The Thief's Dark (Renegades Book 3)

by L P Peace

  ‘Breath, ahdali!’ Daris’s voice was hoarse and harsh.

  Forcing herself to concentrate, Zoe moving her diaphragm by force. She felt her lungs fill, a darkness she hadn’t noticed creeping into the edge of her vision slowly receding.

  Daris pressed his fingers to her clit and rubbed slow circles around it.

  ‘You worried me, ahdali,’ he whispered, kissing her neck. ‘I’m going to have to punish you for that.’

  The next orgasm was quick, hard and had her screaming into the mattress where Daris had pushed her as a part of her ‘punishment’. When he was done, he licked her clean, then wrapped her in his arms and whispered all the plans he had for their future.

  ‘I hope we conceive a child soon, ahdali,’ he whispered as she fell asleep.

  True to his word, Daris took her out and bought clothes for her in the market. There were three seamstresses in the stall, so when all of the clothes proved too big, they took Zoe aside and two of them altered two of the long, flowing dresses for her. The third took measurements and as they left, they promised to send the rest along when they were done. The garments arrived before the end of the day.

  For the remainder of his time leading to the grudge match, Daris and Edan fought almost constantly in preparation, though never with each other. Edan had never been beaten by Daris, a record he intended on keeping. Every day Zoe went down to the pit and watched the men train. In the evenings, they ate out on the pit floor, and at night, Daris dominated her.

  Something inside her was different. She didn’t know what it was, but she was talking to people with more ease, feeling stronger, more confident.

  More than that, she remembered the things from her childhood, the abuse, the neglect, but they didn’t seem to have the usual impact on her. They were missing the visceral kick they’d always had. The emotional response was lessening. More, she remembered things. They weren’t things she’d forgotten, more, she was seeing them in proper context now, like the way her father beat her brothers. There was something about growing up with that abuse that had made her complacent to it. Being surrounded by so much violence, she’d taken it as a way of life, only realising years later that it wasn’t the case. Now she could see that, while her brothers, especially Carl, had taken their anger out on her, they were as much victims as she was. Not that it excused the way they still were. But she could forgive the children in pain for their trespasses, while still acknowledging that they had grown up into assholes themselves. She wondered how much of their anger was resentment because their father didn’t violently assault her at every turn.

  Her parents had a lot to answer for. Not that she expected them to ever admit what they’d done, or how they’d failed their children.

  The morning of the fight came. Zoe was lying in bed on her stomach as Daris trailed butterfly kisses up her back. When he settled between her slightly open legs, he set the head of his cock at her pussy and slowly worked his way in. Because of her position, he felt larger to her, and she found herself making high-pitched noises from the back of her throat, almost yelps, as he found his rhythm.

  His long violet black hair fell around her like a sheer curtain. The smell of him surrounded her as he gasped and groaned above her.

  ‘So tight, ahdali!’ A hand ran down the side of her body, slipped under her hip, and found her clit. She cried out as he rubbed at her furiously. The tendrils, honed from their lovemaking, found the nerves inside her, and everything ramped up between them.

  They came quickly, Daris biting on her shoulder as he growled and snarled through his orgasm. After he licked the spot he’d bit, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.

  She looked up into his flint grey eyes. He smiled down at her.

  ‘Every time is perfect, ahdali,’ he whispered, ‘even when you’re not tied to the bedpost, which you will be tonight. Tied and blindfolded. I’m going to keep you there all night,’ he promised.

  ‘You be careful today.’ she said, burrowing into his side.

  ‘Of course. Tolomus will be in Tessan custody in a few hacri. Your people, those still on the ship, will be free, and we will go to Tessa so you can start working on freeing the rest.’ He stroked her hair as he spoke. ‘Meanwhile, I’ll send out our crew on our new ship and work on setting up our new business.’

  Zoe laughed. Daris was excited about the new life they’d been promised if everything went to plan. She was too, not least of all, spending the rest of her life with the male she loved.

  They lounged about together until it was time to have a shower. In the whole time they’d been there, Zoe hadn’t been allowed to shower alone. She didn’t think she’d ever be allowed to again. After they dressed, Daris led her to Edan’s office and towards the balcony. There, several of the pit fighters waited, having volunteered to protect her while Daris was on the sand. They had no idea about their plan.

