Aria's Ascension (Taken Book 2)

by Stacy Jones

  “Often, yes, but not always. Some minds are naturally shielded.”

  “Okay. Is there a way to fit these people with translators up here? Or do they need to go to the labs?”

  “Yes, we can collect transfer rods to use on most. Some species do not have a fully-developed language center and will require more comprehensive adjustment.”

  “Alright. Would you please send some of your people to gather whatever you need to do that. The people who need more… adjustment can be taken down together. Also, my mate, Kix, is down there treating those with more severe injuries. Could some of you help him?”

  That small smile reappeared. “We are happy to help.”

  “Thank you.”

  Like a well-oiled machine, half the Gaelli headed back to the elevator while the other half started for the crowd, touching foreheads and calming people down.

  They’d managed to quiet down a large portion of the mob by the time half those that left returned, each equipped with a thin, metallic rod about eight inches long.

  While they were busy fitting people with translators, Aria pulled her ring off her finger and made Tirox step into it. Yes, it was just a bruise. No, she wasn’t willing to let him keep it, not when fixing it took all of three seconds. And yes, he did grumble about it. Next, she went to the still knocked-out female and slid it over her.

  The woman sat up with a gasp, blinking eyelids that closed horizontally, then opened her mouth, likely to scream if the expression on her very pretty, but very angry face was anything to go by.

  Snapping her hand out, Aria pinched the woman’s lips closed and slowly shook her head.

  In contrast to her warning look, she kept her voice soothing, and murmured, “No screaming. You rile these people up again, and I will lock your ass in a closet, got it? Your friend is fine, I promise.”

  The woman stared at her with wide, purple eyes set in a delicate, pixie-like face and mumbled through her pinched lips, “Sshhmmmrrr.”

  “Mmhm, that’s right. Schumer. Now, you’re going to stay calm, right?”

  “Mrrr.”

  “Good. Thank you for your cooperation,” Aria beamed, then quickly covered her teeth when the woman squeaked with alarm. “Sorry. Forgot about the teeth flashing.”

  Standing back up, Aria examined the crowd to make sure they were treating the Gaelli walking among them with kindness and to ensure no one else needed to be threatened with being locked in a closet.

  She spotted a couple Gaelli leading a small group to the elevator and assumed those needed further brain scrambling before a translator would work.

  When the Gaelli leader signaled to Aria that everyone could understand her, she stepped onto one of the odd-looking chairs scattered about for guests to sit in and whistled again to get everyone’s attention. When all eyes were on her, she gave them a small, tooth-covered smile.

  “Hello! My name is Aria Taylor. I assume you can all understand me now, yes?”

  Murmurs and nervous shifting answered her.

  For the humans, she added, “I’m a former special agent for the FBI and, up until recently, was an enslaved gladiator at this arena. This is one of my mates, Tirox. My other mate, Kix, is the one who took some people away to treat their wounds. We are the bosses. If you don’t like that, too fucking bad. If you need help with anything, find one of us. Now, I know you all have questions. I will answer them as best I can. First, you’ve been abducted by aliens that planned to sell you as slaves.”

  Predictably, alarmed shouting answered that statement along with a few screams and confused muttering. Aria nodded and gave them a minute to settle back down.

  “Those aliens died when you crashed here. Which leads me to where, exactly, here is.”

  Drawing in a breath, she debated how to word the next part and finally decided to stick with bluntness. None of them could afford to have any doubts about where they were. Best to lay all it out now.

  “This is a slave planet, which means every single person outside these walls is to be considered an enemy. Do you understand? They have technology, or magic as my mate calls it,” she added with a wave to Tirox standing at her side, “that can turn you into a mindless slave. They can, and will, make you do anything they want, including turning you into a killing machine or forcing you to have sex, or mate, with anyone who has the credits to pay for it. That goes for the males and the females. No one is safe out there.”

  That was enough to quell the remaining murmurs. She saw fear, horror, and shock on the faces she was able to read.

