by Stacy Jones
The elevator was filled with her peals of laughter and Tirox’s deep, rumbling chuckles. Just when she thought she had herself under control, she glanced up at Tirox. His devilish smile and mirth-filled eyes set her off again until tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Would the situation have been as funny without the adrenaline pumping through her? Probably not, but she’d been in enough combat situations that she knew to appreciate a moment of levity when it presented itself.
Was she thrilled another woman had just touched Kix’s ass? No. That dark part was definitely pacing its cage and snarling.
Was she going to kill the woman for it, as Kix seemed to fear? Also, no.
That’s not to say she wasn’t tempted to stab Skaa in the thigh, just a little, just to help her wake up, of course. Aria resisted and, instead, swallowed the last of her snickers. Walking around, she cleared her throat to get Skaa’s attention off of Kix’s ass and onto her. When that didn’t work, she bent and gave Skaa’s pointy ear a mostly gentle tug.
Okay, fine, it was more of a yank.
Skaa hissed sharply and slapped a hand over her ear, twisting to throw Aria a look of drunken outrage.
Smirking cooly, she jerked her chin at Kix’s ass and said, “No touchy.”
Skaa opened her mouth then flicked a bleary look at said rump and closed it with a snap without saying anything. Squeezing her eyes shut, she rubbed her forehead and groaned.
“I… I am not sure why I did that. It is an offense worth fighting over to touch another’s Chosen. Regrets, my friend,” she mumbled. “Now, tell your mate to let me down before I lose my stomach on his fine rump.”
Kix didn’t wait for Aria to give him the go-ahead. He dipped his shoulder and squatted until Skaa could half roll, half tumble off of him.
Aria noticed Skaa’s tail reaching out to feel along the wall, she thought in an attempt to find something to latch onto and steady her swaying. When she didn’t find purchase on the smooth, white walls, she squinted her eyes and swept the room around them.
“Where are we? Are we no longer in the fighting lands?”
That question sobered the last of her amusement.
“No. We escaped from the labs underneath the arena,” Aria explained, tipping her head at her men. “We were hiding and overheard Zhrovni telling some guards to take you to the modification suite. I figured you might not appreciate them scrambling your brain, so we freed you.”
Skaa stopped squinting at the cubicle to stare down at her, her eyes beginning to clear as comprehension set in. “I do not understand half your words, but I believe I understand their meaning. You have my gratitude,” she replied somberly. “What are we doing now?”
Aria gave her friend a look of approval, impressed she could change gears that quickly.
“Now, we’re headed to find the dragon—‘no translation’—free him, then take this place over,” Aria announced matter-of-factly.
The tall woman cocked her head to the side and eyed Aria like she thought she must be kidding. “Dra-gone. That is the flying beast in the mountain, yes?”
“That’s him.”
Skaa sighed deeply and shook her head. “Foolish female. You are going to be eaten.”
Aria cut her eyes to her men and smirked, “Maybe. But, not by the dragon. Still, now that you’re awake, there’s no reason for you to take the risk with us.”
At Skaa’s expression of confusion, Aria gave each of the three a grim look and told them about the sense of wrongness she’d had.
“Something’s off. There should’ve been guards swarming everywhere up there. Hell, there’s no way we should’ve made it this far and damn sure not nearly unscathed.” Tirox and Kix both opened their mouths to dispute that, their gazes dropping to her bruised side, but she cut them off before they could speak. “A place this high tech should have some way of monitoring the halls, which doors are opened, and the elevator’s movements.”
“Perhaps they are lax with security. The gladiators are contained at every stage. Zhrovni may not think extensive measures are necessary. Or, perhaps we have just been fortunate,” Kix offered, but she could tell he didn’t really believe that.
“No one’s that lucky, Firefly. Can you find the way out of here?” He looked taken aback, but his nod was firm. “Good.” Turning to Skaa, she drew in a deep breath. “I need to ask you for a favor.”
