Offered to the Drake (Stand Alone tales Book 3)

  Duped with a spa day, Billa finds out that she is the chosen offering to an ancient being from the stars. The massage wasn’t that good.

  Billa has made her way with menial tasks to get her from world to world. She has learned to defend herself against other crewmen and switches ships when she needs to.

  Her latest ship is unremarkable, but they have a two-day layover, and Billa wants to spend some of her transport money. She has made arrangements at the only hotel in town that would take reservations and had a spa. Spa days are what she lived for.

  Billa runs into an ancient rite and finds herself with a starring role in the festivities. When a drake emerges from a hole in space and tries to take her as his tribute, the offering makes a run for it, with temporary success.

  The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

  Offered to the Drake

  Copyright © 2020 by Viola Grace

  ISBN: 978-1-989892-10-7

  ©Cover art by Angela Waters

  All rights reserved. With the exception of review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the express permission of the publisher.

  Offered to the Drake

  Published by Viola Grace

  Look for me online at violagrace.com, and other eBook sellers.

  Offered to the Drake

  Stand-Alone Tales 3

  By

  Viola Grace

  Chapter One

  Billa rotated the container, got it on the tracks, and sent it down the rollers for the customs crew to catch it. After three hours of unloading, she was nearly done. This was her first time with this crew and her first two-day leave while a new cargo was arranged for loading.

  Every part of Billa’s arms hurt, but she pushed the last ten crates into unload position, and then, she stepped down the ramp to the loadmaster.

  He looked behind her, nodded, and scanned her implant. She saw the update behind her eyes and smiled. “Back in two days?”

  “Back in two days. Loading is harder, Kekx.”

  She nodded. “This isn’t my first run, just my first run with this ship. I have been doing this for four years.”

  He paused. “Huh. Sorry. I am used to just the noobs being willing to push the cargo.”

  Billa nodded. “Understandable. See you in two days.”

  She headed to her quarters and got her bag. While most folk would just leave their personal items on the vessel when they left, she had learned on her first ship that it was not a habit women should get into. It was the same reason that she pushed the cargo; it was a job that kept her in the open and other crewmen away.

  She had booked herself a day at a hotel with a spa and could hardly wait, but she had to run through customs first.

  Billa waited in line at customs and checked her hand unit before looking up. Huh, this world must have a religiously driven government. Men in religious garb were running the scans, and other personnel were standing nearby, looking over their shoulders.

  She shuffled forward in line and had her cargo leave visa ready on her tablet. Not all governments used embedded tech.

  When she was up to the scanner, she set her bag down on the belt, put her tablet on it, and sent it through the side scanner. She got into position, and the sterilizing beam burned off all exterior dirt and bacteria while she remained with her arms crossed loosely above her head. When the priest nodded for her to step toward him, she reached for her bag.

  “Are you of the crew of the Kornali?”

  She nodded. “I am.”

  The priest nodded. “Several of your crewmen have come through already. Are you joining them?”

  “No, I have separate plans.”

  He smiled. “Good. Take this to the customs official, and he will ask a few more questions.”

  Billa nodded and took her bag, tablet, and the slip over to the secondary customs. She was the only one in line, and the priest at the customs gestured for her to walk through to the rear office.

  She sat down across from him, and he checked her reservations.

  “So, Amorbilla Kekx, how long are you staying?”

  “Two days. My ship leaves in two days.”

  He smiled brightly. “Are you aware of the festival tomorrow?”

  “No.”

  “It happens twice a century. The folk gather in the central square tonight and watch for the stellar event. Then, tomorrow, we celebrate another successful dodging of disaster.”

  She frowned. “What is the stellar event?”

  “Oh, you must see it. It is wonderful for lovers. A child conceived under the swirling stars is always lucky.”

  “Well, I don’t have a lover, so I will just have to come back in fifty years for that luck.”

  He chuckled and nodded. “Of course. Apologies for overstepping my bounds. Now, you are going to be staying at the Jalti hotel?”

  She smiled. “Yes. I was attracted to the spa.”

  “Excellent. Well, Miss Amorbilla Kekx, please enjoy your time on Daroe.” He got up and bowed. He and the others were two feet taller than she was, but that was fine. Part of travelling was meeting new and different people.

  Billa nodded and left the office, seeking the exit. In ten minutes, she was in a transport and on her way to the central hub of the city and her delightful splurge of a hotel.

  Billa wished she knew what it was that sent her to the stars. The groping and abuse had been a surprise to her sheltered experiences. But once she had learned how to defend herself, things got better. She learned which jobs to take and which ended up with awkward moments where she had to pull a blade on a co-worker.

  At the hotel, she thanked the driver and exited the transport. The hotel door was opened for her, and she walked in, checking in at the desk. The population of Daroe was generically slim and tall. It made her compact frame seem out of place, but she didn’t really care. She just wanted a hot soak and a massage. Her needs were simple.

