by Isabel Wroth
Aley served Ilaria the choicest bits of fish and chose the most succulent-looking fruits and vegetables, waiting for Satesh to fill his plate before Aley made any moves to feed himself.
Satesh watched them savor every bite of food, taking their time to chew and swallow each morsel that passed their lips.
It churned his stomach to watch, knowing they had learned to take such pleasure in their food because more often than not, they had gone hungry.
If someone asked him to explain his feelings at that moment, Satesh wasn’t sure he could have. He wanted to give Ilaria whatever she needed, whatever she desired and hadn’t dared to ask for.
Satesh kept his thoughts to himself until Ilaria set down her cutlery to pick up the glass of pale-yellow wine for a sip.
“I feel as though you already have a place in mind where you and the others can belong and feel safe. Saraz, perhaps?”
Ilaria’s smile was wistful as her gaze went far away, “I was told by the pride ruler my people and I would be welcome on Saraz, and I do want to speak to my friend, Cassie. But there are thousands of other Matavei, other travelers out there, their bodies still preserved in their pods deep beneath the surface of my homeworld.
“I must find a way to retrieve and revive them. To fulfill my mission to find a new home for my people.
“There will be room for all the slaves you have freed, for any who wish to find a place to belong and to feel safe. And yes, I do have a place in mind, though I have no idea where in the universe it is located.”
“Then how do you know it exists?”
Ilaria’s faraway gaze focused on him, her fey eyes swirling with mysteries and knowledge beyond anything Satesh could comprehend,
“I am not certain how I was able to do it yet, but once I was safely tucked away onboard your shuttle, I fell asleep and without any effort at all I slipped into the Void.
“I shed my physical body and traveled, pulled by some invisible thread to a planet long ago abandoned by its populace.
“I searched the entire world for signs of life, inhabitants, and I found nothing but some random wildlife and empty cities. All but of few of them are in total disrepair or reclaimed by the elements.
“I don’t know it’s physical location, but I looked up from a landing platform in the largest city to locate what star clusters I could see, the moons, landmarks, things to hopefully input into a database that might tell us the location of this world.
“My friend, Cassie, she and her mate both cultivate all sorts of information. I know if I brought what I have to her, she is my best chance at fulfilling my promise to my people.
“Sarazen ships and armor are capable of withstanding the radiation of Matav, and I hope that I cultivated enough good will to ask for their help retrieving whoever is left alive.”
Satesh understood perfectly what it meant to have a duty to one’s people, but it infuriated him that Ilaria had yet another person she could rely on, that wasn’t him.
Satesh knew it was irrational, and though he pushed those irrational emotions aside, Satesh was unable to deny they were still there, coloring his decisions.
“My people are nomads, Ilaria. Traders who travel from one galaxy to the other, and I have an entire division of navigators whose sole job is to map out every inch of space we pass through.
“Every star, every nebula, every planet. If we do not have records of the star clusters you saw, then the planet likely does not exist.”
Ilaria tilted her head to the side curiously, studying him for a few silent moments. Her gaze was unwavering, patient, unafraid and relaxed beside her champion.
“I’ve upset you,”
It wasn’t lost on him, the way Aley tensed beside her, preparing to react to whatever Satesh said or did next. It made him pause and take care with his answer, which only seemed to make Aley more nervous.
Separated by the width of the table, Satesh couldn’t reach out the way he wanted to trace the fine edge of Ilaria’s jaw or indulge his desire to learn the texture of her hair.
Satesh led the clan caravan, watched over and governed them, lined up jobs to see them fed and well paid, and he’d had his brothers.
Now and then he took a lover, but in such a small community it was unwise to begin something he had no intention of making permanent, and none of the women on the Mayhem or those in the caravan had enticed him to make such a commitment.
His purpose in life had been to care for his brothers and carry the mantle of Exarch as it had been passed onto him by his father.
His brothers were gone, he had avenged them, and everything had changed. “Perhaps I too am in need of a purpose, and should you turn to your friends on Saraz, I will not have one.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Ilaria~
“It was mostly a desert planet with two large oceans. I saw three moons, and these were the brightest stars I could see from the surface.”
Ilaria reached out to trace her finger through the glittering particles of light on the holo-screen, planting dots in the formation of the constellation she remembered.
She stood on her own two feet on the chilly metal floor of the flight deck, surrounded by a bevy of curious faces.
Aley was behind her, close enough to touch if she reached back, but not so close as to crowd her. Satesh was across from them again, and she wished he hadn’t withdrawn after the evening meal.
His aura had shifted colors so many times in the space of a few moments it had been difficult to read him, but the power of his grief and his feelings of displacement had come across loud and clear.
Ilaria knew Cassie would be glad to see her, but without her abilities Ilaria would have nothing to offer the Sarazen’s as payment for their services. If Satesh was to be believed—and there was nothing in his energy to say he was lying— Sarazen’s were not mercenaries for hire.
To ask would apparently be quite offensive, but with a roguish grin, Satesh informed her his people weren’t nearly so sensitive.
Ilaria was honest with him that she had nothing to give in the way of payment, but Satesh gave a careless roll of his shoulder and informed her he was always looking for a safe place for his people to call home.
