Page 23 of Possessed by the Dragon Alien (Zarux Dragon Brides #6)

“You’re late,” she said as they approached.

“We ran into some complications,” Madrian said.

“I’m sure you did.” Rien’s gaze flicked between them, and Nena caught a hint of amusement in her expression. “The longer we delay, the higher the chance they’ll lock down the entire station.”

They hurried up the ramp. Rien’s ship was small, but it looked fast. The interior was all clean lines and efficient design, built for speed rather than comfort.

Polished metal surfaces and recessed lighting made the cramped space look efficient.

Nena could appreciate that. The space looked carefully organized, with storage compartments lining the walls, and complicated-looking stations that served purposes she could only imagine, tucked into alcoves.

It looked like there were a few rooms near the back.

The operator station featured seats that appeared to fit the form of whoever was sitting in them.

It was so vastly different than the crude equipment on Settlement 112-1; Nena marveled at how the rest of the quadrant lived, while her people had toiled with broken tools and used ground herbs instead of med stations.

“Strap in,” Rien said, settling into the pilot’s seat. “This is going to be interesting.”

Nena found a seat at one of the mystery stations and fumbled with the restraint system. Madrian appeared beside her, his hands sure and steady as he helped secure the straps.

“Thank you,” she said quietly. “I’m not used to this.”

“It’s okay.” He squeezed her shoulder. “We’re likely to be chased. Try not to panic. Rien’s a very good pilot. And my aim is excellent. I will return fire if we’re attacked.” The smile he gave her was strained. “I cannot promise to not kill anyone.”

She let out a gurgle of laughter. “I get it. Let’s get out of here.”

He strapped into a seat just behind Rien, but up a couple of steps.

The ship lifted smoothly, rising through the docking bay’s field.

She leaned forward, where she got a glimpse through the viewport.

The shimmering dome was overhead and the gardens below, with the towers winking into the visual range as the ship turned.

As a whole, the massive station looked like a twisted metal flower, all sharp angles and gleaming surfaces.

“So far, so good,” Rien said. “But they’ll—”

Alarms started blaring.

“Never mind,” Rien said. She pushed the ship into a steep climb. The sudden acceleration pressed Nena back into her seat. “They’ve noticed we’re gone.”

Red lights flashed across the console. On the tactical display, Nena could see other ships moving to intercept them. Fast ones.

“How many?” Madrian asked. She could see him, though her view was partially obstructed, and his voice came through the vessel’s comm system.

“Four pursuit craft,” Rien replied. “Maybe more launching now.”

“I can handle four.”

Nena watched him work, saw the way his demeanor changed as he fell into combat mode. This was what he’d been trained for. What he was good at.

The ship shuddered as weapon fire sparked off its shields.

“There’s the first one,” Rien said. “Can you—?”

“Pulse cannons charged,” he said. “Weapons array online. Returning fire.”

Heat from the ship’s weapons sent warmth into the cabin. Nena felt, rather than heard, the pulse cannon discharge. It was a vibration that ran through everything, including the chair she sat on.

On the display, one of the pursuing ships veered away, trailing atmosphere.

“Nice shot,” Rien said. “But the shield dome is beginning its lockdown procedure around Axis Central. If those shields complete their formation, nothing will get in or out.”

“Can we make it?” Nena asked.

Rien grimaced. “If we’re very lucky and very fast.”

Another impact shook the ship. This one was harder, sending sparks cascading from an overhead panel.

“Shields at sixty percent,” Madrian said. His voice was perfectly calm, like he was discussing the weather. “Two more ships closing from starboard.”

Nena gripped her restraints and wished there was something she could do. She wasn’t a pilot or a gunner. She couldn’t help with repairs or navigation. All she could do was sit there and watch while other people risked their lives.

The ship rolled sharply to avoid another barrage of weapon fire.

Through the viewport, she caught another glimpse of Axis Central’s shields.

