Marked Prince - Michelle M. Pillow Page 0,25

three suns,” Fiora said, closing her eyes. She no longer touched him and gave a slight moan as she pressed her fingers to her temple.

“What do you see?” Salena asked.

“Reels of people’s lives, moving and weaving into each other. There are several threads in Shelter City pulsing with fear of blue radiation. People are worried about it, but then someone named Nadja proves that it’s not harmful in the way they suspect. The Federation releases information about Nadja’s father, who was a leader in the medical mafia, to discredit her. Her research is disregarded in public opinion though it was most likely correct.”

“You’re sure?” Jaxx asked.

Fiora opened her eyes. “I think so. I feel as if I was drifting in a dreamless sleep. It helped. Everything seems a little more organized now, not all twisted and knotted in my brain. Does that name Nadja mean something to you?”

“Princess Nadja is my aunt. She’s a scientist. She came up with an immunization for the yellow, a plant that grows in the forest and causes people to pass out if they breathe in the spores. It wouldn’t surprise me if she discovered the blue radiation doesn’t harm the Cysgodian people like the Federation wants them to believe.”

“Harm?” Fiora shook her head. “No. This doesn’t make sense. Maybe the timelines are still jumbled and too hard for me to decipher. Didn’t the blue sun cure them?”

“When they first arrived. It saved them. Now the Federation insists the cure is also shortening their lives,” Jaxx answered.

“Fiora, what do you see for the people of Shelter City?” Salena asked.

“I…” Fiora trembled as if she didn’t want to answer but was compelled by both her curse and her sister’s gift. “It’s all broken, gaps in the current. Some are scared and don’t want to cause trouble for fear it will be worse. Others want to riot and take down the Federation base. A sect believes shifters are the enemy, and they wish to consume them.” Fiora gagged and clutched her stomach. “Their leader thinks shifter blood will give them strength and long life. They’re furious and immune to reasoning.”

Jaxx stared at Fiora’s face, not liking what Salena’s question was doing to her. He started to reach for her, but Fiora lifted her hand to stop him.

“It’s all right. I want to help,” Fiora said.

“Is the leader named Doyen?” Salena asked. To Jaxx, she said, “Yevgen warned Payton and me about him when we were in the city.”

“Blood. Blood. Blood,” Fiora whispered as if trying to grab onto a thought. “I hear the chanting.” She gagged. “I get the impression that they are going to succeed soon.”

“Is that what causes the explosion?” Jaxx asked.

“I can’t see it,” Fiora said. “I need to be closer to the city to get the rest of the readings and fill in the gaps.”

“You can’t go back there,” Salena denied. “What else do you see?”

“Federation soldiers are angry. Something has been taken, and they have to find it,” Fiora whispered.

“Do you mean you?” Salena asked.

“I don’t know. They’re searching. There’s a woman. They’ll hit her.” A trickle of blood came from Fiora’s nose. “She’s so hungry. They all are. Hungry for food, for freedom, for…”

Fiora gasped. A second trickle came from the other nostril to drip down her chin.

“That’s enough,” Jaxx decided. He wrapped his arms around Fiora and pulled her to him. He made sure to touch her skin. Her face pressed against his chest, and he felt his grip tightening as if his hands were unwilling to let her go. His heartbeat quickened, and he had to focus on keeping his breathing steady. Something about this woman made the dragon simmer to the surface. He had to fight the urge to shift and fly her away to the northern mountains where he could keep her safe.

Fiora made a weak noise against him before sighing with relief. Her body relaxed as the visions released her. Fiora’s words were muffled as her face pressed against his chest. “I’m sorry, it’s—”

“You don’t have to apologize,” Jaxx interrupted, holding her tighter. “You did what you could.”

“He’s right. You need to take it in smaller steps,” Selena agreed. “You’ve said enough.”

He considered the impulse to carry her away for a moment. He had cousins who lived in the mountains. Mirek and his wife had been taking care of orphans since Riona lost their baby. Sure, Fiora wasn’t a child, but they wouldn’t turn her away if he asked. They’d keep her safe and far away