Page 21 of Aria's Ascension

“What?” Aria demanded, her heart skipping a beat. “What it is? Are you hit?”

Kix blinked down at her. “She… pinched me.”

That was not what she was expecting to hear. Her face screwed up in confusion. “I’m sorry, what? Who pinched you?”

In answer, a drowsy purr of appreciation came from the vicinity of Kix’s ass before Skaa slurred out, “Fine rump. Odd coloring, but well made.”

A slap echoed in the elevator and Kix jerked, his eyes going impossibly wider. He darted her a look she interpreted as being part gobsmacked, part reluctantly flattered by the compliment, and part genuinely worried, like he thought she was going to kill her friend for touching his ass.

Aria bit her lip, trying to hold back, but when Tirox snorted she couldn’t stop the chuckle that spilled from her. Kix’s look of stunned bewilderment made her laugh harder until she was bent over, one hand on her knee, the other wrapped around her middle.

The elevator was filled with her peals of laughter and Tirox’s deep, rumbling chuckles. Just when she thought she had herself under control, she glanced up at Tirox. His devilish smile and mirth-filled eyes set her off again until tears were streaming down her cheeks.

Would the situation have been as funny without the adrenaline pumping through her? Probably not, but she’d been in enough combat situations that she knew to appreciate a moment of levity when it presented itself.

Was she thrilled another woman had just touched Kix’s ass? No. That dark part was definitely pacing its cage and snarling.

Was she going to kill the woman for it, as Kix seemed to fear? Also, no.

That’s not to say she wasn’t tempted to stab Skaa in the thigh, just a little, just to help her wake up, of course. Aria resisted and, instead, swallowed the last of her snickers. Walking around, she cleared her throat to get Skaa’s attention off of Kix’s ass and onto her. When that didn’t work, she bent and gave Skaa’s pointy ear amostlygentle tug.

Okay, fine, it was more of a yank.

Skaa hissed sharply and slapped a hand over her ear, twisting to throw Aria a look of drunken outrage.

Smirking cooly, she jerked her chin at Kix’s ass and said, “No touchy.”

Skaa opened her mouth then flicked a bleary look at said rump and closed it with a snap without saying anything. Squeezing her eyes shut, she rubbed her forehead and groaned.

“I… I am not sure why I did that. It is an offense worth fighting over to touch another’s Chosen. Regrets, my friend,” she mumbled. “Now, tell your mate to let me down before I lose my stomach on his fine rump.”

Kix didn’t wait for Aria to give him the go-ahead. He dipped his shoulder and squatted until Skaa could half roll, half tumble off of him.

Aria noticed Skaa’s tail reaching out to feel along the wall, she thought in an attempt to find something to latch onto and steady her swaying. When she didn’t find purchase on the smooth, white walls, she squinted her eyes and swept the room around them.

“Where are we? Are we no longer in the fighting lands?”

That question sobered the last of her amusement.

“No. We escaped from the labs underneath the arena,” Aria explained, tipping her head at her men. “We were hiding and overheard Zhrovni telling some guards to take you to the modification suite. I figured you might not appreciate them scrambling your brain, so we freed you.”

Skaa stopped squinting at the cubicle to stare down at her, her eyes beginning to clear as comprehension set in. “I do not understand half your words, but I believe I understand their meaning. You have my gratitude,” she replied somberly. “What are we doing now?”

Aria gave her friend a look of approval, impressed she could change gears that quickly.

“Now, we’re headed to find the dragon—‘no translation’—free him, then take this place over,” Aria announced matter-of-factly.

The tall woman cocked her head to the side and eyed Aria like she thought she must be kidding. “Dra-gone. That is the flying beast in the mountain, yes?”

“That’s him.”

Skaa sighed deeply and shook her head. “Foolish female. You are going to be eaten.”

Aria cut her eyes to her men and smirked, “Maybe. But, not by the dragon. Still, now that you’re awake, there’s no reason for you to take the risk with us.”

At Skaa’s expression of confusion, Aria gave each of the three a grim look and told them about the sense of wrongness she’d had.

“Something’s off. There should’ve been guards swarming everywhere up there. Hell, there’s no way we should’ve made it this far and damn sure not nearly unscathed.” Tirox and Kix both opened their mouths to dispute that, their gazes dropping to her bruised side, but she cut them off before they could speak. “A place this high tech should have some way of monitoring the halls, which doors are opened, and the elevator’s movements.”

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