  “I need you to understand the seriousness of this situation. I killed the slaver who ran this place, so you’re safe within these walls, but everyone outside it is not to be trusted. Please, do not try to run away. You’re not prisoners, but I’ve got better things to do than save your asses if you get yourself kidnapped, because you panicked and ran. I will, but it will take time I really can’t afford to spend looking for you. So, don’t be an idiot.”

  She let that sink in for a moment, waving down the shouts that started up.

  “I’m sure your first concern is leaving this place and returning home. I understand. We are trying to repair the spaceship. If it is at all possible, I will do everything in my power to see that you’re returned to your planets. But, that is going to take time, if it happens at all, so I need you to be patient. Again, I cannot guarantee that the ship can be repaired. Even if we get it working, we need a pilot to fly it. Then there’s the issue of whatever power or fuel it uses. All that to say, don’t get your hopes too far up. You need to start trying to accept that this may be your new home.”

  That sent everyone into a fit. She let it go for a minute, but when someone started shoving people, she whistled again, the piercing sound echoing into the atrium above.

  “Cut that shit out! NOW! I will not tolerate fighting! If you cannot control yourself, I can and will lock your ass in a stasis tube! Do you understand me?” she yelled. When they calmed slightly, she continued, “You’re scared and angry. I get it. But you will maintain control of yourselves. We are all in this together. Fighting and taking that fear out on other people who are victims, as well, is bullshit, and I won’t stand for it.”

  Scanning the crowd, she frowned sadly and said, “Now, I know some of you lost people in the crash. I’m truly sorry for your losses. Come talk to me, and we’ll discuss your funeral rituals. I’ll do what I can to accommodate your customs, but it may not be exactly what you’re used to, so I need you to be understanding.”

  Half a dozen people nodded or bowed their heads in response.

  “Alright. It’s been a hell of a day. I’ll be here to talk to anyone with further questions or concerns, but I think we could all use some rest. If you don’t usually sleep at night, you’re welcome to hang out here, but please be considerate of those who do. The Gaelli have offered to help get everyone situated in the hotel rooms above,” she announced, gesturing to the yellow beings gathered on the edge of the crowd. “If you have any requests or need some kind of special accommodation, please let them know, and they’ll do what they can to get you set up. If you’re still hungry or thirsty, talk to Tirox, and he’ll get you taken care of. If you’d like to attend the funerals, just stay put. We’ll head into the arena for that after I’ve talked to those who lost people.”

  With that, she moved to step off the chair only to be snatched up by Tirox before she could.

  “Gods’ tears, female, you are glorious,” he growled into her ear as he let her slide down his body.

  Smirking, she tipped her head back and gave him a wink. “I’m good at bossy,” she quipped.

  “Mmm, yes, you are, and I adore it,” he murmured, leaning down to steal a kiss.

  She snorted. “You, and only you.”

  “Ha! You are greatly mistaken, my heart. I caught sight of many males, and a few females, gazing upon you with longing.” Dipping down, he brought his face within an inch of hers and half warned, half pleaded, “Do try to resist bewitching an
yone else while I am busy, hmm?”

  Aria sputtered, “I haven’t bewitched anyone!”

  His answer was a look as dry as the damn desert and an extremely unconvinced, “Mmm.”

  Chapter 49

  When Kix and Rellik came back, Aria and Tirox were still trying to get everyone settled. She’d discussed rituals with those who’d lost people and sent them outside, into the arena, to perform their funerals. Quite a few other people joined them, surprising her but giving her hope that everyone could learn to truly get along, given time.

  She felt someone come to stand behind her and knew without looking that it was Rellik. Aria nodded at what the male in front of her was saying, but reached back and acknowledged Rellik with a brush of her fingers over his lower thigh.

  When the male finished speaking, she assured, “I understand, and we’ll do everything we can to make sure you’re able to lay your eggs in comfort. If you’ll speak to that Gaelli over there and let them know what you need, we’ll try and get it for you.”

