allowing him to devour her. He crushed her to him, needing to feel her squirming body against his growing-hot one.

She pushed on his chest. “Damon,” she murmured. “We have to call Taog, remember?”

He reluctantly released her. “When I’m around you, I forget about my duties, missions, even the foul Kamtrinians. All I can think about is you.”

She tilted her head. “What about the queen?” she asked softly.

“Even her.”

She frowned, but didn’t answer.

He pulled out his telicator. “Captain?”

“Are you ready for the test? Tryker reports that the queen is doing worse.”

He winced, immediately regretting his dalliance with Hera. “Yes. Come to my quarters.” His people’s lives were at stake. He needed to stay focused.

Shortly, the captain and Anonghos entered his cabin.

Taog frowned. “Hera, where the Fates is Damon?”

“I’m standing right in front of you, Captain.” He smirked as Taog’s eyes widened.

Anonghos pointed at the flames and the string that magically hung in the air. “Taog, look.”

The captain slowly walked around the table. “You made him invisible?”

Hera nodded. “Yes.”

“Can you make him reappear?”

Damon stilled. He’d been so proud of her he hadn’t thought about if she could reverse the spell.

She walked over to the table. “Absolutely.”

But Damon could hear the quiver in her voice. She wasn’t fooling Taog or Anonghos, they’d heard it, too. He held his breath, hoping she wasn’t lying.

She quickly put her thumbs and fingers on the flame.

“Hera, no!” He raced over to her, afraid she’d burn herself. He grabbed her wrists and examined her fingers.

She looked up at him. “See, I’m fine. The flames are magic and won’t burn me.”

He kissed the top of her hand. “Because you’re a witch.”

“Yes.”

“You are powerful,” Anonghos murmured.

Damon had been so concerned about Hera he hadn’t noticed he was visible.

“Is this the only spell you can conjure?” Taog asked.

Hera met his critical gaze with a crusty glower. “I can make a shoe fly across the room. Does that make you happy?”

He scowled. “Greum is a powerful dragon, so I wouldn’t be flip, if I were you. He possesses the power to destroy everyone in this room, and now those creatures are controlling him.”

Her features softened. “I’m sorry, Captain.”

Taog grunted, which was about as good as forgiveness she was going to receive.

“Can you do it again?” Anonghos distracted the tension between Hera and Taog.

Damon put his arm protectively around Hera’s stiff shoulders. “Of course she can.”

“Then I want to see it.”

Taos’s voice was nothing less than an order.

Hera looked hesitantly up at Damon, and he could see the doubt flickering in her big eyes.

“You can do it. I believe in you.”

She nodded silently. He stepped away to give her room to perform the spell. Both Taog and Anonghos watched her curiously as she chanted the spell. When she blew on the candles and the flame appeared, some of the tension in Taog’s face lessened. He glanced between Damon and Anonghos–his message was clear. Perhaps, they could capture Greum.

The same ludderfly tingles swept over Damon. The hairs on his arm and the back of his neck stood straight up, then he looked down at his hands–they’d vanished. He was invisible again.

“So, your plan is to attack the king?” Anonghos asked solemnly.

“Yes.”

Taog pulled out his telicator. “You have a better idea? Because if you do, now’s the time to say it. Otherwise, we go with Damon’s plan.”

“Even with Damon being invisible, Greum will be hard to subdue.”

Taog demanded. “Then what do you suggest?”

Anonghos glanced toward Hera warily. “She produced a light that killed the creature inside of Damon.”

Damon clenched his fists, ready to plow a fist into Anonghos’ mouth. “No, she’s not setting a foot on that planet.”

“I’m not sure I can produce the light again. Not without–” Her cheeks turned ruby red. “Not without an orgasm.”

“Are you sure?” Anonghos persisted. “You have that spell book. Maybe there’s a spell in there that can help you reproduce the light.”

Anger exploded inside Damon like a star turning supernova. Heat swelled through him rocket fast. His heart shifted into ultra drive, sending hate, fear, rage hurling through his body. He lost control, swinging his fist. He smashed it into Anonghos’s mouth. Anonghos sailed across the room, blood flying in the air.