The shrewd woman narrowed her brilliantly blue eyes and waved her hand as if to say ‘lay it on me.’
“I need you to escape. If something happens and we’re caught, I need someone on the outside to help free us when the opportunity arises, someone I trust. But, that means you’d be out there on your own. You seem like a smart woman, and I know you’re a hell of a fighter, but I get the feeling your world and this one are vastly different. Despite that, you’d need to adapt quickly and stay completely out of sight. Can you do that?”
Skaa stared down at her in complete silence for a long minute. Aria could see the wheels turning behind her eyes as she weighed the logic in Aria’s words against the responsibility she’d assigned herself to watch out for the woman who was ‘small, like youngling.’ Finally, she pursed her black lips and sighed.
“I will do this,” she scowled. Stepping closer, she bent until she was staring directly into Aria’s eyes. “You will not die while I am gone.”
Before she could decide whether to be amused or touched at the stern demand, Skaa took her left hand in one of her lower ones, laid the other over Aria’s heart, put her upper hands on Aria’s shoulders, then bent low to rest their foreheads together.
Touched won.
Relaxing into the odd, sort-of hug, Aria whispered, “I’ll be okay.”
Skaa didn’t respond, other than to let go and whip around to pin Kix and Tirox with a glare. Pointing at them like a mother warning her children to behave, she clipped, “You will keep her safe, or I will have your hide.”
Aria cocked her head, a little taken aback at the threat, before she remembered something that had her chest squeezing.
I think she has a kid. Fuck. No wonder she was so quick to want to protect me. From her size and apparent age, I’m probably close to her kid’s height.
Kix actually looked ever so slightly intimidated and nodded solemnly, making her wonder what his mom was like. That kind of response was generally only seen in men who had powerful, stern mothers.
Tirox, however, appeared almost offended, as though the suggestion that he would do anything less was insulting. Straightening to his full height, the expression on his harsh, red face stony, he responded with a hint of growl coloring his voice, “It is my honor to protect my mate.”
Noticing Skaa appeared equal parts surprised and incensed by his challenge, Aria interjected before they could bow up to each other.
“I guess that means I can’t talk you into escaping with her.”
Everything froze. Even the elevator seemed to come to a standstill at her words.
Chapter 13
Tirox whipped around, his swirling eyes completely still and his mouth falling open in shock as though Aria had just asked him to cut off his arm. Kix made a strangled sound, and his emotions—angry disbelief, instant denial, and… hurt?—pricked at her like bee stings. Even Skaa looked appalled at the suggestion.
The hurt made her feel like an asshole, but she had to try and talk them out of joining her on what felt more and more like a dangerously futile mission.
Before they could voice the thorough chastisement she could sense coming, she raised her hand.
“Listen, I get it, and I’m sorry. If one of you suggested you should continue on by yourself, I’d laugh and call you an idiot. But, I cannot shake off the feeling that this is going to go to shit, and there’s no reason we should all take the chance. If you’re out there, free, you can come back for me.”
Kix and Tirox were shaking their heads before she finished.
Kix pinned her with his stare, the sparkles in his pupils going haywire
and his features shifting into that predatory sharpness she’d seen in the lab.
His voice deceptively calm, he said, “No. We all escape, or we follow you.”
Aria opened her mouth to argue her point again, but he cut her off, slicing his hand sharply through the air between them.
“You will not persuade us. There is no circumstance on any world in this universe in which you could convince us to leave you, Aria.”
The use of her name in such a biting tone almost made her flinch. She didn’t know when she’d become used to them calling her by their various pet names, but she had, and the absence now drove home exactly how much she’d pissed him off with her suggestion. Pursing her lips, she glanced at Tirox to see if he would be more reasonable.
“Do not look to me, my beautiful, foolish female,” he growled lowly, eyes narrowed and angry. “Were you not likely to remove my hands, I would shake sense into you until you realize we could no sooner abandon you than we could rip the hearts from our chests and continue to live without them.”
