Chapter 12

CHAPTER TWELVE

M yk-El watched in stunned horror as the avalanche swept down the mountainside. He saw the cliff start to crumble, but before he could react, Mee-na disappeared over the edge.

He leapt after her, his wings tucked tight against his sides to increase his speed. He knew he was descending too quickly but he didn't care—he had to reach her in time. A rock thudded off his back, another, but he wasn't going to slow down to try and avoid them.

He never took his eyes off her small figure. She had one arm out in a futile attempt to stop her fall, the other cradling Draco against her chest.

"Mee-na!" he cried.

She looked up, her face pale and frightened, but when their eyes met, he saw relief wash over it. Her outstretched arm reached for him, and he arrowed towards her. More rocks hit him and pain streaked down his back, but he ignored it.

He was almost there… almost…

His fingers brushed hers. Relief coursed through his veins as he prepared to pull her into the safety of his arms—and she vanished.

In the fraction of a second, she was gone, leaving only the dress she had been wearing and a small, squawking creature. He automatically seized them both, still searching frantically for any sign of her.

Only rocks tumbled through the air towards the dangerously close ground. Still staring stupidly at the empty space where she had been, he finally snapped out his wings. He managed to break his fall, but he still hit the ground in an ungainly sprawl.

Draco squawked again as they hit, but Myk-El managed to protect his fragile body as he collapsed to his knees.

Mee-na was gone. She had told him she loved him, and then she had been taken from him before he had the chance to tell her how much he loved her in return.

The pain in his chest was worse than any of the torture he'd endured. Whoever had brought her to him had taken her back.

No.

Whatever it took, he was getting her back.

Mina drifted back to consciousness to the sound of people talking. But they don't sound exactly like people , she thought fuzzily. There was an almost mechanical note to the voices.

"Now what are you going to do?" the first voice asked, and despite the clipped precision of the words there was a suggestion of impatience. "You can't send her back."

Back? To Earth? Away from Mikel and Draco?

No!

She wanted to scream her protest, but her body wasn't responding. She felt as if she was floating in a thick, warm cloud.

"No, of course not. She would have died that night."

She would have died beneath the bridge? Her body tried to shudder, but only her fingers twitched.

Maybe she'd been right all along and Mikel was an angel. Her angel.

"You intervened too soon, Va'rik'at'char."

"We agreed that she would not be harmed. He wasn't going to reach her in time."

"Yessh, he wass." Indignation finally forced out the words. They were soft, slurred, but she felt the shock in the sudden silence.

"She is awake? What have you done, Va'rik'at'char?"

What felt like a cool breeze washed over her, and the warm cloud began to dissipate. Her eyes popped open.

She was lying on a table in the middle of a barren white room. Only a square translucent panel high on one wall broke the featureless surface.

"Where am I? Where's Mikel? Where's Draco?"

"You are safe."

It was the one named Va'rik'at'char, she decided, the one who had brought her here, and she scowled at the panel. "I was already safe. Mikel had reached me."

"I did not think he would. I already made one mistake by bringing you here in the cold season. I did not want to make another."

"Mikel saved me then, and he would have saved me now."

"You see?" the cooler voice spoke. "You should not have interfered. This is precisely what we have been testing."

"Testing?" So Mikel had been right. It wasn't a game after all. "What exactly are you testing?"

Neither of them responded, but she could have sworn she heard a faint buzzing, like they were talking in a distant room.

"It is complicated." Va'rik'at'char again. "But perhaps it is time, La'tok'at'bron."

"Not yet. This will be the final test."

"What test?" she asked again. "Please just send me back to Mikel."

But the thick cloud was surrounding her again, and she slipped away.

Myk-El winged across the plain, heading back to the ruins. Mee-na had said that the golden-scaled male—Sabrost—had a human mate, and that they had arrived on this planet the same way they had. Perhaps the male would have additional information about what might have happened.

