everyone was safe on Dar’s ship and checking one another for injuries while Bob wandered around his new accommodations.
“What was that shimmering thing?” Lanie breathed out as she looked around the comfortable looking ship. “Where are we now?”
“We’re on my ship,” Dar said as he headed into the cockpit to speak to the pilot. “Get us out of here quick.”
Cin wasted no time using the nanites he’d left in Lanie to disable the chip put inside of her by Jason McMaster. Without that, the Consortium would never be able to find and abduct her again.
Breathing a sigh of relief, Cin gently pushed Lanie into a seat and ran a scan to check her vital signs. He was a little surprised when Dar came back and sat in front of them with an intense look on his face.
“Lanie, I’m Major Dar Vacanow of the League of Aligned Worlds.” Dar saw that his words meant nothing to the poor little human, who was clearly in shock and lucky to be alive and unharmed.
Ignoring Cin’s puzzled look, Dar continued. “Lanie, that red liquid you were drinking is called sand dragon blood.”
“Am I going to die?” Lanie wouldn’t be surprised. That was her kind of luck, even for a dream. “Bob drank it too.”
Dar tried to control his surprise and anger and forced a smile for the warrior female.
“No, Lanie, you’re not going to die. In fact, you,” Dar grimaced at Cin’s cat, “and Bob was gifted by the sand dragons as a warrior of worth.”
Gabe whistled. “Damn, I feel a little less special knowing the stuff gifted a damn housecat.”
Bob hissed at the Gunney, and Cin was trying to figure out where Dar was going with all this. Cindrac was familiar with sand dragon blood, had received its warrior gift himself, and didn’t see why Dar was making a big deal about it.
Adamo and the elves bowed before Lanie, making her laugh in nervousness at the sight of them. “I believe the dragons made a good choice with their gift.”
“She’s a badass!” Tanq agreed.
“When’s the last time you heard of a Consortium kidnap victim killing the whole ship and holding off a moon of raiders? I’d fight beside Lanie anytime!” Linq chuckled.
Dar cursed at how badly he’d handled this. “My problem isn’t with the gift Lanie received from the blood. I agree that Lanie clearly deserved it. My problem is with how the Consortium got hold of it.”
“Holy shit,” Linq spat in anger when he realized what was bothering Dar.
“Oh, my God!” Lanie whispered in horror. “Did I drink real blood?”
Dar wasn’t fast enough to move away when Lanie leaned forward and violently threw up all over his boots and the floor. With a heavy sigh, Dar stood and moved to the back of the ship to get a vacuum bot to clean up the mess.
By the time he was walking back to Lanie, Adamo had removed Dar’s glamour, getting rid of the soiled clothes and boots in the process. Dar nodded his thanks to the elven Prince and saw Lanie’s wide eyes too late.
Seeing the normal-looking man turn into the giant as he walked towards her, Lanie choked on the stomach acid she was hurling up and nearly passed out. Setting the bot on the floor, Dar sat down a row in front of Lanie and Cin and waited for Cin to calm her down.
Everyone else moved closer to the couple as well, waiting for Lanie to settle down so they could hear what she had to say. Something as rare as sand dragon blood in the Consortium possession was a grave concern for all elemental and magical beings.
As a Mascadorian, Dar was worried about how the blood of the ethereal sand dragons of his world were getting into the hands of the Consortium. He wasn’t the least bit worried that the raiders were receiving the gift of the blood. Only a true, honorable warrior could get it.
The power of the sand dragon blood caused anyone deemed undeserving to pass out after a feeling of slight intoxication. A true and worthy warrior received clarity of thought, enhanced senses, and oneness with yourself that calmed your soul and relaxed your body. The effects were permanent and amplified when the warrior was in battle.
The moment Lanie seemed to get herself under control, Dar tried again. “Lanie, can you tell me anything about where you found the – sand dragon liquid?”
Lanie took another sip of the water Gabe had handed her and forced herself not