Page 5 of Aria's Ascension

“Mijita, I will not say I understand. But, I want you to be ha… ”

Aria looked back at her parents when her mom’s voice faded out.

“Amá? I didn’t hear… What the hell?” she faltered, rearing back when she saw her mom’s mouth was still moving, but she couldn’t hear the words any longer, like someone had hit mute.

Pain spiked through her temples. Aria hissed, pressing her palms to her head, and squeezed her eyes shut.

The pain intensified but with it, little by little, came clarity. Her senses sharpened as she sat—lay?—there. It was like she’d been trying to run through quicksand and was now back on solid ground, like a fog had been blanketing her thoughts, dampening her emotions, but she hadn’t realized it was there until it began to lift.

Aria sucked in a sharp breath, and her eyes sprang open.

She knew what was happening.

She didn’t need to find a way to escape this place. Her men had come for her.

Speaking quickly she said, “Amá, Dad, I have to go. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I need you to know I love you both.”

With a lump in her throat, Aria stared at her parents for a heartbeat longer, memorizing their faces, before she closed her eyes and let go.

Chapter 3

Kix felt Aria’s intentions across the distance separating them, felt the sting of her rage and need for revenge before it shifted to determination, and knew what she was planning.

Then, shocking the crux out of him, he got a flash of an image from her.

He’d heard of a male’s abilities being enhanced after Harmonizing, but he hadn’t anticipated it being to the extent where he got images from Aria instead of just feelings.

She was going to escape. Alone. Without them to help her or watch her back.

He managed to signal Tirox in the tube across the lab before the sedation vapor could knock them out, but he quickly learned that wasn’t the only thing they had to worry about. He watched as theGaelliworkers activated probes to descend on the other gladiators’ heads.

Out of desperation, knowing he was running out of time to make it to his mate before she did something dangerous, Kix focused on the workers, but he had no idea if what he was going to try would work.

His gifts were stronger in this body, and stronger still since bonding to Aria, but influencing another being’s mind was something of legend, an ability that hadn’t been seen in among his people in the last six generations, at least.

Still, he had to try.

The Gaelli had something of a hivemind. If he could influence one of them, it should prompt them all to leave. Picking one at random, he concentrated.

Your duties are complete. Leave.

Over and over, he projected the thought. Pain spiked in his temples the longer he tried. He felt blood drip from his nose, but he didn’t stop.

He could feel it beginning to work, he just had to push a little harder. Gritting his teeth, he strained against that barrier, pressing against it until spots began swimming in front of his eyes.

All of a sudden, he felt something give way, like a membrane being pierced. The workers slowed, hesitating, glancing around as if trying to remember something. Redoubling his efforts, Kix kept up the mental projection. Finally, just as the pain in his head turned to agony, they turned as one for the door and exited the lab.

Kix, Tirox, and half of the other gladiators were free of the probes, but only him and Tirox were still awake.

When the door slid shut behind the last Gaelli, Kixsagged against the supports and closed his eyes for a moment. If he could see himself, he knew he’d find the glow of his eyes dim and his skin dull. He was weak, drained, but there was no time to rest, not with Aria unprotected.

When the feeling of Aria’s doubt and fear filtered through the agony in his head, it was enough to pull him away from the edge of unconsciousness.

Opening his eyes to slits, he slurred, “Can you break free?”

Tirox was already raising an arm, lined in the bone-like spikes he seemed to be able to release and retract at will, before Kix could finish his question. He slammed it against the clear surface of the stasis tube again and again until it finally shattered with a loud crack, and the tinkling of shards against the kineticrete floor.

Kix felt the male’s urgency to find Aria and thought for a moment he would leave without him, but after staring at the door for a second, he strode to Kix’s tube with only a slight scowl on his rough face.

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