Dragon burst into the pantry. “Lauren’s here?” he bellowed.

Jade looked up at him with a confused frown. “So Gilda said, while she was briefly conscious.” She pointed her chin at the princess who lay on the floor. Gilda’s head rested on the lap of the kitchen crew member who had remained inside when the rest filed out.

“Gilda,” Jade called, grabbing the princess’s hand, but she didn’t react. “Myriam, try the vinegar again,” she said to the woman holding Gilda.

Myriam nodded and reached for a small bottle sitting on the floor. She raised Gilda’s head and placed the open bottle under her nose.

The fumes from the vinegar were strong and stung Dragon’s nostrils. Jade leaned away, pressing her palm against her nose as her face took on a distinctly green sheen.

“You don’t need to stay here,” Dragon said to Jade.

Relief on her face, Jade nodded and stood.

Dragon caught her elbow when she swayed on her way out of the pantry. “Sit for a few minutes.”

Jade’s hand went to her stomach. “Good idea.”

His soulmate’s immediate acceptance worried Dragon because he feared it had to do with their baby’s health. “I’ll be right with you,” he told her as she exited.

On the floor, Gilda sputtered, her eyes opening wide, horror marring her beautiful traits.

“You’re safe now,” Dragon said, crouching low in front of her.

Gilda’s eyes cut over Dragon’s shoulder. “Valerian—”

“He’s fine,” Dragon immediately answered, hoping he wasn’t lying.

“Where is he?” Gilda tried to hoist herself up, but she fell back onto the woman’s lap, her eyes rolling to white.

Myriam raised Gilda once again and dabbed her nostrils with viscous drops of vinegar. It took a few tries, but finally Gilda came to. She took in the pantry before settling on Dragon, her expression disoriented at first, but then she nodded in acknowledgement.

“Gilda, what happened to you?” Dragon asked when it looked like Gilda wasn’t going to faint again.

“Lauren,” she said, shivering.

Dragon grabbed one of the folded tablecloths from the closest shelf and blanketed Gilda with it. “Lauren’s here, on the ship.”

“Yes.” Gilda’s eyes filled with tears. “She ordered the man who was with her to kill me.”

Dragon swore, a long string of profanities escaping his mouth before he could stop. Both Gilda and Myriam looked at him with scared expressions.

“You were found in the hallway outside the command room. Did you meet Lauren there?” he asked.

Gilda slowly shook her head, her eyes glassy before they focused back on him. “Lauren came to our quarters. I was alone. Valerian had been called—”

“Who called him?”

“I don’t know.” Gilda paused, her stare out of focus again. She then blinked and resumed, “He was worried and spent several hours with the captain before that. He was out for most of the night, though, but I don’t know where he went.” Her gaze went over Dragon’s shoulder. “Where is Valerian?”

Dragon decided to give her a partial truth now that she was regaining consciousness. “He’s in the command room,” he said. “During the night, he was investigating something for me,” Dragon said, passing a hand through his hair. He moved his weight from one foot to the other because his legs were numbing with the prolonged crouching. “Do you remember anything else?”

Gilda was still shivering like a leaf, and he draped two more tablecloths over her, tucking her in carefully.

“She wanted me dead,” Gilda whispered. The horror of the realization was etched on the princess’s face.

“I’m so sorry, Gilda.” He reached for her shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze before standing. “I’ll try to locate the medicus,” he said. Looking at Myriam, he added, “Make her comfortable.”

Outside in the kitchens, he was met with silence as everyone in the room stared at him, waiting for him to talk.

“We need to fetch the medicus,” he said, looking directly at Lewis. “How far is the infirmary from here?”

Lewis thought about it before answering, “Less than ten minutes.”

Dragon nodded at the man. “Take three men with you and be careful.” He then walked to Jade, whose eyes had never left him.

She sat on the kitchen table, her chin resting on her bent leg, while the other dangled from the edge. If it weren’t for her free foot kicking the air, showing her nervousness, one could have thought that she didn’t have a care in the world. The Master Assassin he had met several months ago would have never shown any weakness. And he loved her even more for that. He just wished that this journey of mutual discovery they were undertaking had begun during simpler times.

“How do you feel?” he whispered to her.

“I’m fine.” She stopped her foot, stilling her body.

“The truth.” Leaning closer, he grabbed her chin. “Was it contractions? Earlier, in the crawlway?”

Jade made to shake her head, but he gently applied pressure on his hold.

