“Rin…” he said. “I’m sorry.”
Two Ravarians lay on the ground, pale faced and surrounded by pools of blood. They were both men, and Ari recognized both of them as members of Rin’s cadre. Their wounds were similar to the one that he had suffered at the piercing mandibles of the vodakai.
“Jessup,” whispered Rin. “Lindle…”
Rin clenched her hands into fists, and her entire body seemed to quiver with anger.
“This is your fault,” she muttered.
“What?” said Ari. “Rin, I recognize the tragedy here, but I had—”
“If my cadre hadn’t been forced to work around this!” Rin lifted her damaged wing up and gestured to the uneven feathers. “We would have left in front of the windstorm, with time to spare. These two men, my kin, would still be alive.”
She whirled to face Ari, and for a moment, he thought she was going to attack him. He could see the fury in her posture, but he could also see the pain and the guilt in her eyes.
“We could bury them, if you wanted,” he said.
Rin closed her eyes, her shoulders slumping forward as her chest shook with a single, silent sob.
“My people do not bury our dead, chala,” she said, softly. “We cremate them. It would not be possible for us to do now.”
Ari set his hand on her shoulder.
“We’ll come back later then,” he said. “Once the windstorm is over.”
Rin didn’t say anything for the next few minutes. She crouched down next to each of the bodies and whispered in her native tongue, smiling and blinking back tears. When she finally finished, she stood up and untied the rope around her waist that connected them both to each other and the cache.
“There is an old bathing chamber within this ruin,” said Rin. “The water is still warm. I would like to clean up before we leave, chala.”
“We can shower when we get back to the tower,” said Ari. “There’s no point in doing it here.”
She was already hurrying toward a passageway on the other side of the arena. Ari scowled, untied the rope around his own waist, and followed after her.
CHAPTER 40
There was more to the ruins of the old arena than Ari had initially realized. Rin led him down a passageway and around a corner and into a chamber that reminded him of nothing so much as the hot spring that he’d grown up with down in Golias Hollow.
It was dirtier, and there was only a single pool of water that had a slightly sulfuric smell to it, but it was still rather inviting. Rin immediately began stripping out of her clothes, and Ari had to force himself to look away from her rather than giving into his curiosity about what she looked like naked.
It was extremely difficult, especially as he heard the sound of Rin’s clothing hitting the ground, followed by the sound of soft, splashing water.
“Aren’t you going to clean yourself, chala?” she asked. “You’ll just be waiting for me, otherwise.”
“I don’t see the point,” said Ari. “I can just take a shower back at the tower.”
“The water you have stored in that tower ruin is of limited supply, is it not?” she asked. “I would think the sensible part of you would see the logic in bathing here.”
She had a point, though he was hesitant to admit it. Ari turned around and tried to keep his reaction from showing on his face as he took in the sight of Rin’s beautiful, naked body.
Her proportions were different from the average human woman, though whether that was due to her being a Ravarian or just general variance, Ari couldn’t say. She had full breasts with large nipples that were pale violet in color, rather than pink or brown. Her skin had an even tan to it, and her body was all lean, powerful muscle, outside of her chest and hips.
She had a number of scars, one running along the length of her thigh, and another on the side of her ribcage. Noticing them was enough to remind Ari of who she was, or more accurately, how little he really knew about her.
With her clothes off, Ari could see the point where her wings connected into her back clearly. It was odd how natural they looked, feathers blending with flesh at the shoulder blades with simple, neat elegance.
Her upper back had feathers of its own, but they were smaller and less densely packed than the ones on her wings. Ari found himself wondering what it would feel like to run his fingers through them, and had to cut the thought off before it meandered in other directions.
“The water won’t get cold, chala,” said Rin. “But it’s not as though we have all the time in the world. Join me and enjoy yourself.”
“I’m just getting clean,” said Ari. “Don’t get any ideas.”
Rin smiled, dropping lower in the water and floating on her back. She extended her wings outward, showing off their full spread, which was at least as wide as she was tall and then half again over.
The posture left her breasts poking above the water’s surface, fully exposed to him. Ari had already taken off his tunic, and he scowled down at his half-aroused state as he pulled off his trousers. He didn’t like the idea of Rin seeing him excited and possibly jumping to unnecessary conclusions.
“You have a nice build to you,” she said. “Muscular and lean. The men of the Ravarian flock can’t build muscle like that. It slows them down in flight.”
Ari shrugged. He wasn’t so petty that he wouldn’t take a genuine compliment.
“I used to work as a disposalist back when I lived underground,” he said.
“A disposalist?” asked Rin. “I do not think I’m familiar with this word.”
“I shoveled things that needed to be disposed of into holes,” said Ari. “Mainly shit. Fascinating work. I miss it every day.”
Rin laughed. Ari slid into the water, letting out a sigh as he felt it loosening his muscles and dissolving the mud caked onto him. It was the perfect temperature, and he found himself feeling glad that Rin had managed to talk him into getting in.
“Nice, isn’t it?” said Rin. “It’s part of why my cadre enjoys passing through this area.”
