"The claw marks were obliterated by foolish thrill seekers. They did us a service by trampling them." He tried desperately to slow his pounding heart and keep his fear from showing as he continued, "The woman can't betray us. She has no one to tell of our existence. She has left Earth. I beg you to forgive me and listen to my reasoning. The woman, Michelle, is inside my ship."
The commander's anger was instantaneous. His red eyes shot daggers as he reached out with a hand that quickly transformed into a claw. The leader's sharp command stopped the change. "Settle! Don't alarm our people." His gaze was steely as he turned it on Kelan. "You had no right to bring a human among us! You have overstepped your boundaries. Your close relationship with my family will not keep you from facing my wrath or punishment. How dare you endanger the weredragons! I can't tolerate treason, even in you. Say nothing in your defense! If you speak now, I may burn you where you stand. Commander, bring Kelan and the human to my chambers. Don't allow anyone to see her eyes. We can't risk panic. I will hear this rebel's reasoning after I have calmed. Don't harm the woman. I wish to hear her explanation as well."
"Let me go inside and get her,” Kelan begged. "She doesn't know you, and she's already wary of our reception."
"You dare to ask a favor from me when you've committed this wrongdoing? She doesn't deserve caution on my part. She has intruded where she doesn't belong. She chose these consequences,” the commander replied.
"No, she didn't. I didn't tell her you hadn't been informed or that she was unwelcome until we were about to land. She was under the illusion I could make Talonians welcome her or at the very least tolerate her. Your anger should be directed at me. Don't be cruel to her,” Kelan pled.
"I will allow this, not for you or her, but to keep our citizens from witnessing her tears or shouts and to honor the leader's request of keeping her presence unknown. Make it quick, or I will drag her out,” the commander retorted.
Kelan approached the top of the ramp and there he discovered Michelle. How much of the conversation she had been privy to, he didn't know. She remained unwavering in her attitude towards him. She might never forgive his withholding of the facts. Kelan noticed the change of clothing as an effort to blend in. It suited her and perhaps would soften the leader's anger. The less out of place she seemed, the better chance she had of acceptance.
He reached for her hand and her eyebrow raised in question. "I'm to escort you to the leader's chambers. He demands that we be out of sight before the citizens discover a human has come to Talonia. He is afraid they will panic. Cooperate with him. Answer his questions truthfully. Hold back nothing, even if it condemns me,” Kelan beseeched.
Michelle placed her shaking hand in Kelan's and took her first steps out of the spaceship into the atmosphere of Talonia. She sucked in a deep breath, slightly worried it would cause her lungs to react in a bad way. The air was heavy and humid due to all the waterfalls, but it was compatible with her body. She could deal with this. The citizens passing by didn't pay any attention to her. The commander, however, stared her down. There was no acceptance in his gaze, only frustration. He never greeted her, simply turning his back and leading them over a series of walkways.
Their destination was a large structure, wider than most, that stood directly in the center of the city. No locks, alarms, or guards impeded their entrance. She supposed this world felt safe, considering its existence was known to few, and dragon fire was a daunting deterrent to those who trespassed. Kelan had explained their fear of nuclear weapons, and there was no lock or guard that would protect them from that.
The building was sleek. Its walls were some kind of metal and the floors resembled marble. Her first impression was that it was fireproof. Nervous laughter bubbled up with that thought. She turned the sound into a cough, earning a disapproving frown from the commander. He was probably wondering if she had brought a deadly disease to his people. A stairway spiraled up and out of sight. Its end too distant to see. If she was forced to walk all those flights, the leader wouldn't need to punish her; she would die of a heart attack halfway up. Kelan routed her, not to the stairs, but to a platform against the left wall. It began to rise the instant their weight was on it. The higher they went, the less humid the air seemed. She imagined they were above the clouds when it came to a stop.
Talonia's leader sat on a throne of the marble-like substance. Two women sat beside him. White eyes glittered in the youngest, proclaiming her to be Shara, the leader's daughter. That would make the blue-eyed one his wife.
"Step forward, human,” the leader commanded. "I shall speak with you first. What are your intentions toward Talonia? Are you here to spy on us? Have you brought communication devices or trackers to reveal our home to others? I expect the truth. If you lie and it is discovered, you will be sacrificed and Kelan will die a traitor's death."
Shara jerked her head around and shouted, "Father, no!"
"Hush, child. You have no say in this. If you wish to remain, you will stay silent,” her father decreed.
Michelle saw a man, worried about his home, rather than the cruel dictator the leader intended her to see. She spoke with confidence. "Please, call me Michelle. I'm not a threat to Talonia. You may search my possessions as well as my body. There are no hidden devices, no trackers, or communicators. I'm not a spy. I left Earth partially to escape from men who would harm me and anyone I was close to. The second reason was Kelan. I didn't wish to live without him, although the lies he told me have caused me to rethink that idea."
Shara stood. A deep growl came from her throat. She opened her mouth and fire shot into the dome of the room. Silence descended.
