by Voxley, Vi
The general could see it clearly and pressed further to capitalize on the rare opportunity it was given. He knew therein lay the danger too. The Host was hungry for a victory, because it wanted to survive, to win. But he had a hunger too, not only for victory for its own sake, but for the glory it would bring him for killing the Host.
The spear was getting slippery in his hands from the blood of the Host, spilling down on him from wounds he'd dealt to the creature every time it came closer. It was snarling and gnashing its teeth at him, but even with two blades against one the hive mind couldn't get the upper hand. Problem was, neither could Ryden.
He knew why the Host had allowed him to come so close to it, and he knew the effect Aria had on him was plain to see. But if the Host had wanted to use the little Terran against him, it had to swallow down bitter disappointment.
Ryden pressed on, never taking his eyes off the form that he thought was the Host. He switched between using the spear to block the knives coming to cut his throat, only to slam its entire weight against the Host in the next second. With each strike that he delivered, the Host was backing away, but it didn't give him an opening for the kill yet.
It was fighting for its life, it knew that, but so was Ryden. It was clear one of them had to slay the other before the war was over. He didn't want to delay it any further.
The hive mind had been right. It was always right; that's what made it such a terrible enemy. Ryden had precious seconds to react when he saw one of the long knives was no longer striking at him. In the next second, he heard a scream that spiked through his entire being, from so close by he had to have been beside Aria.
With a roar, he stabbed a quick thrust with the blade of his spear right into the Host's stomach. The creature had to jump back to avoid being skewered by him and Ryden thought he could hear Aria stumble away.
"Aria," he called. "Aria."
"Yes," a weak answer came from his left, so quiet he almost missed it. "Ryden—"
Hearing his name from her mouth set his blood on fire in a way even the Host didn't during battle. If he'd given the hive mind a moment, if he'd let the Host harm her... no, even the thought of her getting hurt was quickly becoming unbearable.
The world snapped back into focus in one amazing and terrifying moment.
The sight that greeted him was the most horrifying thing he'd ever seen. He had misjudged the Host's location. The creature was towering over Aria, who was clutching a bleeding arm against her, the beautiful blue eyes filled with tears of pain and fear. Ryden hadn't even begun wondering how it was he was suddenly free of the Host's illusions, when the moment hit harder than he'd ever expected.
She was his. His gesha.
There should have been joy, exhilaration, but fates were robbing him of all that. Instead, he had real, honest fear for the first time in his life. It was very much like the realization moments he'd heard about, manifesting only in the most extreme circumstances.
Without hesitation, he charged the creature. The moment all Brion men had when they recognized their fated was pounding through his blood. It felt, like so many had sensed before him, like the coming together of little pieces of him, tied into one by the little Terran. Everything that he had ever been was hers now and she was his, forever. And the forever was threatening to be awfully short.
The moment pushed all of his already tense senses to new heights. That was the reason he could suddenly cast off the Host's mind games and see his enemy clearly again. But with all of that, he was still too far away from where he should have been.
Almost like in slow motion, he saw Aria raise a gun in her defense, shooting clumsily at her attacker. She fell back, but the Host couldn't dodge the bullet. It had to halt its death blow to parry the shot, giving Ryden the precious second he needed.
In the next, he did the most reckless thing he'd ever done and attacked the Host with his bare hands. It was the only thing he could do. He dropped the spear to grab the creature's hands and wrest them away from Aria, matching his bare strength against the Host's.
It looked down upon him, almost a head taller, grinning with its wide mouth through broken, bloody teeth. Dueling with weapons, the Host was outmatched, but without them... he could use his height and bulk to truly fight Ryden.
It wasn't immediately evident how much strength the champions had in their slender bodies, but he wasn't surprised in the least to feel the hive mind push him back. He knew it was a bad idea, but it had also been the only option left to him. It was the only way he could make sure that Aria was okay, and no other options existed.
"I knew it," the Host was wheezing, the glint of pride unmistakable in his eyes. "I knew long before you did."
Ryden didn't doubt that, not for a moment.
"Aria, get away," he ordered, groaning under the Host's assault. "Get away now."
"No, but you—" she protested.
Ryden didn't have the chance to respond, because the Host was bearing down on him. It had the advantage of the angle, pushing the blades down, closer inch by inch to the general's neck. It was practically crouching on top of him now, the Host's eyes gleaming with disbelief, with vile joy.
"I hoped I would be able to hurt you before I died," the Host whispered to him, the deep voice slurring the words. "I wanted to kill your precious gesha before your eyes and then you, but I never expected to do it right in the middle of your moment."
Ryden heard Aria's gasp of surprise and seethed with rage. It was no one else's place to reveal the truth to the gesha but his. Yet he knew Aria's life was more important than that. More important than anything else in the world.
The Host was almost bending him in two now and Ryden knew that if his hands touched the floor beneath him, he'd be dead. The Host would cut his head clean off and then Aria's. What he planned to do was a terrible risk, but it was his only way to get the both of them out of there alive.
