Aria's Ascension (Taken Book 2)

by Stacy Jones

  Something about the scene had her frowning.

  A feeling suspiciously like jealousy fluttered through her stomach, surprising her enough that she almost dropped the disk in her hand.

  What the fuck? Why the hell am I jealous?

  She turned back to the pile of… whatevers in front of her, but she didn’t actually see them. Her mind was turned inward, picking apart the emotions making her feel suddenly edgy.

  It took a moment, but when she finally pinpointed the cause, she wanted to laugh or knock some damn sense into herself. Maybe both.

  They’d never really paid much attention to each other with the exception of some ribbing and male banter. Sure, they interacted and worked together, but it was only in order to protect her better. Now, they were over there chatting like old friends and she felt… excluded.

  Closing her eyes, she rubbed her fingers between her eyebrows and huffed an exasperated breath.

  They needed to be friends. She didn’t want this to feel like two separate relationships with two different men. She wanted a family. Even without Tirox’s reaction, she knew it wasn’t enough to expect the three of them to be a family, even a weird one, without them having any affection and loyalty for each other.

  Despite the shit going on around them, despite how strange she might’ve found it initially, and despite the immense number of obstacles they needed to overcome, she wanted marriage, kids, a home. With them.

  Both of them.

  If they sensed or saw her being jealous it could very well ruin not only their budding friendship, but prevent that dream from ever coming true.

  Aria drew in a cleansing breath then let it out slowly and looked back at them, but this time she read their body language instead of focusing on her emotions.

  Kix looked to be reassuring her barbarian. His shoulders were ever so slightly hunched, making him appear unthreatening, helpful instead of demanding or confrontational. Tirox appeared thoughtful, but relaxed, his expression contemplative and open as he nodded to whatever Kix was saying.

  Both her men had a dominant streak. They needed to, to keep up with her. Thankfully, they also both had personalities that drove them to handle problems rationally instead of devolving into fits of temper or being overly emotional. That Tirox was second in command of his clan meant he was level-headed and adept at resolving conflict, and Kix mentioned mediating during trade talks back on his homeworld along with running his own business.

  Reasoning that out, and understanding that she could trust them to work this out, eased the remainder of her anxiety.

  Chapter 23

  Fifteen or so minutes later, Aria heard the splash of water and looked over to see both her men headed back to her. Watching them walk side by side, she realized how truly different they appeared.

  Tirox was just plain massive. He stood damn near seven feet tall and was a wall of fearsome looking muscle covered in beautiful, red, tattooed skin. Despite his size, he moved in a way that said he could be more agile and quick-footed than his hugeness would imply.

  Switching her gaze to Kix, she blinked in surprise. She’d never seen them side by side from a distance, but she realized Kix wasn’t actually that much smaller than her barbarian. At six-foot-five, he was only five or so inches shorter than Tirox. Broad shouldered and covered in sharply defined muscles, he looked like a ripped male model, and he moved with a kind of predatory grace that reminded her of a hunting cat.

  “Goddamn, I did good. Oh, I did real good,” she muttered under her breath as she blatantly, unapologetically stared at her two stupidly sexy, naked mates.

  And they’re mine. All mine.

  Clearing her throat when they got closer, she tipped her head back to eye Tirox speculatively.

  He returned her look knowingly and lowered himself to sit across from her on the moss they’d claimed as their bed, setting the bag he’d carried in earlier on top of her pile of goodies. Kix sat as well, making a circle.

  “I am well, my heart. Do not worry. A moment of… ill will for your bright one, but we have spoken. He is wise and skilled with sharing reason.” He cut his eyes to Kix and smirked. “Particularly for one so small and underdeveloped.”

  Aria’s eyes widened, but Kix only chuckled.

  “I grow fond of you as well, Barbarian.”

  Tirox grinned and slapped him on the back. Kix grunted from the impact and gave him slitted eyes, but he was smiling as well.