Taog hurried over and stood in front of Anonghos. “Damon, I order you to stop.”

Damon sucked in buckets of air and clenched his hands together, trying not to give into the anger swarming through him. When he thought he wouldn’t lose control, he gritted his teeth. “I’m not putting my mate in danger. She could die.”

“Stop all of you.” Hera had her finger on a page in the book. “Anonghos is right. Invisibility might not be enough. I found a spell that produces a great light. I don’t know if it’s as powerful as the one that happened earlier.”

Damon’s heart shook with fear. “Hera, no. If one of those things gets you, it would kill you. You’re human–not a Zalarain.”

“I’m not just human, Damon. I’m a witch. According to all of you, my people are in danger, too. Unless any of you have any better ideas, then this is the only way.”

“Captain, no,” Damon said. “You can’t risk my mate’s life.”

“Taog, I’m willing to do this under one condition,” she said.

Damon vibrated in his breath. He knew what was coming.

“And your condition is?”

Anger hinted in Taog’s voice. The captain wasn’t one for bargains–not when his ship or people were at stake.

Hera took her finger off the page and braced her shoulders. “You return me to Earth.”

He studied her. “Is that what you really want?”

His voice had lost its anger, replaced with a soft thunder.

“It is.”

“I’ll grant your request. Bring the book. We need to get to Zalara before it’s too late.”

In the corner of her eyes, tears glistened. She was lying, but Damon wasn’t sure why. He wanted to ask her in private, but she grabbed the spell book and hurried after Taog and Anonghos. He followed silently behind, trying to think of a way to persuade her to stay with him.

* * *

Within an hour, they walked back to the hangar to board the Excalibur.

Hera gasped, clasping the spell book tight in front of her like a shield. “Great balls of fire, where are the scorch and scratch marks?”

Taog looked at the Excalibur, as if it was the first time. “Our engineers take pride in their work.”

“It would take weeks for anything that badly damaged to be repaired on Earth,” she said.

Damon frowned. “Don’t men take pride in their work?”

She scanned the Excalibur. “They do, but I reckon your technology is far superior to ours.”

“Obviously,” Taog said, as he entered the shuttle.

She glowered at his back but didn’t argue.

“Don’t let him bother you.” Damon leaned close. “He’s just a proud father when it comes to his ship.”

“He doesn’t have to be so arrogant. We’re proud of our ships, too.”

He grinned. “I’m sure you are.”

She followed Anonghos and Taog onto the ship. Damon clasped her arm and maneuvered her to sit in a chair next to him while Anonghos and Taog took the helm.

She stared straight ahead, and Damon could sense her fear. She was putting on a brave front, but she was terrified. Hell, he was no better. He was about to tangle with the king–the master of all dragons. Who knew if their snowball’s chance in space would work?

He clasped Hera’s shaking hand and squeezed it, trying to offer her reassurance. He wished he could tell her that everything would turn out fine, but the truth was none of them might come out of there alive.

Once on board, two doctors carried Cosima on a stretcher, then helped her into a chair, then quickly restrained her. Taog wasn’t taking any chances that she’d waken and try to take control of Excalibur or try and kill him.

Tryker sat next to the queen. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Captain. You’re taking a big chance on all of our lives.”

Taog pushed a button to open the Orion’s doors. “You have a better suggestion, Doctor?”

“You know I don’t,” he snapped.

“Then I suggest you tend to your patient.”

Tryker grumbled underneath his breath, but he didn’t argue with Taog. Their choices were one, and the odds were against him. He checked Cosmia’s vital signs, and judging from his crunched eyebrows, Cosima was fading. Her face was so pale and twisted that he knew the devil inside her was tormenting her mercilessly, even though she was unconscious. The damn creatures were going to kill her unless she killed Taog and took over the Orion.

She moaned and groaned.

Taog glanced over his shoulder. “Give her another sedative, Doctor.”

“Taog, it could kill her.”

“That’s an order, Doctor. We can’t have her warning Greum. If they start working together, none of us will get off Zalara alive.”

