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Smoke . Morlie inhaled deeply and filled her lungs with the air around her. She could smell a multitude of scents but no burning or heaviness in her chest as she would have assumed someone would have after spending over a week taking in smoke. No, she felt terrific and on edge.

That’s what she didn’t want her sister to know, the anxiety that filled the very marrow of her bones.

There was a sense of expectation or anticipation she couldn’t quite put her finger on.

It had stressed her out trying to decipher it—another reason she’d needed to leave the room.

The last thing she wanted was to have Kai worry.

Her sister already kept an eye on her as if Kai expected her to fall out at any moment.

Morlie had been glad when her sister had left the hall with the massive leader.

Before she left, Morlie saw Kai glance at her, her face drawn with worry.

Morlie’s heart had started to pound, not because of the exertion of dancing, but because she’d been concerned that Aodh had come to collect them and Kai would make her leave.

To be locked in the beautiful room once again.

So, she made a point of smiling wider and waving her hands higher to show her sister she was okay.

When Eilidh returned to tell her that Kai was leaving and her new friend would get her back to her room when she was ready to go, Morlie sighed with relief.

She wasn’t a child who needed constant monitoring.

Kai could be smothering at times. Morlie understood it.

How, for so long, the burden of it all had fallen on Kai after their parents passed on.

But even while their parents were ill, Kai did everything.

She barely allowed Morlie to help care for their parents when the cost of food and medicine forced Kai to take on extra jobs.

But her sister had no choice because Kai was a lot of things but two people; she wasn’t.

Kai couldn’t be in two places at once, so Kai would leave her with pages of instructions.

Morlie had wanted to scream that she was young, but she wasn’t a baby.

Then their parents died, one after the other, and a few months later, she became ill. She hid it from Kai for months. Now, she was hiding something else.

“We’ll check you tomorrow, Eilidh,” Saphira said as Anguis wrapped his arms around her waist and started kissing her neck.

“I’ll be training with the growers early, so I’ll meet you here at midmeal.” Eilidh waved the two off, not seeming too pulsed at the wicked caresses her friends displayed.

Morlie noticed that Saphira barely acknowledged Eilidh’s words before she leaped off the floor and into Anguis’s arms, who rushed her out the door.

“We’re gone, too.” Irad began. “Linda and I are going to go catch some wind.”

“Unless you want us to wait for you.” Linda lifted a brow.

Morlie didn’t miss how the other young woman glanced from her and back to Eilidh, her gaze filled with question.

“No. I’ll catch you all on another night,” Eilidh said as she stepped closer to Morlie. “I promised Mckenna to get Morlie back to his suites safely.”

She didn’t know what catching wind meant, and they hadn’t invited her along after they’d all seemed to enjoy her company as they danced and laughed.

But Morlie didn’t want to seem pushy. Her only friend had been Kai for many reasons.

This group seemed close. She didn’t want to assume they automatically desired to add her to the bunch just because they had shared a meal and a handful of dances with her.

Not wanting to be the buzz kill, Morlie started, “Look, I can make it upstairs by myself. If you want to go with your friends—”

“It’s fine.” Eilidh waved her words away. “I can catch up with them another time.” She steered them toward the back exit.

“I’ll hang out here and wait for you, Eilidh.” Fafner had his hands shoved deep in his pants pockets, and his vest showed off toned muscles with a soft-blue glow.

Morlie noticed the blush on the cheeks of the tall girl beside her and the matching color of the markings that ran down Eilidh’s arms.

But Eilidh only nodded and kept walking away.

Hm . Morlie saw the attraction between the two.

It didn’t seem over the top like with Saphira and Anguis or many other couples that Morlie hadn’t missed kissing and touching.

Her parents showed affection to each other in their underground apartment, and it was widespread knowledge that people hooked up to make babies for the stipend.

Hell, she was sure if she hadn’t been so ill, someone would have propositioned her to go half on a baby for the money.

Legally, a young woman only had to be seventeen to qualify for the money.

It wasn’t even a lot of money. Typically, the couple only got it until the baby was born.

But it was something. If a person saved well, it would last longer.

After the birth, the man would go to another, and the woman would try again as soon as possible.

It was life in the Dispatch, living hand to mouth, hustling for every dollar and crumb.

Often, small apartments ended up packed with more bodies than they could feed, and the children started working younger and younger.

But, all of that procreating never looked like the heated passion Morlie had witnessed tonight.

The couples didn’t appear to be intimate for survival but lust—pure animal lust for one another.

Seeing it all made her feel antsy, and her body warmed in new places.

She hadn’t missed the glances from different men in the room, but none approached her.

Part of her felt grateful, while another part wanted to experience desire.

Specifically when even Kai was affected by it.

The attraction between Kai and Aodh to Morlie had been apparent across the room.

She would have felt bad for Kai having to sacrifice herself for her if Kai didn’t seem to want the leader of this area as much as he couldn’t keep his eyes and hands off Kai.

Morlie liked that her sister had a bit of joy, something for herself.

As she followed beside Eilidh, Morlie couldn’t help glancing over her shoulder, seeing the few people still mingling around the space, and wondering if someone here was in the cards for her.

“Are you glad you came down?” Eilidh’s question pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Yes. Tonight was so much fun.” She nodded as they started up the stairs.

