Zaruv: A Sci-Fi Alien Dragon Romance (Aliens of Dragselis Book 1) Page 7

  “I love it when you blush. It’s the most beautiful thing I think I’ve ever seen.”

  “Please,” I said as I rolled my eyes. “You are a prince. I’m sure you’ve seen all sorts of wonders in this crazy universe.”

  “I have,” he admitted. “I have seen the four-headed hounds of Ibez and the deadly water woman of Ventrax. I’ve eaten Tondril with emperors and even witnessed the song of the Harems before they go to rest. Never though, in all my travels, have I seen anything as beautiful as your flushed cheeks.”

  I swallowed hard, unable to speak. He hadn’t just flattered me, he had compared me to women who, by anyone’s standards, were goddesses from another realm. I didn’t know what to say to him, but I felt the flattery making my cheeks rosy once again. Whatever was going on between us, I would be sorry to see him leave.

  “Are you always so good at this?” I asked playfully.

  He shrugged, “I don’t really know. Women where I am from, say that it’s fantastic no matter what. I was their prince, it was their duty, though I never forced myself on them.”

  The admission hit me hard, “Didn’t you ever have a girlfriend? Someone that you loved?”

  “Love? No, I don’t think so. Love wasn’t something that we were encouraged to find. Actually, it was frowned upon. There is no place for love in a prince’s world, only a dutiful marriage to secure a treaty.”

  “And now? Do you still feel the same way about it?” I asked carefully.

  He grinned at me, “I think we should get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow.”

  He wrapped me in his arms and I knew that I wasn’t getting an answer from him. It was fine though. I wasn’t sure if I had an answer for myself yet either. There was something between us, I just didn’t know what, yet.

  Chapter 11

  Zaruv

  I awoke to the strange sounds of nature around me and at once was on edge. Jennifer was no longer lying next to me. Her clothing was gone and the fire was all but out. I bolted out of bed and quickly pulled on my clothing too, setting out to look for her. When I called her name, no one answered. The silence made my heart sink as I thought about the dangers she could be in. I leaped up to the second cave in one smooth motion and saw that Ragal, too, was gone.

  The warming sound of Jennifer’s laughter came to me from over the hill. At once, I jogged up the steep mountain to find her. She was sitting around a small fire, Ragal on one side of her and a stranger on the other. The young man was looking at her like she was a queen. Instantly I was filled with rage, she was mine. He saw me approaching before the others. Jumping backward, the stranger had a look of pure fear in his eyes when he saw me. Jennifer turned to see what was wrong and smiled at me.

  “We were wondering if you were going to join us,” she said with a wink.

  “I told him that the extra weight would take its toll,” muttered Ragal.

  I placed a protective hand on Jennifer’s shoulder. “The weight made no difference. Who is this?”

  Jennifer looked over at the stranger and cleared her throat. “This is Mavic. He comes to the mountains to harvest herbs. He was just telling us about the men who control the city. I think we know why our militia turned back.”

  “Doesn’t he fear us like the rest of your kind?” I asked, glaring at him.

  He shook his head, approaching me and offered a hand. “No sir, I mean you are a little intimidating, but that’s just because of your size. I couldn’t care less if you are an alien.”

  “Huh,” I muttered, a little uneasy. “So, why are you here?”

  “I come out here to pick herbs, I’m not a fan of the city, to be honest. You shouldn’t go that way either. There’s nothing but evil there.”

  “We have to find the others, I’m sure my brother told you as much.”

  Mavic nodded his head. “Yeah, but I didn’t see anything in the city. That’s not something that they could easily cover up. Do you know anything about the area?”

  I shook my head, “I don’t know anything about the whole damn planet.”

  “I do,” muttered Jennifer. “This place isn’t on our trade route though. I thought we had deals with everyone, too.”

  “You wouldn’t have trade deals with them. No one does. No military will touch the place and the government pretends like they don’t exist.”

