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  She'd just have to control herself.

  “Zaine, how extensive are your contacts in the city?” Mia bounced on the balls of her feet, ablaze with a sudden idea. A solution. Also a convenient distraction from what had just happened.

  “Very. Why?” Zaine's disappointment gradually dissipated into curiosity.

  “You don't happen to be friends with anyone who owns a Zeppelin?”

  The dragon hesitated, his blue eyes turning sly. “Now that you mention it... I happen to be in contact with two of the four Zeppelin owners.”

  “Any of them prepared to, uh, rent?”

  The smile spread over his lips until it became wolfish. “Why, yes... maybe one would be willing to part with his vehicle... for a price.”

  Mia echoed his grin.

  Chapter Twelve – Zaine

  One procured airship later, Zaine made his way back to the mansion, where his employees should be arriving. The notion with the airship seemed so obvious, yet he'd honestly not considered it. Sure, people walking in the eastern factories at night might notice an airship hovering at the top of Gorchev's factories... which was why it needed to drift nearby until the time came. Meanwhile, his thoughts kept drifting back to Mia. How could they not? She was possibly the most exciting thing to turn up in his life.

  Dangerously exciting. And in more ways than one. Almost a shame she was so, well... dedicated to her work, her powers. She never seemed to stop. Someone like her probably would never find the time to settle down for love, and pop out the ideal two children that every family wanted—one boy, one girl. Of course, traditional dragon partners had slightly more children, but the broods could only hatch every forty years. Female dragons were exceedingly rare, and could only reproduce seven times in their lifespans.

  At least a female dragon made themselves noticeable during those times. As for female hybrids—they couldn't get pregnant in human form. They preferred sex in human form, though...

  Zaine continued thinking, even as Mia stepped to his side. Always insisting on never leaving him alone. Wouldn't it be nice if she clung to him for other reasons, too, and felt weakness in more ways than one?

  Wouldn't it be nice if she felt that burning lust inside her heart, just like Zaine did with his? More than lust. A need to be with her. Drink in her presence, her words, her eyes...

  It's like an addiction, Zaine thought, in the manner of someone who never intended to give up the habit. An addiction to someone's presence. Two kisses now, and they'd been so close to committing to the full act. If only she'd let him continue, if only he could still feel her coolness pressed against him.

  He was due to visit his family soon, but kept holding it off. Not until this mess got sorted. So that Gorchev didn't ignite a war with his greed, or make it popular for each race to want to enslave the other as punishment. Even now, he still saw propaganda posters stuck to billboards and walls, depicting dragons burning things down and attacking everything humans held dear to them. More of these posters lay in the slums and roughs, but a few opportunists found the time to sneak into the wealthier quarters and stick them up.

  Was there even a right time to inform the public that some dragons could turn into humans? They'd barely stopped with the last of the witch burnings. Let alone inform them to start looking out for their neighbors in case they happened to be a dragon.

  Mia's hand deftly slipped into his, and then she hesitated for a moment, as if hardly believing her own daring. He managed to get one squeeze in before her fingers twitched out of his.

  “I don't do that,” she said. Puzzled. Acting as if her hand had been burned. “Why did I do that?”

  Zaine sensed this wasn't the time for jokes. Somewhere, her soul tried to figure out something it had never received. Zaine tried to imagine growing up without parents, being shunted to the streets and scraping together survival every day, and failed. He didn't know that. His family took good care of their brood. “What are you feeling at this moment?”

  Her eyes darted around. Seeking danger. Seeking an excuse to escape. “Don't know.” A pause. “Like I want to run and stay by your side at the same time. Like I want to kiss you and throw you to the other end of the world.”

  “Could be worse, I suppose.” Zaine gave her a soft smile. “It's not unusual. You're just... opening up a bit. Allowing yourself to feel things you don't normally feel.”

  The iceblood shook her head, expression closing up again. At that moment, a carriage rolled up beside them, and they clambered into it for the short journey back home. Mia wanted to arrange to pick up her staff, wanting backup in case her necklace and rings cracked.

