“What did you tell them through the bond?”
“Nothing yet, only to meet us in the kitchen. I believe it is a delicate matter for Urina and Injari. I do not want them to find out in such a jarring way. Perhaps, it should come from you.”
The familiarity of his rough skin settles me as I grab his hand, filling me with a sense of belonging. Ren is my home. As are his people. With one last squeeze, I run from the nav room and up the stairs, careful to slow before I reach Injari’s door. Knowing she’s probably with Urina, I knock gently, and wait for one of them to answer. The air carries a chill as she opens the door.
“Wh—oh. Aciana, I was not expecting you.”
“Oh, don’t worry about it. I’ve come with news.”
Injari’s eyes, heavy with sleep, widen with my words, and her body carries a rigidness that wasn’t there a second before. “You found them.”
I give her a muted smile. “We did.”
“They are dead?” she asks.
My face slackens in shock before I quickly reel in the expression. “Why would you think that?”
“It was merely a hope. Death is a kinder option. Having to live with the memories of their…of them. It is sickening. A quick death would have been far more peaceful than having to relive what they did to me when I lay my head down every night.”
A chill creeps down my spine at the truth resonating in her words, and the sheer misery shining behind her lilac eyes. She’s been through hell. They all have.
“They’re alive and are scheduled to be sold in less than two Earth days. Rivan is setting our course as we speak. We are going to get them now.”
She nods then turns to study her sister’s face. Urina is still. No tossing and turning or screaming from her dreams. But her face is pulled up into a grimace, and her eyes flutter violently beneath her lids.
She still relives her torture…
“What you did helped. Let her know there is reprieve from the worst of her dreams. She no longer sees her rapist’s laughing face, but the emotions they took, the horror they imbued, still lingers. You must ensure the Acia finds them. They cannot be left to suffer. If the Acia cannot secure them, he must do the honorable thing and sever their minds.”
“I don’t understand…”
Injari steels her gaze, hiding the sorrow slipping through. “Put them out of their misery. It is an act only reserved for those Illusians who would choose to speak against our kind, who delight in betrayal. But it can be used for this, and it must.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
Jayla
Moisture clouds the mirror, but I can’t bring myself to wipe away the steam. Facing myself—and what we’re about to do—it’s too much. I’d rather sit here and stare at the obscurity for a moment longer. A hot shower is magic for sore muscles, but it doesn’t do shit for a fatigued mind.
And I’m exhausted. I’ve felt every single second that has passed since we started toward the auction. I gave up on sleep after hour ten.
So much has happened over the past few weeks, and I’ve witnessed unspeakable horror in the short amount of time I’ve spent with Ren and his people. I’m so thankful for the protections afforded to me growing up, but I also feel a deep sense of guilt. What was the cost? What had to be taken from someone else to give me the childhood I loved so much?
The answer? A lot.
I never knew about the metaverse outside of UCom’s reach. The heavy weight of disappointment and sadness is suffocating. My beliefs—and my entire education—were only a pretty picture hung on the walls for everyone to see, distracting from what was right in front of me. The Universal Community is rotten from the inside out and spreads its decay on everyone deemed Unwelcome.
I’ve always wanted to travel, always wanted to see other worlds, but now it’s different. Death and greed have warped my view, opening my eyes to the actual Universe around me. The Illusian females are beautiful and prolific, and it’s taken everything from them. Their lives, their bodies, even their freedom. I mean seriously, where does it all end?
My fingertips scrape across the mirror, and I look away. I can barely stand to see myself knowing what my race has done. What they continue to do. Opting for my sweats rather than regular clothes, I drag myself into the kitchen, thankful Ren managed to keep his antics away from my coffee dispenser.
Inhaling the warm mist rising off the black gold as it streams into my cup, my nose burns from the heat. There’s something about the way it soothes the back of my throat that always takes the edge off my anxiety. The sounds of arguing rip through my moment of solace as Ren and the other males bicker about the best way to sneak into the auction. My stomach is in knots. I pushed them to move forward, and now they’re rushing to settle on a plan that will work.
What if there isn’t one?
“Be careful leaning against that wall, Ajayla. I question its stability after the Acia’s sparring session.” Amina pads into the kitchen smelling freshly showered. Her eyes are puffy from lack of sleep.
“Did you get any rest after the announcement?” I ask, taking a seat on the floor beside the counter. Most of the chairs are broken or disfigured, and I’m way too lazy to find somewhere else to sit. The warmth is nice but the unforgiving surface digs into my tailbone.
“I was unable to sleep. I grew up alongside Osa and Yin, two of the stolen females from Xen’s group. I am eager to find them.” Her muted smile does nothing to hide her worry, and I resist the urge to tell her everything will be okay. I can’t. Because it isn’t, and it may never be.
“You were close?”
“Yes. We were separated at mating age. I went to the Acia’s group, and they went to Xen’s. It is a great honor to be accepted, and I, of course, was very pleased. But I have missed them.”
The skin of her hand feels soft beneath mine as I cover it. “We’ve found them. We just have to figure out how to get them out safely.”
A loud thwack draws our attention to the navigation bay and the males huddled around some sort of projected map. The station layout maybe?