  “My outpost men turned back last night, why?”

  “Because of Charles Vega,” said Mavic softly as he shook his head. “The man is a monster.”

  “Really?” I asked, intrigued. “A monster? Isn’t that a little strong for a mere human?”

  “No,” he said passionately. “No words are too strong for that beast. He came into town and took over, drove out the military and slaughtered anyone in his way.”

  Jennifer gasped. “You can’t be serious. How is it that we haven’t heard about him before this?”

  “He keeps a tight wrap on things inside the city. The only people who come in and out are those that he lets.”

  “So, the entire city is being held prisoner?” I asked.

  He shook his head, “Getting out isn’t the problem. He’ll let you walk out of there like it’s just another day. Getting back in is where you hit trouble. Vega doesn’t like outsiders coming in. So, he lets anyone leave who wants too but they weren’t allowed to come back.”

  “Why doesn’t everyone flee then?”

  Mavic shuddered and looked away from me. I knew that whatever he was going to tell us wasn’t going to be easy for him. I saw the darkness in his eyes; overpowering and sad. He had seen far more than his sunny disposition let on. For a young man, I would have expected to see others around but he was alone. Another sure sign that something wasn’t right with the situation. Humans traveled in packs it seemed, whereas Mavic was alone.

  “In the beginning, there were rumors. We thought that it was just the city gossip. People started to leave in flocks when they saw the monster that he was. Then, communications stopped. We all had family who’d left, though some of us chose to stay.”

  “What happened to them?” I asked though I had a pretty good idea.

  He shrugged, “Your guess is as good as anyone else’s, but they were never seen or heard from again. After the initial first wave left, people started to hide instead of taking the risk in leaving.”

  “You think he had them killed?” Jennifer asked.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Did you know someone that left?” she asked softly.

  He nodded, “We all did. This was about five years ago. My mother fled to find us a new home. She never returned.”

  Jennifer gasped softly, “Mavic, I’m so sorry to hear that. What about your father? Do you have any other family?”

  Mavic shook his head again, “No. Vega rounded up all the men who were fit. It was simple, work for him or stay out of his way. My father didn’t like the options. He and a small faction retaliated against Vega. He sent me out here through an old tunnel passage and set me up in the hills. Vega’s men don’t come this far on patrol.”

  “You’ve been here for five years?” I asked.

  He shrugged, “On and off. I’ll go back into the city every few months to get supplies and see if anything has changed, but it never does.”

  “Could your father help us once we get inside? We just want to find our brothers.”

  “If you can find him. He didn’t meet me the last time I went, I don’t know where he is anymore.”

  Jennifer took Mavic’s hand and I felt a rush of jealousy that she was touching another man. The way he looked at her, with adoration and desire made my blood boil. I struggled to keep my temper under control. Her eyes were full of concern for his plight. I swallowed roughly, catching Ragal’s amused gaze. I was territorial over her, even though we hadn’t spoken about the future yet. There was no time between finding my family and our night of passion, though I hoped that there would be much more.

  “Mavic, we will find out where your dad is for you, okay?”
she offered.

  “Jennifer,” I started but she shot me a look that made me pause immediately.

  “We will find him for you,” she reiterated. “But we need you to help us get into the city. You said something about tunnels? Do you think you can lead us there?”

  He shook his head adamantly, “No, it’s too dangerous. Jennifer, they are bad men. You should just stay here with me.”

  I cleared my throat, “I don’t think so. We can keep her safer if she is with us. Plus, I’m not leaving her alone with you or anyone else for that matter.”

  Jennifer glared at me but I didn’t care. I had said my piece and it wasn’t going to change. “We need your help, Mavic. Even if you can’t show us the way, maybe you could tell us. If we don’t get in there, we will lose our family too. You don’t want that to happen, do you?”

  Mavic looked at Jennifer and she smiled reassuringly. “We will be safe, I promise. Don’t you want us to find your father?”

