The spaceport was almost empty, operating on a skeleton crew, and Dragon thanked the Goddess for small gifts. Caught in the whirlwind of the last few hours, he had forgotten it was a festive day. Fortunately, Valerian had called in advance, informing the hangar’s supervisor that the High Lord would require an airjet ready to depart within the day.

The spaceport occupied the bottom of a dried basin at the foot of a crop of Rocky Domes a good ten airmiles from Palace Sol. Without the assassin’s attack and their much-needed detour, they would have reached the valley in a matter of minutes. As it was, they finally landed on the tarmac with Coral’s rays pinkening and lengthening in the evening hours. The glass and wrought iron structure shone like a diamond sitting on the ghost lake. Dragon’s aerial fleet was displayed inside in a parade of sails and diaphanous wings that floated by the side of the slim airships.

Jade remained a step behind as he greeted the chief engineer and exchanged a few words about the ship that she would be boarding in less than an hour. While they fought for their lives first and then tried to extinguish the fire still burning bright inside him, at the hangar, the crew had had enough time to ready the Jewel. Dragon had hoped he and Jade would have several more hours to be together, but they had minutes instead.

He took her hand and walked to the floating ladder that whisked them up to the ship. The Jewel’s captain waited for them in the shadow of the tree mast.

“High Lord, the airspace control has just given us clearance and we are ready to sail when you are,” the captain said after bowing formally to Dragon, who introduced Jade as his personal guest.

The captain bowed to Jade as well. “Captain Durant, at your service, my lady.” He then turned to Dragon. “Where are we bound, High Lord?”

“Lady Jade will tell you her destination,” he answered.

At his side, Jade let out a soft gasp, and after hesitating for a moment, she finally said, “The Outer Belts.”

“Very well, my lady. I’ll only need the exact port after the first jump.” The captain nodded and motioned for one of the officers milling on the deck to come closer. “My second in command will show you to your cabin.”

“Lady Jade will use my personal quarters, and I’ll show them to her,” Dragon said.

“If you don’t require anything else from me, I’ll finalize the last details for the departure.” At Dragon’s nod, the captain bowed one last time and went to speak to his men.

Dragon looked at Jade. “This way.” He pointed at the forecastle that looked like a miniature version of the steepled towers of Sol Palace, with its blue roof tiles and curved-up edges.

“They don’t seem surprised by my presence,” Jade said. Her tone wanted to be light and she tried to smile, but the stiffness in her posture painted a different picture.

“Are you asking me if I have a habit of sneaking away women on my ships?”

“They seemed quite onboard with your requests.” She didn’t bother to hide her hurt now.

“Because they work for me.” He led her inside the forecastle and descended a few steps of the polished companionway. “And you are the first woman who’s ever embarked on the Jewel, or on any of my other ships for that matter. Like you are the first I’ve ever brought to the Cove.” He took her hand and pulled her closer. “You still don’t believe me, but I care for you more than I should, and this feeling is only growing and driving me insane.” He waited for her to reciprocate his sentiments, but she kept quiet, and he resumed walking toward his quarters.

As soon as they were inside his apartment, he closed the door with his boot and pressed Jade against it, needing a last word with her in the only way they seemed able to communicate. They kissed in a tangle of tongues and teeth and hands. Lust and desperation mingled.

Her body spoke volumes as she said goodbye to him. Through her caresses and kisses, Dragon could hear Jade’s unsaid words, and they pained him. He refused to acknowledge her silent, parting salutation for what it was, but focused on the here and now. The scent emanating from her skin sent his dragon roaring for the mating mark. Unknowingly, Jade exposed her neck to him, and his hand went to the spot on her shoulder where he longed to leave his mark.

He dipped his head and scraped his teeth on her skin. Jade shivered, curling closer to him, plastering her breasts against his chest as she let out a content sigh, arching her throat.

His dragon pushed at the confines of his mind, bellowing his frustration, and his demands became louder, angrier, fighting him all the way to erode his control. Dragon wanted to give in and claim her as his for all the universe to see, but his conscience wouldn’t let him. As Jade had painfully reminded him, he wasn’t free to mark her.

“I’ll miss you more than words can express,” he finally said when she tilted her chin up and looked at him from under heavy lids.

“Dragon—” She kissed him one more time. “You are the most beautiful thing that’s ever happened to me. I’ll never forget you.”

“No. We don’t end here.” He shook his head. “I’ll make it possible for us to be together.” He hugged her tight and heard her frantic heartbeats against his chest. “I’ll find you.” He brushed the crown of her head, then leaned his cheek against it. “If I have to cross the entire universe for you, I will. I’ll bring down the Academy for you if they won’t listen to reason. I won’t rest until you are with me again.”

She stirred in his arms, and tears wet his shirt as she cried in silence.

“You are my soulmate,” he said. “I’ll fight for us until the end of time.”

---

Later, he hopped into one of the one-seater gondolas and flew on top of the glass dome. He then climbed to the highest point of the ceiling, and from there, he watched the Jewel release its lateral wings and soar into the night sky. Jade stood at the forecastle’s window looking down at him. Their gazes locked for a moment that would be forever imprinted in his heart. Piercing pain tore at his chest when he could no longer see his beautiful assassin, lost above the clouds.

He imagined the look on Jade’s face when the captain told her the Jewel belonged to her. The idea to gift her the ship came to him when he realized Valerian had asked for the Jewel to be readied. Dragon knew it wasn’t a coincidence, and he would thank his friend later. It was just the perfect gift for his precious Jade, the only woman he would ever want by his side. His jewel.

“We’ll meet again, my love,” he whispered to the night, pressing his hand against his wounded heart.