PRESENT…

Beirax has disappeared.

The plateau is large, maybe quarter the size of a football field. But there’s nowhere to hide, and the Zorahn scientist who was responsible for stranding us on this planet is nowhere to be seen. He’s either thrown himself off the side of the sheer cliffs, or he’s flown away. Those are the only two possibilities, and neither of them is any good.

“Viola thought there was a third exile batch,” I say uneasily. “You think they took him?”

“How?” Lud asks. “As far as I know, there are no women on this planet. The scientists didn’t want us transforming into dragons, and they definitely didn’t want us mating and having youngling. If there is indeed a third exile batch, how did they get here, and how did they take Beirax? It could only be done from the air.”

Xan looks around. “Was he rescued by a Zoraken ship?”

“But we’ve been patrolling every single day,” I protest, fear stabbing my heart. “This is really close to our camp. If Zorahn soldiers were this close to us…” My voice trails off and my hand moves protectively over my stomach. I won’t let anything happen to you, little dragon, I vow silently. But cold fear continues to grip me. There’s less than fifty of us. How can we defend ourselves against an army with guns?

“Forget Beirax for the moment,” Dariux says soberly. “We need to find a place to hide.”

“They’ve been looking,” Xan replies. “It’s not easy. We have to be near water. Sheltered from the hairus and other predators. Somewhere high enough that we won’t drown in the rainy season. And above all, somewhere where the scanners won’t easily detect us.”

Dariux isn’t listening. He’s kneeling on the ground, scraping at the coarse purple grass with the handle of his knife. I move closer to Xan and Lud, who are standing in the middle of the clearing, watching Dariux with identical puzzled expressions on their faces. “I’m trying not to panic at the idea of a Zorahn ship this close to us,” I confess softly.

Lud takes a deep breath. “Me too,” he says.

Oh God. Poor Lud. Of course he’s freaking out at the idea of something happening to his child. His daughter has already been torn away from him. This has to be his worst nightmare.

I’m about to put my arm around him consolingly when Dariux shouts out. “Look at this.”

My mates hurry forward. I’m about to follow them when I trip over a stray root. I start to fall, and I put out a hand to stop myself from landing on my belly.

But as I hit the ground, it seems to give way under me. A hole opens up in the middle of the plateau. I scramble for the sides, but I can’t hold on. I scream in terror as my fingers give way.

And then I’m falling.

* * *

Time seems to slow to a halt. My life doesn’t flash in front of my eyes. I just see their faces. Lud and Xan. Against all odds, we ended up together. Against all odds, we surmounted the challenges we faced.

I’d hoped for forever. I wanted to hold the baby growing inside me. I wanted to see Lud and Xan beam with pride as they held their child for the first time. I wanted to see Lud have the second chance he so desperately craved.

Would our baby have been a dragon? Would he have been able to fly before he could walk? So many questions left unanswered.

I’ve had recurring dreams of falling all my life, and I’m plunging to my death. The universe has a really ironic sense of humor.

Then I see them. Xan and Lud, hurtling toward me, their arms extended, and their bodies shaped into arrows to pick up speed.

No! This hole, shaft, whatever it is I’m falling down, it’s not big enough for them to transform and unfurl their wings. They’ll be crushed. “Why?” I scream. “Why are you doing this?”

They don’t reply. Their expressions tight with concentration, they reach me and wrap their arms around me. “We’re never going to let you fall,” Xan whispers.

I swallow the lump in my throat.

Xan maneuvers himself so he’s underneath me. Lud puts his hands around my waist, holding me tight.

And then they do something impossible. They shift in mid-air. One moment, my mates are hugging me. The next moment, I’m shielded between two ferocious dragons.

But it’s too late for them to extend their wings and try to fly out. The ground is approaching with alarming speed. There’s nothing we can do.

Then there is a jolting, shuddering impact.

Followed by darkness.