  Maybe he just needed to give her time. Time they might not have, if anything went wrong with the mission tonight.

  Sometimes, Zaine thought irritably, it'd be really nice not to be him for once. They made a stop before home, so Zaine could propose to Harald about temporarily lending his airship. The seventy-year-old man appeared delighted with the concept of his airship being used to screw over Gorchev—he contested Gorchev's operations with his own factories. Easy sell, easy win. Mia practically bubbled with delight, seeing the airship secured. And Zaine suspected it was also because she'd never ridden in one before. Didn't matter she might have powers that allowed her to skate up walls and arc into the sky. She still liked the idea of being suspended in the air without any exertion of her own.

  They trundled back to his dark stone mansion within fifteen minutes, and Mia instantly began prepping herself, wanting to put on the best impression possible. She even went for makeup, insisting that she needed people to take her seriously, and if that meant mascara and long lashes, then so be it. She also spent over two hours in the bathroom, which Zaine suspected might become annoying if they ended up living together permanently. He permitted himself that daydream with a smile. He tried to imagine her in a dress then, one of those expensive, flowing silk ones that looked as if the ocean was attached to a woman's behind. He let that fantasy die, though, because somehow, he didn't think Mia would be seen in one of those, dead or alive. She hated the nightgown he whipped up.

  Shame.

  The iceblood left the bathroom at last, wearing a fine black tunic, tight black pants and tough workboots, with one of the newer clothing designs that existed—a black, hooded sweatshirt. So far, Zaine had only seen it worn on laborers in the colder Western Reaches, and the wealthy considered it a peasant's item, since it combined a coat and sweater into one. Her blonde hair appeared puffed and freshly brushed, and the makeup accentuated her hollow cheeks, thickened her lips.

  He wanted to take her elsewhere, for other reasons. Even with the “peasant” hoodsweater, she looked damn attractive.

  “No,” she said, correctly interpreting his expression. “Not after all the effort I've put into this.” Her hazel eyes twinkled, however, almost inviting him to step closer and burrow into her embrace...

  One convenient knock at the door later, and the hires started coming in. Gorne, Weaver, and Aran, followed by Keyten about an hour later. The four other icebloods. Two from different regions. Keyten from the self-same inn that Zaine had scooped up Mia from. That inn attracted some interesting types, for sure. Gorne came from a little-known place labeled as the Hinterlands on maps. Easily reachable as a dragon, only just being discovered, really, by humans. Zaine had seen them settling there over the past thirty years or so.

  Mia greeted them all, eager to see how “talented” they were with their icy magic. All of them could slick up a wall. Only Gorne knew how to arc through the air without losing all his energy at once, whilst Weaver seemed potent with his ice bolts. Perhaps Mia was right in the way she got perceived, since her deadly makeup, her no-nonsense clothing and her tough manner endeared her to like-minded people. Those who used their magic as a professional career. Though the hoodsweater likely didn't appeal to Keyten, who came from aristocracy.

  It felt strange, watching these five icebloods work together with the intention of helping dragons, when they had a na
tural affinity for killing them. Zaine just made sure to stay out of the way, and greet his two fellow dragons when they came in, and the stoneblood known as Servalan.

  “You're the stoneblood?” Mia instantly bounced up to the magician, grinning at the sight of another woman. “And you worked in the mines?”

  Servalan gave a rather wide smile, before lighting the tip of her cigarette and shifting it to her mouth. “Me in the flesh. Don't need strength when the rock obeys your will.”

  “Not that I think you'd have any trouble,” Mia said, examining the stoneblood's broad shoulders, the stocky body. “Bet you can punch a man to death in one blow.”

  “Maybe, if I used a rock.” She took a long drag of the cigarette, twirling it between her fingers, the forge-red tip trailing smoke. “Do you intend for me to throw rocks at this factory?”

  “Something like that,” Mia said. “I have a different idea in mind for you. Something to do with what I've heard stonebloods are also capable of managing.”

