They spent a day in the ruins of that strange stronghold—Imril slowly healing, Esania replenishing her strength. Although it was the epicenter of enemy territory, Imril somehow managed to get the remaining Naaga to be at his beck and call, arranging food and warm clothing and a safe, comfortable room where she could rest.

Through some terrible feat of genetic engineering, most of the blue servants were conditioned to obey him without question, however there were a rare few who were immune to the sound of his voice—those, apparently, were Nykithus’s descendants.

Esania thought the obey-at-all-costs thing was rather unfair, anyway.

“They might despise me,” Imril said, and for a fraction of a second, he looked so terribly lost, “but they are Nykithus’s children, and they are a part of this world now. I’m not going to fight them… as long as they leave my people alone.” His golden eyes flashed, promising certain death to any who threatened his tribe. “If they obey me, I might even offer them my protection.”

Stars, her mate could be terrifying.

But not to her.

Never to her.

She could feel him in her blood, her heart, in the beautiful pattern that decorated her right hand, in the inexplicable fabric of the Universe itself, time and energy and life melding together to connect them in an endless union.

She knew him.

As darkness fell, Imril spoke, his voice tinged with sorrow as he described horrors he’d never shared with anyone before.

Esania learned of the terrifying Auka and of Acheros the monster, who had created Imril and Mael in a lab on the Hythra by mixing his genetic material with a Vradhu female’s.

Their mother. She was called Marial, and when Imril spoke of her, he sounded reverent.

Imril told her about the dark ship Hythra, of how she’d been Acheros’s creature, how Mael had fought and overpowered their sire, burying the Auka deep inside the fabric of the Hythra, only to become consumed by the ship himself.

When Mael had finally broken free of the Hythra and reached the surface of Khira, he was completely insane, and Imril had been the Overlord of the Drakhin for hundreds of years.

Chosen by Acheros to rule over the Drakhin, Imril had no idea what had befallen his sibling.

He was an ancient, damaged soul who possessed immense power…

And she was his mate, the voice of reason to his fiery anger, the light against his brooding darkness.

Kind of ironic, considering they called him the Lightbringer.

“What are you thinking, Esania?” Imril reclined on a long stone bench, his wings—they were pale again; the nightblack must have worn off—tucked behind him, a simple white tunic covering his powerful torso.

Imril wore a dead man’s clothes.

He was a study in pearlescent white, his eyes, his skin, and his sharp teeth glittering in the soft light.

“I was just thinking that I’d like you to hurry up and finish this damn elgida.” Strangely, even the thought of the exquisite pain that came with the engraving of Imril’s elgida sent a ripple of arousal through her.

“I would like that too,” he rasped, and Esania caught sight of the bulge in his trousers. He made no effort to hide his erection, a devious grin curving his lips as he slowly looked her up and down, undressing her with his eyes. “Very much so… but not here.” He stood and held out his hand. “Are you ready, Esania?”

She was strong enough now that she could stand to be inside his radius. She stepped forward, placing her hand in his. He felt deliciously warm.

“Let’s go.” Imril led her out of the small room, along a light-filled breezeway that was bordered on both sides by elegant stone arches. For a bleak stronghold in the middle of an evil kingdom, this eyrie was strangely charming. Everything about the Drakhin style was oddly familiar-yet-different, reminding her of old-world Earth architecture.

They moved into a wide-open space; a curved stone bowl reminiscent of an amphitheater. Located at the very top of an impossibly tall tower, the ivory walls gave way to wide open windows that offered glimpses of the spectacular countryside below.

Nykithus’s eyrie was surrounded by rolling hills and valleys, but where the landscape should have been green, it was painted in shades of grey and brown; a land that had been under shadow for hundreds of years.

But Mael’s shadowveil was gone now. Hope and excitement fluttered in her chest, along with apprehension. The danger hadn’t entirely passed, but there was a feeling of regeneration, of renewal, about this place.

A gust of cold wind whipped past, creating a faint whistling sound as it swirled around.

Esania stared across the wide open space and froze.

A group of around a dozen Naaga stood in the center in a ring formation, speaking quietly amongst themselves. As soon as they caught sight of Imril, they froze, fear written in their eyes, in the stiff lines of their slender bodies.

Maybe it was just her imagination, but she could almost see an aura around them; a faint silver glow.

Imril squeezed Esania’s shoulder reassuringly. “Wait here. This is not going to be a problem. I promise.”

“Okay.”

As he walked across to the group, Esania couldn’t help but admire his powerful form. Even when he was recovering from injury, he radiated power and menace in equal measure. Beautiful, deadly, imperious. Drakhin. He was magnificent, and he was all hers. She could see why Acheros had chosen him to rule, but somewhere along the line, the Auka had badly miscalculated.

You didn’t just create a civilization from scratch.

Humans had fought long and hard to get to where they were now, and as much as they tried to distance themselves from their wild, emotional, illogical, imperfect ancestors, Primeans were just another chapter in the vast human chronicle.

And she was just a tiny byline in that chapter.

