Chapter 13

Corin

Min-Ji was too clever for her own good. She'd tricked me when I was at my most vulnerable, when she said this wouldn't change anything. But things had changed. I couldn't even be mad at her, or at myself. I didn't have it in me to regret a single moment. Her taste, her scent—both had been engraved on my brain, and I was going to cherish those memories for the rest of my life. They'd help me get through the coming challenge.

Zathar had called a meeting, and humans and warriors gathered around the campfire to listen to what he had to say. The morning air was turning crisp, and several females sat huddled beneath thick furs to stay warm. Kalani was curled in Iave's lap, and it made me happy to see how relaxed my often closed-off friend looked.

My mate didn't have a mate to provide warmth or warm furs for her, but she wasn't lacking in aid. At least three hunters had offered her a warm skin to wrap around her shoulders. The sight made me bristle, my scales rattling against my spine, but I didn't interfere. The whole point was to make everyone think she wasn't mine, so word couldn't get back to the Thunder Rock Queen and put her in danger.

Min-Ji's eyes lifted from the proffered furs to me in a quick flick, but she didn't let them linger. Instead, she gave the three hunters a sunny smile and took all three of the offered furs. That was smart, even if I didn't like it. It wouldn't make any of the bachelors think she preferred one over the others. I still took note of the three males so I could make sure to keep an eye on them, and maybe question the others about their background. Only one came from Thunder Rock, and I had to begrudgingly admit that Ezho was a good male.

"Thank you all for coming here. We've got an important announcement and a list of tasks to divide before winter comes." Zathar kicked off the meeting with an air of authority, showing his princely roots by the way he made each person feel personally welcomed. Not everyone was used to being so included in the making of important decisions.

I knew what my friend was going to say next—the announcement he was talking about—but it tied my stomach up in knots anyway. Artek had made the decision last night, just before I'd gone to see Min-Ji, and I still hadn't made peace with it. "Reid requires more aid than we can offer him here at Ahoshaga. It's been decided that he needs to be seen by our most learned Shamans. That means taking him to the Sacred Training Grounds."

His words made a deep hush settle over the crowd. The humans would not know what this meant, but it had an impact on the Naga. Only younglings sent to train to be Shamans, and Queens were allowed to visit the place. My fingers tangled with the disk dangling from a worn leather string around my neck: my invitation. An invitation that had never been withdrawn, though it certainly would be after this mission was over. A final closing of a chapter in my life.

"As Artek needs to remain here to care for our pregnant females and the other Clans under his care, it will be Corin who escorts Reid to the Shamans." If Zathar's previous statement had made an impact, this one was like one of my explosions. Voices erupted as hunters uttered their surprise and began to protest or agree with this decision. I wasn't a Shaman; I had no right to visit a sacred place like that.

"Silence!" Zathar thundered as the voices grew angry. I looked from our leader to Min-Ji; her opinion was the only one that mattered. She didn't know what any of this meant, but the steady look on her face was reassuring. When she gave me a nod, I felt a little calmer.

"This isn't one of those decisions we're putting to a vote. We are not letting Reid die, and this is the only way to save him. Understood? Corin has been to the Sacred Training Grounds. He knows all the Shaman teachers. I will remind you that Corin was once meant to train as a Shaman. Out of all of us, he is the most suited to go. Or do you want to put our females at risk by sending Artek?" That shut the crowd up, and they shared uneasy looks while some fervently shook their heads. Nobody wanted to risk the pregnant women.

"Zathar is right. This is the only way we can take care of everyone," Krashe said in a tone that brooked no argument. The former Bitter Storm Warlord leveled a fierce glare at the handful of Bitter Storm Naga that had joined us. Out of the gathered hunters, they had objected most strenuously, but obeying Krashe was ingrained in them. They mutely nodded their agreement.

"Then it's settled. Corin and Reid will be flown by Zsekhet for the first leg of the journey, then continue on foot for the last stretch. They will leave immediately." My bag with supplies was already waiting at the entrance of the town, and Artek was preparing Reid for travel as we spoke. I didn't feel ready to go, not even a little, but like Zathar had said, this was the only option we had.

"Hang on!" Min-Ji's voice pierced the silence with a vibrant, confident note. I'd started to turn away, my tail feeling so heavy that it was a struggle to move. Her voice yanked me back to the present, to her. "He's not going alone," she said. "I'm going with him." She had crossed her arms over her chest and stood with her feet braced hip-width apart, offering Zathar her most determined expression. I knew that look; it meant business. You didn't change her mind when she looked at you like that.

