by Stacy Jones
Matching expressions of incredulity met her statement. Tirox’s changed to what was either appalled amusement or apoplectic outrage. She couldn’t quite tell which.
He opened and shut his mouth several times before his swirling eyes went completely still and darkened to a shade of gold so deep they were almost brown.
His voice was so low she felt more than heard it when he growled, “Female! If you do not stop trying to go off without us I… I will bind you to a boulder and make you clench until you cannot walk!”
Aria’s brows slowly climbed up her forehead.
Hmm. Definitely not amusement. Good to know.
This wasn’t the time, and she tried. She really tried to hold back, but she couldn’t. She never was one to back down from a challenge. Narrowing her eyes, she smiled provocatively and purred, “I’d like to see you try.”
Before Tirox could take more than a step in her direction, Kix was standing between them. He sent her barbarian a cross look.
“Enough. You should know better than to goad her.” Tirox snarled angrily at being scolded, but Kix ignored him and spun on her. “Yet, he is justified in his anger. You are so quick to face danger without us. Do you think us inept? Are you determined to die? What is it that compels you to want to leave us behind?”
In the face of her mens’ ire, and Kix’s angry accusations, Aria was speechless. They’d been irritated with her before, even gave her a serious talking to for planning to reconnoiter the labs without them, but she couldn’t ever remember them being truly angry.
The worst part was that Kix was right, they had every reason to be pissed.
She only wanted to protect them, and it was never her intention to make them feel as though she thought them helpless or incompetent. But, that’s apparently exactly what she’d done.
She was being an asshole. Admitting that, she deflated. Propping a hand on her hip, she bowed her head and rubbed the back of her neck.
Voice quiet, she said, “No, I don’t think either of you are inept. And I have zero interest in dying.” Sighing deeply, she looked back up and met their gazes. “I just… Look, I don’t have a fucking clue how to deal with the two people I love more than anything in the world being in life or death situations, okay? I’m trying, here, but my first instinct is and always will be to protect you both, at any cost. I don’t know how to change that.”
“We have yet to explore all possibilities, aessa. Do not ask us to remain behind while you face danger alone unless all our deaths are imminent, coupled with that being our only viable choice.”
She nodded and bit her lip. “You’re right. I’d be livid if either of you tried to pull some shit like that. Just thinking about one of you running off and leaving me behind makes me wanna go cavewoman on your asses. So, I’ll try to do better, okay?”
Standing side by side now, they both eyed her like they weren’t sure if they could believe her.
Aria pursed her lips and huffed, “I’m serious. Unless there’s really no other option, I’ll stop the lone wolf shit.”
They exchanged a glance. After coming to some kind of unspoken agreement, they looked back at her and nodded once.
“Great.”
They kept staring at her. She needed to say it. She knew she needed to say it. She’d just never been good at apologies.
Drawing in a bracing breath, she whispered, “I’m… sorry.”
Tirox’s face softened from its angry scowl, and Kix smiled tenderly. Closing the distance between them, her firefly scooped her up and kissed her, slowly, druggingly, until having sex out in the open where anyone could come upon them didn’t seem like such a bad idea.
In fact, if she could just wiggle down a little…
Tirox plucked her out of Kix’s arms, spun her around, and took her lips with his.
Aria was panting, her nipples were hard, and her thighs were slick by the time he finished ravishing her mouth and set her on her feet. She swayed slightly and touched her swollen lips. At the sound of low, male laughter, she opened her eyes to slits.
“Oh, you’re gonna pay for that, you dirty teases.”
Kix grinned wolfishly and purred, “You cannot threaten with a reward, my treasure.”
“Hush, fool,” Tirox chuckled. Bending, he nipped her earlobe and whispered, “Pay him no heed. I look forward to enduring your punishment.”
Aria shook her head but laughed. “Alright, you two, back to the business of escaping. Firefly, can you try and find someone up there? Even if it's just a lab ant.”
He did the eye sparkle, something she was coming to recognize was his version of a wink, and nodded before letting his lids close.
He stood perfectly still, his expression tightening a little more with each passing moment. She tensed when dark-blue blood trickled from his nose, but forced herself to wait. Finally, he opened his eyes and shook his head frustratedly.
“I got vague feelings. Chaotic, some panicked. One angry. It feels… emptier up there. Fewer lights.” He shook his head again. “I could not pick up anything as clear as thoughts.”
“That’s okay. We’ll talk to the prisoners, see what they know. And we can come back regularly to see if anyone comes within range.”
Having done all they could, they headed back into the main cavern, but paused and eyed what had to be close to a dozen tunnels of different shapes and sizes leading off.
“Red? Any idea which one holds a dragon?”
He drew in a deep breath before zeroing in on a section of wall. “There.”
Squinting, she tried to make out anything that could be a tunnel where he was looking but saw only solid rock. He started off before she could decide whether or not to voice her doubts. She and Kix exchanged a look before she shrugged and followed after him.
When they reached the wall, she wasn’t totally surprised to find that he’d been right. There was indeed a tunnel. It had just been hidden from view by overlapping stone.
“Caves hide many secrets,” he murmured enigmatically.
