Burn With Me (Legend of the Sun Whisperers) (12 page)

Maddelyn shook her head, still stunned by Draco
’s revelation. “But I’m not telepathic, so this doesn’t make any sense.”

Draco gave a heavy sigh.
“So I assumed. Many things have not been making much sense lately.”

No kidding
. “You could hear my thoughts the whole time? Could you hear Serra, too?”  Saying her niece’s name out loud caused a twinge of pain in her chest, but Maddelyn gritted her teeth and pushed it away, focused on getting answers to her questions.

Draco tugged Maddelyn over to him.
“At first, I could only sense a slight buzzing invading my thoughts, indicating the presence of another mind. Then I’d catch flashes of emotion from you. Now phrases come through. The longer we are together, the stronger the connection gets. And it never happened with Serra.”

Maddelyn swallowed, her mouth dry suddenly. She would have liked to have known what was really going on inside that stubborn head of blond curls. If Serra was aware of how absolutely much Maddelyn loved her. Guilt washed over her in a suffocating wave.

Draco leaned forward and planted a light kiss on Maddelyn’s forehead. “Serra knew how much you loved her. Have no doubt.”

Tears burned behind Maddelyn
’s eyes, threatening to fall. She didn’t want to cry. She might never quit if she gave into that grief now. “Stop.”

His amber eyes flashed with concern.
“What is wrong?”

Maddelyn took a deep breath and stood. Perhaps putting some distance between them would help her think more clearly.
“My thoughts are my own. You listening to them is like having a spy in my brain.”

The sheet coiled around Draco landed on the floor as he climbed out of bed. Maddelyn turned her back on him, and he grasped her shoulders.
“It seems I have upset you. I apologize.”

Maddelyn leaned back against him, giving in to the need for his support. His body was so solid, so firm. And she didn
’t think she’d ever get used to how much heat he gave off. Even now, it seared her through her clothes.

Behind her, Draco
’s hands worked through the stands of her hair, undoing her braid completely so the locks fell in waves around her face and past her shoulders. “Besides being angry at me for my telepathic trespassing, are you all right?”

A sigh escaped Maddelyn
’s lips. Draco’s hands massaging through her hair relaxed some of the tension from her body. His question was a poignant one.
Was
she all right? Draco’s admission of being able to hear what she’s thinking was a little unsettling, but their time together
had
been amazing. The wonderful things he had done to her body had filled her with light and warmth, saving what was left of her heart. Perhaps even saving her soul. Without him, the fact is that she would have given up and succumbed to the hopeless despair of losing Serra. She would have waited for death, having forgotten what it meant to allow yourself to live, losing herself to the darkness.

Draco swept her hair aside and leaned to nuzzle her neck. His lips teased her shoulder, then moved to her earlobe, lightly nibbling with his teeth.
“It is you that are amazing to me, Maddelyn. Your fire warms me more than you know.”

Maddelyn spun to face him, her body tingling from his touch. That inner light permeated his gaze again.
“Your eyes are glowing.”

He tilted his head to the side, a slow, sexy grin spreading across his lips.
“Now why do you think that is?”

His large hands cupped her face and pulled her mouth to his, kissing all the thoughts he might hear right out of her brain.
Wow.
The guy’s lips should be illegal. Along with the rest of him.

When he released her mouth, he chuckled softly, his hands snaking around her waist. 
Eavesdropper.
Maddelyn forced a scowl. “Don’t come in unless I invite you! My brain is off limits, buster.”

Draco splayed his hands in front of him defensively.
“I cannot help it, it seems. The longer I am around you, the more clearly I hear you. And when we touch…”

“Aren’
t there some kind of mental earplugs you can use?”

His face screwed up in confusion, his brow creased.
“Mental
what?
”

Maddelyn rolled her eyes.
“Never mind.  Just try not to listen too clearly, ok?”

His hand cupped her backside and pulled her snugly against his growing erection.
“How about you give me something better to concentrate on, then?”

A slow ache between her thighs made itself quite apparent right then, the warmth spreading outward to the tips of her breasts that tightened under the thin cotton of her shirt.

Draco leaned down and traced her lips with his tongue. He sucked her bottom lip into his mouth briefly, then plunged his tongue into the moist recess of her mouth.

Maddelyn whimpered, his talented tongue driving her wild as he ground his pelvis into hers.
One night stand be damned
.

A loud pounding on the door shook the small building, freezing them both into stillness.

“Who could that be?” Draco whispered against her ear.

Maddelyn could only guess. Fear iced her blood.
“Probably Raknorg. I slept through the rationing this morning. They might have noticed Serra’s grave as well.” The fact that they slept through the warning siren was a testament to how exhausted they must have been. She swiftly found a pair of jeans and tugged them on, followed by her boots. Draco hunted for his own clothes and dressed hurriedly.

“Stay out of sight. I’
ll do my best to get rid of him.”

Just as Maddelyn started to pull the curtain across the room, Draco grabbed her hand and kissed it.
“Be careful.”

With a nod, she moved the curtain into place and stepped toward the door, which bowed against the pounding from the other side. Just as she prepared to turn the knob, the wood cracked and the door flew open. Splinters rocketed through the air as the door hung crookedly from one hinge. Maddelyn stumbled backwards as the imposing frame of a Raknorg soldier stomped inside.

“You failed to report to your post today.” The Raknorg’s voice boomed at her, hard and emotionless as his red eyes stared her down.

Maddelyn swallowed against a lump in her throat.
“I’m…I’m sorry. I overslept. It won’t happen again.”