“They are frustrated, yes?”
“Yes. But we’ll figure it out.” I reach over and gently squeeze her shoulder. “Hey, tell me about Xandria. Did she accept Tor?”
“She did. She will not stop talking about it either. They share company under Naya’s supervision and have found quite a lot in common. I think they will make a good match.”
“I think so too. But the best part of that entire thing was the shitty look on Illaria’s face when she realized Ari wasn’t going to declare interest in her.” I slap my hand over my mouth to stifle a giggle. Drawn his direction by a tingle down our bond, I lock eyes with Ren as he stares at me from where he commands the room. Warmth settles in my chest. He’s calm, his pupils tiny black dots in a sea of pale white, and the fondness in his gaze settles the tension still lingering between us.
“Do you laugh at me, Skara?” he whispers, affection and amusement swirling through our bond.
“I wouldn’t dare,” I tease, trying to keep up the lightened mood. A rush of irritation punches through our connection. “What’s wrong?”
“Ragar wants permission to conduct a full-frontal assault.”
“So, he wants to just barge in and kill everyone?”
“Yes. He is not thinking clearly. He is letting his frustration over the human mechanic cloud his judgement.”
“Can you blame him? We need to get to her, Ren. But barging into the auction isn’t going to accomplish that. Sol wasn’t able to come up with anything better?”
“No. Our contacts offer no knowledge on how to get into the auction, only when and where it is located. We have left our channel open on the off-chance they send additional messages.”
“How far away are we?”
“Not far. I know you desire to tell the human captain. You may do so now if you wish. He will be tapping on the door for food and his daily talk with the green-haired female soon.”
Bryn. I chuckle to myself.
Ren still doesn’t feel comfortable using other females’ first names unless I explicitly give him permission. Even though I’ve told him multiple times I don’t care. Illusian males may be rigid, but they hold a certain softness in the way they treat their mates.
Pretty sure I get away with shit no one else could even dream of.
A small thump calls my attention, and the gray door of the captain’s makeshift room moves. I guess he’s learned he can’t really scream to get his way. Since Ren has allowed him to move about unguarded, he asks to be let out, giving us time to ensure all the children and females have cleared the area. Ren ordered me to stay away but gave in the fifth time I blatantly ignored him. It seems he too has learned something.
I may be tamed by my affection for him, but I will not be controlled without a fight.
Amina climbs to her feet with a sigh, muttering as she heads for the stairs, “When will they realize that human isn’t going to hurt anyone?”
“I’m working on it,” I yell after her and receive a giggle in return. Seriously, by the way Ren and the other males are keeping him separated, you’d think he was a killing machine, not a geriatric vigilante.
Catching a glimpse of white as he steps out, my mouth drops open in surprise. He’s so…clean. His hair is combed and well kempt, facial hair trimmed. It seems that spending time with Bryn has really done something good for him. Her too. She’s backed off Ren and hardly ever follows him around. Sometimes I catch her lurking in the corner, but a good side eye usually sends her on her way. Let’s hope me telling him about the auction doesn’t pull him back ten feet in the wrong direction. Wearing a freshly sanitized pearl snap shirt and jeans, the captain saunters out and stops at the sight of all the destroyed furniture.
“Well, hell. I was wondering what in God’s name was going on in here. Somebody die, or something?”
“No one but the tables and chairs met their demise. Ren and Ragar had a bit of an out-of-control sparring session, if you will,” I say, snorting at the understatement of the century.
“Ah, those two seem to have a lot of anger. Always good to get it out.” He stretches his arms and stops, focusing on Ren and the other males. “That looks intense. Everything all right?”
I lean back slightly to follow his gaze. Ren’s pacing. The other males are huddled together. Ragar is practically on top of Sol, hovering over his shoulder. The tension has quadrupled.
Something else is wrong.
“Here, just sit down and wait for Bryn. There’s no way you’ll be able to sit in the kitchen. You’ll be fine right here.”
“You’re leaving me? Won’t the big guy be mad?”
“Psh. It’ll be fine. Let me go see what’s going on. I’ll be right back.”
Leaving him sitting awkwardly on the couch, I hobble into the kitchen, trying to rub out the cramp in my calf. I need to go through my things and find an electrolyte injection. I haven’t really been eating properly, and goodness knows I don’t sleep for shit.
Treading lightly into the room full of angry, anxious males, I pass the first six rows of chairs and plant myself directly in front of Ren. I sit low in my seat, careful not to obstruct the star map Rivan is working on.
“What now?” I ask Ren, reaching out to grab his arm.
He tenses and stops pacing long enough to acknowledge me. “We have received another message from one of Sol’s contacts.”
“What does it say?” The thick cloud of animosity in the nav bay sparks into chaos. I startle as Rivan sways with the strength of Ren’s silent message, then shoots toward the star map and begins furiously adjusting our projected travel route. Tao and Nexx jerk to attention, looking to Ren, and perhaps worst of all, Ragar stands completely still—his only movements the heavy rise and fall of his chest.
“Ren. Focus.” I snap my fingers in front of his face. “What’s going on?”
