14. Terra

FOURTEEN

TERRA

My first thought was fire.

Then tornado.

A horn sounded the alarm all through Darrokar's quarters, making my heart pound and jerking him out of a sound sleep beside me.

"What's that? What's going on?" It could have been some sort of drill, but from the tension in Darrokar's form, it was real.

And serious.

"Security has been breached." He scooped up my shirt from where it had fallen on the floor. "Get dressed. Someone will be here soon with a report."

"I need to check on my team." I'd just managed to get them moved to actual rooms in Darrokar's dwelling, though they were all still angry at me for whatever it was I was doing with Darrokar.

Mate .

It was what he called me. It felt right. And if I looked deeper, I might have words of my own I could use, but I was too much of a coward to think too hard about it.

I threw on my shirt and pants quickly, ignoring the lingering soreness from my training the day before. My team—Hawk, Kira, and Vega—might hate me right now, but they were still my responsibility. My people. Whatever was happening, my first priority was making sure they were safe.

Darrokar was already at the door, his broad silhouette framed by the faint orange glow of the crystals embedded in the walls. His golden eyes were hard and focused, slits narrowing as though he were preparing for a battle. When he turned back to face me, there was an edge to his expression that made the air between us feel charged.

Before I could take a step toward the hallway, the door groaned open, and Rath stormed in, his ruby-red scales glinting in the dim light. His wings, half-furled, twitched with tension. He didn’t bother with formalities .

"The human, Vega Cross, is missing," he growled, his voice deep and grating.

I froze. "What?"

Darrokar’s wings flared, his talons flexing against the stone. "Explain."

"Her quarters were empty when the security check was conducted," Rath said, his gaze flicking briefly to me before locking back on Darrokar. "The guards stationed near her rooms failed to notice her departure. Either she evaded them on foot, or …" He paused grimly. "Or she was taken."

The words were a punch to the gut. "No," I said immediately, shaking my head. "Vega wouldn't just let herself be taken." And I remembered the conversation we'd had a few days ago. She wanted to escape, to go find the others. Then my mind caught up to the rest of what he said. "Guards? I thought we agreed my people were guests."

I gave Darrokar a pointed look.

"Guests," Darrokar repeated, his voice a low rumble that sent an involuntary shiver down my spine. "Guests do not vanish in the dead of night without explanation." His golden eyes bore into mine, molten and sharp as obsidian, daring me to challenge him further.

"She may have left on her own and then been taken," Rath suggested, his tail lashing with agitation. "Her trail vanishes abruptly in the crimson deserts. The pattern suggests an aerial attack."

My blood ran cold. If Vega had been taken by air … "I need to see."

"No." Darrokar's response was immediate, his wings mantling protectively. "The crimson deserts are treacherous enough for those born to them. You will remain here where it's safe."

"Like hell I will." I stepped forward, squaring my shoulders. "Vega is my responsibility. I'm going."

"You do not understand the dangers?—"

"Then explain them to me," I cut him off, my voice sharp with frustration. "Because right now, all I see is one of my people missing and you trying to keep me from finding her."

The room crackled with tension. Darrokar's golden eyes blazed, his massive frame seeming to fill the space between us. "The rival clans would consider you a prize beyond measure. My mate, defenseless, different. They would use you to strike at me, at Scalvaris."

"Defenseless? I thought we covered that. I can take care of myself."

"Can you?" He moved closer, his heat radiating against my skin. "Can you fight warriors who have spent their lives perfecting aerial combat? Can you survive the desert's heat storms or navigate the thermal updrafts?"

"No," I admitted, my heart hammering. "But I know Vega. If she left willingly, I might know where she's headed. If she was taken, I can help predict her actions."

Rath shifted uncomfortably, clearly wanting to speak but waiting for Darrokar's response.

Darrokar's jaw clenched, the muscles in his neck tightening. "You know more than you're telling me."

It wasn't a question. I swallowed hard, guilt and necessity warring in my heart. I'd promised to keep the others a secret, but with Vega gone and a group of Drakarn ready to scour the desert to find her, how long could they stay hidden?

"Tell me what you know," my mate demanded.

The accusation hung between us, heavy as molten stone. I met his gaze steadily, even as my heart threatened to beat out of my chest. "I know Vega. I know she's smart, capable, and wouldn't leave without a reason."

"A reason you won't share." His voice was dangerously quiet now, a rumble that seemed to vibrate through my bones .

"It doesn't matter." The words tasted bitter. "Let me help you find her."

Darrokar's tail lashed, his frustration evident in every line of his powerful frame. "You ask me to trust you while you keep secrets that could endanger us all."

"My lord," Rath interrupted, his expression grim. "The longer we delay, the colder the trail grows. If rival clans have her …"

"Prepare the search party," Darrokar ordered, not taking his eyes off me. "I want our fastest warriors ready to fly within the hour."

Rath nodded sharply and left, the door hissing shut behind him.

As soon as we were alone, Darrokar closed the distance between us. His claws ghosted along my arm, a touch that was both possessive and questioning. "Why do you resist telling me the truth? Do you not trust me to protect your people?"

"Some secrets aren't mine to share." I fought the urge to lean into his touch.

His other hand cupped my face, forcing me to look up at him. "And if those secrets get someone killed? What then, luvae ?"

The endearment, spoken with such raw emotion, made my chest ache. "That's why I need to go with you. I can help."

"You could die." His thumb traced my cheekbone. "The desert shows no mercy, and neither do our enemies."

"I'm not asking for mercy." I covered his claws with mine, feeling the rough texture of his scales against my palm. "I'm asking for a chance to protect my own."

Something shifted in his expression—pride mixed with fear, anger with understanding. "You will follow my orders without question. If I tell you to retreat, you retreat. If I tell you to hide, you hide. No arguments."

"Not a one."

I would keep my word. And somehow figure out how to untangle this knot before it ruined everything.

When I found Vega, I was going to kill her.