  “Fine, but please stay away from Vega. He will hurt you and I don’t want that.”

  “I know,” she whispered. “We will stay away from him.”

  I was about to interject, to tell Jennifer not to make promises like that but it was too late. The relief I saw in Mavic’s eyes were enough to silence me. He needed her to tell him she would be safe, even if it was a lie that we all knew. There were no promises after we entered the city. I had a sneaking suspicion about Vega, but I needed to see him firsthand before I jumped to any conclusions. Jennifer pulled away from Mavic and looked back at me.

  “Are we ready?” she asked.

  I nodded, “Mavic? Why don’t you tell Ragal how to get into the city?”

  Pulling Jennifer away from the other two, I found a spot where I knew that we wouldn’t be overheard. “What are you thinking making a promise like that? His father is probably dead.”

  “I don’t know, he just looked so sad. He has no one out here.”

  “I don’t like the way that he was looking at you. If this town is as dangerous as he says, maybe you should head back to the outpost and let us take it from here.”

  She glared at me, “If you think you can control me, Zaruv, you are dead wrong. No man, alien or otherwise will ever control me. Do you understand that, you pompous jerk?”

  My temper flared but I kept it under control. “You are infuriating. If you go, you need to listen to me okay? I don’t think this Vega is the only danger in town.”

  “Trying to tell me what to do again? Great, just what I need,” she muttered.

  I took her arm, softly caressing it and gazing into her eyes. If we weren’t in such a dire situation, I would have dragged her back to the cave and showered her perfect body in kisses once again. As it was, I needed her to understand that I couldn’t lose her, not after everything that had happened. She was the only thing keeping me from losing my mind in the chaos of the past few days. She was my light in the approaching darkness.

  “Please, Jennifer,” I begged. “Please promise that you will do as I say in there. I can’t lose you.”

  She softened at my words, blushing and reaching for my hand. “I promise you Zaruv that I will follow your lead. But I need you to promise something too.”

  “Anything for you,” I said as I tilted her chin up to me, our lips almost touching.

  “We have to try and find Mavic’s father. I know what it’s like to be all alone. It’s a rough life. He needs someone else.”

  “If I do this, will you stop flirting with him?”

  Jennifer glared at me, “I wasn’t flirting with him! He must be five years younger than me. I was just trying to make him feel better.”

  “Well, I have no doubt that you did that, but don’t lead the poor thing on. You are mine.”

  She grinned, “Feeling a bit protective?”

  I nodded and tilted my head down, kissing her gently on the lips. Even the brief touch set my body on fire. I ran my fingers up her arms, pulling her closer to me until we were pressed together in a moment of pure pleasure. I would have taken her again except for Ragal and his noisy coughing. She broke away from me, her cheeks flushed with the same desire that had taken hold of me.

  “I know where we are going,” Ragal said. “Mavic is in the caves but he told me the way. Are you two ready or should I find you another cave?”

  Jennifer rolled her eyes, “Let’s go get your brothers back.”

  Taking her hand, we carefully made our way down the mountain. The silence in the air was heavy with foreboding. I didn’t know what we were walking into, but if my hunch was right, there was going to be more trouble than Mavic ever could have imagined.

  Chapter 12

  Jennifer

  “Yuck,” I muttered.

  Ragal grinned from behind me as I spun around, trying to untangle myself from the thick web that had blown from Zaruv’s shoulder. I was no princess, I didn’t mind getting dirty, but this was a whole new level of disgusting. Plus, the web of a perhot spider had a foul odor to attract its prey, rats that fed off rotting corpses in the sewer system. It wasn’t my idea of a good time but I trudged ahead, mostly silent.

  “What’s wrong, Jennifer? Not what you thought this rescue mission would be?” Taunted Ragal.

  “Says the prince who once sent back an entire fleet of women because their feet were dirty.” Shot Zaruv from over my head.

  I laughed and Ragal fell silent as we walked. A faint light could be seen up ahead. “That’s it.”