  Daris stopped short of the balcony and kissed her. ‘You will stay here,’ he said, his voice stern. ‘No matter what happens out there, I don’t want to see you when Tolomus reveals himself. Do you understand?’

  Zoe felt her jaw muscles clench but nodded.

  ‘And you be safe and come back.’

  ‘I will always come back for you, ahdali.’ He kissed her again, this one more passionate than the last. By the time he broke the kiss, he was supporting her weight.

  He walked her out onto the balcony and settled her in her seat between Karijan and the Bentari. Then with one last kiss, he left.

  Zoe watched him leave through the long window at her back, then turned to find the stands filling around them. She looked through the faces in the stands. There were so many different types of aliens in the crowd. A substantial number were Raqhan, but between them were faces, some so alien she couldn’t help but shiver in reaction to them.

  She looked around. Varid and Karijan were on one side, and beside Karijan was a male from the same species as the winged male who had caused them such trouble on The Crucible.

  ‘Athon,’ Zoe murmured.

  The winged male turned to her. ‘Yes, female?’

  ‘Oh! Your hearing is good!’

  ‘Yes, female.’

  ‘Err, you can call me Zoe,’ she said, smiling.

  ‘I am Volder.’

  Zoe turned to the Raqhan. ‘I’m sorry, I don’t know your name?’

  ‘Heresh,’ he smiled.

  To the other side of the Raqhan was a large grey-skinned male with long black horns that curved to the side of his head. He looked at her through snake-like eyes, large bone protrusions erupting from his cheekbones and chin.

  ‘Jorvath. I am Horran.’

  ‘Your race?’

  He nodded.

  ‘Horran. Horran.’ Zoe fixed the name in her head.

  The Horran frowned at her.

  ‘Oh, I find if I repeat things right away, I remember them better,’ she admitted.

  ‘You have problems remembering?’ the Raqhan, Heresh, asked.

  ‘No. More like, my recall of events around it is clearer, if that makes sense?’

  The aliens looked at her like she was crazy. Zoe shrugged, then looked down at the pit. ‘So who do you think will win?’

  ‘Edan,’ the horned Horran said. There was a choir of agreement from the other males.

  ‘You don’t think Daris has a chance?’

  ‘He’ll fight well. Maruzen are skilled fighters. They have to be with Bentari as their neighbours. But Edan is driven. He fights like a wild beast, holds nothing back. The only fight he ever lost was to Danva Desares, twenty-two solars ago.’

  ‘Danva Desares? Any relation to Makios Desares?’

  ‘Father,’ Heresh confirmed. ‘I was a child in the stands that rote. It was a glorious fight. The two males fought well, but Danva was a force and Edan was fresh to the ring. If the fight happened on this rote, I believe Edan would beat Danva with ease, just as he did Makios when he was here.’

  Varid walked onto the sand and announced the first fight. Three
fights were scheduled before the main event. The first was between a black skinned male with burnished gold scales, digitigrade feet, a tail, and tendrils falling from his head. He entered the ring naked, his ‘equipment’ tucked into his body. A moment later, a larger male with dark navy skin and dreadlocks walked into the ring. Zoe averted her eyes from his nether regions, trying to erase the look of the long, pointed appendage that seemed to move of its own accord.

  ‘The black and gold male is Gliedan. The other male is Walian,’ Varid said.

  ‘Who’s your money on?’ Zoe asked.

  ‘The Walian are a strong race, the Gliedan nimble. I would count on strength over speed.’

  The fight was brutal. The Walian looked on the verge of winning when the Gliedan choked him unconscious with his tail.

  As the first fighters left the ring, the next two entered.

  A large light jade scaled alien with a thick tail and horns entered. Again, he was walking on digitigrade legs.

  ‘Is that an Ivoresh?’ Zoe asked, recognising the same race as the female she’d spoken to on Makios’s ship.

  ‘Yes,’ Jorvath confirmed.

