Part one of Markath's plan had worked, the chaos and confusion above told him that. A shame he hadn't had time to develop a part two, but the humans had pressed him for time. Fortunately, the demon tigers' fear of a dragon was strong, and Duke Kagurash's modifications gave them a hatred for intruders. That made driving them to attack the soldiers easy. Now that they were fighting, though, he could hear the panic in the demon tigers' cries. They wouldn't last long.

I don't need a fancy plan, he thought with a snarl. Not when his Amanda was in danger. The fury of the dragon inside him wouldn't stay confined, and he set out up the ramp at a run.

The fog around him thinned and soon he'd be vulnerable. All it would take was for one of the gunmen to see him coming and he'd be a dead man, no good to Amanda or anyone else. But he couldn't let that stop him now, not when this was Amanda's only chance. Leaving the cover of the fog behind, he shifted, charging up the ramp as his body grew and twisted, the nanotech inside him transforming him into his warform. Scales spread and thickened, muscle stretched, and by the time anyone saw him coming he was a full dragon rushing towards them.

The change came at a cost. The artificial skin Amanda had used to close his cuts tore as he shifted and the wounds beneath reopened, leaving a bloody trail behind him as he ran. The pain was indescribable, filling Markath's body and mind with a blinding agony that hardly let him breathe. But he wasn't going to let that keep him from his foes, and his fury overwhelmed the pain.

The first soldier to see him snapped off a shot that burned across Markath's injured wing, and then a demon tiger pounced, bearing the human to the ground. Rivers shouted something, the words lost in Markath's roar of rage and pain, and turned to fire at him. Bullets glanced off his scales, Rivers' handgun far too weak to harm a full dragon. But the other soldiers had seen him, and the demon tigers were more interested in getting away from the charging dragon than attacking the humans. Another plasma bolt struck his chest, burning away scales and staggering Markath. A third clipped through his wing, a painful but meaningless wound.

Then he was on them, breathing fire as he came. The white-hot flame washed over soldier and tiger alike, and they scattered screaming from his approach. Some leaped aside fast enough to avoid the flames, others were caught head on and incinerated in instants. Rivers himself jumped off the side of the ramp, falling into the fog-shrouded depths below.

Markath reined in his flame, not wanting to risk hitting Amanda, and lashed out with his claws. He caught a soldier who'd gotten too close to him across the chest and sent the man flying back in a spray of crimson blood. Threaten my mate, will you? Markath roared wordlessly at the thought, fury incarnate. You'll pay, you'll all pay, for any harm that has come to her.

He couldn't see Amanda amongst the humans, his vision blurring as he looked for her. The injuries he carried were getting the better of him, and he slowed as he turned. Another shot struck him in the right arm as he smashed down a human and a demon tiger together. But the pain that wracked his body was nothing compared to the pain in his heart at the thought of losing his mate. His plan, such as it was, had been desperate. Could he be too late?

One of the soldiers had circled behind him, taking a shot into his wounded side as he tried to see where his mate was. Arching his long neck in a howl of pain, Markath tumbled to the side, letting loose a jet of fire that scorched the cave's roof as he fell. The wound burned as though he'd fallen into magma, and he could barely move.

But stopping wasn't an option. Not until Amanda was safe. With a desperate sweep of his tail he caught the soldier, sending him flying into the air to land with a final, fatal crunch somewhere amongst the ruins. Another took aim at his head, and Markath ducked just in time to avoid a shot into his eye. Even so, the near miss left a blinding afterimage as he lunged forward to crush the man between his powerful jaws.

Silence fell, and the only thing Markath could hear was his own labored breathing. The last of the soldiers had fallen, the devil tigers had run off, and he was alone on the ramp. Amanda was nowhere to be seen. For a moment, Markath almost gave into despair. His body was torn and bloodied, his life ebbing from him, and his mate wasn't here.

She must be okay, he told himself. She has to be. I will not allow it to be any other way.

