Page 41 of Dragon Me Through Space

“This is insane,” I muttered as I stared at the board. Not even my father had beaten me so quickly. “I think I’m rusty.”

“We can play as many games as you want,” he promised.

His promise should have made me happy, but that doubt about what would happen when they found their mate resurfaced again. Shoving it down, I focused on the now. If I was going to lose them, then I wanted to enjoy every moment I could.

“Checkmate,” Preston said for the tenth time.

“Frak!” I shouted and moved my pieces back to start again.

CHAPTER NINE

The closer we flew to Exostalon, the more worried and paranoid I became.

We ended up making an additional stop at a planet I’d never been to before, one close to Exostalon, but not one the Exostalons were known to visit, to refuel and get supplies. It was a smaller planet, but there were still a lot of ships parked at the port. Part of me wondered if they’d mainly stopped so I could get off the ship for a bit before we landed on Exostalon, but I didn’t ask. Either way, I was thankful for the break.

I went to Gage and asked, “Would you like to explore the planet with me for our date? I’ve never been here and you seem familiar with it.” As the pilot, Gage spent most of his time ensuring we were headed the correct way, so aside from meals, I hadn’t been able to spend time with him like I had the others.

Gage smiled and nodded. “Sure. I can give you a tour of the best spots in this port town and take you to a delicious meal, if that’s what you want.”

I nodded. “Sounds great.”

Gage informed the others of our plan and after a heated, whispered argument between Zeke and Gage, we finally left.

Zeke continued to frown as we walked away, as did Wayne.

“Why are they upset?” I asked.

“They’re just concerned for your safety, since you seem to be a magnet for trouble,” he admitted.

Scoffing, I said, “I’ve been staying safe all by myself for years. I’m not a defenseless, damsel in distress.”

He smiled down at me and it made me pause mid-step. “No, you’re definitely not defenseless. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen someone fight with such fire like you do. Like you enjoy it as much as we do.”

Returning his smile, I gave a half shrug. “At first I hated fighting, but … it grew on me.” And as much as I hated being an experiment, my additional skills and abilities helped ensure I would never be captured again. Especially now that he was dead.

We resumed walking and entered a market of sorts. There were the usual weapons and parts sellers, but there were also some trinket and jewelry sellers, too. While I had some money saved, I never spent it on frivolous things. Still, I liked to peruse the items.

On one of the tables, a cat figurine caught my eye. It was a decoration my mother had had in her bedroom, a cat with one paw up, beckoning you closer, and the other holding a golden coin. In one of the largest cities on my planet, it had been displayed in businesses and homes as a symbol of good luck. Most, even those not part of that city, had several of the cats decorating their homes.

“That’s a special cat, you know?” the elderly woman whispered. “From my home planet, that was destroyed by the Exostalons. This cat will beckon good luck and fortune to you.”

My eyes widened as I looked up at her. “You’re from the Fourth Realm?”

She looked at me and gasped. “P-P-Princess? We thought you were dead!”

Hushing her, I quickly walked around the table to hug her. Some of my people were alive! “I’m sorry that you don’t have a planet anymore. I’m so sorry we couldn’t save them.”

“Nonsense! You were a child and you lost your parents as well as your home. I’m so happy you’re alive!” She looked behind me at Gage and visibly relaxed. “Oh, good, you found Dragonkin. They’ll keep you safe. Just stay away from those Exos, you hear?”

What did she mean the Dragonkin would keep me safe? Was it just because they were powerful? Did we have an alliance with them I had forgotten about?

“Did we have an alliance with the Dragonkin?” I asked.

She frowned. “Did you not hear from your parents about it? Yes, we have an alliance with them. You should be safe with them.”

Gage interrupted us by setting credits on the table and picked up the cat figurine. “I’d like to buy this for her,” he said.

The woman bowed. “Thank you, sir.”