“It was. There’s music and dancing most evenings, but I think it was a good time because of the addition of your company.” Eilidh smiled at her.

Morlie returned it.

“Besides having meals and music, it is a way for the thunder to stay close.”

Thunder ? Morlie decided to file that away for another time. Something may have been different with her since she awakened, but there were many strange things about the people of this area—in size and appearance.

“You’re lucky to have it. I haven’t heard music in so long and never live.”

“What? How is that possible?” Eilidh paused on the stairs.

Since she had continued walking before turning to face her new friend, while Eilidh stopped, Morlie was at eye level with the taller girl.

Eilidh wasn’t as huge as Aodh, but she had more than a few inches on Morlie.

“In the Dispatch District, people don’t have time to play music, especially not dance. Work. Work. Work to live, or you die.”

Eilidh frowned. “That seems like a sad life.”

The girl had no clue, Morlie thought to herself. “It’s not all purplish skies and tall green trees, I’ll say that.”

“Well, you and your sister are here now, Morlie. The Mckenna have made you all one of us.”

That may be true for Kai, but Morlie wasn’t sure if the same could be said about her. Remaining silent, she continued up the few big stairs. It took all her concentration not to fall up or down them. Everything in this place was huge.

Morlie traversed the last few steps beside the much taller Eilidh. At the top, she glanced right and wondered about Kai on the other side of the door. She hoped her sister was all right. Continuing, she turned left toward the other door on the upper level.

“Thanks for coming up with me. I should be good from here.” Morlie placed two hands on the handle and pushed the heavy door.

“Let me help.” Eilidh giggled as she placed one hand on the door and slid it open easily.

“It seems I’m going to need to work on my upper body strength to get in and out of places around here.” Morlie shook her head.

“I’m sure you will figure it all out quickly,” Eilidh encouraged.

“Thanks for everything, again. I hope to hang out with you and your friends soon.”

“Definitely.” Eilidh started to turn away but turned back. “Tomorrow, after the midday meal, we get time off. My friends and I will hang out if you want to come.”

Standing inside the room, Morlie smiled at her. “I would. I need to check with Kai, but I don’t see it as a problem.”

Her sister had said she was Aodh’s’ in exchange for Morlie’s health. Morlie wasn’t sure what Kai’s responsibilities were in the agreement with the leader. Morlie knew she refused to be stuck in the room while Kai did whatever.

“Great.” Eilidh headed toward the steps again.

Morlie stopped her by saying, “May I ask you a question?”

The other girl leaned against the wall before the stairs. “Sure. What’s up?”

Licking her lips, Morlie wasn’t sure how to ask her question. She didn’t want to offend her new friend. She decided to just come out with it. “Kai told me that your people weren’t affected by the effects of the war. How is that possible? What are you?”

Eilidh stared at her for a long moment. No color radiated through her designs to indicate Eilidh was experiencing some tremendous emotional response, so Morlie wasn’t sure if the tall girl was angry at her questions.

Gripping the edge of the thick door tight, Morlie began to apologize, “Sorry. That was rude. You don’t have—”

“We’re Drahk,” Eilidh said. “An ancient kind who have been around for centuries. We aren’t indestructible but heal fast and adapt to any environment. We have dragons, so don’t be alarmed if you see them soaring above you tomorrow.”

Morlie gasped. Her heart pounded. “Truly? Like the kind that torched villages and locked fairytale princesses in towers?”

Eilidh let out a roaring laugh as a small puff of smoke came out of her mouth. “Well, not in many centuries, but they are pretty fierce.”

“Can I meet one?” Morlie took a step forward. She was nervous about what she’d heard but couldn’t deny being more intrigued. Where do they keep them?

Pushing away from the wall, Eilidh shook her head. “No. An introduction to our beasts is a process. We don’t usually let them around outsiders. For your safety.”

Outsiders . A word that told Morlie she didn’t belong. Did Kai?

“Of course. I understand.” Morlie stepped back into the room. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow.

“Until tomorrow, Morlie.” Eilidh turned to go toward the stairs.

Morlie didn’t remain at the door. Instead, she used all her force to close the door.

She walked to the window and stared out at the darkness. She couldn’t see much in the direction she faced but the shadows of trees. As she stared out, she felt an urge. The strange pulsing in her body started again under the surface, causing tremors along her skin.

What did it mean?

She wasn’t sure. But the restless feeling that the music and dancing had drowned out was back.

What’s out there? Were there other colonies of people? She questioned if this was the place for her. If she was strong enough to leave without Kai. Physically, yes, but emotionally, she wasn’t sure. She shook her head as she turned from the window.

Kai has risked her life to care for her; it would be selfish of Morlie to abandon her sister here on her own, among people with untamed pet dragons.

Exhausted now from mental exertion, she walked over to the bed.

Used to sleeping in whatever meager clothes she had, nothing as soft as what she wore now, Morlie crawled into bed.

She settled into the center and pulled the blanket high over her head.

Her health was back now, but what else was there for her?

Before in the Dispatch, she’d assumed when she was well, she’d go and work collections like Kai or perhaps try for a job in the Consumer Providence, giving her and Kai a chance at a better life than breeding for money.

Her sister deserved that. What about me?

I’m a stranger. In a strange land. Is this to be my life?