She was human, damn it. Genetic purity was a con, and Esania was fucking human.

“Tuush tu ve.” Imril spoke to the Naaga in their language, and although Esania couldn’t understand a word he was saying, she knew he was asking about Rachel.

Where is she?

The Naaga in front was slightly taller than the others, her skin shining silvery-blue in the bright sunlight. She stepped aside and the Naaga parted, revealing a slender figure wearing a deep grey cloak.

“Rachel!” Before she realize it, Esania was sprinting forward, her dress fluttering in the wind, her boots pounding the stone floor. She reached the human and wrapped her arms around her, squeezing hard. “I thought you were lost to us. Are you all right?”

“Alive,” Rachel replied, her voice trembling. Hot tears slid down Esania’s cheek, and she wasn’t sure whether they were hers or Rachel’s. “I didn’t think anyone would come for me. I didn’t see how it would be possible…”

Esania released her and stepped back, staring into deep brown eyes. Rachel pushed her hood back, revealing gaunt cheeks and a shorn scalp. Her mahogany skin—usually flawless and lustrous—had lost its healthy glow. Esania stifled a gasp. “They did this to you?”

“They just had to go for the hair, damn it,” Rachel grumbled, summoning a wry smile in spite of her obvious exhaustion. “After all that effort maintaining it, the ‘fro is gone.” She shrugged. “It’ll grow back. I’m not hurt, though. Just goddamn tired. He… that thing… he came every day and every night and put his hands on me, and it was the weirdest thing, but he seemed to be able drain all the strength right out of me. It was like being constantly dosed on hypno-dorm.” Her eyes flicked toward Imril, who kept a respectful distance. “Is he…?”

“He’s with me,” Esania said softly, putting her hand on Rachel’s shoulder. “He is one of them—a Drakhin—but trust me, he won’t ever feed from you. I know what it’s like.”

Rachel’s eyes widened. “You… you offer it to him?”

A feeling of pride and affection surged in Esania’s chest. “I do. It’s complicated, but it isn’t a bad thing. He isn’t our enemy.”

“If you say so, then I believe you. You know, it’s weird, but even though I was chained up and used as food, a couple of the blue guys kinda protected me. I couldn’t understand a thing they were saying, but I think they might have just saved my life.”

Esania hugged her again. “We’re going to get you back to the girls… to the Vradhu, and you’ll get plenty of time to rest and regain your strength. You’re safe now. You won’t have to go through that ever again.”

“I could do with a big, long sleep in those warm eukluk furs,” Rachel murmured, her expression becoming wistful. “Maki made me the best bed. Those Vradhu… they’re not so bad, really.”

“We’re going home now,” Esania said gently as Rachel nodded, blinking back tears as she let out a deep, shuddering sigh of relief.

“The Naaga have agreed to release her,” Imril said. He gave Esania an affectionate look, but didn’t make any effort to come closer. She understood. He didn’t want to accidentally tap into Rachel’s vir.

Unexpectedly, he dropped to his knees in front of the group of Naaga, bowing his head. The tall female stepped forward, a look of astonishment crossing her elegant features. Imril said something in Naaga, his voice full of sincerity.

Esania got the feeling something monumental was happening, but she didn’t quite understand it.

There was still so much she didn’t understand about this strange, wild planet and its inhabitants.

For a moment, everyone was quiet. The Naaga stared down at Imril, looking slightly uncomfortable as the cold wind swirled around them.

“Toana,” she said at last, her voice trembling with emotion.

Slowly Imril stood, and he had eyes only for Esania. “I asked for their forgiveness. She said maybe. We have many things to work out still, but it is a start.”

Esania nodded. A faint roar reached her ears, growing louder and louder until a dark shadow engulfed them.

“That would be Mael,” Esania said dryly.

A sleek grey metal ship drifted down from the clouds. Rachel flinched. Esania squeezed her hand reassuringly. “It’s okay.”

The craft was small, about the size of a basic-level passenger transport. It descended onto a square platform at the edge of the tower, the roar of its engines dropping to perfect silence.

Mael was perched atop the ship, back to his usual menacing self as the dark shadows swirling around him. He seemed to have regained all of his strength, but how he’d managed to do that without vir, Esania had no idea. Maybe he was different to the other Drakhin.

“I take it he’s not the enemy either?” Rachel backed away slightly, glancing toward the exit.

“Believe it or not, he isn’t. That’s Mael, Imril’s brother, and he’s on our side.” She thought about Sara and Mael’s obsession with her. Esania still didn’t quite trust Mael’s motives when it came to Sara, but so far, he’d proven himself in every way possible.

For now, they would just have to trust him.

A door opened in the side of the ship, revealing its glowing interior.

“Your transport.” Imril gestured toward the ship, nodding his head a fraction. “The pilot is Naaga, one of the first generation. He won’t disobey my orders. He can’t. You’re perfectly safe with him.”

“We… we’re going in there?” Rachel stiffened.

Esania nodded, trusting Imril completely. “Just a short trip, Rachel, then we’ll be home. This is different to when you were taken.”