  The other male was almost as large as the Ivoresh. He had a green body with grey and black scales along the outside of his legs, arms, shoulders, and back. Natural blades protruded from the greaves-like scales of his forearms, spikes protruded from his shoulders and a thick tail followed behind him; tendrils fell from the back of his head. Again, his cock was inside him, but the most shocking thing about the male was that he had no eyes.

  ‘How does he see?’ Zoe asked, looking from the alien on the pit floor, the aliens sat around her.

  ‘Echolocation,’ Jorvath said, grinning down at her, the bone protrusions on his cheek standing out against his grey skin. ‘He is Myardahl.’

  Zoe mumbled her repetition ritual as the fight got underway. This time, the fight took much longer. The Myardahl and the Ivoresh seemed evenly matched. The Myardahl’s tail was thick at the base but tapered until it became whip-like, and he used it like a whip, lashing at the Ivoresh whenever he got an advantage and forcing him to retreat. So far, none of the fighters had used any weapons or armour. Instead, they were using natural weapons, claw, teeth, and tails, and natural armour, like the Myardahl’s. The Ivoresh’s advantage was in the movements he could make because of his digitigrade feet. He jumped farther than the Myardahl could move, making him quicker.

  The Myardahl opened up several long gashes in the Ivoresh’s skin with his tail, which bled freely with dark green blood. When the Ivoresh was weakened, the Myardahl moved in and brought him down with several quick, devastating blows to the face.

  The next two aliens arrived as the Ivoresh was carted off, the Myardahl walking around the ring, looking up into the crowds. His cock extruded from his body, dark bright orange against his dark green, grey, and black body.

  ‘Oh!’ Zoe averted her eyes.

  ‘He’s showing off his two cocks for any females who want a taste of it,’ Jorvath said.

  ‘They do that?’ Zoe asked, quickly looking back to confirm the Myardahl did actually have two cocks.

  There were several answering chuckles before Jorvath continued. ‘Pit fighters are considered virile.’

  The Myardahl disappeared and Zoe looked at the centre of the pit, to the two aliens who circled one another. The fight hadn’t started yet, as they waited for the Myardahl to leave.

  A black-skinned alien stood in on one side. He had white hair, and even from this distance, Zoe could see his bright red and purple eyes.

  ‘Inadiine,’ Heresh said. ‘Fast, intelligent strategists.’

  The other male had pale ice blue skin and long white hair. Both males were muscular but lean. They walked around each other, eyeing their competition. At the same time they clashed, a boom sounded through the air, causing the crowd to look up.

  Zoe had seen The Crucible on television back home enough times to recognise it on sight. On Earth, it was known as The Mace. It cruised over the pit before heading towards the port.

  ‘Vrokking Tolomus is landing?’ Jorvath said, disbelief clear in his voice.

  He’s landing! He’s landing with my crew on board!

  The next fight was Daris and Edan. That meant Tolomus was probably coming here. Possibly with some of the guards left on board The Crucible!

  ‘Karijan.’

  ‘Yes, Zoe?’

  Zoe stared at the black and grey-skinned alien. ‘Please help me.’

  All of the faces on the balcony turned to her.

  ‘What is the matter, little human?’

  ‘I was on a human ship headed for the IGC to apply for membership. Tolomus took the ship. My crew are on board that ship.’

  Karijan looked in the direction Zoe was pointing. The Crucible was enormous but moving quickly. A moment later it disappeared over the wall of the pit.

  ‘Please, help me.’

  Karijan turned to look at her, then scrubbed his hands over his face. ‘Did Daris buy you? Tolomus wasn’t due here for weeks. Why is he here?’

  Zoe bit her lip. She could almost see Daris pulling it free again. ‘Daris took me. I’m his mate and Tolomus refused to let him buy me, so he took me. Tolomus is here for us.’

  ‘Vrok!’ Karijan stood. ‘I have to warn Edan.’

  He walked over to the door. Zoe stood and followed.

  ‘No, little human. You should stay here.’

  ‘I can’t. I’m an officer on board the Earth ship Endurance. Those are my crew. If you won’t help me free them, then I’ll do it alone.’