“We are in this together,” he reminded her.

As if deflating, she slumped against him. “I was scared and didn’t want to worry you.”

“I’m a big boy. You don’t need to protect me from bad news, but you need to talk to me.” He hugged her close. “That’s what a couple does. From now on, we share everything.”

“Okay.” She nudged his shoulder.

“Okay.” He dropped a kiss on her forehead. “So they were contractions.” He sighed. “All this stress isn’t good for you or the baby.”

“Don’t even think about leaving me behind while you fight our enemies,” she said, whispering to his ear.

“You are as skilled in combat as I am—”

“But?”

“But now we have our child to think of.”

She raised her chin, ready to argue his point, but her hand shot to her belly, a pained expression on her face.

“Jade?” Dragon caressed her back slowly, waiting for her answer.

Finally, she nodded. “I’m okay now.”

He sighed in relief and hugged her softly. “You need peace and tranquility.”

Jade scoffed, letting out a nervous chuckle.

“This mess ends here,” he said, looking at her.

Her body sagging, Jade gave him a small shrug. “How? The Academy and the Front Pro Humanity are after us. I’m not against fighting for our child, but there will come a time when we can’t run any longer. Only our deaths will stop them.”

Dragon heard her words, and an idea formed in his mind.

The hatch door opened, and Lewis climbed down, followed by Mr. Cillian and the rest of the crew who had gone with him.

“Where’s the princess?” the medicus asked, looking straight at Dragon who pointed at the pantry. The man strode across the room and disappeared behind the door. A few minutes later, he reemerged and said, “Gilda suffered head trauma, and she’ll need to be moved to the infirmary.”

Dragon nodded before addressing Lewis, “I entrust you with the princess.”

Lewis brought his right fist to his heart and lowered his head.

“She’s slipped into unconsciousness again and will need a stretcher,” the medicus said.

Looking around, Dragon found a narrow side table that was long enough to host a body. “That will work.” He turned it upside down and made short work of the legs, removing them one by one. “There you go.” As Lewis held the pantry door for him, Dragon slid the plank on the floor. Myriam gently pushed Gilda onto the makeshift stretcher, careful not to jerk the princess’s head.

“You need something to secure her,” Jade said from behind Dragon.

“There’s some rope in the broom closet.” Myriam looked over Dragon’s shoulder.

“On it,” one of the crew said, and a moment later, he handed several meters of thick twine to Dragon.

“Cillian, Jade has had a few contractions,” Dragon said from over his shoulder.

“I’ll check her,” the medicus answered.

Winding the rope tight around the bundle of cloths that covered Gilda, Dragon secured her to the plank before pulling her out into the kitchens. Lewis immediately took the other end of the stretcher, and they both hoisted it up, walking toward the corner where the hatch door was.

“Is Jade okay?” Dragon asked Cillian as he passed the medicus, who was standing by Jade.

Cillian nodded. “Just stress.”

Jade regaled him with a smile. Her expression appeared more relaxed than it had been a few minutes earlier, and it had a calming effect on Dragon, too.

“You can let go of the plank,” he said to Lewis, pointing his chin at the hatch door close to the ceiling. “Climb into the shaft.”

The older man frowned. “But—”

“I’ll hand her to you,” Dragon explained.

As soon as Lewis’s hands left the plank, Dragon transferred his hold toward the center and pulled the stretcher over his head with ease.

“Right,” the man said, hoisting himself up with the help of one of the crew who gave him a boost with his united hands, pushing him toward the hatch. He grabbed the edges of the entrance and heaved himself inside the shaft, then turned, motioning for Dragon that he was ready.

Erecting himself to his full height, Dragon raised the stretcher higher and angled it toward Lewis’s outstretched hands. Carefully, he pushed the plank into the shaft as Lewis retreated further inside, pulling Gilda with him. Only when she was safely ensconced inside the maintenance corridor did Dragon release his hold on the edge of the plank. He then helped one of the men into the shaft, and after him the medicus and the rest of the crew.

“All of you, get in,” Dragon said, turning to the kitchen staff. “Lock yourselves in the infirmary.”

After a moment of hesitation, Myriam walked to Dragon. He grabbed her by her waist and handed her to one of the men. She promptly disappeared into the shaft. One by one, the rest of the men and women lined up for Dragon, and soon it was just him and Jade left in the kitchens.

“What do you have in mind?” Jade asked when he walked back to her.

“To give them hell,” he answered.