Page 40 of Aria's Ascension

Chapter 23

Fifteen or so minutes later, Aria heard the splash of water and looked over to see both her men headed back to her. Watching them walk side by side, she realized how truly different they appeared.

Tirox was just plain massive. He stood damn near seven feet tall and was a wall of fearsome looking muscle covered in beautiful, red, tattooed skin. Despite his size, he moved in a way that said he could be more agile and quick-footed than his hugeness would imply.

Switching her gaze to Kix, she blinked in surprise. She’d never seen them side by side from a distance, but she realized Kix wasn’t actually that much smaller than her barbarian. At six-foot-five, he was only five or so inches shorter than Tirox. Broad shouldered and covered in sharply defined muscles, he looked like a ripped male model, and he moved with a kind of predatory grace that reminded her of a hunting cat.

“Goddamn, I did good. Oh, I didrealgood,” she muttered under her breath as she blatantly, unapologetically stared at her two stupidly sexy, naked mates.

And they’re mine. All mine.

Clearing her throat when they got closer, she tipped her head back to eye Tirox speculatively.

He returned her look knowingly and lowered himself to sit across from her on the moss they’d claimed as their bed, setting the bag he’d carried in earlier on top of her pile of goodies. Kix sat as well, making a circle.

“I am well, my heart. Do not worry. A moment of… ill will for your bright one, but we have spoken. He is wise and skilled with sharing reason.” He cut his eyes to Kix and smirked. “Particularly for one so small and underdeveloped.”

Aria’s eyes widened, but Kix only chuckled.

“I grow fond of you as well, Barbarian.”

Tirox grinned and slapped him on the back. Kix grunted from the impact and gave him slitted eyes, but he was smiling as well.

“So, we’re good?” she asked, glancing back and forth between them.

They both nodded and smiled reassuringly before focusing on the mound of stuff.

Aria blinked at them.

That’s all? No details?

She wanted to pry in the worst way, to find out exactly what they’d talked about, but when theystilldidn’t offer anything further, she forced herself to let it go. Pushing now might undo the accord they’d come to, and as difficult as it was to contain her curiosity, knowing wasn’t worth the possibility of renewing the conflict.

Tirox turned the bag over, emptying the contents. Inside were a couple dozen packages of food sponges, half again as many water pouches, another healing ring, and three black seashells.

“Well, at least our resident douchebag doesn’t treat the prisoners down here like complete animals. We’ve got food, water, and a way to get clean.” Picking up the bag, she gave it a shake to see if anything else fell out, but it was empty. “No clothes sprayer. So, we’re still stuck running around buck naked.”

Both men glanced up at that and gave her a slow, thorough once over before exchanging a look that told her exactly how much they didn’t mind the absence of a clothes sprayer.

“Mmhm, you like it now, but wait until we have to talk to the other prisoners down here.”

The expressions on their faces changed from roguish to realization to hostility so quickly, and in almost perfect sync, that she couldn’t help but laugh.

She kept to herself the possibility that one or more of the prisoners down there may very well have been used in the mating tournaments Zhrovni mentioned. She figured that was better left unsaid until, and unless, it actually came to pass.

Grumbling under his breath, Kix slid his fingers over the food packages then passed out his picks to, first, her, then Tirox, before selecting his own.

Aria took a delicate bite of her sponge then hummed in semi-pleasant surprise.

“Fishy. Definitely a kale taste in there and something buttery like… cashews?”

While it wasn’t a flavor combination she would’ve picked for herself, it was better than the bloody blueberry taste of the last sponge she’d eaten.

They ate together in companionable silence and picked through the pile of goodies. Kix was focused on the stick while Tirox examined one of the disks.

“I believe this might be an energy baton,” Kix mused, his voice low like he was speaking more to himself than them. “As the majority of this level is natural stone, the resonance blaster would very likely destabilize it, should the shooter miss their target. We are directly below the lab level and arena. A collapse down here would unquestionably destroy at least part of both. It would make sense to have a non-lethal weapon to use on the prisoners that is still effective in pacification. One that would not threaten a cave-in.”

Aria smiled, finding Kix’s nerdiness incredibly sexy.

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