I thought I was the only one unable to resist it, but Zathar pursed his lips and lowered his brow as he contemplated her. His fingers stroked the sharp horn that jutted from his chin as he thought. I didn't know what I wanted. Taking her with me was a bad idea. It would be like the rescue missions from the tunnels all over again, and there was no way I'd be able to stay away from her if she and I spent more time together. But my heart felt lighter when I thought of facing my old teachers with her at my side. It wouldn't feel so bad. I wouldn't be alone.

I had told no one that Min-Ji was my mate, not even Zathar or Iave, who were my closest friends. When the two of them shared a silent look, a feeling crawled across my scales, reminding me that I couldn't keep secrets from them. They knew. Ah, blazing suns… "Agreed," Zathar said, a smug smile pulling at his mouth as he glanced at me. Then he looked down at his own mate, his pregnant Vera, who was leaning against his side with a devious look in her blue eyes. "Min-Ji accompanies them."

I only had eyes for the look of victory on my mate's face.

***

Min-Ji

I had only flown on a dragon once before, when we'd visited Artek's home lower down the mountain to get the translators installed or updated. Today would be my second time, and I tingled with excitement at the prospect. Flying space shuttles had been my job for over five years, and I kind of missed it now that I was grounded on Serant.

Not that I wanted to attempt to fly anything on this treacherous planet. While we'd been here, there had already been two reports of ‘skyships' falling from the skies. Something about this planet made flying near it extremely treacherous, and until us, the Naga had never met anyone who'd survived such a crash. I didn't want to crash again, but I still missed flying.

Flying on a huge, golden dragon wasn't the same as flying a shuttle. I wouldn't be in control, for one, and it also came with the rush of air against my skin and frigid temperatures high in the sky. They were wrapping Reid in several layers of fur as they prepped him to be carried in the dragon's claws. I'd need to do the same to stay warm.

"Did you pack enough?" Cosima asked me quietly from beside my left elbow. The tiny redhead was bundled from chin to toe in thick fur clothing, holding a fur parka for me to pull on. Her face was flushed red because she was too warm right now, but she knew better than anyone how to dress for flight. I didn't doubt that I'd need that parka once we got up there.

"Yes," I assured her, but I still slapped a hand down to touch the flap of my satchel. Had I packed enough food this time? And enough furs to sleep on? I didn't have one of those little heater machines that Corin had. I hoped he'd taken his because the nights were getting cold outside. The first hints of fall were in the air, and I'd learned that winter followed shortly on its heels on this planet. I wasn't counting on cuddles, especially not when Zsekhet and Cosima would be camping with us the first night.

Triff was also taking up a lot of space, but I couldn't possibly leave the bot behind. He was tucked under the flap, though I'd pulled it back enough that his sensor array stuck over the edge. I imagined that he preferred being able to see. He certainly seemed content, his lights blinking lazily. Cosima smirked at the bot. "Not the most conventional companion, but I like it." When she reached out to gently pat Triff on his round upper dome, the bot beeped happily.

"So, are you going to tell me what's going on with you and Corin?" the woman said while she nudged me closer to the huge front paw of the dragon. It was a little scary to consider that the enormous claws were big enough to pick up a car. The golden scales were the size of dinner plates along Sesethul's flank, and when he tilted his head and curled his neck, I was staring into an eye with a long, slitted pupil. A primal, atavistic response rose at the back of my brain, warning me to get away from a beast as huge as this.

Cosima was as calm as a cucumber when she pointed out the right hand- and footholds for me to climb onto the dragon. She'd done it a million times by now, and she was as relaxed around the golden monster as she was around her golden mate. From the shy and often depressed girl she'd been when we first got here, it was an amazing transformation. I was happy for her, but I wasn't happy that she was no longer too shy to pry into my personal life.

"What makes you say anything is going on?" I asked her while I carefully avoided looking at her. I had the perfect excuse: I was scaling the paw of a dragon so I could sit on his back. It needed all my concentration. She made a scoffing noise, and I could easily picture her rolling her eyes. My hand located one of the evenly spaced spikes along Sesethul's back, and I hauled myself to the top with a slight grunt. She could roll her eyes, but I still didn't want to talk, not until I'd figured this out. I didn't want her pity.

I should have counted on the fact that Cosima was far better at climbing onto her mate's dragon companion than I was. She'd scaled that beastie in no time and perched backward between two spikes so she could look me in the eye. "Now spill, Min-Ji. You're my friend. You were there for me. Let me help you." How could I refuse that?

Meeting her stare, I groaned dramatically and then glanced down Ses' flank to check if anyone was within hearing range. That was high up; the dragon was really big. I didn't have a fear of heights, but it definitely made me feel a little uncomfortable. The funny thing was, you could still be a pilot and fear standing on a ledge. It felt very different being strapped into a harness inside a cockpit.

