Page 21 of Possessed By the Dragon Alien
“Search the gardens first. Then expand outward.” He stroked her hair. “I need to handle this before suspicion falls here.”
“You have to go.” It wasn’t a question.
“Yes.” He stepped away, immediately missing her warmth. “Stay here. Rest. Eat. There is a replication unit that will provide food, clothes. Whatever you need.” He gestured toward a panel in the wall. “No one will enter these chambers except me. Do not let anyone in.” He crouched slightly to look directly in her eyes. “Seriously.No one. Even if they sound like me, or look like me, it’s not me. In fact, stay away from the door entirely.”
“I understand.” Her green eyes were steady, though he saw worry lurking in their depths.
“The device you found,” he said. “May I have it?”
She pulled it from her pocket and placed it in his palm. The small disc felt heavy with secrets. “I need to know exactly who is moving against us.”
“Be careful,” she said softly.
He wanted to kiss her again. To wrap her in his wings and never let go. Instead, he turned toward the door. “I’ll return soon.”
The corridor outside felt colder somehow. Empty. He touched the device in his pocket and strode toward the secure communications room where he knew Rien would be waiting. Time to learn who among his fellow council members had marked Nena for death.
Madrian found Rien in her secure communication hub, a small room deep within the tower, filled with monitors and scanning equipment. She sat at the central console, her pale form ghostly in the blue glow of the screens.
“The workers’ cells are in chaos,” she said without turning. “They’ve discovered she’s missing.”
“Good.” Madrian pulled out the listening device. “Let them search the gardens. It will keep them occupied while we deal with this.”
Rien swiveled to face him. Her gaze fell to the disc. “Ah. I was wondering what happened to this.”
“The device is yours?”
“Of course,” she replied. “What kind of prime watcher would I be if I wasn’t gathering every scrap of information I could?”
He had to have a grudging respect for that, even though it only confirmed that there was absolutely zero privacy in Central. He grunted. “Let’s get on with it, before they finish searching the gardens.”
“You realize they’ll move to the towers next.”
“By then we’ll know who’s behind this.” He placed the device on her scanning pad.
She tapped a series of commands. Static crackled through the speakers, then cleared. Voices emerged, and Madrian’s wings drew tight against his back as he recognized them.
Taghi’s clipped tones: “…showing all the signs. Just like the others.”
Uri’s deeper voice: “Are you certain? Madrian has always been loyal.”
Madrian’s hands curled into fists. Two council members he’d worked alongside for cycles, calmly discussing his downfall. But it was the third voice that made his blood run cold.
“Then the experiment worked. Bringing the Terian female here proved he’s susceptible.”
High Chancellor Valkos. He’d never liked that one. Always chose unnecessary suffering and oppression over simpler, less brutal methods.
“Like all Zaruxians apparently are,” Taghi sneered. “They can’t resist Terian mates.”
He listened, his gut coiled into a knot of fury. Voices were a blur amid his rising anger.
We can’t have a dragon loose in Central.
Especially not one as powerful as Madrian.
“Then we’re agreed?” Valkos’ tone held cold finality. “The female must be eliminated before the bond strengthens. Make it look like an accident. A fall, perhaps. Or a faulty hygiene pod.”
“When?”
