Judging from the way the shadows lengthened in her room, it had been several hours since the Drakhin had left her.

Esania waited beside the small door in the wall, listening for any trace of movement. Sooner or later, Rau would come through here, and this time, she wanted to catch a glimpse of what lay beyond.

Just in case she ever needed to… escape.

She stared at the door in the wall, almost trying to will it open, but predictably, nothing happened.

If this went on for much longer, she feared the sheer uncertainty of it all would drive her insane.

“Aaargh!”

Wait… what’s that sound?

Maybe her ears were mistaken, but…

She stiffened, straining to hear. It almost sounded like screaming. Human screams.

But that was impossible.

Whoosh.

The massive double doors swung open, and the Drakhin strode through them, his wings flaring as he walked toward Esania’s bed. He ignored her completely. There was something—no, someone—in his arms; a pale, kicking, screaming someone.

Esania knew that voice. The mere sound of it triggered a protective instinct in her that was so powerful she forgot all about her own safety.

“Sara!” Horrified, she ran toward the Drakhin. Bringing Sara here meant only one thing. He’d found the Vradhu clan and stolen her away.

Had he touched her with his bare hands? Drained her?

Fury rose up in Esania, white-hot and irrational, like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Part of it was the shock of seeing pregnant Sara in the arms of this dangerous creature, not knowing if he’d touched her and drained her life-force… or that of her unborn child’s.

But there was something else to her anger too, a feeling she couldn’t quite identify. “Oh, no you don’t,” she shouted, her voice cracking as she ran toward him, her bare heels pounding on the smooth stone floor. “No you fucking don’t. You can drain the life out of me, but you do not get to touch her.”

“You motherfucker! Let go of me!” Sara was as feisty as ever, kicking furiously as the Drakhin carried her across the room. A powerful scream erupted from her throat, but very moment she caught sight of Esania, it faded, and she gasped.

“Ma’am, you’re alive! Oh God, what is this place? What does he want with us?” Relief. Fear. Anger. But mostly, fear. Like most humans, Sara wore her emotions on her sleeve.

Esania rushed to the Drakhin’s side. Without a second thought, she grabbed hold of his arm, her fingers curling over his massive biceps.

The bare tips of her fingers collided with a surface that was hard and unforgiving, covered in large metal scales that gnashed and writhed with his movements. Strange metal armor covered the Drakhin’s entire body, molding seamlessly to his powerful form, making him seem more remote and alien and inaccessible than ever before.

“Let go of her,” Esania hissed, pulling on his arm. “Bastard, she’s pregnant! Let go.”

He ignored her.

Sara kicked and screamed.

The Drakhin kept walking, and Esania went with him, using all of her strength to try and hold him back.

It was futile. His strength was monstrous; she was like an insect clinging to a great, dangerous beast. Still, she held on, a haze of fury clouding her judgment.

Her mind searched for a word, any word that would get through to this monster.

“Bogu!” she roared as he reached the bed and unceremoniously dumped Sara onto it. The words that came next were spoken in her native tongue, a torrent of anger and distress that she just couldn’t hold back. “Who the hell do you think you are, treating my people like this? What the hell are you, you bastard?” She stepped between Sara and the Drakhin. “If you’re going to take the energy, you take it from me only.” Esania tipped her head, showing him her bare neck. She repeatedly stabbed her finger into the center of her chest. “Me. Not her. She is not to be touched under any circumstances. You want it? You take here. Here.” Her chest heaved up and down as she slapped her sternum, emphasizing her point.

She didn’t know why he’d returned with Sara in his arms, but she could put two and two together.

He fed on the energy that Esania gave off. Her DNA was 99.9% human, so it made sense that the other women in her group might produce a similar energy.

But he wasn’t going to take Sara’s energy.

Over her dead fucking body.

That was the second time she’d ever said a curse word.

“What are you doing, ma’am?” Sara hissed. “You can’t fight him. He’s crazy strong. He’ll kill you.”

Better me than you… and your unborn child.

But the Drakhin didn’t want to kill her. She knew that because she’d intentionally tempted him, tested him, and he’d held back.

That knowledge gave her a sliver of power in a hopeless situation.

“Sara, you just back down and do exactly what I say. Quiet now. Get as far away from him as possible.”