The blades inched closer and he heard Aria calling his name. It was impossible to bear the despair in her voice. She had crawled away like he'd told her to, but seeing him in danger, she moved to come back. Ryden couldn't allow that.
He'd dropped the spear when he charged the Host, but a Brion warrior never left their weapon lying there without purpose, or there would have been no use in discarding it. It was there, right in his reach, but he had to let the Host come far enough.
"The victory is mine," the Host hissed at him when the blades touched his throat.
"You lost a long time ago," Ryden replied.
He grabbed the spear from the floor beside him, feeling the comfortable weight of it in his hand. For that he had to let one of the Host's hands go, earning himself a gash on his shoulder, but it didn't do much damage because the Host lost its balance when he released the grip.
The Host only had to slam the other knife through his heart, but Ryden was faster. He jammed the spear into the Clayor champion's side, and heard it roar in pain. The cry echoed from monitors in the room, and it seemed like the world was starting to shake around him.
The Host clambered off of him, limping away. It was snarling like the wounded animal it was, holding the one knife up for its defense. Ryden could have risked trying to kill it, but it would have almost certainly meant both his and Aria's death. Already he felt the ground shake beneath his feet as every Clayor on Ilotra was rushing to their position to protect the Host. They had seconds, at most.
It bothered his pride to leave the Host alive, but judging by the ugly wound in its side, it wouldn't live long. And one look at Aria was enough to know that he had to get her away from there, far away from the dying Host.
He grabbed her hand, pulling her along as the Host watched them go. A few visions appeared before his eyes, but they were as weak as the Host itself. As soon as they were out of the room and rushing away, the mass of the Clayors somewhere above their heads, the visions ceased. The Host was trying to focus on staying alive.
"Is it over?" Aria asked, running to keep up with his strides. "Is the Host dead
?"
"No," Ryden said. "We would know if it was. It's simply looking for another body."
Aria stopped, her eyes wide.
"We should go back, kill it now when we have the chance."
"I will not risk your life for that."
"What are you talking about?" Aria protested. "You have the chance to kill the Host."
Ryden saw the mass of Clayors appearing from the other end of the walkway they were standing in. They noticed him too, but didn't approach. They were rushing to the Host's side. Nothing else mattered, not even the man who'd killed it.
"I will," the general assured her. "But I will not sacrifice you for that."
"Killing the hive mind is your goal," Aria said, confused. "The most important thing."
"And I will, I promise you. But it is not the most important thing for me," Ryden said. "Not anymore."
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Aria
It was what she'd wanted, right? It was what she'd feared as well.
Aria didn't know what to say. What did a woman say in situations like that?
I'm not sure I believe in fairytale love? And Ryden isn't exactly a prince.
Aria found herself desperately wishing that she'd taken more interest in Isolde Fenner, another human woman who had bonded with a Brion warrior. She figured she was the only person who could have understood what she felt right about then.
Shock encompassed most of it quite well. It buried joy and fear and denial neatly underneath it, because a part of her refused to believe it. Living on Ilotra hadn't done her much good, it seemed. Some customs were bound to sound pretty damn unbelievable to humans. Her mind started going through all of the things it meant.
For one, it meant that her life was forever bound to Ryden's and there was no other way that could go. Aria didn't find the idea as repulsive as another girl might have, because she liked the general, but the Brion bindings were sacred. He wasn't asking her to be his; Ryden was telling her. Aria couldn't just accept that without protest.
She was a Terran ambassador, not someone's property. She belonged to no one. Not even this incredibly hot, powerful man standing before her, looking at her like she was the most amazing thing he'd ever seen.
It also meant that one of the most powerful men in the galaxy was hers now. Aria found that concept much more difficult to wrap her head around than the binding thing. While she was struggling with her natural doubts, Ryden had none. He was a Brion. The situation was as clear as day for him.
Aria knew for a fact that in one second she'd become more precious to him than anything else in the world. More than the Conqueror, his position, his victories, even his life. She was the most important thing now, as he'd said.
It was too much. Way, way too much. Aria didn't know how to put that into words.
I wanted to be with you, she thought miserably. I'm not sure I wanted an alien wedding.
The truth was, she'd guessed. The Brions didn't have relationships in the way humans did. They bonded for life and the bond lasted until one of them died. Until death do us part, literally.
"I..." Aria said, trying to force her mind to be one person instead of thousands, all of which were suggesting different things to her. "We should focus on saving Ilotra."
She'd been afraid that Ryden would take that as an insult to his honor, but the slight smile on the general's lips told her he was far from mad.
"Yes," he said, his deep voice rich and gentle. "There will be time after this is done. The binding shouldn't be interrupted."
Aria, who was very familiar with the cultures of the Union's many species, shuddered at that. She knew how the bindings worked. Her body didn't mind at all—merely the memory of Ryden's amazing, strong body against hers was enough to make her wet and willing. She refused to voice that emotion out loud, but judging by the look on Ryden's face, she figured the general knew anyway.
Damn Brions and their stupid powers.
Desperate to avoid the topic until she'd had a moment to clear her head, Aria asked:
"What should I do now, General? The Host destroyed my command center."