  “Maybe I can help.” Servalan added a little swagger to her movement. “If ya want it, punk.”

  “Later.” Mia smirked at her, before making the rounds with the other magicians and the two hybrids. Obviously she intended to gauge their personalities, decide what roles to give them. Zaine smiled. He was rather fond of Servalan and Keyten himself. Both were the least selfish of his workers. Gorne demanded more money than the others, while Aran never seemed to have any cause or moral compass in him, other than the money Zaine presented to him. Vraan and Artur were good enough clan members, he supposed.

  A little more pacing around, a little more feeling into the personalities of the others, and Mia had sorted out the roles. “Dragon boys be the carriers for the eggs. Icebloods drop down the chimney, and we'll take care of what's inside. As for Servalan... she gets to have some fun outside.”

  The stoneblood gave a wicked grin, dark eyes glinting. Zaine folded his arms, lips pursed at the progression. He really hoped none of them died. Magicians were damn expensive to procure.

  “Trust me,” Mia said softly to Zaine. “I'll make this work. We'll get your dragons safe. Just make sure you have the airship ready. Okay?”

  Without thinking about it, Zaine reached out to brush her hair, smiling fondly. “Yes,” he said. “I trust you.”

  Chapter Thirteen – Mia

  Darkness coated the city. The city never fell silent, though. Some factories stayed active at night, and people drank into the black hours of the morning. Still wearing her hoodsweater, Mia made it to as near to the factory as she dared, with her people ready to commit themselves to action. The memory of Zaine's tender brush of her hair lingered, but she shook it off once she got close to her destination. Nothing should go wrong with the plan, but Mia didn't like being too complacent. She didn't think the other icebloods were as good as her, but they probably thought the same.

  One of the factories was active. Which made Mia grimace. They'd have to expend more power fireproofing themselves when they slid down the chimney.

  Still, she waited in the shadows before finally snapping the order. Zaine better not be watching from nearby like before, she thought, mind with him in the sky, before the two dragon hybrids shifted, allowing the icebloods to clamber onto them. With a great beat of their wings, they headed for the top of the factory.

  On top, they hopped off the dragons and prepared to go down the chimneys. Any moment now, Servalan back on ground would do her part of the plan.

  A low rumble. A judder. Gorchev's nearest coal factory, visible down the street, suddenly tilted onto its side. Smoke continued billowing out of it. A distraction. A seismic fault in the natural rock. Mia grinned to herself. Damn, now she wanted to be a stoneblood. Some of the guards streamed out of the front door of their factory, their small forms heading to trouble.

  “Down.” Heart racing, she snapped the order, and the other four icebloods descended with her as one, through the inky smog of the chute she'd broken the lock on before. The dragons remained on top, seeking any additional dangers. The heat clawed at them, though their iceblood magic protected from damage.

  Not from suffocation, though, Mia thought, sliding down fast, feet impacting the grating. It gave away instantly, and five icebloods shot out through a mound of burning coal, in front of a startled dragon and its taskmaster, who barely had time to bellow a warning before Mia launched at him with an icy flying kick, knocking him out. The green dragon immediately stopped firebreathing, and Mia skidded in front of it. Water bubbled in hidden crevices within the furnace walls.

  “I came back,” she said. “For all of you.” She remembered about the greens, or “trads” hating humans. “We just need to secure the perimeter, then we'll get you out.”

  The green blinked at her with pained blue eyes, not reacting as if it understood or cared.

  “We could let it free,” Gorne said. “I bet it'll want to rampage.”

  “We're not trying to slaughter everyone in the factory,” Mia snapped. “Minimum casualties.”

  “Hmph. Have it your way.” Gorne shrugged, his dark eyes insolent. They slithered through the other three rooms, taking out the taskmaster in each one. So far, so good. The red dragon in the last room recognized her, and a smile spread over its face.

  “Not long now,” Mia assured it, before skating over to the egg furnace room, whilst the other four icebloods secured the perimeter, seeking out any other dragons in the process.

