Page 41 of Possessed By the Dragon Alien
“Come on then,” Cyprian said to Madrian and Nena. “Let’s get you to the central hall before someone’s protective instincts cause an actual incident.”
The tunnel stretched longer than Nena had expected. Emergency lighting cast harsh shadows on the metal walls, andtheir footsteps echoed in the confined space. Madrian stayed close beside her. His presence was both comforting and tense. Behind them, Ellion moved with the measured pace of someone trying to control his emotions.
“How many are aboard this ship?” Madrian asked.
“It varies. Stavian brought some ex-miners with him after they escaped, and Razion’s crew stuck around. They come and go, but all told, there are about fifty of us between the three ships,” Cyprian replied over his shoulder. “Mix of species.”
“And Zaruxians?”
“Seven of us now, counting you.” Cyprian’s laugh held an edge. “Unless you’re still figuring out which side you want to be on.”
Nena felt Madrian’s tension spike, but the tunnel opened into a vast central hall that took her breath away. The space soared upward, supported by massive beams that disappeared into shadows above. Couches and seating were scattered around the common area, as well as a large, beautiful fireplace that flickered with white, ionic flames. Tapestries, plants, and other decoration gave the space a warm feel. It felt so very welcoming, unlike the view outside the ship’s hull.
Three more Zaruxian males waited near the center of the space. Nena cataloged them quickly—one with green scales and faded scars across his arms and neck, another with gleaming gold coloring, and a third whose scales shifted between aqua and blue. They were stunning, all of them, and the family resemblance was impossible to deny. All of them watched Madrian with expressions ranging from curiosity to outright suspicion.
“Takkian, Razion, Stavian,” Cyprian said, gesturing to each in turn. “Meet High Chancellor Madrian and Nena.”
Madrian sighed and turned his gaze to the ceiling. “Just Madrian. I left the high chancellor at Central, where Nena and I barely avoided assassination.”
Razion, the gold-scaled male, stepped forward first. His posture was tense, hands clasped behind his back in a way that suggested barely contained hostility. “High Chancellor,” he said, ignoring Madrian’s request. He spoke the title with disdain. “I’ve heard much about your work.”
“Have you?” Madrian murmured. “All good things, I assume?”
Razion flashed his teeth. “Shall we make a list?”
“You’re not helping, Razion,” Ellion warned.
Nena watched Madrian’s nostrils flare, but otherwise, his control was perfect. “You’re that raider who took out old Gribna and looted his ship, aren’t you?” Madrian asked with a calculated smirk. “No big loss there.”
“I can’t believe we’re doing this.” Razion’s voice cut sharp across the space. “I’ve spent my entire life fighting the Axis, hitting their supply lines, freeing their prisoners, making them bleed whenever I had the chance.” His flinty eyes blazed with the fury of someone who’d fought a guerrilla war against impossible odds. “And now we’re supposed to welcome one of the Twelve with open arms? How do we know this isn’t exactly what they want? How do we know he’s not here to infiltrate us, to learn our weaknesses and report back?”
Stavian, the sapphire-scaled male, threw up his hands. “Mustwe do this again? He’s here, isn’t he? When you and I came aboard, we were both subject to the same mistrust and suspicion.”
“That’s different,” Razion said. “I was unpredictable and used to being on my own. You were a mining controller for the Axis. The others were suspicious of you, too.”
Stavian nodded grimly. “Nothing wrong with my memory.”
“You of all people should understand the danger.” Razion spun toward him. “The Axis are masters of manipulation.”
For his part, Madrian just watched them.Interesting, Nena thought, but she realized that he was approaching this the same way he likely did a council meeting. Provoking, then sitting back and seeing what happened. Nena watched Madrian turn his gaze to each of the males. He was taking them in, cataloging their reactions. He was learning the tics and nuances of each of them. It was old behavior. It was Axis behavior, and it wouldn’t serve him here. It was only making him appear less trustworthy. For once, someone needed to stand up forhim.
“You want to know who Madrian is?” she asked, her voice carrying clearly through the hall. “I’ll tell you.”
TWENTY
The space around them went quiet. Even the background hum of the ship’s systems faded as attention focused on her.
“Three cycles ago, I was a number in the Axis system. 93-A. I tended their gardens and slept in their cells and waited to die.” Nena’s voice remained steady, each word chosen carefully. “Madrian was a high chancellor then. One of the Twelve. He could have had anything he wanted.”
Razion shifted. “Your point?”
“My point,” Nena said, letting her gaze move across each Zaruxian face, “is that he chose to give all of that up. For me. For us. For what was right.”
“I understand that,” Takkian said. “But—”
“When the Axis council ordered my death, Madrian hid me in his quarters. When they tried to capture me, he fought his way out of Axis Central. When they demanded he choose between his position and my life, he didn’t hesitate.” Her voice grew stronger with each word. “He only learned the truth about our peoples, about what the Axis really was, a few cycles before we escaped. Everything he thought he knew, everything he’d built his life around—he questioned all of it because he couldn’t stand to be part of a system that would hurt innocent people.”
Silence stretched across the hall. Nena could feel the weight of their attention and the careful consideration in their faces.
