ALLEGIANCE [3013]
3013: ALLEGIANCE
3013: THE SERIES
Laurie Roma
Table of Contents
Title Page
The 3013 Series
Novellas
DEDICATION
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
EPILOGUE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
For all titles by Laurie Roma, please visit
3013: THE SERIES
The 3013 Series
3013: MATED by Laurie Roma
3013: RENEGADE by Susan Hayes
3013: CLAIMED by Laurie Roma
3013: STOWAWAY by Susan Hayes
3013: SALVATION by Laurie Roma
3013: MENDED by Kali Argent
3013: TARGETED by Susan Hayes
3013: CHAOS by Laurie Roma
3013: ALTERED by Kali Argent
3013: FATED by Susan Hayes
3013: GENESIS by Laurie Roma
3013: REVOLUTION by Kali Argent
3013: PRIMAL by Laurie Roma
3013: OUTLAW by Kali Argent
3013: ALLEGIANCE by Laurie Roma
Novellas
3013: SYNERGY by Laurie Roma
3013: ASYLUM by Kali Argent
3013: SCARRED by Susan Hayes
3013: BROKEN by Kali Argent
3013: EXODUS by Laurie Roma
3013: TRINITY by Kali Argent
3013: ALLEGIANCE
Dragon Warrior Amari Nazira has lived amongst the stars for centuries, traveling the universe and keeping watch over the known galaxies. She has lived her life for the greater good, but her true desire has always been far beyond her reach. Now, taking her destiny into her own hands, she must find the one male who can tame her wild heart.
After losing everything, Regent Roman Newgate dedicated his life to the Alliance. He thought duty was all he needed, but the moment he meets Amari, everything changes. She is like a flame, beautiful and deadly, yet the heat of one touch is all it takes to know she owns his heart. Their love may be fated, but they need to let go of their painful pasts before they can have a future together. However, time might not be on their side.
When a peaceful meeting of the races on the Delta Station is attacked, allegiances will be tested. Can Amari and Roman defeat the enemy before a war begins, or will everything the Alliance stands for be destroyed?
3013: ALLEGIANCE by Laurie Roma
First E-book Publication: May 2018
ISBN: 978-1-942979-09-8
Copyright © 2018 by Laurie Roma
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission, except for the case of brief quotations in reviews and articles. Criminal copyright infringement is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental. It is fiction, so facts and events may not be accurate except to the current world the book takes place in.
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to my wonderful readers...
Thanks for being so patient for this one.
And to the future creator of a better treatment for Graves’ disease.
You would have made my life a whole lot easier these past few months.
PROLOGUE
The world had changed in the year 3013.
Earth rebuilt their civilization after the Alien Wars ravaged the planet and an unknown virus nearly wiped out the entire population, but nothing could ever bring back what once was. A new age of mankind was born, but some of the edicts set forth for humans to survive have become obsolete in the ever-changing universe.
What fate has in store is uncertain, though, one constant is clear. In a cosmos filled with endless possibilities, love is the ultimate prize. Warriors from every species search the stars for love, and they will risk all to fight for those who hold their hearts. But danger is always present when worlds collide. As new challenges arise, all the known races must adapt and learn from their allies. However, not all desire peace, or to live in harmony.
And as a new year dawns, the battle for the future has only begun...
CHAPTER ONE
The nightmare always began the same way...with the screams.
Dragon Warrior Amari Nazira recognized the dream for what it was the moment the voices reached her, but full awareness took another moment to sharpen. When it did, she found herself lost in the past, immersed in a memory she wished long forgotten.
Scorching wind swirled around her like a twisted cloak of force. It slapped coarse sand against her face, causing a sting that annoyed more than injured. The heavy air made it difficult to breathe, and thick, oppressive humidity had a sheen of perpetration coating her skin before she could regulate her temperature.
Using magic, she created a shield around herself, halting the heat and stopping the wind before it could strike again. The barrier could have also been used to block out the terrible sounds of suffering in the distance, but she didn’t bother.
She deserved to hear it all.
Everything on the Ziturri planet glittered and glinted, and the waves of unrelenting heat covered the planet in a shimmering mist. Though night had fallen, twin blue suns reflected off a single moon, turning the otherwise dark rock into a vivid beacon of azure light.
Vast expanses of towering sand dunes gave way to clusters of trees, marking the otherwise barren landscape with signs of life. During past visits, Amari had explored those jungles, trekking through the foliage and swimming in the underground lagoons and rivers. She had climbed the highest of the dunes and discovered a love for the energy and light that emanated from the planet.
Currently, that energy was dark, tainted by the echoes of angry shouts, cries of pain, and the crackle of flames carried to her on the heavy breeze.