  The male, who said his name was Greke, scrunched his wide nose and clicked profusely before turning and heading toward the Gaelli she’d indicated.

  Blowing out a breath, she twisted around to face Rellik, rubbing the spot between her eyebrows where a headache was beginning to form.

  “What’s up?” she asked tiredly.

  In response, he smiled softly and produced a food pouch from behind his back. Saliva immediately pooled in her mouth.

  Snatching it from his hand, she tore it open and breathed in the not-usually-appetizing scent of fish and… was that raw potato?

  “How did you know I was starving?”

  He chuckled quietly. “I could hear your stomach roaring for something to fill it from across the room.”

  Gazing up at him drolly, she blinked when she realized he was sincere. “Wait, really? You heard that?”

  He tried, and failed, to smother his amused smile and murmured, “I did. As did many others. Why do you think they are staring at you so warily?”

  Glancing around with a frown, she saw that he was right. More than a few people were eyeing her discreetly, and more still were outright gawking with wide, watchful eyes like she was going to pounce on them at any moment like a hungry lioness.

  “Well, that’s just great. Didn’t realize I was scaring people with my growling stomach,” she muttered, a bit embarrassed.

  “May I sit with you while you dine, sarasha?”

  “Sure.”

  Smiling at how formal he sounded, she led the way to what passed as a couch and sank down with a sigh.

  “You are tense, tired.”

  Huffing a short laugh, she rubbed her forehead. “Yeah. I knew this was going to be hard, but I honestly thought the hardest part would be the fighting, not trying to take care of the people we save. There are so many different species here, and those don’t even include the aquatic people still on the ship. Hell, half the things people wanted to talk about were squabbles because of cultural misunderstandings. I’m worried that’s just going to keep happening until we have a real problem on our hands. We don’t need people fighting in here when there are so many to fight out there.”

  “You are fierce, wise, and kind beyond measure, Aria, but you cannot hope to make every being happy at all times. And you cannot hope to do all this yourself. You need to select proxies to whom you can delegate some of these tasks.”

  She sighed, “I know. But, who to pick? Most of these people are still shell-shocked, and I haven’t the first idea who’s trustworthy or even willing to be a proxy.”

  “If you would allow it, your Kix and I could select people for you,” he offered quietly.

  Turning, she gazed up at him speculatively for a moment. “Where do you come from, Rellik? What’s your world like?”

  He blinked before a surprised smile tipped his lips. “I am of this world, Gaiaesh, from a Queendom far from here.”

  “Really?” she marvelled. When he nodded, she raised her brows in surprise. “Huh. What are your people like?”

  “We are… a complicated people.” Settling farther down into the couch, he laid his head against the backrest, but tilted it so his cheek was resting against the thin cushion, and watched her as he spoke. “The ancient texts tell of a time when we were peaceful and lived as one, but the arrival of what we call the slavers changed us. Our people split up, moved to different areas, all trying to go somewhere the slavers would not find us. Over time, that has led to disputes over territory, resources, and the like. This has always been a hard world, but being under constant threat of slavery, living in fear… it has done my people no favors.”

  His people sounded a lot like humans from the not-too-distant past.

  “What was your life like before you were taken?” she asked, curious about him.

  “Ah.” He smiled, but it was wry and bitter. “I was not taken. I was betrayed.”

  “What?” she gasped, taken completely off guard.

  “I was one of the queens entertainers, selected to be so at the first brush of puberty,” he began, his smile turning proud. “I was her favorite and thought the most handsome of her circle.” A wicked glint sparkled in his eyes. “I was renowned for my skill to please and anticipate her needs.” He paused for a moment, his wicked look fading to one of old anger. “The queen’s first born had designs to have me for herself. I declined.” A muscle ticked in his jaw, and he shook his head against the cushion. “Looking back, perhaps that was a foolish choice. She was angry at my refusal and sold me in secret to the master of a pleasure lounge.”