“You are, indeed, being senseless, my small friend,” Skaa muttered. “If you know this is going to end unfavorably, why are you set on traveling this course?”
Aria opened her mouth, then closed it with a sigh and shut her eyes. Opening them again, she intentionally kept her gaze on Skaa instead of looking at her men.
“I… I have to find him. I have to.”
The words lingered in the air, floating between them like a specter. She felt disloyal as soon as they escaped her mouth, but that didn’t make them less true.
She wanted to offer an explanation, to make them understand, but she didn’t understand it herself. How was she supposed to explain to her men, her mates, this draw she felt to the dragon? She felt like a magnet being pulled toward him, helpless to stop it and equally unable to deny it.
Even more confusing, it was the same pull she felt for Kix and Tirox.
Bracing herself, she finally peered at her men. Incredibly, neither of them looked pissed. She damn sure would’ve if one of them had told her they felt compelled to find another woman. Instead, Tirox was frowning at her, his head tilted slightly. His expression was contemplative, somewhere between thoughtful and reflective, like he was trying to grasp a thought that was staying just out of reach.
Stranger still, Kix no longer appeared angry. A small, knowing smile played at the corners of his mouth, and the look in his eyes was one of understanding.
“If you are compelled to find him, then that is what we will do,” he replied calmly, as if what she’d said make complete sense.
Aria was still blinking at him, trying to process how utterly nonchalant he sounded, when he turned to Skaa.
“I will need to share my knowledge with you in order for you to escape. There is too much to convey verbally.”
The woman appeared leery, but nodded once in acceptance and stood tensely as Kix raised his hands, hovering them over her temples.
Aria pushed her bewilderment aside and focused on them, glancing back and forth between their faces as they stood almost chest to naked chest. She had no idea how telepathy, and his gifts in particular worked, but she knew without question she damn sure didn’t appreciate the obvious intimacy happening between them.
She didn’t realize she was leaning toward them with her jaw clenched until the squeak of teeth on teeth broke the silence. Grumbling silently, she forced herself to relax and rolled her eyes.
Fuck’s sake, get ahold of yourself. You’re leading them into what’s very likely a trap in order to find a dragon man you can’t stop thinking about, and you wanna get pissy that he’s sharing thoughts with another woman—your friend—in order to save her life.
After a couple of seconds, a frown creased the rippled skin between his brows. Strain spread across his handsome features just as a trail of dark blue blood dripped from his nose. Alarmed, Aria jerked forward to pull them apart. She’d cut the fucking directions into Skaa’s arm if need be, but she wasn’t going to let him hurt himself.
Mid-reach for Kix’s arm, Tirox intercepted her and pulled her into his chest. Tipping her head back to scowl up at him, she opened her mouth to tell him off, but the angry words on her lips froze at the gentle head shake he gave her.
“He is well. Worry not, my heart,” he purred, stroking his big hand down her hair before resting it on the small of her back, his thumb rubbing soft circles against her skin.
Her face screwed up into an expression of incredulity. “What the hell are you talking about ‘he’s well?’ He damn sure doesn’t look well! He’s bleeding,” she hissed, wiggling to free herself, but he tightened his grip to keep her against him.
“Be at ease. I have seen this from him when he freed us in the lab. His mind magic is growing, but as with a muscle, he must push himself to strengthen it.”
Some of the worry tightening her stomach relaxed at his explanation, and her racing pulse slowed. She understood pushing yourself to get stronger.
“You’re sure it won’t hurt him?” she asked, staring over her shoulder at Kix.
“I am sure. He knows you will lash him with your sharp tongue should he go too far,” he responded with a chuckle.
“Damn right,” she agreed.
It took a long, nerve-wracking minute before Kix dropped his hands and stumbled back a step. Aria was there in an instant to steady him.