Draco squawked softly, and he tucked the avian closer against his chest. Somehow, he had been unable to leave him behind, even though he knew the little creature wouldn't be able to provide any assistance in his search.

The beach was empty. After a perfunctory glance around, he headed for the one building he had seen that was not in ruins, praying that its proximity meant that the other male was located there.

He landed in the small courtyard in front of the house, but before he could head for the door, Sabrost stepped out. A Hsslak, he recognized now. The other male matched him in height, and the Hsslak had a reputation for their fighting skills, but they were also known as a peaceful, devout race.

"I need your help," he said immediately.

"Indeed." The male surveyed him thoughtfully, his face serene.

"They have taken my mate."

"Who has?"

"The ones who brought us here."

Sabrost paled and turned back to the house. "Janet," he called.

A female opened the door and peered at them. Human, he concurred, although she bore little resemblance to his Mee-na.

"What's wrong, Sabrost?"

"He said his mate was taken away from him."

She gasped and hurried to Sabrost's side, clutching his hand. He returned her clasp and something inside Myk-El eased. He could see the bond between these two. The same bond that he and Mee-na shared, but he had been too foolish to admit.

Sabrost turned back to him. "Were you at the lab? The white building?"

"No. We thought the map indicated that it was a portal back to our planets so we avoided it."

"So did we. But I should have known that if they could reach us on our planets, they could reach us here as well." His hand tightened around Janet's, and for the first time, Myk-El noticed her swollen stomach and realized she was pregnant.

Human females could mate with males from other species? He tried to ignore the tide of longing as he pictured Mee-na carrying their child. Right now, all that mattered was getting her back.

"Do you think they returned her to her planet?" If so, he would find a way to go after her. She wouldn't be safe without him to protect her.

"I don't know about your mate," Janet said slowly, "but I was in a bad situation before I was brought here."

"So was she. Surely they wouldn't have sent her back?" His chest ached as he remembered her describing the world she had left behind.

"We have discussed it, and we think that perhaps the Goddess chose us for a happier path." Sabrost's serenity had returned, now that his mate was next to him. "If that is true, She would not return your mate to her previous surroundings."

He bit back an impatient protest. He didn't believe that there was a religious aspect to their arrival, but it would do no good to argue with a believer.

A chirp came from within the house, then a colorful avian flew out and landed on Janet's shoulder. Draco emerged from where he had been hiding behind Myk-El's wing.

"Oh my goodness. You have a little dragon!" Janet exclaimed.

"This is Draco." At the sound of his name, the avian let out a loud trill, one Myk-El had never heard before. The other avian responded.

"And this is Tinkerbell."

He nodded absently, trying to focus on what to do next. His increasing panic made it hard to think clearly.

"Do you have any other information that might help?"

"I'm afraid not." Sabrost sighed. "My only suggestion is to enter the white building. If they have the technology to transport us here, perhaps they also have the technology to track down one of their… subjects."

It was a slim hope at best, but it was better than nothing. And if all else failed, perhaps he could find a way to travel to her planet to search for her.

"Thank you," he said, raising his wings.

"Wait a minute. Do you want to leave Draco here?" Janet gave the little avian an anxious look. "You don't know what you're going to find."

He hesitated, then shook his head. "I know, but he wants to find her as much as I do. He's coming with me."

"We will follow you on foot," Sabrost said, his hand tightening around Janet's. "It's time we faced our fears and discovered what the building holds."

He nodded his thanks and leapt into the air.

"We think there are others," Sabrost called after him. "Don't attack them."

He lifted a hand in acknowledgement, guilt washing over him at his original response to the other male. If only he hadn't lost control and let his emotions take over. Mee-na would never have been near the edge of the cliff. He already knew she would have been delighted to meet Janet—and Tinkerbell.

Will be delighted , he amended, determined to remain positive. He would find her, and they would visit with the other couple.

But his hope faltered as he reached the white building. It looked as serene and undisturbed as when he had originally brought Mee-na here. But it was the only thing he could think to try. He took a deep breath and headed for the door.