According to the Dhjana’s historical records, their original homeworld had been comprised of mostly deserts. Satesh was intrigued, and willing to help.
Aley was not convinced that a planet to call home was all Satesh wanted, maintaining his certainty Satesh wanted her in a very sexual fashion. Ilaria didn’t disagree, as for most of the night the base colors of Satesh’s aura had swirled that rich, sensual red.
She could feel him staring at her now, and after she finished shaping the constellation, their eyes met through the beam of light and his roguish grin made a brief appearance.
“More than enough to get some partial matches,” one of the navigators stated, his fingers flying over the surface of his tablet. “Extrapolating…well, well. This is a surprise,”
A planet suddenly flashed to life on the holo-screen, a narrow window popping up beside it to name the planet and give a run-down of its history.
“It is called Oahir, and you were correct about its lack of inhabitants. It seems a climate shift over two thousand years ago altered the atmosphere and left the natives unable to breathe the air. Too much oxygen and not enough hydrogen.
“The Oahiri couldn’t adapt and left. It’s off the beaten path. Outside major trade routes and territory lines. No one seems to have any claim to the land.”
Hope was a breathless entity thrumming in her chest. At her request, the navigator calculated how far away Oahir was from Matav. It was a fair distance. A month’s worth of travel each way even at the Mayhem’s top speed. Ilaria learned the Mayhem was a decommissioned Sarazen warship, which is why the interior design of it seemed so familiar.
It put her at ease to know Satesh and his people had a good enough of a relationship with the Sarazen’s, the fierce warriors would trade one of their warships with the Dhjana.
It also delighted her, because the metal covering the Mayhem was made up of Sarazen ore and would be impervious to the radiation saturating Matav. As was the armor the Dhjana wore, fashioned after the Sarazen style.
The stasis pods located deep beneath the ground could be retrieved, and no one would be in danger of radiation poisoning.
“We are at somewhat of a crossroad,” the navigator told them, the holo-screen twisting to change the image. The beige orb that was Oahir was replaced with a star map, showing the current location of the Mayhem and the other ships in the caravan still in orbit above Myst, and two red dots representing Matav and Oahir.
“We are closer to Matav, but only by a few days, and we received a message from Muahiri Vialara. She needs another one of her daughters escorted to meet her betrothed on Loerus.”
The navigator lifted his brows meaningfully at Satesh, who grunted in acknowledgment as he studied the map in front of him.
“Where do your priorities lie, Ilaria? Securing Oahir, or retrieving your people?”
She had no idea if any other scavengers knew where the primary stasis chamber was, or how many of her people were still out there traveling, waiting for their Awakening, or how many had been stolen like she was and were suffering enslavement.
Retrieving whatever remained of the Matavei was of the utmost importance. Jalu had made that very clear upon her Awakening.
“I need to know how many of my people are still alive.”
Satesh nodded, reaching up to rub his jaw thoughtfully. “Hipra is on our way to Matav, Zorin. Muahiri’s spoiled spawn cost me three ships and twenty-four men last time. If she wants us for the job, triple the price, payment up front in full, and offer her two escort ships.
“If she gives you any lip, triple the price again and remind her what her beloved child did to our people, and how she refused to pay us for the loss of life and ships. If Muahiri agrees to the terms, set a course for Matav and the Chaos and Havoc can peel off to attend her.”
Zorin the navigator gave a sharp nod and moved to a work station not far away.
“Am I correct in assuming you plan to accompany my team to the surface?” Satesh asked Ilaria seriously, his sharp features illuminated by the glow of the holo-screen.
“Yes.” Ilaria could tell by the tense set of his jaw, Satesh didn’t like it. Did he not want her to travel down to the place of her birth? Or was he concerned for her safety? She wasn’t sure, but either way it had been eight hundred years. She was going home. Also, no one would be able to breach the deeper levels where the majority of the stasis pods waited without her assistance.
There were six levels beneath the main lab with enough pods for every man, woman, and child of Matav. The first two levels were reserved for travelers and they would have been the ones to be breached first by intruders. The final four were meant for the populace, those unable to escape via ship, meant to wait until a new home was found and the pods retrieved by authorized personnel. She didn’t share this with Satesh and felt Aley’s approval in her withholding.
~Are you certain you can trust these people—him—to not take advantage of the Matav the way the rest of the galaxy does?
He says finding a planet to call home for his people is enough, but the sale of even one Matavei still sleeping in their pod would give him coin enough for several years. Several pods, for life.
Aley’s concerns were not unfounded, the Dhjana were mercenaries and traders, and Satesh himself had told her several other clans did in fact transport and sell slaves. But not his clan. Ilaria believed him, relying heavily on the colors of his aura to tell her the truth. Satesh couldn’t lie without those colors turning muddy and dark, and aside from the deeper tones of red and orange of his grief, there was nothing in his energy field to suggest he was in any way untrustworthy.
His people respected him, obeyed him, and Ilaria trusted Satesh to be true to his word. Was it foolish of her? Probably. But he was part of her future now, a major piece of the puzzle coming into play, and she felt it in her gut that without his help, without the Dhjana in this caravan, her people were doomed.