To Esania’s relief, the hotheaded human actually listened.

Esania swallowed as she stared up at the Drakhin. He stood perfectly still, his head cocked slightly to one side, his arms folded, golden eyes blazing.

Dangerous.

She was probably provoking the devil himself, but she didn’t care. The whole thing was too far gone now, so she stared right back, studying him in detail. The armor that encased him was gunmetal grey, made up of thousands of interlocking scales, like a futuristic version of chainmail. It left nothing to the imagination, caressing the hard, elegant contours of his body.

She was struck by the sheer perfection of it all.

Really, he was one well built alien.

Idiot, why are you thinking such things at a time like this?

A sleek, curving helm hid his face, revealing nothing but his golden eyes, which pierced right through her.

Stars, he looks so sinister.

Ba-bump. Her heart fluttered.

This was her captor, her tormentor, the energy-vampire that could suck the life out of her with just a touch. She should be deathly afraid, but she wasn’t, because she knew she was right, and there was a reason she felt so protective of Sara and her baby, almost to the point of obsession.

Primean-human hybrids weren’t supposed to exist, but they did.

Sara’s baby was special, and needed to be protected at all costs.

Otherwise, all the risks they’d taken would be for nothing.

The Drakhin’s wings rose slightly then lowered again, an involuntary movement that she thought signified irritation… or perhaps something more sinister.

“Don’t touch her, Drakhin,” she warned. Slowly, she shrugged off the golden jacket and let it fall to the floor, revealing her bare arms. She lifted her chin suggestively, exposing her neck. Then she took a step forward. “This is all you need.”

Impossibly, she felt something.

It started at the tips of her fingers and extended all the way to her chest. A pull.

Like a magnet, some invisible force compelled Esania toward the Drakhin. She wasn’t imagining it. She actually had to physically resist it.

Was he doing this?

Bastard. Stop it. If you want it, you come to me.

She glared at him, drawing on every remaining ounce of strength in her body to resist the pull. His eyes never left her face. It was a dangerous game of cat and mouse she was playing, and it was utterly addictive.

Suddenly, he removed his helm, revealing his arrogant white features.

Gods and demons, just his face alone was enough to blind her. Dazzling scales. Razor-sharp cheekbones. Burning eyes.

This monster was beautiful, she couldn’t deny it.

But he was the enemy. She must never forget it.

Behind her, Sara let out a soft gasp of surprise, but the monster didn’t even so much as flick his gaze in the human’s direction, not even for a millisecond.

His eyes were only for Esania, and although she hated to admit it, that thrilled her as much as it freaked her out.

“Navush,” he growled, one corner of his mouth curling upwards ever so slightly.

“Na-vush?” she repeated, not knowing what the hell that meant. “You know, I really wish you and I spoke the same tongue, Drakhin.”

He nodded slowly, his expression of faint amusement getting under her skin. Why did he make her so angry? She rarely ever let her emotions get the better of her, but for some reason, this creature made her act in the most impulsive, irrational way. Esania wanted to remove that infuriating almost-smile from his face, but she forced herself to remain perfectly still.

The Drakhin stepped forward; big, menacing, unstoppable. “Na-vush.” He mimicked her awkward pronunciation. Armor-encased fingers stroked her cheek, a possessive gesture if there ever was one.

Esania stiffened, but deep inside her, something shifted. Her heartbeat went from pounding drums to butterflies. Her insides twisted.

The Drakhin’s touch… it was gentle, almost affectionate.

With his helm tucked under one arm, he spun around in a ripple of pale wings, disappearing through the main entrance. The heavy doors swung shut behind him with a thud.

Esania counted to ten, then sank to her knees on the cold stone floor, letting out a sigh of relief. Stars, she was trembling, and her hands felt so cold. She turned to Sara.

“What the hell?” Sara blurted, clutching her lower belly protectively. “Whoa. What was that all about?” There was a note of admiration in her voice, and she was looking at Esania with a strange expression. “That was nuts. I thought he was going to rip your head off.”

Imril would never do that. The thought entered her mind unbidden.

“Did he hurt you?” Esania demanded. “Did he touch you with his bare hands? Drain you?”

“No…” Sara shook her head. “He just swooped in and grabbed me, but he didn’t hurt me, and he definitely didn’t touch me with his bare hands. What, are you trying to tell me that he’s some sort of weird pervert?”