  “It should open up to an abandoned inn if Mavic was telling the truth,” huffed Ragal.

  “Why would he lie?” I asked.

  Ragal shrugged, “Maybe he was just trying to get lucky.”

  “Shut up, Ragal,” I muttered.

  He was about to say something else when Zaruv raised his hand. Instantly, Ragal grabbed my arm and I knew to fall silent. There was movement above us even though the area was supposed to be abandoned. It moved in the light and shuffled around. Zaruv’s skin started to glow a faint bronze color and I wondered if he would really shift in the middle of a sewer and risk a cave-in. After several seconds, he let out a loud sigh and climbed the narrow ladder that led to the outside.

  After he disappeared, I held my breath until his head stuck back through the manhole and he smiled at me. Holding out his hand, I grabbed ahold of him and let him pull me from the disgusting muck. Then I saw why he hadn’t shifted. A scraggly looking dog stood next to him, wagging his salt and pepper tail while licking the tough alien’s face. We weren’t in the middle of a road as I had suspected.

  “Well, it looks like you have a friend,” I said, laughing.

  Zaruv grinned and pet the dog behind the ear before reaching down and helping Ragal out of the sewer. As he did, I stood up and brushed off what I could of the dust and stench. We hadn’t arrived in some forgotten alley as I’d expected we would. Upon closer inspection, I saw that the manhole wasn’t one created by the city, but a roughly cut hole in the floor of a house. Someone had gone through a great deal of trouble to create this escape route. It was no wonder Mavic was scared.

  “What is this place?” Ragal asked.

  “I think it used to be someone’s home,” I muttered as I wiped away the dust from a forgotten desk. “A long time ago.”

  Zaruv covered the hole and started to look around. He immediately went to the sink and turned the outdated knob. A ball of black goo dropped into the dusty basin before rust colored, then finally clear water trickled out.

  “Huh,” I said, stunned. “I can’t believe that it still works. It doesn’t look like anyone has been here for years.”

  “If I had to guess, I would venture to say the system is off the grid which is why it’s still working. Vega probably has no idea this place is even here.”

  Ragal has disappeared into a separate room, but now he called for us. “Hey guys, I think I know why it’s off the grid. Look at this place.”

  Together, we followed the sound of his voice, passing through a dust covered livi
ng room. Once white sheets, now dull and brown, covered various pieces of furniture. Photos hung on the walls, a faded and depressing reminder that the building had once been someone’s home before the monster had taken over. I paused and ran my thumb over the glass of a picture sitting next to the couch on a rickety table. Three faces appeared, all bright and cheerful, unknowing of the danger that would soon rip them from their beloved home.

  “Are you okay?” Zaruv asked.

  “I don’t know,” I replied honestly. “How could my government let this happen to an entire city? It’s like they just gave up and left.”

  His hand found the small of my back as he kissed my cheek. “We will find out what’s going on, Jennifer. I promise you that.”

  “Okay,” I whispered.

  “Let’s go see what Ragal found. Maybe the bedrooms are decent enough to stay here for the night.”

  “Aren’t we going to go find your brothers?” I asked.

  He shook his head, “Not with night falling, it’s too dangerous. We don’t know enough about the town to go walking around just yet. For now, we will watch and wait. Tomorrow we will venture out.”

  Just then, Ragal came sauntering into the room, holding a dusty bottle of wine. “Nothing useable in the kitchen but I did find this. The bedrooms aren’t bad if you don’t mind sleeping on the floor.”

  “I don’t care where we sleep,” I offered, feeling far more exhausted than I had in days.

  Approaching footsteps made us all turn and jump but it was just the stray dog who’d taken up residence in the abandoned house. I smiled down at him and dropped to my knees, taking his head in my hands and brushing back his fur.

  “We could eat the dog,” offered Ragal playfully.

  I glared at him, “I’d sooner chop you up.”

  He laughed quietly. “Find anything, Zaruv?”