“Take your seat. I just called for the others. They moved the auction up. If we do not jump, we will not make it in time.”
“Jump? Wait, you mean manually jack the ultra-drive up, override the max power limit, and hope we don’t explode?” Ren nods. “You’re actually okay with that?” Feeling off kilter, I lean into him. Ren would never agree to something this risky. Unless…
“We have no other choice.”
I swallow the lump that’s formed in my throat and meet his gaze. “Okay. I’ll help—”
“What’s going on? Why do I have to go back to my room? What aren’t you people telling me?”
Ragar has the captain by the arm and is practically dragging him back to his room to strap him into his chair.
“Ease up. He’s capable of walking,” I say, grabbing the captain’s arm to steady him.
“Not fast enough,” Ragar growls.
“Ragar, stop. Let him walk.” He stiffens, releasing his grip one finger at a time.
“Of course, Aciana.”
I purse my lips at the sarcasm in his voice. Turns out Ragar can be a snarky bitch. I didn’t see that coming. If he notices my response, he doesn’t show it—simply turns and stomps back to the nav bay.
The captain grabs my hand roughly, and I yank it away, praying Ren didn’t see.
“Just tell me what’s going on. Please.”
I hesitate to answer. What if he freaks out and loses his shit? Another episode of almost dying by Ren’s hand is the last thing he needs. He’s made so much progress since meeting Bryn. I mean he’s not exactly happy, but he’s also not in the throes of a self-care deficit, either. His skin has color and his clothes fit well. Hell, he even showered. I really don’t want to screw this up.
His bushy eyebrows stitch together in concern. “What aren’t you telling me?”
Ah, crap. I have the most worthless poker face known to man. “We found them. The Illusian females that were stolen... They’re going to be sold at an auction here in not too long, and we’re rushing to get there before it starts.”
All the color drains from his face. “My Jordan…is she there? Are there other girls that are going to be sold?” He steps closer to me, invading my space.
I shove a warped chair between us. “I don’t know. But we’ll find out. Just go get strapped in. I’ll keep you informed.”
A loud growl tears my attention away from the captain back to the nav bay. Shit. Someone else is fighting. Too many cocks in the henhouse.
I jab my finger at him then point toward his room. “Get in there. Now.” As I run toward the nav bay, I glance back to verify the captain went inside the room. Thank goodness he followed instructions.
Whirling around to avoid Naya as she charges in, I refocus just in time to make out Tao’s profile in the blur. Looks like he and Nexx are going at it.
“Move to the kitchen!” Naya commands, stepping out of Tao’s path as he drop-kicks Nexx into the common room. My spine creaks as I jerk back to avoid the Tao-shaped blur barreling past me.
This place is a fucking circus. Anxiety claws at my throat, and my heart beats furiously in my chest. The males are running around, the females are dodging the two fighting males to make their way to secure themselves. Bryn came downstairs and is huddled next to the captain who is not in his room where I told him to go. It’s all too much. Too much noise and stimulation. If they don’t calm down, they’re all going to murder each other, and we’ll never get to the females. For a skilled species hell bent on surviving, they sure seem to handle last minute decisions like complete shit.
The floor feels warm beneath my knees as I sink down, cupping my fingers over my ears. I try to center myself, searching for the part of me that’s always relatively calm, but the sound of something crashing into the wall vibrates my eardrums. Digging in deeper, I squeeze my head between my hands to block out the sound. A sense of relief washes over me as the warmth of my connection to Ren, and whatever’s inside me, mesh together and ease my panic.
Okay, that’s better. Now to deal with all this drama.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Jayla
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Ren’s familiar warmth wraps around me as he places his hand on mine. Breathing out a deep sigh, I open my eyes as he pulls me to my feet and do a double take at the huge change in the room. No fighting. No screaming. Nothing. Just Illusians filing into the nav bay in a semi-organized manner.
“Did I do that?” I ask Ren. Even his pupils have shrunk, and he looks like he’s less likely to combust. The light scruff of his jaw is rough against my hand as he bends to kiss it.
“You did.”
“Am I ever going to figure out how to control this? I never know when I’m doing it. Makes me worry I could hurt someone.”
Closing the space between us, Ren pulls me against his chest. “For me, control came with time. There has never been another female capable of accessing the bond. I can only assume it will be the same for you.”
Well, that’s reassuring.
Ren’s eyes narrow, and the lines of his face tighten. “You must secure yourself. We have not jumped in this ship. We do not know how it will handle the additional speed.”
I look around at all the sullen-faced Illusians already strapped into their chairs. “Has Rivan ever captained a jump before?”
“Yes.” Ren nods, scanning the interior of the nav bay. “But not in this ship, and only when necessary to escape those who gave chase.”
Rivan swivels in his chair, careful not to touch the blinking lever in front of him. My guess is that’s what’s going to boomerang us through space until we stop somewhere near our desired destination. Or crash into another ship. Or explode.
“Acia, we must leave now if we are going to get there in time.”
My legs feel heavy as I sink into my chair and my straps slide into place. Ren yanks on them, testing the strength, and the familiar gesture brings a smile to my face. If I were held against my will, I would pray for a male like him to risk his life to save me.
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