Page 49 of Pursued By the Dragon Alien

Lilas stifled a giggle and couldn’t find a single thing to dislike about either Zaruxian male. And even Ellion, now that he wasn’t the overseer anymore, was pleasant and kind. He was clearly smitten with Turi, but that wasn’t new information to Lilas. He’d seemed smitten long ago, when he put her family farm under his protection. She cocked her head to where Turi stood beside Ellion, their hands loosely entwined.

“So the settlements are free, now?” she asked. “No one is forced to work for no food?”

Turi nodded. “It will be hard to undo so much damage, but things will change in time. Having food will help, now that every crop isn’t crated up and sent to the Axis.”

“I want to know what happened toyou, Lilas.” Sevas crossed her arms, clearly done waiting. “Whois Razion.”

Lilas swallowed hard and released a shaky breath. She lowered herself to the soft sofa and rested her elbows on her knees. The others sat, too, with Fivra settling beside her. Lilashad pushed everything that had happened on the Darkslip into the corners of her mind, but now that Sevas had asked, it all came rushing back—a storm of stolen moments and words she wished she hadn’t overheard.

She forced a smirk, though it felt brittle. She ran a hand through her hair, ignoring the way her fingers trembled slightly. “At the auction, I was sold to some disgusting trade master with a skin condition we will never speak of again.”

Fivra winced. “That bad?”

“Worse,” Lilas muttered.

Sevas’ arms flexed at her sides, anger flickering in her crimson eyes. “How did you get out?”

“Razion and his crew raided the ship before we arrived at the harem I was supposed to live at.” She tilted her head and glanced down to her hands. “Razion let me stay. I joined the crew.”

Turi nudged Fivra aside and raised an eyebrow. “Are you telling me you ended up on araider’sship?”

“Yep.” Lilas let out a tight, humorless chuckle. “I expected it to be another cage. Figured he’d sell me off or throw me out an air lock if I wasn’t useful.” A flicker of pain curled around her ribs, but she ignored it. She focused on the facts. “But he didn’t. He let me work in the cargo hold, let me eat whatever and whenever I wanted. Taught me to read. I… I started to trust him.”

Sevas narrowed her eyes. “Lilas,” she said slowly, “how much did you trust him?”

Lilas’ fist clenched around the fabric of her tunic. “Enough.” There was quiet. “Fine. I fell in love with him, okay?”

Fivra’s soft expression barely changed, but her hand slid around Lilas’ shoulders, squeezing gently. “Oh, Lilas…”

Sevas let out a slow exhale and scowled. “And? What happened?”

Lilas swallowed hard. “And I thought he loved me, too,” she admitted, voice rough. “But I overheard him.” Her hands clenched into fists. “He was talking to Krask, his first officer—who, by the way, had never been a fan of mine. Krask had arranged to sell me to a trafficker like I was some extra cargo to unload—and Razion justagreed.” She forced out a bitter laugh. “Didn’t hesitate. Didn’t even question it. He just ‘took the meeting.’”

Turi’s breath caught, and Ellion’s silver eyes darkened.

Fivra pressed her small hand to her mouth, and Cyprian cursed under his breath while Takkian remained stone-still.

Sevas, however, was already fuming. “He said he was going towhat?”

“I heard it myself,” Lilas said sharply, forcing herself to stay steady. “Krask set everything up. The whole deal. And Razion took it like it was nothing. LikeIwas nothing.” Her throat burned. “So, I ran.”

Turi turned to Ellion, eyes wide. “Would Razion really do that? Would he really just—sell her?”

Ellion’s expression furrowed as he glanced at Takkian, something unspoken passing between them. “I don’t know this Razion,” Ellion said slowly. “But if he is like us—lost, reclaimed, learning—there is a possibility this is not what it seems.”

Lilas stiffened. “It doesn’tseemlike anything. I heard it.”

“Perhaps,” Ellion murmured, “but it doesn’t match the rest of his action up to that point.”

Lilas’ breath hitched. A sharp wave of doubt tried to sink in, but she crushed it under the weight of her fury. “That doesn’t change what he said.”

Takkian, who had been silent until now, leaned forward slightly, his scarred arms crossing over his chest. He studied her, eyes sharp. “No. It doesn’t. Go on.”

“That’s it. I ran, then Ellion and Turi found me. Now, I’m here.” Lilas dragged in a breath as the room fell into silence. The newly familiar walls of the ship pressed in, the soft glow of the ionic fireplace casting shadows against the floor. Every single one of them—her friends, the Zaruxians—was watching her. She shifted her feet, crossing them at the ankles while trying to steady the storm still raging in her chest.

Sevas widened her crimson eyes. “So, what was your plan, Lilas?”

Lilas huffed, rubbing a hand over her face. “I was going to find a ship. Hide, sneak on board, something. Then I’d figure out my next step once I got somewhere far away.”

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