Page 35 of The Naga Maverick’s Determined Mate

Those thoughts faltered when the black-scaled Naga caught my arm with the tip of his tail and jerked his head to Ses’s massive chest. I got the message, and scrambled through the sand to get closer, aiming my device as soon as I got there. The worst injuries were internal. I aimed and let the light glow, hoping it was doing something, anything.

Every few minutes, I’d glance at where Zsekhet lay, and when they moved him beneath the shade of a quickly raised tent onto soft furs I breathed easier, he was alright. I focused on the dragon, on doing everything in my power to save the beast’s life after all he’d done for us.

Tears beaded on my lashes, sweat pooled along my spine. I understood now, this wasn’t like the healing devices on Earth. This little machine pulled power from my body the way the desert sun was pulling strength from my flesh. But I didn’t let up, didn’t stop aiming that light at whatever spot the black-scaled Shaman pointed me at.

“Enough,” Merish said, Zsekhet’s sister had shown up and hovered at my side for the past hour, watching me like a hawk. “You can’t push yourself more, or you’ll drop. Zsekhet would never forgive me if I let that happen.”

I glanced at the female Naga but didn’t stop. The Shaman was still working from the other side, fighting to stretch out a tangled and broken wing with the help of several others. I hoped that it was a good sign that he was working on the wing now, did that mean Ses was going to pull through? “Not until I’m sure he’ll make it,” I said firmly, my legs swayed so I sat down on the sand and hunkered down to keep going.

“Levant! Tell her that he’s going to make it,” Merish shouted. She couldn’t have understood my words but she must have seen my stubbornness. The black-scaled Naga ducked out from underneath Sesethul’s now straightened wing and glanced from me to Merish with a shrug.

“It does appear Sesethul will pull through,” he agreed, his eyes lingering on my face and gliding down my body, a first hint of curiosity tinging his alien features. “I’m glad I still have the chance to see a human in the flesh myself. Go with Merish, rest. I will care for the dragon, you care for your mate.”

I shook when I gave in, my body felt so weak and drained that I didn’t even feel the pain of my dozens of bruises. Merish caught me around the middle and helped me upright and I struggled to pull the device from my fingers, shocked to discover that it had burned red streaks into my flesh wherever it had touched my skin.

“You take over,” I said to her, “It’s easy, just point it at him.” When she pushed the device away and glanced helplessly at the Shaman I saw the disgruntled expression on his face and drew in a surprised, but labored breath. “Oh fuck, you installed implants! You can understand me, can’t you? Tell her to take over! She will.”

The Shaman leveled me with a long stare before he finally raised his hand and took the device from my fingers. “Merish, you take it and aim it at that wing bone,” he pointed, “I will take care of our guest and then I’ll be back to assist. Understood?”

Merish looked rather dubious as she took the device and slipped it onto her much larger hand. It still seemed to fit like a glove, exactly as it had for my tiny fist. She didn’t move to Ses’ wing until the Shaman had curled his arm around my body to prop me up, and even then, she kept shooting me warning glares until Levant turned my back to her and started urging me to walk. When I stumbled, I was swept up in his arms without comment.

“Here,” he said quietly, “Proof.” He came to a halt in front of Ses’ huge head, and when he brought me close enough that I could put my fingers on the soft scales on his snout, one golden eye blinked open. Oh god, he was awake, he was alive. I shuddered in relief, the tears on my lashes finally escaping.

Levant brought me to the tent where Zsekhet lay, and without another word tucked me against my mate’s side. The steady rising and falling of my mate’s chest was all the proof I needed to give in to my own exhaustion and pain. I hadn’t lost him, and we hadn’t lost Sesethul. Blackness swept me under in seconds.

Epilogue

Zsekhet

Soaring on Sesethul across the mountains, we caught a thermal down toward Ahoshaga Peak. “Almost home,” Cosima murmured in my arms, her body dressed in her riding leathers, her hands pressed against Ses’s scales.