When she reached the top of the dune that blocked her view of the city, her stomach clenched with dread. She had seen the chaos and carnage from her vessel as she’d flown to the surface, but the reality of it all was far worse than she’d imagined.
The metropolis of Zazis was the heart of Ziturri, a center of culture and commerce that had thrived in peace...until now. There was an eerie red halo over the city, pulsing as if it were a living, breathing entity. Pyramids of varying sizes stood strong, impeccable feats of engineering and ingenuity, but other structures hadn’t fared as well.
Through the shadows and light, the city of Zazis looked like it was burning to ash.
Amari didn’t waste time launching herself off the top of the dune to clear the distance toward the outer wall that protected the city. Reflex had her bracing for impact, but she landed lightly on the ground, then immediately started running again. She could have chosen to shift, taking dragon form to lay waste to her enemies. Speed and power were essential, but a small bit of sense had prevailed over her anger.
A fire-breathing dragon in the sky wasn’t exactly stealthy, nor would it be easy to explain. Even if she kept herself cloaked, she hadn’t wanted to risk transporting into the city. By the gods, she wished she could have done a great
deal differently, but she couldn’t just ignore all of the rules her race lived by. That was, any more than she already had.
Most Dragon Warriors wouldn’t even consider interfering in a conflict that was not their own. Hellfire, even her mother and fathers had told her not to come. That this was meant to be, and she shouldn’t interfere.
But how could she not?
What was the point of having the power to act if she didn’t use it?
As if she had summoned them with her thoughts, Zorak, Odan, Drago, and Kalani Nazira appeared in front of her, blocking her path.
The anger and worry in her mother and fathers’ expressions had been expected. She had earned it by disobeying them. Ignoring their orders wasn’t something she had done in her twenty-four cycles of life, but she’d had no choice.
She could live with their disappointment, even if it tugged at her heart, but she couldn’t live with what would happen if she did nothing.
Drago shook his head at her, his glowing gold eyes dimmed with sadness. He walked forward, then placed a hand on her shoulder. “You cannot help them, little one. Their fate is their own.”
Amari did something she’d never done before—and stepped away from him so Drago was no longer touching her. As she did, she watched pain flicker in her father’s golden eyes, but she would not bend. She couldn’t risk letting him see what was inside of her.
She knew this conflict wasn’t actually her cause, nor were they her enemy to battle.
But it was her war to wage.
“Fate has nothing to do with this.” She knew it for a lie as soon as she said it. “They will not see me,” she told her family through their blood bond. For some reason, speaking out loud didn’t seem right when a war raged beyond the city wall. “I must go.”
Odan wrapped his arm around Kalani, while Zorak stood with his feet spread apart and his arms folded over his chest. Drago moved back until he stood with them, a united front of censure. Feeling the worry and disapproval coming from her family made it difficult to hold onto her emotions, but Amari knew that it was not the time for all the explanations she needed to give them.
“This is madness! You will stay where you are,” Zorak commanded.
She could feel them trying to probe her mind, just as she knew she was acting out of character, but she couldn’t help it. The terror and fear coming from the city was surrounding her, choking her, until she felt as if she couldn’t breathe.
It was all her fault for not being here sooner. She hadn’t listened to her instincts, hadn’t trusted her own power. The cost for that hesitation was the countless lives that had paid in blood, and the guilt she felt was almost more than she could bear.
“Amari,” Zorak growled in warning.
“Explain yourself.” Odan’s softer tone was no less forceful.
Unwilling to fight them any longer, she gave in, and let them sense a small fraction of what she held inside of her. Let them feel what she had from the first moment she’d been summoned on the waves of energy that reached for her wherever she went. She finally showed them what she really was. Guilt struck at once when her mother flinched at the barrage of her turmoil, but her fathers stoically accepted the onslaught.
Kalani’s glowing eyes shifted from black and gold, growing darker with her pain. “Oh, sweetling, why didn’t you tell us?”
“Aye, we could have helped you, little one,” Odan said softly.
Amari wanted to turn away from their pain, but closed their connection instead, not wanting them to feel what she did a moment longer. “I am beyond help.”
“Sensing energy is a Tarin trait, and combined with our abilities, I am not surprised that you have inherited some form of it. It is a burden and privilege of our heritage, of our blood.” Drago paused, then said, “It is why others of our kind have always feared us.”
“Good. They should fear ever crossing us, but that is not the bloody point of this conversation! How in burning hellfire were you able to keep this from us?” Zorak accused, his tone harsh with concern.
Kalani shot him a scowl before tempering it to a frown. She stepped away from Odan and came forward, gently pulling Amari into her arms. “We love you and want to understand. I cannot feel it anymore, even though I am touching you. We all have natural blocks. However, yours seem exceptionally strong.”
