17. Zara

The city came alive at night. Even with my hand resting in the crook of Tarek's arm, I still wasn't sure this wasn't some strange delusion. Had I died in that space hell?

Every step further had us passing more ornately dressed humans that laughed and talked as if this was all normal. Taking in what Tarek had called a hall just reminded me of the world I'd never been a part of back home. This house could have fit several copies of my parents' home inside of it. It all sparkled in a way that nothing in my world had ever done. Even the sad little diamond ring still sitting on my dresser never had a chance to be as beautiful as this place.

Just for a second, I wondered what everyone I knew was thinking back home. Would anyone miss me? Would my apartment just go to waste until someone evicted me? It should have bugged me. I should have been sad. But here? It wasn't so hard to put on a happy face. It wasn't a mask. This man, dragon, whatever he was, brought out something inside me I hadn't even known was a part of me.

We'd been milling about. These men, or brothers as Tarek called them, didn't seem to go far from each other, and that meant that I had Aurora, their mothers, and my new friends with me. None of us seemed to wear that shadowed gaze, not tonight. Here it seemed a little easier to push away the terrors and pretend we were all safe. I might actually believe it too. Maybe there was something to this goddess. Did she know that I needed to be rescued from my old life?

I sipped at the glass that Tarek handed me. The bubbles fizzled and danced along my tongue like nothing I'd ever tasted. The way each sip seemed to make my head swim was a welcome break from my mind that didn't seem to be able to shut up. I giggled as I thought back to the goddess.

"What is so funny, mate?"

I turned my head to the side to look up at my giant. His eyes shifted between man and dragon, and while it should have still been beyond my comprehension, I was starting to think it was sexy as hell.

"Nothing. Everything. Maybe your goddess should rethink how she treats these so called fated mates. At this point, sign me up. But really? I'd like to have never had to forget whatever those nasty creatures were."

He seemed to study my face as I took another sip.

"Perhaps she meant for it so I could rescue you and be the hero of your story."

I giggled and snorted into the glass.

"You have a hero complex? I'd have let you abduct me any time you wanted. Why weren't you the one I woke up to?"

His brow furrowed. Poor guy looked confused as hell.

"It was a joke. I mean, it wasn't, but well—" I was cut off when his lips claimed mine. Between the strange bubbling drink and the heat of his lips, the world spun. When he pulled away, my entire body was alive with throbbing need and nerves. How in the hell could he do that?

How was it that my stupid girly bits were throbbing and wet while evidence of our earlier activities still lay between my legs? And why was that hot? What was wrong with me, that I liked this idea of being marked?

"I think I just need some fresh air," I said and started to pull away to the large columns holding up the ceiling at the edges of the room while allowing everything to remain open to the outside. It was a strange idea to me to just have everything open to the outside, but here? The outside was still inside.

"I will come with you," he said and refused to let go of my hand.

We were moving through the throng of humans. Or at least nearly all looked human, except a few other men as large as Tarek. Maybe more dragons? It was silly to think that there weren't just as many of them as there were of the humans that walked around here.

"How many other—" I was cut off as one of the other men came up to him. Definitely a dragon.

"We need to have a word with you and your brothers."

Tarek looked down at me. But not until he'd nodded to the stranger. Something told me he was older, but it wasn't because there was any salt and pepper to his darker hair, or wrinkles around his eyes. It was the way he held himself. It was just the same with Tarek's mother. None of them actually looked like they were old enough to have children, let alone adult ones. How old was Tarek, anyway?

"I will send my mother to walk with you in the garden. I will join you as soon as possible."

His voice did things to me, and I just smiled.

"Of course. Where should I meet her?"

He looked over toward a large table. People milled about. Some laughed while eating strange purple-pink fruits.

"There. Do not move. She isn't far."

I smiled and stepped toward the table. I could have followed him back, but I felt hot and desperately needed the fresh air. Something told me Tarek truly understood me enough that he wouldn't have forced me back into the crowd.

I liked playing princess with the way the skirts of the dress fluttered around me. Everything felt unreal, and yet it was. The scents here were different from anything on Earth. I couldn't place anything familiar, and it kept my brain in a constantly confused state. When would I just adapt to it all?

The table was beautiful. Candles that burned a strange blue rather than yellow and orange illuminated the whole length of it. How long would it take me to try each and every delicacy? I reached for something that looked like it might have been a sweet cake of some kind. At least squares were squares, no matter the planet.

Something touched my neck, and I swatted at it like I would a fly. It was just then that I realized I had not actually seen anything flying through the air here at all, but that thought was stripped away as an instant feeling of nausea turned my stomach. I gripped the edge of the table as my legs nearly gave out.

Air. I needed air. The table held up my weight as I used it to force my unsteady legs toward the gardens that Tarek had gestured at. It was just the heat of the room. I would be fine as soon as I got away from it all and cleared my head.

Step after step, the room tilted, and my eyes blurred. I blinked to clear them, trying to reach the edge of the room. I could go sit on a bench. At least I was relatively certain there was a bench. It blurred again.

A hand gripped my arm, and I wasn't sick enough not to realize it wasn't large enough to be Tarek or any of his brothers.

"Hey, beautiful. Let me help you."

It didn't matter if I could turn my head, I wouldn't have been able to make out what he looked like through the haze trying to take over.

"I- I feel sick. I just need—" I stopped as my legs gave out and the only thing keeping me up was the grip of the stranger.

"Thank you," was all I could say as I let my weight fall into him.

"I wouldn't thank me."

That was the last thing I heard before everything tilted and darkened. I was so tired.

"Can you get—" I broke off for a second as if the words took too much energy. "Tarek?"

I didn't hear his answer though. I imagined this is what it would sound like under water. I should have learned to swim or something.