Page 15 of Possessed By the Dragon Alien
“This affliction spreads fast once it takes hold,” someone said. “The Zaruxians become protective, possessive. They start questioning orders.”
“Their dragon forms emerge.”
“Exactly. And we can’t have a dragon loose in Central. Especially not one as powerful as Madrian.”
“He cannot reunite with them,” the female said. “They absolutelycannotfind him.”
Dragon forms? Nena’s mind spun. Zaruxians had wings, sure, but were these officials saying that they could physically transform into different creatures entirely?
“Then we’re agreed?” The authoritative voice again. “The female must be eliminated before the bond strengthens. Make it look like an accident. A fall, perhaps. Or a faulty hygiene pod.”
“When?”
“Tonight. During sleep cycle. Quick and quiet.”
The voices faded into static, then silence. Nena sat frozen, her knees aching against the stone path. They were going to kill her. Not for anything she’d done, but because she might affectMadrian. Because there was something between their species, something the Axis feared enough to test, but couldn’t control.
She looked at the device in her palm. She should leave it. Pretend she never heard this conversation. But her fingers closed around it instead. This was proof of their plans. Proof that none of this was random.
But who could she tell? Not Lulit or the other workers. Not the guards. And Madrian…
Her chest tightened at the thought of him. Was he truly affected by her presence? Was that why he kept seeking her out, speaking to her like she mattered?
She slipped the device into her pocket and picked up her shears with shaking hands. She had until sleep cycle to figure out what to do. To decide if she should try to run, or find some way to warn Madrian that they were both being manipulated.
But even as fear clawed at her throat, something else stirred beneath it. The settlements were in rebellion. Had her friends survived the auction? Were they part of what was happening? And this connection between Terians and Zaruxians… It explained the pull she felt toward Madrian, the way his presence both unsettled and steadied her.
A twig snapped nearby. Nena’s head jerked up. Through the leaves, she spotted two guards patrolling the outer path. She ducked lower, pressing herself against the trunk of an ornamental tree until their footsteps faded.
She needed to move. Staying here was dangerous, but returning to her normal duties might be worse.Theywere watching her, studying her interactions with Madrian. Every moment in the open made her more vulnerable.
Nena gathered her tools with practiced motions, her mind racing. The device in her pocket felt like it was burning against her leg. She had information now, but she also had proof thatshe wasn’t just another prisoner in the Axis machine. She was part of something bigger.
She stepped onto the path, keeping her movements casual, unhurried. Inside, her thoughts churned like storm clouds. They’d mentioned other facilities in rebellion—an arena, a brothel, mines. Places where Zaruxians and Terians had formed bonds. Where they’d turned against the Axis together. And the settlements.
Now they feared the same would happen here with Madrian.
Nena squared her shoulders and headed for the greenhouse. She had until sleep cycle to make the choice whether to run and hide or face whatever was coming. But one thing was clear—she couldn’t stay in her cell tonight. They were coming for her, and she refused to make it easy for them.
She thought of Madrian’s silver eyes, of the way he’d looked at her with curiosity, interest, and a little nervousness. If what they said was true, if there really was some ancient connection between their species…
Then maybe she wasn’t as alone as she thought.
TEN
Madrian walked the garden paths. His boots were silent against the polished stone. The artificial day cycle was ending, casting long shadows through the trees. He shouldn’t be here. He had reports to review, decisions to make, an empire to help maintain. Instead, he found himself drawn to these quiet corners where 93-A worked, searching for glimpses ofheramong the foliage.
He paused beside a reflecting pool, studying his reflection in the still water. The male who stared back wore power like armor—perfect posture, wings held with precision, uniform spotless. But beneath that carefully constructed image, doubts gnawed at him like acid.
Every choice that had seemed so clear, now felt tainted. How many worlds had he helped conquer? How many lives had he destroyed in the name of order and control? He remembered Orbitary Station 14, the hungry faces of the survivors. He’d sentenced them to starvation without hesitation, following protocol as he always had.
Until now. Until her.
93-A saw through his power like it was nothing. She challenged him, questioned him, made him question himself.If there was truly some connection between their species, then perhaps this was inevitable. Perhaps this was what he’d been walking toward his whole life, even as he’d helped build the very system that imprisoned her.
If she was to be his downfall, maybe he deserved it.
Movement caught his eye. A flash of white uniform flitted through the leaves. Someone crouched between bushes, then attempted to walk normally, but they still looked furtive. These weren’t the usual measured movements of a worker, but of someone trying to hide.
