23. Zara

"So, are all the buildings here made of stone?" I asked as we passed a little shop that said bake shop on the window and then some strange language that I didn't recognize.

"Oh yes. Pyroth is a dragon planet, and everything here is made of materials the dragons themselves would use. We wouldn't want a building to catch fire within a colony anyway," Thalassa said.

I was nodding, but I wanted to know what the language on the window was since I didn't see it on all windows.

"And that? What is the writing?"

This time she didn't answer me, but one of the men behind me did. I wasn't keeping track of who was who. It was much too hard just to remember which dragon was which, except for Tarek.

"Those are dragon friendly businesses. Specifically, those that have ties to dragon families."

This really wasn't a lot different than if I had moved to a new country. I had always wanted to travel, but my parents never had the money, and then after the accident happened, I lacked the desire to do anything.

"Are you feeling better, Zara?" asked Thalassa.

As we walked arm in arm, I focused on her hand over mine in a silent comfort.

"I didn't think I would, but actually? I am. I didn't think a walk would help. I don't like crowds, but…" I tailed off and peeked over my shoulder. They had all followed. Every one of them had jumped at the chance to make sure I was okay. We looked ridiculous in my mind. So many of us all strolling around the streets together. But there was laughter and fun, and the only thing missing was Tarek.

"But what, Zara?"

The next breath I took was shaky. "I really do feel better. Is this what it will always be like? Never alone?"

Tarek's mother patted my hand absently.

"I suppose so. Never alone unless you choose to be. We are family."

We hadn't been walking for too long. The embassy, as they called the house here, wasn't far back. Maybe a block or two if I remembered my way properly. There was simply too much to marvel at and appreciate. I was finally letting myself enjoy things.

We rounded a corner ahead of most of the group. Tarek's father was only a few feet behind us, in the middle of our little entourage. We only had two of the fathers with us and I didn't ask why. Perhaps they had jobs? More questions I would have to ask.

The strange smell hit us first.

"What is that?"

Three cloaked figures moved quicker than I would have thought any human could move. A thought tried to form in my mind that I had smelled this before. It was the scent that haunted me. But I couldn't bring myself to say the words as the world titled.

"Zara," came a familiar voice. Thalassa. Her hand was still wrapped around mine as I fell. Or maybe we both fell.

Something strange appeared around us. Maybe it was smoke, but the buildings here shouldn't burn. My eyes watered the longer I tried to keep them open. Rough, swollen hands grabbed at me, and even as I tried to kick at them, I felt like I was trying to swim through mud. This scent, it had been on the ship. Between waking and sleeping and crying, this was the scent that had continued to permeate the air until it didn't anymore. It had been drugging us. Why hadn't I understood that?

It would be so easy to give in and sleep. That was what I'd done on that ship. If I couldn't see it, did it exist? I slept through the horrors in that room and that cage. I didn't want to remember. I wanted to think it would go away, or that it had been a nightmare.

It hadn't been, and sleep hadn't improved it.

I fought against the weight of my eyelids as I dangled in the awkward hold of the creature. The hoods hid what was under there, but as they moved and my face remained cast down, I could watch the shift of the robe as their steps revealed red, scaly feet with two large toes. Really, I filled in the blanks because I could only see their heels with every step.

I closed my eyes for a moment, unable to fight it, but my head hit something hard, and the pain gave me the strength to wake up. The creatures were climbing down into a hole in the ground. From my vantage point, I couldn't see much else. I could smell the creatures, however, and it wasn't much better than the gas that we'd walked into.

Where were we going? I'd seen nearly nothing of the colonies. I didn't know there was a second layer under the city. In my mind, it had to be like the sewer systems back home. If a rat ran by, I would scream regardless of the paralysis I currently felt.

Fucking hell. I had finally been happy. Why was this happening? When I got out of this, I was going to have a giant talk with my brain. No more panic attacks. No more walking outside. Maybe that was unreasonable. Then I realized Tarek would be worried. Again, I was going to stop delaying the inevitable. Nothing in life was guaranteed.

Hell, nothing in life made sense. Fuck it. I was going to live my best life with a man that made me feel alive.

Now to just figure out how to get out of this.

These things, the ones with the weird red feet, they had fought once. They had fought over a girl, and although the memory would make me sick if I thought too much about it, I did remember something. These things had a strange gill sort of thing on their sides. One of the creatures had merely hit the other in that spot, and it had gone down, never getting back up. They never even came back for it.

That was good information. But I still couldn't move my arms. Maybe I should just take a nap. No. No naps.

Tarek. I would think of him. How would he feel to find me missing? I already knew. The way he had held me in that room, the way he'd kissed me. He'd healed me, and I would break him if I didn't get out of this.

I couldn't control my limbs. I could barely control my thoughts and my eyes. But I could control my breathing and I would suck in the fresh air as much as possible. Was Tarek's mom with me still? They would not hurt that beautiful woman. I was determined.

Too bad determination amounted to nothing when I couldn't fight something being placed over my face and being tossed inside a bag.

Darkness enveloped me, and this time I couldn't sleep to escape the fear.