“Who is here?” Dax asked.

Aria shivered. Something was terribly wrong.

“The vampires. They're here,” Everly said.

“What would they be doing here? They're supposed to be at a meeting with the crew,” Dax said.

Aria glanced up at him and gasped.

“The meeting was a ruse,” Dax growled. “I knew it all along.”

They ran inside still dressed in swimsuits and bathrobes. Dax threw open the door to the spaceship in the basement.

“What are we going to do?” Everly demanded, having picked up baby Ember on the way downstairs.

“I'm opening my mental link and calling the guys home right now.”

Aria watched Dax at the computer as he scanned the perimeter of the property for the vampires.

“There,” he said, pointing at the camera. “They’re there.”

“What are they doing here?” Aria asked.

“They've come to attack us while the guys are away,” Dax said.

“They probably want to take me back,” Aria whispered.

“Never,” Dax said, gritting his teeth.

Fear leapt in Aria’s heart. She would rather die than go back to the vampires. They had been cruel and heartless. They wanted to drain her life blood and use her power to bolster their own.

“Worry not, my love. I will protect you all.”

“She could see the vampires pressing their hands against the outer perimeter of the dragons’ shields.

“What are they doing?” Everly asked.

“There trying to break through our defenses,” Dax said. “And they're making progress.”

“That can't be true,” Everly said, terrified.

“You two should get to the safe room. It’s more comfortable for humans than this ship,” he said.

“I'm going to help you,” Aria said.

Dax looked at her. She knew he was going to object, but then he let out a deep sigh and nodded once.

“Okay, Everly, get to the safe room. Lock yourself and Ember inside. Don't open the door until this is all over. The other dragons should be back soon.”

“Done,” Everly said, taking Ember out of the room and down the hall to the safe room.

Aria watched the vampires as they cast their spells on the dragons’ shields.

“I thought that their magic was weak.”

“So did we,” Dax said. “But it appears that it is growing stronger.”

“Who's that?” Aria asked, pointing at the computer screen.

A tall, lanky vampire in a black cloak paced back and forth behind the other vampires.

“I've never seen him before. Bethi, please identify that vampire in the cloak.”

“Identifying,” Bethi said. Dax and Aria fell silent as the computer whirred. “That vampire is not recognized by my database. Conclusion, this individual is an ancient who has recently reawakened.”

“An ancient?” Dax repeated with fear in his voice. “I'm telling the guys they need to get back here immediately.”

“How far away are they?”

“They won't arrive for another twenty minutes.”

“We need to do something,” Aria said.

“It is best if you go to the safe room.”

“We need to go face them,” Aria said.

“I can’t let them near you.”

“I'm tired of running away. It is time for me to stand up and fight. The vampires are here because they want my power. And if they want it, then they're going to see exactly what they are dealing with.”

“I can’t let you put yourself in danger.”

“This is my choice, Dax. This is what I want.”

He let out a deep sigh.

“All right then. Let’s go give them hell.”

He took her hand and they hurried out of the basement and into the backyard of the mansion. Striding across the lawn and through a manicured garden, they made it to the edge of the property. Two dozen vampires stood on the other side of the barrier. Their hands were strategically placed along the dome that was now visible as they chanted their spells.

“What are you doing here?” Dax demanded.

The unidentified vampire turned and glared at Dax with a sadistic smile.

“We've come to take back what belongs to us,” the vampire said, cocking his chin toward Aria.

“I don't belong to you. I belong to myself.”

“You heard the lady,” Dax said, crossing his arms. “Now be gone with you.”

“Very funny,” the vampire scoffed.

“I thought we just had a treaty meeting,” Dax said.

“There will never be a treaty between our kind. You take the food we need to survive. I was woken from a peaceful sleep because of the trouble that you’ve caused. You dragons are a nuisance here. You should go find some other planet to mess around on.”

“This is our planet now. The Dragon Souls are our kind. We will protect them with our very lives.”

“As you wish,” the elder vampire said.

“No,” Aria said, stamping her bare foot. “This is my planet. Humans were here first. Dragons and vampires come from far across the galaxy, and you vampires have no business here.

“As far as I see it, the dragons have helped humans develop. But you vampires have done nothing but feed on us and manipulate us to your will. You think of us as a food source that you can suck the life out of. If we knew you existed, we would have destroyed you long ago.”

The elder vampire sneered.

“I should tell the whole world that you exist and what you’re doing to us,” Aria said.

“If you tell the world about vampires, the vampires will tell the world about dragons. There are far less of them than there are of us.”

“The dragons are here to protect humans,” Dax said.

“If you're lucky, they might see it that way. But we know that humans are superstitious fools. You have no idea what will happen to your precious dragons if the humans find out.”

“We don't need armies of humans to stand against you,” Dax said. “We can do it ourselves. Bethi, activate shock protocols.”

As soon as the words left his lips, the vampires touching the shields began to shake and shudder as a powerful electric shock vibrated through them. Aria gasped as they fell on their rear ends, their hair spiked out all around them. Dax raised an eyebrow and the elder vampire rolled his eyes.

“You won't think you're so tough for very long. Your shields are weakening. And since I'm sure they were already at full power, what else will you have to stand against us when we break through?”

“The others are returning,” Dax said.

“But will it be soon enough to prevent us from taking back our delicious little Dragon Soul?”

“I am not your Dragon Soul,” Aria yelled.

“Fear not, precious,” the elder vampire said. “We will keep you alive. Your blood is very strong and useful to us. It would be a waste to drain it all at once.”

“You will never taste my blood,” Aria said, lifting her hands from her sides.

She began to sing, willing her song to strengthen the shields around the compound. Her voice rose up in the air and the vampires stood and took notice. Dax turned to her, staring wide-eyed as the hairs on her arms pricked. She closed her eyes and continued singing.

The sound reverberated all around, growing louder and more powerful with each verse. She opened her eyes to see the other three dragons descending from the sky. They landed behind her and she was momentarily distracted, breaking her song. The vampires redoubled their efforts. In one final push, they broke through the shields.

The vampires charged at the dragons. The dragons breathed fire at the vampires, biting and clawing and scratching. Aria gasped as they came toward her, but Dax shifted into his dragon form and used his body to block them from her.

She sang louder, focusing her energy on her mate. Dax clawed at the vampires. His talons connected to one, shredding its body. The vampire fell to the ground and did not rise again. Dax whipped around and went into half-shift form, holding his two-handed sword.

“Did you see that?” he said, standing above the body of the vampire. “I think I killed it.” He kicked it with his foot. “How did I do that?”

“I think it was my song,” she said, baffled and amazed.

“Do it again,” he said with a smile as he gripped his laser sword and charged into the fray.

Her song rose over the fight as the dragons engaged with the dozens of vampires who came pouring into the compound.

“This is so satisfying,” Aiden said, slicing and dicing at the vampires. “I haven't had this much fun since the cataclysm.”

“How are we doing this?” Cato asked, shooting vampires with his laser gun.

“It's Aria’s song,” Dax said. “It bolsters our strength.”

All four dragons turned to her and then back to the fight. Seeing their brethren fall under the claws and the swords of the dragons, the vampires quickly ran away, disappearing into smoke.

“Reactivating shields,” Bethi said.

The shields reactivated once the vampires had disappeared. They all turned to Aria, shifting into their human forms.

“That was amazing,” Dax said. “You've really turned the tide.”

“I had no idea that would happen when I started singing. I guess you were right when you said the dragons could use my power,” she said with an anxious chuckle.

“See,” Dax said. “Sometimes I do say the right thing after all.”

She laughed and threw herself into his arms.

“Oh Dax,” she whispered into his neck. “I love you.”