An uncomfortable feeling settled in as I returned to my tent and found Tasha was gone. Pacing, I knew I needed to come clean with her. Zaruv was right, every moment that I hid the truth of my identity made the lie more damaging.

Finally facing the reality of the emotions between us, I knew I didn’t want to base the foundation of our future on deception. I didn’t know where this was going, given the threats and enemies we faced, but I felt hope and that was enough.

I had fought fearsome enemies, had stood in the presence of pure evil, and yet, preparing to come clean with her, admitting to her that I had taken advantage of the attraction and heat between us, was the most terrifying experience of my life.

I kept a vigilant eye as I crossed the camp, watching for Albert, cautious of any brooding retaliation. Pavar was keeping guard by the pods and Zaruv sat by the thermogenerator, but I knew I heard something out there in the underbrush beyond our camp and I had not located the source, leaving me uneasy.

The first sun had started to streak orange across the sky by the time I finally summoned the courage to go to her. Reaching her dome tent, I sensed her presence within. Before I could enter, Tasha herself materialized, flinging aside the panel of the tent and rushing out.

Her face was red and swollen, the signs of her crying plain and startling. She stopped short of running into me, clearly not expecting to see me. She looked surprised, but her expression quickly shifted to fright.

“Get away from me!” she sputtered.

“Tasha, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” I started to reach out to her, but she backed away from me.

“Don’t touch me! Just stay away from me… all of you!” she said, looking wildly around as Zaruv came around the corner, summoned by the noise.

“Ragal, what’s going on?” Zaruv called, but I had no words, the grip of fear upon my very soul.

Tadisha came out of the tent and embraced Tasha, who was crying softly. Tadisha looked over her shoulder with eerie calm and control, laughter in her eyes, the corner of her mouth tilted in a skewed smile.

“We’re leaving. And you freaks better stay the hell away from us,” Albert’s voice sounded from inside the tent as well. He emerged carrying a case and started to shoulder past me.

“You! What the hell did you do?” I said, pushing him backward with more force than I meant.

He fell to the ground, but instead of getting angry, he just looked smug as he stood and dusted off his ridiculous suit.

I wanted to rip into him, certain that he was at the center of this, when Zaruv came up behind me and pulled me back.

“Batr, don’t. You’ll only make it worse.”

“That’s right, you freaks better back the fuck away from us!” Albert said, raising his voice.

I looked to Tasha, desperate for an explanation. The last time I had seen her, the situation had been completely reversed. I had no idea what could have happened to cause the fear and hurt in her eyes as she looked at me.

“Tasha, please, just tell me what’s going on,” I begged.

Tadisha went to speak, but Tasha put her hand on her arm, breathing deeply and fighting to keep her composure. “I’ll tell you what’s going on. The Lord-Case Company is no longer funding this expedition. It’s against Vaxivian law to provide aid to hostile species,” she said, her voice shaking.

As she uttered the words, “hostile species,” my blood froze in my veins, my lungs screamed for oxygen, I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move. How? How had she discovered the truth?

As if she saw the question in my eyes, she spoke, her voice raw with pain and remorse, “I saw you, Ragal. I watched you transform into a… creature. I… I don’t know what or who you are, but I do know you’re not using me or my company any longer. Whatever you’re planning, you’re not doing it with my help.”

I flinched at her words, feeling them sting as the reality sank in.

Jennifer came around the corner just then, and Tasha looked at her with a mixture of pity and apprehension.

“Jennifer, you need to get away from them. They’re… creatures and they’re using you, too. You and Andie. Both of you are in danger,” she said quickly.

Jennifer looked confused. “No, you don’t understand. We’re not in any danger, they’re good men. Zaruv and I love each other…”

“He’s fooled you, Jennifer, just as Ragal fooled me.”

I pleaded, “Tasha, I’m so sorry. I never meant to hurt you. Just let me explain… I know what this looks like, but there is so much more at stake than you realize.”

“Save it, monster,” Tadisha all but spat, a look of pure disgust and hatred written on her face.

“Ladies, let’s go, we don’t have time to waste,” Albert said authoritatively, and Tadisha hurriedly ushered Tasha past me.

As she crossed in front of me, Tasha stopped.