  Mia's limbs shook as she entered the room. Her magic was far higher than before, since she didn't use any to skate up the wall, but this next part...

  Not the fun part. She seized as many eggs as possible, and was soon joined by Keyten, who bundled eggs into a sack as well. They could only scoop up about twenty apiece, and there must be hundreds here.

  Keyten joined Mia in her route back up the chimney, to pass the eggs onto the waiting dragons, who now had pouches tied to their bodies.

  By the third trip with Keyten, she heard the sounds of gunfire and yelling—the other icebloods likely dealing with the finally alert guards. She also heard the crackle of fire, and set her jaw.

  Fucking Gorne. He's let one of them free.

  Nothing to be done now. The disobedience dug at her, even as she scooped yet more eggs up. Zaine would scream at her about public relations or something, but whatever.

  “I'm about half energy,” Keyten said, puffing as he managed twenty-two eggs this time. “But we're denting this.”

  “Need one of the others to help, really...” She locked eye contact with the thinner man, built like a scarecrow, before nodding and slicking over the walls, back up once more to the waiting hybrids on the roof.

  Four more trips. One time avoiding gunfire. At this rate, Mia wouldn't have enough energy to protect the captive dragons on their way out. No one else had ever joined them, and Keyten seemed to be near the end of his strength.

  “Go wait with the dragons on top. Escape with them,” Mia said, wrapping up the trip. “You're no use to anyone dead.”

  Keyten's body trembled as he tried to tip the eggs into one of the waiting sacks tied to the dragons. “You must have... far more energy... than me.”

  “I have a better focus for it,” Mia said, tapping her necklace. “You're using the rings. It wastes more energy.”

  The iceblood aristocrat nodded, though he didn't appear happy with the news. Mia intended to give Helga a massive hug if she got out of this. The gem's quality was marvelous, really. Although the whole mission carried an air of potential disaster to it, Mia felt in her element. She liked danger. An addiction in her veins, a thrill when she outwitted those around her. Especially when they underestimated her. It sent a cruel smile to her lips at times.

  Keyten watched anxiously as Mia skidded down again. By now, the dragons clearly wanted to be freed. But not until all the eggs were secured. It made more sense to save the eggs over the living dragons, as they were far few. About eighty remained on the pile. If only Keyten had more energy... but
no.

  She'd much rather be fighting on the frontlines, but Mia knew how to prioritize. Even with the better focus from the gem, the remaining trips chiseled at her reserves, until by the last batch to collect, she wasn't so sure how much longer she could last.

  But she couldn't leave the others below without guidance. Attaching the eggs at last, Mia patted the dragons. “Go. That's it.” Keyten clambered up on one, and they took off with a sweep of wings, carrying the eggs to safety.

  Then, with a sigh, she dropped down to begin releasing the dragons. The three greens shook their bindings free after help, and seemed to listen when Mia asked them to wait. So they do understand speech.

  The red dragon gave an unmistakeable sigh, and shifted into human form when freed, revealing what looked like a teenage boy.

  “Does Zaine know you?” Mia examined his wounds, beckoning him at the same time to follow her back to where the greens loitered.

  “I'm... I'm one of his brood nephews. He may not know me... there's a lot of us... but I know him.” The teenager licked at his hand, where one wound seemed to bother him. “They have my mother. His sister. They're... they're using her to make the new brood.”

  Oh, dear steaming damnation. Now Mia understood exactly why Zaine wanted the operation done. More than just “helping” the humans. Helping his own family.

  Technically a betrayal, but not one that angered Mia. She understood.

  The greens, who had now smashed their way to be in the same room together, stared at Mia and the teenager with flinty eyes. “It's like this,” Mia said. “We have an airship coming for you, and any others who are trapped. We're going to march through to the entrance, get you on the ship and get you home. There are three icebloods currently clearing the way for you. I myself will escort you, though I may need to find one other dragon...” Mia glanced to the wall, which she knew slid upwards, and moved to it. They had to get the dragons in this way... no sense building a wall afterwards.