There was a group of Naga hunters to my right, watching from the direction of the meat-smoking shed with gloomy expressions. I knew why they looked like that; they were upset that I was going to be alone with Corin on this mission. They saw their chances of having a mate slip from their grasp. Well, too bad. I was never going to be theirs anyway.

On the other side of Ses, by the statues that flanked the entrance into Haven's town area, the rest of the humans and their Naga mates had gathered. Vera waved when she saw me look, and then Kalani joined in. I started to smile automatically and wave back just as enthusiastically. "Come on, nobody can hear you. Talk!" Cosima wasn't as patient as she used to be, either. It suited her.

"Nothing to say," I insisted. "We're not dating. We're not mates. We're not anything." I wanted to say that learning the real reason for all of this had changed things, but Corin was determined. He'd taken my pistol so he could figure out a way to charge it, and that gave me hope, but things weren't looking good. Stupid Naga queens. They'd been nothing but trouble to all of us, and I had no clue how to make this one leave us alone. I didn't even know if she was still interested in Corin, or if he was right, and this was going to be a case of ‘if I can't have him, then nobody can.'

"But something changed," Cosima insisted. "I always thought you had a crush on him, but now he's the one casting you longing glances. Come on, you can tell me. I'm good with secrets. It'll feel good to let it out, trust me." I pursed my lips as I contemplated that, my heart pounding hopefully in my chest. Longing looks, huh? It was tempting to search for Corin and see if it was true, but he was working with Artek and Zsekhet to get Reid's unconscious body situated for the journey.

If anyone knew how good it was to finally talk, it was Cosima. Until Zsekhet came along, I'd worked futilely for months to cheer her up and get her out of her shell. Talking to the right person, being with the right person—it had transformed her. She was also right that we had a moment to ourselves. In not too long, Corin and Zsekhet would be up here with us. This was our only chance to talk.

"Fine!" I said, and I blew her a raspberry, but that was to cover how awkward I was feeling. I was usually the one who took care of others, so I didn't really know how to lean on Cosima. Start at the beginning, I guess. I quickly told her what had happened, glossing over the spicy details, but explaining about the Thunder Rock Queen. "Corin is absolutely convinced that if Zathar's mother finds out I'm his mate, she'll have me killed. That's why," I flapped my hand a little helplessly. It wasn't fair to say he ignored me, because I knew that wasn't true, but it was why everyone thought my feelings were one-sided.

When Cosima reached out and pulled me into a tight hug, I had to admit that it felt good. A bit of tension left me, and what Kalani had started, the redhead seemed to finish. I wasn't at risk of getting kicked out of Haven, and I had friends—good ones. I was not alone. Then Triff beeped, trapped in the satchel between our bodies. We both smiled.

"Corin is going to find out that you are stronger together. He's not going to be able to stay away." When a blush stained my cheeks at Cosima's words, she gave me a knowing grin. "I'm sure there's a way to defeat that stupid Queen. Why would she even care? She has no power in Haven."

No, that's what I kept thinking too. Why was Corin so worried when she couldn't reach me at Ahoshaga? Most Thunder Rock people were very superstitious about the place; they thought it was haunted, and we only allowed trusted aspirants at the campfire. So why was he so worried? Unfortunately, I couldn't talk more about it with Cosima because it seemed the final preparations were done.

Soon, Corin had climbed up Sesethul's hind leg and strapped himself into place as far away from me as he could get, while Zsekhet nestled himself in front of Cosima and was double-checking that her flight harness was secure. "Let me see your buckles too, Min-Ji," the golden Naga grinned at me as he pulled on knots and cinches with the tip of his tail. He did it professionally, not once touching me, but I still felt the fine hairs on the back of my neck stand on end.

A glance over my shoulder showed me a dark, intense look in Corin's mercury eyes. He'd even bared his fangs, and I wasn't the only one who'd noticed. Zsekhet yanked his tail back, his golden eyes clashing with Corin's silver ones. Then our dragon rider grinned, slow and wide. A mocking, irreverent, and fang-filled smile that was all about drawing Corin out even more. I felt like I was trapped between two very dangerous, opposing forces for several long seconds.

"Ready to go?" Zsekhet asked, and as quickly as that intense, dangerous taunt had risen on his face, it disappeared. With a whoop and a hiss, followed by loud cheering from below, Sesethul launched himself into the sky with the beating of his huge, leathery wings. As we soared skyward, my belly remained behind, and when it caught up, I'd lost some of the heavy, sad feelings from before.

Another adventure, more time alone with my stubborn mate. I'd make this work. All I had to do was figure out how to defeat a Naga Queen. Easy peasy.