“Damn fool idea,” Tryker grumbled, but he gave Cosima another sedative.

She moaned, then slumped over her chair.

He took her pulse. “She’s alive, but barely. This plan better work, or we’re going to lose our queen.”

“Blazes,” Damon mumbled.

Hera wiggled her hand out from underneath his, then gripped the book with both her hands.

Her hair fell across her face, and he suspected she was crying. He put his hand on her arm, and she jerked away from him.

He frowned, not understanding why he was suddenly in the gur house. He kept his hands to himself and leaned closer. “Are you nervous?”

She didn’t answer right away, but whispered, “I’m more nervous than a turkey at Thanksgiving.”

“What’s Thanksgiving?”

“Never mind,” she murmured. She opened the book and flicked through the pages, ignoring him.

He sighed, trying to figure out how he’d turned on the brittle cold switch. She’d been so loving and warm in his quarters. Now she wouldn’t give him the time of day. It was another secret he needed to unravel.

He looked between Hera and Cosima. They were both beautiful, but so different. He’d been in love with Cosima as long as he could remember and had been bitter over the Fates choosing Greum for her mate instead of him. He’d taken the position as her personal royal guard so he could be next to her. It tore his heart out whenever she looked at Greum with loving eyes or kissed him.

Happiness and love were for other people. He’d always thought it wasn’t in the stars for him until Hera. She was always making him second guess, and he found he liked the pursuit. She would definitely keep him on his toes, and things would never be dull with her. He still didn’t know what he felt for her, because it wasn’t the same way he felt about Cosima. With Hera, it was more intense, more physical, more passionate.

He froze. Had he fallen in love with her? He’d never felt these same powerful life-and-death feelings about the queen. One thing for damn sure, he didn’t care if Taog promised Hera she could return to Earth. He was never going to let her go. She belonged to him.

Taog and Anonghos landed Excalibur at the docking pad again. Once more, it was eerily quiet. Greum wasn’t anywhere to be seen, but that meant nothing. He could be watching from the shadows.

The captain whirled around in his chair. “Do you have the light spell ready?”

“I do.”

“Do you need any ingredients?” Taog asked.

She nodded. “Only one.”

Damon pushed the Excalibur’s simulat. “Tell me, and I’ll program the Excalibur’s computers.”

“I need your blood,” she said. “Mixed with mine.”

“That’s dark,” Anonghos said.

“The spell requires a blood ritual. With sex, there is an exchange of body fluids that you’ve all so readily reminded me. This is no different.” She smiled mischievously. “You’re not afraid, are you, Damon?”

“No, just surprised.” He pushed the simulator’s buttons. The door opened, revealing a dagger. “Will this do?”

“Yes,” she said. “Can I see it?”

He gave it to her. His eyes widened, and he gasped when she slashed her palm. An ugly cut oozed with blood, trickling down her arm. “Now, your turn.”

He took the dagger that looked like it was magically flying around in the air, then cut his palm the same as hers.

“Take my hand,” she said.

He did as she asked. When their hands clasped, a flash of power zapped through his body, temporarily paralyzing his heart, his lungs, and shaking him violently. He bit his tongue, and blood squirted into his mouth.

“What’s happening!” Tryker cried. “Hera’s going into convulsions.”

“Don’t stop us.” she chattered through her teeth.

Then, as abruptly as it started, the streak ended. Hera was sweating as badly as he was.

“The spell’s ready. All I have to do is cast it.”

Taog looked at her suspiciously. “Are you sure this is going to work?”

“It’s the best we’ve got, Captain,” she said. “And as you’ve mentioned repeatedly, do you have any better ideas?”

“No.” He looked at each of them grimly. “Be prepared for anything. Some of us might not survive or maybe all of us will. No heroes on this. We do our job and get the hell out of here. Understood?”

They all muttered in agreement. Adrenaline pumped through Damon. Dragon adrenaline. Kilowatt adrenaline. His fierce protectiveness emerged, ready to defend what was his. He cracked his neck and stayed close to Hera. No matter what happened, he’d die protecting his mate.

Even if it meant killing his king.