Page 39 of Victoria's Discovery

She felt like sheshouldbe completely focused on getting the hell off this dangerous slave planet and back to Earth, where it was safe. Or at least, where she knew the dangers and how to avoid them. And, yet, as much as the thought of being a mindless slave scared the piss out of her, the thought of going home didn’t bring with it any sense of longing.

“I understand,” Aria continued, startling Victoria until she realized she was referring to going home, not the potentially idiotic notion of staying here. “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,ifit happens at all, so I need you to be patient.”

Against all logic, Victoria felt a little relieved at that announcement. If nothing else, the time it would take to repair the spaceship would give her time to want to go home. Or, at least, give her time to pick apart the reasons why shedidn’twant to.

“Again, I cannot guarantee that the ship can be repaired. Even if we get it working, we need a pilot to fly it.”

Victoria peeked over her shoulder at Vi’kail in confusion when she heard him draw in a deep breath before focusing on Aria as she kept going.

“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.”

Everyone started shouting at once, but Victoria just stared blankly ahead, only vaguely listening. Aria saying they needed to accept that this may be their home gave it a permanent feeling that Victoria hadn’t really considered and, yeah, it gave rise to more than a little anxiety.

Did she want to leave right then, before she’d learned about this place and all the bizarre, fantastical aliens around her? Not at all. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and she wanted time to explore it.

On the other hand, did she want to live here forever, under constant threat of being turned into a mindless slave if she so much as stepped a toe outside this building? Not really, no. She damn sure wouldn’t have picked a place like this on which to land.

But, returning to Earth as a twenty-five-year old college student who had no idea what the hell she wanted to do with her life, no family other than a mother who’d rather pretend she didn’t exist, and no meaningful relationships of any kind?

That held zero appeal.

She’d spent her entire life searching for a passion, a purpose, something that called to her without success. Being on an alien planet didn’t mean she’d find any of those things, of course, but everything here was new. The possibilities were endless. What if shecouldfind something here? Something to give her life meaning. Something she was great at.

At the very least, she wanted time to find out.

Snapping out of her internal debate when the shoving started up again, Victoria tensed, but Aria took command before anything got out of hand.

“Cut that shit out!NOW!I willnottolerate fighting! If you cannot control yourself, I can and will lock your ass in a stasis tube! Do you understand me?”

Victoria hid a smile, mentally cheering Aria on.

In a softer, but no less stern voice, she added, “You’re scared and angry. I get it. But youwillmaintain 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.”

Thegan startled under her, muttering, “‘Male grazer dung?’”

Blinking, Victoria choked on a laugh before whispering, “It’s a saying. Just means it’s not okay.”

“Ah. Odd saying.”

“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.”

“She is a good leader,” Thorn remarked quietly from her left.

It was a simple statement, but the approval in it spoke volumes, especially coming from Thorn, who didn’t strike her as someone who trusted or offered his approval often.

“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.”

Like magic, as soon as she said it, Victoria realized she was tired. Not physically, but mentally she could definitely use some downtime to absorb everything she’d learned.

Further proving that she was unusually thoughtful and uniquely suited to being the boss, Aria went on to add, “If you don’t usually sleep at night, you’re welcome to hang out here, but please be considerate of those who do. TheGaellihave offered to help get everyone situated in the hotel rooms above.”

Victoria followed the movement when Aria gestured to the yellow beings, echoing the word under her breath and committing it to memory.

“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.”

Victoria watched as Aria started to step off the strange-looking couch she’d been standing on, only for the demon-man, Tirox, to lift her up into his arms and whisper something into her ear before letting her slide down his body. For the first time, she saw Aria smile. It was breathtaking, not just because it made her look even more absurdly beautiful, but because Victoria could see the genuine love and happiness there.

Sighing, she stared at the pair enviously, all kinds of sappy feelings mixed with a sharp pang of longing filling her chest before she forced herself to look away.

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