Drawing a ragged, painful breath, Markath roared as best he could, and heard an answering call. He couldn't make out the words, but the voice — it was Amanda, he could never mistake the sound of her. Hauling himself over to the edge of the ramp from which he'd heard the call, he looked over it, and into the depths below. Two figures waited down there, Amanda pinned to a wall by Captain Rivers, a knife pressed to her throat.

Looking up, Rivers snarled, blood smeared on his face. His eyes narrow, his lips pulled back from his teeth, he looked like a figure from a horror story. His hand, though, was as steady as a rock, and the blade pressed into Amanda's skin.

"Change back," he barked, words slurring a little. "Change back or I will cut her throat right now and you can watch her die."

Despite the slurred words, Markath knew that he was deadly serious. And he had nothing to lose. Markath, on the other hand, had everything to lose. He shifted back with a groan of pain, collapsing to his knees at the edge of the ramp, and Rivers smiled.

"Good, that's good," the human said, looking up at Markath. "Now throw me one of my men's guns."

"Don't!" Amanda cried out. "He'll kill you!"

The movement made him wince as the razor-sharp blade dug into her skin and blood welled up. Rivers laughed, a cold and heartless sound.

"I'm wagering that your alien up there would rather take that chance than see your throat slit, Dr. Cain," he said, slowly and precisely. "But perhaps I'm wrong, and he will settle for avenging your death?"

Markath gripped the edge of the ramp with renewed fury. The pain of his injuries coursed through him and he felt weak from loss of blood. It took all his effort to stand and call down to Rivers.

"If you hurt her, I will kill you," he said.

"Of course," Rivers agreed readily. "I'm under no illusions I can finish you off with a knife. But you're not going to pretend you can save the doctor here from a cut throat, are you? Fetch me a gun, or watch me spill her blood."

Matching gazes with the human, Markath could see the crazed conviction there. This man no longer valued his own life, not if he could hurt Markath, and that was that.

Looking at Amanda, he saw her fear. Not for her own life, but for his. His death would hit her as hard as hers would him, and Markath couldn't cause her that kind of pain. It simply wasn't an option that he'd consider. But what else could he do? She was helpless in the hands of a trained killer.

Don't give up, my love. Amanda's spirit was as strong as any dragon warrior, and he cursed himself for ever doubting that. He wouldn't make that mistake again, and he knew that he could trust her to act if he gave her the chance.

The nearest rifle lay in the hands of one of the men killed by the devil tigers, and Markath scooped it up, holding it out over the edge. "Let her go and I'll give you the gun," he said, voice rasping in his throat.

"I promise I will let her go once I have the rifle," Rivers said, a cold smile on his lips. "Trust me. What choice do you have?"

Markath ground his teeth and took a deep breath. Trust Rivers? That would have been a joke if it wasn't so deadly serious. But he was out of options. Looking at Amanda, meeting her gaze, Markath tried to convey his feelings.

Then he threw the rifle.

It tumbled end over end towards Rivers, who snatched it out of the air with perfect reflexes. But that took his knife-hand away from Amanda's throat, and as soon as it moved, Markath leaped after the gun. With his broken wing, it was more a fall than a dive, but he had just enough control to aim himself directly at Rivers.

Everything seemed to move in slow motion as he fell. The rifle lifted towards Markath, Rivers movements perfectly controlled despite his injuries. Markath could see he was too late. He wouldn't reach the human in time to stop him firing. The barrel loomed large, seemed to fill his vision, and he knew that Rivers wouldn't miss.

He was at peace with that. The plasma bolt would kill him, but it wouldn't change his course. The impact of a dragon warrior on Rivers might or might not kill the human, but it would give Amanda a chance to finish the job. If he died saving her, Markath could die happy.

I just wish I could tell her how I feel again, he thought, seeing Rivers' finger tighten on the trigger and a spark of light ignite in the rifle's barrel.