  “So, we’re good?” she asked, glancing back and forth between them.

  They both nodded and smiled reassuringly before focusing on the mound of stuff.

  Aria blinked at them.

  That’s all? No details?

  She wanted to pry in the worst way, to find out exactly what they’d talked about, but when they still didn’t offer anything further, she forced herself to let it go. Pushing now might undo the accord they’d come to, and as difficult as it was to contain her curiosity, knowing wasn’t worth the possibility of renewing the conflict.

  Tirox turned the bag over, emptying the contents. Inside were a couple dozen packages of food sponges, half again as many water pouches, another healing ring, and three black seashells.

  “Well, at least our resident douchebag doesn’t treat the prisoners down here like complete animals. We’ve got food, water, and a way to get clean.” Picking up the bag, she gave it a shake to see if anything else fell out, but it was empty. “No clothes sprayer. So, we’re still stuck running around buck naked.”

  Both men glanced up at that and gave her a slow, thorough once over before exchanging a look that told her exactly how much they didn’t mind the absence of a clothes sprayer.

  “Mmhm, you like it now, but wait until we have to talk to the other prisoners down here.”

  The expressions on their faces changed from roguish to realization to hostility so quickly, and in almost perfect sync, that she couldn’t help but laugh.

  She kept to herself the possibility that one or more of the prisoners down there may very well have been used in the mating tournaments Zhrovni mentioned. She figured that was better left unsaid until, and unless, it actually came to pass.

  Grumbling under his breath, Kix slid his fingers over the food packages then passed out his picks to, first, her, then Tirox, before selecting his own.

  Aria took a delicate bite of her sponge then hummed in semi-pleasant surprise.

  “Fishy. Definitely a kale taste in there and something buttery like… cashews?”

  While it wasn’t a flavor combination she would’ve picked for herself, it was better than the bloody blueberry taste of the last sponge she’d eaten.

  They ate together in companionable silence and picked through the pile of goodies. Kix was focused on the stick while Tirox examined one of the disks.

  “I believe this might be an energy baton,” Kix mused, his voice low like he was speaking more to himself than them. “As the majority of this level is natural stone, the resonance blaster would very likely destabilize it, should the shooter miss their target. We are directly below the lab level and arena. A collapse down here would unquestionably destroy at least part of both. It would make sense to have a non-lethal weapon to use on the prisoners that is still effective in pacification. One that would not threaten a cave-in.”

  Aria smiled, finding Kix’s nerdiness incredibly sexy.

  Handsome, muscular, smart, and great in bed. It’s like winning the fucking lottery.

  Swallowing her last bite, she dusted her hands off and passed out rings. When Kix went to take his, she held onto it until he met her eyes.

  “Use it. Please.”

  “I feel perfectly healed, aessa.”

  “Mmhm,” she murmured, nodding in agreement. “Do it, anyway.”

  He sighed, but his smile was affectionate as he stood and expanded the ring before setting it on a clear patch of ground and stepping inside. It did its magical hovering thing before rapidly ascending up to his head and dropping back down.

  Kix step
ped back out and returned to his seat.

  “You are appeased, my treasure?”

  She snorted. “Yeah, I’m appeased. You guys finished? We need to reconnoiter. See if we can’t find an exit, track down the dragon, check the main cavern, make sure we don’t have any nearby neighbors.” She paused before adding, “And find the other prisoners.”

  Kix whipped his head up and frowned, but she held out a hand before he could argue.

  “You know as well as I they were only coming to attack us because of the octofly.” She cut him off when he opened his mouth. “And! Unless you can magic me some clothes, there’s nothing to be done about the nudity. I don’t like it any more than you do, but they might have information we need: knowledge about Zhrovni, about the world outside the arena, or even how to get out of here.”

  He looked to Tirox for support, but her barbarian only shrugged. “You know she speaks truth. We cannot remain here in seclusion waiting for freedom to find us. We must seek it out.”

