The long days traveling through space became routine. They were spent dodging asteroids fields and learning all that Kelan could teach her about space. Some days there was nothing to see, except blackness. Michelle despised those times. Being the tiny dot in a vast sea of darkness was humbling. How Kelan could navigate with nothing to guide him was astonishing. He grew quieter as they drew closer to Talonia. She constantly asked what he was thinking, but he wouldn't answer. He had completely shut down, and Michelle felt all alone.

Michelle lost track of time. She no longer knew whether it was night or day. She slept when she was tired and ate when she was hungry. There wasn't a regular schedule in space. Often, when she came to sit in the co-pilot's seat, Kelan was already in his. Sometimes she wondered if he had ever left it. Outside the windows, there was now a crimson sky. She dared to ask, "Is it evening? This reminds me of sunset on Earth."

Kelan's reply was terse. "It's morning. The red sun colors the sky."

"The red sun?” Michelle inquired. "Your red sun? Are we getting close to Talonia?"

His face was grim as he nodded. "We land today. The planet will come into view once we pass this cloud mass. I've sent a communication, asking them to drop the shield for our landing."

"You should be happy to be getting home. Why aren't you?"

Kelan should have explained the situation to Michelle long ago. After all, it concerned her, and they had been crammed together alone in this ship for a long time. He had just never found the right words and told himself he didn't want her fear to return. The cloud mass was thinning, and Talonia was ahead. It was too late for sugar-coated words. He was forced to be blunt. "I didn't tell my leaders I was bringing you or ask permission. I'm not sure how they will react. Your government wasn't informed either. It was a form of kidnapping. I'll be punished for this."

Michelle cried out, "Why didn't you tell me? I wouldn't have put you in this position. I would have taken my chances back home. If they punish you, it will be all my fault!"

"It was my choice, and I can handle whatever my punishment is. Aren't you wondering what this means for you? I am. I feel that you'll be allowed to stay in my home, away from the population until things are settled. However, I can't promise that. I'm sorry. Rest assured, I won't allow you to be harmed,” Kelan stated.

"I don't believe this! You had all these days to warn me, and you waited until the last minute. How could you?” Michelle yelled.

"I wanted to. The words wouldn't come. I was selfish and wanted to be with you always,” he admitted.

"Always may not be very long if the weredragons turn on me. You told me I would be accepted and safe on Talonia. It was a lie. You should have left me behind." Michelle turned her back and refused to engage in more conversation. If there had been a good place to stomp away to, she would have. This was unforgivable. He had taken her from a danger she understood into one that was unimaginable. Worse yet, she was the only human. The one person who could defend her was in jeopardy himself. He had severely shaken her trust. Tears filled her eyes. Her heart had led her astray once again.

Kelan knew she had retreated into herself, shutting him out. He had screwed this whole thing up. He was certain Michelle was comparing him to Jackson. She had called him a liar, and she was right. He had betrayed her along with Talonia. He deserved any punishment that he was given, but wanted Michelle to be safe.

The red sun glowed in the distance. Talonia was swirled with reds and deep blues. Pockets of green were contained to specific areas. Closer, the lights of cities began to shine. The blue became waterfalls spilling off of mountains. They were everywhere. Contrasting their blue, fire spouted from volcanoes outside the cities’ perimeters. Nearer still, the green was exposed as fields of crops and forests. The ship zeroed in on one city. Tall metal structures, spread out at the top, reminding her of gigantic mushrooms. These must be the weredragons dwellings. Kelan had said they preferred to live among the clouds. Michelle gasped. There were dragons in the sky, passing very close to the ship.

Michelle couldn't explain why, but she had expected them all to look like Kelan. Instead, like humans, they were a diverse group. Some were red or blue. Others were orange and yellow. There were even black, silver, and gold ones. A solid white one reflected the other colors as it sat atop a waterfall.