Rachel looked at Imril, then Mael, then at the Naaga. She gathered her cloak around her body as she stared out at the vast, unfamiliar lands of the kingdom called Ton Malhur. Fear swirled in her eyes, and for a moment, she was utterly frozen. Esania couldn’t even begin to imagine what torture she must have gone through, having that Drakhin feed from her, not knowing how to communicate with the Naaga that imprisoned her.

But then she looked at Esania’s face, and a steely resolve entered her gaze. There was the old Rachel, the tough, persistent woman who had escaped from the squalid women’s prison in Nairobi and somehow found her way onto a smuggler’s ship… the brave woman who had caught her attention in the Fiveways and begged Esania to take her with them to Torandor.

Small, but wily and tough, not to be underestimated. That was Rachel. She would recover. She was human, after all.

Rachel took a tentative step forward, stealing a quick glance back at the Naaga as she made her way towards the Drakhin ship.

“Thanks,” she whispered under her breath.

Esania followed, with Imril bringing up the rear. As they walked up the narrow ramp, Mael materialized at Imril’s side.

For the first time, the brothers stood side by side, one Darkness, the other Light, two halves of a dark nightmare, two mysteries, desperately trying to carve out their own truths.

Twins. Impossible, but true. A lot of the male things on this planet seemed to come in pairs, but Imril was more than enough for her.

He was hers, and the other…

Mael probably belonged to Sara.

“Aren’t you going to join us?” Esania asked, as Imril flexed his wings.

His eyes burned with desire. “I will fly alongside. Mael will ride on top. The Naaga have agreed to give us clear passage. Nothing will happen to you.”

Ah. She understood why he couldn’t be inside with her. She felt it too. It was sheer torture, being so close and yet not being able to…

Fuck.

Somewhere in her mind, another barrier crumbled away, and she decided that fuck could be a rather useful word. Really, she couldn’t believe she’d been such a prude.

“Are you two just going to stand there staring at each other all day?” Mael crossed his powerful arms and frowned, his tail whipping back and forth impatiently. He flicked his head in the direction of the ship. “Hurry up, Esania. I’ve spent over three hundred revolutions keeping this dismal place under shadow. I do not want to waste my time hanging around in this depressing ruin.”

“Impatient much?” Esania needled him a little; she couldn’t help it. Actually, Mael was turning out to be quite the bossy one.

“What do you think?” Mael bristled.

Imril gave them an odd look… was he smirking?

“I think I need to keep an eye on you around my precious Sara.” She narrowed her eyes. “You hurt that girl in any way, and I’ll…”

“You’ll what?” Mael’s shadows rose up, threatening to engulf her. Imril inched closer, his aura flaring, the air around them growing thick with tension.

Danger.

“I’ll be really pissed, and so will he.” Esania might not be able to put a scratch on Mael, but Imril was definitely capable of doing so.

“Hmph. You underestimate me, human. What exactly do you think I am?” Mael actually seemed offended.

“I don’t know… yet.”

“Don’t get ahead of yourself, human.”

“Ahem…” Awkwardly, Rachel cleared her throat. “Are we going to ride in this thing, or what?”

Instantly, the tension dissolved, and both Drakhin stared at Rachel, as if seeing her for the very first time.

Imril and Mael shared a lightning-quick brotherly glance, their eyebrows raising simultaneously in a perfect expression of male bemusement.

It was Esania’s turn to smirk. After the horrors she’d endured, Rachel had already started to regain her composure. Blunt, outspoken, even abrasive sometimes, this small woman had survived in some of the harshest places on Earth.

She was tough, and so were Esania and the rest of her girls. They were human, after all.

These Drakhin didn’t know what they were getting themselves into.

Esania smiled sweetly at Imril as she made her way up the ramp. “See you at the eyrie.”

He gave her a look that was so intense she thought her ovaries might have melted a little bit.

Her smile melted, too, her lips parting slightly as her jaw threatened to drop. She felt Imril’s arousal through their bond, and it floored her.

As if to tease her, he turned and spread his wings wide, displaying them in all their pale, sculptural glory. He broke into a run, making big, powerful strides until he reached the edge of the platform.

Then he jumped.

He disappeared off the edge.

Esania’s heart leapt into her throat. She couldn’t stop the torrent of worry that flooded her mind. Imril had been terribly wounded. He was still healing. Was he strong enough to fly? What if he…?

Fell?

But then a powerful gust of wind blew past, and he soared up into the brilliant blue sky.

A Drakhin in his element.

Magnificent.

Almost godlike, but utterly flawed…

And now he was showing off, reveling in his abilities, putting on a little display just for her.

He shot up through a bank of clouds, disappearing for a moment. Then he reappeared, circling back to where they stood.

“Show off,” Mael muttered, but he didn’t sound bitter at all, just amused.

Rachel gasped.

Esania watched her mate soar through the sky, and she was thrilled. She saw the brilliant flash of his smile as he grinned, and her heart nearly burst in her chest.

He was free.

And he was hers.