“No! He’s not a pervert. He’s just—”

“Sorry.” Sara raised her hands in a placating gesture. “I didn’t mean to insult the guy. Your question was a little weird, that’s all.”

“Sara, this might sound strange, but if a Drakhin ever tries to touch you, you fight, you run, you do everything you can to stop him from draining your energy.”

“Draining?”

“If it ever happens to you, you’ll know what I mean. It’s dangerous for them to touch us, especially you, in your current state.”

“Understood. But your guy, he didn’t do anything like that. Actually, he saved me. He didn’t attack us, it was those blue creeps. They took us by surprise. Three ships came down from the sky, blasting through the trees. They used poison gas against the Vradhu. There were so many of them. I’m not sure, but I… I think they took Rachel.”

“Rachel?” Esania was filled with horror as she thought of cocky Rachel being captured by those strange blue aliens. The Naaga seemed to have no empathy whatsoever for other species, and if Rachel gave off vir like the rest of them, there was no telling what they might do to her.

“It was absolute chaos. Naaga, Vradhu, all fighting like crazy, but the Vradhu were weakened by the poison. For some reason, it didn’t affect us, and so we started fighting back, protecting the Vradhu. I didn’t see what happened to Rachel after that. The Naaga were coming straight for me with a bunch of weird machines. They tried to take me onto their ship too, but then he appeared out of fucking nowhere. ”

“What happened? Was anyone hurt, or… killed?” Dread roiled around in the pit of her belly at that last thought, but she had to ask. Death was only ever two steps away in this unforgiving place.

Sara’s expression turned grim. “I… I don’t know. This might sound crazy, but the alien did something I can’t explain. He shot fire from his hands, and the blue guys… they just fried. He took down two of the ships… killed so many of them… but one of the ships got away. It was a total mess.” Sara shook her head, her expression becoming distant. “I don’t know if the laws of physics are supposed to change on other planets, but what he did… that shouldn’t be possible, right? What the hell is he?” She started to hyperventilate, her breathing becoming faster and faster as she wrapped her arms protectively around her belly.

Sara was vulnerable enough as it was, but to be carrying a delicate, innocent life inside her, and then to be suddenly abducted by a massive Drakhin without warning…

Suddenly, Sara leaned over the edge of the bed and vomited. Esania rushed to her side, pulling Sara’s thick golden hair away from her face.

“It’s okay,” she whispered, feeling the rawness of Sara’s terror. The very same emotion raced through her heart. “You’re safe now. He didn’t kill you, and when I told him to back off, he did. I’ve been here for a few days now. They haven’t treated me badly, all things considered. I don’t think he wants to hurt us. If he wanted to be brutal, he so easily could have.”

“S-sorry. It’s just that I was remembering the awful smell, and how fucking terrified I was, and this damn morning sickness… Morning sickness is such a bullshit name. It should be called All The Fucking Time sickness.” Sara retched again, but there was nothing left in her stomach.

Esania pulled her away from the awful mess. “You’re okay, Sara. You’re okay. Hold on a moment.”

She picked up her golden jacket and used it to clean Sara’s face before mopping up the sick on the floor. Then she flung the jacket across the room, as far away as possible. She retrieved a pitcher of water and a silver cup from a small table beside the bed and poured water into the cup. “Here. Drink.”

Sara took the cup with trembling hands. “This is weird. You attending to me, I mean. You’re—”

“We left the Serakhine a long time ago,” Esania said quietly. The vast Mars colony where Primeans had built their civilization was a distant dream; a world of strict rules and hierarchies, designed to preserve peace and order at all costs.

None of that applied here.

“I’m not your employer anymore, Sara. I’m not able to offer you board or food or protection. That was our contract, and now it’s been broken, so forget how things were on Mars.”

“Seems to me that you’re still protecting me, ma’am.”

“I’m just doing what’s necessary. I’ve been here a little longer than you. I know a little bit about how he might react to certain things.”

“Wh-who is he?”

“His species are called Drakhin. That’s all I know.”

“He looks like Imril.”

“Imril?” Esania’s heart skipped a beat. “Who is Imril?”

