Page 14 of Twins for the Barbarians

“Would you go back if you had the chance?” Helios asks.

I know the answer he’s hoping to hear, yet I don’t think I’m able to give it to him. All I can do is smile my sad smile and change the subject. “It doesn’t really matter at this point. So, what’s the plan for tomorrow regarding Red Rock?”

Helios and Kharo exchange glances, and I’m sure they’d rather press me more on the subject of a possible return to Earth, but they respect my wishes as always and steer the conversation back to our mission.

“We should be able to spend a few days or even weeks there, provided it’s safe,” Kharo replies. “If the area is deserted, we’ll set up camp in the old town. Kreek intel says it should be abandoned, but there are plenty of buildings there to give us shelter.”

“The days will be devoted to studying the mountainside and the inner lip of the volcano where Elian Daron had his research station,” Helios adds. “The nights…well, I’m sure we’ll find ways to make them more interesting.”

Hot damn. The fire playing in his crimson eyes makes my blood simmer and sends a heat wave through my body as I smile softly and tuck a lock of hair behind my ear. These two have a way of turning me on with just a few words, and they always take me by surprise. I suppose they love to see me blush.

A nearby humming sound makes my ears twitch. It soon grows into a raucous rumble.

Kharo gives me a troubled look, then quickly proceeds to stomp out what’s left of our fire.

“Kingo, grab the plates and hide!” Helios hisses.

In an instance, Kingo scrambles to take the dishes away from the river and rushes into the nearest cluster of dark bushes, while Helios and Kharo take me into the woods, where we’ve hidden the buggy with the rest of our things. We hide behind it, having a decent view of the riverside and our campsite.

I hold my breath as Kharo’s arm settles around my shoulders as we watch a band of marauders roaming on the other side of the river. I doubt they can see any signs of our camp from their angle since Helios took great care to survey our spot before we settled on it, making sure it couldn’t be easily seen.

“There’s twelve of them,” Helios whispers, his gaze fixed on the marauders. “Sky Tribe.”

The marauders slow down at one point, and two of them get out of their beat-up buggies to gather hot water from the river in metallic flasks. They laugh and exchange crude jokes, but they seem oblivious to everything else.

“Hurry up, Sade, the general wants us back by midnight for his briefing,” one of them snarls, slurring his words. He’s half-slumped in the passenger seat of the first buggy, nursing a bottle of what I imagine is a pretty strong drink. “His fucking briefing.”

“Yeah, I don’t see the point of those anymore. It’s not like we know when and where those Kreek bastards will strike, anyway,” another marauder says, returning to the buggy with a flask filled with river water. “I say we pray they don’t hit whatever spot we have to guard, and that’s it.”

“You know the punishment for disobedience,” the first guy says. “Now, hurry up! I got a sweet connection in the breeding center. They promised me a woman tonight if I bring them a cask of this berry wine, and the best berry wine is in the general’s cellar.”

“Oh, so that’s why you want to be at that briefing, you scoundrel,” a third warrior says, laughing.

They talk about the Fire Tribe being savages, but someone should hold up a mirror to their nasty faces. The way they refer to their women, the way they snicker and behave, I shudder to imagine what those poor girls must be going through, trapped in Ruby City’s breeding center. Hell, I hope we do take Emerald City next. We’ll liberate the women there first, and then we’ll set our sights on Ruby City, too—just so no Sunnaite woman ever has to be treated like a piece of meat.

Kharo’s grip on my shoulder tightens, and I swallow back the knot in my throat as we watch the marauders get back in their buggies and drive off, howling and cheering like mindless beasts. They leave a trail of red dust in their wake, and once we're back in our camp, I welcome the sight of the black sky and its myriad of stars.

“They didn’t spot us this time,” Kingo says as he emerges from the bushes. “But I think we should sleep deeper in the woods.”

“I agree,” Helios replies. “Tell you what: You take our stuff to the vehicle and sleep there. You’ll be safe and comfortable.”

“What about you three?” Kingo asks, giving us a worried look.

Helios smiles, his hand resting on the small of my back. “You don’t have to worry about us. We lived in the wilderness for years, young man. We’ll manage.”

“And Alicia?”

“She’s the least of your concerns.”

Kingo looks at me, then at Helios and Kharo, and I can almost hear the penny drop as he finally figures it out. “All right then. Hopefully, I shall see you all in the morning,” he says, then heads back to the buggy.

Deeper in the woods means something akin to absolute darkness.

Only a few rays of Sunna’s three moons manage to sneak through the thick, black foliage, but it’s more than enough for what is about to happen. Helios lays a blanket on the ground for me. My clothes are on the ground, gathering red dust—as are theirs.

“This feels incredible,” I moan as I lay on my back, subject to the teasing of their hot lips and slippery tongues.

Inch by inch, Helios and Kharo kiss my body, taking care to appreciate my soft skin and generous curves with their bare hands. It seems to last forever as liquid heat pools between my legs, my core already strained and begging for release.

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