  “Ms. Kekx, if you would like us to take your things to your quarters, you are more than welcome to begin your spa day.” The clerk was wearing a graceful gown, and she smiled brightly.

  “Um, sure. Which way?”

  “I will escort you. Please, come with me.”

  Billa had paid to be taken care of, so she followed the willowy woman down the hall, and when she caught the bit of moisture in the air, her head lifted.

  Humidity was a precious commodity in space. She truly missed the scent of trees and the waft of mist off a lake or river.

  “Begin your ablutions with a shower and then proceed through the rooms and the pools. Your clothing and bag will be taken to your room. Ask for anything. Meals or beverages will be brought to you at your request. Welcome to the Jalti.”

  The woman bowed and smiled. “Thank you for choosing us.”

  Billa was so looking forward to the baths that she nodded and went into a cubicle, shoving her clothing out with her foot. The actual water was far better than the sonic cleaning. Despite the beams at the port, there was nothing that she loved more than a hot shower or bath.

  When she was clean, and her hair was a thick, dark cape down her back, she wadded it up into a coil, wringing it out before she tied it in a knot. The robe that the clerk had hung on the outside of the cubicle was dark purple with wide sleeves.

  Billa returned to her clothing and got two of her monofilament blades. They slid into the sheaths installed between
her breasts against her sternum. A tiny pinprick of blood showed where the blades went in, but her skin soon closed over them.

  Armed, more or less, Billa headed to the first of the pools, and she hung up her robe and slid into the water for a soak with a happy sigh.

  The rest of her day and into the evening was spent getting massages, having food delivered, and drinking enough fruit juice to float her eyeballs.

  Her final massage was accompanied by a glass of wine.

  “I don’t usually drink.”

  The masseuse continued to work on her back. “It is traditional. After this, you will be able to go and watch the stellar alignment firsthand. Everyone else has already gotten ahead of you.”

  She grimaced but finished the cup of wine, shuddering at the bitter aftertaste. “No wonder you only do this once every fifty years.”

  The massage continued, and Billa felt relaxed. She tried to stay awake, but it was no use. She was going to miss the party.

  The air was cold, but it was loud. Billa opened her eyes, and she had to squint against bright lights and a wall of sound.

  “What the fuck?” She was standing up, but her wrists were fastened below her hips, causing her to lean up against the wall.

  Her robe had been replaced with a very gauzy gown in dark purple. She leaned back against the stone behind her. She couldn’t get to the blades under her skin, but perhaps she could get her hands out of the cuffs. If they were designed for a larger frame, she had a chance.

  She worked her hands against the metal as the attention of the crowd turned skyward. She glanced up and saw a heavy swirling of darkness between the stars. A line of bright spots lit up, and the darkness tore open, belching out a huge creature that she could barely make out.

  She looked around and worked at her cuffs. She had no interest in being tied to that rock when he got down.

  She got one hand free and quickly held onto the cuff so that at a glance, she wouldn’t look free. Her right hand slightly tore as she got it free, and she gripped the cuff as well.

  Billa was trying to find a place to run to when the creature landed on the edge of the long platform that stretched across the city.

  It paced slowly toward her, and she stared at its royal purple eyes as it approached. There was definitely intelligence in there, but that didn’t help her as it opened its jaws and a long coil of its tongue moved toward her.

  “Nope.” She ducked as the tongue would have touched her, and she sprinted under its belly and whatever was happening above her head. Billa was nearly free when the tail slammed down in front of her.

  The crowd was shouting, apologizing for the unworthy sacrifice and jeers from her crewmates who were calling out that she should just take it.

  Fuckers.

  She faced the tail and refused to turn around. There was a blast of air behind her, and the tail used remarkable dexterity, wrapped around her, and lifted her up so that she was eye to eye with the beast.

  He huffed again, and his tongue extended, trailing down her arm and around her abraded hand. She winced while his tongue examined the skin. His eye lit up red, and the priests went insane.

  There was screaming and hugging and a lot of crying.

  The creature looked at her, and his tongue trailed delicately over her face. When it reached her neck, she felt a pinch, and then, she was headed to the open jaws.

  Aw, fuck.

  Chapter Two

  Billa woke up on a stone platform. She looked over the edge and rolled back to the center. She whistled softly. It was a very long drop.

  She sat up slightly, and there was a thin coating on her skin and the dress that was now slightly translucent with whatever was all over her.

  Her neck ached, and she rubbed it, feeling a small welt that wasn’t there before. That was it. Her spa-day benefits were gone.

  She stared up at stars that weren’t in the right position. “Shit.”

  Her voice echoed in the chamber, and she heard a rumble in the stone that surrounded her. She appeared to be on a slab inside a dome that had had its weatherproofing properties removed.

