The other Soutx
walked around, planting their lanterns in the sand so they would have light.
Ryuu was relieved that none came close enough to crowd them.
He bowed to the woman. “Lady Delinda, it’s an honor.”
She looked up at him sharply. “Who are you? How
do you know my name?”
He tilted his head, considering what to tell her.
“Drakon said you wouldn’t help us. That his father disapproved of his choices.
Is that true?”
She frowned, glancing away. “His father was a very
bitter man.”
“Was? Where is General Ozuru now?” Ryuu asked,
surprised. Drakon hadn’t said anything about his father being dead.
“He died in the last battle with the Arethuza.” The
woman stroked a hand down Drakon’s cheek. “I was elected interim leader of the
Soutx, until the heritor came home.”
Ryuu sat back on his heels. That meant that he was
mated to the leader of the Soutx. He smiled wryly. Soutx and Arethuza, united
at last. Pity it took countless battles and blood spilled for it to happen. “He will be sorry to hear of his death.”
“Please. How do you know my son?” Lady Delinda asked
him.
Ryuu took a deep breath. “He is my mate.”
Her eyes widened. “But that would mean…”
“That I am also a dragon. Yes.” Ryuu was done with
hiding. “The Desert Dragon asked for your help. You came.”
Drakon stirred suddenly. “Ryuu!”
Ryuu immediately went to him. “I’m here.” He touched
Drakon’s hand.
“Don’t hurt them,” he mumbled.
Ryuu squeezed. “Don’t fret.”
Drakon grabbed him. “Promise.” His fingers loosened before Ryuu could reply. He glanced at the younger woman.
“Will he be okay?”
“He’s lost a lot of blood, but he should recover.” She
pasted a med-tab onto Drakon’s arm and threaded the line from it into a
portable medicine station. She sighed, and touched Drakon’s wrist, taking his
pulse.
“What about his wing?” Ryuu had to ask. “It was nearly
destroyed by plasma fire.”
She frowned. “He was injured in dragon form?”
Ryuu nodded.
Her green eyes, so like Drakon’s, went bleak. “Only
someone bonded to him can help heal that injury.”
She must not have heard me tell their mother he is my
mate . “How?” he asked urgently. “I’ll
do anything.”
She stared at him, obviously confused.
Ryuu wanted to shake her. “Tell me how to help him,”
he enunciated clearly.
“No!” A man pushed his way through the Soutx clustered
around them.
Ryuu came to his feet, moving to protect Drakon. The
man spat into the sand as the lantern light flickered across his face.
Yet another relative, Ryuu thought, looking at the man’s cold, green eyes. Drakon certainly has a lot of them.
“If Drakon’s injury prevents him from taking his
dragon form, all the better,” the man shouted. “He was never meant to lead the
Soutx.”
“Apep! You overstep yourself,” Delinda said, standing with
Ryuu.
The man spat again. “I will be leader, Delinda. Not
some nightmare out of myth. Our people need a pure human to lead them to
victory over the Arethuza.” He shoved forward, reaching out a hand to yank away
the med-line from Drakon’s arm.
Ryuu grabbed his arm. “The war is over,” he said,
thrusting the man away.
“You lie!” Apep growled and swung at Ryuu.
Ryuu stepped back, then easily tripped him. He followed him down to the ground, drawing two of his
knives and stabbing them into sand on either side of Apep’s face. “It’s over. I
could kill you a thousand times, easily, and that would not change the truth of
it.”
“You have no authority to declare a truce! You’re
nothing but a traitor spy. A fucker of men.”
Ah. Prejudice and hatred survive, even among the
Soutx. Ryuu made a disgusted sound
and stood up. “Do you know who I am?”
Apep scrambled to his feet. “Arethuza
scum. The war will never be over as long as that foul emperor yet
lives.”
“Then you shall be delighted to know that Emperor
Midian is very, very dead,” Svana
walked around, planting their lanterns in the sand so they would have light.
Ryuu was relieved that none came close enough to crowd them.
He bowed to the woman. “Lady Delinda, it’s an honor.”
She looked up at him sharply. “Who are you? How
do you know my name?”
He tilted his head, considering what to tell her.
“Drakon said you wouldn’t help us. That his father disapproved of his choices.
Is that true?”
She frowned, glancing away. “His father was a very
bitter man.”
“Was? Where is General Ozuru now?” Ryuu asked,
surprised. Drakon hadn’t said anything about his father being dead.
“He died in the last battle with the Arethuza.” The
woman stroked a hand down Drakon’s cheek. “I was elected interim leader of the
Soutx, until the heritor came home.”
Ryuu sat back on his heels. That meant that he was
mated to the leader of the Soutx. He smiled wryly. Soutx and Arethuza, united
at last. Pity it took countless battles and blood spilled for it to happen. “He will be sorry to hear of his death.”
“Please. How do you know my son?” Lady Delinda asked
him.
Ryuu took a deep breath. “He is my mate.”
Her eyes widened. “But that would mean…”
“That I am also a dragon. Yes.” Ryuu was done with
hiding. “The Desert Dragon asked for your help. You came.”
Drakon stirred suddenly. “Ryuu!”
Ryuu immediately went to him. “I’m here.” He touched
Drakon’s hand.
“Don’t hurt them,” he mumbled.
Ryuu squeezed. “Don’t fret.”
Drakon grabbed him. “Promise.” His fingers loosened before Ryuu could reply. He glanced at the younger woman.
“Will he be okay?”
“He’s lost a lot of blood, but he should recover.” She
pasted a med-tab onto Drakon’s arm and threaded the line from it into a
portable medicine station. She sighed, and touched Drakon’s wrist, taking his
pulse.
“What about his wing?” Ryuu had to ask. “It was nearly
destroyed by plasma fire.”
She frowned. “He was injured in dragon form?”
Ryuu nodded.
Her green eyes, so like Drakon’s, went bleak. “Only
someone bonded to him can help heal that injury.”
She must not have heard me tell their mother he is my
mate . “How?” he asked urgently. “I’ll
do anything.”
She stared at him, obviously confused.
Ryuu wanted to shake her. “Tell me how to help him,”
he enunciated clearly.
“No!” A man pushed his way through the Soutx clustered
around them.
Ryuu came to his feet, moving to protect Drakon. The
man spat into the sand as the lantern light flickered across his face.
Yet another relative, Ryuu thought, looking at the man’s cold, green eyes. Drakon certainly has a lot of them.
“If Drakon’s injury prevents him from taking his
dragon form, all the better,” the man shouted. “He was never meant to lead the
Soutx.”
“Apep! You overstep yourself,” Delinda said, standing with
Ryuu.
The man spat again. “I will be leader, Delinda. Not
some nightmare out of myth. Our people need a pure human to lead them to
victory over the Arethuza.” He shoved forward, reaching out a hand to yank away
the med-line from Drakon’s arm.
Ryuu grabbed his arm. “The war is over,” he said,
thrusting the man away.
“You lie!” Apep growled and swung at Ryuu.
Ryuu stepped back, then easily tripped him. He followed him down to the ground, drawing two of his
knives and stabbing them into sand on either side of Apep’s face. “It’s over. I
could kill you a thousand times, easily, and that would not change the truth of
it.”
“You have no authority to declare a truce! You’re
nothing but a traitor spy. A fucker of men.”
Ah. Prejudice and hatred survive, even among the
Soutx. Ryuu made a disgusted sound
and stood up. “Do you know who I am?”
Apep scrambled to his feet. “Arethuza
scum. The war will never be over as long as that foul emperor yet
lives.”
“Then you shall be delighted to know that Emperor
Midian is very, very dead,” Svana
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