  “Wow. She sounds like ten pounds of vindictive crazy in a five pound bag. I’m so sorry, Rellik. Did you get the chance to kill her, at least, before you were hauled off?”

  His eyes went wide, and a true smile curled his lips before he chuckled softly. “I did, though I admit I am surprised you asked.”

  Aria cocked her brow at him. “You said she was the first born. If your society is anything like those in my people’s past, being first born means she becomes the leader when the current one dies, right?” At his nod, she continued, “If she’s cruel enough to sell one of her own into a lifetime of slavery and horror just for refusing to… entertain her, then what else might she do? No. I come from a place where we imprison bad people, but I was also taught to never leave an enemy at your back. She needed to be killed before she got the power to do whatever the hell she wanted, to whomever she wanted.”

  He blinked rapidly and stuttered, “I—I… yes. I agree.”

  “So how’d you end up here? At an arena?”

  “Ah, my people have been working to guard ourselves against the Veiling technology for some time. I had a breakthrough just before she—Salesh—sold me, so my suppression did not take fully. I woke to find… a female.” He faltered, his mouth thinning to a line, and his eyes dropped to stare at a spot on the couch between them. “She… I killed her. The lounge master was predictably displeased. After punishment, I was sent to this arena. Zhrovni’s Veiling was stronger than the lounge master’s, but it, too, began to weaken, after a time. I tried to escape during a tournament. I expected him to kill me, but he locked me underground instead, which is where you found me.”

  He still wouldn’t look at her, but she laid her hand over his and swallowed back the anger she felt at his story, not wanting him to think any of that anger was toward him. “I’m so sorry, Rellik. You shouldn’t have had to go through any of that, and I hate that you did.”

  He jerked his head up to stare at her disbelievingly. “That… is all? Y—you do not find my actions contemptible? I killed two females,” he reiterated slowly, as if she hadn’t heard him the first time.

  Aria frowned and cocked her head. “Yeah. You killed two sick, horrible females from what you told me. Should you have let them live so they could hurt someone else?” she challenged, then answered before he could. “No. As far as I can see, you did the right thing. I wouldn’t have done anything different.” She pause
d and smiled teasingly. “Except maybe try a little harder to not get caught.”

  He barked a shocked laugh. “Ha! Yes, I will concede my escape attempt was not well thought out.” His smile slowly faded into something serious and sincere. Flipping his hand over under hers so they were palm to palm, he held her gaze and whispered, “I thank you, Aria. The guilt does not weigh so heavily after your words.”

  “Anytime, babe,” she quipped with a smirk. “Er, so long as it’s justified, of course.”

  He nodded solemnly, but his eyes were sparkling when he echoed, “Of course.”

  She gave him a look, but caught the elevator doors opening from the corner of her eye and turned in time to see Thrasin stagger out, blood dripping down his side.

  Leaping up, she ran to him, shouting, “What the hell happened? Are you okay?”

  He braced a hand against the wall, leaving behind a bloody print, and peered up at her. “Did not find your friend, á roínseah,” he growled hoarsely. “I am sorry.”

  Aria jerked to a stop. She felt like he’d just punched her in the stomach, but when he staggered toward her, she blinked and darted forward to catch him.

  “What happened to your side? How did you get injured?”

  “Fools shot me. So I ate them.”

  Whipping her head back she gave him wide eyes. “You ate them?”

  He smirked down at her where she was tucked under his arm, trying to hold him up and bared his teeth in a grin. “Yes. Crunchy.”

  “Jesus Christ, Sin!”

  Aria was torn between the odd and wholly inappropriate urge to laugh and the need to throw up. Instead, she closed her eyes for a moment and decided they obviously needed a rule about not eating people.

  Chapter 50

  They got Sin healed and settled in a room on the third floor, Rellik offering to stay and keep an eye on him. Aria, Kix, and Tirox had just stepped off the elevator on the ground level when the Gaelli leader approached her.