  She breathed deeply, crawled to the edge, and saw that she was on a shelf. If she could swing her legs, she could get to the support post that suspended the platform. She went back to the center of the platform, did a few push-ups, tied her skirt to one side, so it was out of her way, and she lowered her legs over the edge. It took her several seconds to get her nerve up to drop until her hands were the only thing holding her, but she was able to reach out with her feet and hold on.

  “Fuck. I’m stuck.”

  There was a deep huff from nearby, and she looked around for an option. She tried to pull herself back onto the platform, but her fingers were still oiled with that stuff, and there was no grip.

  She whimpered, and her feet slipped free of the post. A sixty-foot fall to the stone beneath her wasn’t how she had imagined her death. She always thought she was going to fall asleep in the bath and die happily.

  She tried to hold onto the edge, but her hands slipped, and she screamed on the way down. It was a shorter drop than she had expected. She looked over at the purple eye that she had met the previous day, and she clapped her hand over her eyes. “Fuck.”

  The huff happened again. She was slowly lowered to the floor of the cavern and set down carefully. She was rolled onto the hard surface, and she looked at the creature that was up on his hind legs and looking down at her.

  He shuffled back and then lowered his front legs to the ground, looking at her with one purple eye. She frowned. It had turned red the last time she had seen him.

  “Uh. Hello.”

  The huff sounded again. She saw his eye narrow, and she realized he was laughing at her.

  She got to her feet and untied the skirt, smoothing it back into semi-concealing lines.

  “Look, I don’t know why I am here, but I am sure there was some mistake. I mean, creatures like you, dragons, drakes? They want virgins. That ship has sailed.”

  His laughter was unnerving, and his dark purple hide glowed and lightened.

  Billa watched as he changed shape and got into something more familiar and totally alien but fascinating as hell.

  He, and it was definitely a he, was pale, brawny, and his hair was a cape made of dark blood-coloured strands. Dark trousers in boots were all he wore.

  His eyes were the same purple as the beast.

  “Ah, it is hard to remember speech. Thank you for not dying in that fall.” He smiled.

  She stepped back as he approached.

  He frowned. “Isn’t this form less threatening?”

  He was approaching faster than she was backing up, and she soon smacked into the pillar. She swallowed. “Define threatening.”

  He grinned, and she saw the spikes of his canine teeth. They were scaled down but still terrifying.

  She swallowed hard, and she wrinkled her nose. “So, why am I here?”

  He leaned in and inhaled deeply. “You are here so that I will offer them minerals from the asteroid belt near my home.”

  “What?”

  “It has been an arrangement for some time. I get hungry every fifty years, and they gain wealth by offering up one of their own.”

  “I am not one of their own.”

  “No, but according to the information packet that came with you, your captain offered you up for his benefit.”

  She winced and nodded. “That does sound like him.”

  “He was legally allowed to disperse his crew until the moment he landed, so he did. You have been promised to me for weeks.”

  Billa growled and reached for her monofilament blades. They were gone. “Where?”

  “Oh, those blades? It is very clever of you to have them where they cannot be seen. My tongue felt them while we returned home. I removed them.”

  She slumped. “So, do I get eaten now?”

  He lifted her chin with a gentle hand. “Wouldn�
�t you rather discuss the details a bit more? I am enjoying the conversation.”

  She frowned and prodded him. “Just get it over with.”

  He shrugged and pressed his lips to her neck, opening his mouth, and then, she felt the bite.

  Billa’s body exploded in pleasurable fire, and she drooped in his arms. Her legs wouldn’t support her, and her sex was throbbing persistently.

  He withdrew his mouth, licked at her neck, and then, he lifted her. “I would prefer to do this when you are supported. There is a paralytic in my saliva that is acting on your muscle control.”

  She was still shivering from the clasping and throbbing between her thighs. She felt empty, hollow, and she wanted more. Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!

  When she recovered from her body-gasm, she squirmed. “I can walk.”

  “Well, not all the way. I will be jumping part of the way.” He chuckled.

  She didn’t ask him what he meant by jumping.

  The path they were on turned into a tunnel, and from there, the sky and soil were spread out in front of them. Unfortunately for her thoughts of escape, the soil was two hundred feet below. She swallowed.

  “Put your head against my shoulder. This is easier in my other form.”

  She tucked her head against his shoulder, he bent his legs, and if her head hadn’t been pressed to him, she might have snapped her neck.

  He soared through the sky, and she kept her head pressed to him. Their parabolic arc took them across kilometers of either grains or grasses and toward a huge structure of towers that jutted up like a jumbled pipe organ.

  He landed on a walkway and casually sauntered into the nearest wide tube.

  He set her down near the fire in the wide fireplace in the center of the space. “The paralytic will wear off soon.”

  She pushed out of the seat and glared at him. “I wasn’t paralyzed.”

  He scowled. “You collapsed.”