  ‘They will recapture you.’ This time it was Varid who spoke.

  ‘Maybe. But I have to try.’

  Zoe was still facing Karijan. He looked over her head at the males who had all left the balcony, following her. There seemed to be some silent agreement. For a moment, Zoe thought they were going to prevent her from going.

  ‘Very well. We know what it is to be a slave. If we can save your people that fate, we will help.’

  Zoe felt relief wash over her.

  ‘But first, I’m going to the pit to warn Edan. Tolomus sold most of us to him. He is Edan’s largest supplier of slaves. He must be warned.’

  Surrounded by an entourage of huge males, they led Zoe to the fighters’ rooms and towards the gate, which led to the pit beyond. As they approached, the Inadiine was carrying the ice blue male in.

  ‘Where’s Edan?’

  ‘On the sand,’ the Inadiine said.

  ‘Vrok.’ Karijan looked at Zoe, something akin to regret in his eyes.

  ‘Please don’t,’ she begged.

  ‘I’ll stay.’ Jorvath stepped up. ‘I’ll stay, organise the males here for when they arrive. You go. Bring Thedrin and Vandimir with you.’

  ‘Bring me where?’ the Inadiine asked.

  ‘Thedrin, do you want to help free some slaves from Tolomus?’

  ‘Are you serious? We’ll be breaking the law. You know what that means.’

  ‘The Tessans are coming,’ Zoe admitted. Karijan looked at her with a look of shock on his face. ‘They helped us build the ship. They’ve been helping us for years, and they’re really pissed at Tolomus. They want him. I want to ensure my people are off and somewhere safe before they arrive and everything gets violent.’

  The Inadiine looked at her for a few moments before he sighed. ‘You want Vandimir as well?’

  By now, a crowd had gathered. Zoe felt like a child standing among a group of huge males. Karijan filled them in on what was coming. A couple of the other fighters volunteered to go with them; the rest chose to stay behind and defend the pit if it came to a fight.

  A few minutes later, Zoe was back in the speeder, cruising through the city towards the gate, a second speeder following behind. The walls disappeared, and the canyon followed shortly after. They emerged into teal sands of the desert and sped towards the lights of the port ahead.

  ‘There’s another speeder heading towards us,’ Karijan said. He moved Zoe ge
ntly until she was surrounded on all sides by the males.

  She heard the engine of the new speeder approaching them.

  ‘It’s Tolomus,’ Karijan said. There was anger in his voice. By the time the slaver’s speeder was passing, the sound of the engine was grating on Zoe’s nerves. She jumped as the sound reached a crescendo before it was gone.

  ‘Is he still going?’ she asked, still unable to see anything around the wall of pit fighters.

  ‘He is. He had several males with him.’

  ‘Several, or seven?’

  ‘Err, seven. Why?

  ‘Because Daris said there were sixteen males on board after the rest hired to capture us got off. If he’s taken seven males with him—’

  ‘That means there are eight still on board.’

  ‘Yes, around that. I’m not entirely sure.’

  ‘There are ten of us, trained pit fighters. Even if there is more, it will not be a problem.’

  Zoe looked up at the pale lemon sky and willed the Tessans to arrive as quickly as they could.

  Daris and Edan had been on the sand for several metri. This was a grudge match and they were dragging it out, to the excitement and cheers of the audience. They were both old-hands at this, and an anticipated match of this kind couldn’t go too long for the crowd.

  They had clashed several times now. Both Daris and Edan got good hits in before they fell apart and stalked around each other. The crowd watched with closed mouths and wide eyes as they waited for one or the other to make the first move.

  It was Daris who made the first attack. He feinted to the left and when Edan dodged Daris was there, hitting him, claws swiping over the Aavani’s softer flesh. The crowd roared, rising to their feet in the stands as one, the noise surrounding and embracing them. Daris’s heart pumped harder, his breath grew quicker, and he grinned at Edan, who looked genuinely shocked.

  ‘You’ve gotten better, Daris,’ Edan said when they finally fell apart.

  ‘It’s been a few solars,’ Daris said. ‘I’ve learned some new moves.’

  ‘You have,’ Edan conceded.