With that, they proceeded single-file into the darkness, her hand clutching Tirox’s ax harness and Kix’s hand holding her hip.
As much as she wanted to take the lead, she let Tirox go first. If the dragon was no longer blind like he had been in the valley, then Kix lighting up would announce their approach. They couldn’t know what form he was in and whether or not he’d welcome a visit. Stealth was wise and, as Tirox was the only one who could see in the dark, he was the obvious choice to lead. As much as she disliked it, this was the smartest move.
If she kept repeating that, maybe the tightness between her shoulder blades would relax.
In an effort to distract herself, she thought about him. The prospect of seeing him again instantly had her heart pounding and her fingertips tingling.
Would he be the man she’d seen on the datapad? Or was he still the dragon? Would he recognize her? What did his voice sound like?
Would he have any of the memories of which she’d been robbed?
Excitement, trepidation, and hope had her stomach twisting into a knot of nerves.
Kix’s hand brushed against hers in the dark. She took the offer of comfort readily, entwining their fingers and letting his touch steady her.
Whatever happened, she had her men.
She could face anything with them at her side.
Chapter 26
Tirox led them down so many twists and turns she wasn’t sure she’d be able to find her way out again with a map and a flashlight. At one point, they had to crawl when the tunnel narrowed too far to allow either of her men to stand upright.
While that wasn’t the most comfortable experience ever, it was nothing compared to when her barbarian got stuck for an alarming couple of minutes. He managed to wiggle himself free before anyone—Kix—succumbed to claustrophobia, thankfully, but the farther they went, the more she suspected the path to the dragon was purposefully difficult.
The most likely reason was to keep the dragon from getting
out, but it probably also served to discourage the other prisoners from trying to enter.
Finally, after an eternity of walking, climbing, and squeezing themselves through tiny passages, Tirox came to an abrupt stop in front of her.
“I see him,” he announced softly.
Her heart skipped a beat and she jerked ramrod straight. “Is he a man or the hrrykask?”
“Man. And he knows we are here.”
His tone told her that wasn’t necessarily a good thing.
Despite her excitement to see him, she had to grit her teeth to keep from instinctively drawing her gun. Standing without a weapon in hand, in pitch darkness, while a predator might be preparing to pounce was hair-raising, but she didn’t want to make any moves that would be construed as a threat and unintentionally set him off.
“Kix?” she whispered through clenched teeth.
He immediately blazed to life, glowing more brightly than she’d even seen. Blinking hard to clear the spots from her eyes, Aria quickly scanned their surroundings.
They were standing in the entrance of an absolutely massive cave. It had to be at least three times the size of theirs. The floor and walls were, not surprisingly, rough stone, but a quick glance at the ceiling revealed it was void of the stalactites she disliked so much.
Actually, unless she was seeing things, the ceiling looked smooth, slightly metallic, like the material used to make up the walls and floor in the constructed area of the main cavern.
An image of the dragon disappearing beneath the ground in the canyon flashed through her mind.
Holy shit. Zhrovni just raises and lowers the entire room, eliminating the need to transport him from one place to another.
The rattle of chains and a low, vibrating growl had adrenaline surging through her. Whipping her head around, she stared at the spot from which the sound had come. He sounded big, really big. Tirox said he was in man form, but how big of a man was he?
That corner was still in shadow, shrouding whoever stood there, but she could feel him.
The hair on the nape of her neck stood on end, but an opposing flash of eagerness almost had her taking a step forward before she stopped herself.
Tirox cursed under his breath.
“What? What’s wrong?”
“He is chained.”
She’d expected him to say he was charging at them or maybe shifting to dragon form, not that he was still chained like a fucking animal. For a long second, Aria had to fight the urge to either break things or get sick to her stomach.
In that moment, as selfish as she knew it was, she hoped Zhrovni really had died in the blast. She hoped he suffered.
Swallowing her anger, she spoke softly, nonthreatening when she asked, “Does he look aggressive?”
“Oh, yes.” Tirox sighed deeply. “He is still blind, and I do not think we are close enough for him to catch our scents. He does not know who encroaches on his territory.”
She felt like she’d been punched in the stomach. She’d hoped Zhrovni only blinded him temporarily for the tournament. Apparently not.
Goddamn that bastard.
“His thoughts are… fractured,” Kix murmured to her left. “Animal instincts dominate his mind. Rage, violence. Loneliness, pain. Yet, there is some higher awareness there.”
Glancing over at him when he paused, she saw him cock his head like he was listening to something before his jaw went tight and his nostrils flared.
Voice gruff, he said, “He believes we are here to take his food. He is amused by this as he has not had food in some time.”
Now she wanted to puke and cry.
Unable to continue just standing there while he thought the worst, she called out, “We’re not here to hurt you.”
The low, thrumming growl stopped abruptly.
Taking that as a positive sign, she kept going. “Do you remember me? From the arena.”
No answer, but the silence felt rapt. She didn’t need Kix to tell her he was listening. Holding out a hand to her men to signal them to stay where they were, she took a small step forward.
“My name is Aria. I think we… know each other.”
A flash of movement in the corner preceded a dark figure slowly stepping forward. He was still half in shadow, but she could see him now. Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.
