by Vi Voxley
She barely noticed herself making her way towards the arenas. Everyone else seemed to be headed there, so the crowd dragged them along. Riley remembered only then that she'd signed her fateds up for a duel.
She considered not going only for a second. The anger was slowly washing away, leaving only sad regret in its wake. It definitely wasn't enough of a reason to throw her relationship to the wind.
Picking Mya up so she could see over the heads of the people around them, Riley headed for the grandest of all the arenas on Octava.
They found seats quite near the edge, giving them a great view. As lesser warriors showed off their skill and strength, Riley tried to calm herself down.
Maybe I overreacted, she told herself. They were trying to do right by me. It was possible I'd wake up from a coma scared and shivering. It's natural for them to be a bit careful.
Taking deep breaths, Riley managed to finally pay attention to what was going on.
"Look," she told Mya, her hands wrapped around her daughter. "Your fathers are there, you see?"
Harbor and Cole had just been announced to the absolute joy of the audience. Riley was beginning to worry a little about Mya's ears when Harbor raised his sword, now a long double-bladed weapon.
Just when Cole and Harbor clashed together under a rain of sparks, Riley heard someone calling her name.
"Riley! Riley!" the voice came closer and it had a familiar ring to it.
Then Ava, Rowan's assistant, almost crashed into them as she pushed through the mass of people. The dark-haired woman caught Riley in a crushing hug, her full, soft body wrapping Riley into a warm embrace as Ava's glee brought a smile to her own face too.
Instantly, the desire to hear some news from Terra returned. It wasn't just anyone, but Ava! The woman had been Rowan's suffering companion since their publishing house began decades ago. She was fiercely loyal, bright and most importantly – able to put up with Rowan, which was a quality most people managed once every quarter of the year.
On the arena, Riley saw her fateds exchange furious blows. She heard the crowd cheer and gasp when they came perilously close to cutting each other's heads off.
She was beginning to regret bringing Mya there, but the girl was clapping excitedly along with the others.
"What are you doing here, Ava?" Riley asked, keeping one eye on the commanders. "I thought you were nailed to Terra. I never took you for the roaming-the-galaxy type."
"I'm not," Ava admitted with a smile wider than her freckled face. "This is more like a vacation, you could say. I'm here on Rowan's behalf to protect his investment in you. And if I score a hot Gargon hunk on the way, all the better for it."
"Investment," Riley repeated as the crowd went wild around them.
She glanced at the arena, seeing Cole dash for Harbor who stumbled away from him, clutching his right side. It looked like he was bleeding.
Cursing in her head, Riley grabbed Mya from the edge of the seat in front of them, ignoring her daughter's protests.
"Time to go, little one," she said. "Your fathers are taking this way too seriously."
"Mommy!" Mya cried. "I want to see!"
"I'll ask them to do a duel just for us when we get home, okay?" Riley asked. "I promise."
Mya considered that, finally nodding.
"Want to get out of here, Ava?" Riley asked. "I didn't think they'd actually draw blood here but of course they would, wouldn't they? Gargons... I thought it was more like a show of skill. Something almost... dance-like more than an actual duel. I am all over the place today, it seems."
"Sure..." Ava drawled, unable to look away from the arena. "I just wanted a glimpse at them. You really did land the best ones. Gods above, they are hotter than a sinner's ass in hell."
"Yeah," Riley said, surprised at the tinge of jealousy in her gut. "Spoken for, though. And it's not all that it's cracked up to be."
That got Ava's attention. There was an odd look in her eyes as she followed Riley, pushing through the crowd until they were safely under the wing of the arena. Somehow, the noise seemed even louder there, making it look like the walls of the gigantic structure were shaking.
"So this is Mya?" Ava asked, smiling. "She is very pretty."
"She is also very smart," Riley said, forgetting the situation for a second and becoming a proud mother.
"I wonder where she gets that from," Ava said with a wink. "You did good, girl."
I did nothing. I barely know her. I'm getting there, though. I want to be there for every first step she takes in her life. After all the ones I missed...
"What are you doing here?" Riley asked again, the tone of her voice saying that this time, she wanted an honest answer.
Ava shrugged, sighing.
"You know Rowan," she said in a suffering voice. "After you came back from the dead, he has been over the moon."
"I'm touched," Riley said. "Why doesn't he tell me this himself? I've been sending him some of my thoughts for feedback... what does he want?"
"Nothing, nothing," Ava said, placating, holding up her hands defensively. "Rowan loves it. He... Gods, I can't repeat it."
"Try," Riley said dryly. "I've dealt with Rowan before."
"Well..." Ava hesitated, playing with the hem of her short black cloak. "He said that in a way, your accident was the best thing for your book. He's absolutely thrilled you're alive and trust me, he would never have sent you here if he thought you were in danger!
“Rowan just thinks that... what happened... gave you a brand new perspective on this whole experience. And now with Mya in the picture? He thinks it will be a magnificent book. I agree."
Riley didn't know what to say.