  Kix finally sighed and nodded, albeit unenthusiastically.

  As they all stood and began strapping on their various weapons, she heard Tirox rumble, “Our little beauty is skilled with persuasion when she wants to be. We might well find allies. And if we don’t, it is always better to know our enemies. Besides, you can use your mind magic to see their true spirits and judge whether they hold any honor. Caution though, brother. Be sure to learn their im’er before you judge. We have ample troubles at present without provoking the gods’ wrath.”

  Peeking over, she saw that Kix looked bolstered by the idea of reading their minds. It was a good idea, and she was glad Tirox thought of it and yet…

  Let’s just hope none of the people down here can tell when their minds are being read and take offense to it.

  Chapter 24

  With Kix’s bioluminescence to light the way, they checked all the nearby tunnels and caves to ensure no one was dwelling close to their own before heading back to the main cavern.

  When they arrived, they found the lights in the constructed section still on, and the bodies were right where they’d left them. Aria couldn’t decide if that was a good thing or bad.

  If Zhrovni died in the blast, his employees likely abandoned ship to find work elsewhere, assuming things operated here like they did on Earth. If that was the case, there’d be no one to send for body retrieval.

  While she found that possibility more than a little satisfying, it meant there might not be anyone up there to deliver rations and supplies to the dungeon. It also meant the people she wanted to save could’ve been sold off to new arenas.

  Fuck me. Okay, best case scenario: the food is on automated delivery, and there’s a time-consuming process to re-sell and relocate the gladiators.

  Another problem occurred to her when she heard Tirox make a sound of revulsion.

  Glancing up, she saw him wince and rub his nose. Decomposing body stank. A lot. While she may not be able to smell them yet, he definitely could. Hell, the entire cave system would reek in a matter of days.

  She grimaced in sympathy and reached out to stroke a hand down his arm. “You wanna stay back and keep a lookout?”

  He shook his head but gave her an appreciative smile. “No, though I value your care of my comfort. I am not unaccustomed to the scent of death, and I would not deny you my strength just to ease a small irritation.”

  Nodding, she went back to scanning the cavern for any unexpected visitors.

  “Can you smell anyone over the bodies?”

  “Apologies, no.”

  “That’s alright, babe. Kix, can you sense anyone nearby?”

  Lowering his gun, he tipped his head back and let his eyes fall closed. After a couple seconds, he opened them again and shook his head.

  “No one close. I can feel… I believe five other prisoners down here. Their light is on the edge of my reach. I am not close enough to pick up anything specific.”

  Aria kept her gun in hand, but relaxed her guard a bit and continued forward faster now, making a beeline for the doors. She wanted to try all the ones they hadn’t had time to check when they were there last. The chances of escape being as easy as turning a knob were slim to none, but she had to make sure.

  Closer now, the smell of the dead guards was enough to wrinkle her nose, but she’d been in enough crime scenes that she was used to it. Kix, on the other hand, was obviously struggling.

  She wanted to hurry, for both her mens’ sakes, but they couldn’t afford to miss anything, so she moved methodically, checking each door. When none opened, she tried to kick them down with no success. Tirox tried next, but they withstood even his brute force.

  Sighing, she glanced down at her last remaining throwing star. If she had anyway of knowing what was behind them, she might be tempted to use it to blow one open. As it was, they only knew which doors led to elevators. Unless Kix had a damn near miraculous stroke of luck and managed to connect to Zhrovni’s mind to get the current code, an elevator wouldn’t do them any good.

  “I’m sure it’s entirely too much to hope that they have something as low-tech as a fucking emergency staircase down here,” she grumbled, kicking a door out of frustration.

  Sighing, she rubbed the hilt of one of her throwing knives and turned in a slow circle, searching for… hell, anything at that point.

  She was facing the main cavern when her gaze passed over a shadowed corner. Cocking her head, she frowned and squinted. Something about that area had a memory tickling the back of her mind. It took a moment of staring before it hit her.