She was starting to look healthy and fit again, the last signs of exhaustion had faded from her face only yesterday. Right on time, because I was pretty sure the ladies at Haven would have my hide if they discovered how hard Cosima had driven herself over the last couple of weeks. She’d gone back to heal Ses or me, over and over again, until I’d finally put a stop to it and confiscated the device. Untrained as she was, it sapped so much of her energy that she was risking her own life by doing what she did, I couldn’t have that.

“Almost home,” I agreed with her, my eyes taking in the sight of the finished wall and gate, the carved entrance into the mountain, and the sight of activity. Males were crawling all over the greenhouse structure beneath Krashe’s supervision, already a very different sight from when we’d left. Several more drying huts had also been built, for skins and meat curing. Along the wall, several wooden barracks had gone up to house the aspirants still waiting for their chance to join Haven.

I glanced at my mentor, flying alongside Ses on Salais. Arakash had insisted on making the journey with us so that Sesenthul’s recently healed wing and body would not be taxed too much. The pink dragon was big and sturdy, wider across the chest than Ses was, he had no trouble carrying the greenhouse part for us which had remained unscathed despite the aerial battle.

Merish was sitting behind Arakash with an eager expression on her face. Her eyes were on the Naga on the mountainside below. She’d insisted on coming and seeing my new home for herself, and once my sister made up her mind, there was no stopping her. When I appraised the Naga she was looking at, I was suddenly struck with the worry that she might find her own mate among them.

“What?” Cosima asked, “Why did you stiffen like that?” Ah, my mate, I could hide nothing from her. Curling my arms more tightly around her middle, I nuzzled my head against her cheek, loving the softness of her skin.

“What if Merish’s mate is down there?” I asked, and laughed when that made Cosima stiffen and then hurriedly glance down Ses’s side as if she could pick the male out of the crowd just like that. They’d seen our approach and were waving at us, hurriedly making space for not one, but two dragons, near the entrance.

When we landed, the humans were eagerly rushing forward, shouting Cosima’s name and waving their arms. “You’re home! How was it? Was it awesome? What did you see? Is that the missing greenhouse part?” The questions fell like water from their mouths, one after the other.

With a soft smile, Cosima slipped from my coils as soon as I had put her feet on the ground. She was swallowed up by hugs and laughter, and one very loudly crying Charlie as she cradled her round belly with one arm. I squinted at the sight, I didn’t recall that bump being there when we left…

“I see you had your hands full,” Zathar said in greeting. The tip of his tail raised to indicate some of the dents along my scales. In a few places, they’d cracked from the pressure and the force of the fall. I was healed, but my scales would bear those marks until I molted again.

I shrugged, “I’ll tell you all about it in a minute. Did Bitter Storm give you any trouble while we were gone?” Zathar shook his head in response and glanced at Sesethul, his bright azure eyes gleaming as he gazed at my dragon. No trouble, but he was glad to have the dragon back home. Ses had made an impression on Bitter Storm, hopefully, his presence was enough to deter them from any further hostility.

Then I went around and made introductions, laughing at the sight of Krashe already trying to eagerly get his hands on the greenhouse part we’d brought. The building looked much improved, already many panels had been sourced and attached to the metal bones, but they were not ready for this piece yet.

“You weren’t kidding,” Merish said later that evening when we had a moment. “It’s a beautiful place, and it’s inspiring to see all these Naga from different Clans work together. And the humans, they are so fascinating.” Her eyes strayed from where Cosima was relaying our aerial battle for the third time to a crowd of Naga and humans alike.

They darted to Reid with a hint of curiosity, and my stomach flipped. “Oh no, don’t even think about it! Seriously Merish.” She laughed at me and flipped her long black and gold braid over her shoulder, then she got up from her seat and slithered gracefully around the campfire, her sinuous moves drew the eyes of several unmated males but no one approached. When she reached Reid, he grinned in welcome, and patted the log next to him in invitation.

Growling, I was about to get up and tell him to back off from my sister but Cosima planted herself in my lap at right that moment. “No, let them be. You should not begrudge your sister a mate if that’s what that is, and even if it’s just fun, it’s none of your business.” I closed my hands around her hips and yanked her close for a kiss, she was right, but I wasn’t going to tell her that.