“When I get to Steel City, we’re alerting the authorities. They’ll come for you, all of you...” she said, grief and warning in her words. “You should go before they find you.”

“Tasha,” Albert scolded. “Let the freaks face their fates.”

She walked away and I felt frozen, watching each step carry her out of my life.

They climbed quickly into the LCC vehicle and sped away. The blood rushed through me and I broke free of my shock, chasing after her with all the speed I possessed, hurtling over the brush, sprinting to catch the truck.

I raced after the vehicle, screaming out for her. I saw her reflection in the mirror for a split instant, her expression crumpling with pain, and the sight of her hurt, her betrayal, was like a blow to my system.

I collapsed, struggling for air, feeling like a dying man clawing for life. Falling to my knees, I roared with all the despair I felt. I wanted to shift, to chase after and take her back, but I knew the sight of my dragon form would only drive her further away from me.

The way she had looked at me, the fright so evident in her eyes, felt like a knife. If only it had been… In that moment, the idea of living without her was total and utter devastation.

How could I go on knowing I would never see her smile, never hear her voice, so sultry and seductive when I touched her, or giddy and joyful as she solved a problem, never see the fire in her eyes as she spoke about bringing progress to her people? The thought was unbearable and I felt the emotion roll through me. The memory of her final look was the purest form of torture, and I drowned in the anguish.

I fell onto my back and looked up at the sky, a brilliant tapestry in shades of orange and pink. It should have been the backdrop of a fresh start for us. I was going to tell her and somehow that had been stolen from me.

I couldn’t begin to guess how hurt, how devastated she must be feeling, and knowing I was the cause of that was total agony. And now, she was gone, alone with the two people I trusted least on this planet. People I knew cared nothing for her.

My breathing slowed as I came to grips with what had happened. Finally, I stood and headed slowly back to camp, feeling the crushing weight of her rejection with every step.

Everyone was gathered around the thermogenerator, talking rapidly and turning to me with concern and pity on their faces.

Jennifer rushed up to me and hugged me. The gesture was kind but brought me no comfort.

“Oh, Ragal, I’m so sorry,” she said, tears in her voice.

“As am I,” I said, my voice coming out flat and empty.

She released me and I sat on a chair, hands to my head, knowing they all watched me but caring not at all.

“Much as I hate to add to this,” Andie began, “Tasha leaving isn’t our only problem. Someone sabotaged our rovers. They’re useless without the right parts, and it would take way too long to fix them.”

“I don’t understand. Tasha told Ragal that we should leave before she sent the authorities out here. Why would she purposely damage our vehicles?” Jennifer asked.

“They did this,” I ground out, anger cracking my voice. “Albert and Tadisha. They revealed us to Tasha and they stranded us here.”

Pavar looked furious. “Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go catch the bastards and make them pay.”

“What about the ship? I’ve located several of the core pieces. We cannot leave them there; the longer they sit in the swamp, the more we lose…” Karun began. He had retrieved several pieces in the night.

Zaruv spoke, “We’ll go out in force and pull out everything we can from the swamp and secure it here in the camp.”

Karun nodded. “Andie and I can secure the perimeter of the camp with explosives and traps, try to reinforce it against scavengers.”

Andie smiled. “I’ve got just the thing.”

“Good. When we finish collecting what we can, we’ll head to Steel City by air.” He looked to Jennifer apologetically. “We’ll carry Andie and you with us, but it might not be the most pleasant ride.”

She leaned up and kissed him. “I’d go anywhere with you.”

Even in my despair, I was surprised. Jennifer and Zaruv were clearly in love, but theirs was a private affection. Jennifer had a rocky romantic past, and as their relationship had bloomed, it had not been easy for her to let Zaruv in, particularly with the uncertainty of their future in such circumstances.

I felt a happiness for my brother, but it was bittersweet and metallic in my mouth as I realized I might never have that with Tasha. It also occurred to me that, without her help, my people might truly be doomed.

The pain of losing the woman I loved was intense and devastating, but compounded with the realization I might have sentenced all my countrymen to death or enslavement, it was overwhelming.

I was raw with emotion; I had to get her back. There was no other option. I—we—needed her.

Focusing on the tasks ahead, anger settled in. Albert and Tadisha would pay.