“A Drakhin who came from the black ship that swallowed us up. The Drakhin of all Drakhin, ruler of his people. Sounds crazy, huh? I don’t know if he’s real, or a goddamn myth.” She shrugged. “A few weeks ago, some of us took a walk with Calexa and Zahra and a couple of the Vradhu warriors. They took us to this weird place, an ancient monument or something. A hologram came out of a stone, showing us vision of these two aliens. One was light, the other dark. Twins. The Vradhu said they came to this planet thousands of years ago and started a civilization. You know what? That guy, he really looks like the holo of Imril, right down to the shape of his wings and the missing tail. It’s spooky.”

“Sara, I highly doubt he’s a thousands-of-years-old myth. Physical likenesses happen all the time. If this Imril ever existed, he would have had ancestors. Maybe our guy is one of his descendants.” Esania’s voice softened as she took in Sara’s disheveled appearance. Her blond hair was knotted and tousled, her boots and pants were stained with red dirt, and there were dark circles under her eyes. “Why don’t you rest up a bit? I’ll keep an eye out. There’s a Naaga servant who comes in here every so often. He brings food and water, but he’s fairly harmless.”

“Naaga? Your servant is one of those blue assholes?” Sara’s eyes narrowed. “Those guys are horrible. You know what they did, right? They blackmailed the Vradhu, threw poison in their waterways, drugged them, and forced them up onto that sentient ship to fight the deranged metal AI-zombies, because apparently, they’re too fucking cowardly to fight anyone themselves.”

Esania nodded. “Calexa told me the story.” At least, Calexa had told her a version of it. She was pretty sure the mercenary was omitting a few important details.

“How can you even trust this Naaga?”

“I never said I trusted him. I just don’t think he’s a threat to us. Trust me, Sara.”

Sara stared at her as if she were mad, her blue eyes glazing over. Esania had seen that look on humans before. It was the look they got when fear pumped through their veins, the ancient fight-or-flight response overriding any rational thought.

Primeans liked to think they’d evolved beyond those sorts of reactions, but Esania wasn’t so sure anymore.

“I hate those weird aliens,” Sara blurted. “I don’t understand them at all. At least the Vradhu have some sort of sense of honor, but the Naaga give me the creeps. And that Imril… he scares me. What if he’s just keeping us here like livestock, waiting until we’re fattened up or…”

“Sara!” Esania’s voice became a sharp whipcrack of command. “We can’t afford to think like this right now. I need you calm and clear-headed, and you need to be strong. For your baby’s sake.” She squeezed Sara’s hand. “Trust me, we’re going to find a way out of this mess.”

Maybe they would never get off this planet, but there had to be some way to ensure their safety. Not just for Esania and Sara, but all of them.

“Uh, Esania, what the hell is that?” Sara was staring at something above, her eyes widening in fear.

A shadow passed overhead.

Then there was a deafening crash.

Sara screamed and Esania shielded the pregnant woman with her body as one of the high windows exploded above their heads, raining shards of glass all around them.

Pain lanced the back of her right arm, followed by a warm trickle of blood.

I’ve been cut.

The wound was just above her elbow, at the back of her arm. It started to throb, but Esania ignored it, looking up in horror.

Darkness filled the room, swirling all around them, sucking the light from above. Something dropped through the opening; a black figure moving so fast it became a blur.

It dropped to the floor with a resounding thud, and suddenly there was a chill in the air.

The monster that stood before them could have been the dark mirror-image of the Drakhin lord—the so-called Imril, according to Sara—but he was lithe where the other was muscular, his features finer, his cheekbones higher, his eyes set at a sharper angle.

Imril was all radiance and sheer power, but this one was darkness incarnate.

Black wings, obsidian skin, eyes like the deepest midnight on Earth.

She couldn’t decide which one was more terrifying. Her captor, or this fierce intruder.

“Mael,” Sara whispered, her voice trembling. “I knew it.”

Before Esania had a chance to ask, the massive double doors swung open, and Imril burst through in a whirlwind of metallic scales and pale wings and golden fire.

He’s here.

Despite herself, Esania felt a tiny sliver of relief.

Imril went straight for the dark creature, crashing into him with the force of a hurricane.

“Sara, let’s go.” As Drakhin clashed—stars, this was such a nightmare!—Esania tugged her charge off the bed, and they ran across the floor, trying to get as far away from the warring demons as possible.