Orc’s Forbidden Claim (Red Planet Dragons of Tajss #33)

10. Khiara

10

KHIARA

“ Q uiet,” I hiss.

Stupid lizard is so loud we might as well be sounding alarm bells to announce our approach. He growls and grunts as he crawls his way through the tight tunnel. It was made for Urr’ki, not lizards. He scrapes with every bit of forward motion we make.

“I am,” he growls.

“Heh,” I grunt, crawling ahead.

I wish I could move faster. They have a long lead on us. The only hope I have to hold to is that this tunnel has not crossed with any others. They dug straight to where they wanted. Which raises a different question. How did they know?

Are there spies in the lizard compound? The lizards would never work with an Urr’ki. Look how much trouble we are having negotiating a truce with them. Every one of them I see looks at me and my brother with derision on their faces and in their voices.

How then? The Shaman has magic. Everyone knows this. Does he have some way of far-seeing? If he can pinpoint specific areas to such a degree that his adherents can tunnel directly to them, we have even bigger problems than I could have ever conceived. Which begs the question. Did he target Saylor? Did he somehow know that she was my dragoste? And knowing that, did he target her to lure me into a trap?

The Queen says his magic is illusions and deception. But if that is so, how did they dig this tunnel? Right to an empty room that just happened to have Wren and Saylor in it? Was all of this some fortuitous accident working in favor of the Shaman? I have never believed in coincidences.

“Ach!” Sek’su cries out right after I hear him smack his head for the dozenth time.

“Quiet!” I say. “Can you not be careful? They will know we are coming, and I have no doubt they outnumber us.”

“Bah,” he grunts. “I will kill them all. You will be lucky if I don’t kill you too. On principal.”

I suppress the rage that surges at his arrogance. This is what I mean. How could any of them be working with the Shaman’s minions? I can’t even get this one to work with me and we’re both trying to save the ones we love.

“Could you be any more of a boor?”

“Heh?” he grunts, writhing his way closer through the tight tunnel.

“Nothing,” I snap. “Be quiet. Sound will carry down this tunnel and we do not know how far ahead of us they are.”

He emits a low growl but keeps his mouth shut. I crawl ahead enjoying the silence. We carry no lights with us and in this tight tunnel, there is no ambient light from cave lichen or any other source. I cannot see my hand in front of my face making the journey even more treacherous.

I keep my focus on the next motion. If I let my attention wander, even for a second, the rage is there. My thoughts will instantly fill with what terrible things they might be doing to Saylor. The instant those thoughts come, my blood boils. I know that whoever took her must be loyal to the Shaman. Still held under his sway because they do not know the truth. The Shaman is a liar. He kept the Queen hostage and all he has done was for power, not to save my people.

He capitalized on our despair, using it for his benefit. A growl slips out before I can stop it. I was a believer. Now, seeing how wrong I was about all of it only adds to my anger and frustration. I never should have believed him.

The floor of the tight tunnel is gone. I fall through the hole with a growl and land hard. I grunt at the impact, unsure if I might not have cracked a rib. Before I get back to my feet I hear the stupid lizard.

“No—”

I am too late. He falls through and lands on top of me. My head cracks on the floor causing stars to dance in my vision.

“Oooph,” Sek’su grunts.

We are tangled with one another, and I struggle to get him off of me. It feels as if he weighs as much as the entire mountain. His tail slaps the side of my head, his wings flutter against my face. I push at him as I try to wriggle to the side. And he moves with me.

“Gah,” I grunt. “Get. Off. Idiot.”

“Grrr,” he growls then his fist strikes the side of my leg hard enough to numb the muscle.

I am as sure it was a fist as I am sure it was intentional. Rage fills my head, and I let my fists fly. I pound at him in the darkness, unsure where or what I am hitting, but hitting as hard as I can. I am beyond done with him. He has slowed me down long enough, stupid lizard.

He grasps my legs and rolls. We go over one another several times. Each of us punching and landing blows at any opportunity. We roll far enough down the new, regular tunnel until there is some glowing lichen giving me back sight.

He clamps his calves on either side of my head. He slaps his tail down on my forehead and I grunt in pain, but I see my opportunity. I punch. It’s an awkward angle so I can’t bring my full strength to bear but my target is sensitive, even on a lizard.

My fist slams into his crotch. His howl is so high-pitched that it is in the same range that Saylor cries out when she is having an orgasm. He rolls off of me until he comes up against the tunnel wall where he curls into a ball, protecting his balls.

“You…” he wheezes.

I climb to my feet, glaring down at him.

“You deserved such,” I say.

He is rocking side-to-side in pain, but he opens his eyes and glares.

“Asshole,” he says.

I snort. That’s a human word but I am familiar with it. They use it as a curse. Some of the human curses and the way they use anatomy to make them colorful are amusing. I shake my head and smile.

“Yes,” I agree, nodding my head. “Don’t hit me with your blasted tail again.”

He growls, slowly straightens himself out, and rises to his feet. One hand protectively covers his crotch, and he keeps a safe distance between me and himself. We stare at each other. I am ready. He wants to finish this, I am all in.

Khiara, you need him.

I inhale sharply. That was Saylor’s voice every bit as clear as if she were here, at my side, whispering in my ear. I blink and then look at Sek’su again.

I know there are at least four and maybe more who took Saylor and Wrenlee. And Wren is Sek’su’s mate. What kind of male am I if I don’t respect that? No, I don’t think a Zmaj can love as deeply or truly as an Urr’ki. They are a second-come people, they are not of Tajss as we are, but love is love. If I do not respect that, then I am disrespecting love itself and that makes me less worthy of my dragoste. Besides, he will be helpful in the fight to come.

“We must move,” he says, limping forward.

I frown as I struggle with what I know I must do, but not wanting to. I grit my teeth, clench my fists, then straighten up and own it.

“I am sorry,” I say.

“What?” he asks, stopping and blinking in surprise.

“Do not make me repeat it,” I say, growling at the end.

Despite the pain I know he must be in, a mischievous grin forms on his face. He tilts his head to one side and cups a hand behind his ear.

“One of those blows hit my head. My ears are ringing, could you say that again?”

“Asshole,” I say, using the human curse.

He laughs then shakes his head, dropping his eyes and staring at the ground between us. I am not sure what he is doing. I watch closely, unsure if this will end in an attack or something else. He is breathing heavily, and his tail is twitching, making a leathery dragging sound on the stone of the floor.

“Good,” he says, looking up at last.

I frown, unsure what is good or if perhaps I misunderstood the Zmaj word he was saying. There is nothing good about any of this. What does he mean good? Then he thrusts his hand out towards me. I blink, taking a moment to realize what he is doing.

I grasp his forearm, and he grasps mine. We step closer, looking into one another’s eyes. I see the fire in his. The resolve. And I see the love of his mate.

We shake twice and hold.

“For love,” I say.

“For Tajss,” he says, and we shake again.

Differences set aside we resume the hunt for our mates.