Ryden looked at her oddly, with an amused expression.
"I will not have you anywhere near the Host again," he said. "Until I've killed the hive mind, I'm sending you to the Conqueror."
"No," Aria protested, taken aback. "I can't run my devices from there. I'm needed here, on Ilotra. You can't send me away."
"I can," the general said, smiling as if he was doing her a great favor. "You have made sure that the defenses function without you. Now it is best that you are in the safest place possible."
His expression turned very dark, as he added, "I already made the mistake of sending you into danger. I will not repeat that mistake. You are going to the Conqueror."
The tone of his voice left no room for arguing. Aria stubbornly shut up, figuring it wasn't the best time to start a domestic fight about equal rights. In dark silence, she let herself be led to the nearest hangar where a small cargo ship picked her up.
Ryden came to send her on her way. Aria found herself unable to leave without speaking her mind.
"I don't like this," she said, looking him straight in the eye without fear.
It was easier now that she knew that Ryden would never, ever hurt a hair on her head.
"I don't like you sending me away and acting like you can make decisions for me."
A dark look passed behind Ryden's eyes. For a moment, Aria thought he was going to lash out at her, but all he said was, "Ilotra is under martial law. That means I can tell you what to do and where to go. But more importantly, Aria, you saw what happened. The hive mind wants to use you as living bait to get me. I can't let that happen again."
There was a deep emotion under his words and Aria felt bad about hers, but she couldn't back down from that argument entirely. She heard the pain in Ryden's voice. Both the pain of having to part with her, but also the pain of her not understanding his concern. She wanted to assure him it was fine, but Aria couldn't help wondering if that was what her life with Ryden would be like, if there were to be one.
Every time there was danger or a threat to him, he'd send her away, lock her up somewhere safe. He was a Brion general; danger was always bound to follow in his footsteps. The life of a princess in a tower held no romantic allure for Aria.
She turned from him and walked into the cargo ship without looking back.
Being seduced by a warrior lord looked so much more glamorous in movies.
***
The Conqueror wasn't exactly what Aria had expected. Then again, she wasn't entirely sure what she had presumed to see. Images of tall, bulky men who brawled without provocation popped into her mind. That sounded about right, Aria supposed, as she was led through the surprisingly clean and pristine corridors of the warship. She had been expecting some kind of savages.
It worked so well with the general reputation of the Brions, after all. They were a bloodthirsty species, always waging war. Aria had subconsciously expected to see blood and gore, but all she saw was weapons and a capable crew.
You know, an actual warship, her mind provided the commentary cheerfully.
She was honestly amazed by the order she saw, evident in every detail. Even moving was perfectly coordinated, making her look like she had no manners, but she learned quickly. The Brions walked on the right side of the dim corridors to avoid running into each other, but even going through doorways seemed regulated somehow.
Aria watched as much as she could see with her mouth wide open. The Brion warships were legendary for the darkness that enveloped them, because the warriors mostly communicated through their valor squares.
Aria saw them flashing everywhere. There was a war afoot and no crystal was resting idly. She wished she could read them better, but at least the color red seemed to be pretty straightforward. Aria had seen Ryden's squares bathe the rooms in crimson when he was in his battle mindset.
While she was staring at the warriors, t
he Brions were looking at her even more. She wondered exactly how many seconds it took for everyone aboard the Conqueror to know that she was the general's gesha. Aria was willing to bet that it wasn't that many. News like that traveled at light speed, and her being a human only added to the mystery of it all.
She was led deeper into the ship where it was even darker, up to the point where Aria was forced to only move against the wall, finding her way by touching the surface to make sure it was there. The Brion warriors accompanying her, including Joya, noticed and the next second, a light shone from one of their bracelets, illuminating her way.
"Where are you taking me?" Aria asked hesitantly, feeling like a prisoner despite the fact that none of the warriors had even looked at her oddly.
"To the general's quarters," they replied.
Well, of course. Yes. That makes sense.
They came to a stop before huge doors that took some special code to open. Then Aria was led into some of the most extraordinary rooms she'd ever seen and left alone in her new home, at least if Ryden had any say in the matter. He probably did, she thought bitterly.
She looked around in her beautiful cage, wondering if after all she had done for Ilotra, she would have to spend the rest of the war locked in that room. Safe and sound, kept away from all harm, while the others were still down on Ilotra, suffering, fighting, and dying.
Aria didn't mind feeling safe. She'd been craving safety from the moment Sota told her about the Clayors, but her new arrangement bothered her. It was the injustice of it. All of those people down on Ilotra's lower levels, hiding from the enemy, were far from safe. And all that separated her from them was that she happened to be the general's fated.
She shouldn't have let him send her away. Aria wondered if her protests and pleas would have done any good. She honestly doubted it. Ryden wasn't a man who changed his mind a lot and especially not about her.
Figuring she wouldn't be allowed to leave the Conqueror anytime soon and dismissing ideas of a daring escape, Aria set out to explore. She walked through the vast quarters, with every room surprising her more than the last.