Page 21 of Pursued by the Dragon Alien (Zarux Dragon Brides #4)

TWENTY-ONE

Lilas

Lilas stood on the command deck, gripping the edge of the display console and watching the screen that showed Razion’s ship drawing closer. The Darkslip was a small blue dot cutting through space behind them, growing larger by the second. Her stomach twisted into knots.

Four cycles . That was how long she’d been here, on a ship that shouldn’t have been able to fly, with a crew of Zaruxians who had once seemed like myths. Her mind had been blown to learn that Razion and his brothers were the offspring of a queen. Bruil, an elder Zaruxian, did a lot of the navigation of the ship, and watching her three friends with their Zaruxian mates made her wish that Razion felt for her what his brothers felt for her Terian friends. After those four cycles of reconnecting with Turi, Fivra, and Sevas, of listening to their stories, she was feeling whole again in ways she hadn’t even realized she was missing.

And now Razion was almost here. The Zaruxians had been right—he had come for her. But why?

Her pulse thrummed in her ears as she stood beside Ellion. He was calm as ever. His silver eyes were focused on the incoming vessel.

“They’ll be alongside us soon,” he said. His voice carried the same even patience it always did, like nothing ever shook him. “He will want to board, or he will invite us to his ship. How would you like to handle this?”

“The Darkslip has a huge crew, most of whom can fight. So definitely have him come here.” Lilas exhaled slowly, pressing her fingers into the console. “I don’t want to see him. Not yet.”

“Understandable.” Ellion arched a brow but didn’t look surprised. “What do you want to do?”

She swallowed hard. “I want to hear what he has to say, but…”

“You want to stay hidden while Cyprian, Takkian, and I speak with him first.” Ellion nodded, considering. “A reasonable request.”

Speak could be an idealized term for what Razion and his crew would do on the fortress ship, but Lilas had no doubt that the three Zaruxians here could handle any show of force the Darkslip officers had in mind.

“Yes.” She clenched her jaw. “If he’s who I thought he was— if I heard wrong—he’ll explain himself to you. And I think it will be obvious if he’s lying. Maybe . He didn’t lie while I was with him, so I don’t know what that would sound like.”

“We will know if he’s lying,” Ellion said simply.

“But if he knows I’m listening, he might tell me what I want to hear.” She expelled a noisy breath, painfully aware that nerves were making her babble. “Oh stars , Ellion. What if I misheard…?”

“You may come out and face him at any time,” Ellion finished. “We are very interested in meeting our brother, but this reunion affects you more than us, Lilas.”

Lilas nodded. It did affect her, way too much, and she’d spent the past four cycles swinging between regretting ever laying eyes on Razion and missing him so much she ached. She felt as if a part of her was missing without him. And like the biggest fool in the universe.

Ellion appeared to watch her for a moment, then inclined his head. “We will meet with him in the central hall. I would suggest staying behind one of the cloth panels in the back where you can listen but won’t be seen. Before Razion arrives, I will let the Terians know where you’ll be, so they may be there with you.”

Lilas released a breath, relief washing over her. “Thank you.”

She trusted Ellion. It hadn’t been easy to reconcile the overseer he had been with the male he was now, but she understood what had happened to him—how deeply the Axis had twisted his mind and will until he wasn’t himself. He had fought through it, and she had seen his devotion to Turi with her own eyes. Whatever he had been before, this was who he was now. She knew he wouldn’t betray her.

Ellion’s gaze remained steady. “And if he did intend to sell you?”

Lilas forced steel into her spine and met his eyes. “Then send him back to the Darkslip and make it very clear that he is never to come near me again.”

Ellion inclined his head. “Very well. That is what we will do. Takkian had more…forceful ideas for deterring him.”

“No.” Lilas unclenched her hands, knowing full well that Takkian—the ex-arena warrior of the Zaruxians—would make his point with his fists rather than words. “Maybe I’m getting soft, but I don’t want him hurt.”

“As you wish, Lilas.” His silver eyes softened slightly as he added, “You’ve always been spirited, but never vindictive. I see why Turi admires you so much.”

Ellion’s voice carried none of the cold authority it once held. Instead, there was something warm in the way he said her name—something genuine. It was still strange, seeing him like this, speaking to her as an equal instead of an overseer. But stranger still was the way it didn’t feel wrong.

Lilas let out a slow breath, something inside her unwinding. She studied him for a moment, searching for any lingering traces of the male she had once feared. But all she found was sincerity. A quiet understanding.

She snorted softly, shaking her head. “Yeah, well. Some would say ‘troublemaker’ instead.”

Ellion chuckled. “Mmm. I once might have agreed. But troublemakers are often the ones who force real change.”

She didn’t know what to say to that. So instead, she only nodded. She glanced at the display again. The Darkslip was nearly within range. Any moment now, Razion would attempt communication.

Her heartbeat kicked up. She needed to move. Now.

Cyprian, tall and red-scaled, lifted a finger and motioned toward the screen he sat before. “We have an incoming signal from the Darkslip.”

“That would be him.” Ellion turned to her, his mouth set in a firm line. “It’s time, Lilas.”

“Okay.” She swallowed hard through a tight throat. “I’m going.” She turned and left the command deck, heading for her hiding place in the central hall. Her chest pounded as she moved through the corridors. The solid bulk of the ship, which was beginning to feel as familiar to her as the Darkslip, did nothing to steady her nerves. She didn’t know what she wanted to hear from Razion. An explanation? A denial? A truth she could live with?

All she knew was that every step she took felt heavier than the last. And soon, she would have her answer.