Crystal

"What is this thing and why does it keep licking me? Get it off!"

"Drelix?" I open my eyes, groaning his name. A big male shape with glittering skin swims in my vision.

I rub my eyes, pinching the bridge of my nose, and find it's not Drelix at all. It's another Sarkarnii, a large scarlet one which the star cat is attempting to groom, much to his disgust.

"What the hell is going on?" I sit up, clutching my arm where it was grabbed, presumably by the scarlet Sarkarnii.

Both the star cat and the Sarkarnii stop at the sound of my voice and turn to look at me. The star cat has his tongue sticking out.

"Looks like you didn't kill Drelix's mate after all, Daeos." The most enormous green Sarkarnii steps out of the bushes and holds out his hand to me. "Luckily for you."

"Drelix—he's hurt!" I gasp. "You have to help…wait, who are you?"

"Drelix's worst nightmare," the big green one says. "Or at least Daeos is, given he had to manage him like a sarkarnling."

The red Sarkarnii, Daeos, is still trying to stop the star cat from licking him.

"I would never hurt a female, Draxx," he growls.

The green Sarkarnii, Draxx, claps a hand on his shoulder. "I know, Daeos," He says kindly. "I'm General Draxx of the Tenth Battalion and Drelix's superior. He asked us to come here, although we hadn't realized he'd started a war."

"He didn't, the Sisters of the All Gods did. They want to take Sarkarnii captive. You shouldn't be here," I hiss out.

Draxx looks over at Daeos who has given up trying to stop the star cat grooming him and is allowing the cat to lick through his long wild silver hair, a sight I will not forget in a hurry.

"Sounds like the sort of fight we enjoy the most, eh, warrior?" He grins in an unhinged way I've only ever seen on Drelix's face once, back in the dome on Trefa.

Clearly, all Sarkarnii are not entirely a full picnic, especially as Drelix has proved my point by going off on some sort of suicide mission.

"I need to get to Drelix," I say, getting to my feet and wishing I had anything other than this long, impractical dress to go clomping around the undergrowth in. "He got hit by pulsar fire and he went down."

"Literally nothing can damage that nevver," Daeos says, stroking the star cat absently. "I should know. I tried on many occasions," he says with far too much glee.

"But…"

"Daeos is right. If Drelix has appeared to be injured, he has done so on purpose," Draxx says.

"You don't know that," I growl.

Draxx takes a step back, and Daeos eyes me warily.

"Definitely Drelix's mate," he says.

"Drelix is our den warrior and a member of the crew of the Golden Orion," Draxx says. "We will not abandon him, especially if he's started a war."

"He hasn't…" I say with initial exasperation. "He didn't start anything, but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be finished. The Sisters have created a prison, presumably for the Sarkarnii, and they said something about you being a rarity."

"Sounds like a war to me," Daeos says, getting to his feet, much to the disappointment of the star cat, who pads over to my side instead. "I like a good war."

"I'm going to Drelix." I rub the star cat between his ears, and he purrs at me.

"And so are we. He's our Haisarkarnii after all," Draxx says with another one of his bonkers smiles. "As he is yours." He gives me a brief bow which is copied by Daeos who looks completely confused.

"Okay…let's go." I push my way out of the undergrowth until I see the dome.

Checking over my shoulder, I am being followed by Draxx and Daeos, both of whom are toting large pulsar cannons, ones similar to those ordered by Drelix when he was on Trefa.

These Sarkarnii have to know him, and I have to trust my gut for a change. I have to trust them like I trust Drelix. My first time trusting any other alien since Nayl because I got it wrong so many times.

The star cat pushes at my hand, wanting more scratches.

"Where did you get it?" Daeos bounces up next to me before being pulled away by Draxx.

"The star cat? It found me I think."

"What have we told you about boundaries around mates, Daeos?" Draxx says.

"‘You wouldn't like another Sarkarnii close to your Opal, so we don't like you close to our mates,'" Daeos parrots, as if it's something he's been told many times.

And quite obviously either forgets instantly or ignores.

We make our way around the dome. The damage wrought by Drelix is pretty substantive, and it seems he's done his best to set the place on fire, given there are flames licking out from the interior. Hopefully he's put the whole damn place out of action.

Draxx and Daeos look at each other as we pass the destruction with amused expressions on their faces. They seem genuinely unconcerned about Drelix, and I'm not entirely sure if I should be reassured or annoyed by their attitude.

"Where are the rest of the crew?" I ask as we skirt around the dome and I veer away in the direction I'm sure I saw Drelix fall.

"They're around," Draxx says. "We're the advance party, come to pick up Drelix and his mate," he adds.

"And help him with his war," Daeos interjects. "I'm good at war."

"I don't doubt it, but what if that's what the Sisters want?"

"There hasn't been a prison built which can hold a Sarkarnii." A familiar voice reaches me as Drelix pushes out of the undergrowth.

I'm already running towards him, the star cat by my side as I slam into his somewhat singed chest. Drelix smells of smoke and vegetation.

"Are you okay? I saw you fall," I gasp out, stunned at how much my chest has restricted, my heart hammering and the tears flowing. "I thought…"

"I promised you I'd never leave you, in this life or the next, little morsel," Drelix rasps, his lips hitting mine in a long, sweeping kiss.

Which is interrupted by a cough.

"I see you've met my den mates," he says.

"You're speaking," Daeos says with some wonder.

"The days of my vow are over. It's time to get revenge," Drelix replies.