“It’s certainly convenient,” said Ari. He reached around with one arm, scrubbing at the mud on his back.
“Here.” Rin pulled in closer to him, running a hand across his shoulders. “Allow me.”
Ari felt a sudden surge of suspicion. He turned around, facing the naked Ravarian at a distance of mere inches. He kept his expression neutral and tried to ignore her gorgeous body and his own full-blown erection.
“What’s your angle?” he said, shaking his head. “Ten minutes ago you were blaming me for the deaths of some of your friends. Now, you want to help me wash off?”
“I want to do more than just that, chala,” she said, putting her arms around his neck. “What’s the problem? My people are very open and promiscuous. You can understand that, can you not?”
She leaned in closer, letting her hot breath tickle his neck. Ari summoned every ounce of his willpower and pushed her away.
“You’re up to something,” he said. “I’m not sure why you think I’d be willing just because you’re naked and throwing yourself at me.”
Rin let out a high pitched, chirping laugh and shot a pointed look down at Ari’s hardness. He felt a flush of heat come to his cheeks and scowled at her.
“You’re bedding both of your companions back at the tower,” said Rin. “Would it be wrong of me to assume that you have an appetite for this sort of thing, chala? I can see how you look at me, even now.”
She pressed herself against him, kissing his neck. Ari was glad that her proximity kept her from seeing the stunned and pleasured look on his face. Her breasts were bigger than Kerys’ and every bit as soft, and he found himself wanting nothing more than to caress and kiss those fascinating, purple nipples.
He pushed her back again, though Rin managed to keep one of her hands on his cock under the surface of the water.
“There’s more to this than you being horny and promiscuous,” said Ari. “Isn’t there?”
“You wish for the
truth then?” asked Rin. “It’s nothing sinister. I don’t mind telling you my underlying purpose. I’ll even keep playing with you as I talk.”
Ari wanted to object to that, but she was doing a strange, twisting motion with the fingers she had around his cock, and it felt like nothing he’d experienced before. He contented himself with keeping a stern expression on his face and gave her a small nod.
“Ravarians are different from the Hume,” said Rin. “We take many lovers throughout our lives. Dozens, occasionally even hundreds. There’s a purpose to it. A function of our intense, primal lust.”
She pumped her hand faster, pursing her lips together and clearly enjoying the effect she was having on him.
“The manner in which we give birth differs from that of the Hume and the Sai,” said Rin. “We can choose when to fertilize our womb, and which lover’s seed to use to do it with. It’s all stored within me, the gift of every man I’ve ever taken.”
“Have you done it?” asked Ari. “Are there any tiny little Rins waiting for you back home?”
“Ironically, we treat childbirth in a far less casual manner than your people, chala,” she said. “I would not be here if I was a mother.”
She let her hand slide along the length of his cock, squeezing the base of his shaft. Ari felt his resolve fading as he reached his own hand up and began to play with one of her breasts, lifting it up, dropping it, and watching the delightful jiggle.
“What’s the point of telling me this?” asked Ari.
“You are one of the Hume,” said Rin. “I’m a Ravarian. Hybrids between our people exist, though they are rare. My sister, the current Vereshi of my flock, is one of them.”
“But you aren’t?” he asked.
“We had different fathers,” said Rin. “Hybrid Hume-Ravarians have a… way about them. Most of my brethren are reluctant to admit it, but I recognize it for what it is. My sister did not end up as our leader by accident. Her blood is strong even if her wings are not, and it would be a boon to myself and my people to have the option of imbuing my future brethren with similar strength.”
“That’s it, then?” asked Ari. “You want me to have sex with you so that you’ll have the option of having hybrid children.”
Rin pushed forward more aggressively, giving him a quick series of kisses that reminded Ari of a pecking bird.
“Yes,” she said. “Exactly! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity for you, chala. I don’t speak these words as mindless flattery. I see your potential for what it truly is. You should feel honored.”
She rose up in the water, flapping her wings for extra lift, and then attempted to wrap her legs around him and slide down onto his cock. Ari caught her by the buttocks and held her aloft, shaking his head.
“You’re crazy.” He pushed her chest with one hand, and Rin let out a surprised squeal as she tumbled backward into the water.
The idea of letting any woman have his children after knowing him for less than a week was so ridiculous that it was almost galling. The fact that she was a Ravarian and a former enemy pushed the situation into the realm of complete insanity. Ari dunked himself under the warm water, scrubbed off as much of the remaining mud as he could, and then headed for his clothes.
“You would refuse me, chala?” shouted Rin. “The Vereshi’s sister! The leader of the Blackwing Cadre! I’ve taken lives for insults that were less serious than this!”
“I can occasionally be impulsive, but I’m not so shortsighted as to think that having sex with you after what you just told me is anything but a horrible idea,” said Ari.
Rin’s lips turned up into a calculating smile.
“I know more about you than you think,” she said. “To be more specific, I know about your enchanted sword, and the manner in which it’s connected to you. You feel nothing for that abomination, and yet you bring her to your bed for the sake of increasing your power.”
“That’s different,” said Ari.
“Is it?”