The Raknorg fixed his gaze on the small screen imbedded in the arm of his black armor.  As he pushed buttons, Maddelyn noticed the veins that pulsed in the blue-gray skin of his head. 
“You are to report to the mining facility. It was reported that the child in your care has finally died of the sickness. A position will be assigned.”

Tears stung Maddelyn
’s eyes, threatening to spill out. Someone must have noticed the new grave at the burial site. Hearing the soldier speak about her niece’s passing with little or no concern tore at her mending heart. “I will report tomorrow.  Serra was the last of my family. I need time to grieve.”

The Raknorg tilted his head, studying her.
“You will report now. Grieving is irrelevant.”

He grabbed her arm, the gloved fingers biting into her flesh as he jerked her toward the door. Maddelyn cried out, twisting her arm as she tried to release the Raknorg
’s hold. It was no use. He was too strong.

With a grunt, the Raknorg
’s other hand closed around her throat like a vise and lifted her off the ground like she weighed nothing. Her legs dangled like a ragdoll. “You will obey. You will obey, or you will die.”

Maddelyn tried to pry the Ragnork
’s fingers from around her throat so she could breathe, as she kicked at the air aimlessly. The pressure was cutting off her air supply.
Quickly.

“Let her go.”

Draco’s voice reverberated through the room, startling the Raknorg into releasing his hold on Maddelyn. She fell to the floor with a thud, choking and gasping as she sucked in much needed air.

The Raknorg turned to find Draco standing behind them. Draco
’s eyes blazed with golden fire.  The soldier’s own red eyes narrowed into cold slits. “You
dare
to speak to the Raknorg that way?”

“I
dare
. Now leave her alone.”

Maddelyn rubbed her neck, sure that there would be bruises where the Raknorg
’s fingers had been. Her battered windpipe constricted in a fit of coughing again. Draco glanced at her briefly, the flames in his eyes nearing a blinding level. “You hurt her. Now you will pay.”

A golden glow filled the space, emanating from Draco. He raised his hand, energy crackling and coalescing in the center of his palm. The sun-brand there glowed a deep red. The Raknorg stilled, confusion apparent on his mottled blue-gray brow. The energy swirled in Draco
’s hand, a vortex of fire that formed a tight ball of flame. In a mere second, Draco reared back his hand and threw the fireball, which slammed directly into the center of the Raknorg’s chest. The smell of melting rubber and burnt flesh filled Maddelyn’s nostrils as the Raknorg collapsed in the doorway in a sizzling heap of black armor. Pillars of smoke wafted from the charred hole in his torso that slowly wept black blood.

Maddelyn stood on shaky feet, her back pressed firmly against the wall, her eyes glued to where the Raknorg lay.
Did I really just see that?

Her heart raced as she stumbled over to Draco, the fiery glow in and around him all but gone. His hand cupped the side of her face. His fingers were still hot from the flames that rested there only moments ago. He tilted her head to look at the marks on her neck.
“He hurt you.”

Maddelyn covered his hand with hers, which was trembling.
“It’s all right. I’m all right.” She was doing her best to reassure him, but the trembling was making it difficult.

“The vile creature should have never laid a hand on you.”

Maddelyn glanced over at the Raknorg briefly, wisps of smoke still rising from the body.  “Well, it looks like you made sure he won’t be laying a hand on
anything
, anymore.”

Draco narrowed his eyes and pulled her closely against him.
“I’m sorry you had to see me like that.”

Maddelyn drew back to look up at him, the shaking of her limbs calming down.
“You saved me. Just like you promised.”

Draco bent to kiss her just as a loud claxon screamed through the air. Maddelyn
’s blood pumped through her veins swiftly with the adrenaline rush. “And now, we really have to get out of here.”

With a curt nod of his head, Draco led Maddelyn over to the door. He stepped easily over the dead soldier, then turned and picked up Maddelyn, lifting her over the body as well.
“We can get to CAIT. She will be at full capacity by now.”

Maddelyn started to follow him, then stopped and turned back. She stooped and searched the dead Raknorg
’s uniform. Finding a gun, she quickly shoved it into the waistband of her jeans. Then she pried the computer glove off his armor as well. An idea was starting to form.  And if it worked, she’d need this.

She jogged over to where Draco had stopped, waiting on her. He spied the gun tucked into her jeans and cocked a brow.
“What do you need that for?”

“I find that a gun comes in handy for those of us who can’
t form fireballs of death with our bare hands.”

A smirk of amusement tweaked the corners of his mouth.
“And that?” He pointed to the computer glove in her hand.

“You’
ll see. I’m surprised you don’t know already, Mr. Mindreader.”

He held out his hand and they ran in the direction where CAIT was hidden.
“In case you had not noticed, I was a little busy just then.”

Maddelyn grinned. That
’s nothing compared to what she had in mind.

Draco grimaced.

Chapter Eight

“Absolutely not! What you propose is far too dangerous!” Draco’s eyes flashed with light for a second as his voice echoed through the ship.

Maddelyn crossed her arms over her chest.
“I can’t just stand back and do nothing.  Besides, I have you to protect me, don’t I?”

He took a step toward her and laid his hands gently on her shoulders.
“Maddelyn, I’m powerful, that’s true. And I vowed to protect you at all costs. But deliberately putting yourself in danger is not the answer.”

She stuck out her chin defiantly.
“I’ve stood by and watched while the Raknorg ravaged my world and my family. There has to be something we can do. There has to be something
I
can do.”
Doesn’t he understand that I have nothing left?
 

“You have me, now.”

His voice was meant to calm her, but it only strengthened her resolve. “Then help me,” she pleaded.