Page 30 of Captured By the Dragon Warlord (Fated Mates of the Sarkarnii Warlords #2)

D exx is a very bad dragon. A very bad dragon indeed, given he knew all about the elevator and chose not to tell me.

But I do believe him when he says he wanted me on his back…given what happened down in the mines. A mixture of all the emotions flows through me as the elevator ascends. I’m sure I never want to go down there again, given it was hotter than hell and stank of…I don’t know what.

Except, riding my dragon in all senses of the word was the most incredible thing I’ve ever done. I feel truly, truly alive.

I turn the tube over in my hand. It’s well made, as far as I can tell, and it hasn’t suffered from how it got down the mines in the first place, so it’s robust enough to deliver whatever it’s designed to deliver.

That might be the paraxio which effected Dexx, or that in itself might be some sort of booby trap designed to mix up the memories of the finder…

To allow whoever put it there to retrieve it.

The thought makes me feel a little queasy. Does having the thing make me a target?

After the last abduction by cockroach aliens, I’d like to think things can’t get any worse, but then I have been abducted by aliens…it quite clearly can get worse.

What’s worse than cockroach aliens? I don’t even want to think about it.

The elevator comes to a halt and the doors slide open. I’m off to one side of the large atrium which houses the shaft into the mines. For a second, I hesitate, not wanting to leave, thinking I might go back to Dexx.

Only I’d clearly be far more of a hinderance in his work. I’ve seen him dig and…oh boy, the Sarkarnii are better at it than any machine.

I could watch him for a very long time. However I’m not sure it would be appreciated.

“Scarlett!” Cestapal calls out to me from across the atrium. She has two very nervous warriors with her.

“Hi!” I give her a wave.

“Lord Dexx has said you’re going to Lord Darax’s quadrant?” she queries.

“I’m meeting with my friends, but I’ll need to check where they are first,” I respond, pulling out the comm device from my pocket and tapping out a message to the group chat which I note now has a name.

Sarkarnii Sluts

I huff at it, knowing Maggie has most definitely named the group chat.

The response I get is surprising.

“We’re not going to Darax’s sector but to Dante’s,” I say to Cestapal.

“Lord Dante?” One of the warriors grins for an instant before a glare from the second one wipes the smile off his face.

“These two, Devix and Drix, have their full unshifted period ahead of them.” Cestapal rolls her eyes, and it’s a very strange action for what is essentially a raccoon. “And a visit to Lord Dante’s sector will be a real treat.” She sighs.

“This way, mistress.” Drix, the more serious of the two, gestures for me to walk ahead. He gives Cestapal a wary look. “And you,” he adds.

She snorts at him and together we walk through the ship until we reach an airlock.

“We need to go through the neutral sector to reach Lord Dante’s sector. It’s a little…lively.”

“What do you mean?”

The warriors guarding the airlock start the opening process on the nod from Drix.

As new air rushes in, tinged with the scent of burning, I find out exactly what she means. The area we walk out into initially looks similar to all the ships I’ve seen so far, save for the fact it is much, much larger. The atrium we’ve walked into is so vast it has to have its own weather systems.

I flinch as an explosion takes place some distance from me. Both warriors grin at each other and Cestapal sighs.

“Lord Dante’s sector?” she prompts them.

The pair shake themselves, and with tails lashing, Drix takes up position in front of us and Devix at the rear.

The distance to Dante’s sector isn’t as far as I thought it might be, which maybe explains why and how he came to be in the mines earlier. Once we reach the airlock entrance, Cestapal pulls out a small comm device and punches in what looks like a code.

With a hiss, the airlock spins open like an iris, and I see some familiar faces peering out at me.

“Scarlett!” I’m surrounded by my friends, all giving me a hug, and at least one person is squealing. I think it’s Rosalie.

“Hi!” I’m smiling so much as questions about my health are fired at me, along with a good scolding from Maggie.

“Hey, I figured if you’re going to get abducted once, why not multiple times?” I laugh.

“Not funny, Scarlett,” Maggie grumbles.

“Not funny, Scarlett,” Rosalie says with a twinkle in her eye. “We thought the cockroaches had got you…again.”

“Now, being abducted twice by cockroaches would be idiotic.” I laugh and shudder at the same time before I look around me.

Dante’s sector is less chaotic than I expected. The small atrium we’re in is clean and bright.

“This is Cestapal.” I introduce the small creature next to me. “She’s a Paralnyi and they live in Dexx’s sector.”

All three of my friends do a brief double take at the little raccoon before they all smile and politely say hello.

Cestapal gives them a brief bow and returns their greetings.

“I guess you’re being touted around the warlords?” I ask.

“We are. Kerra gets to stay home,” Lydia grumbles.

“It’s not so bad, so far,” Maggie says.

“That’s because there’s fresh meat for you to ogle.” Rosalie chuckles.

“Never let it be said I don’t appreciate an arse you could sink your teeth into,” Maggie says haughtily before leaning closer to me. “And Dante’s warriors generally don’t bother with pants,” she adds conspiratorially.

“Scarlett knows all about pantsless Sarkarnii,” Rosalie trumpets as we leave the atrium next to the airlock and they guide me through to what is clearly their quarters within Dante’s sector. “She’s been doing the horizontal mambo with Mr. Big, Bad, and Brooding.”

“You and Dexx?” Lydia gasps. “I thought he abducted you.”

“He did.” I sigh. Clearly Kerra has been passing on all the messages I’ve sent. “It’s complicated.”

“Well.” Maggie throws herself down into the cushioned depression in the floor. “We’re all here for complicated.”

“You’re just fishing for gossip,” Rosalie says with a snort.

“As is my right as a Sarkarnii slut.” Maggie waves her hand in the air. “And you want to know as much as I do.”

All three of them turn to look at me. I heave out a sigh.

“Okay, ladies, if you’re sitting comfortably…I’ll begin.”