Page 24

“ I hope I’m not interrupting anything,” Maggie says pointedly.

I hear a loud snort from inside the room which can only be Rosalie. Sure enough, she pops her head out for a good look as I pull away from Darax and duck under his arm.

“What’s going on?”

“Maggie’s got cabin fever,” Scarlett says, stepping out of the doorway. “I’m the same. Either we’re prisoners or we’re not.”

I look over at Darax. “Are we your prisoners?”

“You’re definitely not,” Rosalie murmurs with a laugh.

“I cannot allow you to leave the Silver Star . Not until we know why you are here and what that means for the Sarkarnii,” Darax says. “But you have my full protection on this ship, and you may go where you wish.” He gives us all a short bow.

I am confusion itself. After all the show with the cuff and chain, now we get allowed to go where we like?

I furrow my brow at him, but he remains impassive.

I still haven’t had my revenge. Which means it’s time to change the balance of power here.

It’s time Darax of the High Bask finds out exactly what he’s dealing with.

“How about a bath, ladies?” I announce. “The Sarkarnii like bathing, and from what I’ve heard, they have baths like swimming pools.”

“Oh yes!” Scarlett claps her hands with glee. “I’ll go make some swimming costumes!” She darts back into our quarters.

Darax glowers at me. I know it’s because he’ll need to clear out one of his aquiums. But then, he’s clearly not telling me everything, and it’s starting to make me mad.

Because even looking at Darax makes my body sing in ways I don’t think I ever imagined. And yet he is absolutely infuriating. So, it’s about time he learnt a lesson in dealing with humans.

If he wants any more from me, he’s going to have to work for it. And until he starts to tell me the truth, he’s going to have to work very hard.

In no time at all, Scarlett comes back waving the costumes and throws one to me. I stare at Darax. He releases a great cloud of smoke.

“Come with me,” he intones finally.

Rosalie tucks her arm in mine. “Thank you,” she says quietly.

“Don’t thank me. He’s being a dick, and I need him to have to do some work for a change,” I grumble.

“So…the way you’re talking, it sounds like you and this…dragon man...have got something going on.”

“It’s nothing,” I say, my heart spinning in my chest and slamming hard against it.

“Look, Kerra.” Rosalie squeezes my arm. “I spent the last I don’t know how many weeks on the space ship Stinky McStinkyface with you. I can tell when you’re lying.”

“Fuck you.”

“Oh, such a way to treat your best friend in all the universe,” Rosalie says, dramatically clutching at her chest and then flailing her arm so that Darax turns around and gives her a long, hard look.

“Stop it,” I hiss, “and I’ll tell you when we get to the pools.”

Behind us, there are sounds of approval as the ladies inspect the parts of the ship we’re walking through. Here and there, I spot the occasional Sarkarnii walking towards us, but he instantly does an about turn once he sees us and Darax at the rear.

It would seem my big bad Sarkarnii’s ire travels fast in these parts.

The air fills with the scent of warm water as we reach the entrance to the aquiums. A couple of naked Sarkarnii make a break for it, much to the delight of Maggie and Scarlett. Rosalie gives me a long, knowing look.

“You are going to tell me everything ,” she hisses.

“Wait here,” Darax rumbles and strides down the passage leading to the pools.

“He’s rather commanding, isn’t he?” Scarlett says confidently.

I bristle at the way she’s staring after him, ogling his butt.

“That one is taken, Scarlett,” Maggie says with a glance over at me. “You’ll have to pick another.”

“Can’t think of anything worse,” Lydia mutters.

“Dragon men, or men in general?” Rosalie asks.

“Men in general.” Lydia looks away from us as if she’s found something very interesting elsewhere.

Maggie takes this as a cue to shut the fuck up, fortunately. Darax returns, hips swinging and his tail whipping behind him.

“This way,” he growls, and my new friends troop ahead. “Two doors down. That is your aquium,” he says.

Rosalie releases my arm and gives me a little shove, causing me to unbalance and fall against Darax. I hear her laughter as he catches me.

“Did the female deliberately push you?” Darax growls.

“Yes, she did.” I seethe, contemplating setting Darax on her for all of a nano-second. “But she did it on purpose so you’d catch me.”

“Interesting,” Darax says. “She threw you at me?”

“Not exactly,”

“She threw you at me to see what would happen.” Darax smokes, and a light dances in his eyes. “Your female is clever.”

“She is annoying and will be getting a kick in the pants later,” I grumble without malice.

“I like her,” Darax says.

The bristling, awful feeling floods my body again, a jealousy so deep it rots my bones.

“I like you more,” he adds.

“I’m not speaking to you right now,” I huff.

“You are.”

“No, I am not.”

Darax furrows his brow, completely confused. “This is talking,” he says.

“Once you decide to tell me the truth, about everything, then we’ll talk.” I pry myself free of his arms, even though I’d quite like to stay there. “And once you make a decision what we are to you. Until then, leave me and my friends alone.”

I walk off down the passage, following the sounds of delight which are echoing in my direction. I reach the second doorway and risk a glance back at Darax.

He has gone.

Of course he has gone. I push everyone away with my inability to trust them. Rosalie had no choice because we were stuck together, but up until alien abduction, my lack of social skills has ensured my life was pretty lonely.

I shove all the jealousy, all the confusion which wars within me, back down inside. I’m not going to let any of this change my aim, which is to be sure Rosalie, and now the other ladies, are safe.

And having seen what I have seen of the Sarkarnii so far, I’m beginning to doubt our safety lies here.