Kelan heard the gasp and followed her gaze. He saw his world through her eyes and rediscovered the awe and magnificence he had lost after childhood. He too caught a glimpse of the white one and said, "White is a very rare color. They are precious to us. Shara is the only one alive at the moment. She is the daughter of our leader. On Earth, her title would be princess. She's a kind soul and extremely intelligent. It adds to the reverence she has for being rare."

Michelle listened intently to the admiration in his voice and wondered if there was something more to his feelings for Shara. She realized that she knew absolutely nothing about the life he had led on Talonia. It was a horrible feeling to know she had fallen in love, left her planet, and put herself in danger over a virtual stranger.

Michelle had begun to think he had told her yet another lie. He had sworn the residents of his planet remained in human form eighty percent of the time and her vision was filled with nothing but dragons. She soon found it was because they were airborne. Below the clouds, there were men, women, and children. The city was a bustling hive of activity.

Kelan landed on a raised platform. Giant clamps locked the ship in place. He ordered, "Stay on board. I need to warn the commander of your presence. It will cause an uproar among the citizens if you step out now."

"Why? I look just like everyone else. Can't I pass for one of you?” Michelle argued.

"Your eyes would give you away. A dragon's soul is centered there. Yours would show a blankness. The eyes also declare what color a weredragon transforms into. Don't be surprised to see red, black, or gold ones. The fact that mine are green was one of the reasons I was chosen for the Earth mission. No contacts can change the color of a weredragon's eyes. Our souls would shine through. Stay here, please,” he commanded.

If she was going to stare possible death in the face, Michelle was determined to appear at her best. She dug through her belongings and chose clothes that were similar to the ones she had spied on the women of Talonia. Tight, leather leggings and a loose tunic that hung below her hips, with soft boots on her feet seemed appropriate. In the mirror was the face she had almost forgotten. The swelling was gone, and the bruises had healed during their journey across space. The women were not wearing cosmetics, so she wouldn't either. She brushed her black hair until it shone. Kelan was correct. Compared to his eyes, her large brown ones were flat. His held an ethereal glow.

Kelan's heart was thumping wildly. The commander had brought along their planet's leader to meet the spaceship. It carried the items necessary to protect this world. The cargo was invaluable. Kelan was counting on its importance to save him and protect Michelle from imprisonment.

Kelan saluted his commander and bowed to the planet's leader. He spoke with authority. "The mission was a success. In the cargo hold are the items you seek. I have done as I was ordered. May I place my feet upon Talonia's soil once more?"

The leader replied, "You are welcomed home with honor. Although, I have been told there were some mistakes that could have revealed our existence. Have you covered your tracks well?"

"I believe I did, sir. The humans will not find proof of weredragons. They have only speculation, imagination, and the ravings of a man considered to be crazy,” Kelan answered truthfully.

The commander spoke up, "What of the claw marks and the woman? Will she hold her tongue or betray us?"

"The claw marks were obliterated by foolish thrill seekers. They did us a service by trampling them." He tried desperately to slow his pounding heart and keep his fear from showing as he continued, "The woman can't betray us. She has no one to tell of our existence. She has left Earth. I beg you to forgive me and listen to my reasoning. The woman, Michelle, is inside my ship."

The commander's anger was instantaneous. His red eyes shot daggers as he reached out with a hand that quickly transformed into a claw. The leader's sharp command stopped the change. "Settle! Don't alarm our people." His gaze was steely as he turned it on Kelan. "You had no right to bring a human among us! You have overstepped your boundaries. Your close relationship with my family will not keep you from facing my wrath or punishment. How dare you endanger the weredragons! I can't tolerate treason, even in you. Say nothing in your defense! If you speak now, I may burn you where you stand. Commander, bring Kelan and the human to my chambers. Don't allow anyone to see her eyes. We can't risk panic. I will hear this rebel's reasoning after I have calmed. Don't harm the woman. I wish to hear her explanation as well."

"Let me go inside and get her,” Kelan begged. "She doesn't know you, and she's already wary of our reception."