They looked different now. Thicker. The iridescence was a roiling red, reminding her of roots weaving together to form a trap.

Just a small gap remained near the very top.

“That’s our exit,” Rien said. “I’m going to have to push the engines past safety limits.”

“Do it,” Madrian snapped.

The ship leaped forward like a living thing. Acceleration crushed Nena into her seat. The pursuing craft fell behind, unable to match their sudden burst of speed.

But the gap in the shields was closing fast.

“It’s going to be tight,” Rien said.

“We’ll make it,” Madrian said, still firing on the ships pursuing them.

Nena gulped down a breath, tamping down the stress and anxiety that were pushing up her heart rate.

She craned her neck to look up at Madrian.

His hands were steady on the weapons console.

His gaze was focused on the tactical display.

He looked like he belonged here, in the middle of combat and danger.

But then, he glanced over at her, and she saw something else. Something that had nothing to do with weapons or tactics or the Axis training that had shaped him.

Her instincts whispered in her mind— He’s doing this for you .

All of it—the escape, the fight, the risk—it was because she’d shown him another way to live. Because she’d seen something in him worth saving.

Their eyes met across the space between them, and in that moment, she understood. She might not be able to fire weapons or pilot a ship, but she’d done something just as important.

She’d helped him remember who he was supposed to be.

The ship shot through the gap in the shields with meters to spare. Behind them, the energy barrier snapped closed with a red flash that lit up the viewport.

They were free.

“Well,” Rien said, finally relaxing in her pilot’s seat. “That was exciting.”

Madrian sagged back from the weapons console. “Status on the pursuit craft?”

“Trapped inside the shields, along with the rest of Axis Central.” Rien checked her instruments. “We’re clear. Engaging stealth module. They won’t be able to see or detect us.”

Nena felt something loosen in her chest. They’d actually done it. They’d escaped.

But as she looked around the small ship that was now their only refuge, she realized their real journey was just beginning.

“Where do we go now?” she asked.

Rien and Madrian exchanged a look.

“To find my brothers,” Madrian said. “And your friends.”

“If they’re still alive,” Rien added.

“They are,” Nena said. She didn’t know how she knew, but she was certain. “I can feel it.”

Madrian unclipped himself and, in the gravity-free space, floated down to her. He reached over and took her hand. His fingers were warm and strong, and when he smiled at her, she saw a spark of light in his eyes.

“I heard your instincts are never wrong,” he said teasingly.

She leaned forward. “Where did you hear that?”

“From a very wise female,” he said. “She’s right about most things, although her taste in male companions is questionable.”

“Shut up, Madrian,” she teased right back, before plucking at the safety straps. “Can you get me out of this? I want to see the stars.”

He obliged her by unclipping her, and together they glided to the front of the ship where they crowded Rien by clustering at the curved plastoid that separated them from the cold abyss of space.

Nena pressed her hand against the clear surface, her breath catching in her throat. Outside, the stars sparkled in all directions. She’d never seen them so clear, so brilliant, and unmarred by Central’s dome or the purple-streaked atmospheric field that had always filtered the sky.

Back on Settlement 112-1, she’d spent countless nights staring up at the stars through the ever-present haze.

Even then, they’d brought her peace. But at the settlements, a swirling storm had dominated the sky, obscuring the stars from view.

Through it, Axis ships would come and go.

She knew now that it was a massive wormhole, but the swirling darkness was so immense and constant, the Terians believed it was some kind of eternal storm.

Now, she could see it for what it really was—the Axis’ gateway between worlds.

But the stars…the stars were exactly as she’d always imagined they would be. Pure points of light against the infinite black, each one a distant sun with worlds of its own. Her chest filled with something she’d never felt before. Not just peace, but freedom. Real freedom.

For the first time in her life, nothing stood between her and the vast universe beyond.

Somewhere out there were people she loved, answers they needed, and the chance to build something better than what they’d left behind.

It would be dangerous. It would be difficult.

But they’d face it together.

And for now, that was enough.