  “The octofly… ” she breathed.

  She took off, sprinting for that dark corner.

  “Aessa! What—”

  “I can’t fucking believe I didn’t think of this earlier! The octofly that called the prisoners to us! It came out of a door. I remember hearing the hiss.”

  Her men were a step behind her, Kix already glowing brightly, casting the corner in shifting blue light. Slowing to a stop, she scrutinized every inch of the wall, but didn’t see a door anywhere, not even a small one like a doggie door.

  Unwilling to give up, she veered right and began running her hands over the wall, squatting down to start at the floor then going up on tippy toes to feel as high up as she could reach.

  “Kix, stay there. Red, you start on that side. We’ll meet in the middle.”

  No more than two minutes later, Tirox called out, “Here.”

  Chapter 25

  Rushing to Tirox, Aria looked for the door, but the wall appeared perfectly smooth. She stepped closer and ran her hand over the section he was touching. There, roughly four feet off the floor, she felt a seam.

  “I feel it!” Grinning, she turned to Tirox and kissed him hard. “Damn good job, babe. Kix, come closer, please.”

  With Kix standing so close, she could just barely make out the faintest of lines in the metal. Tracing it with her finger, she found it made a square roughly two feet wide and tall.

  “I think I can wedge a blade in there.”

  Unsheathing one of her throwing knives, she tried to work it into the top and each side before she finally got it wedged in the bottom seam. She hammered on the hilt with her fist and got about an inch of the tip to go in, but no matter how hard she pressed down, the door wouldn’t lever upward.

  “Allow me,” Tirox prodded, gently scooting her out of the way and taking her place.

  Grunting with effort, he strained to push the hilt down, putting all his body weight into it to try and get enough leverage to force the door open. Just as she was beginning to worry the blade would snap, the door gave way with a hiss and rose about an inch.

  “Hold it there!” she demanded.

  She snatched the ax out of the sheath on his back and quickly wedged it into the gap. Tirox and Kix both grabbed the handle. Together, they pried the door the rest of the way open.

  “It wants to close again,” Kix grunted, before she could do more than open her mouth to ask exactly that.

&nbs
p; “Fuck! Okay. Hold it for just a second. I need to see where it leads.”

  Aria crouched and cautiously leaned her head and shoulders inside, careful not to cut herself on the ax blade, only to growl angrily. Of course, it was pitch fucking black in there. She couldn’t see anything.

  Backing out, she turned and eyed her men.

  “I can’t see shit. Red, can you hold that by yourself? I need Kix’s light.”

  He nodded sharply and moved so he was straddling the handle, using both his full body weight and the strength in his arms to keep it open.

  “Hurry. Gods’ tears, this is exceedingly uncomfortable.”

  He looked like a giant trying to ride one of those stick horse toys she’d seen children play with. She had the sudden urge to laugh, but choked it back.

  Kix stuck his arm in with her that time, illuminating a vertical shaft made of perfectly smooth metal ascending upward into darkness. Wiggling until she could draw one of her arms inside, she reached up as high as she could and patted the walls for another seam or a latch of some kind.

  If this was an Indiana Jones movie, I would one hundred percent have spiders and shit crawling all over me.

  There was nothing but smooth walls.

  “Aria,” came Tirox’s strained voice.

  Goddamnit!

  “Kix, get a rock!”

  His arm disappeared, and she heard running footsteps. He was back in less than a second, shoving a rock between the door at the same moment that she backed out. Tirox leapt off the ax handle and yanked it back, letting the door slam down on the head-sized boulder.

  It held, thankfully.

  Both her men looked at her expectantly, but she grimaced and shook her head.

  “I couldn’t see where it led or how far up it went, but it’s possible it leads all the way up to the arena.” Pausing, she braced for their reactions before continuing, “Neither of you would fit. But, I can.”