Amari pulled away from her mother. “We can discuss this later. The city is going to fall, then there will be nothing left to save.”
Zorak continued blocking her path. “What exactly are you supposed to do here?”
Impatient, Amari snapped, “For the love of the cosmos, to protect those who need it, or avenge the fallen! I do not know! You may read individuals, but all the energy in the universe does not speak to you as it does me. I do not understand half of it, but when I do, I have to listen.”
Kalani shared a shocked look with her mates. “That is...”
“Impossible? It should be, except it is not. It is not always clear, but I have to do something. I am an anomaly...a dangerous one.”
“We have much to speak of. After.” Odan placed a hand on Zorak’s tense shoulder to stall his brother from arguing. “Amari is here for a reason. We shall see this through. For our daughter, and for the beings that live here.”
Zorak nodded. “Lead the way, little one.” He switched to a private warning just for her. “And when we are finished, you have a great deal of explaining to do.”
Amari didn’t want to think about that, so she silently led them toward the city wall.
Zorak, Odan, and Drago used leather bands to tie back their hair, while Amari and Kalani used magic to braid their long, dark tresses. They were all dressed in black tunics that covered their arms and torsos, with matching pants and boots that allowed them to blend into the night. Not that anyone could see them since they remained invisible as she led them through an opening in the high stone wall around the city that looked like it had been blasted open with some kind of explosive.
They quickly moved through narrow streets, where some of the fire cauldrons lining the pathways were kicked over. Red-hot coals scattered over the ground, and some had already found fuel. Several structures were burning as they passed, flames licking everything within reach. Huge clouds of black smoke billowed into the air, creating a dark cloud that blocked the stars and moonlight from view.
One of her fathers doused the fire, but the damage was already done.
Bodies lay on the path, blood seeping into the sand below, but there was nothing they could do for the dead. That would be for later, after they had done what they came to do.
When they arrived at the dwelling she’d sought, Amari abruptly halted, drawing in a shuddering breath that she didn’t bother to hide. Inside the open doorway, she saw the body sprawled out on the floor. With his head turned to the side, she could see the face of the male who had lived there with his family.
The family Amari had frequently watched during her time on the planet...and had come to care for.
She sensed there weren’t any living souls inside, but she went in anyway. Her mother and fathers didn’t try to stop her, simply following her in, watchful and on alert. Near the hearth was the body of a female covering the frame of a smaller male. An arrow had pierced through her back, embedded so deeply that the two bodies were connected by the thin piece of wood. Her pale-blue dress was stained with splotches of red, but her arms still covered her son...shielding him, even in death.
Kalani let out a gasp of horror, and Zorak pulled her to his side as Drago took her other hand. Amari tried to step forward, but Odan wrapped an arm around her shoulders, holding her in place. She knew he wanted to comfort her, yet, she also felt the fury surging through him that matched her own.
“The female knew I was here,” Amari admitted quietly as she continued to stare at the bodies on the floor. “She never saw me, but...there is an area on the roof where I liked to sit and watch the streets while I listened to them. One evening, I found a bench in that spot. The fe
male began leaving sweets, and when it was cold, they left a small fire cauldron burning out there for me. The little male liked to build structures out of sand and water, and he often collected flowers for his mother before their meal at twilight.”
Amari glanced up with tears in her eyes, knowing that she could show that weakness to her family. “I just wanted to see what life was like here on this world. This couple...her male loved her like you love mother. He sang to her with words of love, even though his friends made jests.” She looked at her mother. “And she loved him, as you love them.”
“They are at peace now,” Kalani said softly.
“They deserved better than this,” Amari spat out bitterly as she stormed across the room. “They were good people. Quiet, with no violence in their hearts. This family was full of life and love. I could have saved them if I had just—”
“You could not stay here, little one,” Zorak said quietly. “What happened to them is a tragedy, but this is not your place.”
“Their forms are cold. This happened days ago. It probably took them that long to breach the outer wall,” Odan mentioned.
Knowing that she had been too late to save them didn’t help.
“Who did this?” All the fury Drago felt was in those few words.
“I do not know. The leader in this city is a good male, or he was when I was here a few years ago. There was some discord in other areas, but they had not attacked other territories before this. If they—” Amari broke off as she looked around. Fury made her voice quiver as she growled, “They have two daughters. One was mated, but the other lived in this home. Whoever did this must be taking the females.”
“Zorak,” Kalani whispered as she leaned into him. “This cannot be happening—”
“We will find them,” Zorak swore. “We were wrong to try to stop you from coming here, Amari. Now, this is our fight, and all who are responsible will pay.”
That was a promise they would all keep.