Then Amanda barged into Rivers' arms.

The bolt of plasma erupted from the barrel, snapping past Markath's head by the narrowest of margins. He felt the heat of it burn his skin, his hair charring from it, and didn't care. He was alive!

Rivers' eyes went wide, panic filling them in the fraction of a second before Markath struck him. Markath felt the human's bones give as the two of them tumbled to the floor, but still Rivers kept fighting, trying to bring the rifle back around for another shot.

It was a futile effort. Now that Markath was in arm's reach of his enemy, his greater strength won out. Plucking the rifle from the man's hands, he swung it in a short, sharp arc that ended in Rivers’ head with a wet crunch. Rivers kicked once and then lay still.

"Oh my god, are you alright?" Amanda cried out, hurrying to his side. Markath laughed at the absurdity of the question, or tried to. He'd been clawed, crushed, shot, and now fallen several stories. Of course he wasn't alright.

But none of that mattered, not when he could turn and take his mate in his arms. She was alive, and whole, and the enemy were dealt with. Markath pulled her close even as she fumbled for her medkit.

"Get off me," she said, a note of exasperation in her voice. It almost hid her relief and joy. "I need to treat these wounds."

"Not as much as I need to hold you," he said, but he relented, slumping back against a building as she started to examine him. Watching her focus on her work, he couldn't help smiling. "I love you, Amanda Cain."

That was enough to make her look up from the long gash across his ribs she was trying to close. Her eyes sparkled with tears, but she was smiling under them as she sprayed something cold onto his wounds.

"I love you too, you idiot," she told him, and the words sent a burst of joy through him that lit up his soul. "That's why I don't want you to die, so stay still while I work."

She leaned in to plant a kiss on his lips, and he smiled as he returned it. Everything but Amanda seemed to fade away as she pulled back, and he looked up into her face. She'd been through so much, but she was going to be okay and that was what mattered.

Markath watched her as the world went black. If this was the end for him, he was going to make sure he spent his last breaths looking at his mate.

* * *

The darkness was warm and comfortable and he felt he could float in it forever, but something called to Markath. Something far away, but he knew it was important and it wouldn't let him go. With an effort, he tried to focus on it. Was that someone's voice? He couldn't quite make it out but as he listened, it became clearer.

Oh. I'm not dead. The realization didn't seem as important as he'd have expected. Memory flashed back into his mind and he knew that he couldn't stay here in the comfort of the dark forever. With an effort, he opened his eyes to see Amanda and Hannah sitting beside the bed he lay on. He ached all over and even breathing hurt a little, but he was alive and so was his mate. That thought brought a huge smile to his face.

I saved her.

"Where are we?" he asked, and the two women turned to l look at him. Hannah grinned broadly but Amanda frowned at him.

"We're on the Golden Kite, and we'll arrive in Marsport tomorrow," Hannah said as Amanda took his wrist and felt for his pulse. Markath drew strength from the feel of her fingers, and his smile widened.

"What happened?"

"You saved us, is what happened," Hannah continued with an answering grin. "When Mr. Dieter came back out screaming, he was pretty incoherent, but those of us outside figured you must have won. Somehow. When no one else came back, we decided to dig you out."

"The RyaTech spaceship had some proper digging gear," Amanda said, putting down his wrist and frowning deeper. Markath wondered if she knew what his pulse was supposed to be. "So they could clear their way through and get to us. And Captain Harshaw agreed to work with us for a share of the prize money."

Hannah nodded. "We need a new ship if we're going to stay in this business, anyway, so it works out for everyone. Plus, well, there's Dieter and Jim's shares to go around. No one's keen on them being paid, not after the way they were willing to sell us all out. We've got Dieter locked up below, I don't know what we're going to do with him."

Markath wasn't entirely surprised to hear that his mate's sister was willing to stick with this work, despite her experiences here. Like Amanda, she was hard to put off her course. As for Dieter, the emperor would want to make an example of what happened to those who tried to steal from the Dragon Empire.

