Page 69 of Aria's Ascension

Late that night, once Kix was sure Aria had sunk into sleep, he reluctantly extracted himself from the tangle of her limbs and followed his senses to the ball of pain needling at his mind.

He found the hrrykask right where he expected: crouching in the darkness not too far from their cave.

“Greetings,” Kix murmured calmly, brightening first his hand, then his chest and forehead in welcome.

It was doubtful the male would understand the greeting’s significance as one cajasiira to another since he was not Caljaan, but it served a dual purpose of showing that Kix held no weapons and brightened the tunnel enough for him to see the male had used the healing ring. He was no longer covered in scars and his gaze was sharp, no longer sightless.

Instead of returning the polite welcome, the male stood slowly and growled, “You leave her unattended?”

“Never. I leave her in the able hands of my brother,” he responded cooly, choosing not to take offense to the accusation.

He would no doubt lash out if their places were exchanged, so he opted to let it go and took a seat against the tunnel wall.

It took a while, but the male eventually grunted and returned to his crouch when he realized Kix was not there to drive him away.

Watching him closely, Kix asked, “Did you remember your name?”

The male’s gaze flicked toward him, before returning to stare down the tunnel. A pause and then, “Yes. I am Thrasin.”

Kix nodded. “Will you share it with her?”

He scoffed and clenched his jaw. “How? Yell it and hope she hears? I am not to be trusted near her.”

Kix winced slightly at the grief that emanated from him, but kept his voice even when he responded, “I tried to kill her once.”

Thrasin jerked as though he’d been struck and gave Kix a look of shock before disbelief replaced it.

Expecting that, Kix let the shame he felt at his actions show on his face.

Thrasin’s eyes widened before narrowing to slits. Ever so subtly, he adjusted his weight to the balls of his feet in preparation to attack, but Kix copied one of his Aria’s favorite expressions and raised the skin over one eye until Thrasin snarled and dropped back to his heels.

“Aria calls them octoflies. You know the sound they make, what it does to you.” Kix paused and swallowed hard. He knew Thrasin needed to hear it, but it pained him to speak the words aloud. “I was still locked under the suppression. Susceptible to their influence. I tried to resist, yet I could not. I attacked her.”

A proud smile curled his lips as he remembered what happened next, easing the sting of his sorrow.

“She won the fight. She is fierce, our Aria. She fights as though she knows what her opponent is going to do before they do it. It is… spectacular to witness. Terrifying, as well, to see her in danger. After the fight, she cared for me.” Kix met Thrasin’s astonished stare. “She was never angry. Not once. Nor has she brought it up since then, though I castigate myself often. I have searched her emotions more times than I could count trying to find some hidden censure, anger, anything. Yet, there is nothing. She does not even think of it.”

He smiled again and gazed at the wall as though he could see her through the stone.

Looking back at Thrasin, he added, “Tirox once threw her at an attacker.”

He nodded at the male’s outraged expression.

“Just picked her up and launched her through the air at him. She was upset for only a moment.” Huffing a laugh, he shook his head. “All that to say, she is spectacularly forgiving. She does not hold actions against us that are not ours to bear. She has no anger or sadness for your actions in your cave. It is you avoiding her that causes her pain,” he growled, eyes narrowed and teeth bared in a snarl.

Kix was honored to be her sahaat, her peacemaker, but he could not temper himself in that, not when it came to his mate hurting.

“I willnotpermit it. Youwillright yourself and go to her.”

Thrasin opened his mouth to argue, but Kix held up a staying hand as his aessa so often did. Drawing in a cleansing breath, he shook his head.

“It need not be this moment. Learn, quickly, to control your dark side. Once you have, you will go to her. She needs you just as she needs the barbarian and myself.”

Having said all he’d gone to say, Kix pushed to his feet and started to return to his treasure. The absence of her touch was becoming an ache in his chest. But he paused before rounding the corner and glanced back at Thrasin.

He let a bit of his own darkness peer out of its carefully constructed cage and warned coldly, “If you cannot learn to control yourself, I will kill you. Better that she mourns you once than to pine for what you are unable or unwilling to give.”

Without waiting for a reply, Kix turned and left.

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