He was big, almost as big as Tirox. She hadn’t expected that from his picture. He had to be six-foot-eight, at least, and heavily muscled.
Tracking her gaze up his body, she took in the gleaming white claws tipping his four toes, his thickly muscled thighs, the impressive cock hanging between his legs, up the chiseled twelve pack of his abs, over to massive arms that were just a little too long to be human, and impossibly broad shoulders.
His outer thighs, ribs, arms, and shoulders were all patterned with beautiful, iridescent purple scales. Whether they served as armor of some kind, she didn’t know, but they were eye-catching and seemed to enhance his already impressive build.
Her pulse quickened when she finally looked at his face. His picture made him look savage, brutal, almost more animal than man. That was still there, but in person, it was tempered by beautifully symmetrical, regal features.
Under the scars and the fierce expression, he was… handsome, shockingly so. A square jawline and high, sharply defined cheekbones framed surprisingly sensual lips and a perfectly straight nose. His white eyes, bisected by two slitted pupils, were even more striking than she remembered.
He looked like a wild, untamed prince. Noble, but deadly.
Focusing back on his expression, she noticed his nostrils were still flared and his chin was tipped up.
Understanding she was too far away for him to smell her, she took a few steps forward and waved a hand, trying to waft her scent his way. She wasn’t anywhere near close enough for him to reach her, judging from what she could see of the length of the chain fastened to his ankle, but her men obviously thought it was too close.
They both moved with her, coming to stand on either side like wary, tense bookends. Unfortunately, she was already mid-wave.
Half a second later, he stiffened and growled. The curiosity and interest on his face disappeared and was immediately replaced with hostility.
Aria sighed, but bit back her frustration. She couldn’t blame them for being cautious, but she needed him to talk and, judging from that reaction, she thought it highly doubtful he’d feel safe or relaxed enough to do so while they were there.
Pulling her men back with her, she retreated to the entrance. “Okay, now don’t get angry. I know I just promised to stop the lone wolf shit, but I honestly don’t think I can get him to let down his guard now that he knows you’re both here.”
Tirox narrowed his eyes and clenched his jaw. “You want us to leave.”
Wincing, she nodded.
“I need you both to wait outside. Please. Aside from whatever might be between him and me, he’s been here the longest. If anyone knows of a way out of here, it’ll be him.” Reaching out, she gently took both their hands. “This is a big ask. I know that. But, you could stay right outside the entrance. You’ll still be able to hear me if I need help, but you’ll be out of… sniffing range.”
“Should we also paint you with melted sweet stone to make you an even more appetizing snack for when he pounces?” Tirox growled sarcastically. “I have sorrow for his plight, but that does not mean I trust him. Forgotten mate, or no, he is dangerous.”
“He’s not going to eat me, Red,” she assured with a startled laugh.
He cut a dubious look at the snarling man in the corner. “I believe he would like nothing more.”
“I'll break his snout if he tries,” she murmured, staring up at him meaningfully with a private smile curling her lips. “Besides, it’s not me he’s growling at. Is it, Kix?”
Her firefly looked reluctant to answer, but he eventually sighed and shook his head. “No. He has no hostility toward you. It is us he feels presents the threat. He was wary when he th
ought strangers had entered his territory, yet mostly unconcerned. Knowing Aria is here has stirred his protective instincts. She is correct, much as I dislike it. He will not be receptive to questioning while we remain,” he added, speaking to Tirox.
After ten minutes, at least, spent arguing, followed by them finally caving, and another fifteen minutes of setting ground rules, Tirox turned and strode stiffly to a patch of the same pink mushrooms present in their cave and… blew on them? Whatever he did, it worked. They came to life, illuminating the chamber in a soft glow, purple for the moment since their light mixed with her firefly’s blue.
As they left, she overheard Kix whisper to Tirox that he would monitor them telepathically. Her barbarian nodded and replied that they would storm in at the first hint of danger, wherein he would shoot the dragon. Specifically, in his ‘too-pretty face,’ though he did decide stunning the ‘poor bastard’ was sufficient rather than killing him… unless he hurt her, in which case he was definitely going to die.
Aria was torn between being appalled at her sweet giant’s ruthlessness and appreciation of the same.
At least she knew she never had to worry about them not being able to do what needed to be done.
The last thing she heard before they disappeared from sight was them arguing over how best to console her after they stunned him to unconsciousness to keep her from ‘lashing them with her sharp tongue.’ Treats, sex, new weapons, and sparkly things were all considered options.
God, I love them, but if they think a new blade will make me feel better if they shoot the dragon in the face, they’ve got another thing coming.
Turning back to the man in question, snarling in the corner, she drew in a deep breath.
Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that.
Chapter 27
“It’s just us now,” Aria called out, waving a hand toward him so he would smell that her men had left.
She waited until he stopped snarling then repeated, “My name is Aria. What’s yours?”
She hadn’t really expected him to answer, but she was still disappointed when he remained silent. Cautiously taking a step closer, she searched his face in the shadows for any sign of recognition. His posture was tense, but the tilt of his head told her interest was beginning to overpower aggression.