“Are you okay?” she demanded, gazing searchingly up at him, looking for any sign he’d hurt himself.
His skin had lost some of its pearlescent sheen, and the blue glow of his pupils was dimmed, but his nose was no longer bleeding, and he was smiling down at her.
“It was not as difficult that time,” he said instead of answering her question, quiet pride visible on his face even through the tiredness.
“Good,” she sighed then popped him soundly on the shoulder. At his look of stunned surprise, she narrowed her eyes up at him and growled, “You scared me.”
The surprise gave way to tenderness. Lifting a hand, he traced his fingertips down her forehead, over the bridge of her nose, then across her lips before replacing them with his own in a soft, sweet kiss.
His spicy taste was tainted by the tang of blood, but she didn’t care. Raising up on tiptoe, she deepened the kiss, taking a moment to enjoy the feeling of his mouth on hers.
She pulled away with a sigh before either of them lost themselves in the kiss and turned to check on her friend.
“You okay, Skaa? He didn’t scramble your brain, did he? ‘No translation.’”
The woman’s velvety, white face screwed up. “Sskrrambel?” She shook her head. “You have strange words, little female. I am fine and I see the route out of here clearly. I will free myself and wait three sun risings. If you do not find me by then, I shall watch closely for a way back in and save you.”
As she often did when it came to Skaa, Aria was torn between amusement and mild offense at her wording, but her suspicion that Skaa was a mother went a long way in helping her understand the alien woman, so she just smiled softly and nodded.
“Thank you, Skaa. I know the circumstances are shit, but I’m damn glad I met you. You’re a hell of a friend.”
With that, she did something that was normally out of character for her: she closed the distance between them and hugged the tall, naked, four-armed woman, trying to ignore the small breasts pressed against her neck.
Married life is making me soft.
Skaa snorted but returned the hug and agreed, “That is truth. I am an impressive tribe mate.”
Shaking her head, Aria chuckled and pulled back to ask Kix, “How much longer until we reach the dungeon? We’ve been on this thing for a while.”
He nodded. “It took longer than I anticipated to reach this level. We arrived only a moment ago.”
“We’re here? Why hasn’t the door dinged or opened or something?” she wondered, eyeing him in disbelief.
“The door will not open on this level without a code. It will also not l
eave without a different one, I imagine to prevent escape attempts. That will present a problem as only Zhrovni knows the code to make it leave.”
“Of course, he does. Fucking prick. Do you know it?”
He closed his eyes for a moment then nodded but added, “It changes after each use. We will not be able to leave without the new code.”
“Fuck.” Frowning, her gaze went unfocused as she considered their options. “Okay. How close do you need to be to read his mind and get that code?”
“Currently, fairly close. Within thirty to forty rajas. ‘Distance measurement, roughly equal to one and a half feet.’ If my gifts continue to grow, that distance may well increase.”
“Alright. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” Before any of them could point out the unlikelihood of coming across any bridges, she turned to Skaa. “You know the current code to leave?”
At her nod, Aria sucked in a deep breath and drew her gun. Tirox and Kix followed her lead and palmed their own weapons.
They were all watching her, waiting for her cue. Gazing back at them, she hesitated. That was her last chance to change her mind. They could all leave, right then, get out, and come up with a new plan once they were free.
Her men would follow her, whatever she decided, she knew that. She also knew what the safer option was, and, yet, she could not leave him behind any more than she would’ve been able to leave Kix or Tirox.
With a mental sigh, she accepted that she’d made her mind up the moment she looked into his eye and felt the connection between them.
He was so full of rage and despair, but she’d seen the faint, tattered thread of honor he was holding onto so desperately, despite the horrors he’d endured. She knew that thread was unraveling, slipping further and further away with every new pain he endured, with each new atrocity he was forced to commit.
Would he still have any honor, any humanity, left if she abandoned him? Would there be anything left to save when she came back? She didn’t think so.