"You dare to ask a favor from me when you've committed this wrongdoing? She doesn't deserve caution on my part. She has intruded where she doesn't belong. She chose these consequences,” the commander replied.

"No, she didn't. I didn't tell her you hadn't been informed or that she was unwelcome until we were about to land. She was under the illusion I could make Talonians welcome her or at the very least tolerate her. Your anger should be directed at me. Don't be cruel to her,” Kelan pled.

"I will allow this, not for you or her, but to keep our citizens from witnessing her tears or shouts and to honor the leader's request of keeping her presence unknown. Make it quick, or I will drag her out,” the commander retorted.

Kelan approached the top of the ramp and there he discovered Michelle. How much of the conversation she had been privy to, he didn't know. She remained unwavering in her attitude towards him. She might never forgive his withholding of the facts. Kelan noticed the change of clothing as an effort to blend in. It suited her and perhaps would soften the leader's anger. The less out of place she seemed, the better chance she had of acceptance.

He reached for her hand and her eyebrow raised in question. "I'm to escort you to the leader's chambers. He demands that we be out of sight before the citizens discover a human has come to Talonia. He is afraid they will panic. Cooperate with him. Answer his questions truthfully. Hold back nothing, even if it condemns me,” Kelan beseeched.

Michelle placed her shaking hand in Kelan's and took her first steps out of the spaceship into the atmosphere of Talonia. She sucked in a deep breath, slightly worried it would cause her lungs to react in a bad way. The air was heavy and humid due to all the waterfalls, but it was compatible with her body. She could deal with this. The citizens passing by didn't pay any attention to her. The commander, however, stared her down. There was no acceptance in his gaze, only frustration. He never greeted her, simply turning his back and leading them over a series of walkways.

Their destination was a large structure, wider than most, that stood directly in the center of the city. No locks, alarms, or guards impeded their entrance. She supposed this world felt safe, considering its existence was known to few, and dragon fire was a daunting deterrent to those who trespassed. Kelan had explained their fear of nuclear weapons, and there was no lock or guard that would protect them from that.

The building was sleek. Its walls were some kind of metal and the floors resembled marble. Her first impression was that it was fireproof. Nervous laughter bubbled up with that thought. She turned the sound into a cough, earning a disapproving frown from the commander. He was probably wondering if she had brought a deadly disease to his people. A stairway spiraled up and out of sight. Its end too distant to see. If she was forced to walk all those flights, the leader wouldn't need to punish her; she would die of a heart attack halfway up. Kelan routed her, not to the stairs, but to a platform against the left wall. It began to rise the instant their weight was on it. The higher they went, the less humid the air seemed. She imagined they were above the clouds when it came to a stop.

Talonia's leader sat on a throne of the marble-like substance. Two women sat beside him. White eyes glittered in the youngest, proclaiming her to be Shara, the leader's daughter. That would make the blue-eyed one his wife.

"Step forward, human,” the leader commanded. "I shall speak with you first. What are your intentions toward Talonia? Are you here to spy on us? Have you brought communication devices or trackers to reveal our home to others? I expect the truth. If you lie and it is discovered, you will be sacrificed and Kelan will die a traitor's death."

Shara jerked her head around and shouted, "Father, no!"

"Hush, child. You have no say in this. If you wish to remain, you will stay silent,” her father decreed.

Michelle saw a man, worried about his home, rather than the cruel dictator the leader intended her to see. She spoke with confidence. "Please, call me Michelle. I'm not a threat to Talonia. You may search my possessions as well as my body. There are no hidden devices, no trackers, or communicators. I'm not a spy. I left Earth partially to escape from men who would harm me and anyone I was close to. The second reason was Kelan. I didn't wish to live without him, although the lies he told me have caused me to rethink that idea."

Shara stood. A deep growl came from her throat. She opened her mouth and fire shot into the dome of the room. Silence descended.