~Nothing is certain, Aley, but the Universe has conspired to bring us all together, and all I can do is be vigilant and hope.
Aley squeezed her hand in answer, and Ilaria watched Satesh’s gaze drop to their joined hands, a flash of longing chasing across his expression. There and gone, but strong enough to make her heart surge.
“Then you will need to continue your strength training,” Satesh told her tersely, “Come with me.”
Ilaria~
“What is this?”
Standing at the edge of a long, narrow stretch of water located in the center of an otherwise empty room, Ilaria’s voice echoed to fill the entire chamber. It smelled faintly of salt, and she could feel an electric hum on her skin that was both pleasant and strange.
If his expression of surprise and appreciation was anything to go by, Aley seemed to know exactly what it was. Already a powerful force to be reckoned with, the timbre of Satesh’s voice filled the chamber with a sonorous boom,
“Part of what makes my team of mercenaries so good, is that we train to work in any environment. This is one of six holo-decks dedicated to training. Swimming is one of the best ways to strengthen your body with the lowest impact on your joints and muscles. Can you swim?” Ilaria shook her head, but Aley announced he was quite capable.
“Excellent,” Satesh replied. “If you wish to join the rescue team to retrieve your people, Ilaria, you’ll need to be able to walk unaided. None of my men are scheduled to use the pool at this time.
“There is a changing room just there, and the deck is voice activated. You can program the surrounding area into anything you wish. A forest, an ocean, a starry night sky, a raging river deep beneath the ground. Come and go as you please.”
He made to leave but paused and looked back over his shoulder with his brows knit together.
“I enjoyed your company this evening. If it would please you both, I would like to share our evening meals together from now on.”
Still hand in hand with Aley, Ilaria could feel his surprise, his cautious uncertainty, but she felt no aversion or dislike. She offered Satesh a smile and happily agreed, grateful for the opportunity to learn more about their host. Satesh left with a nod, the gold and black stripes of his outer robe catching the light as it flared dramatically behind him in his wake.
~Well, so far so good. I haven’t detected any deception or malevolence from Satesh or his people thus far.
~Neither have I, but we are still vulnerable. However, that he wishes you to regain your strength is promising. As is this pool. We will begin tomorrow, you’ve had quite the first day back.
Aley’s thoughts turned to seduction, his eyes hot with lust as he lifted her effortlessly and carried her back to their quarters.
The door slid shut behind him, and Aley carefully set her on her feet, waiting a moment for her to find her balance before giving her a silent, questioning look.
Excitement was a constant hum in her blood, and at her nod he undressed her slowly, in no hurry, every inch of skin he bared he kissed, covering her in his adoration.
He moved with her like they were dancing, swaying with her, his scarred, kind hands cradling her cheeks, nibbling, licking, gently biting at her lips until she opened for him.
Their tongues tangled, his tormented groan filling her mouth when Ilaria arched her back, pressing her hips forward to rub back and forth across his groin.
She sensed a fleeting moment of frustration and regret before her thighs hit the bed and he carefully pushed her back, standing over her with his lips swollen and gleaming, her skin seared by the hunger in his eyes.
The regret faded away as he traced his fingertip down the side of her throat, over her pounding pulse, down between her breasts, around each nipple, his grin dark with arousal to watch them pucker in response to the featherlight touch.
“I dreamed of a day when I would
have the freedom to touch you as I pleased, for as long as I pleased.” Ilaria’s breath quickened, her teeth catching at her bottom lip as she shifted restlessly on the blankets, the anticipation growing to unbearable levels. For the first time since Awakening, watching Aley get down on his knees didn’t cause Ilaria’s heart to twist with anything other than eagerness.
He cupped her ankle in one hand, lifting her foot to press a kiss to the arch. His face was so heavily scarred it was difficult to judge his enjoyment with her eyes, but connected via touch, she could feel the ecstatic wash of bliss that filled him with each press of his mouth to her skin.
Ilaria remembered his confession so many months ago, after Salista had split open the skin of his back with one of her many whips, that the only places left on his body to truly experience any sensation at all were the tips of his fingers, the soles of his feet, and his lips.
She was determined to fix that, but thoughts of how eluded her at the open mouthed, hungry kiss Aley touched to the crease where her thigh met her hip, his teeth scraping to grab hold of the silk string holding the scrap of purple material between her legs. His grin was both playful and eager when she rose to her elbows to look down at him in astonishment.
“When I was young, my Warden often liked to take me with him to festivals and parties. I saw all manner of depraved, terrible acts between males and females.
“I learned to look away, to block out the sounds in order to keep them from my nightmares. But one night I saw something so unexpected, so forbidden, it was forever etched in my memories.”
Explosions of pleasure detonated in Ilaria’s belly at each purposeful press of Aley’s lips above and across the line of her undergarment, over to her opposite hip.
“What did you see?”
“One of my master’s gladiators, worshiping a female with his mouth. He kissed every inch of her body,” his tongue left a hot, silky trail along her thigh, his nostrils flaring when she hissed impatiently.