"I'm glad he sees a silver lining to my suffering. Tell that asshole I will not have my private life plastered all over the galaxy for fun. Especially my daughter. I will not let Mya be exploited for next year's profit margins."
Ava looked taken aback.
"That's not how he sees it," she assured Riley.
"Don't defend him," Riley said as the crowd applauded furiously in the arena.
It appeared as though the duel had ended. She briefly wondered who won.
"I'm not," Ava said a little sharply. "It's what I believe. Come on now, Riley. This is what we do. You just happen to be the story this time. Everything you have sent Rowan is pure gold, I tell you. He even published some teasers already. "The Gargon Bonds: Terran Bride Tells It All" or some such, he–"
"What?" Riley asked very quietly, her attention snapping to Ava.
It was absurd. She was completely certain her heart had stopped in her chest yet she didn't drop dead right there.
A part of her was very tempted. The hand holding Mya's was shaking.
"Oh yes," Ava prattled on like it was great news. "It has received incredible support already although it has been out for just a few days. The story of your transformation, the girl who didn't believe in the bonds, it's beautiful.
“The accident, the way you never met your daughter. The insecurity you felt when you first met her... It's so human. We can't wait for you to finish the book."
Finish the book.
Riley couldn't get a word over her lips for the longest moment.
"Has Rowan completely lost his mind!?" she yelled then so loudly that Mya jumped a little, Riley restraining herself not to slap Ava for the utter bullshit she was saying. "The notes I sent him were not finished work! They were impressions, a diary, private and raw!
“What the hell was he thinking, publishing it without telling me? And the book was never meant to be about me! It was to be a wide, comprehensible picture of the bonds, different tales, different women..."
Riley stopped. She simply ran out of words, and breath. It was staggering to hear Rowan had sold her out like that for money and ratings.
Not surprising, just disappointing.
Her mind was in disarray, trying to remember everything she'd sent Rowan. Her ideas about the bonds and her fateds when she just arrived, partly restored later. First,
diary-like impressions of coming home and trying to make herself a part of Mya's life. The doubts she'd had, paired with her hopes and dreams...
It was all wrong, so very wrong...
And then it hit her.
Harbor and Cole didn't know who she was. She'd never gotten around to telling them. She'd tried earlier that day and been interrupted.
Her heart was filled with bitter regret as Riley realized she should have done it a long while ago. How could they believe her now? That she wanted to preserve the purity of her feelings without their comments for a little while more, that she…
Now Rowan had blown her cover and Riley didn't even want to know what Harbor and Cole were going to say when they heard of the book. She was certain they would. It was a miracle they hadn't already, but possibly the festivities took priority for whoever was responsible for keeping them informed.
Ava was looking at her sadly.
"I thought you would be happy," she said honestly with a hurt expression.
"Happy?" Riley demanded, her heart beating so loudly she thought she could hear her own pulse. "You and Rowan may have just ruined everything! Don't you realize this is my life? How could Rowan be so blatantly ignorant?"
"I get what you're saying," Ava said, making Riley's fingers itch again. "But Rowan owns the rights to whatever you write. He thought it was better like you said – private and raw. No editors, no polish. Just the truth. Like you've always wanted."
Riley stared.
Having her own words thrown back at her kicked her harder than she had thought possible. It was true. As much as she hated Ava at that moment, everything the woman was saying was true.
Rowan did own her material as her employer, especially since the nature of their contract usually had Riley typing half of it to him live through a feed.
As for the truth – it was what she lived for, wasn't it? It was the same thing she'd accused her fateds of. The truth was the most important thing.
It would set her free.
"Leave," she told Ava firmly. "I don't want to see your face again. I want nothing to do with you, or Rowan."
"Riley–" Ava protested.
"Go," Riley said through gritted teeth. "I need to find my fateds now before your mess does. Pray I'm not late."
Ava clearly wanted to say more, but seeing the look on Riley's face, she just nodded and left. Riley was left standing in the shadow of the Central Arena, holding Mya's hand, wondering if she had just broken up her family in one day.
A day that should have been a joyous event for all of them. A day that had started so well.
Later, Riley regretted baiting fate with such a thought. In the next second, right as Gargons and the visiting Terrans began to leave the arena, a siren began to howl. It took a second for Riley to realize why it sounded so familiar.
Eridons.
She gripped Mya's hand tightly, all her priorities and instincts aligning. Her daughter had to be safe, everything else came in at a distant second.
"Mommy," Mya cried, grabbing a hold of her leg.
Even in the midst of all the chaos, Riley was suddenly struck by how similar the situation was. It seemed like a whole eternity ago when she'd watched Mya let go of her hand and run to her fathers. Now Mya was clinging to her and amazing, earth-shattering love filled every inch of Riley's body.
"I'll keep you safe, I promise," she said, lifting Mya into her arms just as Harbor had done.
In the mayhem around them, Riley and Mya disappeared, heading for the safe house where she'd met her fateds a long time ago. As they went, Riley's heart hoped so much it hurt. The commanders had to find them before anything could happen to Mya.
She wanted to be in their arms, safe and happy. Now that all the truths were out, maybe they finally could be.