He scowled and glanced away from her. It was different, and recognizing that sent a confusing surge of emotions through him. He cared about Eva. The two of them had a secondary reason for their love making, but they still treated it as intimacy. Ari fumed, knowing that Rin had brought Eva up to confuse him, and it was working.
“Forget it,” said Ari. “I’m not having sex with you.”
“You owe me,” said Rin. “Do you have any idea how long the feathers on my damaged wing will take to regrow? Taking your seed back to Varnas-Rav would at least allow me to preserve what little honor I have left.”
“Nobody owes anybody sex,” said Ari. “Look, Rin, I’m flattered, but I’m not going to change my…”
She sneaked up on him, pulling him into an embrace from behind while his back was turned. Rin wrapped one of her arms diagonally around his shoulder and let her wings close around his front. Her free arm reached down, and her hand closed around his cock, stroking with small, quick movements.
“All I need is your seed, chala,” she whispered. “Not permission.”
“Okay, this is getting a little rapey,” said Ari. “Let go.”
“Make me.”
Ari gritted his teeth and turned around, still inside a cocoon formed by her wings. Rin kissed him deeply as soon as he was facing her. He tried to push her back, but she held him where he was, running soft fingers across his cock and mashing her breasts against his chest.
Would it be so bad to give in, he wondered?
If it meant giving Rin power over him, then yes, without a doubt. He considered how she might use the possibility of bearing his children as a threat against him and knew that there was no way he could let the encounter continue. It was too risky to even play around with her in other ways, given how quickly the situation could escalate.
He pushed her back a final time and climbed out of the hot spring.
“This isn’t over, chala,” said Rin.
“It had better be,” said Ari. “If you keep trying, I’ll throw you out of the tower.”
“Or…” said Rin. “I’ll keep trying, and I’ll seduce you, and the experience of it will enlighten you. I think you’d be surprised by what I have to offer.”
She climbed out of the hot spring next to him, and before he could stop her, she’d pulled his hand to her mouth and begun sucking on the tip of his index finger. Ari pulled it back, flicking her on the nose with the same finger.
“You’re insufferable.” He pushed her in the chest, and Rin squealed as she fell back into the hot spring.
CHAPTER 41
They left the arena shortly after they’d finished dressing. Rin stopped trying to force herself on him once they were outside of the hot spring, and Ari relaxed a little as they retied the rope around their waists and began carrying the cache again.
There was a ground level exit leading outside. The windstorm was still raging, and between that and the weight of the cache, the two of them were forced to travel at a much slower pace back to the tower.
Ari had learned his lesson earlier in the day, and each time he saw a tornado in the distance, he signaled for Rin to stop so they could wait and see which direction it was headed in. They managed to avoid having any direct encounters with the swirling funnels of wind, and as afternoon faded into early evening, they arrived back at the tower.
Eva and Kerys were waiting in the common room, and as soon as Ari had gotten the door closed and set the cache down, they each gave him a tight hug. Ari all but collapsed into one of the homemade stools, only then recognizing how tired he was.
“That was an ordeal,” he said. “I’m going to have a grudge against the wind for years to come.”
“Your clothes are all muddy,” said Kerys. “Did something happen?”
Ari glanced over at Rin, who gave a small shrug.
“We fell into an old, ruined arena,” said Ari. “I’ll have to find some time to give my tunic a good scrub.”
“I can handle that for you,” said Eva. “It is n
o trouble.”
“Let’s have dinner first,” said Ari. “I think we’ve earned it.”
They unrolled the top half of the leather tarp composing the outer layer of the cache, revealing some of the goods that Rin and her cadre had stored inside. Ari’s mouth instantly began watering at the sight of several pounds of dried meat, corn, beans, and a small cloth bag filled with rice.
There was also dried and candied fruit, flour, and several loaves of crusty travel bread. Ari started to help himself to a slice of dried mango, but Kerys slapped his hand.
“Let’s eat a proper dinner,” she said. “There’s enough food here to last a couple of days, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t keep rationing it.”
“They’ll be no need, soon enough,” said Rin. “The windstorm was already abating on our way back. It’s why we made such easy progress.”
“It wasn’t exactly easy,” said Ari.
“Take a look for yourself if you don’t believe me, chala,” said Rin.
Ari shrugged, and the four of them made their way back outside. It was still windy, but she was right. The weather was beginning to clear up, and he could only see a few tornadoes in the distance, darkened by the lengthening shadows cast by the setting sun.
“We made it,” said Kerys. “I’m so relieved.”
“It’s a little underwhelming,” said Ari. “We could have just waited a few more hours and not even bothered going for the cache. All that risk basically for nothing.”
“Candied fruit isn’t nothing,” said Kerys.
“True enough.” He smiled and took her hand in his.
Rin had disappeared briefly into the tower and came back out with a large, dark bottle. She pulled the cork out and took a small sip before offering it to Ari.
“Sky brandy,” she said. “I forced Lindle to leave it behind when my cadre was preparing to leave. Too dangerous of a temptation while traveling during inclement weather. I suppose it doesn’t matter now.”
Sword Sirens Page 28