I wonder what that will mean, in this new age? Once upon a time that would have meant death, but things were different now. There would be time enough to think about that when they'd returned to the palace, anyway. Right now, there were more important things for him to focus on.

Sitting up in bed with an effort, Markath reached out for Amanda.

"You shouldn't be moving, not yet," his mate said, concerned. "I want to check you out in a proper clinic."

He laughed. The pain in his body was no match for the joy in his heart, and he wasn't going to let it conquer him. "I'm fine, beloved. Your medicine has done wonders for me."

"You are not fine," Amanda insisted, getting up to sit beside him on the bed. Putting a hand on his chest, she pushed him back down. "I haven't been able to do a thing about your broken wing, you lost a lot of blood that we can't replace, and you've got injuries all over you. It's a miracle that you can move at all."

"My love for you inspires me," he said, and yelped as she hit his shoulder. Her face turned red immediately and she snatched her hand back, looking mortified that she'd struck her patient, however gently. Markath shook his head and laughed.

"It's true," he told her, taking her by the shoulder. Looking into her eyes, he continued. "I love you, and you inspire me. Without my feelings for you, I wouldn't have been able to do half of what I did back there. I will never let anything happen to you. If someone threatens you, I will be there to protect you. It doesn't matter how badly I'm injured, nothing will stop me."

"You... you asshole, you nearly died," she said, and the tears started for real. Markath pulled her close and held her tight as she sobbed. "I thought I'd lost you."

"No, never," he told her. "Because you are my mate, and I know that you'll be there to save me when I need you."

Amanda's arms went around him, hugging him tightly enough to hurt. But it was worth the pain, it would be worth ten times the pain, to feel her against him. Markath held her carefully, his arms wrapped around her as she let out the pent-up emotion she'd been carrying.

Hannah cleared her throat. "I guess I'll go and check in with the captain, huh? Don't you two do anything I wouldn't."

With that and a wave, she vanished out through the door of the small room, leaving Amanda and Markath alone in each other's arms. Markath leaned back, relaxing and stroking his mate's hair, feeling the worries of the last few days fall away from him. All of the pain and fear and anger were nothing — he had Amanda, and she had him, and the rest was details.

Eventually, Amanda sat up, wiping her eyes and smiling at him. There was a nervous edge to her smile, and she drew a breath as though to speak but let it out again, silent. Markath frowned, just a little. Something was still bothering his mate, and that wouldn't do.

"Amanda," he said, stroking her cheek gently and guessing at the source of her discomfort, "I know that you want to go home. That will not keep me from your side: if you return to your planet, I will come with you. I will be by your side and keep you safe there, as much as I would here."

The emperor would find him a role to play, he thought. Ambassador, perhaps. It didn't matter what, though, as long as he was with Amanda. His mate took his hand in hers, holding it tight and kissing it.

"Don't be ridiculous," she said. "After this mess, I'm not going back to Earth. If I ever had a real home there, it's gone now, and my family is here. What do I have on Earth to go back to? I'll just have to find a way to cope, being here with you."

Smiling, Amanda squeezed his hand and kissed his fingers, making him rumble a happy noise. Her face flushed at the sound, and he chuckled.

"What is it then? Something is bothering you?"

"Yes," she admitted, flush deepening. "But it's nothing like that. I'm just wondering..."

She trailed off, bit her lip, looked away. Markath thought that she looked delightfully embarrassed, but he couldn't work out why. Reaching up, he gently turned her face back towards him, raising an eyebrow quizzically.

Amanda took another breath and ran her fingers down his arm, making him groan. Her touch awakened his body and he could feel himself respond as she licked her lips.

"Wondering whether you're feeling up to some exercise," she finished her sentence quietly, almost shyly, blush spreading. Markath felt a grin spread across his face, and pulled her close.