26
Riley
Her mind was amazingly clear.
Holding Mya in her arms, Riley recalled every lesson she'd ever been given before setting off to some warzone where everything was intent on killing her.
First, she took quick account of the weapons she had, which was one. The gun on her hip, a gift from the commanders. It came with the usual Gargon wish of "We hope you never need to use it". It was a small handgun, capable of shooting tiny bullets with incredible magnitude that pierced almost everything and exploded into million pieces on impact.
It was a terrible, dangerous weapon and Riley had no desire to use it. She would have, of course, without a second's hesitation if any of the raiders even looked at Mya.
They were crouching behind a large building that looked like an old defense tower. Everywhere, people were running around in panic and Gargon warriors were battling the Eridons on every corner.
Riley was actively trying to avoid them, because warriors usually had the tendency to summon enemies out of thin air.
The tactic of hiding and sneaking away in shadows seemed like a much better idea with a small child next to her.
Riley had put her down and – as best as she could – explained to Mya that she needed to be quiet to not draw the attention of the Eridons. She was very proud of her daughter for trying. It had been a while since Riley had been her age.
She couldn't imagine what the chaotic screaming and tall dark shapes moving around looked like to Mya. It was all the more impressive then that Mya was doing her absolute best not to whimper and squeal and followed Riley around like a little shadow, holding on to the hem of her long blue blouse.
Fidgeting with her gun, trying to make sure it was armed, Riley glared at the enemy.
The Eridons truly were hideous creatures. Their long, wiry bodies made them look like overgrown worms straight out of some particularly nasty nightmare.
Riley had never been to their home world, naturally. No one in the Alliance had except for Gargon warriors. They said there were several types of the damn creatures. Some were no more than mindless beasts and the signs of that heritage showed in some of the Eridon soldiers.
They crawled rather than walked, stopping to rest, perched on top of a small statue, scanning the surroundings like vultures.
"Come, Mya," Riley whispered, moving away from them. "Be very silent now, okay? It's all going to be alright. We're going to a nice place where we're safe."
I hope. I never even asked Harbor and Cole whether the safe houses still worked.
For a second, Riley had considered bolting back to the hovership but in their warlord-y glory, Harbor and Cole didn't move around with much of an entourage. They were the perfect shields themselves and now they were gone.
No, the hovership wouldn't help her much. Not to mention that Riley heard terrified screaming coming from that direction.
They edged on in darkness, the gun ready in Riley's grip as she took them by the smallest and tightest of alleyways she could find. She had never been more grateful that Taria was a city with history, some of the signs of the ancient civilization that had begun it all still showing.
Just like the defense tower, some parts of it were positively medieval, in sharp contrast to the high-tech, futuristic buildings they lived in.
Riley wondered where her fateds were and if they had lost their minds yet. She could imagine them searching for Mya and her in the screaming city.
She stopped so suddenly Mya ran into her. Before the child could scream in terror, Riley had grabbed her, pressing her hand down on her mouth to muffle the cry. She pressed her back against the dark wall and tried to breathe, Mya struggling in her arms.
"Hush," Riley whispered. "Hush, little one."
Around the corner, a unit of six Eridon soldiers stood. Away from the general mayhem that ruled Taria, they were slowly and carefully looking for something. At least that was how it looked to Riley when she dared to turn her head and peek at them again.
There were civilians, too, gathered up in one corner. They all seemed to be female, quite young and half of them were Terran. Riley snarled, seeing the way the yellow eyes of the Eridons burned when they looked at them.
Then the Eridon lieutenant said the last thing she'd been expecting to hear.
In a rough, distorted accent, the creature gargled:
"Riley?"
The way his mangled mouth said it, her name sounded like ri-liegh-ly but it was the thought that counted.
The woman shook her head wildly, pointing to herself and saying:
"Morana."
The Eridon snarled something in his own language that Riley didn't speak, but his displeasure was obvious.
As the Eridon lieutenant went on, questioning the other females, Riley waited with her heart thundering in her chest. Were they looking for her? Was it possible they weren't? The coincidence had to be tremendous for that to be true.
Her name didn't sound remotely Gargon and there couldn't have been that many Rileys on Octava. Not to mention they were Magorra's soldiers.
She hadn't given the monstrous Eridon her name, naturally. It seemed that hadn't stopped her nightmare from coming to life. Somehow, Magorra was back for her and he knew who he was looking for.
For a second there, the thought that the enemy was doing it to get to her fateds crossed her mind. Then something else clicked in Riley's furious heart.
They had known. If there was one thing that cursed day was proving to her over and over again, it was that Harbor and Cole knew everything there was to know about their enemies and their intentions. It was impossible they would have missed such an important detail, especially when it concerned her.
So they had willfully neglected to share another piece of vital information with her. This time that a murderous warlord was looking for her and her specifically.
Riley watched on with a deep frown on her face, keeping Mya tucked behind her.
The Eridons were done with the women, it seemed. None of them had turned out to be her, which didn't please the enemies. Their throaty growls pierced the air as they approached the women as one now, their intention clearly more than just asking questions.